Never NEVER Give-up

Born in 1960 Left Buffalo for Winston-Salem NC in '95 Moved to Milwaukee in 97 Moved to Raleigh in 2000 Chose Bflo over Chicago in 2002. Will eventually move south, but not sure when. Certainly for retirement. When we moved away it was very hard on my wife & kids - lots of tears. But it was the best thing we ever did. We grew up, became more independent, formed friendships all over - our family away from home. We are still close to those friends! When people move away from home - their comfort zone - at some point you realize it is what you make of it. You have to put yourself out there, say hi first, introduce yourself first - when you do that something magical happens. I theorize that for those people who leave their homes and move to a new place - they are all in it together, so there is a natural inclination for one to extend their hand in friendship and form new relationships. When we moved back, everyone here was happy. Did I see my family more - nope. They are not a reason to stay, nor a reason to move back. Thought I'd see my friends more - nope. Everyone is wrapped up in their lives. If they lived here forever, they have that history and established relationships - no time to make new ones or establish old ones (thank God for e-mail & texting!). When you move away to a place others are also moving to, everyone is open to new friends and those bonds form quickly/deeply! Cost of housing - yeah houses are cheaper in the Buff, but $6000 in taxes per yr is a cash flow nightmare. I can afford more house if the taxes are lower. I had a $300,000, 2500 sq ft house in Apex NC (Raleigh). I moved home to an 1800 sq ft house for $175000. The taxes: $6000 here, $3000 in NC. That gave me $3000 more to spend on my house in NC - an extra $250 per month - that's almost a car payment! Jobs - If you don't have a job in Buffalo - it always feels that your prospects are horribly bleek. And it is bleek untiil you find something! Network, network, network - is the only way to find a job in Buffalo - unless you want to sell or collect from debtors. Because taxes are so high, being unemployed in Buffalo is a killer - note the cashlfow nightmare above. Your expenses stay high, but your income is gone. That's why so many choose to move away so "quickly" (according to family members who don't want you to leave), you go much deeper into debt, more quickly here than in other locations. Weather: To each his own. But I notice as I get older, I am less tolerant of inclimate weather. I want to see the sun every day, whether warm or clear/crisp - I don't care. One thing I noticed about weather: When you live in Buffalo - whenever you want to go out or go somewhere - you MUST consider the weather, is it gonna snow, how much, will it freeze. Is it gonna rain, etc. In other locations (NC for me), it always seemed sunny (of course it wasn't - but the breaks between sunny days are shorter) and that helps with one's attitude - you feel better, more alive! How many of you don't see your neighbors between Halloween and Easter? "Hey you lost weight!" Or "you got a new dog!" Winter here can be like going away for 6 months!!! Bills & Sabres - Nothing like being home when they play. And when you have something really important to do on a Sunday afternoon, you DVR the game and you have the roads/stores to yourself - getting twice as much done in the 3-hour period than one can normally do. Then you can watch the game at night (unless it's like the Jet's game late last year when Losman fumbled the game away!!!! - Then you just spare your heart and skip the game!!) Ultimately this area will continue to have trouble as long as we retain the high number of politicians (soooo in it for themselves & not their constituents (sp)). This keeps progress from happening, keeps the taxes high, job prospects bleek, new employers want no part of that story. Add the less than ideal weather and staying or going becomes less of a personal choice than a requirement to survive and move elswhere for work and a better quality of life for you, your spouse & kids!!!!

Actually if TO is a 'good' Bill, for countertops he must choose Ralph's Wilsonart Laminate countertops. Believe it or not Wilsonart is or was Ralph's. Check it out at any kitchen center including Lowe's & Home Depot!

How many 4-3 defenses are deployed in the NFL? Don't tell me it's 8!!!!

I always liked the flexibility of Fredonia. Wake -up & decide to go to Camp - that was always fun. Not worrying about tickets and parking - Yuk! Too much planning. I like my fun to be spontaneous, not planned. It's a pain in the a$$ now. If they truely want to regionalize now. It needs to be somewhere between the southtowns, Rochester & Toronto. It should be in Buffalo or Niagara Falls!! Maybe they can go to Niagara U - but I don't believe they have the facilities. Maybe UB????

The article sez: 'In follow-up meetings with prosecutors, the victim who initially identified McIntyre as the person masturbating at her home said she never actually saw his genitals and was “unable to give other specifics in reference to her allegation,” . Does that mean she couldn't identify him in the Porky's-style line-up?

I agree whole-heartedly with all previous posts. This guy is writing an article about how 24 people wrote to correct him?!?! Has he nothing better to do? Rather - I'd say this is his only way of getting readership - mentioning TO - even though he knows nothing about him, or the game. He just knows if he writes about TO, he'll have more readers. The downside for him is we all get to see what kind of a goof he is in writing such inane blather. It has been an eye-opening experience for me - the Bills picking-up Owens - I have never seen such idiocy follow any one person the way the press falls all over itself chasing every TO snipet! It's an issue when he says he doesn't attend OTAs. It's an issue when he shows up at OTAs. Then they try and say he's disingenious (sp) for showing up when he said he doesn't attend them!! Does anyone with a brain have a problem with TO's explanation? In short, he's saying he needs to get on the same page as TE & LE. Maybe if they play lights-out this year AND he re-signs, then maybe he won't come to the OTAs next year - I would have no problem with that because they would already be on the same page. The made an issue of the jersey number, McGees injury too - ridiculous! Lastly, I must admit I've never been a big TO fan, feeling as though he brings all of this on himself. But since the Bills have picked him up - he's been great. A good teammate, nice to the public on many occasions, and he seemed actually touched at his Buffalo Airport reception - to which the media chided him and Buffalo. Maybe, just maybe, TO is not the issue. I'm sure he loves the attn, but he cannot force the NFL Network and ESPN to follow him around. He can't force VH1 to do a show on him. It truly seems he is less than 50% responsible for all the hullaboo - probably way less! I have changed my opinion of him. I'll let his actions speak for him and I will pay attention to that - not all the garbage being thrown at him (& us) through the media. I have dropped my pre-conceived notions towards him. I welcome him with open arms. And I hope he helps the Bills beyond our wildest expectations.

Oh Tim - one last comment . . . Picture it, the losing coach approaches the podium after the butt-whupping his boy's took and he says . . . . "We practiced outside in the blizzard all week and we were really expecting more snow, but when it warmed up to 40 degrees and sunny (shakes his head), "to a man - we knew we were done". LOL

Seriously, all laughs aside, this is embarrassing! He was ID'd 2 months later! Pretty thin!. These charges will probably be dropped and the arrest will do nothing but embarrass the heck out of McIntyre! How would you feel? Then how would you feel walking into the locker room with all the guys!!!! Geeze, whether I did it or not, I think I'd retire!!!

They can masturbate outside of all of the 59-yr-old ladies houses all they want. As long as they win. That's what our 90's heroes did!! errr, they won!

Yesterday, I sent Chris Brown an e-mail asking him to characterize Pisa's visit and if the Bills are going to sign him. Chris just replied . . "Nothing imminent from what I'm being told. Good visit though." Now we know exactly nothing more than we did yesterday. I'm going to go slam my hand in the car door!!! Or perhaps my head into a brick wall !!!

Tim: Any word from you or your fellow bloggers on the status or results of Pisa T's visit with the Bills on Wed 5/13???

. . . Yes. True. But an upgrade over our garbage. We should sign & at least bring to camp, anyone we think can help the team and upgrade a position. Pisa is an upgrade over Ellison.

I sent a note to Chris Brown, asking if Pisa T signed, left town, had friendly talks, or may sign shortly? Anything. Anything!! It cracks me up that we have 3 local TV stations, the Bflo News' 3-4 reporters, The D&C's 2 reporters and Chris Brown living at OBD and they never seem to get the scoop on what the Bills are doing!!! If I were Chris Brown, I'd be sitting in the OBD lobby the day of Pisa's visit with a newspaper (with 2 holes in it) and watching for anything that transpired. Granted, he's a schill for the Bills so he can't say squat until they tell him he can. So what about all these other "reporters" - how about one camps out at the airport and one at OBD - they could communicate with each other and say when he landed and when he's leaving OBD for the airport. Then when he arrives, ask him how the discussions went, did he sign, is he hoping for an offer, etc!!! These "reporters" are impotent. They scour the net like we do looking for scraps of info. They need to get of their a**es and dig for the story!!

Funny how the Navy-guy recognizes the gayness!!!

The Bills record has been bad - in throwbacks I'm sure it's no different.

Funny how the Seattle-based Clayton ranks the Seahawks offseason moves at #1 - better than the Giants or Eagles, doubtful. They are middle-of-the-pack at best. I like Clayton alot (as long as I don't have to look at the gooney-bird too long), but even he is a homer sometimes.

The Bills actually have all 5 of the lineman together NOW! In April/May. In time for OTAs and mini-camps and training camp. They don't play until August and it won't count until September 14th! Now that no one is grousing and causing several TEMPORARY shifts, the guys can settle in, get to know one another, know each others strengths/weaknesses and practice together for the next 4 months! Plenty of time to gel and be ready for mid-September. Plenty of time for the FO & coaches to pick-up a cast-off from another team if they think that guy is better than the 5 we have now. I'm beginning to drink the kool-aide! Now if someone can convince me that we will see pre-concussion Trent vs the post-concussion version for the whole season (& playoffs) - I'll feel much better. I like the guy (a lot) but he's just going into his 3rd year and is by no means close to Pro-Bowl caliber. Here's wishing & hoping for great progress & health!!

Great article - I love the attitude!!!! Carucci on Bills OL

Can U print the text - the site is 'blocked' at my office

Ashton "Shake" Yobouty Aaron "Iron" Maybin Eric "Pecker" Wood Jason "Salt" Peters (went limp!) Fed "Action" Jackson Shawn "Full" Nelson Mike "Scotts" Handgardner Doninic "Dusty" Rhodes Kirk "Marilyn" Chambers - oops, a family blog! Brad "The" Butler "Did It" - apologies to Jerry! Terrance "Fibber" McGee Kiwaka "General" Mitchell Paul "Are you kidding me?" Pozluzny (There's no name play on this guy!) John "Air" McCargo Spencer "For Hire" Johnson Pat "The Bunny" Thomas Demetrius "& the Gladiator" Bell Jairus "Butch" Byrd Dustin "Crazy like a" Fox James" Laurel &" Hardy

Yes. Levitre is a great guy!

I agree with LT as #1. The Bills may already have their guy - as long as it's not Walker. Not because I don't think he can do it. I think he'd be OK, but because I'd like to keep the right side in tact, and rebuild only the left side instead of switching everyone around. We ran pretty well to the right last year. We always got blown up at C and the left side which should have been great was only occasionally OK. We addressed the middle in FA & the draft - now we need that LT. Is Butler the guy? He was good next to Walker on the right side . . . . #2 would be LB. Other than Leroy Hill, I'm not sure who's out there or who may end up out there once they are released. An upgrade here will help the pass rush too! If we get an above-avg LT and an upgrade at LB - we will be contenders. #3 - DT - fortify the rotation of big guys. I'm secretly praying the Bills give McCargo another shot and he blossoms now that Kollar is screaming down in Houston. I'm hoping Kollar was the problem - not McCargo. #4 - DE - still. We had around 24 sacks last year. How many will Maybin add? How many will a NEW LB add? We need to fortify this position too.

Guns 'n Ammo

While all the selections are great ballplayers, it is strange they allowed 4 guards on the OL and ignored anyone who played tackle. (????) It is also strange they allowed only one RB - I know they said they were going with a 3 WR offense, but sometimes - at least half the time we run a 2-back offense - so their s/b 2 RBs on the team. Or a fullback - Gilchrist gets my vote. I also question the LBs - 3 of the 4 are from the SB era - Buscuit - Talley - Conlon. Really? No Spielman, Jacobs, or anyone else I cannot recall here? All these oddities, but they select a ST player - Tasker? I don't know who set the guidelines for this team, but I would put my money on the 25th Anniversay team vs the 50th Anniversay Team any day. Bruce (25th Anniv Team) would blow past any of the guards playing tackle and Kelly (50th Anniv Team) wouldn't make it through the 1st Qtr!!!

The line looks like (from LT to RT): Walker, Levitre, Handgardner. Wood, Butler (or Levitre/Wood could switch sides)