RuntheDamnBall

Naaah. Too "Predators" for me. I want our gold to be "sun yellow" instead of the muted Rams update. Bring 'em back, Darcy. You won't regret it.

Thanks Sabres. You did it as best you could despite every wrench being thrown your way and the odds being tilted in favor of an inferior team, IMO. This squad, healthy, could have beaten the Canes. We'll prove it next season. I look forward to this lucky 7 for next year (with some comments): 1) Doug Janik replacing Rory Fitzpatrick as #6 or 7. Rory, you play hard but you're a bonehead. I wish you weren't one of our most experienced options out there tonight, because you weren't heads-up when it counted. Doug, you came up large when many of us (yours truly included) didn't think you had the stones for it after Game 2. 2) Doing it for Teppo in 2007. 3) Re-signing Jay McKee. 4) Nathan Paetsch. You are ready for the big time, kid. 5) Ryan Miller returning with a vengeance. You've got a score to settle and they'd better look out. 6) Danny Briere, Brian Campbell, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, and every other first-timer in these playoffs building on this year's experience and helping us secure the division and home ice. 7) Good health in '07 and Lindy hoisting the Cup. Finally. It will never be so sweet.

If true, that's some awesome news. Hopefully he doesn't come down with leg flu just before puck drop.

Anyone? I know McFaddens will have it. Wondering if anywhere potentially less crowded might be following suit (preferably with audio, most preferably with Rick Jeanneret audio [ok, I'm dreaming]). I could watch it at home but would love to watch with a buddy who can't make it over here and a bunch of screaming Sabres fans.

My dark-horse pick for ultimate survivor here is Joe D.

DOOOOOOOMED. Fox knows all.

Sure it is, I just usually associate "infection" alone with bacteria, and if it's a virus, call it a "virus" or a "viral infection." I'm no doctor. It just seems like the common connotation. This is coming from someone with limited biology since high school so I'm not going to claim to be any authority. All I do know is, if McKee has any virus or infection that prohibits from playing, that's bad.

You know, don't rail on him unless you've had the leg flu. That thing sets you back for days.

The flu is a virus, dude.

Link? I'm well aware of that. My point was that journalists are getting killed trying to do the very thing that Republicans want them to do -- to show that Iraq has some measure of safety and success and that good things are happening there.

Now that would be awesome.

Whoops, I meant: "Rory Fitzpatrick, YOUR number three defenseman." damn.

Six words Buffalo fans should never want to hear: Rory Fitzpatrick, (your) number three defenseman.* *edited for CTM's pleasure.

Jesus, who's the fifth at this point? James Patrick, back on speed dial? That, or they call up Jason Peters and give him a one-day contract. I'm sure he can be an NHL defenseman.

You're right, you've earned it. Take a leap.

I generally don't like Maureen Dowd, at all. She's often snide and snarky. But this one resonated with me a bit more, though she does rehash some talking-point material. I find it very revealing that two of the major reporters and their crews that have been hit with these attacks were trying to cover "the good side of the war," the side conservatives lament isn't being shown to us -- only to be put in harm's way, and in several crewmembers' cases, in the arms of death. Read on.

I think in general our country should be everything it purports itself to be and hold itself to the highest standards, regardless of what others' are, regardless of what religious standards are. Those standards include making sure that every citizen's rights and responsibilities are accounted for. Rights of property, equal protection under the law, just decisions with regard to war, none of these are really separable to me. EDIT: and all of these things make steroids in baseball look petty. I'm just saying, I wouldn't lump this, a more serious issue -- and understandably, not the most serious -- in with them.

Right here, right now, favorite song is "Feb. 14," by the Drive-By Truckers. It will change later today, but the song is still pretty excellent. It even rocks (but not more than early Van Halen). It's the first song that shows up here. You'll need flash.

I am so sorry to hear this. Eloquently stated, DC Tom. Though I didn't know him aside from his pretty wise postings, his loss here will really be felt Echoing Dan: you will be missed, Paul.

I have a few responses to this: 1) Obviously, things in Australia are a bit different. 2) I've seen the 'gay marriage' comment tossed about a few times from you wrt things that are unimportant. I'm asking you to see it through the eyes of someone who might have to deal with the issue -- what if you were in a committed relationship with someone, had kids, and you were the stay-at-home, biological parent, and the other partner worked. Suppose the kid gets sick, and the working partner's insurance refuses to cover this because they're not a "real family." Well, in every other way (the working partner supports the family financially, the other deals with matters of the home) they are like a so-called "traditional family" -- more traditional than many straight families, even. And a straight married person can violate his/her marriage in any and all ways and still receive the benefits given for it, while a monogamous homosexual person often can't receive any of those benefits. It's an instance where gay marriage or civil unions become a serious issue, and arouse serious emotions, and become, yes, even more important than steroids in baseball. It's not just about yucky dudes holding hands and kissing or hot girls making out.

I've always been more impressed with his ability to keep that dense rock suspended above his shoulders.

Can't go wrong with Lebowski.

Y'all should keep it coming. And take a look at those preseason Sabres posts from last summer, while you're at it.

PG/FFS: We don't know, we simply do not know how the team would have fared if JP had beaten out Bledsoe for the job in camp (which I believe him to have been capable of). In my opinion, things would have been entirely different. Tough to really critically discuss, though.

You're absolutely right, the defense was sh-- that day against Maddox and Brian St. Pierre (though Parker proved to be better than we had thought, making for some vindication, I guess). But all the same, the defense scored seven of our points that day on a Clements INT return. That means Bledsoe's offense engineered 17 points, seven of which he negated by fumbling it for a Pittsburgh touchdown in the fourth quarter, this after just being sacked. Seven (!) 3-and-outs. Sorry, I expect better from a HoF QB in crunch-time. Edit: looking at the play-by-play I realize I had forgotten how UGLY this game was. So many turnovers at a time of year when the team should have been bringing its A-game. Pittsburgh had the third-stringer excuse. Mularkey did not. I am not sorry to see his superb brand of "clutch" coaching go. He should have had this team ready.