RJ (not THAT RJ)

Someone pick up those goddam rubber mats!

Now this does not necessarily mean that Lou Saban was a racist in some universal sense: he clearly got along well with his players, including OJ, and I can't look into his soul. But he certainly appears to have had a persistent bias against the idea of a black man playing QB, which cannot be separated from racist assumptions about different people and their abilities. It is a flaw that he shared with many people of his time and ours. Doesn't make it right, and also doesn't mean it can be explained away. I for one fervently hope that the success of a young man like EJ can help break down such barriers that still exist in people's minds.

I have to say this is on Lou Saban much more than Ralph. Don't forget that when Saban became head coach of the Bills, one of his first big trades was to get rid of Marlin Briscoe and send him to Miami. Briscoe consistently claimed that Saban's racism actively kept him from playing QB at Denver, and that bad blood between them led to the trade. Coincidentally (?) Saban also unloaded James Harris when he took over in Buffalo, and preferred to struggle along with such titans of the pivot as Leo Hart and Mike Taliaferro backing up the inconsistent Dennis Shaw, while James Harris became an All-Pro in Los Angeles.

Irsay needs to visit TSW. I heard here that the Colts totally won the first-team game.

What about his follow up tweet: "Dudes on TSW say that our starters won the first quarter, so all is well?"

BPLoDR [bill Parcells Law of Diminishing Returns]

The fixation on Parker and the Peters comparison misses a key point: Parker had become Peters' agent after Peters had signed his contract, and thus had an interest in forcing the renegotiations--he would not have been paid otherwise. The problems with the Peters situation was that it was a re-negotiation of an existing contract, which led to a fundamental disagreement between the two sides over when such a renegotiation should begin. It was that fundamental issue that led to the push for Peters to be traded. None of those issues apply here: Byrd is, unlike Peters, not renegotiating an existing contract, but seeking a contract after an old one has expired. There is no disagreement on whether a new contract is necessary. It is a matter of how much, and Parker can get his payday and serve his client without a trade. Does this mean a deal with inevitably get done? Certainly not. But unless one wants to get lost in fantasies that Eugene Parker is uniquely evil and anti-Buffalo, there is no reason to believe that it will inevitably not get done either.

James Harris's departure was all on Lou Saban. Ask Marlon Briscoe about Saban's treatment of black QBs.

I could not agree more, KRT88! [On a technical note: I am unable to quote previous posts anymore. Using Safari as usual, but for some reason the quote function does not work. Is this a settings issue?]

Comparing Manuel to Losman may satisfy the atavistic compulsions of the punch bowl defecators and might even appear logical, but it overlooks a couple of key factors, including both the personal (size and speed) and the structural (Manuel played and succeeded for a much bigger program, playing under greater pressure, than Losman). Those factors are important in imagining a player's future. I will be honest and say that Manuel was not my first choice (I think he needs to work on his pocket footwork---too many flat-footed throws), but the kid has great promise and a lot of tools, along with what appears to be a very good attitude. Every day you can choose to hope, or choose to fear. I choose to hope. Go Bills!

Some guys see a punch bowl and think, "Hey, nice party." Others can't wait to drop trou. Every day we all get to choose which of those guys to be.

The good side: Great pics! The bad side: three ads and zero captions. Granted, real fans should recognize Albert Dubenion, Pete Gogolak, James Harris, and Harry Jacobs, but how about a little effort to help younger fans feel a connection to the past?

I have to ask, how many of those moaning today about the re-signing of Leodis have previously sung the old song about how the Bills have allowed their DBs to walk after their rookie contracts ran out? Not a bad price for a top-flight returner and improving nickel back, and the signing, along with Byrd, makes it that much less likely the Bills will spend a high draft pick on a DB. That makes me very happy, and not just because it is also better for the health of my good friend Bill in NYC. I also hope they re-sign Levtire, but take this signing as a positive rather than a negative even on that score. The team is focused on keeping as much of its own talent as possible. That is all good..

I can't wait for a new version of the endless debate over whether Vince Young scored a 6 or 16.....

Except a Denver safety on fourth and one from the one yard line in the 1995 opener... a weak effort that poisoned his reputation with Bills fans of a certain age.

Well said Dr. I was immediately reminded of Lamonica, though my recall is that DMSO makes your breath smell like "rotten oysters." It was a well-known secret muscle pain product since the 1960s, and has actually been legal in Europe for a long time (the brand name Dolobene used to be DMSO based). My wife uses it on the horses at the barn all the time, but it is never gonna be approved for human use in the USA.

Miller did go for 1000 in 1978, the first 16-game season. He ran for 208 against the Giants that year too... raised a lot of hopes, only to dash them.

This list is obviously full of children. Otherwise you would remember such great first round picks as Phil Doakes and Walt Patulski... not to mention Terry Miller, Booker Moore, and Perry Tuttle. I am old and bitter. Go Bills! Please.

Still no mention of the INT in the end zone at the end of the first half. Flutie clearly was magical; he has the power to cloud men's minds.

*slowly starting to clap, standing up* Bravo Bravo to this too!

I know. Johnson totally made a mistake when he gave up those special teams TDs, and when he blew out Sam Cowart's knee. RJ, despite being tastefully named, was not the answer either. I'm not saying he was.

I was a Flutie Fan... but his INT in the end zone (which I remember even if you don't) when the Bills were inside the ten was symptomatic of his biggest problem... small and crowded field was his downfall, as were disciplined defenses. The Bills did not lose that game just because of Flutie, but it is bad history to assume that he had nothing to do with it, just as it is bad history to ignore how his productivity declined as defenses caught up with him.

Threw an INT in the end zone at the end of the first half, held the ball too long for a sack/fumble at the Dolphins 5 to end the game. Seriously yerself.

Just to keep the pot stirring... how would those turnover numbers look if we included Bledsoe's sacks and fumbles?

In San Diego. Because Christie missed a 42 yard field goal. 1998 opener. But yeah, it still figures.