RuntheDamnBall

They should vote him in because he was a great player.

But the kid was apparently a good student and not a lost soul like many others. The real problem here is the complete double-standard (the noted case of the teacher -- a real child molester, getting 90 days in comparison!) -- this kid is not in jail because he was doing this stuff, because I'd wager at least 50% of kids are engaged in some sexual activity in high school; probably way more. And more than half certainly experiment with alcohol and pot. He is in jail because he was caught, and he didn't want to be branded a child molester. There HAS to be some kind of distinction made between consensual activity btw people of the same general age, vs. a significantly older person (and I'm talking 4-5+ years) taking advantage of a younger one. And in fact, in this new law, there WAS, but they didn't change it retroactively. Which is supremely messed up. It has nothing to do with football. Football was perhaps part of his promise and the reason ESPN took special interest in the case, but football makes this no more or less wrong. It's wrong, period.

Bettis and Dillon were trades.

Bryce Paup and Chris Spielman both come to mind. These guys were both animals for the Bills for a bit. I hate to say it, but for a brief while, Flutie. Trent Green. Rodney Harrison. Priest Holmes. It is interesting that you see a lot of guys fail, get hurt, or fail to put up as good numbers with their new teams after signing the fat contract. It seems like there are a lot of reasons this could happen: 1) Their previous system was ideally suited to their talents / Their new system is not 2) Pressing too hard to prove their newly-bestowed worth 3) Getting comfortable now that they've made their millions 4) The team signing them was a poor team looking to make a splash that still had lots of problems (read: anyone who has signed with the Arizona Cardinals) And last, because it needs to be said, lord do I hate Deion Sanders.

I was going to say the same thing. If Williams becomes a backup, it's because Tim Anderson is kicked to the curb and we replace him via the draft or FA with a better starter. As of right now, the prudent thing to do since he's under contract is go to camp with him, see if he finds a fire lit under his ass or if a guy unfortunately gets hurt, and let the cut decision come in camp. However, since he sat in favor of Jason Jefferson last game of the season, it wouldn't surprise me to see the team let him go sooner. It's funny because Anderson seems to fit the mold of the guy the team would want in there, yet, he gets manhandled with regularity. Furthermore, it seems like anybody who fits the mold would get manhandled. I think an adjustment in the system or what the system is looking for is probably in order.

Yes! The problem is that Salisbury is dumb. Not anti-Semitic. I have to agree, did sound like 'Jew' at first. But it wouldn't make sense.

You could, on the other hand, argue that he was assistant coach of a line that saw dramatic improvement and recognized that change was needed in the personnel -- like finally moving Peters to LT, giving Pennington a shot, telling Tutan Reyes to take a seat, and seeing that Gandy was a much better guard than LT. Or you could thank Chris Villarial for getting injured.

Costs are the reason it couldn't get done but I'd see it as a great move for the Falcons. I dislike Moss and Porter's antics but giving Schaub those two targets in addition to their line and Alge Crumpler would make for an excellent offense.

Again, thanks for a thoughtful response.

As much as anyone wants to dump on TD -- and they should because his coaching choices were dismal -- the seeds for this decade's futility were sown by John Butler (RIP). The 1998 trade for RJ was crippling: 1st and 4th (Fred Taylor and... take your pick from these later fourth rounders: 111 N.Y. Jets Jason Fabini T Cincinnati 117 Pittsburgh Deshea Townsend CB Alabama 119 San Francisco Lance Schulters SS Hofstra) Hasselbeck was drafted in round 6. The 2000 draft was probably the worst I've ever seen for the Bills (though looking back at it it was one of the most talent-devoid drafts in recent memory). Flowers, Moore, Tillman, Avion Black... We could have had Keith Bulluck in round 1, and Robaire Smith (drafted five picks AFTER Leif Larsen in Round 6), Bulger. What has crippled this team (and I love JP Losman) is expending so many high picks on QBs, Bill, not DBs. At least the DBs have had some success for this team. Whatever you want to say about it, if this team had consistently drafted QBs in rounds 3-6 it's likely we would have found a diamond in the rough like Bulger, Brady, Hasselbeck (or Schaub, etc. the list goes on).

Darick Holmes.

Good one.

Mostly because of the way Ralph has been talking about the team having financial struggles (I believe this to be posturing, but even so), and the team's penchant historically for not paying top dollar, when it's clear that this is precisely what Nate wants. I also wonder to an extent what the loss of Fletcher will mean. I think from a personnel standpoint an upgrade should probably be made. From a locker-room standpoint I can see guys thinking, "London's given this team his all and didn't even get offered an extension." That could not sit well. This is not to say that they have no chance at him.

When people say 'the 80s sucked,' they aren't really thinking about it, at least in terms of music. Not only that. With R.E.M. in particular it meant that a sound that appealed to a small group of college kids could grow to become something more universally viable. Certainly two great bands. One's best work was already behind them (J&MC's Psychocandy is the one to own). Yo La Tengo's best record wouldn't come for another ten years (I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One must be one of my favorite albums of all-time, and one of the last great top-to-bottom albums --I'd put 97's OK Computer and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea as others in that category). What a stupid, stupid term that was only useful for people selling things. It's akin to thinking of Africa as a country when it's really such a rich tapestry of culture and geography. Further proof that we see things with our own eyes only and that this kind of negotiation is always a problem. Like Fela Kuti has the first thing to do with Ali Farka Toure or Ravi Shankar, other than that they're 'different.' What a supremely retarded worldview. A huge influence for me. The funnier thing is that that brand of 'emo' music has NOTHING to do with what's being put out under that brand now. What McKaye and co. profferred was an emotional response to the personal and the political that begged a reorganization of the way one sees the world and one's place in it. It was not about hoping the girl whose locker was next to yours would finally ask you out. What a fascinating post, though. Thanks for putting it up.

Bolds for all the ones that got me especially excited. Also, I got to work on Paul Simon's last record. What a talent that guy is, if ridiculously quiet and within himself. Still, great musician and he knows how to get the very best out of everyone he works with. And Steve Gadd, his drummer for the last few decades, man responsible for that signature sound in '50 Ways,' is awesome.

Seriously, you and I know that can be a big range. Is it more than Ken Lucas money (yes, probably)? Would less than Champ Bailey money be enough? Who knows? And will Marv and co. offer that kind of money? All signs point to 'no,' but the fact is no one has heard that from the horse's mouth. And that's what I ask "how do you know this?" Because you don't. None of us do. We will all know in a few months and this is good enough for me.

I love the Browns' unis. They are classic. You can set your watch to that sh--. They aren't purple. They don't have 17 colors. They don't have 'streaks' or wordmarks or signatures or swooshes or any of the buzzword bull sh--. They are simple and original. I'm glad tradition means something to somebody.

Leonard has shown he can rush for a good deal more and catch as well as Konrad could. Plus, Konrad was another one of those guys who typically get lost in the shuffle when handled by several coaching staffs (see: Mike Williams). I'd be happy to have Leonard as our 'Alstott' type back, split some carries with Willis, and blow up dudes in front of Willis to give him room to run. I know we didn't use the FB so much last year, but maybe that was because our FB sucked out loud and was injured.

How much is he asking for?! How do you know this!? ARRRGH. *head explodes*

Five words and you've summed up many hours of enjoyable television. I am really loving the Slowly Boiling Frog recaps. The part about the cell phone in particular is hysterically funny. It's as if someone is reading my mind and translating it to hilariously sarcastic prose.

My point was, they could have had the best and paid him less a couple years ago. They didn't. So why is their approach suddenly different now?

Red Snapper indian curry with rice, tomatoes and green beans. Real good, cause I made it.

What, beyond speculation, is there to confirm this? They had Champ Bailey, for crying out loud. I'm not saying they won't make an offer, and a big one, to Nate. But there is no real evidence. It's all hearsay at this point.

I appreciate the honest insight and scientific perspective, but doesn't it rate as possible that it could be both: that there is natural change that we can do nothing about, and also that we are affecting it and we're in the midst of major, man-made change? To me, even if all you've said is true, this still doesn't absolve us of the responsiblity of not ruining the planet. You and I may disagree with the science behind global warming, but I think it's hard to argue that we're not doing immeasurable damage and creating dangerously large and fast changes in the environment. Perhaps we don't see it as readily here, but it's quite evident in countries like India and China.