UConn James

1)NY Jets at Tennessee 2)NY Giants at Arizona Earlier this year, this Indy-SD match-up looked like a dream game. Then the season started. Still, both teams are starting to come on. Maybe NBC sticks with it.

Rather, DJ hasn't picked players or developed schemes that allow us to go for it on short yardage. Screw bruiser fullbacks! Who needs'em... with their busting holes this and blocking tacklers that! Who wants run-blocking OL when there's DBs to be had?!!? We do have 'finesse' and 'technique.' That should count for something... right?

If DJ used the Mike Singletary approach to get his message across on how the team and coaches are performing, he'd have to drop trou and then drop his boxers.

And that truth is the scary part. We were actually in this game with ~ 2:00 left, score-wise.

Well, you can understand his reasoning, can't you? I mean, if it didn't work last week, there's no way in hell it'll work this week, or ever again! Let's just never try to run the ball. Let's never try to project this image that we'll try to win a game by grasping it and taking it rather than pretend this is all like one of those scrimmages in July. In fact, let's just forfeit the rest of our games while DJ is coach. It's just easier that way. Show up, hear somebody do the anthem, maybe show the Bills Shout song on the HD scoreboard, then go home. Everybody'll still get paid and nobody gets hurt.

As I've said before, Ralph is like the old dude with a house on the corner with the peeling paint, fallen walls and cracked chimney. He'll have the lawn mowed and the leaves raked, but no way in hell does he want to do too much to the house b/c he's not going to see anything from spending coin and time improving the place. This is the biggest reason why they're not changing to the throwbacks full time and why he quashes anything about a new stadium. He's content to just manage things until he eats dirt and let the next fool worry about it. Just sucks that we have to live in this house of disrepair until that time.

Is it Palin-esque?

I was in and out most of today. I figured this would be a rough oner to watch, and the leaves needed to be done so I could do the winterizer.... Saw just before the half up through our first possession of the 2nd half. Score was 13-3, we have 3rd & 1 and we go with a silly out pass and punt from ~ 40, not even wanting to try a FG. If you don't have the ball sack to go for it on 4th & 1, what the hell are you doing WCO on the 3rd. Like we don't have running backs? Well... This is sick. This WCO hybrid will not work as the later months get here. Gregggggg proved this. Buffalo should be a smash-mouth running team and we're not --- last time we made the playoffs we had Gash, and until we can run it down their throats even tho they know it's coming, no one will respect the run and we'll keep losing to good teams and getting a few Ws against the dregs of the league. Getting a line that can actually do something would help too. It may be sacrilege here, but one almost yearns for the days of Steve Fairchild. Almost. From what I hear, the DL put on a heck of a show today.... for me to poop on! 5-1 was a sham.

'LOST' to start on 21 Jan. Moving back to Wednesday nights @ 9.

I've actually left mine up for the past couple of years on the red/white trim tool shed. They're pretty small and clear, not the colored ones. Reasoning: It's pretty precarious to be putting them up and down (~20 foot cliff to the back, which you want to get lights on b/c it is visible from a different part of the house). I don't plug them in very often outside of the holidays (these are the only exterior Xmas lights I really go in for)... sometimes on summer nights, it's nice. There is a difference b/w just having them up for practical purposes and lighting them up et al way out of season.

Well, the salient point being made was that the state Democrat primary voters (always a fraction of the voters, and in 2006, the fervent antiwar Lamont supporters showed up at the primary (one of the perils of democracy is that it only counts those who bother to show up to vote, and in these days of 50-hour workweeks...), rather than even the general Democrats of the state much less the national Democrat party, tho, several in the national party and the 'progressive Internet media eg salon.com who're wary of his defense/Iraq positions took the opportunity to call on JL to abide with the party and step aside. He refused, ran Ind., won pretty handily, and caucused with the Dems. But JL has been distancing more and more. By the tenor of his pc yesterday, Reid probably told Lieberman he can caucus, but kiss goodbye to the chairmanships (read: you will have d--k for influence). My take is that Joe is probably going to consider caucusing Republican, or more likely will be a true independent.

I would argue that Palin was a net plus for the other side. As much as she may have energized the base (and I agree she did), she turned off independents and energized those Dems who 'could have lived with' McCain but were scared off by the Palin they saw in interviews who couldn't speak English and demonstrated that she knew nothing about where she stood on issues, and relied on shout-outs, winks, and you-betchas to fill the dead air. Again, she embodied the Party of Stupid. She didn't pull in nearly what Romney, with his connections, could have. McCain wouldn't've needed to take public funds. A Romney who, at the convention, gave a very good speech that was just to the right of Ronald Reagan. JM said the thing he liked least about campaigning was asking for money (commendable) and his weakest issue was the economy (to wit, I think this was the stupidest sentence he could have uttered and this admission really cost him). He didn't shore those weaknesses up. What could JM have done with a 30-min., major-network ad-buy? Those aren't the only things that cost him, for sure, but they were two of the biggest.

God, it was funny watching Jesse try to cry, holding his finger up to his nose. I bet he had to think about his first dog dying. And then, just for the media, had to leave the wet trail there. For a dude whom he said he'd like to "rip his nuts off." Memo to Jesse (& Al): go crawl under a f---ing rock!

McCain erred in changing his style of openness. The Straight Talk Express shut down, and reporters' access was almost completely cut off starting just shortly after he got the nomination. He stopped explaining issues in much more than simple declarative sentences b/c that's what you have to do to attract that 25% base that puts you over the top. They don't want straight talk, they don't want explanations and if you appear too smart they won't vote for you. The fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants Palin choice went after exactly that crowd, and women, and it backfired. I still think that if JM had selected almost any other VP on the slate, it at least doesn't go this badly for him --- Ridge, Romney, Pawlenty, Rudy, Jindal, or hell, even someone like Chris Shays. McCain pandered, stepped away from what got him that far, and he lost. I confess that I am a registered Republican. Have been since I turned 18. I voted 'None of the Above' this time, after I voted against Bush b/c there was just something I didn't like about him from the start and it played out. My party registration is up in the air, not liking what I see of what the big two have become. I'll probably continue to generally vote Republican in local and state elections. But for national elections, I don't know exactly when the Republicans turned into the Party of Stupid, but if they ever want to win again, they need to toss out the crazy Baptist ministers and start forming a cordon with a bouncer at Reagan's 'Big Tent.'

My town used to have the old voting booths with the select-down levers. They switched to the optical scan 2 years ago. I much preferred the booths. There was a real sense of 'What I'm doing and where I am is exactly how they did it 80 years ago.' It seemed special. Now, you put your ballot in a thing that really looks like a paper-shredder and you hope that's not what it is, but quietly suspect this is so.

When Wade and Sam Gash left, and we replaced them with Gregg and Larry Centers.

Why can't you be glad enough that people aren't peeing in the wash sinks?

I don't think anyone's going to argue he'll get NC money. But if you think GMs aren't lustily looking at Greer, you're fooling yourself. And re-signing him isn't as easy as saying, "Here's a contract. You're re-signed." Unless we franchise him, which is untenable, given the givens of ~$10M for a franchised CB and a full stable of CBs that the FO drafted in anticipation of losing Greer. Takes two to tango, and vouchsafe that Greer and his agent are waiting until Feb. to dance. The only good thing for the Bills is that he's really inspired to play lights-out for the rest of the year as he's done for the past year and a half. Hopefully, we can make use of it.

Right. If Stevens wins the election it'll force a special election after he resigns. That was instituted after the Murkowski incest. So, conceivably, 1) On Tuesday, McCain/Palin lose. Stevens wins. 2) Facing sentencing in Feb., and a senate removal vote, Stevens resigns his seat. 3) Palin runs for Senate in the special election, presumably against the current Dem candidate. And then, 4) You have to wonder whether Stevens will be pardoned by Bush. I don't think it'll happen, but then again, I didn't think a lot of things would happen in the Bush presidency that ended up being all too real. At this point, what does Bush have to lose for a chance for one last middle finger to the Dems, especially if the Senate seat numbers are close, or close enough for a pardon to prevent a supermajority. And if Stevens is pardoned, you'd have to consider that he'd stay on; might be uncomfortable for him for a while, but he's a cratchety old guy and would probably weather it.

Sorry, but to borrow a great movie line, Schobel is like the white stuff in chicken sh--. It might be the most most gleaming white you've ever seen, but it's still sh--. Coincidence that since our shutdown corner(s) left town, his sacks nose-dived? Dude's trademark move is to get matadored out of the play, run 15 yards past the LOS, and then double back. Then there's his inside spin move that fools no one. That is his entire bag of tricks. The fact that Denney isn't much of a drop-off might tell you something. I wish this weren't so, but the truth hurts. DE needs to be priority # 1 for the FO in the offseason. Need to cut dead weight and bring in guys who can produce.

3) I can't say it any better than, McKelvin is just *blah* on KOs. Prefers to run into people when he has the option of hitting a hole. Why the hell is April not exploring other options? 4) and 9) There was no pass rush besides a couple of plays where CBs had coverage. The usual whiffs by our DEs --- should-be 10-yard losses turned into 20-yard gains; this happens at least two-three times per game. Even when the guy was at Favre's feet and had him in his grasp, throw, catch, ~20 yards. There's not even the trade-off of 'No pass rush, but we're stopping the run.' Seriously, there was a play in the first half where two defenders rushed head-on toward the end zone when Favre was to their left and no one was between. Favre is Favre and they're going to put up points b/c the NFL rules are so skewed in favor of the offenses, but getting non-production from our 'high motor' guys is criminal for the money they get. Don't think it'll get better even with a healthy Schoebel, and it's starting to be even more apparent that the only reason he got sacks was because we had shutdown corners that we don't have any more. 7) Plus, if Trent doesn't take those sacks, Lindell doesn't miss and makes it a whole different scenario with our last possession. Offense had lots of good things going. Not much of a running game, but they were moving the ball. Just, a few critical plays (turnovers) made the difference. If Roscoe doesn't slip, it might not have been an INT or at least it doesn't go for 7. Fumbles and penalties continuing to be a problem. Peters standing around like a piece of furniture on Trent's sack & fumble. Honestly, I think he's dogging it --- or, rather, not giving it his all --- b/c of his contract stuff. Dude pissed away lots, came in unprepared and is playing uninspired. 11) Greer had a great game today. GMs have seen what he's done for the last two seasons and he's going to get big money in UFA. Derek Fine was a bright spot today. If he can block even halfway decent, he's already better than any TE we've had since Reimersma.

That's something I've thought about, too.

Railing on the CBs lining up 10 yards off the WR (something I just don't get) has been going on since Wade left. Three different coaches have been here, with different schemes and different players and we're still doing this. I noticed it less early this year when we were winning when we were playing more aggressively, and now it's back. Seems to be key to the 'Bend But Don't Break' type defense. On balance, playing in a division that has thoroughly run the dink'n'dunk this decade, giving up 10 yards a go and hoping the QB is 'off' that day doesn't seem to be a very good strategy. But whad'do I know, I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

You mean, just like... FDR?

This has been discussed before. It was a joke. Everyone in the auditorium laughed. McCain laughed. Pretty sure the kid laughed (seriously, does someone need to interview him to set your mind at ease?). He answered a smartass question and then made a smartass quip in like kind after he seriously answered the question of whether he thought he'd get Alzheimers' and die in office. I was at Home Depot once, they didn't have what I needed (something common you'd think they should have) and I said, "So, you mean I have to go to a real hardware store?" The manager looked over his shoulder and said, "Security!" We both laughed. This is an example of smartass humor.... If he went off on the kid from the get-go, if he didn't answer the question, if he had the kid removed from the auditorium, you might have a point. Regardless of the other charges, this is false. Do yourself a favor and stop dredging it up. Every serious media outlet I've read that reported this said it was made in jest; the only ones who claim it wasn't, provide no context, don't say that everyone laughed and provide no link to video are the leftie-version wingnuts. People who have seen the interaction on Youtube and claim it was a verbal assault just look like witless morons who can't get a joke, or they're trying to make it into something it most definitely was not to further a political argument. Like I've said to Obama detractors I've met, if you don't like the dude, there's plenty of real reasons not to... don't go just making sh-- up. * This message was written by a person who will be voting for "None of the above" as a write-in for the presidential column on Tuesday.