The Big Cat

Except everything he said about Smith has been said before.

Is your/her club part of the Development Academy? My wife and I just recently discussed another issue that you raised: too many games, not enough practices. It's an epidemic in US Youth soccer. And why are they playing so many games and not honing their skills? Because coaches just want to win win win win, that's the only way the understand how to show "results." The DA and Klinnsman are in agreement that that MUST change... I also 100% agree with what you say about the U.S. style--that it should be predicated on speed and aggression, not skill and possession. But you're right, our women are enjoying a comfortable lead as far as how their athleticism compares to the rest of the world, but rest assured, it will be chipped-away as the still-nascent stage matures. Likewise, the rest-of-the-world's men are good enough athletes that we'll never achieve the kind of athleticism it takes to overcome theirs AND their skill...hence why I think there's no hope for the men: can't beat them at their game, can't beat them at ours, either.

??? What agenda would that be???

Close enough: http://www.buffalo.com/images/made/images/uploads/buffalo_com/content/arts/stevie_J_718_400_80_s_c1.jpg

...and riding the bench (per the announcers last night)... But seriously, look no further than Dempsey...he's gone from boy to man playing for the Spurs. On a side note, I hope Donovan never plays another second for the USMNT. He's single-handedly holding the whole thing back.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/auto/0ap2000000152809/Cosell-rates-Nassib-higher-than-Geno-Smith

Right, the MLS is definitely growing, too. But if we want our national players to be worth a damn, they gotta go play in Europe.

Perhaps I shouldn't have written what I did in haste. Because I agree, they have definitely come a long way. But I think it's unrealistic to expect the same level of progress moving forward. There are two things that are limiting our country's talent floor: attrition and repetitions. Attrition: I don't know what the precise statistics are but something like 90% of kids who play sports in America play soccer...until they're 12, then the number plummets to something like 30%. Now, don't quote me, I've got Ms. Tac Gib verifying that right now. Repetition: even the young soccer players who are devoted to playing don't get NEARLY the practice hours that the youth in other nation's get. You really can't have both problems going at once because they only serve to compound one another, but it's what my wife's department is up against when we try and tailor our training and development to match those so-called "top 10" countries. That's why I specifically mentioned touches. Firstly, we're comparatively terrible at controlling the ball, and secondly, our players simply don't have the repetitions that their competition does, so it's to be expected. It's sort of an inescapable spiral...

My wife works for USSF at their headquarters in Chicago, so I stay current. My wife also had to take something of a pay cut with Klinsmann was brought on board, so I'm watching his ass like a hawk. That said, when a 0-0 game is a "win" for our team (which I understand), it does nothing to advance the sport's popularity. My wife works not for the national team, but with the development academy, so growing the foundation of our national team/program is something with which she's directly involved/invested. As well as the team has progressed under Klinsmann--and they definitely have--watching them can be nearly as soul-strangling as watching the Trent Edwards-led Bills offense of yore. Simply put, our country's soccer players don't spend enough time a ball at their feet, and it shows. Our touches are amateur, and when you go from watching our team to watching the Euros, it seems as though the chasm may never be bridged. And in truth--based not only on my own observations, but also what my wife deals with on a daily basis--we're likely forever entrenched as a "developing" soccer nation.

This will raise some eyebrows: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/cosell-geno-smith-still-progress-204826284--nfl.html

Ha, for a guy who's been in the shadows of Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre and now Russell Wilson (a rookie pro bowler), there are a lot of assumptions that he's no good... All we know is that he's not better than a first ballot hall of famer, one of the league's top 3 quarterbacks and Russell Wilson...so...that leaves quite a bit of daylight for guys he MAY be better than...

Thank you. Kelly responded precisely as i would--but i'd also add that the "retreads" weren't the problem. getting the retreads without a draft plan or an heir apparent, or without any draft activity at all has been the downfall, and insofar--since this year's draft and next year's draft (I'm giving them until next year given what we know to be true about the talent discrepency) haven't happened, this isn't YET "more of the same" Also this: http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/156714-what-kills-me-most-about-the-past-3-years/#entry2760158

Yeah, sorry that was aggressive. My bad, homey. Here's the thing though--we haven't been "down this road" as we haven't brought in any re-treads with the expectation that they'll be starters, it's just unfortunately worked out that way because we missed on drafting JP and Trent. Fitz wasn't meant to be the starter, neither was Holcombe--but look how that panned out. The errors in finding a quarterback over the last decade haven't been through moves like this potential one. Signing Matt Flynn would only suffice for part of the reucrring problem we've had. IF we were to trade for Flynn and then not DRAFT a quarterback with one of our top picks this year OR next year, then yes, we'd be spinning our wheels, and you'd be right--it'd be the same old same old. Until then, just like Tavaris Jackson, Matt Flynn is a safety net/stop gap until they draft somebody, anybody.

Right, the guy should be ignored for losing his job to one of nine rookie quarterbacks to make the Pro Bowl...ever. Good point. I'm glad you're "done." Your argument is bogus!

Is that really your opinion?

The most important part in all of this is that JAX and OAK may be just as QB desperate, thus increasingly the likelihood that two QB's will be off the board by #8...

There is no harm in this.

Everyone is aware that it was an amateur-produced song in one of those mall kiosks...yes?

Policy? Hell no. Message? Hell yes.

What a song is and what a song becomes because of the masses' inability to have nice things--those are two separate things. But once a song/concept/bacon ventures into the latter, there's really no turning back. Bohemian Rhapsody is precisely that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J08ZwySCoJ8 Everything about this...EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS...I just, I just can't... Also, this steaming pile of **** made it to number 1. I was two years old, can any of you north of 40 account for this? CAN YOU!?

It's a fine premise, but one thing to note moving forward: the media gets its scoops and info from agents, not GM's/coaches/scouts.

YES. I can tell you--with 100% certainty--that anyone who has stake in Bills media: PR departments, reporters, everyone trolls message boards. Absolutely they read this and tailor their message, accordingly.

Nobody said he wasn't.

Won't miss reading your posts.