RuntheDamnBall

I'd consider myself a Bush critic, but of all the things, this is probably the single stupidest complaint I've seen leveled at this administration.

It wouldn't have surprised me; ESPN does get pretty starry-eyed for Brady. Remember that awful Sunday night game last year?

The whole thing is a pretty nice indictment of T.O.

"The compound fracture is the NFL's greatest injury."

Ha. Wimp is right on all counts. I need to start working out like nobody's business. As for my friend, I can't tell him because I haven't decided. And yeah, I have no problem telling people they're being cruel here. I'm not sure what that has to do with a real relationship with a friend whom you don't want to disappoint. And on the contrary, I'm sticking up for a good lady here, which is what I've always thought was the right thing to do.

Believe me, the question is not about being there for my friend, who I have been there for numerous times, and he knows this. My first thoughts definitely were "I'm there." It's just that long before this was announced we were planning the other trip, which is not easy to do, and I was not anticipating that my friends would need to be married so far away and expect that a lot of people could make it, and we definitely did not anticipate the expense given our budget. There is no question that I want to be a good friend here, otherwise I wouldn't be hemming and hawing about it.

For the record, my "exotic vacation" would be to India where I went 5 years ago on fellowship and made some really good friends who I haven't seen since. My wife has not met them either. I have definitely considered your point, though, and was thinking the same thing. It would just suck to table seeing these friends and their new baby for another year. To everyone, thanks so much for your insights. I have a lot to consider but I definitely think the majority of you who are telling me to level with my friend are right. I'll keep you posted.

Doesn't end there. McCain also told a joke in '98 about how Chelsea's looks were inherited from her "real father," Janet Reno. Later apologized for it. I've heard some other low jokes in this vein and worse. They don't merit repeating, I'm sure you can find them on the web.

Well, I haven't. And while it's not the point, most of what I have seen written about them was just stuff in the news that seemed to indicate that they like to party. I'm not twisted over it, I'm just surprised that some feel it's necessary to go there with Chelsea when she's committed what exactly, aside from the accident of birth to politicians that some people don't like? She seems like a pretty well-adjusted kid.

Let me be the first to say: NNNNEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDDDSSSS.

You fellas must appreciate people talking like this about your own daughters. I don't understand what Chelsea did to earn the ire of the Limbaugh, et al and the rest of the right. She was just a kid during the Clinton presidency, and some pretty brutal things have been and, apparently continue to be said about her. Real gentlemanly.

Does not your point that this is one of Iran's "most conservative and radical clerics" negate your larger point that all Islam is evil and violent? This line would seem to indicate that there are elements less conservative and radical than this not-so-gentleman.

Good point. However, I'd feel a lot better about flying home and paying for his and my Bills and JetBlue tix if I wasn't already throwing down a ton for the wedding. Plus that would mean at least $200 a person for the bachelor party. Honest question, is that a reasonable expectation? (No sarcasm intended.)

Fellow Bills fans, I would like your advice. I have been asked to be best man for a friend's wedding in a rather exotic (and hence expensive) location, and I feel obligated to go, but this is going to really break the bank for me and my wife to the tune of 2 grand for a weekend (4-5 days), when we already had been hoping to take another relatively distant vacation (we definitely don't make enough to take 2 trips of this scale in a year). A lot of our friends are thinking the same thing and many, if not most, will not make the trip. My position obviously makes it a lot more difficult to say no. I don't really know what to tell my friend. I have been looking at cheaper places to stay and any way possible to reduce my flight costs, but I am not sure that it looks too good. In addition, the friend will be expecting a decent bachelor party and the early spring date of this wedding kind of nixes any really interesting sports ideas. He is also a Bills nut. We both live in NYC. For the record, my wife and I had a hometown outdoor wedding in WNY that was elegant but not ridiculous, and we put up all of the wedding party (including this friend) and their S/O's at some of my parents' nicely done rental properties. Obviously, I am not expecting full hotel money to be put up for me, but I am still a little peeved about it. I can get into real details in PM mode, I just wanted to air it out and see what people might suggest here. Thanks in advance.

Just to throw Deion's baseball career into relief: From Baseball-reference.com His batting stats are on par with such notables as Mike Kingery and Junior Felix. His SB totals make him a little better than those guys, but so what? Our own Nate Clements posted better tackle and similar INT numbers in his first four seasons. He can run back kicks, too. So, we're saying that a guy who is a pretty good cornerback and KR, had one good year of WR stats and was an average baseball player is the greatest athlete of all time? Please. Just as his showboating doesn't detract from his status a great athlete, his being on the Braves doesn't make him one of the greatest of all time. If football players were allowed to play during basketball season, and vice versa, I think you'd see a lot more impressive accomplishments than Deion's.

I don't even think he's one of the top cornerbacks of all time. He was an above-average, quick ballplayer, great KR, pretty good at getting interceptions. What else? Jackson as a two-sport star was head and shoulders above Deion.

I think you're looking for the "Biggest Sports Douchebag of all Time" poll.

I think there is still some confusion in this debate as to whether it's about best players or biggest sports figures vs. who is really the best athlete. And I think if any of us had had the pleasure of seeing Jim Thorpe with the kind of media exposure we have now there would probably be no contest -- he was the original model for the Bo Jackson type or the decathlete. And I agree with the prior poster who mentioned the obvious bias towards American athletes here (which is natural, of course, given the forum). What about some of these amazing marathon runners from Africa? What would we think of their accomplishments if they were instead American? Don't get me wrong, Tiger Woods is a great athlete and his golfing accomplishments will probably be unparalleled by the time he's done, but at the end of the day he still walks around a nicely landscaped lawn, hits balls and takes breaks. That's nowhere near the same league as a marathoner, or an all-arounder like a decathlete.

I wouldn't forget that Reed can block, also. It goes unnoticed, but it can be a big asset.

Ahh yes, a strategy used nicely by another "great" coach, Belicheck's mentor the Tuna. I think Belicheck's real problem will be the decomposing sweatshirt he wears for every game. That thing has got to be getting pretty rank by now.

These seem to sound like amateurs taking advantage of the situation, but whatever the case, hope you and yours are OK.

Dirty Work.

So, if the Super Bowl was stolen from us by the Titans, does that mean that Super Bowl glory was stolen from Rob Johnson and he's not as bad as we thought? Or would Flutie really have prevented that forward lateral?

Tell me, what would we have "gotten for him" when we lost him in free agency? And what would we have gotten from him this next year? In return for a one-dimensional-albeit-hard-working back with injury history, who didn't want to be here, who had one year remaining on his contract, and was not going to re-sign with us, we got a first-day pick in what looks to be a very good draft. That doesn't make TD a genius, but it makes him smart, and I'm happy with the move.

Reagan was the best president this nation has ever seen, and I can't believe you're insinuating that he DIDN'T invent time travel. [/insanity]