Spun

Nice run UConn and congrats Stanford! NCAA basketball isn't for everybody but I enjoy the competition. I was watching the game at a bar and UConn didn't win this time but they fought until the fight was lost. The Lady Huskies were making a comeback towards the end with a string of three-pointers. But the well went dry and Stanford simply separated from the Lady Huskies in the last couple of minutes.

Oh, La Jolla girls...

I was at the US - Slovakia game and I didn't know why Etem was getting booed each time he touched the puck. I assumed it was something he had done to rile up the many Canadians at the game. I eventually learned the story. It was not a smart thing to Tweet. The chatter made it's way around the arena and the booing got worse. And Etem did get booed a lot! Put the tournament in Long Beach and see what kind of ticket sales they do. Etem did score in the game. It was funny as Etem gained control of the puck, got booed, scored and turned the boos into cheers! Etem will be a pro in the near future and he will be remembered for his comments. There is a good number of Buffalo people who have busted their butts off trying to organize this event. There is also a good number of locals who are volunteering - read: not getting paid. I am hoping that there is an economic windfall for Buffalonians as a result of this tourney. I have a full pass for the games at HSBC and I am having a great time! I don't have any complaints. I do wish more Americans would show up! More Americans showed at this game compared to Sunday's game. I am not going to bag on Medicine Hat nor Long Beach. I have traveled enough to know that I don't always need a sparkling metropolis to make my travels enjoyable. Small towns in the U.S. have pleasantly surprised me in the past. I haven't been to Medicine Hat but I have been to Long Beach. I am not a big Orange County person but I would pick Huntington Beach and Newport Beach over Long Beach. LB just isn't for me that's all. There are a lot of beautiful women in Orange County! I can't agree with the perception that hockey is big in Southern California. Not in San Diego. They are trying their best in Anaheim. A growing number of kids in the OC are into hockey. The NBA is big in SC. When I look around downtown Buffalo I see the remainder of what was some very creative planning long ago. Around HSBC, the infrastructure hasn't begun to fill out. I see a lot of potential for the area. Some entrepreneurs baring jobs in downtown would be cool for the area. If that ever happens then living downtown would be an attractive option for some with the necessary infrastructure filling in later. But that scenario is a ways away. People who bag on Buffalo don't understand the pain that many of us know in regards to the demise of our city. I know that story of fathers laid off and mothers with kids wondering "Now what?". That pain is real. And that pain is not funny to many of us. We are tired of the swipes. Finally, I agree with Chef, this was an eighteen year old tweeting his impressions. He could have done worse things in life. Let the booing run it's course then let the guy alone. Go USA!!!

Our boys did us proud last night beating Finland 3-2 in OT. The US looked shaky and stiff as did all the teams in the three games that I saw at HSBC. There were a lot of empty seats for the US game but the Canada-Russia game was packed with rowdy, ravenous Canadians. And there were still a lot of Canadians in the building for the US game many of who were rooting for Finland. Let the first paragraph make you proud. Let the second paragraph piss you off. There is a very unique international event going on in Buffalo and the US team could use your support by getting your bodies in the building. I know Sunday was the last Bills home game and money is tight for many. But if you can find the urge and the cash, please attend the next US game this Tuesday against Slovakia at 8:00 pm. Our guys could use a boost! Sabres draftees did well for Canada with Marcus Foligno scoring a goal and Zack Kassian adding an assist.

I met someone who worked at OSU and had daily interactions with some of the players and coaches and occasionally the player's parents. The review on Pryor was not good. Pompous is what I was able to conclude from the stories relayed to me. As for Tressel, the impression was that is was very, polite, respectful and genuine to all of those who came into contact with him. Some of the biggest pains apparently are some of the parents. "Don't you know who I am?" seemed to be popular with a couple parents angling for freebies from people afraid of losing their jobs. Cam Newton may not have known what his father was up to. But Cam Newton probably has some stories about Dad that aren't too flattering. OSU has a big time athletic program. Like many schools, they tip-toe the line knowing there is a risk with some players being a problem with their attitudes and behavior. I think the Buckeyes should steer Pryor towards another option (NFL, CFL). I sense Pryor is going to be a problem for whoever gets him next. He has been pampered because of his athletic skills especially by the media and the fans. He has to grow up on somebody's dime. He is an immature child. The Bills do not need this type of headache. Randy Moss comes to mind.

I don't see him as an NFL QB. You are right, tight end is about it. He played basketball in high school but I don't know about his receiving skills. His accuracy and decision making as a QB are very inconsistent. An irony is that he had been floating the idea of playinng basketball after football season. He is done. Ba-bye...

As for the players playing in the bowl game according to OSU AD Smith and Coach Tressel (from the Columbus Dispatch): "Smith and Tressel said one reason they fought for the players' suspensions to be delayed until next season is that they both felt the other players on the team - particularly the seniors playing their last game - did not deserve to suffer because of what their teammates had done". Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2010/12/24/ohio-state-pays-the-price.html?sid=101 I went to OSU. It is a great school. My decision to attend OSU was one of my better ones. I struggled when I was a student. Initially paying out-of-state tuition, paying rent for a one bedroom apartment, juggling classes, studying and work made me tired all the time. Occasionally, I used to walk past members of the football team on their way to dinner. I knew they were fed well while I was doing the Top Ramen, mac and cheese, pot pies, etc. No the players aren't given stipends but neither is the average STUDENT. Like students who receive academic scholarships there are some perks to the process. I was not a scholarship athlete nor a scholar. There are students who have it much worse like the ones that are homeless. This story doesn't have any good parts to the plot. The bowl game will have a dark cloud over it. Tradition at OSU is a big deal beyond the football field and one's time as a student. OSU and many other schools pound the NCAA infraction rules over and over to these guys mostly because the consequences can turn out like we are now seeing. I blame the players. If they want to learn from someone with changed perspective they should talk to Maurice Clarett. I wish the six players the best - at getting their degrees and living productive lives. There is only so much of this blame the NCAA stuff that I will accept. I also think some of the NCAA rules are garbage but the rules are well known. And don't give me this stuff about times are tough. Times are tough for a lot of people especially current students watching their tuition going up - again. Times are tough but what one values is a tattoo?

When the hockey gets so bad, you have to speak your mind in one form or another! I would hate to see someone get hurt but this is funny! I wonder how far the trend will go: the bad hockey, the waffles and the tee shirts. I wonder who will buy and wear more of the shirts, the Leaf fans or the opposing fans? On the Sabres front: 49 shots and they still lose. Ouch.

I took the dive and bought the entire HSBC package. Quite possibly, it may be the only time this event will be in Buffalo during our lifetime. In five to ten years many of these players will be among the best in the world. Any advice on downtown parking? Here is the US roster: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=547058 Has anybody checked out this exhibition at the Albright-Knox? http://www.albrightknox.org/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/exhibition:forty-the-sabres-in-the-nhl/ Check out this video from last year featuring Luke Adam and some highlights of the second of two U.S.-Canada classics: http://blogs.buffalonews.com/world-juniors/2010/12/gold-medal-highlights.html If Adam doesn't finish the season on the Sabres roster by year's end I will be surprised. He needs to get past the cough-ups and bad penalties. He has the big body and skills the Sabres need.

Here is the "official" Festivus site: http://www.festivusweb.com/ And while it's out there, (in my best Frank Costanza voice) I'm having problems with you people and your typos, poor grammar and do something about the God blessed acronyms... WTF... Where's the football?

I never liked Scarlett in that marriage role anyways. Not to wish bad (good?)things on people but since we are on a roll, Jessica Alba, ahem...

D. Bell was doing a lot of chasing against the Vikings. He needed help and didn't get it.

The weather is nice in San Diego. Your view on San Diego employment and income levels is inaccurate. The rich are still doing okay. Many others are just getting by. Those people you keep hearing about needing the unemployment extensions, too many of those folks are struggling in San Diego. The bad joke in San Diego is that people are paid in "sun dollars" or "sunshine wages". If they are paid at all. There is some serious economic stratification going on in San Diego mostly because of too expensive real estate and subsistence wages. San Diegans do love their Chargers and would like to keep it that way. Even with the tight economics San Diegans still support the Chargers. No moving the Chargers and no scarfing up anybody else's team is necessary.

I don't know the best way to broach this subject on this board but here goes... Sports fans, when you go into a bar and restaurant, you are not entering the duty free zone for loiterers and freeloaders. Typically, you are entering a place of business in which there are owners and employees. That implies that the business is selling and those entering the premises are buying. Said purchases usually involve onsite food and drinks and even include tipping. There is rent, salaries, wages and assorted bills to pay by both business and staff. I have seen such blatant abuse of this business relationship this year by our very own that something has got to be said and done. Walking into an establishment and parking thyself at a table or bar meant for dining and drinking is the beginning of an interaction whereby one SPENDS MONEY! Yes, MONEY! This Fall, I have frequented a variety of spots to watch pro and college football and NHL hockey. Some of our "peeps" seem to believe it is okay to sit for THREE HOURS, sip tap water, 7/11 coffee and slobber down Taco Bell items from the outside without spending a dime or spending very, very little. Maybe you have seen the deal? The tight wads arrive a half hour before game time, score a table and order a tap water to go along with the Big Gulp. Not only do such offenses give the guilty party a bad rep but for those establishments that welcome "us", Bills and Sabres fans in particular, we are then not so welcome anymore. Get it? Maybe? Hopefully? Maybe watch the game at home? Or over the internet? Or freeload at the public library computer center? Or read about the game the next day in a newspaper purchased by someone else (of course)? Otherwise, SPEND MONEY!!! "Uh, I don't need a menu but can I have another water?". I'm not going over the edge in a barrel but I had to get it out. Oh yeah and Mike Weber had a brilliant giveaway in front of the net to hand off a Sabres victory to the Bruins. Breathe...

I still think he is the best returner. Even after the trip, a couple of first downs and a field goal, bye-bye dish rags. Harmon's drop against the Browns made me violent. Norwood's miss simply stunned me and shut me up for about five hours. Then came the nightmares.

I wonder if Pete Metzelaars has any sons playing football... Catch and block? Here, have some money...

Amtrak, Metrolink, The Coaster and the San Diego Trolley are all rail options that in combination feed right to the side of Qualcomm Stadium. What really amplifys the Chargers in the relocation dialogue is that the NFL heavies like palatial Super Bowls. The NFL big heads have made it very clear that Qualcomm Stadium will not host any more Super Bowls. Qualcomm Stadium is not cutting edge but the climate is Super Bowl caliber. The fans that have visited San Diego for previous Super Bowls loved the visit even when they lost. The parking at Qualcomm isn't that bad if you plan well and arrive early. I park near San Diego State and then take the short trolley ride to the stadium. L.A. is a Raiders town. Qualcomm can be sort of that way too but probably not this Sunday. I don't need a palace; Buffalo teams that win is what I need!

Wow. I think I get his point and I am cool with his speaking his mind but I don't agree with his comparison. Who likes to get booed? I don't doubt his effort and I don't always agree with the fan attacks but... Think for a second, what our troops are going through every day and night and how much of that stays with those that are fortunate to make it back. And also consider those that make it back with suicide and homelessness as the outcome. Mr Rolle, flip open any Sunday edition of the obituary page and read about the troops we just lost. Think about their comrades, families and friends. Read the names of the spouses, kids and families of the deceased. Look at their ages, hometowns, high schools... Look at it. What would Bob Kalsu and Pat Tillman say? If they could...

I simply looked over at the guy three bar stools from me who minutes before said the Bills would find a way to "Buffalo away" the game. Painfully prophetic.

Comments such as San Diego is a bad sports town and that Charger fans are garbage are very inaccurate. The fact is that there are a lot of transplants in San Diego which has been the case for quite some time now. Yes, many stay loyal to their original team but many also support the Chargers. Typically, the kids of transplants become Chargers fans. And winning like the Chargers have done for some time now has expanded the fan base. Are there fair weather fans in San Diego? Yes. Is there a solid enough fan base to compensate for the fairies? Also yes. As for the Chargers not selling out their opener and at least one other game, the economy is very bad. The recession has not bottomed out in San Diego. People are still losing their jobs. And businesses are still closing down. The City of San Diego does have some very serious financial issues. San Diego has been characterized as ground zero for the national mortgage meltdown. Many homes, condos and conversions were built in San Diego before the national real estate market collapse that benefited the developers, those able to keep up with the payments and those able to flip their property before the market tanked. The story is much more involved than this but that is the general picture. Places like Buffalo fortunately did not have to endure the mortagage meltdown such as Southern California, Nevada and Florida. Three cities that have had their home games blacked out: Buffalo, Oakland and San Diego, all have strong fan support but also have economies that are taking a toll on it's citizens. The downtown San Diego football stadium plan sounds great up until the money part. The location is close to Petco park, home of the Padres. When pushing the idea for the baseball stadium, the sales job included plans for construction of nearby condos, shops and other developmental trimmings. It sounded pretty at the time. The reality is while the development dramatically improved the surrounding neighborhood, the infrastructure has yet to reach the hype. Many of the condos sit empty or are rented out and a good number are no longer for sale because nobody is interested in being gouged. The gouging is part of why we had such a miserable recession. No mas, gracias. It is fairly well known that Alex Spanos is a billionaire. He is suffering from dementia and his son Dean pretty much takes care of day to day operations. All the cities targeted for having their teams stripped away should band together as prospects for survival are stronger when there is one unified message to the money grubbers. Otherwise, we are playing Russian Roulette. Yes, with two more teams, the talent pool would be watered down. This drain would be apparent for a couple of years. The real pain is that there would be two more teams not winning the Super Bowl each year.

I strongly agree. The NFL has nurtured this national frenzy for the sport and should take responsibility for those who had a large part in expanding NFL wealth. Yes, the Chargers started in L.A. but flourished and prospered in San Diego. The support in the S.D. area is very strong. The NFL neeeds to get off it's lofty cloud and recognize that there is a global recession going on and new stadiums at the expense of fire, police and lifeguard protection while compromising education and libraries in S.D. in particular and also cities around the league is greedy and irresponsible. Remember how the money grubbers were circling New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. While so many people have lost jobs and homes the greed-balls can not see beyond the olives in their martini glasses. I believe L.A. should have an NFL team. An expansion NFL team. No cherry-picking. No scavenging. Oklahoma City and San Antonio have been mentioned as possible sites for an expansion couple. Do the right thing NFL: expansion for L.A., no scavenging. People take their NFL seriously. Slight the wrong fan of the wrong team and the result may not be pretty.

Sad news. Pancreatic cancer is one of the toughest to overcome. Where would we be without the scribes? When we had two papers it was the best. How many of us grew up excitedly anticipating the next days sports section before the internet? Kelley was famous for calling out Hasek. The Buffalo News and nhl.com haven't yet reported the bad news while wikipedia and yahoo.com have. My condolences to family, friends and colleagues. Thanks for keeping us in the loop Jim Kelley!

While trying to get my mind off of the Bills game I watched the CFL's Grey Cup yesterday. Saskatchewan gave it a good game again but the Als worked their late game magic to repeat as champs. A large majority of fans were Rough Riders fans as the game was played in Edmonton (Western Canada). I feel a little bit bad for Riders fans after having lost two finals in a row. But at least the Riders have been champs before. Try losing four in a row. (No, never mind, don't try that!). The CFL game has it's differences that make it fun to watch. The rules allow more motion with receivers running up to the line as the ball is hiked (theoretically!) to get more speed. It looks like a lot of offsides but why be technical? And there is one less down to get ten yards so there is more passing. Yesterday, there were twice as many passing plays. There is also more space in the neutral zone so teams have a split second more time to maneuver before contact. The Canadian fans seem very into the sport. But why no metric system in the CFL? Nevermind, don't make it too confusing. I believe game time temperature was in the twenties. Old time football! http://cfl.ca/

The man was hilarious! I read that he turned down the role of Matt Dillion on Gunsmoke. People will be laughing at LN's films for a very long time! Thanks for the laughs, rest well...

Late in the game, possibly during OT, there was a TV shot of the stadium with barely a little bit of sunshine still on the crowd and the stadium was still packed. I wish the game turned out in the Bills favor and that the stadium was filled with Bills fans but for those that were there, they saw a classic. I sense people will be talking about that game for years to come. The game was not like it was "supposed to be" thanks to a valiant effort by the Bills but the way it ended was also because of the Bills. My guess is that many Bills fans sold their tickets because they anticipated a whuppin'. The Bills are getting better on and off the field. Maybe the Steelers could concur with this view of the current Bills. The coaching has evidently improved especially in terms of halftime adjustments. If Buddy Nix and his crew can fix a few flaws with a long deserved stellar draft or two then maybe this team will be on the rise. Whether we view the result as another loss or another moral victory, it stings to know that the Bills should have won the game and if they did we would be talking about his game for very different reasons. As for the Steeler fans, winning six Super Bowls has a great effect on how well the fans travel. They do have great fans. Stevie J. - keep your head up and your grip tight! You will get your chance to make up for your drop. Us Bills fans, well, we have seen much, much worse.