SouthernMan

I figured it had to be their Superman pajama home uniforms. They need manly football player uniforms, not some silly spandex jumpsuit. Can anyone picture Dick Butkus or Ray Nitschke in one of them things?

Making your own rules with disregard to accepted resources? I'll be on the lookout for the first edition Unabbridged Astrobot Dictionary. Any chance I can get you or your programmer to sign it for me before Christmas?

Odd you should post that. Someone here used the word "jell" in that context a few days ago, and being naturally anal retentive/OCD, I looked it up. Guess what? Both are acceptable. Dictionary.com states "jell" was first noted 1820-1830. "Gel" later originated, 1895-1900. The term "jelly", son of gelatin, came into usage for commerical purposes and spurned the verb, "Jell". Later "Gel", coming back to it's "G" origins was added into the English language. Now, how can we get people to stop saying, "I 'could' care less", ec-scape, and suppos-eb-ly"? Your point is "mute"!

It's no different than the guy who pays full price at a store and fails to use coupons or acknowledge other specials that could reduce his cost. Caveat emptor. Outside of Syms clothing store, an educated consumer is generally most retailers worst customer. The price of the NFL Sunday Ticket and Superfan haven't changed and is exactly the same for anyone. The price is dictated by the NFL, and you'd better believe they receive the full price from Directv. The NFL isn't about to "give it away" for $150/year. Directv has opted to give some customers discounts on their regular monthly subscriptions (of non-NFL stuff) - of which each contract/agreement is very different, depending on the deal previously made between customer and DTV. You see this on your bill in form of a credit. They don't itemize Sunday Ticket at $150. Directv has likely already accounted for the potential numerous discounts and costs are built in to everything else, but it's to their advantage to accomodate subscribers because they can use it as a negotiating tool to get longer commitments from their customers. It's actually a fairly clever marketing tool that a lot of subscription type companies, who want to insure long-term revenue streams, now use. I'm happy, they're happy, win-win.

Will Elton join them in the locker room? He's not just the captain - he's Captain Fantastic. As former Patriots owner Victor Kiam once stated during the height of the early 90s Iraq conflict, after female Globe reporter Lisa Olsen was harrassed in the Pats locker room, ...... "They've both seen Patriot missiles up close" I believe Elton has tickled a few ivories and polished a rocket or two in his day. They don't call him the Brown Dirt Cowboy for nothing.

Well, thanks so much for that remarkable little near-anecdote and personal insight into a day in the life of Dean, the TBD poster. Good stuff. Keep it coming. Geeesh.

With a little negotiating and whining, I got Center Ice last year for $69.00. BTW - to expound on the earlier post from the guy/gal who said "cancel" at one of the DTV menu prompts - I've used that magic little word for years in order to push my way to the front of the line in the menu-prompt virtual velvet rope. (don't you just love the ones that cycle back to the original menus so that you're stuck in automated-telephone-prompt-menu infinity? Only thing more frustrating is spending 20 minutes getting through the recorded zombies, and have it hang up on you so you can start all over again...ughhhhh) They must have a voice recognition thingy that upon hearing "cancel" sends you directly to a usually competent customer service rep whose job it is to make a save and retain the disgruntled subscriber. And NO...I don't want to..... "Para Continuar en Español, Oprima numero 2"!!!!!

I have a commitment (because of a "free" HD leased receiver)through 2011, but I was still able to get them to knock off $120 and give "free" Superfan package. This is the NFL dictating the pricing, so don't blame Directv. They're just about breaking even with the hope that they keep long-term commitments from subscribers. Maybe I could have held out for a better deal, but I'm satisfied. I've got a friend nearby who might borrow my spare receiver for the months of Sept-December, and split the overall ST cost, taking it down to around $130 each. I can live with that. Assuming the Bills are shown here around 4-5 times on local TV (we already know of 3 for certain - that is if the Falcons game sells out) so now I'm into them for maybe $12 game or less. That's a reasonable fee for the luxury of sitting in my cozy den recliner, fireplace blazing, cold beer in the fridge, toilet close by without a puddle of some stanger's pee on the floor under my shoes, kitten on my lap, aromatic roast slowly cooking in the oven. Perfect scenerio, except for the neighborhood A-hole from the adjoining property who only follows UGA football on Saturdays, so he's out there with the friggin' 2-cycle hedgetrimmer all Sunday afternoon keeping the old battle-axe happy by catchin' up on his "honey-do" list at my expense. Note to self: stock up on bottle rockets and ammo for bb rifle.

Aren't you forgetting the "green" choice - reuseable canvas bags with convenient little carry handles? I'm certain it must be the bag of choice in the Gore household! Second bag of choice in the Pelosi home!

Why? I drain fluid from my testicles all the time. Big deal.

This happens every year about this time. Anyone else notice how testy so many of us get just before camp starts? Let's all take a deep breath. Sorry K-9. Didn't mean to jump down your throat. I love you, man.

He'll be evalutated when the season is over. What point would there be in dismissing him mid-season? The same coordinators calling the shots during gametime would probably remain. Unless Jauron makes some incredibly bad game clock decisions and/or if the team is on the verge of mutiny and a potential savior or proven HC make themselves available (e.g. - Cowher, Gruden, Jim Fassel, Tony Dungy, Mike Shanahan, etc), Dick will be around all year. I almost get the idea that some on this board wish for his failure. I think Ralph expects no less than a playoff appearance, barring another incredible rash of injuries to key players. No playoffs - I think we'll have a new head man next year, but a mid-season change accomplishes nothing for 2009.

Copy cat!

I was thinking Rob Johnson, who nearly got us a win in the Music City Miracle. Bravo. Well done Rob.

Right. Thanks, I almost forgot to mention that obvious factoid. After being assigned temporary kickoff duty, Flutie would have consumed an entire a box of Fluties Flakes - Popeye style, and kicked the ball right out of the stadium for a touchback. No need to even cover. Good call.

Elvis was a washed up 50s rocker who allowed carnival barker "Colonel" Tom Parker to call the shots and whore him out for a drive-in B movie career, thereby compromising any ounce of artistic/musical integrity he might have been able to retain after his stint with Uncle Sam. Quite simply, Elvis was more about charisma and presence than actual talent. He stole from Jerry Lee, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy, Eddie Cochran. He was the genetically fortunate beneficiary of a great look for rock and roll, and he was savvy enough to "borrow" from the gospel and race record roots he was influenced by. He wasn't the first to do this, but his charisma shot him to the front of the line. He proved to be a one trick pony and he never progressed artistically after his return from army duty. Overrated and overhyped. By most accounts, he was a decent guy, just a little f'd up in the head from too much ass kissing by his Memphis mafia and other leeches. I believe he's still alive and occasionally hitches rides with UFOs. It's in print - it must be true!

Trouble with comprehension, I see. Maybe it could have been expressed a little more clearly, but try grasping the context before you jump down my throat. As stated in the post, the "crash" (not Cribbs) came following the departure of Knox. I'm sure you've memorized every Bills draft, including the 1980 season, so God bless you for setting me straight.

You're seeing it through Bills colored glasses. Yeah, it sure looked that way from the first live viewing and subsequent replays. But in reality, there've been numerous computer-generated models that prove that the ball didn't go forward. Remember, it didn't have to go backward. By rule, it just couldn't go forward. The angle of the original broadcast was deceiving. The ball went right down the yardmarker line, perpendicular to the sidelines. What's the difference? Ralph overrode Wade Phillip's authority and named Rob Johnson the starter. It's not as if RJ was going to lead the Bills to superbowl glory.

Thanks for that. Cribbs was a damn good back. Unfortunately for him, came to the Bills shortly before they experienced one of their many crashes, this time following the departure of Chuck Knox. Thurman had the benefit of arriving just in time to catch and be part of the wave of an up and coming team, stocked with talent. I remember thinking when first I first witnessed Thurman, that he reminded me of Cribbs. After seeing the Youtube clip, it reinforced my recollection. If Cribbs had a red helmet and # 34, I'd think it was Thurman. Very similar in running style - the way they cut, low to the ground, great balance, quickly hitting the holes. Both backs were also intelligent. I didn't remember, and was suprised to hear in the Cribbs Youtube montage, that he caught a 52 passes that year. Cribbs is somewhat forgotten and overshadowed by the legacies of OJ and Thurman, but he was an extremely good back, who unfortunately was the victim of a tightwad hard-ass GM (Stew Barber), upheaval in the coaching ranks, and an overall bad front office in the early 80s. Like Jim Kelly, he seized the opportunity from the fledgling USFL. It's sometimes forgotten that it was the dissention and disorganized state of the Bills in the early 80s that prompted Kelly to opt for the USFL. But, who knows? If things hadn't played out the way they did, the Bills might not have ever gotten Thurman. Or for that matter, Cornelius Bennett, who arrived as the result of a trade involving Cribbs' successor, Greg Bell. There are some glaringly obvious omissions on the Bills WOF - most noteably Saban, Cookie, and Cribbs - sadly, none of whom do I believe will ever be enshrined. BTW - anyone rememer who the d-bag announcer was who recently (last year maybe) referred to the Bills' Wall of Fame as the "Ring of Honor". I nearly puked.

The play that looms larger (or should) in Bills history is the one from Superbowl XXV that permanently took the (as Hank Bullough would say) "sail out of the winds" for the Bills. No doubt that if that Superbowl XXV play, 3rd and forever, where Mark Ingram breaks approximately 13 near and missed tackles to gain a first down, thereby keeping a scoring drive alive, Norwood never would have been forced into a position of having to kick a field goal. Normally dependable tacklerss, Talley and Kelso, as well as a few others, looked like they were out of gas on that play. It kept the drive alive, and led to an eventual TD by the Giants, putting them in position to need only a field goal to take the lead once and forever. Assuming everything else had gone approximately the same way in that game, the Bills might have been able to run out the clock at the end, instead of pinning their hopes on a 47 yard kick. The score might have been 19-16, with Thurman Thomas named as MVP of superbowl XXV, and Jim Kelly and Ralph holding the Lombardi Trophy. I still believe that the Bills, with just slightly better clock management during that final drive, could have gotten one more play off, possibly getting a little closer to the goalposts. I don't remember (too painful), but didn't Kelly spike the ball to stop the clock? Maybe they (coaches) were afraid of an interception or losing yards on a sack, but I would have liked to see a quick, high percentage sideline pass, that if successful, gets them closer, if not, stops the clock. But that is the play, more than any other that has kept the Bills from having a "W" in the superbowl column.

I believe the O-line will improve for the very reasons you mentioned. Bigger playbook? Both Woods and Levitre are supposed to be highly intelligent. Don't see a problem there. I mean, if Travis Henry got through it...... And yes, as you stated, the chemisty of the O-line teammates is an important element of a cohesive and effective unit. That's where I think the Bills finally got it right after years of plugging in random players and expecting it to all come together like magic. I sense that Butler, Woods, Levitre, Walker, and Hangartner are all cut from the same cloth. All bright guys with a lot of competative fire. The mix reminds me a lot of the those dominating Bills' O-lines of the late 80s to mid 90s. When I think of a prototypical lineman that the Bills should have been modeling their lines after, I think of names like Billy Shaw, Joe Devlin, Joe Delamielleure, Reggie McKenzie, Kent Hull, Ruben Brown, Will Wolford, Jim Ritcher, Ken Jones, Will Grant, etc. - team players. All with the right combination of toughness and smarts. In more recent times, the Bills have attempted to use size as their weapon of choice on the O-line. Slugs like all-time Bills draft bust Mike Williams come to mind. Used his size in college to out-man inferior opponents, but in the pros, his lack of talent was immediately exposed. Big as an airplane hangar, but not an ounce of competative fire. The poster child for the all-2000's Bills offensive line. Pretty pathetic when the strategic hope for the line is that a defender might trip over them on the way to the QB. Maybe the front office at One Bills Drive finally reached the conclusion (at last) that they'd be better off having more intelligent, quicker, and nimble linemen who can out-finese their defensive counterparts, and act and react as a single unit in the style of those great Bills O-lines of the mid 60s, early 80s, and early to mid 90s. I'll buy the first round for the fellas at the Big Tree Inn.

There was a thread a month or so ago, concerning Jason Peter's prowess, value, etc. Many have argued that the Bills got a bad deal in the trade, only getting a #28 pick. Of course, Peters was touted by some as being one of the best LTs in the league. In the earlier thread, I deduced that if Peters had that much value, one of the 6 teams that drafted a tackle in the 1st round would have been willing to trade for proven vet, still in his prime. Conclusion - he's not all that great. Just a pretty decent tackle when he's in the mood. Joe D, a guy who knows the offensive line, was on WGR55 and reinforced my belief that Peters was way overrated, and possibly the beneficiery of the media's and the Bill's hype. It was obvious from Joe Ds comments that he doesn't think Peters is anywhere near being a great tackle, and doesn't think the Bills will miss him. OK, the Peters story is old news....onward. The other interesting comment by DeLamielleure is that he's believed for several years the Bills O-line is the big problem (surprise, surprise), and he doesn't seem concerned about having the 2 rookie guards. He intimated that the guard position doesn't have near the learning curve of the O-tackle, and that the transition from college shouldn't be too big a leap. He even cited the example that it was his rookie year and Reggie McKenzie in his second, the year that OJ ran for 2003 yds. Is the same ease into the pros still relevant to today's game? - I don't know, but I'll take Joe's word for it over some jock wanna-be pundit's. I have to think the Bills are gambling that Woods and Levitre's intelligence and toughness will finally get the Bill's offense in gear. I think the big thinkers at One Bills Drive finally realized the importance of synchronicity on the O-line, and I believe they've assembled a group who's personalities mesh well and have the (potential) talent to make an impact. Maybe just wishful thinking and eternal hope as training camp approaches, but I have a good feeling about the ability of the O-line. Side note: I'm eager to get more looks at 2nd year tackle Demetrius Bell, who I thought looked great in preseason last year, and for my money, has as much or more potential than the overrated Peters.

KRC - can I call you K? Crap like what? If you disagree with anything I said, why not address it and give me your point of view. Isn't that kind of dialogue what makes a forum interesting? What part am I off base about in your opinion? Do you disagree that the Bills 1965 individual stats would be laughable in today's game? Do you disagree that the players, as great as they were in their era, wouldn't last through the first camp cuts in 2009? Sure, there were those who might have been decent today as well, but I'd bet most would be working as insurance sales trainees in 2009. FWIW, I have a great love for the old AFL. I still have fond memories of sitting in the Rockpile seeing Namath & Maynard, (the real Big Ben) Ben Davidson, Jim Nance, Kemp & Co, etc. I think it's great that you have an interest in the AFL, but Christ, it's like these people born after 1977 that are in love with Elvis. The guy's bowels ceased up before they were born, and somehow he's become bigger in death. He was just a guy who could barely make a hit to save his life after he started doing C movies in the 60s. In your case, the AFL halted operation before you were through crapping in your diapers. You only know it through trading cards, film reels, yellowed newspaper clippings, and stories from Buffalo's boiler-maker drinking old-timers. It is part of the history and evolution of pro football, but in reality, the skill level was pale in comparison to today's atheletes. These were guys who drove trucks or tended bar in the offseason. But anyway K, if that is your AFL HOF website, thanks for sharing it with us old farts who actually experienced it. Cool stuff (even if they were inferior). BTW - I still have my 1960 Buffalo Bills media guide. Maybe you'd like to add it to your collection.

Top 10? Wow! Weren't there only like, 8 teams in the league?!?!? That'd be like being in the top 40 today! Holy cow! Who'd have thought 21st round draft picks could be so prominent? I don't mean to disparage the great players who are the forerunners of today's game, and were the heros the Buffalo's kids before Promo had his first lube job, but everything is relative. I was just saying that by today's standards, they would be boys among men. If they were somehow transported with Tony and Doug through the Time Tunnel and landed at St. John Fisher for a tryout, most of the players on that roster wouldn't qualify to be golf cart drivers, let alone be professional football players in 2009. How am I supposed to know how you feel about it? Are you that Conegrio guy with the AFL HOF website? Thanks for the mammeries. Nostalgic, for sure.

Gee, I kinda wished I hadn't looked at the stats for the 1965 AFL Championship Buffalo Bills. They were rather unimpressive, even in a 14 game schedule. e.g. - Jack Kemp, 45.8% completion percentage, 2,368 passing yards. 54.8 passer rating. Kemp is something of a local hero, but with numbers like that, in today's game, we'd be all over Ralph to get rid of "the bum". The top receiver for the Bills, Bo Roberson*, had 483 yards catching. Top rusher, Wray Carlton, had 592 rushing yards. WTF? I thought the AFL was a wide-open offensive league. I was too young to remember a lot of detail about those teams, but all I can guess is that it must have been a completely different style of football back then. *odd, I don't even remember ever hearing this guy's name - and he was the top receiver (or Flanker :-) ??!? Isn't "Flanker" the word guys over 75 years old use when talking about Andre Reed? If they were to ask me, "Isn't he a flanker"?, I'd reply, " I don't care what he does in his spare time".