May Day 10

Not counting minor moves like KC to Kansas and Washington possibly to another part of that region... I agree with the chargers. They seem like a vagabond team, and a deal will spring up sooner or later. Carolina just entered a big lease i think, and a bunch of money is being put into the super dome. I'd say the bengals could be the most vulnerable. Their lease ends in a couple years. Owner is cheap. Most teams seem to be on relatively stable local footing.

In a way, I have done that with the Sabres. They used to be my top team, even over the Bills. I was probably known as "that Sabres guy" by acquaintances, and would watch 100% of maybe 98% of all games between about 1987 and 2015 or so. Present-day, I barely watch at all, a few of these seasons probably not a complete period. I still "follow" them, as I know when their games are and if they win or lose. I know who most of their players are. I used to know the entire league, but now have a familiarity with about 10% of the players. The league overall bores me for a few reasons, but mainly the irrelevancy of the Sabres. I actually still own Sabres ST, had cancelled around 2020, they talked me into returning, and I thought Id want to take my kids, but I dont enjoy it. When Im there, the team is boring and I want to leave early. I tried to cancel last year, but they trapped me on small print. I won't make that mistake again. This ownership has destroyed the franchise. Once they go back to the red and black uniforms full-time, I am going to cut that thread that still binds me to the team and be gone forever. I actually returned to baseball big-time to fill the void. I was way into it as a kid, and love it again. Plus NFL and NCAA football interest me. I have fun watching the Bandits too

Rodgers was good. Competent. Lots of dinky dunk stuff with YAC. Patriots looked really unprepared and bad though too. The Jets have more bad coming.

Those are fairly small potatoes in the scheme of things. The roof was an absolute necessity out of safety/functionality. I wonder if a scoreboard could be transferred to the new arena or sold. I believe they run somewhere around $10 Million. A new arena would probably run from $750 million - $1 Billion-plus. However, I will say there is probably little to no appetite for the powers that be to build a new Arena. The Stadium took a lot of political clout. An arena would be a tougher sell due this one being only about 30 years old. Also with the perpetual state of the primary tenant (Sabres). They are going to have to explore this in the coming couple years. The lease ends in 2026 I believe (I have heard 2027 elsewhere), and there will need to be something significant in order for the team to sign another 20-30 year lease. The place probably needs $200 Million in renovations at a minimum (can perhaps subtract the $20 Million just spent). I wonder if Terry, while selling the minority equity stake in the Bills can make a requirement to also buy an equity stake in the Sabres as well? NHL teams are kissing $1 Billion at this point. It would raise cash, and also shield Pegula from accepting all the hockey losses (if the team in fact loses money which, IMO may not be factual any more).

There has been a bit of chatter about the arena in Sabres boards, and a few articles written. The state of the arena is rough. It is also a poor arena when it comes to today's design innovations. The concourses are tomb-like and get congested, especially in the 100 level. The site lines are really bad, the seats all have a gradual incline with little/no overhangs/decks. That makes them far away from the ice/event. The bubble roof is terrible and sucks all the ambience out of the place. Aesthetically, it doesnt look great, and the outside of it is terrible on 3 sides. The seats themselves are falling apart, stained, and disgusting. I liken it to those multi-purpose facilities they made in the 60s and 70s like Three Rivers, Riverfront, Jack Murphy, The Vet, and ending with the Skydome. They pumped out a handful of similar oval hockey arenas in the 90s, just like Keybank Center. Every one of those has (or is about to) undergone hundreds of millions in renovations and improvements. I also add that the downtown arena was built somewhat on the cheap as well compared to its contemporaries, making the need for $ even more. Not all the problems can be fixed with reno. If money werent much of an object, Id be all for razing the thing and building a great arena for the fan experience (I love the new arenas in Detroit and Long Island). Bring the fans closer to the action, lower the ceiling. Open up the concourses.

He is a super important part of that offense. Without him and Brown, they are going to have trouble.

Is burrow still the only one who can beat mahomes?

Quick hit rhythm offense

Bad play by Levis. Awful. But Tennessee decided to get way too cute in the red zone

Head contact. Text book

It really looks as if they don't trust Rodgers... or he is very limited at this point, and they are protecting him

The jets look like dog water

It's an interesting topic, and unprecedented territory. It's a crossroads that was inevitable for the nfl and is now here. Not sure what the right answer is, but it's probably allow the player to choose as long as he is cleared by independent doctor(s). If his family is begging him not to play and he does anyways, that's his personal life/business. The Dolphins definitely seem to be in a bind here. After him playing an entire season, paying him, then seeing him concussed on a seemingly mild play... it's a disaster.

These things get easier and easier to trigger it seems, as we saw with a rather routine collision with Hamlin. I remember Lafontaine at the end, he got his last concussion running into a teammate. In Tua's case, any sort of contact on the field is a danger to trigger a concussion (and one that fired around his part of the brain that makes him convulse on the ground). It's terrible for him, terrible for his team. It'll be a constant state of uncertainty. Do they have the highest paid backup qb in the league?

He has to say he has no plans to retire at this point If doctors tell him he cant/shouldn't play again, I can see miami trying to somehow claim he was going to retire anyway and fight for the $

It is crazy what one disaster of a night can do on the perspective of a franchise. They gave a pile of money to Ramsey, Hill, Waddle, Tua, and the coach McDaniel. Now it all looks like an expensive lame duck. Proved against the Bills they can't get it done (that was their best shot for awhile), and now Tua's immediate and long-term football playing career may be in jeopardy.

This is where McDermott is his best IMO. He walks the line of immense respect for players, putting their lives and families first and foremost (that seems genuine).... but also has a scary business side that commands respect and motivates players to prepare and compete. Almost 4 years of not losing a regular season game by a touchdown is pretty insane.

I think, depending on the severity of the Tua injury, we are going to see some high drama in Miami. Its amazing that one night might have sunk a franchise into a long tear down and rebuild. The body language of Tyreek Hill sucked all night, and that was with Tua in the game. Herbstreit was tearing him and his little follower Waddle apart for bad body language on the bench, not seeming to care while the offense was on the field (meanwhile they were feeding a banged-up Achane into a wood-chipper for some reason). If things go south there, and looking at the state of that O-Line and their QB position, things really might implode. Hill, Waddle, and Ramsey, all who are locked in with lots of bucks (Tua too) are going to start pouting and go off. It could get ugly, and there is not much the owner, GM, anyone can do. All of McDaniel's investment in being a 'teammate', 'friend', etc will be completely worthless.

That sequence at the end of the half was amateur hour. It's like the team gave up after that fiasco.

I thought Rodgers looked terribly slow and clod-footed, an injury waiting to happen, but the Jets team is good and won't count them out. A loss to probably the most complete team in the league in week 1 (I call week 1 preseason), shouldn't disqualifying them It's also way early to count the dolphins out... however, this was their beat shot at the bills and they fell on their faces, along with QB health questions moving forward. Many of their leaders haven't proven to be a resilient bunch

It was malpractice.

Why is that stoner coach running achane through a wood chipper right now?

I'm honestly surprised. I didn't have high hopes for this game with Johnson out... the bills laid a beat down in every facet. Early claim on the division.

Legit good coach. Allen helps, made a couple great throws, but he has been a secondary character in this game

Game is still in question... maybe wait until the 4th. A couple more first downs and styler Thompson and this one can feel pretty much done