ExWNYer

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Was that idiot also heard yelling, "Bring back Flutie!"?

Frank wasn't the best announcer by any stretch but I loved him on the MNF broadcasts anyway. He was the "calming influence" in the booth. Another childhood memory in the books. RIP, Mr. Gifford.

Speaking of atheists... Did you hear the one about the dyslexic atheist? He didn't believe in Dog.

Maybe that's why God pulled AF's groin...

Thanks. I had to edit...I forgot to add that he threw in 4 months of Showtime for free. I didn't ask for it, he volunteered it. We chatted for a while about football, too. He was a Packer fan just outside of Seattle. Nice guy.

Just made my annual call...this was the toughest one yet and I've been with them since 1998. In the end though, I'm happy. Started off going straight to customer retention (didn't realize I had gotten there initially). The woman I talked with was very nice but could only offer me a $3 credit for 12 months off of a "regional sports fee" plus an additional $5 credit for 6 months off of my Sports Pak. I then asked her if she could connect me to customer retention and she said that they were the retention dept. I asked if someone there could help me with the price of Sunday Ticket and she said that her supervisor could. She put me on hold for a minute then came back (I never talked with the supe) and said that they could only offer me $9 off of each of my four ST payments. I said that I appreciated it but that wouldn't help my bill much and maybe I should just set up a cancellation date for a couple of weeks out. She said, "you want to set up a date to cancel?" I said, "I think I'd better. My wife is looking at a deal from Xfinity...triple play with a $250 Visa Prepaid card." Note: That deal was the truth but the part about my wife looking at it wasn't. I always use her as the 'bad cop' to my 'good cop'. The rep then said that she was sorry that she couldn't do more, wished me "a blessed day", and said she would transfer me to someone who could schedule my cancellation date. After a minute I was transferred to a chipper guy who asked how I was doing & "what exactly was going on today?" I laid out the above scenario for him & he then offered to take a look at what he could do for me. He included the two discounts the other rep had added, then tacked on some additional discounts to get the bill lowered a little. He then said that they could get me the ST added & keep my monthly bill about the same. I asked if that was the ST Max & he said that it was just the standard ST but he could apply a one time discount to cover the ST Max. Long story short (too late, I know), this is what I got: $3 credit for 12 months off of a "regional sports fee". $5 credit for 6 months off of my Sports Pak. $5 credit for 6 months off of my base package. $5 additional credit for 12 months off of my base package. $10 additional credit for 12 months off of my base package. $10 Advanced Receiver -DVR credit for 12 months. $102 one time credit for Sunday Ticket Max Free Sunday Ticket (standard) Oh, yeah...he also threw in 4 months free of Showtime without me even asking. Good luck to everybody else planning to make a call.

Conflicted much??

Good job, as always, Mike. I know it's officially Bills football season again with the return of your must-read reports.

Wow. He'd have a field day, wouldn't he?

Yeah, I don't fault Shaka for taking the money but I thought he was a little more principled than to work for a scumbag like Patterson. I wouldn't have begrudged him for going for any other big opportunity but not the Texas job. He preached family and a lot of other bs before running for the cash. He also cost us our three big, top 100 recruits and left the university in a lurch. I really wanted to wish him well, eventually, but not in this gig. I'm sure you'll love him but I hope this move costs both him and Patterson their jobs. I'm glad we landed Will Wade though. He was an assistant here before becoming the head coach of the UT-Chattanooga Mocs and turning around that program. He was responsible for a lot of our better recruits here. Given time, I believe he'll have the program where it was before.

I hope that Shaka Smart fails miserably for that d-bag Steve Patterson.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion but if you think that Virginia doesn't know BBQ, then you're misinformed. That's not an opinion, it's a fact. Plain and simple.

This is what I do, as well. Love that option, especially when I'm taking the dog on her walks. I listen live when I'm teleworking and simply mute the sound from the website. There are pictures of the advertisers during the commercials. When you don't see those anymore, you know they're back live & you can put the sound back on again. Drop some trou, And pinch off a log. No, it's mischief-making, Napoleonic-complexed Irishman.

I wonder how many NFL teams will eventually put a check down for this technology...

Funny, I was thinking that he should be playing in the NHL with a name like that.

1. Buffalo Bills 2. Buffalo Sabres 3. NY Mets 4. Alabama Crimson Tide football 5. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) basketball

You mean the 1971 version with the QB triad of Gary Cuozzo, Bob Lee (not THAT Bob Lee), & Norm Snead...along with the fierce 'Purple People Eaters' defense? (Look it up, kids)

belinda... http://www.filmsite.org/wavfiles/nakedgun2.wav

Yes, along with the great Rick Azar.

R.I.P. and God bless your family, Van. There will never be another like you calling our beloved Bills. 'In remembrance: Van Miller through the eyes of John Murphy': http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/In-remembrance-Van-Miller-through-the-eyes-of-John-Murphy/2173371e-cb02-4c25-9993-3b0159328153

Ditto for me here in Richmond, VA. Can't stand the team in DC, can't stand (most of) their fans. My dislike for them grew tenfold when Little Dummy Snyder bought the team. Two years ago my family and some friends (all Bills fans) were up at the godforsaken FedEx for the Bills preseason game against Washington. We were heading back to our cars after the game, talking & minding our own business after a 30-7 drubbing, when two of their grown "fans" yelled at my then 11 year old (in a Stevie Johnson jersey) & my then 13 year old (in a Fred Jackson jersey), "You need to take off those stupid jerseys!" It wasn't said in a joking manner either. I don't care what opposing d-bag fans say to me but my kids...any kids...are off limits. GO BILLS!!!

Yeah, I do agree with you there. He was adequate as the color man and gives a continuity/bridge to the Van era but he's just not suited to be the play-by-play guy. I want to like him but just can't seem to get there. And, yes, his mistakes on the little things are very annoying. Van spoiled us and, for that, I am grateful.

Agreed on Van, not so much on Murph. I miss Van even more now having to be subjected to John Murphy. I just don't think Murph is very good and doubt I'd miss him if he were to be replaced. Maybe that's because I was spoiled by all the great years of Van. I loved Van on the Buffalo Braves play-by-play. Unlike today, very few games were televised in the '70s. My brother & I would listen to all of the Braves games on the radio as kids while playing around the house or lying in bed at night. We were also glued to Van's Bills calls for the many non-televised home games at Rich Stadium. I feel very fortunate to have grown up listening to the likes of Van Miller, Rick Azar, Ted Darling, & Rick Jeanneret. They were fantastic during an era when many of the broadcasts were radio only. What a beautiful picture they painted in the mind of a young, Buffalo sports-crazed boy. Thanks for the memories, guys. Get well soon, Van...you've got a lot of people pulling for you. BTW, thanks to all of you posters with the personal anecdotes about Van. Very cool.

How about this one then? Three for the price of one. Jinx away*!

Certainly not hipsters...