The Avenger

It's a cyclical thing. You end a terrible season, make some major changes (coach, GM, etc.) and you think that FINALLY we're on the upswing. Then you use a high draft pick on a highly touted college guy and sense that we got some good players in the later rounds and you start to feel even better. Then you read about how hard everyone has worked this offseason, and you feel even better about the team. Then camp comes and you hear about the great plays guys are making and how all of their hard work is paying dividends - you feel even better. Then you get to some meaningless preseason games where the Bills beat up on teams like Pittsburgh and you feel better still. Then week 1 finally comes and the Bills play a home game against a hapless team like Houston and win - you're already thinking playoffs. Then you suffer a string of soul-crushing defeats to teams you should beat but just don't for whatever reason, players get hurt, and the guys that worked so hard in the offseason and looked good in camp show that they are being completely outplayed by guys on other teams - you realize again that the team has serious problems and serious work to do. By week 8, the season is all but over, and your thoughts turn to who we should get as a new coach/GM and what to do with the high draft pick. You are deeply depressed, but feel if we could trade our top draft pick + Willis McGahee +Josh Reed away for Shaun Alexander, Walter Jones, Steve Hutchinson and Seattle's first round pick we could be a good team, especially when we get a new coach and GM. You start to feel better about the Bills. It happens every year...

We have about 12" of snow so far just north of Boston, but it's not supposed to stop until at least 5 this evening. What's funny is that all the local stations have been on the air around the clock - we did not get the national morning shows (GMA, Today, etc.), we didn't get the Sunday political shows (Russert, Meet the Press, etc.), and now we aren't getting any sports (NBA game not being shown, nor is the Daytona qualifier. College hoops is on, but in a split screen with local weather coverage). You'd think it was the apocolypse here, and at most we are due 20". Come on people, this is Boston - we get 20" of snow in February once in awhile - it's not like it's raining frogs in July or the Rapture is upon us...

Reminds me of SCTV's Celebrity Blow Ups... "He blowed up good...real good!"

Some bold words for a dude whose football career came to a crashing halt after a hot tub incident with a teenage neighbor....

Depends on the future of the CBA and the salary cap. If 2007 becomes an uncapped year, the cap with NEVER come back and the NFL will become the next MLB with some big market teams perpetually buying the best players and winning while small market teams will be unable to compete. The Bills could become the next Pittsburgh Pirates or San Diego Padres and potentially be unable to stay in WNY.

That will be the next battle if Mass determines that Wal-Mart needs to provide Plan B. They'll comply and not stock it knowing full well that with that specific prescription forcing someone to wait for it to come in on order is as good as not filling it. It'll be litigated for years.

This chart does not prove your statement that the growth of the US economy has "vastly outperformed the economies of Europe over the last 20 years" - that's my point. You now seem to be arguing that the US economy fared better (and not even substantially better) than France and Germany and barely better than the UK. You've also thrown out reasons why other European nations ourperformed the US - size, immigration, etc. all of which may have counter arguments themselves. To argue that the US system beats "socialist" countries based on our vastly better economy would be borne out if the US finished at the top of the list and comfortably ahead of all European nations without all the conditions you have put on the results. I don't see that you've proven your statement.

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Say what you will and write off any reports because they came from the UN rather than the ever-trustworthy Heritage Foundation, but I don't see ANYTHING to support your statement that the US economy has vastly outperformed those of Europe over the past 20 years - that statement just doesn't hold up to the facts (but feel free to show me ssome numbers that do make me sit back and say, "wow - we really DID do mcuh better than they did" - don't read this as a taunt - read this as an inviatation to show me data that supports your original statement).

Not sure how you are quantifying the US economy as "vastly outperforming the economies of Europe over the past 20 years". I'm looking at per capita GDP growth and the U.S. is not at the top - it's 5th and it's behind countries far more "socialist" than the U.S. - Switzerland, Japan, etc. Center for Economic Policy Report I'd also say standard of living factors into how well a country is doing economically, and the U.S. lags behind many "socialist" European nations there, too, according to the UN Human Development Index UN 2005 HDI Report

Sorry - I missed the tongue in cheek smiley guy on your post - my bad. So, what is your real arguement on this topic?

Why doesn't the NFL just blow Brady at midfield during the coin toss and get it over with? They could blame it on a wardrobe malfunction...

Yeah, nobody has us picking a 5'7" receiver at #8 this year, but watch it happen...

Actually, I don't think there is a liberal bias to the media, and in fact, the opposite might just be true. Conservatives have been brilliant when it comes to the media - they know how to get their message out loudly, clearly and ubiquitously - they've been destroying the left on this front for years. Part of the strategy (quite brilliant, actually), is to continuously howl that there is a liberal bias in the media. This serves to keep the media on notice that they are being watched and any liberal slant will be noted. They call this "working the refs" to get any anvantage they can, and for the most part it's been very effective. But just becase conservatives scream that there's a liberal media bias doesn't make it so. Are there examples of liberal media bias? You bet - lots, but there are also plenty of examples of conservative media bias (you don't hear aout that too much as the left does a poor job of bringing notice to it). If you want some interesting reading, check out Eric Altman's book, "What Liberal Media?" - he does a thorough examination of media coverage and his findings may just surprise you.

The beer analogy doesn't work because regardless of which brand of beer a bar has or does not have, you can still get beer. It may not be the variety you like, but you can still get a feremneted barley-hopps beverage with an alcohol content between 5-10%. If a paharmacy doesn't carry a drug, you can't get it or anything comparable. I also think that when it comes to medicine and medical services, the state has extra authority to ensure everyone has equal access. To start a slippery slope argument, if you allow pharmacies to stock drugs based on their own moral decsions, do you also allow doctors to withhold treatment for people/conditions which they find immoral? Can doctors refuse to treat unmarried patients for STDs because they don't approve of their lifestyles? Can they refuse to treat suspects injured in the commission of a crime?

Dude - liberal media bias is true - Fox has been reporting for days now - where you been?

Can you imagine the uproar if Wal-Mart decided "for business reasons" that they didn't want to carry insulin, cipro, or even something non life-saving like Viagra?

Yeah, but it was fun. I really like that quote you gave - it's one of my favorite historical quotes and very powerful. But it can be used for just about anything where a slippery slope argument can come into play (which is almost every issue).

They came for Plan B and I did not speak out because I oppose abortion They came for Ortho Novum 777 and I did not speak up because I am not a promiscuous woman They came for Oxycontin and I did not speak up because it is a narcotic like heroin They came for Viagara and there was no one left to speak for me The author died without ever having had another erection...

Depends on whether of not this is a keeper league and how many points you get for passing vs. receiving TDs. Wait, this ISN'T the fantasy football board? Nevermind then...

g) The undercurrent of doubt in his abilities to succeed in the NFL and the presupposition that he will fail, started by fans and picked up by the press, after only 8 starts. After half a season of starts (and not even consecutive starts) bored and self-loathing fans are ready to declare him a bust. Soon the media will soon start referring to him as "underachieving" and before you know it he'll be compared to Ryan leaf. By the time the 2006 season starts people will be ready to run him out of town for failing to get the Bills to the playoffs in each of his first 2 seasons. You can see it happening unless someone steps in and gives him a vote of confidence rather than bashing him.

Exactly what I was thinking...dude's got a habit and I wonder if he can get methadone on the sidelines...

Best part is that the guy doesn't need to wear a helmet - he's got that big 'ole plaastic mellon. He also doesn't need a uniform and I'm sure he'll get some crazy uniform violation fines, but those are the responsibility of the player, not the team so I think we're good there...

Remember that you're talking about a system where a disagreement between the cable company and the YES network left NY Yankee games off the air in NYC for at least a month. Fans can and o lose out when media giants battle one another - no lock that things will be worked out in time.

By the same logic, Congress hsould investigate almost nothing as their only area of expertise is politics. Sure they'll be grandstanding and finger pointing, but there will also be a some transparency for the American people to see how government worked or didn't work in regards to a tragic situation. Having no investigation or not having any accountability to the taxpaying public is an even worse idea that will breed even more distrust of th government.