kclor

If we win, I think the best we can do is 8th and the worst is 12th.

Shawne Merriman just tweeted that he is on his way to Buffalo and Jason LaConforna confirmed that he will be reporting today.

No. No. No. Don't be silly. He is only like the 2nd worst. Cornell Green is far worse. Oh wait -- he's on the Bills too? Why are we 0-6?

His hands cannot be worse than any TE we've had for the last 10 years!

Tight end. Very athletic and fast. I'd try him there.

They took $120 off the NFL Tix; removed my HD charge for 6 mos; and credited me $20 per month for 6 mos off the premier package. They also added two new HD receivers and installed everything, including the new "SWIM" network for free ($3 per month for SWIM access). I guess "SWIM" gives each receiver the On Demand and allows every receiver, even non-DVR receivers, to access the playlist of every other DVR receiver. You only need one cable now to each receiver and you can record multiple programs while watching something else. Sounds good. They are coming 7/26.

Exactly. The NFL knows when the AP votes -- they do it the same time every year. They certainly knew Cushing was the leading candidate to win. Just puts the journalist in a tough position -- that's all.

Good. The NFL allowed the AP to vote already knowing Cushing had failed. If the NFL does not care then why should the AP? There should have never been a re-vote in the first place. The NFL put the AP voters in an awful ethical dilemma and the AP just pushed back. I have no problem with it. Let the NFL deal with having the AP DROY on HCG -- not the AP's fault.

After the combine, no way he lasts until #9. This guy is an athletic freak and I am sure he will test off the charts.

No -- I agree it is a lot of money to us and me. You are absolutely right about slotting being a range and Maybin could very well squeeze extra money out of the Bills. However, if Crabtree settles for lower than expected, Maybin could lose money on that range. I guess my point was more about motivation. The agent is looking to next year's class at this point and Maybin probably needs to get more involved if he wants to get in anytime soon. Also, I do not think the guaranteed money will change regardless of what Crabtree does. Moreno did not use Maybin as an excuse and did get his deal done. How does Arrington and Maybin's agent explain that? Did Moreno settle for less? Could he have gotten an extra $500k by waiting? Possibly. But he could have also lost money. Your point is a good one-- we are talking about real money -- if it is guaranteed. I just do not think there is any proof that waiting through camp and having the picks around you sign first leads to more guaranteed money (ask Derrick Harvey). All it really does is protect the agent's ability to recruit next year's class by making sure their numbers are in line and that he cannot be criticized by other agents for caving.

Ridiculous. Rookie contracts are slotted and valued at the amount of guaranteed money -- as opposed to overall possible value. Maybin's floor is set. His position of DE and his specialty of "pass rusher" has also had its parameters defined. We know what the 11th pick (some CB from Troy?) got last year and we know the percent increase in contracts on average for the 1st round and the percent that the cap has gone up. The "wait" has nothing to do with Maybin -- his value is set and will be 5 years with at around $18 mill guaranteed (the total number is irrelevant, but if you need one it should be $29 to $31 mill). The "wait" has to do with his agent's ability to attract first year talent next year. If Crabtree's deal does not fall in line, then Maybin's deal will be perceived as low and other agents will use it against Maybin's agent next year when recruiting first-round talent. Bottom line -- there is no end in sight until Maybin tells his agent to get it done! So running for cover due to a situation completely in his control seems cowardly at best. I hope he has more will, conviction and substance on the field.

That's about the truth. 99.9% of the mocks are regurgitated from what those "mockers" read on some website. It is basically unchecked plagiarism. They base their analysis on what they are told or a summary of what they read, and then they have the audacity to blast picks that professional scouts make. It is similar to my wife, not a doctor, thinking the kids have an ear infection because she read the symptoms in a magazine and then criticizing our doctor when she, a licensed pediatrician, says it is just a cold. These so-called draft gurus blast day one "curveballs" not because the pick is wrong for the team, but because it IS BAD FOR THEIR BUSINESS. Most, if not all, are not even qualified to select talent for my Pop Warner Team, yet we take their analysis as gospel. I'll admit it, I've seen Justice and Ngata play once, I've never seen McCargo or Bunkley play and I have seen Whitner and Yubouty play three times. I noticed Whitner and Yobouty. I did not notice Justice at all and Ngata sucked the game I saw him play. I guess that qualifies me to have my own draft scouting service. Maybe I could take that on-line course I hear about on WGR and then I will be a certified draftologist or something. The best are these "grades". How do you exactly grade a pick? Isn't that like grading an exam by evaluating the quality and order of the questions? Also, can't these idiots at least wait for the full body of work -- we still have 6 picks left. Donahoe got lambasted for passing on Walker and taking Clements, for picking McGahee when we had Henry and "reaching" for Evans who did not creep into the first round on many mock drafts until the last week. This seemed to work out much better than "sure thing" Williams at #4 as reported by every so-called draft guru in the land at the time. BTW, didn't Carolina get heckled that year for taking Peppers, an undersized DE, before Harrington, a can't miss franchise QB? Bottom line -- we got three players who will either start or contribute heavily this season. Also, I am not an apologist. I liked Sherman over Jauron and would have rather had a GM with some experience. However, if this is a going to be a bad draft, let it be bad because the players flop -- not because some mock geek's big board and top 10 selections got messed up for next year's draft guide marketing campaign.

Some light reading. Enjoy the article and check out those graphics!!! http://sports.ign.com/articles/660/660453p1.html

Well . . . they and three other teams. Under the new CBA, the lottery for draft selection order will be weighted. Based on the new formula, the Sabres and three other teams have three balls and the best chance to get the number one pick. Wouldn't that be something? http://tsn.ca/nhl/feature.asp?fid=7314

What's next -- an outbreak of hairy palms??? http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-0...da-viagra_x.htm

When I went, 96-99, there was a good mix of Buffalo residents, NYC residents and out-of-staters. Like any other law school, if you do well (top 30%), you'll have little problem finding a job. My biggest complaint was the career services office ("CSO"). My wife went to Cornell law and took a semester at UB as a visiting student. She admitted that UB's courses, currciulum and adjunct staff were superior to Cornell. However, the CSO was/is a joke compared to top tier schools. At UB, you have to be very proactive to get a good job. Things like law review, moot court and resume services are a must if you want to get an interview with a top firm. Still, some of the best times I had were in law school. But for the student poverty factor, I'd go back in a second!

I have always found the following quote very instructive: "It is better to say nothing and have people think you are a fool, than to open your mouth and erase all doubt." Thanks though.

I graduated from UB Law School in 1999. It is located in O'Brian Hall on North Campus in Amherst, which is a very nice suburb. South Campus, where the med school is located, is near East Buffalo. The "East Side" has some issues the further you travel up Bailey. The Law School itself is pretty nice and includes an actual courthouse. The 4th department appellate division holds court there every so often. Hope you check it out.

The NHL and NHLPA met until about 6:00 and agreed to meet again this week. http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=112635 Good news? Let's hope so.

Go to a tool rental place and rent a electric bathtub snake. They cost about $20.00. It is well worth it. You can do all of your drains while you have it. Liquids and gels provide only a short term solution.