AKC

Nice to see you returning to your role as the USAIPASB (unofficial self-appointed idiot press agent spokesperson of the bandwagon). Speaking of Pat's bash- try this: Pat's Big Bash The Emporer's wardrobe was exposed with the gutless strategy of dodging the Steelers in the Wildcard round by throwing the Miami game to draw Jacksonville. Every player on the Patsy roster knew Belichick had lost faith in them even during his lying and cowardly news conference insisting his decisions in the Miami game were to intended to win it- including using Matt Cassel at QB (wink wink) from the 2nd quarter on. Belichick's credibility level instantly dropped to that of the bandwagoneer fans like you who will soon by sizing up the jerseys of a different team. I'll bet you're eyeing Steeler gear right now ;-)

Do you mean to say that after all the negotiations I've gone through over the course of my life that I'm better served by clinging to the advice regarding negotiations of those who have never once been involved in a high level/high cost negotiation? My goodness, I'm finding it hard to decipher who's actully confused here ;-)

It's true we old-timers suffer some difficulty understanding the 8 and 9 year-olds here, but at the same time most of us old-timers are just happy if we don't spray the keyboard pad on the laptop while we're wetting our pants during a post.

Thanks for voting exactly the way you should have based upon the honest expression that you simply didn't have a clear enough picture to make an assessment. Instead of the idiot who leaves the room having signed the papers that are his undoing in time, you wisely chose a more prudent course. As you point out the proposal IS complicated, and among the owners you are the one I will choose to admire not only for resisting the bull-rush but for offering your honest feelings immediately afterwards. And I hate to overlook that I forgot to thank you for keeping the team I love in Buffalo, while the scalawags and backwash of the NFL have all moved to “greener pastures” or sold out altogether to the tripe who have gained too much influence in labor matters of late. Did I mention your living and doing business in Detroit yet protecting the Bills from the vagaries of temptation that have buckled the knees of the lesser among your peers, even those who were lifetime residents of the towns they screwed? And I assume I thanked you for the contemporarily foolish investment that became the most exciting football league in history- the AFL- and then putting much more money into the most exciting team in the history of the NFL- the Kelly led Bills? Have I thanked you Ralph? If not before then now accept with all my heart the thanks, praise and respect that every one of us owe you- whether they recognize it or not.

I'll note that you allowed an interruption of your hibernation by a style string on March 3, 2006 ;-)

Ted did absolutely nothing in Raider's gear last year to suggest to me he'd be a plus for us this coming season outside of the fact that blinded, hobbled and handcuffed he'd still be an improvement against the run over Ron Edwards. The only argument you might make as far as the Raiders bottom 10 rushing defense finish is that the AFC West features some of the best RB talent in the league; but at the same time that equation is usually buffetted by the lack of quality of the DLines of the same division.

So in a continuum of his teasing career, during which he has been just as likely to show up on any Sunday as he has been to disappear or directly contribute to a loss by his attention lapses, we should pay up the kind of money reserved for top 5 wide receivers? I'm more inclined to accept that Eric Moulds remains one of the least consistent #1 wideouts in the NFL at a time when reliable work at the position has become the more coveted trait by winning programs. Sure, like a girlfriend with herpes he will show up all pretty one day and dazzle everyone in the room- but beware what might wait behind the door next time the bell rings. If Marv is still the bright guy we knew in the past he'll treat Moulds like he did in Mould's rookie year and subsequently our "rebuilding" won't be saddled by one of the most overrated #1 WRs of our time.

I'd think his being signed by NE would signal their abandonment of the personnel model they've had success with. Reliability has been the clear #1 trait of NE WRs and while there are many positive things you can claim about EMoulds skillset, reliability is not among them. It'd be overly generous IMO to place Eric among the top 20 league-wide in reliability among #1 WRs. Add to that his apparent desire to cash out at the end of his career and the sum makes NE seem an unlikely fit.

I'm disinclined to buy into that- a player in the NFL is not so far removed from a prospect in the general workforce- the market sets compensation levels and the prospect markets his talents each period prior to a salary round and sometimes he gets lucky and sometimes he doesn't. At the same time sometimes the employer gets lucky and sometimes they don't- the employer takes advice from his delegates and hopes to come out in the black- at least as far as his balance sheet against the competition- and yet the scrutiny of the big ticket items is at a deservedly higher level. Whether that opens them up to ridicule is where I'd deviate- if the prospect or player is a bigmouth and invites a higher level of scrutiny, ridicule might very well become a just desert- but for low-profile guys I find it hard to ridicule them for their business decisions made outside of the public eye.

Surely the way his Bill's chapter needed to end. And I have no doubt he'll find a home where he'll reach a productive level of play for an extended stretch, after which the history rewrite for many will be "and then we let Williams get away".

The founding family once owned a thoroughbred named "Old 33", which was the original reverse name until some point in the last couple decades where it was shortened to "33". That's the story passed on by old family members from Renova who worked the rails and lived for beer legends.

There's something metallic in the SingHa flavor, I can't figure out exactly where it comes from. It's OK but that one hint is a little unpleasant. Hope you're drinking that with a great Larb Nuen.

DOH! Of course- I wonder if seeing it on 126,492 bottles has limited my memory?

I've been drinking Rock since the 60s. I like a hoppy Pilsner and the secret to that is always good water and hops, two ingredients that remain the staple of the product. Coors seems to have done just one thing and that's clean up the incidents of "bad" bottles that used to be like a Russian Roulette under the original management. BTW- I actually know what the 66 on the reverse of the bottle means- any takers?

Yeah, that's the locale. Big Bob is the Master at Arms for the action that weekend so if you plan to get in trouble wait until the later hours- On the date- I'm betting you're in good shape- I noticed your boy Al doing another round of venture capitalization overseas last week ;-)

Me and the missus are out with new friends on the Valley a few years back, in a hole right outside the Anheiser Busch brewery called I believe the Hideaway. As stories begin to flow Sheri mentions something about a recent wet fart and the couple we're sitting with begins to get visibly uncomfortable, which of course incites me to push the subject. I get the couple to make the claim that "niether of us has ever wet fart" and after assessing the crowd in the bar as workers from ABusch I offered to prove the couple were freaks- they foolishly accepted my challenge. As I stepped up to the bar I began a conversation with the bartender asking "can you believe these two claim to have never stojaned their pants after a round or two with Jack Daniels?- I swear EVERYONE in the bar came forward IMMEDIATELY with some story like "so I'm at an SC game wearing a trench coat, it's raining like hell and I clearly am not going to make the bathroom...." A simple case of knowing your surroundings ;-) I'll expect to see you at the draft party this year in Pine Mountain- the usual suspects and some "surprise" guests!

I stopped by my favorite chef's supply this afternoon Surfas and noticed 10 or 12 cases of Iron City piled up in an aisle. I went to the manager and asked him to fill me in on the joke- and tell me what they could possibly be selling it for. He looked it up in their computer and when he found no results we cracked a case of it- Iron City box and Iron City printed 6-pack cardboards. Luckily the actual bottles were some soda from Atlanta called "Moxie" instead of the railroad worker's favorite dirt cheap brew. I remember taking chugs off the bum's Iron City quarts while sneaking a smoke under the rail overpass growing up. Thank god my tastes have "matured" ;-)

From a buddy's email to me this morning: "I've been a Raider fan since 1976. Through good and bad, I've never been ashamed of my team, not even in 1990.....until now. Hiring back Art Shell??? He couldn't even hold down a line coach position since he was deservedly fired from the Raiders. I still have nightmares of his lifeless stare onto the field as everything is unraveling before him in an undisciplined "petulant food fight" manner. I finally have to heed to the press about Big Al. This was a stoop of momentous proportion. Maybe being a Clipper fan can ease my pain, but right now I'd "almost" take Donald Sterling over my beloved Al. Had to vent, and didn't want to send an Email to a fellow Raider who would try and put a positive spin on things. We will once again have one of the best teams on paper and tank!!! Here's hoping for 5 & 11." Misery loves company, no?

I had the feeling Theisman had become the "measure" in the string, and in that case I found it hard to imagine Collinsworth being brought up as a balanced comparative. On the other hand Randy Cross..........

Do I understand your preference to be Theisman over Collinsworth?

I've run into him a couple times here SpottedAl I think it's his weekday/offseason course. He's a decent and approachable guy but he definitely guards his football opinions. If I remember right he pulls up a Michelob at the 19th.

I've never heard a scintilla of evidence that suggests Losman has done anything but follow orders as a loyal soldier of those in charge of the Bill's organization. You've made the charge that he "talked his way" into the starting job; I'd greatly appreciate you providing the specific incidents upon which you base that charge for the rest of us to consider. Thanks.

You've got my vote as guest manager for the offseason. BTW- I am beginning to wonder if Chris V will ever play another full 16-game season?

You'd of course get the vast majority of Olinemen in the league to agree with you that they'd rather be run blocking all game long for those very reasons- you're on offense instead of defense and defense in most cases works harder. There's exceptions, Jonas Jennings for instance who barely tolerates run blocking but will give you all he can in Pass Pro. That said, one place where "less demanding to play offense" doesn't hold up is in pass blocking- even on "defense" while protecting a QB the Olineman still less exertion than the DLineman simply because the DLineman has to travel more distance to his goal and if the play is drawn up and executed correctly find a way around at least one body trying to stop him. So even when the D is pass rushing and playing "offense" they still require more stamina than their opponent. Proof of this is that you've never seen any fool coach by design running an offensive line rotation, and yet any coach not running a defensive line rotation would be a fool of equal stature. BTW- I'm jumping in the car for Mammoth in an hour- if you're in SF and get an itch to watch the big game with us give me a head's up, we've got extra rooms.

Among the limited body of "Truths" in the NFL game are these: If with regularity your defense gives up progressively more running yardage each quarter, you've underinvested in your DLine and specifically at DT. If with regularity your offensive production goes down each quarter, someone needs to have a come top Jesus with your OC (or whoever is developing strategy and calling plays).