Albany,n.y.

Ray Handley

They cited a report from someone (I've never heard of) & also said Edwards is going to be a game time decision. So if Edwards groin injury is bad & he's out, will all the conspiracy nuts eat some crow & realize the stupidity of their thoughts that Edwards was benched for JP in the 2nd half against the 49ers? The whole premise was so absurd from the start. The coaching staff would bench a guy who has had multiple 4th quarter comebacks at home in favor of a guy the coaching staff has given up on and who won't be with the team next year. Just think of how stupid the conspiracy was: Bills say a player is injured who is not, put said player on injury report the following week-in violation of league rules-league finds out player is not injured-punishes team-Ralph has to pay a fine. Do you really think the team would be willing to pay a fine to bring in JP Losman under false pretenses? In other words : ARE YOU NUTS? Either that or Ralph just loves wasting money (or Jauron loves Wasting Ralph's money-a fireable offense if ever there was one)

Someone on the sidelines accepting a penalty with time running out that gave the Houston Texans the extra down needed to run out the clock on 11/16/03. On the same play London Fletcher was screaming to the ref no no no on the field about accepting the penalty but the sidelines call was the one that the refs accepted. The Bills lost at home 12-10. I wanted Gregg fired right on the spot for that one.

I was thinking something very similar to this as I watched this game. I thought of the people who grew up during the Super Bowl years along with those who talk about the great tradition of this franchise and how the latest downturn is a cold slap in their face with a dose of reality. The only point I might disagree with you is that this team is .500 & does not represent vintage Buffalo Bills football. Vintage Bills football is more like 2-14 or 3-13. My 1st year in WNY was 1971-the year Harvey Johnson was forced to coach the team by Ralph when he didn't want the job. I've seen this team be the only franchise in NFL history to lose the top pick in the draft to the CFL. Seen back to back 2-14 seasons. The most amazing thing is this is now the longest playoff drought in the team's history. When I left the New England game at the 2 minute warning 3 weeks ago I was embarrassed to be a Bills fan in their stadium. I'll keep going to home games (I feel lucky I didn't go today) but until this team shows more, I'm through with road games because I can't stand losing with 70,000 fans of the other team there to laugh at me.

As viewed from a bar somewhere near Berkeley Califonia, with no sound. I have never seen Trent execute play action like he did today. Several times he had everyone faked out. I had visions of Boomer Esiason in his prime watching Trent today. Did the announcers have any comments about the play action? Yesterday I saw a guy in downtown Berkeley wearing a Lynch jersey with a bunch of Cal fans, I don't know if he was a Bills fan or just a fan of Marshawn. I hope this game ends the put JP in-the Bills did, although a series too late. Our D still needs a lot of work. Whitner is missed-big time. I'm not thinking of Schobel since I doubt he's coming back before the playoffs. I'll be too jet lagged to go next week, but the Niners, who were on the best tv at the bar I was at, look like another team for the Bills & Trent to get more confidence back.

On the front page there's an article indicating that Dustin Fox will be activated off the practice squad & will be playing on Sunday. So who is leaving the roster?

If you're old enough to have been around when the Bills drafted Thomas Smith in the 1st round you must have called for John Butler to be fired in his first season as GM. Not all cornerbacks are good at intercepting. Antoine Winfield couldn't catch a cold when he was a Bill. There's a lot more to playing CB than interceptions. This string is another example of why I hate statistics. Stat boys take one aspect of playing a position and blow it way out of proportion. Even when talking about a specific play, it all comes back to the ooh ahh that stat looks good. CBs who are great at all aspects but interceptions don't get the same respect from stat boys as the guy who sucks 90% of the time covering his man but gets enough interceptions to make himself look good on paper. If McKelvin could make the catches you demand, he'd be named Lee Evans.

A couple of weeks ago I was discussing the the song between Talkin Proud & shout with Pinto Kenny at the Bills tailgate in New England. Well I found it in an old Bills program from 1986. Here are the lyrics, I remember the tune but since I can't read or type musical notes, I can't put the tune on here. Here it is, from a time when playoffs were also a distant memory (well not as distant as now), but greatness was within reach. We Can Make It Happen We can make it happen cheerin on the Bills now Buffalo makes it happen climb on the Bills fan wagon We can make it happen cheerin on the Bills now Buffalo makes it happen climb on the Bills fan wagon We can make it happen We can make it happen I do believe in Buffalo I do believe in Buffalo I do I do I do I do I do We can I do believe in Buffalo I do believe in Buffalo I do I do I do I do I do We can

I get a program for every game. The program from that game is one of the few that isn't in pristine condition. Not only did the program get soaked, but I dropped it in the mud and I had to wash it when I got home. The program's pages are rippled, the cover is (barely) held together with tape and some of the ink is off the pages. After that game I would try to get the program before the game & leave it in my car. This year is the 1st I can't go to the Bills Store at the Ralph & get my programs before entering the stadium. I now have to keep the programs in the seat cushion. I did get one program before going into the stadium-at Foxborough, where they still sell the full sized program for $5.

If JP is willing to move on to the perfect team & game for him, he has a real chance of achieving greatness and win himself several MVP awards and Arenaball championships.

To use an analogy in response to the original post: The Bills have already legally separated with JP & are now living with someone else. Unfortunately, the divorce doesn't become final until January & JP is still living in his part of the house.

If they are from Texas be prepared to get shot when you knock on the door.

Training Camp. Here's what was in this week's PFW Whispers: "A club source tells us that it's very realistic Bills DE Aaron Schobel won't play another down this season. A foot injury has kept Schobel, a Pro bowler and the team's best pass rusher sidelined since week 5."

Teams let some good linemen get away, most of the great ones are not let go. 2/5 of the Giants starting line came via free agency: T Kareem McKenzie & C Shaun O'Hara The 3 other starters were an undrafted free agent, G Rich Suebert, a 5th round pick T David Diehl and a 2nd round pick GChris Snee. That's not that much different from our team's method of acquisitions: 2/5 via free agency, an undrafted free agent, a 5th round pick & a 4th round pick. The Titans have a mix as well: 2 free agents, C Kevin Mawae and G Jake Scott. A 7th round pick, G Eugene Amano; A 4th round pick T David Stewart & a 2nd round pick Michael Roos. It's not our method of building the line that's the problem, it's the evaluation of the talent of the players selected to be signed/drafted that is the problem.

The thing I didn't like about the Felser article was that he totally ignored the fact that the Bills have chosen to build the line through veteran free agency rather than the draft. The Bills started the season with 60% of the starting line acquired via free agency. With Fowler out now it's down to 40%. If the team had not paid out the big $ for Walker & Dockery, then Felser would have had a better argument. His article could have focused on whether the Bills are getting their $ worth out of a highly paid OL, instead he elected to talk about a lack of high draft choices, which was one of two options to build the line-the Bills chose the other option, nothing wrong with their attempt. Now if Dockery & Walker (along with Peters & Butler) aren't performing up to their contracts, that's the topic of conversation, not the lack of high draft choices when the team spent big $ on the OL in free agency and contract extensions.

Because when he was an assistant with the Raiders he had the guts to walk out on Al Davis in pre-season instead of putting up with Davis' BS. So either he was too strong a guy for Donahoe to hire, or Ralph didn't want a guy who walked out on Davis. Take your pick, but I'm sure it had something to do with him quitting the Raiders.

So if the two Rooneys get $750 million they each get $375 million before taxes. At 30% that's still $262.5 million. When is enough money enough? Those poor souls have to sell now, otherwise the gov't will send them to the poor house. What did they ever do that earned themselves that much money other than being born to the right family? Each of those clowns could spend $14,374 every day for the next 50 years and still not be totally broke. Cry me a river.

There may not have been a Hank Bullough era if Kelly was here from 1983. Kay Stephenson was coach, got fired in 1985 season, when the team had no QB, and Hank was fired by Polian in 1986, Polian's 1st season as GM. If Kelly had been here, Kay may have held on long enough so that Polian would have been GM when Kay was fired. Polian was always going to bring Marv in, because Marv was his mentor & where one went, the other soon followed. So Hank would have never had been Bills head coach if Kelly had originally signed with the Bills-Marv would have replaced Kay.

There's one GUY out there who isn't helping us when it comes to picking free agents.

So sum up in English what this means to Orchard Park & points east. Like snow predictions, where it will be, accumulation amounts etc. It looks like the national weather service hired a novelist instead of a friggin' weatherman. EDIT: Not much if any accumulation, here's the English version of the forecast: http://www.wivb.com/subindex/weather Weather Watch 4Good Wednesday from Meteorologist Don Paul: The clouds have thinned sufficiently to allow for partial sun Wednesday Afternoon. It will be somewhat more comfortable, with light winds and slightly milder temperatures. High: 46-51. A few Shwrs will arrive after midnight and become more numerous by Thursday AM. On Thursday, we'll have Occasional Rain, tapering to just a few Spotty Showers during the afternoon, with Breezier & Milder conditions. High: 50-54. Just a few spotty showers are possible Thursday night. Friday will be Partly to Mostly Cloudy & Milder with just a Few Showers. The high will be in the upper 50s to near 60. Shwrs increase toward Saturday morning. No tracking snow for the hunters Saturday, but it will be Showery and Turning Cooler, with an early high of 48, and temps falling into the 30s toward evening. Rain showers will mix/change to some snow Saturday night and Sunday will be Breezy & Chilly, with Sct Shwrs, possibly mixed with snow especially in the hills. On Monday, some Sct Rain & Wet Snow Shwrs will be around, on another Raw day. It currently looks like a Raw evening for Monday Night Football, with gametime temps in the upper 30s, a Cold Breeze, and a few rain & snow shwrs. By Tuesday, we'll be cold enough for all snow, but not much of it--Sct Snow Shwrs, with temps in the mid/upper 30s. It stays quite cold into midweek.

I hope he NEVER throws for 300 yards because many times the guy who throws for 300 yards loses the game. 300 yard games, with the exception of a QB on a high powered, rub it in offense like last year's Patriots, usually are accomplished by a guy playing catch up from behind-just like Cutler had to do yesterday. I'd rather see a good defensive effort that doesn't put the QB in a position to have to throw for 300 yds in order to have any chance of winning. Denver's defense means Cutler will probably have to throw for more than 300 yards to win his share of games. 300 yards-just another dumb stat the stat boys fall in love with.

I've been to over 200 NFL games & I've never had a drink at any of them. You ask If not, ???????????-Because 1) I can't stand the taste of most alcoholic beverages, especially beer. 2)I have to drive a pretty long distance to get home from the game & I believe in NONE for the road. I'll also be at the game this week in NE.

Thanks to all. I'll be back Tuesday or Wednesday.

OK then, please explain why you bolded and enlarged the part about the 1st amendment. What was your point? Or are you just a complete A hole?

I have to miss the game. I'm leaving soon to go to Long Island, my mother passed away on Thursday in California.