BuffaloBob

All of you people who keep insisting this was nothing more than a math error do not know what you are talking about. THIS WAS NOT JUST A MATH ERROR! A starting value is a JUDGMENT call, just like it is whether you deduct points for errors or anything else that goes on in the field of play. This was NOT just a matter of entering the wrong number, or failing to read a number correctly, or misadding a bunch of numbers. At the beginning of each guy's routine, the judges are given a list of the things that are to be performed in the routine. They have to judge, based on that and some rather loosely defined sets of standards what that starting score should be. This is determined from scratch, based on those judgements EVERY time the guy competes. It is not some standard number that is simply read of a sheet and entered into a scoring computer. That is why, if you are going to complain about your adjudged starting score, that you do it at the time that is assessed, not later after everything is over. It is the same thing as the NFL instant replay. There are certain field of play judgements that are permitted to be protested. If you don't throw the red flag before the next play, you lose the opportunity to challenge. And the reason for this is obvious. Once you get down the line, you have to have finality. Otherwise you open the whole damn thing up to rejudging, including the issue of whther the Korean had the proper points deducted from his score based on the errors in his performance. Bottom line: The starting score was not properly adjudged against the set of standards (not that it was misadded or misentered). EVERYONE, including the Koreans know that you have to watch that crap to make sure the judges assess your routine properly (this happens all of the time where the judges do not assess the level of difficulty at which you feel your routine deserves). EVERYONE, including the Koreans know that if you disagree with that assessment, the rules are that you have a certain time period in which to challenge their asessment or you lose the opportunity to do so. The Koreans did not throw the red flag in time. THEY LOSE. Our boy deserves the win and the medal. End of story. You can't go back and give Travis the TD against Oakland and give the Bills the win either. And I don't hear anyone claiming that the Raiders should do it out of the goodness of their hearts either.

Yeah, and they can blame the Yankees for it!

I realize that, as my posts are directed at King George and MLB rather than Yankee fans, of whom many I count as close friends. However, I am merely responding to this rather inane argument that the Sox fans should not complain about the Yankee payroll because "they are just about as bad because they are number 2." My point is that the reason they are number 2 is because they are forced to be to compete. They do not have the luxury of playing in a division or a league where they can win or at least compete for a division without spending over $100 million. My point also was simply that even at number 2, the difference between us is still huge. There were at least 14 teams in the major leagues this year that didn't spend the DIFFERENCE between our payrolls. That is truly telling of the gap between the Yankees and everyone else, including the BoSox!

Yes, they fortunately do not have an NL version of the Yankees to deal with. Otherwise, that may not be the case. Which was my point to begin with.

In case you didn't notice, Mr. USMC brought up the Evil Emoire thingy in his congratulations. Why shouldn't that be responded to? As a Sox fan, I appreciate his congratulations, but when you qualify it with a defensive, why should you not expect someone to not accept in its qualified form?

Yeah, but I guess one could say, typical Yankee fan. Offer congratulations but not without the defensive "we are not the Evil Empire" tagline. One could also point out that because of Steinbrenner's relentless willingness to spend any amount of money, that the Sox have no choice but to be the second biggest spender in the majors just to compete. The reality is, that even though the Sox are second, they are a DISTANT second. The difference between the Sox and the Yanks payrolls in 2004 would have funded a dozen or so other teams' payrolls this year.

The Babe, having seen what was happening, took over Francona's body briefly. The Babe knew that Pedro would give up a hit or two and get the crowd back into it. The plan was to then freeze Francona into leaving Petey in there as the game snowballed into a total BoSox collapse. After all, it worked to pefection when he had taken over Grady's body last year and froze him into indecision as Pedro blows the lead. Fortunately, Pedro got things under control and the Babe was forced to leave Francona's body because a ghost can only occupy a body for about an inning or so.

I couldn't agree more. D-Lowe was mowing them down and had the crowd completely out of the game. Why take him out? Even worse, why replace him with Petey? For a moment there, I was thinking maybe the Babe was putting thoughts in Francona's head; had him hypnotized or something! That had to be one of the dumbest, let me outsmart myself moves I've ever seen. Just a classic "What the fug were you thinking?" Thank God Bellhorn came up and took the starch out of the Yankees' shorts! I have been a die-hard Sox fan for 38 years, and while Petey was out there giving up hits and runs I was thinking, "If you blow this, I will never root for Sox again!"

Hey Campy, please stop apologizing for our defense! LOL!

I do not see Schilling pitching again this year to be honest, even if the Sox can manage to send it back to NYC. I know they thought they had some success putting him in a high top shoe, but the man can't get his normal push. Frankly, I think the Sox would have been better served not starting him in game 1 at all. But you know it would have been hard for them to not give him his shot.

That was exactly what he needed anyway. He has started slowly in most games that he has played in so far, but he really gets better as he gets more carries. He needs to build up his confidence. You could see how he was hitting that hole much faster and making much quicker decisions as the game wore on. The guy didn't play for over a year and a half, and these are his first pro games to boot. I think he has made awesome progress and he will continue to get stronger, more confident and quicker the more carries he gets. I think they should start him against Baltimore and bring Henry in oaccasionally as a change of pace. I like McGahee better as a pass receiver anyway.

Actually, he played pretty well last year before he got hurt and was IR'd. I think some people on this board think that only draft choices who produce in their first or second year are worth a damn. It usually takes a guy at least two years to get up to speed, and usually three. I like that Texas Aggie combo! I like that we were getting a push up the middle on the pass rush. To be honest, I think that is what has been missing more than the DEs. If you're getting push up the middle, your ends are going to get sacks because the QB is going to be forced to the outside. He won't be able to step up in the pocket.

I'd like to see ya take him over your knee!!

I believe that overweight lineman to which you refer has actually lost a bunch of those lbs and has played very well so far this season! I think Sam is too fat and all he does is occupy blockers. That's OK if you are commanding double teams and holding your ground ala Ted Washington, but I don't think it's all that great when you aren't. I think Sam would improve a great deal (ala a certain offensive lineman) if he would drop about 40 pounds. Anyway, maybe he needed a little fire lit under his ass (OK, maybe a BIG fire! LOL!). BTW, I am psyched about Edwards play. He is the future!!

yeah, don't you remember that game in New England when a fumbled ball rolled up against a Pats player who was knocked unconcscious and was partially out of bounds? They called the ball New England's even though the Bills recovered it because the ball contacted the Pats player and thus was ruled out of bounds as a result??

I hear ya! I'm a Sox fan and it ticked me off that it happened so late. Oh well, at least they avoided the sweep. It's a shame Schill is hurt. It would have been a much closer series. Guess we'll have to seee if Pedro can beat his Daddy just once! I'd much rather the Yanks win it in NYC than in Beantown. I'm sure they would, too!

I have been complaining about Fat Sam's weight since he came to Buffalo. There are very few guys who can play with that kind of weight and be effective. In fact, Ted Washington and the Fridge are the only two I know. Sam waddles on and off the field, and he doesn't get much in the way of penetration. I don't think he has been requiring double teams, which is the whole point of having such a biug guy in there. Edwards got two sacks and was extremely productive. If Fat Sam left the game early, then he needs to be severely disciplined or released.

This makes no sense. Fire the guy and appoint an advisor? What would be the point, except to tell the team we've given up the season? Ralph fired Polian because he got into a power play with Ralph's daughter. That had nothing to do with the team's performance on the field. If anything, Ralph has shown remarkable patience when it comes to his GMs as far as team performance is concerned.

He ran into the waiting arms of Abraham.

Mike was initially beat I grant you, but he made a nice recovery and kept Ellis outside and gave Bledsoe the opportunity to step up into the pocket. That Jennings was beat to the inisde was not forgivable. If you are an OT, and your man gets a step on you, as long as you keep him to the outside, you've still done your job.

Should I assume that there was no PUN intended here?

Absolutely incorrect. I taped the game and replayed that sack play on slo-mo with the DVR several times. Abraham made that sack jumping inside on Jennings. That was NOT a Mike Williams mistake. Williams rode his man to the outside and he did brush Drew as he stepped up. What was difficult to see is that Abraham took an inside route on Jennings and took Drew down by the legs. It looked like he fell down from the contact with Williams man, but he was stepping up into the pocket and Abrahm sacked him. That was totally on Jennings. Williams handled his man exactly as he should have.

Bannan was the guy who caused the INT to Posey.

This is such bull_shit! You have no idea what kind of review angles were available. You have no idea how those replays were provided to the coaches upstairs, and based on the couple of highlights that were shown after the fact, it was HIGHLY unlikely that the call would have been overturned for lack of sufficient evidence that the call made on the field was incorrect. Of course, had he merely blindly challenged the call anyway, and the call not been overturned which has the most likely scenario based on the replays I've seen, you all would have been bitching because he lost a timeout and has no idea when to challenge calls.

The point I was making was NOT that my analysis proved anything other than that the records do not support JSP's opinion any more than they support the opposite. 3-4 games is not a statistically significant sample of games. But even subtracting the games you do, those records still do not support the theory that the Giants are so much better than the Bills due to Coughlin.