Lori

Bingo. Declining circulation is a problem ... but because most people under 30 now get their news from a Web site, not a newsprint-and-ink edition. If it's all about "Librul Media" getting their comeuppance, I'd like someone to explain why a friend's newspaper, the right-of-center New York Sun, shut down its press for the final time last September.

Certainly no apology necessary, and I hope you don't mind the excerpting. Heck, I was trying to send you some business. Nice job. Considering that I haven't had a chance to talk to him since this went down, I enjoyed the listen. (Can you tell that his degree is actually in radio/TV?) And as I expected, his tone was more measured on the air. You gave him plenty of time to go into detail about his thought process, something not always allowed by an 817-word column. There, you're going for maximum impact in minimal space -- and the "Worst signing ever" tease above the nameplate on Page 1 certainly did that, even before the reader got to the sports section.

This Jim Donaldson? http://kissingsuzykolber.uproxx.com/2009/0...be-a-moron.html

With two teams that had veteran QBs, and had had winning seasons the previous year. Is Trent ready to get into T.O.'s face if he has to?

And the chemistry inside the locker room. That's Chuck -- during the interview, he said he was "old-fashioned," in that he thinks chemistry is a huge factor. The Steelers weren't the best team in the league this year, but they were playing the best at the end of the season, and he credited that to them playing together as a team instead of a collection of me-first guys. Same with the Giants last year. Sully and the other columnists in favor of the move are saying that good team chemistry hasn't gotten the team anywhere, so the heck with it -- bring in more talent, and if it shakes up the locker room, well, it needed a good rattling anyway. Guess we'll find out which point of view ends up being correct.

By the way, dude, you really should have tossed in a link to that ... http://www.blogtalkradio.com/BillsFanRadio...t-Terrell-Owens (Chuck comes on at about the 7:00 mark.) "Even the most optimistic people say, 'He can make them better IF ...' There are a lot of ifs and buts about his presence -- and why wouldn't there be, because of his history? But I will say this, guys. If for some reason he found a way to corral himself for a year, this guy can still play, and if everything else worked out, it would be a tremendous deal. But I've got to say that I think the risks by far outweigh the rewards, as you saw in today's column." *** "This will be the 37th year I've covered them. I've covered some bad football teams, and some very good ones. Clearly, this team has not had very players in its history -- with the exception of the Super Bowl years -- that has T.O.'s kind of star power. "You know, I would love this to work out. I really would, because it serves me well. If the Bills win, fans are more interested in what I write, they care more about the team, and it works well for everybody. But I can't envision, given his body of work, that he can let himself come to Buffalo and be the second banana to Lee Evans. "I'm very sympathetic to Lee, because he's stuck with a team that really has not done a great deal win-wise. It's a team that really hasn't done a great job of getting him any help, and getting the double-teams off him. And now there's a guy who maybe can do that, but a guy whose ego is so ginormous that it's going to be all about him. In a way, when the Bills try to do something -- in my view -- even when they try to do something right for Lee, it's going to come back and bite them, and the guy who's really going to get the incisors laid into him is Lee Evans. And I feel badly about that." *** Regarding Trent, he concluded, "I think he's kind of like the fans who want this to work. But there's a part of you that says, 'This might not end well.'" (interview runs approximately 22 minutes)

Ummm ... link? Said hack's name, perhaps? edit: never mind ... http://www.projo.com/patriots/content/proj...n.216b101c.html

Really, jes? This is EXACTLY what I expected. And for those who may not be aware, Pollock is also the longtime Bills correspondent for Pro Football Weekly.

Looks like he already did. Must have had homework to do ...

And left town without a contract the first time? And got a callback after that? Hmmmmmm.

Yup.

Absolutely serious. So is Belichick. Why else would he have signed 6-0 and 6-1 corners today?

And as already noted, Brad Johnson, who has assumed Kelly Holcomb's title as King of the Six-Inch Pass, played part of the season in Dallas. So what's your point?

Harrison: 6-0, 175 Wayne: 6-0, 198 Owens: 6-3, 226 One of these things is not like the others ...

How does that compare to Randy Moss (69-1008)? Just checking ...

One would have thought there'd be an appearance when the contract extension was announced, or the end-of-season wrapup done by just about every other Bills coach I can think of. Then again, after hearing what his pressers are like (zzzzz) from a couple of the beat guys, perhaps they see this as addition by subtraction ...

Jauron has been next to invisible ever since the end of the season, coming out of hiding only for his requisite appearance at the combine. So I'm not exactly stunned that he's back in the witness protection program ...

I could definitely deal with drafting an O-lineman on the first day, but I don't think it's going to be at 11. And if this TO thing is going to work, we need a LG who's ready to play this year, not a rookie to groom. I want to see at least one more FA signed before the draft, maybe two (unless they believe Demetrius Bell is ready to contribute).

Fair enough. Remember, though, this was written as a column, not an analysis. Dean, although I can well imagine what his inbox looks like right now, I suspect he'd respond to those questions if you asked him. And I know you well enough to know you'd lay them out in a thoughtful manner, instead of the "your an idiot!" stuff I'm expecting (and for which I've already apologized to him in advance after reading the piece.)

As I recall, that demotion came with the coaching change in Miami. And I know we love to beat MM up here, but the dump-Bledsoe-for-Losman move had a lot to do with the 2005 season's failings. Not sure we ever did find out exactly whose call that was.

Critique the article and opinion to your heart's content. That comes with the job. But yeah, if I see anything that could be construed as a personal shot at him, I'm going to react strongly. (As a poster, telling you how I feel about it, not as a mod. Please don't misunderstand that.)

Tim covered that team as a beat writer for the Palm Beach Post. I suspect he has his own ideas of what happened there ...

No, he really isn't. Whether they agree or disagree with the move, most of the local media is in, "eh -- at least it'll give us something to write about" mode. Chuck isn't like that. Never has been. He hates me-me-me guys like Owens, hates this idea, and he's not going to mince any words telling you why. Feel free to disagree with him, but know that he WILL tell you exactly what he thinks.

Straight out of his playbook ... and they're certainly selling tickets. And wise counsel in the bolded line. A pass rush? I forget what one of those looks like. Fifty sacks in the last two seasons combined? To compare, Bills QBs from RJ to Bledsoe to Losman have endured 47 or more sacks in ONE season four times since 2000.

If only ... although to be honest, his continued presence may be the only thing keeping that entire company afloat. I can just imagine. For the record, here are some of Chuck's previous takes on Owens: Feb. 7, 2005:Owens was right, but Reid wasn’t Nov. 7, 2005: POLLOCK: Reid also to blame for Eagles’ troubles March 25, 2006: POLLOCK: Thoughts on Bills, Bonds, Huggins etc.