Lori

It's suspected (but I don't think it's been confirmed) that Schobel has a Lisfranc injury -- the same one that put Dwight Freeney on I.R. last year, cost Duce Staley half a season in 2001, and ended Errick Rhett's career.

Leo Roth referenced it in this week's banter with Sal Maiorana: "It was also distressing to hear Kawika Mitchell say the NFL is about making money and as long as he gets paid, he doesn't care where he plays. Nice attitude." From The News: "But as right tackle Langston Walker pointed out, money talks. "The Bills are making $9.75 million for each of the eight games that will be played in Toronto over five years. That overrules any opinion the players may have. "'Obviously, the NFL is about making money,' linebacker Kawika Mitchell said. 'If that is what they are doing, that's what they are doing. Other than that, as long as they are making money I am getting paid, so do what you do.'"

Yawn. If I had a nickel for every time someone, be it an NFL player or the disgruntled parent of a high school benchwarmer, played the tired "that's what sells papers" card ... For those of you in The News' circulation area: when was the last time you bought a copy solely to see what Bucky Gleason had to say? Yeah, that's what I thought. That said, while it may be a valid question, whoever asked it -- presumably Gleason, although he didn't outwardly take credit for it -- had to already know he'd never get a "yes" even if Walker privately agreed. (Not saying he does, just that if he did, he'd be nuts to say it publicly while Jauron is still his boss.)

Pollock's take:

Just one note: "falls short of projected revenue" does not necessarily equal red ink. Hearing from people inside the industry (because a good chunk of these cuts are from Films/Network facilities) that both these and the mlb.com cuts are bullbleep in that respect, that league revenues are still up over last season. It's next season they're worried about, and with good reason. General Motors' "official car of the NFL" deal runs out in 2009, and something tells me that they -- and many other advertisers -- won't be renewing at their current level of sponsorship. Welcome to the unintended consequences of the free market, a subject all too many of us are familiar with these days.

See: Dolphins' empty injury report. It's not because guys aren't injured; they have the same bumps and bruises as any other team this late in the season. But they've also been told that if they're not ready to play, Sparano will find someone who is. According to Tim Graham, here's how Joey Porter described it earlier in the season: AFC East blog: Don't tell Tony Sparano you're hurt And with three games remaining, the Fins are one win away from tying the best turnaround in league history by a team that went 1-15 the previous season. Something tells me that's not a coincidence.

Right on.

Coolest, and a Merry/Happy back at you. Aren't we starting him in on the beer a little early, though, Dad? I see him making a grab for that bottle ... And while the original thread is lost somewhere in the mists of time, here's ChevyVanMiller's story in its entirety: Christmas Thanks, And God Bless Little Gus

That's why I made a suggestion, instead of offering to do it myself. Three teams were enough for me ...

The Bills were the first team with a blackout that season, but they weren't the only one. Oakland had two, St. Louis had one.

Some stats to add to the discussion: The Dolphins have won the toss eight times, deferring on seven of those. The one time they took the ball? Three-and-out. On the seven times they won and kicked off, they gave up three FGs, forced two turnovers and two punts. Patriots: Won six times, kicked off five. Gave up one FG, one missed FG, forced one turnover and two punts. The only time they took the ball? Lost it on a fumble. Giants: Won six times, took the ball every time. Two TDs, one INT, three punts. Looking at the 39 games those three teams have played (and subtracting 2 for the duplication caused by the two MIA-NE games), overall, the team winning the toss and choosing to receive scored on five of 17 opening possessions, turned the ball over on three, and punted on nine (including six three-and-outs). That leaves 20 games with the winner deferring; those defenses allowed seven scores (two TDs, five FGs), forced nine punts and five turnovers (including the missed FG). If anyone has some time to kill, it would be interesting to find out whether or not that percentage -- over twice as many unsuccessful possessions as scores for the team winning the toss and taking the ball, and exactly twice as many stops as scores for teams that deferred -- holds up leaguewide.

"... memories that will last a lifetime." Didn't specify that they had to be good memories.

Incorrect. The game sold out in both seasons, although too late to lift the blackout in 2006. A blackout triggered in a stadium 20,000 seats larger than the Rogers Centre.

Signs? Bags? Under Donahoe, those were confiscated at the gate -- they reserve the right to prohibit pretty much anything they don't want inside. Not sure if the new regime still does that. Maybe it's time to find out.

Believe me, when Preston snapped the ball into thin air, I laughed. And when the Bills lined up in first-and-goal, I told the guy next to me, "Well, I guess we'll see whether or not Losman has learned how to throw the fade." One interception later, we just looked at each other, and he said with a sarcastic half-smirk, "Guess not." Whoever mentioned laughter as a defense mechanism had it right ...

We've talked about it at Pole 5 before; in fact, a couple of guys did stay outside for the 49ers game.

POLLOCK: Bills, Mularkey having problems on, off field Other than the obvious comparison between the seasons in question, why am I dragging up a three-year-old column? Because I've been thinking for a while now that the same thing is happening with Schonert. The three running plays at the end of the Cleveland game, killing the clock at the end of the half, etc., etc. ad nauseum. Is that the OC, or someone else exerting influence from above (as Donahoe did with Mularkey)? Responsibility starts at the top.

The fans are one of the problems? How many blocks did we miss today? How many passes did we drop? How many third-and-long conversions did we allow? WIN, or at least make us think the players and coaches give a crap about the game, and maybe most of the fans stop finding things to complain about.

Welcome back, old-timer. Join our collective misery. Nah, check that. I'm heading out to find a burger and a beer. I'll catch up with the misery later ...

Honestly? I only remember ONE Leafs jersey. People were either in civvies or football gear, if a little out of date in places (vintage Marino jerseys for them, Flutie and various Super Bowl-era players for us). And yeah, except for some spots in the upper deck, it did qualify as a crowd. Don't know if they ended up eating those VIP tickets, but the place was pretty full. Very little cheering from either side, even on big third-down plays. I assume that came through on the broadcast. It felt like a preseason game, with nobody really paying attention.

How much snow did you get overnight, Hammer? Pollock said he drove through a whiteout on his way up here last night.

That summed it up fairly well, I'd say. Section 207 was an even mix of Bills fans, Dolphins fans, a few wearing other teams' gear (including one guy in a Colts hat and Matt Hasselbeck Seahawks jersey), and the mildly entertained people who were apparently there for the "event." By the time Will Allen intercepted Losman's poor attempt at a fade into the end zone, most Bills fans, sensing the inevitable, had joined the ranks of the disinterested. The end-zone fight was indeed the only thing worth watching in the second half, as a guy wearing a Lee Evans jersey got in a few good swings. (Couldn't tell whether or not the guy on the bottom was a Fins fan.) And as the final seconds ticked off, with a fresh blanket of undisturbed snow coating vacant Ralph Wilson Stadium 100 miles to the south ... the first verse of "Let It Snow" came over the P.A. system inside the Rogers Centre, mocking the Bills fans as they trudged toward the exits. History In The Making, they called it. God, I need a drink.

Like I said...

Waitaminute. We're talking about trying to find yet another Quarterback of the Future? Here's a novel idea: how about building a TEAM around the ones we have instead? Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson have Super Bowl rings. (So does, RJ, but let's not go there.) What did their teams have in common? Championship-caliber defenses. Use that top pick on a pass rusher instead.

http://www.twobillsdrive.com/articles/game...e_day_preview1/ Enjoy. Time to head back downstairs to the bar ...