LongLiveRalph

I see no reason to make it a pot issue. It just appears to be poor parenting, same as if the baby was photographed holding a steak knife. I love Chef Jim's repeated stance that if pot is legalized, "the cartels will just move into harder drugs and market them like crazy." Hahahahahahahahahahaha....I'd love to be in that meeting with Jesus Sanchez, director of marketing. An 86-slide powerpoint presentation on their marketing program rollout for cocaine and heroin! Commercials, billboards, guys on the side of the road with the tent-sign over their shoulders! "Price of pot at dispensaries got you down? Don't go broke with coke! See Pit Bull at the corner of Main & 4th St."

In 2008, they were 8-5 and finished 8-8, and they did lose at home to the lowly Bills in week 16, which gave San Diego the opportunity to win the division in week 17. If Cutler is going to get the credit for getting them to 8-5, he has to be able to lock down one more win to secure the playoffs. Philip Rivers rebounded after SD's slow start, and had a great year to get his team to the postseason (312-478, 65.3%, 4009 yds, 34 TD, 11 INT). They also finished 8-8. As mentioned above, at Vanderbilt Cutler had the ready-made excuse playing on a bottom tier team in a conference loaded with talent. At Denver, it was always the defense's fault. In Chicago, Urlacher got hurt in the season opener. At some point, in a sport driven by quarterback play, the responsibility has to fall on the QB. As for the Bears backup, they can take any of our 4. I'd even let them pick.

That's all fine and dandy. Except for the fact that there were thousands of places in the course where it WASN'T considerered a sand trap but had a bare, sandy consistency, often due to spectator traffic. Johnson was able to see about a 5' radius that wasn't completely surrounded by people. David Feherty, who was on the course, has played golf for over four decades and been an on-course commentator for thousands of tournaments, and he said it never even entered his mind that Johnson was in a bunker. The funniest part of showing the replay of the "bunker" was seeing all the golf twits in the crowd wearing their own golf shoes. I guess if you're going to be standing around in bunkers, you might as well wear your spikes. These guys are probably the same nerds who quote golf's quirky rules and try to explain how great they make the game. Golf is enjoyable and all, but some of the rules are without logic. I only wish Johnson would've made that putt, so they would've had to take the trophy away from him. It would've only made a bigger joke of the spectacle, and taken the title from the guy who earned it. What a "sport"!!! Also, I have a beef with enforcing the "grounding the club" rule with a grainy, blown up video in a trailer behind the 18th hole. If the PGA rules official walking with the group called him on it on the spot, that's fine. If it gets enforced after the fact because of something they see on TV, that's b.s. In the end, though, hit it in the fairway Johnson. In the grass, you win. And once you're in the "bunker", to quote the Dude, "This isn't Viet Nam Walter, there are rules."

Both Sanchez and Henne have a chance to be in the top dozen or so QB's in the league. Eli Manning won a Super Bowl with an incredible defense and strong running game, but I don't think anybody would consider him an "elite" QB at this point. I could see Sanchez and Henne in his class, but not in the Brees-Peyton-Brady-Rivers top tier of QBs who can literally make any team a legit contender. Sanchez showed more in one year than Edwards has shown in three. At least on 3rd and 8 he is willing to throw a 9 yard pass.

Same here man. There's problems and douches everywhere, but I've never seen dudes going out of their way looking for trouble like the drunk Boston tuff guy does. Much like this video or like the example you mention above, it's often unprovoked, unneccessary, and ridiculous. I have a close friend who has trouble with his booze and can get unruly at times. It takes the group to cool him down, sometimes without success. It's downright embarrassing. But apparently in Boston, it's a badge of honor to be a violent drunk (*^*&%^$^#with your buddies. Nowadays, what starts with the drunk tough guy routine can end in gun shots very quickly. I can't imagine it's funny stuff when a douche who's kicking cars "just because," ends up getting his best friend shot.

Apparently, in a contractual stalemate, you fail to see the difference between a columnist from the NY Post calling Revis the league MVP and the face of the NY Jets franchise calling him the league MVP. Ryan's words and actions have emboldened Revis and have not helped the situation at all. THAT'S my point. I'm not sure what your point is. Ryan's backtracking over the last week, along with Woody Johnson's "My gut feeling is that he won't play" staged interview to ESPN are evidence that the Jets are attempting some damage control after weeks of pumping Revis's tires. All Ryan had to say was that Revis is a great player and was 1/11th of the #1 defense in the league last year. He has to understand, when he's speaking at the podium with the NY Jets logo behind him, that he's speaking for the Jets. Coachspeak and toeing the company line sucks, but there's times when it's necessary. "I coach the guys who are here, we're preparing as if we'll be without him" is all he had to say. Also, since you asked, I'd say that Ryan justified Revis's holdout by saying that Revis would start if he showed up an hour before the first game. That's not a good way to get a guy into camp, and doesn't send a great message to the 70 guys sweating through two-a-days.

Liquored up tough guys harrassing private citizens. Until one private citizen gets out of his car with an aluminum bat. This is great. The dudes are an embarrassment. I hesitate to even mention the alcohol, because these guys appear to be a$$holes 24/7 with or without the booze. http://deadspin.com/5609505/bat+wielding-v...n-troublemakers

Right, he can read. Read quotes of his head coach saying he's the best player in the NFL. But again, I have no problem with him praising his players or stating the obvious last season. I think the entire offseason and the first week of Revis's holdout, Rex's comments didn't sit well with the Jets brass, and only reinforced to Revis that his perceived self-worth is accurate. The coach is not the organization, he's an employee too. But he is typically the mouthpiece of the organization, and with Rex, that's not always a good thing. He's not always on the same page as the boys in the suits. "He's under contract and we expect him to be here" or "I'm coaching the players who are here" would have sufficed. Instead Rex was essentially lobbying against the organization on behalf of Revis.

You like how Rex Ryan has been handling the Revis situation??? As in, repeatedly calling him the best in the league? Lobbing HEAVY criticism at the voters when Revis didn't win Defensive Player of the Year last season? Stating in an interview two weeks ago that if Revis reports to the Jets the night before the opening game, he will be a starter? Don't you think Sexy Rexy is probably the #1 reason for Revis's holdout? Don't you think it's Rex's repeated fawning over him that has put the organization in a tough spot? There's no question that when Ryan told reporters last week that they're "preparing as if they're going to play the season without him," it was at the urging of the front office, who are looking for a little help in their bargaining stance. I've said it before, I appreciate the candor of Ryan. But in certain situations, especially contractual stalemates between his boss and his player, the coachspeak "I have to work with the players who are here in camp" is a required answer. Rex apparently wasn't smart enough to figure that out and somebody has to spell it out for him. There's nothing wrong with praising your players. It's one of the reasons that players seem to really like playing for Rex Ryan. But some restraint and tact is required at times, which are not his strong suits.

I can agree that her heart is in the right place, and her overall message is good- question authority, do not take things at face value. But she loses her way several times in the speech. She discredits teachers. She fails to mention the knowledge she has gained and the opportunities that school has created for her. It is up to each student to get what they want out of school. Even though she was the valedictorian, her speech reads like it's the school's fault she wasn't able think for herself. She says this: We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren’t we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still In order to be creative, to innovate, to be intuitive...Don't you need a base of knowledge? An understanding of physics or art or language? A basic understanding that can be built, improved on, deconstructed, explored? Or is the chemistry teacher just supposed to tell the students to start mixing chemicals together and hope they stumble on something worthwhile? She says this: For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake. So it's due to a lack of motivation on the TEACHERS??? I must say, 98% of the teachers that I know and that I've had would ABSOLUTELY LOVE a classroom full of engaged students who challenge the lessons, demand better answers, and strive for more than just dates and facts. Trust me, the majority of the time, it isn't the teachers who fail to engage. This was a very demeaning statement to a room full of educational professionals, from an 18 year old who apparently wasn't smart enough as a 16 year old to realize that she could get more out of school than just an A on a test. For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise Her line "Once educated properly" is a joke and a slap in the face to people who worked for 4+ years to provide the opportunities that this young lady now has in front of her. The only way she doesn't come off as a real twat is if she majors in Education at college so that she can enter the teaching profession and attempt to right these "wrongs" that she's railing against. Also, not one mention in her great speech of the most important aspect of high school, which is all too often lacking-- social development. Respecting your elders, professionals, teachers, administrators. Respecting those different from you. Developing life-long bonds with friends. Writing. Communicating. Speaking clearly. All of these things are more important than a test, a class, or searching for the "truth." And they're all up to the individual. I'm not sure what type of young lady she is, or how her speech was delivered. But it reads like she's fairly self-important and unappreciative.

I hate the Jets with a passion, but I do wish there were more coaches like Rex Ryan in the league. The political correctness in the league is ridiculous, it's all predictable, canned answers, and Belichick's monotone secrecy has resulted in two dozen coaches trying to be just like him. At least Rex seems to understand that football is a game. Confidence, bravado, and trash talking are a huge part of it. The Jets are a rival and in our division, so I hope they take a massive dump this season. But what's wrong with a coach EXPECTING championships? What's wrong with putting yourself out there and saying that the only option is to win? It's much better than trying to fly under the radar just to hold on to a job. It was evident on the field that the Jets reflected the persona and confidence of their coach last season. Unfortunately, so did the Bills during the Jauron era. Rex Ryan's bravado may rub some the wrong way, but it's not for the media or for the fans...It's for the 53 guys in his camp. Nothing wrong with it, only he looks silly if it backfires, and he's aware of that.

I agree on these two points especially. Revis allows Ryan's defense to attack, while the attacking defense allows Revis to play his aggressive man-to-man lock down style. Revis's presence frees up Jets safeties and LB's to be unpredictable with their pass rush and blitz schemes, which in turn creates a predictable offense as far as hot reads, outlets, etc. The offense is out of synch and uncomfortable. The success of the front 7 and the success of Revis are complementary. It should be noted that Revis struggled as a rookie (as almost all rookie DB's do, even 1st round picks) and had a very average 2nd season. Only after Rex Ryan arrived and installed his defense predicated on relentless QB pressure did Revis achieve the "best CB in the league" title. I agree that Sanchez's struggles had a lot to do with the Jets struggles last year, and he certainly improved his decision making as the year went on. But the defense gave up 4th quarter leads which turned into losses in several games last season, including allowing 21 4th quarter points to Miami in week 5, giving up a long drive at home in week 10 to allow Jacksonville to kick a short FG to win 24-22, and giving up a long drive and late TD at home to Atlanta in week 15 to lose 10-7. Those are situations where the #1 defense in the league has to back up their talk and bring home the win. Revis is without a doubt an All Pro talent, but I think he helps the scheme, and the scheme helps him. The Jets are in a tough spot. He's got three years left on his deal. He's not worth $15M per season, nor is any other CB. Revis's only leverage is that the Jets think they're going to win the Super Bowl this year, and they need him to do it. Otherwise, the Jets would be wise to just let him sit out, and see how they do without him, at least for half the season.

This thread is like listening to Stroke and the Bullfrog on WGR. Idiots.

That was a good analysis. My eye test, just watching the games and Revis's speed, agility, anticipation, and jumping ability make him without a doubt one of the top corners in the league. He wasn't 1-vs-1 at all times, but when he was, he handled himself as well as anyone in the league. An aside to that-- He was highly touted out of college as the best CB in his draft class, and the Jets drafted him in the 1st round. He's supposed to be good. My conclusion: The Jets were 7-7 after 14 games, and Rex Ryan gave a press conference where he basically started crying and stated how disappointed he was that his team was going to miss out on the postseason. Then they played Indy's substitutes and Cincy's substitutes, got some help across the league, and got the wild card at 9-7. They outplayed Cincy in the playoffs, got the benefit of a lackluster SD performance, and played for the AFC title. Now apparently everyone considers the Jets to be great, and Revis thinks he is worth a 1000% raise. He's not. When teams were trying to beat the Jets, even with the incredible "Revis Island", they were successful about half the time. All of the WR stats you cited were pretty poor, not just a guy Revis was supposedly covering. That suggests that the Jets front 7 makes life miserable for the QB, no matter where he tries to go with the ball.

Ennis will be on the NHL roster, no question about it. I think the Buffalo factor does add some extra fuel to the fans' fire, but really, it's much more than that. It's an embarrassment for the front office and shows signs of chaos and mismanagement. It's a total disrespect for the arbitration process, which is generally an uncomfortable hearing in the first place. It sends a poor message to young players approaching arbitration in the future. It sets a precedent for young players not to trust the Sabres either way, in negotiation or arbitration. They may as well request a ridiculously high salary and hope the Sabres back away so they can seek employment elsewhere. And most shockingly, it signals that the Sabres are MUCH more concerned about the bottom line, rather than winning. A professional organization walking away from a promising young player over $200,000 is unthinkable. Kennedy was a rookie who played hard, was responsible defensively, earned the trust of his head coach, elevated his game in the playoffs, and was comparatively cheap. On a roster full of overpaid underachievers who tend to float paycheck to paycheck, Kennedy was the least of their problems. For an organization that prides themselves on "building from within," Kennedy looked like he was part of the solution for the future, definitely not a problem. Losing their 3rd line center isn't a big deal. It's the management of the process, and the information that has surfaced as a result of this move, that is disappointing and alarming. Season ticket invoices in your mailbox now!!! Don't miss a second of the Tim Connolly to Drew Stafford action!!

Their franchise player and only chance at success can't be too happy at the way this went down for his fellow Michigan State alum. The organization better do some damage control quick. Miller is already 30...The clock is ticking...One All-World goalie has already forced his way out of this organization under the current regime's watch...

Yes OK I misunderstood. The Cup was not shameful at all. It is a bit of a fleecing to cry poverty and gouge ticket prices for the hot item in town. But that's the way it goes. Everyone in the league, players and owners included, are grabbing every last dime they can. It's sports entertainment business. As fans, we really do control our own fate, and have the ultimate hammer, should we decide to unite and not purchase tickets as the prices continue to rise. But we just don't have that type of self-control. We enjoy the games and want to be a part of them. If the NY Giants fans and corporate ticket holders decided that they would never pay for one seat license, and held fast and united together, the seat license fees would've been gone in 10 seconds. But people paid, and the Giants gladly accept their checks. It's the same for uniform changes and 3rd jerseys. The teams don't need new uniforms (ok, the Sabres definitely do.) They put them out there to increase merchandise sales, and it works. But that's ultimately the choice of the fans also.

It's shameful to win a title by grooming draft picks and bringing in veteran free agents, spending every cent the league will allow, and then playing hard every night in order to bring your fans the ultimate joy? Don't you think the Cubs would take one of those "shameful" championships in Chicago??? And you think the Blackhawks DIDN'T turn a profit, because the OWNER said so in a press release announcing ticket price increases??? I'm not judging your knowledge of worldly affairs and corporate accounting, but you appear to be very naive in this instance. As for the $200K here, nickel and dime there...It makes sense for the Sabres to buy out a contract at $333K and get zero R.O.I.??? What world do you live in man?

Yeah I don't get it either. Wasn't the original post essentially saying the same thing...that there wasn't a QB worthy of the guaranteed money of a #9 pick, given the 50/50 nature of drafting QBs? Perhaps the Bills are waiting until there's less financial risk. Granted, they could've taken Clausen in the 2nd round or McCoy in the 2nd or 3rd round, so The Dean is correct in saying that they just weren't in love with any of this year's crop of QBs.

I don't disagree with you, Revis has to do what's right for him. It's easy to say "What ever happened to honoring the contract you signed?" but the players are fully aware that the team is looking to replace them immediately when they are injured/old/too expensive/etc. and the team has no hesitation in cutting players and not honoring signed contracts. So it's the system, and both sides use it. However, my beef with Revis is that after he was drafted, the Jets wanted to sign him to the standard rookie contract of 5 years. Revis held out and demanded that a 6th year be added to his rookie contract. He eventually got what he wanted. The way the contract was structured, in his 4th season (this year), his base salary would only be $1M, but by reporting to camp every day in years 2, 3, and 4, he would trigger $20 million guaranteed over his final two seasons. Therefore, by holding out, he's forfeiting $21 million in guaranteed money. Additionally, the Jets would likely be more open to an extension or a reworking of his contract if he only had one season remaining after 2010. But he held out as a rookie in order to obtain that 6th year. So from the Jets perspective, they gave him what he wanted, and he has three years remaining under contract with them. He just doesn't like the bed he made for himself. Additionally, Revis was underwhelming as a rookie (as most rookie DB's are), and started to show promise in his 2nd season. But it was only in his 3rd season, with new coach Rex Ryan's defense, that he became the "Revis Island" shut down corner. The Jets could argue that his success is a product of the pressure the front 7 puts on the QB, while Revis could argue that his presence at CB allows them to run a blitz-happy defense. Both are likely correct. I don't see where Revis has any leverage in this situation. Would he hold out and not take a paycheck for a full season, with the possibility of a lockout looming? He's already forfeited that guaranteed money from years 5 and 6, so he appears to be very serious about his holdout. All in all, this is an ugly situation for the Jets, but good news for the Bills and the AFC East.

I don't see a scenario where he's in Buffalo next year. I just fail to see how the Sabres offer of $800K was fair and workable, but the arbitrator's ruling of $1M is too expensive. It makes zero sense, and even less sense to waste $333K to buy him out. I am trying not to cry over the loss of a 3rd line center, or cry about the mishandling of a local kid. But it's a mismanaged situation from the start and makes the front office look foolish. And because it's a Buffalo kid, the publicity is extra bad. If it's a cost-cutting measure, there is more expensive dead weight on that roster that should be gone long before Kennedy. Someone will pick up Kennedy, a young two-way forward with some grit and potential. Leafs GM Brian Burke thought enough of him to put him on the USA roster for the world championships.

I agree with the majority of posters...Just seems to be more of the same from a joker front office...It's more about the handling of the situation rather than the player. Kennedy was a smallish, inconsistent forward with flashes of promise. The Sabres have been, and are currently, loaded with those players. But he was a local kid who had some grit (which they say they've been missing) and elevated his game during the postseason, when other more prominent forwards were looking over their shoulder to avoid the next hit. I was at one game in Tampa early in the season when Kennedy was easily the best Sabre on the ice. I liked Kennedy, but I don't think his absence is anything that would cost the Sabres a chance at another division title. It's just disappointing that they can't shake this rinky dink M.O. in the front office. He made $650K last year, and the Sabres reportedly offered him $800K for this year. Kennedy wanted about $1.5M. The arbitrator ruled (very fairly, by all comparisons) that Kennedy was due $1 million this year. So Buffalo waits four days, and then waives him, which if he clears waivers, they will have to pay him $333K to buy out his contract. In what universe does that make sense??? Add that Buffalo is currently about $9 million under the projected salary cap. It's worrisome to watch the same clowns who wasted Hasek's MVP prime with the 1-2 punch of Brian Holzinger and Derek Plante handle a roster with another world class goalie as the foundation. It would be a shame to waste that type of talent again. You'd like to think they know something about Kennedy that we don't....But then like Buftex said, why would they even offer him a deal for $800K in the first place? Just let him walk. For Exiled in Illinois...When an independent audit tells me the Blackhawks lost money last season, I will believe it. When their executive accountant and team president tell me they lost money, I will assume it's the same money that my business "lost" last year. There's very legal ways to report/distort/declare income, especially in a venture that large.

Revis was due $1 million this season, drastically underpaid for one of the best CB's in the league. He'd be the 7th-highest paid Jets defensive back. HOWEVER-- He held out before his rookie season, after he was drafted, in order to secure an EXTRA year on his first contract. He signed a 6-year deal, and also had a guaranteed clause in his contract that if he was in training camp everyday thereafter of his first four seasons, he would activate $20 million in guaranteed money over the last two seasons of the deal. Therefore, by holding out, he is forfeiting what is essentially a 3-year, $21 million guaranteed deal, a fairly reasonable sum for a first contract. But he is seeking the richest contract for a CB in the NFL. The Jets are so strapped for cap space, they have offered (as the Titans did with Chris Johnson) an attempt at a raise for this season, but the offer was believed to have been in the $2.5-$3 million range, which Revis called "laughable." Revis is making a foolish move, in my opinion, by forfeiting that guaranteed money (via his absence at camp.) Obviously, by leaving that money on the table, he's not going to sign a meager contract. But really, his only leverage is the hope that the Jets feel they have a Super Bowl team, and need him to win this year. Otherwise, he's backed himself into an unbelievably stupid corner, especially after holding out as a rookie to secure the extra year on his deal.

Depending on the player and position, some are easy, some are difficult. I could see a guy like Digiorgio breezing thu the LB's fitness test, where a bigger guy like Kawicka Mitchell might have problems. A 50-yard sprint in 6 seconds isn't difficult for a pro athlete, but the fifth rep of the 2nd set probably is tough for a guy like Mitchell. Like you said, it doesn't necessarily represent poor conditioning.

About three years ago, in the mornings before work, I started watching the Final Score on Fox Sports. I can't overstate how much better it is than sportscenter. It's a 30-min show, ALL highlights, they show whatever is in season, including NHL highlights and recaps. They also find time for sweet soccer goals or obscure sports items. They rotate 3 or 4 anchors, all are knowledgeable and funny, without being snarky or over-the-top (looking at you Stu Scott.) Starts at 6:30am, gives you a full day of sports highlights, and is over at 7am. Replays until about 8:30am. You don't have to deal with the 90 minute sportscenter, Rachel Nichols on Brett Farve's lawn, Mark Schlereth comparing a current QB to "Well, when I played with John Elway...." or other storylines and fake analyst arguments that they try to create for their own network benefit. I still find ESPN's website valuable and go there at least once a day. I don't really mind seven links to T.O. articles, because I don't click on any of them.