Ray

Didn't he have an arrest in college for shoplifting or something like that?

Very few people care about the NHL year round and less even in July. That is different in Buffalo. The NFL is a much, much, much bigger story. They should be going over training camp the whole freaggin' show. This is the biggest show in sports (the NFL) and Buffalo is lucky enough to have a team. There are plenty of stories (Spikes, McCargo and Whitner contracts, QB battle, etc...). Start commenting on camp and who cares about a stupid jersey for 15 games next year?

Can't get WGR on the net this morning--anyone else having the same problem?

I agree with the crowd who want to bring Empire back. That poor network never had a chance that year with the Rigas' imploding and the NHL lock-out. Now that the NHL is playing, the Bills, multiple good college teams in the area for basketball they should have ample programming available. It would not be a huge money maker but would likely turn a decent profit. Back when Flutie and Flutie Flakes were taking off that network was in its prime. That was also around the same time the Sabres went to the Stanley Cup finals. I would love to have a regional sports network back. It's probably the biggest area in the country without a regional sports network now (Buff/NF, Rochester, Syracuse).

Marv drafted high quality guys that will adapt to the NFL a lot better than many others who were "ranked" ahead of them. Maybe drafting smart, motivated, talented guys is better than guys who work out really well and have lots of potential. It is all WHO you draft not when or their position. We drafted a huge need SS (think of the TEs in our division) and a guy who could/should start right away. Drafting Bunkley or Ngata seemed to be the only other options. And getting McCargo fixed that.

One of the prettiest towns anywhere! The vinyards are great, enjoy.

#1 is too high to pick a QB--ask the Chargers about Ryan Leaf. Ask Tim Couch, ask Detroit about Joey Harrington at number 4 overall. It all depends on how well they play. If Whitner is an All-Pro in a few years and plays well this year then it is a great pick. You also have to think about who else we would have picked. The only legitimate ones were Bunkley or Ngata. Ngata probably would not have fit in well with our new defense and Bunkley was a one year wonder with lots of potential but many motivational problems in the past. There were no OL worth picking, and the last thing we needed was to waste a pick on Matt Leinart. Leinart in Buffalo would have been a failure. Whitner was a safe reliable pick that I believe will play out very well over time.

I believe it was Mark Pike--too big for Tasker.

The Buffalo/Niagara Bills--the Southern Ontario contingent feels much more close to the Bills and the most populated area in Canada becomes bigger Bills' fans. Not as much a stretch to drive right over the border. 5+Million people within an hour of the stadium--plus Rochester. To me that makes a lot of sense if they are thinking of ever building a new stadium

Not nearly as much pricing power in Buffalo when compared to Raleigh and Charlotte. Hopefully that tide will slowly turn.

Try realestateabc.com They have a more updated version of housing values than zillow.

Very sorry for your loss. Pets are many times the best part of the family (they don't yell at you and they are always happy to see you). I really feel for you having lived through it before. When the time comes and the mourning passes just try and be thankful for the blessing he was and for the great times you had.

Too bad we couldn't combine Toronto and Buffalo. Toronto is on fire with economic activity and is the economic engine of Canada. 5+ million people there and the suburbs/Southern Ontario. In terms of sell-outs a lot depends on stadium size as well. You could reduce The Ralph to about 60-62k and there would definitely be a sell-out each week without question. With 47k season ticket holders and only a stadium of 60k the Bills could already say there games are sold out. So you have to consider the size. We have the 6th largest capacity in the NFL so that plays a very big factor in to "already being sold out."

You're talking about metro areas 5X the size of Buffalo. I live in Boston and the Pats are not Boston's team they are ALL of NE's team. They are actually closer to Providence than Boston. Boston/Providence (a city the size of Buffalo)/Hartford/Worcester/Springfield/N.H. and Maine. The Pats better have a huge waiting list for a 65K stadium with that drawing power. They also have the pricing power with all the financial and corporate backers around here; something WNY does not have. The Bills are the best value in all of sports. It's a cheap ticket for NFL football. I live in Boston and am a season ticket holder for the Bills. And commuting and buying luxury seats in Buffalo is still cheaper than trying to buy Pats tickets.

Sounds very NE Patriot-like! Find a good player, sign him early to a good deal and have a good team player for a reasonable cap number. At the end of the season he was our best OL. Gandy was next and we have both of them for this year. Our OL could really be a surprise this year.

Maybe intelligence and having a feel for the game is more important than your 40 yd time and how many times you bench press 225 lbs? Maybe his only one good year, history of being lazy and an underachiever scared the Bills away--remember the MW experience. Let's see who plays more and helps their team out more over the next couple years. My guess is that Whitner will have a more immediate impact.

I defended him for awhile--I think his personnel moves overall were very positive for the team, and the right ones at the time. His HC moves were abysmal. It is amazing as all of these "National Experts" sing his praises they conveniently leave out the fact he did not put together one playoff team in five years--not one! Aren't we the only team in the past five years not to make a playoff game!! I may be missing one other, but you cannot defend that record.

Amherst with a population of about 120k doesn't have a big enough tax base? I don't think that explains taxes 4x what you pay in Massachusetts...hardly a low tax state. One major problem as well is the inability to deduct state and property taxes because you get hit with the AMT now. That makes the NYS taxes even more burdensome.

I am amazed at the taxes in NYS. I've actually moved back to NY from Massachusetts. I was absolutely horrified by the property taxes--yes you can buy a home in WNY for 400k, but you pay about 12-14k in property taxes. The taxes in Mass. would be about $2500. Are you telling me the schools and services are that much better in NY than Mass.? They're NOT! NYS should be the best educated, cleanest, safest state with everybody having health insurance for the amount of taxes you pay. I love the people, the lakes, mountains, etc.. but it has just been run into the ground for the past 25 years. It's sad they are so slow to adapt.

The Marlins have won 2 World Series, but now have a payroll of about 20 million! Absurd! The Buffalo Bisons (or MLB equivalent) would likely have to be in the National League and play with a payroll of about 50-70M to be competitive. I don't know how feasible that would be, but I think it would have been great. It's not going to happen now. No way with basketball as it would directly compete with hockey. Unfortunately you need big time corporate money for sports nowadays and consider ourselves lucky to have two franchises. And yes the Bills will stay here--enough of the doom and gloom! I agree with you though, that it is fun to talk about and I think a baseball team would be great! There is nothing like a summer night and going to a ball game. The good thing about baseball is that overall the tix are cheap at most stadiums except Fenway--Buffalo had its chance.

Look at the Patriots and you see a team of professionals. Do you think Tom Brady misses "voluntary" work-outs? And he is the best QB in the NFL. He is 20X the player McGahee will ever be and all he does is show up for the team, be a professional and work harder. He has been with the same team and coaching staff that has won 3 SBs by the way, and still comes back to work-out and to the camps. Mr. T is absolutely right--the problem is the complete lack of professionalism. You'll go on TV and hang-out but won't come up to be with your teammates and practice? It's fine if he misses a couple but to not even show up for any is a lack of respect to his team and coaches. He really appears disinterested in the whole thing. He better come back better than ever after the season he had last year.

I think the vast majority of us want Willis to shut his trap and come play with his team. We all (except a few) want him to succedd, but cringe because whenever he opens his mouth he really looks like an idiot. He manages to say dumber and dumber things (it's harder to be a baby's momma!). He has shown flashes to date which gets most people excited. But he has been very average for most of his career to date. This is a make or break year for him.

If Bledsoe's OL in New England was sooo bad how come the one player they switched (Tom Brady) took the same OL to the Super Bowl. Always made me wonder about the DB would be so good if he had a good OL. He did have a good OL. He just was average with it!

He is a reliable good lineman. Not All-Pro or great, but good and reliable. I'll take him--he's solid, or at least played solid last year. He and Peters actually give us better tackles than people think.

Marv's teams during the 90's were full of character! He is not talking about altar boys. He is talking about players who are hard woking, professional, prepare, are respectful of the game teammates and coaches, and have persistence. You don't go to 4 straight SBs without those qualities. He is not talking about a football player telling a lie to a girl at a bar on Friday night.