smokinandjokin

Makes sense. If they do view their trip to Pasadena as a vacation, you have to lay the blame on Carr. No doubt, you should allow your 20-year old players to enjoy their West Coast trip and the spectacle of a big-time bowl game, but a good coach will treat it as a business trip, sprinkled with some pleasure...not vice versa. While they played very well against Texas in the Rose but couldn't handle Vince Young, their other two performances against USC have both been poor efforts. I think with the team he has returning, and a home game vs. Ohio State, UM has to give Carr one more year. Another loss to OSU next year, or another lay down job in a bowl game, will spell the end for Lloyd.

You sound like such a stroke posting that. That quote put you over the edge?

Yawn

This may be one of Donahoe's not-so-stellar personell moves. It's possible that TD was grasping at straws for a Miami TE, as in the previous four seasons, the U pumped out Bubba Franks, Jeremy Shockey, and Kellen Winslow Jr. I think TD was hoping Everett was cut from the same mold as those guys, but that seems highly unlikely at this point. But his low production shouldn't be a surprise: "In 24 career games for the Hurricanes, Everett snatched 32 passes for 400 yards (12.5 avg) and three touchdowns." As athletic as he was/is for a big man, it appears we should've known we weren't getting a game-changer. We'll see, hopefully he wakes up. The fact that he doesn't even appear to be in this coaching staff's plans is troubling...

Peerless Price gets a B??? Do you realize that you gave A's to both DE's, all three LB's, one CB, and both safeties, and yet the defense was ranked #28 in the NFL stopping the run????? You're pretty easy to please.

I remember when he posted that! He was dogging my adopted team of 2006- the Badgers. I think I wagered on them in 9 of their 13 games and they covered in 8 of the 9. I was on them yesterday too, despite LV-Bills confidence in the 'great' Arkansas Razorbacks.

Somebody needs to look at THIS website. Pay close attention to the teams in the top-8. Then scroll down. Scroll down some more. There you'll find the Jets. Just because the OLine didn't have trouble with them doesn't mean our OLine wasn't a problem. They won't be playing the bottom teams every week. Then scroll down some more. You'll find the Bills.

Isn't relegation the term used in English soccer when the worst teams are sent to the lower leagues? How will US Hockey get relegated? Did you mean 'eliminated,' or are we really going to drop down into the bracket with Guatemala, Yemen, and Zimbabwe?

The first 44 posts of this thread talked about what an incredible game the Fiesta Bowl was, including some posters calling it the greatest game they have ever seen. The next 39 posts debate the current bowl system and why we need a playoff. I can easily argue that the BCS is working just fine and the result is exactly what the NCAA wants it to be- great games and constant conversation about college football.

Those of you dogging Fletcher will clearly never be happy with anybody the Bills put on the field. He came from a winning environment in St. Louis and has constantly played his ass off for some schitty Bills teams over the last four years. And while other players could be seen sneaking out the back door after a blowout loss to dodge the media, Fletcher was ALWAYS there to answer for the team and take accountability. He has always been upfront with his emotions...How can you blame him for feeling slighted? He put it on the line every week, playing the sport's most brutal position, knowing that a bad injury could end his career and cost him millions upon millions of dollars. I'm sure he would've liked the 'semi-security' and guaranteed bonus money that an extension would've provided. Is it so bad that he says so? I give him credit for doing it on locker cleanout day, rather than in week 5. This will be his final NFL contract. Just like Jay McKee with the Sabres, it would be nice to keep him, but if someone is going to pay him outrageous money, I don't begrudge Fletcher at all if he follows the cash. He HAS to. And his agent has to try and help him get it.

Yep, probably a 3rd-rounder at best. Which would be robbery.

The Miami game, the Minnesota game, the Jacksonville game....All games where Willis' numbers were far from fantastic, and yet the Bills continued to pound him in the 4th quarter and he was instrumental in the victories. He has improved in pass protection. He doesn't turn the ball over. He just turned 25 years old. Overall, he has been incredibly durable, but he has proven he is willing to play at less than 100%. He puked and was knocked out in two consecutive games, and came back both times with a vengeance. Shipping this guy out of town because you don't like his baby's momma, or the Miami Hurricanes, or his agent, is just plain rediculous. Thinking you will get equal production by throwing a dart at a 3rd or 4th round running back is rediculous. He is not in the top-8 backs in the NFL, but he's certainly in the top-15. If they can work out a deal that pays him accordingly, why would that be a problem? Additionally, Rosenhaus is doing himself, Willis, and all NFL players a disservice if he doesn't seek the most lucrative deal for his client. Don't blame him...

Coming from a fan in Big Ten country, I'm surprised to hear you say this Simon...I went to a PAC 10 school and if the national title is not up for grabs, it is Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl. The thought of playing in Pasadena on New Year's Day consumes the entire program. I am under the impression that it is the same in the Big Ten as well. You constantly hear guys like Herbstreit who went to Ohio State reference the passion felt for a Big Ten-Pac 10 Rose Bowl. Certainly, with the bowl re-allignments, the game may have lost some of the luster. I just find it hard to believe that Michigan simply didn't care. For a program that has lost 3 of the last 4 Rose Bowls, and a coach under fire for not beating rivals in big games, you'd think they would've wanted to show up. Is it possible they did care, but they're just not that good?

I agree, Willis has not been the standout homerun hitter that he was in college. And I also agree, he doesn't deserve top-5 money, as he's not a top-5 running back. However, everyone here seems to discount what he does bring to the table. Everyone seems to think that a 4th round pick can bring what McGahee brings, and maybe more. I concede that it's possible, if you get VERY lucky with your pick, but it's certainly not probable. And the "Look at what A-Train was able to do" crowd? Come on people, get serious. The fact is, Willis will rush for ~1200 yards every year if he plays 16 games. That's not 'elite-back' territory, but it's also not something that any Joe Athlete can come in and do. People seem to forget that in Willis' 14 games this year (13 if you don't count the Packers game where he played one series) he played 9 games against the top-8 rushing defenses in the NFL- (ranking in parenthesis): Minnesota (1), Baltimore (2), Jacksonville (4), New England (5) twice, Chicago (6), San Diego (7), and Miami (8) twice. You'd hope that Willis would be able to raise his game a level when going against the best, but at the same time, nobody in the league was able to run on those teams consistently. I agree, sometimes he appears disinterested, and sometimes he doesn't run the way we 'experts' think he should. No question I'd love to see that ypc jump into the 4.2-4.4 range. But he has been effective in an offense that has only recently discovered a minimal level of comfortability with their QB and offensive line. Not to make excuses for Willis, but I think he will do more next year, because Losman will be able to do more. If he can be extended at a price that is consistent with the #10-#15 RB's in the league, I would be very happy.

9 games against teams who are in the top 8 in run defense. Those were: (NFL ranking for run D) Minnesota (1) Baltimore (2) Jacksonville (3) New England twice (5) Chicago (6) Miami twice (7) San Diego (8) That's a pretty tall order for a patchwork OLine and young QB.

Cal lighting up A&M 31-10 with about 10 minutes left- should be the win the conference was looking for...

My buddy occasionally wears a shirt to the gym that says "Keep jogging and call me in three months."

She does look beastly. As for the hit, hey man, whatever. We were mad when Danny got decked into the boards, just like we'd be mad if it was Ovechkin who speared Briere. It's no biggie, just two superstars who both made stupid plays. I'm sure they'll both call it even, and probably shake hands and share a laugh over it at the All Star game, where they're projected to be on the same line along with Crosby.

I was extremely impressed with his leadership and his poise. He never looked rattled. I don't think his throwing is quite there yet. He had a nice percentage against the Bills, but quite a few passes (including his last TD pass) were off the mark and his receivers made some nice adjustments. Obviously, he's probably the best runner in the NFL right now. You can tell defenders don't really have their heart in it when they go to tackle him. He's a monster outside the pocket. Huge props to the Titans for letting him do what he does, and not messing around with his mechanics, running, etc. There's plenty of teams who would tinker Vince to death.

Yes Rico, yes. Simply saying McGahee for a #1 sounds okay, but it's going to be a mid-round pick. Misfiring on that pick would seriously hurt this franchise. McGahee, regardless of the 'he sucks' opinions, is not a player that can or should be given away. I also don't think he's as easily replaceable as many here think him to be. A-Train performed well when he was called on...But he was called on against the Packers and Colts, two of the poorest tackling teams in the NFL. It's highly possible I could've picked up 100 yards against those teams.

I was in Budapest, Hungary this past spring, and there was a pimp on the street who advertised his girls as "Bad crazy nasty." I will admit I took him up on his offer. None of the girls I saw met all three requirements, but I picked one who was certainly bad and certainly nasty. Good times. Something about big juicy nasty reminded me of that. Carry on...

If it's not clear by now that responding seriously in any of ieatcrayonz's threads is foolish, you may never get it....

Agreed. Willis has thus far been a pretty decent value; he hasn't come close to breaking the bank. I know, his five year contract has to be factored over four years of actual play...But he's been somewhat of a value when measuring production against pay. Rosenhaus is a scumbag, but he's very good at taking care of his guys and getting the most money for them. He really misfired trying to renegotiate TO's 7 year/$49M deal with the Eagles, but beyond that error, I think he has a general respect of most players and GM's in the league. The GM's are pros, and Rosenhaus is a pro, and they seem to find some common ground. Minus the self-pub and camera time, I think DR is a very good agent.

It's easy to pick and choose the stats you want. You said he's the 23rd ranked rusher in the NFL, and that's the end of it. Well, I just looked a little deeper into those stats. He missed two games against very weak run defenses, and he will have played 9 games against teams all in the top-8 in run defense. I'm not sure what everyone considers an elite back to be. How many are there in the league? Are Cadillac and Ronnie Brown, two top-5 picks, elite backs? I don't think so. Is Rudi Johnson an elite back? He must be, because he's 7th in the NFL in rushing (with his less ypc than Willis.) Who would you like to replace Willis with? Maybe Chester Taylor from Minnesota? He must be awesome, because he's 9th in the NFL. Bottom line: Over the course of a season, Willis will produce, and he won't turn the ball over. He will have games where he appears 'indifferent' and he will have games where he dominates. I'd be very happy if they extended him.

If Willis played against Indy and GB, two of the worst rushing defenses in the league this year, who knows where he would be? Just taking his season average of 74 yds per game (967/13 games) and adding that two times, he'd be at 1115 yards and 12th in the NFL. Furthermore, look at the teams Willis has played against this year and their NFL ranking against the run: Minnesota (1) Jacksonville (3) New England (5) Chicago (6) Miami (7) San Diego (8) *Baltimore (2) That will comprise 9 of his 14 games.