Buftex

It is strange, but I wouldn't necessarily chalk this up to the quality of NBC's programming...the Latin population is huge, and being served by, essentially one network..I realize most local markets offer a couple more Latin stations on cable...when you also factor in that a significant part of the Latin population doesn't speak English that makes Univision all the more powerful. In some ways, this is just a reflection of what is happening everywhere. Doesn't mean that NBC doesn't suck...

Glad to hear you are giving it a second chance...it is worth it. Not sure how you are watching it, but the blu-ray (probably the DVD too) have some amazing extras...on one of them, they kind of give you the "real" story of all these characters. Pretty much everyone is based on a real person, some more loosely than others...it is pretty cool. I am pretty good with the mafia stuff, but I was having a tough time keeping up with some of the characters early on....at the begining of the series it just seems like a lot of little side stories, but as it goes on, all the stuff starts to tie together....

Yeah, you are making the same point that Dr Drew is making....believe me, I am not saying that he is responsible for her death, but in defending his work he makes the argument (which you are repeating) that the media feeding frenzy on the tragic circumstances of the last few years of her life...but guess what Dr Drew, you are the media. I guarantee you, if Mindy McCready hadn't been on that awful show of his, having seizures, the stories of her final years would not have received near the attention they did from the tabloid media... she had a relatively small amount of success, in the early-mid-90's...she would have faded out of memory. Stories of her break with Dean Cain, teenage affair with Rodger Clemens, child custody battles id her as "country singer and "Celebrity Re-haber". Even when her boyfriend committed suicide, it was "the fiance of Mindy McCready, the country singer best known for her seaizure on Celebrity Rehab has died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound". But she, like many of the other participants on the show, saw agreeing to go the show, to have their personal demons exploited for all the world to see, was a way to get their name out there again...and you know, it works for some of them...but it perverts the very nature of psychology. Of course, I wouldn't expect many to be able to make the distinction, because we live in a world where nobody seems to have any notion of decorum or privacy...a world that makes celebrities out of "reality tv stars" McCready (and others) are willing to expose their warts for all the world to see, and Dr Drew is only too happy to "help" them. I am sure he has truly helped people (I have heard McKenzie Phillips, among others defend Pinsky)...but he could have done the same without the cameras, and the paychecks that no doubt accompany them.

Okay: not sure what was more surprising in tonights episode: Andrea's nude scene, or the preachers' daughter singing everyone to sleep with a Tom Waits song...

I can understand this being an annoyance...but does it happen enough to be a "pet peeve". Judges?

People who don't get the gist of what I am saying, unless I use "air quotes"!

Hot topic for me, at the moment: People who go to concerts and !@#$ around with their phones and talk through the whole show... went to a show last night, the woman next to us talked on her phone through most of the show, next to her brain-dead husband...if she wasn't talking, she was standing in front of people, asking them to move for "just a sec" while she snapped a photo....at the end, I **** you not, she gets on her phone to tell whoever she was talking to that "they didn't do "9,999,999 Tears" I am so pissed..." My girlfriend, who was even more annoyed than I, turned to her and said "It was the first song they did! You missed a great show!"

I think that was the re-cap for the entire season.

I get that Marrone wants his kind of player in there (whoever they are) but even if, say (I don't see this happening) they draft a WR in the first round, they still need 5 or 6...so what do they do? They go sign a couple of other average to mediocre WR's (ones not named Donald Jones or David Nelson), to replace the same? I don't think either Jones or Nelson are going to make huge money, wherever they play... do the Bills really think they are that replaceable, or bad, that they aren't worth a little more than the average run of the mill free-agent, high draft pick? I always want to presume that they know better than us, and maybe they do...but, as a fan, I feel like I have burned with that kind of thinking more often than not over the last 15 years or so...giving them the benefit of a doubt, when, frankly, they haven't earned it.

I agree with that...I can't imagine Nelson will demand a huge contract...what is the rush to push him out the door, before you know if you are going to have a better replacement? There are going to be 52 men on the roster....losing Nelson and Jones may not be a big deal...but we don't know who is replacing them.

I don't mean this as a criticism, or a judgement...but I have absolutely no clue as to how the Bills are going to look next season...I can get no sense, so far, what kind of offense they are going to have...if the defense is going to be better, or worse...I guess we will no more, after the draft...I guess this is a good thing?

If I had to take one, would probably go with Weeden....

Hey BBB, I will listen to the podcast at some point...but I have not listened yet. Yeah, I used to really enjoy "Loveline" back in the day, and have always thought Carrlola was great. I wouldn't expect Adam, or Dr Drew, to question the legitimacy of the work he has done with some of these people. But cameras add a whole new level to therapy.... you know that a fair number of these people participate on the show, because they believe it is their chance to reclaim their 15 minutes of fame. Drew could help these people, who are seriously damaged, without exploiting their situations for money (or at least the amounts of money he is getting for the television show). I don't doubt that Dr Drew cares about people, but I seriously question his judgment, and for lack of better term, his integrity. I have adopted other issues with him (his horrendous CNN show for instance). but I think his role as "pop psychologist" has really cheapened his brand name, and exploited damaged people, whether intended or not. "Celebrity Rehab" has, sadly, become a pop-culture punch-line for jokes, undermining whatever good he intends to do. Sorry, if am being a little melodramatic my own self, but I have issues with this guy for a while... I certainly don't hold Dr Drew responsible for for McCreadys' death (it seemed her destiny) but to pretend the presence of a camera in these treatments doesn't have an affect on their effectiveness is dis-ingenious, IMO. Edit: listening to the pod-cast... Dr Drew making me sick right off the bat... he is blaming the press coverage of Mindy McCready for her death (or to deflect the blame from himself)....doesn't he realize that had Mindy McCready never appeared on "Celebrity Rehab" is what made the interest in her all that much more glaring....she hasn't sold records in years...she was one tawdry Ryan Clemens affair away from being completely irrelevant...in full denial mode.

A couple of years ago, here in Austin, there was weird story. A girl, who worked at a hotel "disappered" after her shift one night. Everyone was out looking for her. Signs everywhere. In the ensuing weeks, hotel guests, and employees, started complaining of foul odors...they couldn't figure out what it was. Ended up, the girl, tried to crawl through a vent to the steak-house next door (attached to the hotel) to meet up with some of her friends that worked there. The resteraunt was closed, but her friends were still there doing clean-up. Apparently, it wasn't uncommon for them to meet up this way...and go out for drinks afterwards. Somehow she got stuck...sad thing is, she was probably there for a while before she passed away...it never dawned on her friends at the steak-house to tell anyone to check for her...likely because they didn't want to get fired from their job.

Yes..."teen" is porn-speak for 20-35 years old...then graduate to MILF status.

That is some funny stuff. I have met Levy a couple of times, when WFAN was new...I was living in NYC. Seemed like a pretty cool guy...and I know he, John Buccergross (sp?) and Linda Cohen are all big NHL fans...I think Verses tried to lure Levy away from ESPN when they started showing hockey, but he stayed put. Btw- Are either of these ladies the bikini girl? http://coedbc.files....jpg?w=409&h=308 Didn't realize, Ruff finished with 571 victories as Sabres head coach..it is the second most in NHL history with one team...about 170 behind Al Arbour...next closest is 510 for Barry Trotz...longevity!

Ryan Miller and Darcy Regier on the firing: Darcy Regier: "I don't make absolute statements. I never have and I never will." http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2013/02/buffalo-news-audio-exclusive-ryan-miller-reflects-on-firing-tenure-of-sabres-coach-lindy-ruff.html

Oh, they cover hockey...perhaps not with the zest of football, basketball or baseball, but they do show highlights. Almost every night, during hockey season, there are 2 or 3 NHL highlights in their "top 10" plays of the night...a number of their anchors are big NHL aficionados. Also, Melrose still has his segments a few nights a week... Here is a good discussion of the Sabres current situation: http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/22237/will-new-voice-get-sabres-into-postseason

IM answering...the things you are bringing up would likely fall under the coaches duties...no? Ken Hitchcock, a guy who has been pretty successful coach in the NHL (and a guy who has been fired a few times) had this to say: "Everybody thinks it’s about winning hockey games. It’s the energy your team plays with. As a coach, it’s an uncomfortable feeling when the energy in your group is not there and that’s your responsibility. When your team walks around in a fog, that’s your responsibility. You know well in advance before it happens. When you’re a good coach, and Lindy is a hell of a coach, it just doesn’t feel right. You know it. It’s really an uncomfortable feeling." Yeah, I know ESPN sucks... wasn't expecting a ton of coverage from them, but they do normally have a hockey segment...I guess maybe the late airings...btw- in case you are curious, Ruff getting fired came up 54 minutes into the broadcast. I have a hard time fathoming, sometimes, why hockey isn't more popular. I did pretty good eliminating ESPN from my daily life for a few years....but they do carry NBA games, which I dig... Celtics @Lakers toinight!

Just an illustration of how little NHL hockey regsiters on a national level: News of Ruff's firing is not among the top 10 stories on Sports Center..."Mel Kiper's Big Board", for the April draft ranks as bigger news....story is not amongst the "Breaking News" on the bottom ticker...they did mention, in passing, amongst the final 3 topics on PTI. We shall see....but I think Ruff bares as much responsibility for the "zombie" part of this equation. I may be wrong, and I am hardly a Darcy Regier fanatic, but I still feel like there is too much talent on this team for them to be struggling so mightily. Darcy just collects the talent...some of these guys have talent, a lot of them in fact...but they don't play with urgency often enough. I think the Sabres issues have been more coaching than talent. There really is no reason this team should not be in the playoffs, even with the "skating dead".

Still waiting for Darcy to address the media... speculation seems to be, in the interim at least, James Patrick. GR guys mentioning the guy who coached Grigorenko (sorry, can't remember his name) because they had noticed Darcy Regier mentioning his name on numerous occaisions..so he is, perhaps, on their radar. Paul Hamilton is saying he wouldn't be surprised if it was Ron Rolston, the Rochester Amerks coach. I am not sure that I beleive that the game has passed Ruff by....but I think he has passed by his team. He hasn't really been the defensive zealot that some make him out to be. In fact, his teams have been bigtime gamblers in their own end, in order to, theoretically, generate more offense. I think Lindy's commitment defense really kind of amounts to "have a great goalie" and hope for the best.

Pop the champaigne cork roush!

If you take the first half of Lindy's tenure in Buffalo, it was pretty impressive. Honestly, I loved Ruff as a coach...but the way last year started...and this cold start this year...a change just has to be made...the message didn't seem to be getting through to the players any more...so you have to change the message...a pair of fresh eyes might be what this team needs. I am grateful to Lindy for some really fun seasons...great seasons...but that game last night...Sabre fans, who are very loyal, booing their team...third period it sounded like a funeral in the arena. That can't be "hockey heaven".

It had to happen...but still feel a little bad.