MadBuffaloDisease

Thomas' stats can't even match Travis'. Thomas got 1183 yards in 2001 and 1024 in the 2 seasons in which he managed to break 1,000 yards, and scored 7 and 6 TD's respective. Travis OTOH averaged almost 1,400 yards and 12 TD's in back-to-back seasons in 2002 and 2003. He was 5th in rushing in the NFL in 2002 and 11th in 2003, and combined I'd say that ranks him somewhere around 8th or 9th in the NFL in terms of rushing, as well as scoring. Last year he was injured and replaced by a potentially great RB and had a poor attitude overall. I don't know how one good season of 1183 yards and 7 TD's yards compares in any way, shape, or form to almost 1,400 yards and 12 TD's in 2 seasons, but again I'd ask to know how many 4th round or later RB's have averaged that in ANY 2 seasons, versus RB's selected higher than that. Like I said above, Travis would be a top-10 RB, and there's no way I'd accept less than a third. Hell I don't want to part with him for less than a 2nd, but the market is such that a 3rd, which could conditionally increase, is probably the best the Bills will get.

Replacement owners? The ONLY owners I can see of a new league would be the players, but I doubt they can raise the kind of capital they'll need, without looking to outside sources who will want a big chunk of the action and effectively negate the reasons for wanting to start a new league in the FIRST place. Better-off to suck-it-up and go with a league that's already established and ready to go once the ink is dry on a new CBA.

That's almost 59% of the seats. Not too bad. As for the SB years, I don't think it went above 60K.

Sure, but it's still incredibly hard.

Easier said than done. If it were easy, every group of players in every sport would have tried it.

He can't? Funny that he rushed for almost 1,400 yards and 12 TD's in back to back seasons, and caught 43 passes back in 2002. That's a lot for a player with the description you gave above. I'd be willing to bet that the "rest of the league" is hoping TD gets frustrated and releases Travis outright, like the Cards did with Shelton. But they'll be finding out, if they don't already know, that TD is serious about keeping him unless he gets a good pick for him, however long it takes.

I'd say guaranteed 3rd with it going to as high as a 1st based on production. Of course the 1st rounder would require he rush for 1,500 yards or something like that, in which case I think it would be reasonable to expect a 1st rounder.

The Jags are involved as well. As much as they try to deny it, they're worried like hell about Taylor. It might not happen before the start of training camp on that front, but just wait. Like I said, there's no hurry to deal Travis since trading deadline is many months away, much less the draft.

Training camp is still several weeks away. Keep on holding on.

Until you sell, it's poverty. Congrats.

True we haven't seen it, but since the the center, RG, and RT positions are being manned by the same people as last year, one of them is in much better shape well BEFORE training camp, and all 3 have had a year under McNally, I think improvement there is a given. And I wasn't too high on Tucker/Smith last year, and BA is a devastating run blocker, so at least in that department the Bills have upgraded as well. The problem is that LT COULD blow the whole thing.

#1, with a bullet. Sorry, couldn't resist.

I guess that's what you can expect, when it takes you a year per song...in the recording studio. The "tone ranger" is always striving to sound like Jimi. Steve Vai is technically excellent. However I never got into his stuff. Same with Yinyang Malmsteen. Speaking of which, I loved that "headcutting duel" at the end of "Crossroads." Sure it didn't make sense (resorting to classical guitar in a blues guitar duel ), but if I didn't know about Vai at the time, I never would have thought someone could play like that.

Miss Anchorage?

Not really. Travis isn't a FA like Shelton is. If he were, he'd be snapped-up in a second. Teams just have a stigma about trading a pick or picks for a player. And again had the Cards been offered anything decent for Shelton during the draft, they would have taken it since they were going to cut him outright anyway.

How much did Sabres tickets go for?

I doubt they have better facilities than most pro teams. I think it's more of a school, social, and respect for the training staff and coaches thing than anything else.

Why has no one offered this stud LT a $5M a year contract yet?

Welcome.

I don't know if I'd say that. Big Mike is already in-shape, and along with Villarrial and Teague, has a year under McNally's tutelage. And Bennie Anderson will be a much better LG than what the Bills had there last year, and that will help-out Teague, and whoever becomes the starting LT. So from LG to RT, the Bills HAVE gotten better. Now it's a matter of finding a LT who won't get JP killed.

That wouldn't surprise me in the least. Hackett was the first guitarist to put "tapping" on a recording ("Hackett to Bits"), but EVH made it popular/famous. He claimed to have invented it on his own, but if he said that Hackett is an influence, he obviously got it from there. But stealing from others is the hallmark of successful people (Martha Stewart, Bill Gates, fashion designers, etc.).

I agree. Take it all the way into pre-season if you have to do so. Releasing him would be stupid because at worst, you keep him as the 3rd RB, let him walk in FA, and recoup a (decent) comp pick in 2007. And maybe just MAYBE he agrees to play from the get-go and is a great backup RB for this season for the Bills. But someone will be desperate for a RB, just wait.

Anyone know the specs of this deal? Is it one where the Sabres will finally start making money and/or be able to be competitive?

Who assured that? I've been following the TH threads and I can't recall anyone saying that.