davidkski

".....Kelly called his own plays so that was on him, not Marv. If Marv is to be faulted, it's for not taking the play calling away from Jim once it became obvious what Belichick was doing, and run Thurman more, which would have won the game. " This. Times infinity. I remember Marv saying in an interview after SBXXV that the offense should have run the ball more. As if he weren't the coach and didn't have the power to overrule Kelly.

Shady had an impressive couple of years in Buffalo before he hit the wall - his touchdown in the Blizzard Bowl vs. Indy was epic. But let's be serious. During his (long, productive) prime, Thurman Thomas wasn't just the best running back in football. There were two years where he was the best player in football. He led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage 4 years in a row. If Marv Levy hadn't choked/been outsmarted in Super Bowl XXV - and ordered Jim Kelly to exploit Bill Belichick's devious 2-down-lineman defensive game plan by giving the ball to Thurman, who was averaging more than 8 years a carry that game - the Bills would have won. The team would've been recognized as one of the great offensive juggernauts in football history. And no one would be tempted to make the misguided argument that Shady was a better/more valuable Bill than Thurman.

Seriously? He was a hard-as* about hanging onto the ball before the rule change, too, yet the Patriots still fumbled about as frequently as most other teams back then. It was only after the league granted Brady his new rule change that the Pats fumbe numbers dropped- quite literally - off the charts.

Even the homers in the Boston media are reporting it now. The data is so skewed it defies any rational explanation. And it certainly lends creedance to the theory that once Bellichek and the Pats were caught cheating in SPygate they simply found new rules to flout. It'd be fascinating to track down all the Pats ballboys since Brady convinced the league to change the rule and see if any of them can corroborate it. http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/2015/01/25/patriots-fumble-nearly-impossible-rate/LCgrlUR9qgxDsIgcal9dUI/story.html

Buffalo is extremely fortunate to have a columnist of Jerry Sullivan's caliber. His eye for a story and incisive voice made him a rising star in New York City. It's only because he's a quality person, who could appreciate the unique treasure of raising a family in a community like WNY, that he settled in Buffalo. The fact that Sully wasn't raised with a native Buffalonian's blind devotion to our sports teams - and holds players, management and owners to the same objective standards that are applied elsewhere - has made him plenty of enemies. But any objective observer can see that he's justified in criticizing the WNY sports establishment when it uses Buffalo's small-town loyalty to take fans for granted and field an inferior product. Too often, as he points out, Buffalo teams peddle nothing more than hope to a community that is so happy to still be part of the conversation that it doesn't demand a championship. Fans who would prefer an ill-informed cheerleader as columnist are certainly entitled to their opinions, and have every right to disagree with and razz him. But people who stoop to ad hominem attacks are quite literally ignorant: they don't know him or the big-hearted, loyal and generous person he is to friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. And those who berate his journalistic talent or integrity are simply ill-informed: among journalists across the country, he has earned a reputation as first-rate columnist whose flair and insight and any publication would be lucky, and proud, to publish. Looking forward to reading him for the next quarter century....

Congrats to Buddy & Chan. Thank you Ralph, Jeff Littman and Russ Brandon. Kudos to the rest of Bills Nation for helping recruit Mario. But for all the great work done by Merriman, Kyle Williams, Jim Kelly et. al., it seemed odd that our attempt to woo our next great defensive end wasn't led by our greatest defensive end. Anyone have any idea why he was so conspicuously absent?

Ralph Wilson

He and Brohm can open up a yoga studio....

In terms of pure bust-for-the-buck, I think Walt Patulski is still the Bills' biggest draft day whiff. He was chosen #1 in THE ENTIRE DRAFT - before people like Franco Harris, Willie Buchanon and Cliff Branch. Patulski's Notre Dame pedigree made him tempting. His pierogi-juicy Polish name made him irresistible for a team like the Bills in a town like Buffalo. But, as a Polish-American myself, it pains me to say that he was so slow and undersized that he couldn't manage to sack a pussywillow bush on Dyngus Day.

The answer lies on the other side of the ball: the pathetic, and worsening, defense. As porous as our 4-3 D was last year, it's even lamer this year because of Gailey & company's decision to switch to the 3-4. That may pay dividends in the long run. But given the personnel they inherited, it is baffling that they did so little to make the transition. A 3-4 needs LBs who can rush the passer and cover and a space-eating NT. We had none of the above, and the Bills' (evidently-lobotomized) Brain Trust did almost nothing in FA or the draft to address those needs. So, as angry as we all get watching Kelsay flounder 8-yards behind the opposing team's TEs and RBs, it's not his fault that the coaches put him in a position he is biologically and temperamentally unsuited for. It's like entering a bloodhound in a greyhound race and expecting him to compete. Ain't gonna happen. That's also why Ralph's pleas for "patience" ring so hollow. We've already endured a 10-year playoff drought, yet the people we're supposed to put our faith in don't seem to have a plan - unless you're one of the conspiracy theorists who believe they intentionally tried to engineer a winless season to nab the top pick in the draft. Personally, I fear that the problem isn't that the folks in the Bills front office don't have a plan; it's that they - like their owner - don't seem to have a clue.

Fina was terrible. A Finesse Left tackle: couldn't push the pile, frequently bowled over by the bullrush and always managed to whiff on speed rushes and give up sacks at the most crucial moments. (He compounded his errors with the annoying habit of standing there with his hands on his hips as the QB tried to pull himself to his feet) In the moments after Wide Right - when Obnoxious Oaf Parcells was gloating and taking credit for Bellichek's brainstorm in the post game interviews - I remember him saying "Power wins football games. Power wins football games." Much as I hate Tuna and think he's an absurdly overrated blowhard, he was right. To this day, the Bills have never learned that lesson, and Fina was just one small part of a long line of undersized & overpowered underachievers.

I was at all four (and from my vantage point in Tampa Bay, I thought Norwood made the kick). Still gives me nightmares.

Schwabl's (there's no "e") without a doubt. The sandwiches are just sublime and the old school atmosphere is almost worth the trip all by itself. http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidkski/397169907/ Gourmet Magazine did a feature on it a few years back, and said it was "the best Roast Beef Sandwich IN THE COUNTRY" I'm happy to say that I went there yesterday and the quality is as EXCEPTIONAL as ever. (BTW - The hot German potato salad, yellow pike and drinks - Tom & Jerry's and Ebeneezer Punch - are also great.)

anything but(t) a guy with the proverbial "Big Bubble."

"You tease, you flirt, you shine all the buttons on your green shirt." Hey TC in STL - Elvis allusion noted and appreciated. Remember: "You can please yourself, but somebody's gonna get it. You can please yourself but somebody's gonna get hurt""