MattM

While their drafts have been a bit suspect the last few years (although the play of Chung and Tate, for ex., Monday night may elevate their grade), it's a bit scary looking at the ammo they now have to reload next season. Still, they'll need at least one (probably two) RBs, one or two LBs, a WR, a DE and an OL through the draft and FA to replace guys getting older or who aren't very good. This does give them the ammo to get at least some of those guys via the draft. Should be interesting....

I must admit it's crossed my mind, too. Things like the Kelsay extension come immediately to mind as things that seem like "let's see what we can do to PO the fans in the easiest possible manner". Fact is, it's pretty self-evident that it is much easier to move a franchise when there's little public support for it in its current home town, particularly for an image-conscious league like the NFL. Much easier when you can say, "Look, those folks don't even want the team" and point to declining attendance. Even if that's the case, I'm not so sure I'd blame Ralph here--he's 92 and I once heard him personally say he'd never move the team while he was alive and call me nuts, but I believed (and believe) him. His wife and various other relatives who may have his ear and/or the real power at OBD may not have that same loyalty, especially when literally hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake, however.....

When you play the Pats* you play "Patriette* Rules"--when in doubt, the penalty is never on them. Egads, man, haven't you been watching the NFL for the last ten plus years or so? That said, the lack of good officiating wasn't why we lost to them this year.....

Plus 1. This team was finally fun to watch again and actually looked like an NFL team today. A big step up even if it was a loss. I was really getting sick to death watching this O move in fits and starts, usually in what felt like a herky-jerky kind of movement, ultimately ending in moving backwards.....

Not enough time in the day for that, as I've got a boatload of work to do today if I want to get to watch the rout, er, I mean game tomorrow, but I can tell you one additional thing, having also done my undergrad at Columbia, as did Obama (who finished there after starting at Occidental). Unlike Harvard and Yale, which award large percentages of their students honors degrees, Columbia does not--it's only about 15% or so, I believe (or at least it was back in the day). That might explain his not graduating there with honors. I know lots of smart and successful Columbia folks who didn't graduate with honors, as you might imagine. If graduating with honors is such a sure-fire sign of real intellect as the article seems to keep pounding from what I skimmed, why doesn't the article mention that he graduated with honors from HLS (which gives about 60 to 70% honors) all while working 50 hours or so a week as EIC of the Law Review mind you, or did I just miss that part (possible, as I stopped reading that agenda-driven drivel shortly after starting to read it once it became incredibly clear that the author was in no way objective)? I must admit that I find it hysterical that people here who don't personally know squat about the guy can so surely in their own mind have this image of who he is as a person, to wit about his intellect or his work ethic, despite much objective evidence to the contrary. BTW, on his work ethic I read recently that for the first two years or so in office that Bush had taken twice as many days off as Obama up to that same point in his Presidency, all the more remarkable considering that 9/11 happened during that time....

For those saying only Bills fans think the Pats* cheated that's a laugh. Anyone who reads a national online publication like PFT for example can see for themselves that fans League-wide despise the Pats* and call them out on their cheating to this day and I don't expect that to end anytime soon (if ever). You're a blind Pats* homer to think otherwise. PS All this talk about the Cheats* made me go back last night before bed and crank up that SB game on my DVR. Best non-Bills game ever....

Those making the argument that "it wasn't a big deal" ought to watch the HBO Sports special on Matt Walsh, in which an unnamed "offensive star on the early 2000's Pats*' teams" is quoted as saying "of course it was a big deal. We knew what was coming 70 to 80 percent of the time and it helped us immensely." Personally, I suspect that the player was Antowain Smith, but could be wrong.....

Probably because the League closed ranks on this issue rather than let it do more damage to their image, like the very good businessmen they are. Privately players and coaches were fuming, as per Dr. Z and Peter King's columns from that February if I recall correctly.....

While reasonable folks may disagree with his views, it's absolutely ridiculous to attack his intellect or work ethic. FWIW, I was in his class at HLS and personally saw him studying late at night (i.e., past 10 pm) most nights in Langdell library. You saw him two places that first year--in the gym and in the library. After he made law review, he wasn't as visible, as those folks spend about 50 hours a week working on the journal in the Law Review's offices, in addition to their normal course load. In terms of his intellect, he was widely regarded at HLS, by conservative and non-conservative students alike, as one of the smartest people in the class. One of my friends, now a tenured professor at Stanford Law School, called his intellect "off the charts". When Obama was a student, he was helping Larry Tribe, probably the foremost liberal Constitutional scholar of our day, write scholarly papers while other students were considered lucky to get jobs working as fact checkers for Tribe. Tribe has called Obama his smartest student ever. You're so way off base on this one that I had to break a personal rule and type this out at work (that and the Pats* thread cheesed me off today). As noted, while people can disagree with his policies and views, attacking him on these two points itself is simply ignorance.....

Remember also that very shortly thereafter Kraft redid Belicheat's contract on a "terms undisclosed" basis. Dollars to donuts Kraft paid every bit of that fine himself.....

Plus 1--in addition to the obvious (Spygate), they've also had the Rodney Harrison HGH scandal (imagine, a team full of wizened vets, many of them over the hill elsewhere, come to New England and miraculously play like they did 5 years earlier--coincidence? Take a look sometime league-wide and find halfbacks over 32 years old. The Pats have three of the 5 I could find of any consequence) and an article in the NYT quoting team oficials from several other NFL teams on the Competition Committee saying that almost any time they got a call about skeazy behavior "it was one team, really", i.e., the Cheats. Don't even get me started on the officiating in their games, from "just give it to them," to the Tuck Rule, to the Ravens Monday nighter two years ago to my personal fave, our opener against them a few years ago that even TMQ wrote up about the awful (and always one-sided as it always is in their games) officiating in that game. There's an awful lot of smoke around that team.....

The Samsonite episode two weeks ago was one of the best things I've ever seen on television. Matthew Weiner just "gets it".....

Do you just show up for the tour and buy tix or can you do so ahead of time?

A-bot, I had to log in just to tip my hat to you--well played, sir, well played. PS As to the topic at hand, I made my wife agree that we weren't getting married during the season since it would be rude to those who want to watch the game(s) (college or pro). She felt I was pushing it a bit when I declared that the wedding had to also be after mid-April since you never know if a snow storm would prevent my WNY relatives from flying out before then (we got married in California, where her folks live). We settled on May and the rest is history....

I won't say that I can't stand him (I read and often enjoy his columns), but this is not anyone who would ever have the sports journalistic courage equivalent to "speaking truth to power"--instead he mainly glorifies those already overglorified and serves as "league cheerleader in chief", particularly for the more prominent franchises and players.....

Differences from last season-- Negatives--no Schobel or TO. New scheme on D. Other losses miniscule (Josh Reed, for ex.). Tougher schedule perhaps? Positives--Gailey over Jauron, added Spiller and Troup, relatively more healthy (fingers crossed, but it would be tough to have more injuries than last year), added Edwards and Davis in FA, another year for our younger guys (Byrd, Wood, Levitre and Maybin all come to mind) and O-line to gel. On balance, I'd say the team is better than last year by one to two wins, but the schedule may screw that up. My prediction 5-11 to 7-9, with possibilities of 4-12 or 8-8..... I also read the King article (coincidentally on a flight back from LA yesterday) and he does indeed have us at 2-14. He also has the Steelers winning the Super Bowl (I predict they won't make the playoffs myself--the Ravens and Bengals will both finish better than they do.) As I said to my wife on the plane, "now remember, this is the guy who had Miami winning the Super Bowl the year they ended up 1-15"......

While trying not to sound too mean about this, you do realize that not knowing that Houshm. is a tall receiver without having to look it up made a whole bunch of us automatically discount anything your write about this topic (or pro football generally)? I mean the guy's only been one of the best receivers in the game over the last 5 or so years and yet you don't seem to recall seeing him play apparently, or couldn't recall who he was..... That said, I do agree with your later point that the fact that he's been cut and doesn't have Seattle picking up his salary this year makes it unfortunately unlikely that we'll get him this year. I also suspect that the Seahawks would have taken no less than a 3 or 4 to not cut him and trade him while picking up the vast bulk of his salary this year.

Went a couple of years ago and had a great time. Tailgated with an old college buddy who lives in KC and his Chiefs fan friends. Wore my Bills colors proudly and had no problems at all, even after we stomped them badly. A great time all around. Not much else to do in KC other than the game, however, but the game was enough for me....

No, he wasn't. I think you're giving him way too much credit. He, like some of the other staff at the D and C, doesn't actually like the Bills. He's too busy gushing over the Yankees, as he does in most columns. Wow, that's a lot of fun--I'll bet he rooted for Goliath, too.....

Plus one

Maybe, but I'm not so sure about that. Their D was a weak link last year and has gotten progressively weaker in the offseason (for ex., losing Adalius, Warren and now Bodden) and really adding nobody to replace them. Combine that with weak draft classes the last couple of years on D and I don't see them stopping too many people this season. Their O will still be potent in the passing game, but I'm not so sure that the losses of Mankins and Kaczur (2 of 5 line starters from last year) isn't going to make everyone else's job there (including Brady) that much more difficult. I still think they struggle to run the ball by their ancient committee (HGH is a helluva drug!). If Sanchez is even an average QB I think the Jets should run away with the division, but I'm not sure if he is such a QB. Can't wait until the season starts.....

Thanks for both the posting and the playing--I went to my first game at the old Rockpile in 71/72, so probably caught you at the tail end of your playing career. My dad was a huge Bills (and AFL generally) fan and passed it along to me, thanks in large part to our from then on annual pilgrimages to Orchard Park. Despite their records, I loved those old teams and my introduction to pro football--heck, I probably had your picture on my wall as a kid, since I used to put up the team picture. Good times, so thanks for helping me get to know and love this sport, even if it hasn't been too kind to the Bills lately and hope you stop back by more often than it sounds like you plan to. Don't let the buttheads get you down.....

Uhh, other than that, I got nothing/no one, at least as far as Bills fans go.....

Davone Bess is a good receiver, so I don't think Camarillo will be too missed, absent injury to Bess or Marshall.....

He's one of my favorites as well (despite being a Princeton guy!)--he brings a very different perspective to covering the sport and mixes that with intelligence, wit and good writing, along with a self-deprecating tone that gives you the strong impression that he's a good guy who'd be interesting to hang out and have a beer with. It also doesn't hurt that he's a former Bill who seemed to really enjoy his time in Buffalo (he's on record saying it was his favorite place to play--other stints included the 'skins, Pats* and 'boys, I believe). I look forward to his columns every Wednesdays and Fridays on si.com.......