Buftex

And this week! The majority of the commentary I saw on the Bills/Lions game, outside the Buffalo area media, centered on their kicker missing 3 field goals (which is pretty bad, I admitt) or the laser guy... nobody seems to be wanting to give the Bills much credit. I have been clamoring for more Gragg since last season...I don't hate Chandler, like some, but I think given the opportunity to grow, Gragg has the potential to be a much better player than Chandler has ever been...just needs more opportunities. From what I have read (mostly via FF blogs) Orton likes to rely pretty heavily on the tight ends to catch passes...Gragg could emerge if that continues...

Its' not you that is chopped liver...it is Scott Chandler...

If you ever get a chance to see Junior Brown live, run don't walk...he will knock your socks off!

Bump Bump

I don't love flyinig, but it is more the comfort thing (I am a big-dude) than a fear thing. This may not be practical advice, but it works for me: I get very little sleep the night before I fly. I am almost always able to fall asleep on the plane... if you can't do that, bring a good book... don't think about the flight, just the book.

Hey Sabres fans...casual or hard-core: Just a "heads up". Time Warner Cable (and I assuming any other cable/satallite provider that offers it) is having a free Center Ice preview. Normally, these run the first two weeks of the season. So, I think this will end on 10/19. In case you are interested, here is the Sabres schedule during that period: Thursday (10/9)- Columbus Blue Jackets @PEGULAVILLE SABRES (7pm) Saturday (10/11)- Pegualville Sabres @CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (8:30 pm) Monday (10/13)- Anaheim Ducks @PEGULAVILLE SABRES (3pm) Tuesday (10/14)- Pegulaville Sabres @CAROLINA HURRICANES (7:30pm)- ***this one is on NBC Sports*** Friday (10/17)- Florida Panters @PEGULAVILLE SABRES (7pm) Saturday (10/18)- Boston Bruins @PEGULAVILLE SABRES (7pm) **all times Eastern Pegula Time!

There was a time when they were a really great band. Right up through "Superstar Carwash", which, coincidentally, was produced by the great Paul Westerberg. They were a critical success, but not a financial success. I remember, not long after, when they started having some mainstream success with some insipid power ballad type song from a movie soundtrack, there was a little one-off interview with Rzeznik in, I think, Rolling Stone. He pretty much said, in no uncertain terms, that he was conscious of the fact that the band was "selling out", and had come to personal terms with it. His justification, which is more common sense than it is "so rock-n' roll" was, essentially saying they had been at it for a long time, all the guys were married and having children...they were getting too old, and had too many responsibilities to be doing club tours all over the US, sleeping in Roadway Inn's, or on somebodys couch in every city...Rzeznik said growing up, making music was his chosen career (I used to buy pot from the bass player, in college!)...the band had all talked about hanging it up, and trying to get "real jobs", but he felt like even then, he was a trained "rock star" of no success...it was his trade, like an electrician or plummer. So when corporations like the NFL (and so many others) were waiving huge money in their faces to perform at corporate events, and to record, essentially, anthems for product, he considered it his responsibiltiy to his family to cast aside his aversions to those kind of things, and do what was best for his family. I am not making excuses for them at all, and I haven't purcahsed one of their records in close to 25 years, but I was just struck by how honest he was about the whole thing..and while I think the new music "blows chunks", I have been around great, struggling musicians my whole life...I can't really knock them for going for the money when it is offered. I don't like their music any more, but I have a certain amount of respect...As the Forgotten Rebels used to sing..."Rock-n' Roll's A Hard Life".

I happen to feel pretty good about this coming weeks' game. Sure, the Pats bounced back nicely against the Bengals last week, but I am still not convinvced the Bills can't beat them. They are kind of like those Bills teams of 94-96. They were so used to winning, and could still "get it up' from time to time, but they were a shadow of their former great selves. Man, I wish I could be at that game on Sunday! I don't think 4-3 in that 7 game stretch is out of the question.

Awesome theme song for the upcoming "Breaking Bad" spin-off, "Better Call Saul". Lyrics by Vince Gilligan...performed by the incomperable Junior Brown!

Stinky hippie!

Ugh...I guess McFadden has been "ok" so far, but like you said, the Raiders are awful. I think I would stick with Bush, or pick-up Bell. The Lions offense (despite what we saw this past Sunday) is a lot more explosive than the Raiders...I actually like Bell a little more than Bush, but both guys are good receivers, Bell has a little edge as a runner IMO...plus, McFadden can't possibly go much longer without getting hurt...can he?

I have to admit, I have not seen a ton of Lions games over the last 2-3 years..normally just the Thanksgiving game, and maybe an odd MNF game here or there. Watching the game Sunday, I came away, really dis-liking that team. Normally, I feel a certain kin-ship with teams like the Lions, who have a similar frustrating history as the Bills...I always pull for the Browns, or Bengals when they aren't playing the Bills. I naturally felt that kinship with the Lions, but what a dirty team. I came away hating them, almost I hate the Seahawks for similar reasons. Dirty, chippy team. Perhaps carrying Schwartz off the field was a little over the top, but if it bonds that team together, I am all for it.

You never know here...there have been weeks where the Cowboys or Texans play a 4pm game (3pm here!) and they are the only game on that network that day...so you get the pre-game show, about 3 hours of infomercials, and then the 4pm game.

A great point, which is rarely, if ever brought up. Not sure exactly what the Bills salary cap situation will look like next off-season, but if they choose to re-sign Spiller (something that doesn't seem as certain as I thought it once was), Darues (a must, I say) and Jerry Hughes, they are going to need some extra cash dollars. Add to that, it might not be a bad idea for them to think about some more quality (not quantity) depth along the O-line... Even if they had their #1 pick May, I am still not sure the Bills would be looking to draft a QB in the first round, again, in 2015. I think all the fretting and hand-wringing about this trade is rediculous...unless Watkins turns out to be a complete bust. And I don't think that will happen.

It is true...they did away with the CBS/AFC and FOX/NFC affiliations this year. As I recall, it was becaue FOX (with good reason I think) raised a stink about CBS getting the Thursday night games, as well as their pick of the primo matchups on Sunday afternoon. The way the schedule is, when FOX has the doubleheader, under the old rules, they might be forced to show, say, a Tampa Bay and Arizona game, with the pool of games watered down so much by the three prime-time games. FOX is paying a ****-ton of money to broadcast. BTW- does anybody know which network has the double-header this weekend? Where I live, we get the Cowboys and Texans every week, plus one other game...Texans play on Thursday night this week, and the Cowboys have the later game on FOX... just wondering my chances of getting the Bills/Pats game...tv listings here just say TBA

Relax people... don't get too far ahead of yourselves... As the great Merle Haggard once sang, "I'm always on a mountain when I fall..."

Jeezus... I can never tell if you are serious or yanking our chains half the time....there are plenty of reasons to doubt anything...

Jeepers..this place is getting to be a drag, even after a great win...

Crazy busy weekend for me....working the UT Longhorns football game...get out around 4:30pm...then head straight to the park to work at the Austin City Limits Festival...been here since 5am, will get home, hopefully, around midnight...

Yeah, I know Hopkins is the better player...but I can only start 3 WR's (one as a FLEX) on any given week...I have 4 great ones (so far) and 1 pretty good one. I only have one RB (McCoy) who is a legit starter. West is likely to lose time, as he really didn't do much as a starter, and now Tate is back, and Isiah Crowell, it seems, has overtaken him on the Browns depth chart. Our league is pretty active, as far as the wavier wires go...not often that anything slips by anyone, especially at RB. Right now, my best waiver wire options are Antone Smith (Falcons) and Darrell Young (#2 guy for the Washington football team!) It ain't pretty... Richardson is averaging about 11 pts a week...that would make him my best running back, stat wise... Guess I will hold off another week...

Thinking about pulling the trigger on this trade: I get: Trent Richardson (coming on in recent weeks) I give up: DeAndre Hopkins (has been great so far this season...but who knows when Fitz downward spiral starts?) I know, production wise, for this season, it sounds like a bad deal. I have a very strong group of receivers (Jordy Nelson, Victor Cruze, Jeremy Maclin, Hopkins, and James Jones). My RB's suck, to put it mildly (Shady McCoy, Doug Martin, Ryan Matthews (Chargers) and Terrence West). In a couple of weeks, I have both McCoy and Martin on the bye...truth is, beyond McCoy (who has been only so-so to awful so far this season) I don't have anyone else I can even be sure will get the most carries on their team from week to week... my receivers have all been on fire...Hopkins, stat wise, has been the most consistant, but I have yet to start him even once. Trent Richardson has put up very good numbers the last two weeks, which makes me think he may, finally, be paying some dividends for the Colts. I like guys from high powered offenses, in general. Not sure how long a guy like Hopkins (who is awesome) can keep it up with Fitz throwing him the ball. What do you think?

I guess that worked out well!

Great trade for you!

You have been SRV'd!

I was at the game at Giants stadium when he hooked up with Fitz on that 80+ yarder... thought we had our new "hometown hero". Glad he is back! I don't know if it is mere coincidence, or by design, but Whaley seems to like the notion of having guys with WNY ties, on the team. Beside being good players, I wonder if their Buffalo roots had anything do to with Whaley going after Corey Graham and Mike Williams. I guess it couldn't have hurt...