Lori

Yup. An acquaintance started a page when his young son sustained a serious head injury, and kept it up for seven months to chronicle his recovery. Great setup.

Hmmm, that is something to consider on the home side, now that you mention it.

I'm in 15 (visitors' side). Wouldn't want to go below row 10, but 13 shouldn't be too bad.

Yessssssssss. Come back to us, John, so we can start picking on you again.

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/billboard/ http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/...gger-tim-graham

Ronnie was a friend of the family. In fact, Wade's son Wes was the QBs coach under Jones at West Texas A+M until Jones got the ax. And that's a fun little story in itself: http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stories/041905aba.html Coaching high school ball in Texas now: http://www.martinfootball.com/Football/Coaches/Coaches.html (I heart Google ... )

Likewise, I don't think Acee would have written what he did if he wasn't confident in his. Just like I pointed out WRT Schottenheimer, where Graham's version has since been backed up by both Wawrow and Gaughan, there are (at least) two sides to every story.

Phillips WAS fired because of a STs coach (Ronnie Jones a year later), but to be honest, I can't remember if Ralph was all that vocal about the MCM. More likely, he would have been bitching about the refs... Good read on DeHaven from back then: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/art...20297/index.htm

Byrd was voted to the team, so yes, he gets credit. Alternates who had a chance to go as an injury replacement, but who were injured themselves, do not. (Believe Kurt Warner falls into that category.) Also, I think getting voted in is the only way to collect on any Pro Bowl incentive clauses.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/sports/bills_and_n...back-to-Buffalo Good coach who took the fall for a braincramp by a player, far as I'm concerned.

You talk about Warner stepping back and putting the ball up, yet rank Moon -- the ultimate inflated-numbers-via-the-run-and-shoot QB -- ahead of him despite his 3-7 playoff record? And Bob Griese (cq), who won his Super Bowls by handing off to Csonka and Kiick a billion times? Really? Griese, who never had a 3,000-yard season, who threw more TDs than INTs in just half of his 14 seasons?

Dilfer + BJohnson = 0 MVPs, 0 All-Pro, 3 Pro Bowls. Warner = 2 MVPs, 1 SB MVP, 2 All-Pro First Team, 4 Pro Bowls. You were saying?

http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib...ws_1s30nix.html http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib...s1chargers.html Sounds like there could have been friction, and Smith very well could have told him, "if you want to leave, I'll help you pack." But in both these stories, Acee sounded pretty certain that Nix was the one who made the phone call. And again, the person I talked to in their front office said, "we all LOVE Buddy and everyone here is so happy for him." Take that however you will ...

Another read on the last of the single-bar fraternity: http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/...-the-single-bar

Valid question ... but I don't think he was kidding when he spoke about the impact Anquan Boldin's injury against the Jets last year had on him. Add his own concussion issues and the killshot he took in the playoff game, and I have no problem believing that he's done for good. Speaking of the other guy, loved the column one of my favorite writers filed after the Vikes-Saints game: Favre de La Mancha.

Just watching that hit was painful. I'm surprised he went back in the game.

While most of the sportswriting world has already speculated that Kurt Warner's press conference, set for 3 p.m. ET Friday, will serve as his official retirement announcement, our own inside source informs me that Warner is definitely walking away. I've learned not to question his judgment. Which begs the question of Warner's legacy, of course. If you'd asked me about his Hall of Fame chances a year ago, I would have hemmed and hawed before saying that yes, he "probably" had a good chance to get in "someday." (Okay, so I hedge my bets.) Looking back, I wonder what I was thinking, because the two-time MVP looks like a first-ballot lock. Since The Associated Press started handing out Most Valuable Player honors in 1957, only six players have won the award more than once: Peyton Manning (4), Brett Favre (3), Jim Brown (3), Johnny Unitas (3), Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Warner. Brown, Unitas, Montana, and Young were each elected in their first year of eligibility. Manning and Favre certainly will be. Is there any valid reason to keep Warner out of that group? If there is, let's hear it.

Appreciate the update, aussie. And she's got 'em.

Merged (again) ...

Probably just speculating on that based on the wording of the bb.com story, as I did earlier yesterday afternoon. (Emphasis on probably.) On a related note, a reliable source confirms that someone at Channel 4 has also been known to read this board from time to time ... Eh? Two OLBs in both the 4-3 and 3-4, no?

Yeah, because stereotypes are always funny.

This. Washington was the best team in the league in '91, and the added bulletin-board material from Chuck Dickerson probably didn't help. '92 Bills (the team Dallas smoked in the Rose Bowl) didn't even win their own division. Can't remember how big the point spread was for that game, but it should have been double digits, especially with Kelly's knee still not right. Might have an argument for the last one, with Thurman's "cramps" knocking him out for the rest of the game after his devastating fumble...

Crafts wasn't on the team yet when they played Washington, so I'm guessing it wasn't that one.

Yikes. All the best to both you and John, Mrs. Sphere. And if there's ANYTHING we can do from here, don't hesitate to ask.

Looking at the two most recent expansion franchises' initial first-round picks ... 1999 Browns: Tim Couch 2002 Texans: David Carr Did they pick the wrong QB, or did they ruin a guy who could have been their franchise QB by not protecting him? Hmmm. The Browns' 1999 line was anchored by aging LT Lomas Brown, but Brown wasn't totally finished -- he moved on to play in the SB with the Giants the following year. Buffalo native Dave Wohlabaugh was serviceable at center, 'Zeus' Brown at RT. Guards were ... meh. Ty Detmer was the backup that year, and didn't do much better than Couch. Carr never had a chance, once the Texans discovered that Tony Boselli wouldn't be able to play. Their line looked a lot like Buffalo's (post-injury-bug) this year -- Steve McKinney at C, two rookies (including at LT), and a bunch of scrubs. All these years later, I still can't believe he survived 76 sacks, much less took every snap at QB for them. I have my doubts as to whether Carr would have panned out anyway, but I'd put him in the 'ruined' camp. Overall, unless there's an obvious, can't-miss QB prospect available at No. 9, put me in the "fix the line first" camp. The Jets could go ahead and start Sanchez this year precisely because he had three Pro Bowl O-linemen in front of him and a strong running game to lean on.