Buftex

There have been more than a few times, since the series ended, where I wondered why the ended it. I know, everyone wants to go out "on top" (and it really did), but it seems like Giliagan, Aaron Paul, and now Cranston have all expressed a desire to somehow be involved with the show in the future.... I remember when the first news came out about the new "Better Call Saul" series, coming this fall on AMC. It was initially described as a half-hour comedy...a sit-com, and Vince Gilligan would have some involvement, but not like he did with "Breaking Bad." Then, a few months later, when news of casting for the show came out, it was starting to be descibed as an hour long "dramady", and then came news that Jonathan Banks (Mike) would be in the new show...rumors about Giancarlo Esposito reprising the Gus Fring role...Aaron Paul, enthusiastically proclaims that he would love the opportunity to play Jessie Pinkman again...all of the sudden, Vince Gilligan is getting way more involved with the day to day stuff on the show than was ever intended, because he "just loves the characters so much"...and now, Bryan Cranston hinting that there could be more Heisenberg adventures in the future... This would all, normally, leave me skeptical about any future show, or movie, or whatever...but the quality of the original is so good, I have no doubt, if they ever did revisit Walter White and company, it would be done right, and be the highest quality. Not saying I am pining for it (it really was damn near perfect story arc), but you bet, I would tune in... it is kind of refreshing, in some ways, to see that all of these people appreciate how great they had it, and realize how important their involvement on that show was to their careers. You will get no Gandolfini/Nimoy chatter from any of the "Breakig Bad" folks...the only major player I have heard say he would have no desire to be involved in future "Breaking Bad" related projects was Dean Norris (Hank). He said something like "it's over, I want to move on, I don't like living in the past". Too bad, because his character would probably lend itself as well to any earlier Saul Goodman stories, as any other character...certainly more than Walter White. You almost get the feeling that they committed themselves to "doing it right" with this show, had such a blast in the process, and then were sorry they committed themselves to ending it when they did.

So, I did a little research... I believe you are factually wrong on all of this Trump as USFL owner. Trump was the original owner of the Generals, while the league was still being conceptualized, but backed out, and J Walter Duncan was the first owner of the team, when they actually started building the team. Trump, apparently, felt he had too many other financial responsibilities to deal with at the time, in dealing with the construction of Trump Towers. It was under Duncan that the Generals obtained Herschal Walker. Trump purchased the team from Duncan in 1984. So please, stop accusing people with opinions of making up facts, when you keep doing it yourself. In fact, if anything, your fabricated argument only re-enforces the notion that Trump would not be an ideal owner. He did make a ton of moves with the Generals upon arriving..fired everyone, singed Brian Sipe away from the Browns for, at the time, an absurd amount of money. Sipe took them from being a 6-12 team, to 14-4. But the next year, Trump/Generals drafted Flutie, and shipped Sipe off to the Jacksonville Showboats (or whatever the !@#$ they were called). Other USFL owners had grave concerns, because he blew the leagues salary structure, spending more on two players, than the other teams were spending on their entire rosters... he basically raised the bar so high, that the league couldn't succeed with its' original mission, to establish a spring/summer pro football league. It almost seems to me (WARNING: this is my intellectual interpretation OC, and not be stated as absolute fact), that Trump was either too impatient, or incapable of playing by the same rules as everyone else, and hijacked the USFL to use as a tool to fast-track himself into NFL ownership. If you ever see the ESPN USFL documentary, they go into this stuff a bit more in depth. From that, it was pretty clear that some of those USFL owners were no big fan of Donald Trump as a partner. To me, his short history in the USFL conjures up images of the worst of Dan Snyder or George Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner had his championship rings, but the NFL makes it much more difficult to purchase championships than MLB does. So, the tools that Trump used to flip the USFL Generals fortunes around in 1984, simply don't exist in the NFL in 2014. http://www.usfl.info/generals/

Jeez...how did I forget about Kyle Williams? I am slipping... Yer probably right about Spiller...but remember, this is voted on by the players. Byrd did make the Pro Bowl again, as I recall. I could be mis-reading things, but it seemed like Byrds' free-agency situation had a lot of players around the league interested in him, and heard a number of players from different teams express how great he was... voicing their solidarity with him. Most likely as much to pressure him not to sign for less to stay in Buffalo... singing an insane deal somewhere else, only raises the going rate for everyone else, when and if their time comes.

Kelly Willis, one of the greatest singers alive, a swampy version of "Harper Vallery PTA" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-7z1SCd34U

Not that it means a thing, but I wonder who else from Buffalo makes the list... I would presume Mario makes it... wonder about Spiller or (ex-Bill) Jairus Byrd. Of course, EJ is a lock....

Ex-Buffalo Bill tight end, Jason Peters comes in at #67...

Crappy endings have ruined many a good film.

I can agree with that... but I don't think the addition of Stevie is going to make Harbaugh a lot more reliant on the pass. They have a pretty nice (or at least intriguing) running backs too.

I think Brandon has done a really great job, under all the circumstances. I would wait to see how this year plays out, before being too definitive about Brandon, or Whaley, for that matter. I am actually a little more concerned with Marrone, but jury is still out on him, for me. They have me feeling pretty optimistic about this teams' future, on the field. Of course, if Golisano does, in fact, become the owner, they will get this year, at least, maybe next year too.

Is Russ enodorsing Golisano? Are there plenty of porta-potties close by? Then I am all in!

Of course, if he has money he is a viable option...just not the preferred one for some of us. I haven't seen anyone argue otherwise. I know you would prefer Pegula to Trump (you told me, remember?), but what is with all the verbal masturbation in making Trumps' case? You are making your usual argument of people trying to disguise opinion as fact, but you are doing the exact same thing. I know, it is the game you like to play, and I feel a fool for, once again, getting lured into it... troll extrodonaire!

May be all well and true OC, but lets put it in a way that you might understand....if I have two guys with a lot of money who can both afford to buy the team I love, and one is a loutish ass-hole, and the other, equally wealthy, behaves like an adult, I am probably going with the one who behaves like an adult. Style points! It has absolutely nothing to do with politics. I wouldn't want Michael Moore owning the Bills any more than Trump. Is it a coincidence that everyone who is pro-Trump in this thread, tends to lean right? I would say, your opinions of Trump as Bills owner, are no less tainted by politics than anyone who doesn't want him owning the team. Hell, I find the whole fracking industry pretty repulsive, as it is now, but I would still be 100% behind Pegula owing the Bills.

I am not sure about that. As I recall, the 49ers were dead last in the NFL in pass attempts last season, and the year before. Or maybe it was 31 of 32. The 49ers and Seahawks have been in the last two spots for two seasons, by a long shot...as I recall hearing, the #30 team each year had 50+ more passing attempts than either Seattle or San Francisco. They are the "cream of the crop" teams in the NFL right now... Harbaugh seems to be very much a run first guy...perhaps the addition of Stevie will tempt him to air it out a little more, but I don't think that is part of their philosophy. So, Stevie may be on a better team, that wins more games...but it is very likely he will have fewer opportunities than he did in Buffalo. Maybe that is a better situation...but he will have to make the best of the opportunities he gets.

There are plenty of reasons he wouldn't keep them in Buffalo. If there wasn't we all wouldn't have had this collective anxiety about the future of the franchise for the last 20 years or so. Buffalo is awesome...but it doesn't necessarilly have a huge, built in fan base with people waiting years to qualify to purchase season tickets. This isn't Chicago, New York, or even Green Bay. Buffalo has its' own unique factors to deal with, that any owner has to be somewhat resigned to. Part of what has made Trump successful, is buying and flipping things, to a healthy profit. He would never lose money on an NFL franchise, but even if everything went right, there will always (at least in ours and Trumps lifetime) more profitable markets than WNY to own an NFL team. He may be true to his word, and keep the team in Buffalo, but I just don't see him as a long-term owner. And, if he decided to sell, would a good businessman, with no ties to the area, really feel obligated to sell them to somebody with the priority of keeping them in WNY? And to the point that you make about him "not settling for 14 years of losing".... somebody else made this counter-point earlier in this thread, and I think it was an excellent point... how many GM's and coaches have the Bills gone through in the last 14 years? Is firing everyone, and starting over always the best option?

My tastes in movies are all over the place... If I had to pick one movie: "Jaws" I have seen it probably a dozen times all the way through, and many more in bits and pieces on cable over the years...one of those movies I can never pry myself away from. I have owned about 4 different dvd/blu-ray releases of it over the years...it is about as perfect a movie as I can think of. Suspenseful, scary, great acting, great writing... the movie that started the "summer blockbuster" era of Hollywood...nothing has come close since, in my book. Others I would consider on a particular day: Planet Of the Apes (the original with Heston) Star Wars (the first one, the only one that matters IMO) To Kill a Mockingbird City Of God They Shoot Horses Don't They Diner Birdy Leaving Las Vegas Reds Short Cuts Afterhours Goodfellas Godfather Godfather II

For some reason, the computer I am using right now has difficulty downloading stories from the Buffalo News....I was going by the headline, and comments from others...thanks for setting me straight.... Trump moves back down a peg!

And that is what scares me about him. When he buys the Buffalo Bills, truly realizes what a gold mine he is sitting on, and begins to realize how much more money he can make elsewhere, or by selling them to someone else who doesn't give a flip about Buffalo... it just seems, as it stands right now, anyone buying this team, and keeping it in Buffalo, has to be willing to accept the fact that they could make more money elsewhere, and not act on that impulse. Trump saying he would build his own stadium is a move in the right direction... but given his ongoing feud with NY state politicians (justified or not), you can't help but wonder if it is just another attempt to rile somebody up, and get in another war of words.

Okay... so now I am reading that Trump is willing to put up his own money to build a new stadium... I am liking him a little more... still have major reservations, but if he stuck to his guns on this, that would show a level of commitment that I have been leery about with him. The earlier article I read, he kind of warned that he would make a reasonable offer, but wouldn't overpay for the team. That was in contrast to things he said a few weeks ago about his success in winning bidding wars. So, if he makes a smaller offer for the team, but agrees to finance a stadium, will the Wilson's accept that? That comes from them. Will they take less? With the way this deal is being brokered, can they accept less, if they are willing too? 'My favorites are still Pegula, Jacobs or Golisano (of the names being mentioned), but his willingness to fund a new stadium moves Trump up a peg. Of course, my natural suspicion of the guy is still there..as, does he already know that he isn't a serious contender to own the team, realizes there are a lot of folks who don't care for him...so now he is just throwing whatever it is out there, to get some meaningless groundswell of support....to have some vocal supporters....to feel needed and wanted, by someone? The fact that his actual wealth has been questioned by so many, makes me kind of wonder too... why would people, who have much more knowledge of this kind of thing, be publically questioning if he has the money to buy the team? Jealousy? Maybe... but still strikes me as odd.

I don't know, I think there is some merit to the claim...but Stairway is such an epic song, with so many different sections, it would be hard to quantify how much of it they ripped off. Or, maybe more accurately, how much of what they ripped off makes up the song "Stairway to Heaven". But, as I remember from the George Harrison case, the question is really, how much the part "stolen" makes up the piece that came first. I would say, based on that, Randy California has a case. That Keep in mind, Led Zeppelin, as much as I like them, have a long history (seems to fall more on Page than Plant) of being accused of plagiarism... Jack Bruce has made similar claims....and I don't know how the band, with a straight face, can say that they haven't ripped off some of the great blues masters. Sure, Best Player Available points out, the whole British blues movement from the 60's was, essentially doing the same thing..but the Stones, Animals, Yardbirds, Cream, etc etc all gave songwriting credits, and royalties to the originals. Plant & Page have been defiant in their failure to acknowledging that they lifted, or borrowed, a few things from the world, over the years. In their minds, they invented the blues... if that means they won't have to pay anyone else.

I want Donald Trump as owner, and you should too! Definitely cringe inducing.

Not if you do it four times....I suppose than you have mastered it!

Is that you Mr Trump? Yeah, Donald Trump never fails... except when filing for four bankruptcies. I would never feel secure that Trump would keep the Bills in Buffalo at all costs. He tends to run into money issues now and again... Point #8 shows that you don't really have an understanding with what went on with Golisano and the Sabres. I honestly don't want an owner that is a blow hard...he can talk alll the smack he wants, but will only look pathetic if his team can't deliver...I know the Jerry Jones comparisons are over-done, but that is the kind of owner you are wanting? I got a chuckle out of the Trump article today. He says that he believes that NFL owners will respect him, and will know from his USFL experience, that he can run a sports franchise. Not sure how he figures that...it was he that wanted to push the league to the fall, before it was even close to ready....I am sure he was smart enough to know it would never work, but he wanted an NFL team of his own, and tried to force the issue. He killed that league, for his own self interests. Did he really think he could force the mighty NFL, even at that time, to add all the USFL teams, in some sort of forced merger? If Trump ends up owning the Bills (I still can't take him seriously) it won't keep me from pulling for this team...but he is about #7 on my list of potential owners.

For some reason, this quote from Trump, in the Buffalo News article today, just struck me as funny...like somethign from the Onion. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in Buffalo. If the price isn’t the right price, then I won’t get it, and I won’t be ashamed of it … But if I get it, I think I’ll probably do a good job.”' http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/trump-says-he-plans-to-make-a-bid-to-buy-the-bills-20140527?two-bills-drive

I remember right after George Harrison was sued for plagerizing the melody of the Ronettes classic "Be My Baby" for his hit "My Sweet Lord". He lost the case, and claimed any similarities were from the subconscious.... a few months later National Lampoon did a terrific "History of the Beatles" issue...inside they started lampooning their solo careers...George's "Living In the Material World" was re-named "Lifting Material From the World"! Plagerism suits in music are nothing new, and often they are won, and few remember. If you look at a copy of the Rolling Stones "Bridges to Babylon" album, the song "Anybody Seen My Baby" is credited to Jagger-Richards-Lange-Mink. Legend has it, Jaggers' daughter told him that the new Stones song sounded "just like" the KD Lange hit, "Constant Craving". Upon further review, Mick & Keith heard the similarity, and went to KD Lange and told her of the similarity. They gave her a song writing credit (along with Ben Mink, her co-writer) that she didn't have to sue for. I have KD say that is one of the greatest thrills of her career..and she didn't have to do a thing for it!

Oona...she was the hottest of all, to me... Gorgeous! So, what, she wouldn't do more nude scenes, so they killed her off? For you book readers, was she killled in the book? I thought I had read that she survived the red wedding in the novel...