May Day 10

Thats what the playoff machine tells me.

the way I see it, this week we want Bills Texans over Ravens Steelers over Chiefs 49ers over Chargers This alone would put the Bills in 6th headed into Foxboro

IMO they have earned another season.

the Meeks shall inherit the ball? Oh wait, hes on IR again

thats what you get in Nolan. Took some time, but maybe found a sore spot to motivate the players... This Girgensons is fantastic

what if they won 7 in a row, then lost the last 6?

I think you would expect the business/fan relations arm of the organization to talk. Ted Black is great. He comes across as an everyman, takes lumps when the team does poorly and speaks respectfully to callers, and is careful to speak to the hockey matters as if he is completely separate. Russ Brandon is robotic and not likeable at all (at least to me). It always seems like he is spinning BS, never takes any callers or comments and hosts on WGR never, ever take him to task or press him on anything. He also isnt afraid to candidly speak in detail about football matters. If anything, him speaking is bad for the Bills. I rarely like what he has to say, his pointing the finger at fans for "manufactured" sellouts (despite his marketing genius), December games more than 20 years ago before internet, etc... Just say it Russ... you guys need to figure out the "magic" to win games. Arizona is a funny comparison. A team that managed to grab a QB in Kurt Warner without witchcraft and had a few good seasons and an NFC Championship. Fell on a few hard years, worse than the Bills. Then magically emerges and surpasses the Bills again, who seem to be stuck in the mud forever. There are teams left and right I see do this over and over. I remember when Seattle and Denver were better, then worse, then better. Tennessee a few times, NY Giants, Cincy. I just dont know what element of this organization prevents the team from getting out of mud. There is something. Its not normal, and no. This season feels no different to me. Seasons always provide "if we only had X, Y, and Z", and "wow, they should have beat X, but Y."

Records in the AFC are completely skewed because you have the 4 worst teams in the league: Jets, Titans, Jags, and Raiders.

man, our standards are so low at this point. I get caught up in it too. I loved having a semi-meaningful game in December. Probably the highlight of being a fan the past 10 years or so.

Chip Kelly

Let's call it what it is. The NFL's popularity as a whole has exploded and RWS provides a lawless party atmosphere at cheap prices. It has almost nothing to do with "marketing". Brandon was at the lead of the last few coaching searches. That is the most important football decision that exists

was flying back into Buffalo last night and saw a bunch of Packers fans getting their luggage. People were jabbing at them in good fun, but also extremely friendly. I was proud. If there is a group of fans Id like to impress its Packer fans

to me, this team isnt improved. The AFC is strange due to the fact that you have the 4 worst teams in football residing in the Conference... and NFC teams who were supposed to be very good (CAR, NO, SF, CHI) are mediocre to poor... Skews the records toward .500 or better. The fact remains that the Bills are in the bottom 3rd of the Conference and each and every time they play a team at or above them in the standings they get knocked down. They beat Cleveland, but they are also in the same boat as the Bills propped up by weak schedule IMO. The fact that they lost the KC game, should have lost to Minnesota at home, and blew the Miami game like they did would make me furious if with the coaching staff if I were a GM. Especially a GM "auditioning" for a new owner. These squirrelly comments by Marrone also do indicate something is up... especially taking into account the pre-season "drama" As a fan base (me included) we have been lulled into submission with the "ultimate" goal of "just a playoff game before I die" mentality. I dont doubt the current coaching and management can get us there. Maybe even a puncher's chance of winning a playoff game someday. Pegula will have bigger visions IMO. He will want a well oiled championship football program here that is sustainable. We will see if he/we gets there. He will almost certainly be bringing someone in to evaluate and no doubt major changes will be made so get used to the idea.

Thanks Ralph. I said a lot of things over the years, but I was wrong on a lot of things

Very happy they accepted the gift.

Yup. Im there too. Its kind of miserable. I have been there for longer than most, before they even traded Gaustad/Pominville. They needed to do it sooner, but as a bonus we may get Eichel/McDavid anyways and have 3 pix in a ridiculous 1st round. Its going to work out and all be worth it. They are doing it correctly. There is an embarrassment of riches. Not many teams have fans that let them get away with/accept/cheer for the full scale selling of assets like they have done. Doing it over a longer period of time maximized the returns. I dont watch the games. Its just not fun hoping they lose. 20 years ago+ at least we would have a lot of entertaining fights to get us through. The NHL this day and age is just so boring if your team really isnt playing for anything.

I dont think I have had a bite of McDonalds in over 10 years

I dont remember Regier always pointing out the Oilers as the model. I do remember Ted Black always using the Blackhawks and Penguins as examples. The Oilers have been run very, very poorly. They drafted bad overall and completely whiffed outside the 1st round, where it looks like they whiffed on some of their high picks. They have a severe lack of top end defensive prospects or NHL ready d-men, have had the worst goaltending in the league, and the forwards they did get with the high picks are wasting away in their ELCs. They insist on installing ex oilers and keeping them. MacTavish and Lowe are going to get run out of town with pitchforks and torches soon. Katz is a clown as an owner of Charles Wang proportions. Also, the "tank" portion is nearly over. For the Sabres. 56 more games and we can start watching again and hoping for and demanding better results. Once they make their draft picks this season, then the "build" portion is on. Most prospects will be playing here (Armia, Grig, Eichel/McDavid, Pysyk, McCabe, Reinhart, etc) and they are really going to start to cultivate a winner. This Summer could also be very interesting. The Sabres have a ton of cap room, a ton of assets for trade, and it is expected due to the Canadian Dollar the Salary Cap could remain stagnant or even drop next year. So 56 more garbage games.

Pretty much this. I actally felt bad for them. The dances at the ends of quarters and halftime were awful and pointless. Now it is even worse knowing the gory details of it all.

yeah, pretty much. Time of the day and all that stuff is not important as long as you meet that premise. You can streamline it a bit with some exercise and protein-carb rations, but its really about the calories.

We are in a similar stage IMO to the 49ers under Singletary. Maybe bring Harbough in. Hopefully a QB he likes becomes available... and ride it until his act gets old. Ill take it.

its not just CC though. Thinking of long term future, thinking short term with the 6 months emergency fund, different vehicles for savings and advantages and disadvantages with long term and short term, interest rates, ways to shield you money and earnings from taxes, how to buy a car, a house/property, insurance, how never ever use a company like Rent-A-Center, etc. This is the way our world goes around and most Americans just aren't taught these things. It is the most important and useful knowledge we can have... much moreso than The Boxer Rebellion. I was required to take Choir in High School for 2 years and this isn't available? I know in my case, If I was properly instructed on these things I would be much better off now (doing fine, but I mean even better with a nice head start). I cant imagine how many people dont get things in order and educate themselves and keep messing up and going bankrupt, defaulting, etc. I think in a typical High School curriculum, a year or 2 of personal finance class should be a no-brainer. Maybe even plant some seeds younger This is off-topic though. Not sure it would make a difference with Talley or a number of other entertainers/athletes who run out of money and earning potential. I just mean in general.

I think you are incorrect, or at least speaking too broadly. Personal Finance isn't mentioned in curriculum at any age, which is very strange to me. This is the most important premise of our society. Bad financial habits and/or ignorance is passed down from parents, who are often ignorant themselves as they were never taught. Personally, I grew up lower-middle class. Didnt have nice things, but finances were never taught to me, and I was just "forbidden" from having credit in any way. Whether it was BMG, Columbia House, etc. Parents didnt own any Credit Cards... Then once I went away to college and in my mid-20s, I was on my own and able to acquire Credit Cards. I remember my first one was a Sabres one I signed up for to get a free towel or something. I did some damage for sure with a series of bad decisions and learning as I go... touching hot stoves a few times. I had to spend a decent portion of my late 20s digging out. Im lucky though. I didnt even do a fraction of the damage that could be easily done. Mid 20s I did some reading on the topic to figure it out and I would say I am pretty to very good with money now. I just wished I would have been taught in High School. I would have really liked to have been able to save properly when I was 20-25 and also not pay any interest to a CC or a Car Loan... I know once you have it figured out it SEEMS like common sense... but not a lot of people are there.

IMO there is something there that isnt/hasnt been disclosed. Pegulas werent the owners yet. Apparently Wilson did not have any say... I wonder sometimes if it was partially or in large part Rogers' and/or the NFL's call to put it on hold. The media picked up on how dismal that game was and really took a hatchet to the whole thing.

I was being sarcastic... these guys absolutely deserve to get paid what they do. Such a small earning window and in a blink they can have car-crash severity injuries. Plus, someone has got to get that money and Ill side toward these guys who have all the risk, especially in the shadow of the Darryl Talley story.