hondo in seattle

I was a cavalry troop XO during the first Gulf War. One evening, deep in the Arabian desert before the shooting started, a bunch of soldiers were hanging out by the MKT (mobile kitchen trailer), drinking the coffee the mess sergeant had just made and shooting the breeze. Then one soldier asked me about an article had seen written by a retired colonel saying that he expected American troops to suffer a 25%+ casualty rate in the upcoming war. "Since we're cavalry and the first ones in, what's our casualty rate going to be? 50%? 75%?" So we discussed the prospects of the coming war. No one wanted to admit they were afraid. No one directly said out loud what they were really worried about: bleeding out in the sand in this alien environment and never seeing their loved ones again. But I understood what those fears were and did my best to reassure them without whitewashing the situation. But here are the vital facts: No one complained. I mean, there was always the normal soldier b*tching about the dust, flies, food, MOPP gear, and so on. No one actually complained about the war itself or its dangers. No one shirked. No one held back. They all did what they had to do. My service was nothing special. But I'll always love and respect the guys I served with - and all those who serve. A belated Happy Veterans Day!

He gained 690 yards one season when he played a lot on a team with a legit passing attack. I though he might equal that here, given the opportunity: little competition at the position; great QB. He won't, and that leaves me disappointed. But he's a good team-player.

A long time ago when Frazier was Minnie's DC, I wanted him for our HC. Then the Vikes promoted him to HC, he failed, and I reassessed. Afterwards, Frazier did a short stint at Tampa and wasn't asked to return. He seemed to do mostly good work with Buffalo and the players seemed to like and respect him. But it's hard to say how much of that D was Frazier's and how much was McD's. Everything considered, I'd take Spags.

As someone who loves the Bills and is at this very moment wearing a "Just One Before I Die" sweatshirt, I hate myself for what I'm about to say. I know it was just one game, but I think the Ravens exposed us as paper lions. We just don't have the roster to beat the league's best teams. This is only the second time this year that I've gone into a game feeling we were going to lose. If we win, it'll be a much appreciated gift, but I'm not expecting it.

Spagnola is the right guy in the right place at the right time. I agree with much of what you say. But games are played by players and every coordinator struggles when he doesn't have good players on the field. It's true Spags was a bad head coach. But the last time he was a real full-time HC was 13 years ago. He may have learned something since. In any case, he plays a different role now. Spags success as a DC isn't owned by Spags alone. Reid builds the culture, authors the training schedule, and so on. But there's a saying that's been around since the pyramids that runs something like this, "It takes a village to build a SB team." Spags plays a vital role in that village. Any good team with good coaches can get lucky and win a Lombardi. The reason the Chiefs have won 3 recent SBs is because their village has Reid as the HC, Spags as the DC, and Mahomes as the QB. It's a deadly combo.

After all these years, I still don't really know what to say to that. No thanks are necessary but appreciated nonetheless. I give my thanks to all the guys who didn't come back alive and whole.

I thought this quote from the linked article was interesting. Does Dodson fit the Bills D better than the Hawk D? Do the Bills coaches do a better job of coaching guys and setting them up for success? HasDodson had personal, injury, motivational, or some other problems in Seattle?

I served my country because I believe in American values including the freedom of speech. I'm okay with Rich Eisen predicting the Bills would finish third. And I'm okay with you saying, "no thanks for your service." And I still thank you for posting a segment of The Rich Eisen show where they were all so very wrong in their predictions. It was amusing to watch.

I don't respect or disrespect people based on their football opinions. I went into war with Pats, Fins, and Jets fans. Respect for all those guys - especially today on Veteran's Day. But this is truly amusing. Thanks for posting.

Neither our offense, nor our defense, nor our special teams have played consistently good football this year. Yet, here were are.

This is an amazing stat. OJ may have been the best pure runner ever. Both he and Thurman are in the Hall of Fame as RBs. But Josh will end up with more rushing touchdowns and only a few of them are tush-pushes.

Can you blame me for thinking Bass might miss one???

The Bills were the Chiefs of their day (minus the rings) - the insurmountable AFC obstacle to getting to the SB.

It's weird. I don't even play golf. I have a screwed up back and can't twist without pain. But there's something about the mental & spiritual part of golf I find appealing which has led me to read books like The Legend of Bagger Vance and Golf in the Kingdom. As a non-golfing, non-kicking observer, it does seem there are strong parallels between FG kicking and golf.

I agree. But I think that's a consequence of the yips. You once had good technique but now your technique has become bad/inconsistent because of some mental issue. “Inside each and every one of us is one true authentic swing… Somethin’ we was born with… Somethin’ that’s ours and ours alone… Somethin’ that can’t be taught to ya or learned… Somethin’ that got to be remembered… Over time the world can rob us of that swing… It get buried inside us under all our wouldas and couldas and shouldas… Some folk even forget what their swing was like…” ~The Legend of Bagger Vance (Steven Pressfield)

Decent size. Strong. Very fast. The guy seems to have the physical tools.

How does a kicker go from good accuracy (Bass-O-Matic) to bad accuracy (Bass is still a big problem)? It's not age because he's still young. It's not physical talent because he's already demonstrated he possesses that. It's gotta be psychological, which is to say it's fixable. Maybe the game-winning 61-yarder cures the yips. Maybe it doesn't. Given the options available, I agree with Beane and McD in continuing to work with Bass through his issues for a little while more.

37.5 yard per reception in his career so far. If he keeps that up, I'll allow him a spot on the 53.

Offense: Kincaid become the focal point of the passing attack Defense: Groot makes life miserable for Flacco ST: Bass kicks a 61 yard FG to win the game

Whatever you think of Merriman, his praise for Bills fans was pretty cool.

I think of the shrimp cocktail as a relic of the 1970s - not really a thing anymore. It's weird that it's associated with Indy though the St. Elmo Steakhouse connection, I guess, explains it if that's one of the more famous dishes at one of Indy's more famous restaurants. I agree with Miyagi, if a town (especially a landlocked one) is claiming the shrimp cocktail as one of its signatures, it's probably not a foodie place.

Before the season began, I said the Bills would win the AFCE but bow out again in the playoffs before reaching the SB. I'm sticking with that as a prediction while hoping for something better.

The breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches made sense to me because there are a lot of pigs in Indiana. When AI told me shrimp cocktail was also big in Indiana, I discounted it. Indiana is far away from any ocean. But then I learned that there are a growing number of shrimp farms in the hoosier state, producing both saltwater and freshwater shrimp. So maybe it's legit to call the shrimp cocktail a regional food even if Indiana doesn't have an ocean and shrimp cocktails are served across the States.

I used AI and got this... Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich: Often considered the quintessential Indiana dish, this sandwich features a pounded, breaded, and fried pork tenderloin served on a bun. I graduated from Purdue and remember nothing about the Indianapolis or Indiana food scene.

Bills 27 Colts 20