MattM

If I recall correctly you were originally using McDaniel’s record as an Ivy walk-on to imply that he would be respected by NFL players as being similar to them in a way they’d respect from an athletic perspective. But the level of athletic talent in the Ivy League generally (much less at the literal bottom of the roster) is a whole lot lower than the NFL much less major college ball/conferences that they almost literally all come from, so I’m not sure about your supposition. They may respect his hard work as a coach, but I highly doubt they give much thought to his record as a player. And the Ivies have a policy that anyone who gets in gets the money to go. That’s how I attended—my parents made about $25k/yr in today’s dollars….

Oh, he did work hard—but he did not have the talent to be recruited or to play in games and the coaching staff let him walk on because the Ivies aren’t the cut throat world of the major conferences you were mentioning in the same breadth with them as if they are comparable. You also initially (and incorrectly) talked about Ivy kids getting scholarships which they don’t. i can ask my nephew next time I see him. He coaches at Princeton.

Apparently not in the Ivy League…..

Did you miss the part of me knowing someone who didn’t start in HS being an Ivy League walk on?

The part you’re forgetting is that it was Yale. No one was on scholarship. They are there by and large to get a degree and go into business, tech, law, academia (a few), etc. The more athletically-minded might consider coaching. While it’s improved drastically in the last 20-30 years, it’s still a huge long shot for an Ivy kid to be considering the pros. I went to Columbia in the 1980’s—my class broke the losing streak and did not win a single game in 4 years. I didn’t play football, but it’s a small school and literally 10% of the boys there in my freshman class were football players, so I know a lot of them and have a lot of respect for them as student athletes. That said, I had a buddy who walked on. I don’t think he started at Pittsford Sutherland his freshman year there (he later transferred to Staples in CT), but walked on at Columbia. Practiced every week, but rarely did played. I think MM may have been similar from what I’ve read. Things worked out fine for my buddy. Became COO of the energy trading business of another player (who’s currently a minority owner of the Texans) and retired in his mid-40’s with trips to Ibiza twice a year…..

Are you actually #######, or do you just play one on TV?

In the sunroom, clutching my "lucky" Buffalo Bills cloth football that I got at age 7 in 1972.....

He's from Hornell. My mother grew up across the street from him and actually used to babysit him and his (many--5?) siblings. I believe his dad was a heart doctor at the local hospital and my grandmother was a nurse at the same hospital.

We started the game down 3 starters in our secondary

I hate the Dolphins as much as the next Bills fan, but boy, is Alec Ingold easy to root for.....

You should talk to the Bills. They used to have folks who will meet you in the parking lot and wheel you into and out of the stadium. I used them with my dad before he passed away. They were great.

Good luck! My in-laws live in SB, so I’ve been there for games in the past. Unfortunately don’t remember specific Bills bars, but failing that, I’d just try a sports bar on State Street that has Sunday Ticket. Good luck!

I was not aware of the derogatory nature of the term in the UK—it sounds like it’s akin there to “R” word here, a word that immediately tells me the speaker using it is a jerk. I grew up in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s—back then it was slightly derogatory, but not offensively so. All that said, Brady has actually done lots and lots of charity work for years with the mentally and physically handicapped (it’s one of the few things I’ve admired him for) and I’m sure meant nothing derogatory by it. He’d probably be mortified that it could be taken this way. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little having to defend Tom Brady…..

Make of it what you will. I’m tangentially in this area, but have not heard of these guys. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/arctos-talks-buy-minority-stake-220331673.html

A Yale guy if I remember currently