The Dean

While I'm not a huge fan of the 17 game season, I don't think the "problem" with statistical records should even be a minor consideration. Sports leagues evolve and change. I've lived through the creation of the AFL alongside the NFL, the interleague play between the two, the merger of the leagues, the expansion of the league to include more teams, then more games. Every one of those moves has some impact on the statistical records. So what? Those are just individual stats. Football is a team game.

You certainly can decide to accept the socially negative definition of "mafia", rather than one of the positive/neutral definitions to the term you have already probably read about in this thread. That is your right. But I find it interesting that a sports fan would bristle at being associated with others simply due to what they perceive as a socially negative word. I'm not sure how someone like that could ever associate with/root for a team with the name of Raiders, Pirates or Buccaneers. I assume you could never root for the Buffalo Bandits. After all, they are bandits!

He was one ugly sommabitch. But Fagen made it. I mean SD, pretty much the entire band?

Celebration.

I can tell you this: At the bar where I watch the Bills, many Philly, Cowboy and other fans regularly stop by to watch a little bit of the game. Most every one of those guys is very interested in watching Allen. And a majority of them really believe he will be something special.

While I really have no interest in a discussion of celebrations, this was pretty cool. The best part, IMO is how good JK looks and sounds. Remarkable after all those surgeries.

We don't know squat about who he has seen. Just commenting that relying on the diagnosis/opinion of any company doctor is a risk some take, but should not, IMO. Get your own doctor to weigh in as well. Maybe two more in certain situations. That's the thing. If all agree, then you have a lot of confidence in what they are saying. If there is disagreement, especially for something like a hamstring, I'd operate on the side of caution.

I get your point. But given all the issues athletes have had by following questionable medical advice from the team doctor, I'd get at least a second opinion. But by this time in the season, nobody is really 100%---not those that play a lot, anyway. But yes. If the player is confident in his health, and has multiple medical opinions to back it, then he probably should play. If there is a question/disagreement/on-the-fence evaluation, I'd keep him out.

I don't have a recipe. I'm not a recipe guy, for the most part. I will tell you it isn't very complicated. I'm going from memory as (except for the quick sausage patty thing) I haven't done this in a few years. 1. Grind a pork butt once or twice, depending on the grinder and the texture you prefer in your sausage. Pick a nice piece of meat that is not too lean, but also not too fatty. Oh, and if you are grinding twice, you might want to spice the meat with step 2 before the second grind--if you have time, let it commingle for awhile before the regrind.. 2. Add some fennel seed, salt, garlic, pepper (I use a lot of red pepper in my hot sausage) and a bit of dry red wine. I like my sausage to be less salty and fatty than most, but very hot. So the amount of each depends on whether I'm making it just for myself or for others, as well. I don't use curing salt, just regular old sea salt. I NEVER add sugar. I'd only use paprika if it were a very good hot paprika. As for most of the stuff in the grocery store---that's just food coloring, and not needed, IMO. I've been known to toss in a bit of oregano and/or parsley. 3. Test a small patty (after cooking, of course). Make some spice adjustments, test another. Repeat until I'm satisfied. 4. Stuff into well rinsed natural casings (intestines). That's it. It's best to let them sit in the refrigerator for a day or so, before chowing down, but I usually start digging right in. There are other, fancier, more complicated recipes and I've had some sausage that was quite unusual. But this is the style of sausage I was raised on as a couple relatives made sausage like this. Also similar to Scipione's in Niagara Falls. If/when I get a new machine, I might try making some small changes to make a Scime's Market (North Buffalo) style. It's slightly different, but it's very good.

I get that. I still love cooking, even for myself. But it's the cleaning up I hate. That's a bit nicer when you have someone to share the workload worth. (Not nice enough for me to actually live with somebody, though.) Tonight's Thai inspired stir fry. Better than it looks, and WAY hotter: Realized after I made it, I had forgotten to add the basil (sitting right there on a paper towel--out of camera range).. WTF? It's Thai basil chicken, for Christ's sake!

I used to regularly make my own Italian sausage. (With the help of The Senator, we'd also make some Polish.) But I no longer have the grinder/stuffer. Sometimes I'll make patties using ground pork. Fortunately an Italian friend of mine makes some that tastes quite a bit like mine (only not as hot!). And I should be embarrassed to post this, but I'm not, somehow. The Greenwise Italian Chicken Sausage at Publix has become a real staple in my kitchen. Way, way better than their pork Italian sausage, IMO. And I'm a huge pork fan.

I'm completely against 18 games. At least not unless they significantly expand rosters. I'm completely against no preseason. You think the first game or two are unwatchable now? Just wait until there is ZERO preseason. Coaches hate this as well. Now they probably don't need 4 preseason games, so I could see cutting back one, or many two. So I could live with 17 games I suppose. But as people have noticed, who gets the extra home game? This seems like an issue that will need a very creative approach to work. Best solution, IMO, is to expand the playoffs just a bit. That should give the greedy owners the extra boost they crave.

You guys sound a lot like my group of friends. Basically, we just never got caught because even though we were degenerates we were competent. And very few things are better than cruising a grocery store while shrooming---well from what I remember anyway. I bet you are wrong. Of course many who contribute aren't in the group, but you make the mistake of judging a book by its cover, I think. No kidding! If the word "mafia" bothers you, you are giving too much power to the word. And you aren't really giving the power to the word (if you really understood what "mafia" actually means), you are giving power to an interpretation of the word that was warped by criminals. So silly, really.

The demise of the local butcher really is a sad thing. We finally got a small (limited inventory) butcher with exceptional product. They are a side project of a local farm-to-table restaurant, that gets rave reviews. Pricy, but worth every penny. With that said, I typically pick up a nice big steak, or small roast, and ask the store butcher to grind it for me. I like to know exactly what the beef is. I don't want "95% lean" if it's round, as I despise round in a burger. Tell me what the product the ground meat is made or, in addition to the fat content. In those instances where I really want a burger but there is no butcher on duty, I'll get ground sirloin and mix it with ground chuck.

I was a terrible kid drummer (but a respectable piano player, at the time). But I was shocked how good Ginger's interview really was. For him to go through some of those basic rudiments must have been a bit of torture. Credit to the interviewer who kept pushing him. But rudiments aren't meant to entertain on their own (as I'm sure you know). Other than being seriously stoned, this may be one of Baker's best interviews---at least among those I've seen.

I'm shocked Ginger is still alive. All hail Ginger Baker!

For me it's typically a Ribeye (bone in is my favorite). I also can really enjoy a NY Strip, a Filet or other cuts. But Ribeye is my go to. Can't have a grill at my current location (but I'll be moving soon). So cast iron grill it is. Here's one I took a pick of as I put it away.

Love it!

It's the 4th game of the season. Labeling it a "must win" stips the term of any specific meaning. In no way whatsoever is this "Must Win" game.

That would be awesome. But at Marv's age, I really hope he isn't driving. Belicheat won't just have ONE strategy, he will have multiple options. And he will make adjustments at halftime. But because the Bills don't have an entrenched offensive identity at this point, the lack of a consistent approach could work to the Bills' advantage. IMO the key to this game will be execution. Big surprise there, right?

So he's a friend of Gugny?

There are several ways to combat this. But i think the simplest for a guy like Joe B (and his audience) would be to remove the two/three longest and two/three shortest drop backs, and look at the average of those. My guess is, it would do little to Dalton's numbers but significantly reduce Josh's time holding the ball. But even with that, it's not really a good stat, IMO. I saw that article and wondered what the hell he was seeing.

I am so fu#$ing PROUD to say, I have absolutely no clue who this is or what it refers to.

There seem to be quite a few still around: http://www.shurfinebrand.com/locations/ Use the search function.

Can't it be both? As this is his 1st HC job, I expect he is learning and growing. Hopefully he will continue to do so for several years. With that said, the team is also more talented this year, and he is taking advantage of that talent.