Buftex

I don't necessarily have a second favorite team, but I do enjoy watching certain players...I think, non-Bills, John Elway and Brett Favre have provided me with some pretty great football memories. I always kind of thought of the Broncos as my second favorite team, always pulled for them when they got clobbered in the Super Bowl...but it is really just Elway I liked. When Josh McDaniel coached the team, I hated them... I also have an affinity (though won't necessarily call them my second favorite team) for tough luck teams like the Bills, such as Cleveland and Cincinnati. Similar kinds of cities to Buffalo, similar kinds of fans, who, unfortuanately for them, were born in the blood of some terrible franchises. The Bengals were my team going into the playoffs this year...but now, pulling for the Panthers most (I like Cam), but would be fine with any other teams winning the whole thing, unless they reside in Foxboro, or are coached by ultra-douche bag coaches Jim Harbaugh or Pete Carroll. I sometimes think my dislike of other teams is much stronger than my like for any other teams. Bills all the way....

What is funny, during the final weeks of the season, when Shannahan's firing was considered a sure thing, there were rumors that Snyder wanted to fire Kyle Shannahan and Haslett, and retain Mike Shanahann. Curious as to wether Gruden chose to retain these guys, or they were forced on him..if it is the latter, it might not be a good thing for him. Personally, I think it is not a bad hire for Washington. Jay Gruden may only be John's brother, but he has been around the game, in many facets, just as long..he will have something to prove. I think the did a pretty great job with Cincinnati...and Washington, while not as loaded as Cincy offensively, has some decent pieces in place. They need another receiver or two...but they have a talented TE (Jordan Reed) and a good running game...and Kirk Cousins, in my book, is no slouch, should RGIII not bounce back. I think he will.

Will be interesting to see what happens now. Can't say that I have a strong feeling on Tim Murray one way or the other, but I do like that he is somewhat in tune with the leauge, as it is right now. Not a knock on LaFonataine and Ted Nolan, just good to have somebody who is actively involved in the league in the mix. Will be curious to see what the game plan is the rest of the way...do they trade Miller now? He is as likely as valuable as he ever will be right now (playing lights out fantastic, Olympic team) but does that give them more reason to keep him or trade him. There have been rumors that they are trying to trade Enroth..which would seem to indicate they are going to re-committ to Miller... but those are only rumors, and we now haven't had a GM for the last few months.... I can't overstate enough how much more enjoyable this team is to watch (win or lose) since the LaFontaine/Nolan hires, than it had been for the last two years or so. But, I am confused as to what they are doing...trying to scramble for a final playoff spot (not likely to happen), or bottom out and hope for the best in the draft. I am never one to advocate losing for a higher draft spot (with lottery, that isn't even assured anyways), but that seemed to be the plan before Darcy was canned. Sabres are so close to that original goal (finishing in the bottom 5 I mean), do they officially change course now? Or, do they go with Darcy's strategy? I get the feeling Darcy was fired as much because the animosity from fans had grown so much that T-Pegs couldn't ignore it any longer...but with a whole new crew on board, it buys them more time with the fans to build that proverbial Stanley Cup championship team.... Also struck by the uncanny resemblence between Murray and actor Lenny Venito: https://www.google.com/search?q=lenny+venito&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ps7OUo6gF4nu2gXFpoEo&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=856#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=rVIYmTyRWjnSYM%253A%3BXjyIZrkOp9PJhM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimages.bwwstatic.com%252Fupload%252F22126%252Ftn-500_39.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.broadwayworld.com%252Farticle%252FPhoto-Coverage-The-Ritz-Opening-Night-After-Party-20071012%3B293%3B450

Sorry guys...we're Bills fans, we are togher than that... we know it was a forward pass... What really strikes me about this clip, even more that the result: - Fourteen years to the day since our last playoff game, but I remember it like it was this past weekend...everyone of us over, say, 20 years old remembers where they were... - Joe Theisman and Paul Maguire were ABC's "A-Team" not that long ago! Really sorry guys...it is part of our history, for better or worse...

I understand your reasoning, but you would think that the Bills/Kiko would be the first to get such an award, when somebody else had a legit claim to it. The fact that he is a nominee indicates that somebody (the powers that be) feel that he is worthy of consideration... the fact that it is a popularity contest (voted on by fans, in part) stacks the deck against Kiko...playing on a team that is one of the smallest NFL fan-bases....stuff the damn ballot box!

You may want to consult a butcher if your sausage stays frozen for more than 4 hours...just sayin'

It appears that William Hurt will be playing Gregg Allman in a new biopic...that is a leap i would have never made... http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/william-hurt-to-play-gregg-allman-in-midnight-rider-biopic-20140107

Perfect..if he sucks, there are all kinds of things you can do with that last name!

Oh boy...it is already turning into a long off-season...

I understand the fear of the Patriots, and you could very well be right. The only thing a little different this year, besides the Pats really having to cut and paste victories from week to week depending on who is hurt, when the Pats have faltered, it has been because Brady has faltered. Maybe age is catching up to the old girl, but he has made some very "un-Bradyesque" blunders this year. Could be age, or the inexperience of the guys around him, but I do think they now have to contend with beating themselves, more so than at any other time during this 12 year rein of terror.

New England, Seattle, San Francisco....three teams I would hate to see win a Super Bowl. New England for obvious reasons....Seattle and San Francisco because I can't stand either of their coaches, primarily. Hurts me to see Anquan Boldin playing for that D-bag, Harbaugh. I can deal with any of the other teams winning, pulling for Carolina most.

I could live with Manuel hitting the Steve McNair plateau...led his team to within inches of winning a Super Bowl...IIRC NFL MVP one year...given what we have dealt with the last 10 years or so, I would be very happy with that...

Ok, sorry, got my time-frame confused. I guess it was the last 5 weeks or so that I found myself looking at fewer and fewer threads, because, no matter the topic, it seemed to turn pretty quickly into a ripping of EJ Manuel...am I wrong that you were not one of the more constant and un-relenting critics of our QB? Or was that toungue in cheek too? If so, I apologize for not getting it. It made TSW a miserable place to come...didn't always used to be that way during the season, no matter how bad the team was doing.

I guess it depends on what reports you read...but it sounds like he had some help from above, and not necessarily the divine kind... but, your point is taken. We don't really know, and likely never will...but for better or worse, that will always hang over him. I didn't watch a ton of the pre-game hype for this game, but there was almost no (actually none that I saw) reference to Winstons tumultuous off the field life...and then I recall the way Manti Te'o was practically crucified, in all media, for something that was more embarrassing than it was potentially criminal... Marshall Faulk, Michael Irving and LeDanian Tomlinson are all quite unintelligible most of the time...and they have them all on one show together...Deon Sanders, also on the same show, is the only one who can make a salient point... in the case of Irving and Tomlinson, in all seriousness, I wonder if they have had concussion issues...Irving is all over the place (I don't remember him being quite so bad during his ESPN years), and can rarely finish the point he is making...Deon always has to reel him in.

You do have to ask yourself, it seems to be generally tolerated in sports lore that Kobe Bryant and Ben "Rapelisberger" are rapists, and honestly, the handling of the Winston sounded pretty shady...is it okay to refer to him as a rapist once he officially starts cashing NFL paychecks? Or does his Tebow-esqe praise for the lord get him off the hook? Just watch the NFL Network sometime..it is hour after hour, on repeat, of people unable to articulate their thoughts at the moment...and they get to rehearse!

Hmmm...FIRECHAN....when did you ever call for someone's job? Sorry, my bad! Honestly, the last 5 or 6 weeks of the Bills season, in my mind, you were the posterboy for why it was hard to enjoy coming here to talk Bills football..you are kind of a crusader...

But, Brent Musburger said it was an "excellent call"....

The only thing that would make this a "fantistic finish" is Auburn keeping FSU out of the end-zone in the final :21

If I were an Alabama fan, not sure exactly why, but it would really piss me off to see my headcoach, Nick Saban analyzing the championship game...you know, the one his team was supposed to win? How much money is enough for some of these guys? Don't know why, but it just strikes me as very weak...like the cuckold husband... You'll have to excuse Firechan..this is college ball, so he can't be calling for somebody's job after each bad play...

I wonder how long Sherman stays unemployed.

Remeber, in the good old days, it was rare for a QB, even a first rounder, to just come in and take the starting job from week 1 on...each guy develops different. The truth is, Brees, like Terry Bradshaw (and hopefully EJ) just needed a that time to develop into the great player they became..they simply weren't ready to step in from day one...doesn't mean they never will be. EJ has a lot of tools to work with...by all accounts, he is a coachable kid...I would really love to see them get a QB coach for him to work on footwork, which would likely improve his accuracy. I never really saw a lot of evidence, during this season past, that there was a lot of emphasis being put on that, in regards to EJ. Manuel is big guy, and his movement doesn't always seem fluid to my eyes...almost like he is thinking too much and it is effecting his form.

It may be a bad trait, but it would be even worse if he immediately caved into public sentiment, every time people complained. Fans don't always know best...we (as a collectve, not you personally Coach! ) have been as wrong as often as not about things. I wouldn't have been upset if Crossman got canned, mind you, but I have to trust that Marrone knows as much (at least!) about the woes of his team, and special teams, as we do. It is Marrones' reptuation on the line... That might be the more salient point...

Won't pretend to be a college football expert, but Marquise Lee has stood out every time I have seen USC play the last two years...if healthy, he seems like a bona-fide NFL talent to my eyes...of course, I think he is only 6ft...so the Bills better not have any interest in reuniting him with Robert Woods!