UConn James

Granted. But their biggest problem on O the last several years has been the weakness at QB. Everybody knew that if you hit Chadwick, he got rattled and his play suffered. And if you kept hitting Chadwick, he'd go in a shell to try to protect his va-jay-jay. Jests still lack a breakout RB, but it's much easier to produce that with a good OL like they've built. This is the scenario I worried about. Addition of Favre doesn't automatically mean we lose, especially since it's a 22-player game, but it doesn't make it any easier. We went from knowing exactly how to shut down their O to having to beware a gunslinger who can damage you when he's on his game.

I've said before so I'm not going to waste time on a troll, but, probably all of them. There's been a chorus line --- one after another --- of posters who come here, spout pretty much the same drivel with the same tactics, make an idiot of themselves or get banned. Note, curiously, how there's always one poster at a time (despite such shakeup) that bears the standard at PPP for out-and-out socialism. ----- Interesting article in the NYT about something that is concrete. Voting registration change in the past four years. Link. Can't say I'm surprised by this. The pendulum has swung back a little bit, but even then many voters are just going unaffiliated b/c they don't fundamentally identify with either of the Big Two. And yet, they just pick and choose among those rather than support third parties, b/c they don't identify with them either. Some readings: 1. Bush and 'socially-conservative/financially spendthrift' Republicans have really screwed that once-proud party. They now stand for so many things that they don't stand for anything: 'Illegals Out!' vs. 'Illegals provide cheap labor'; Tax cuts in an era of deficit finance vs. financial responsibility; et cetera. 2. The time is ripe for a third party that can actually build a consensus, but they've got a tough row to hoe in getting choked out by the media and fund-raising. There's a lot of people who just want govt to function w/o having to donate millions just to be heard. Fat chance of that! And so, we've got a lot of people who have been disillusioned and that anything just short of armed revolution can't really change the labyrinth that is the federal govt, no matter what letter is next to the leaders' names. I think at his point, they're working 50 hours a week, coming home, eating, watching AI, going to bed, wash, rinse and repeat. That, or waiting for a "MARS ATTACKS!" scenario: "They blew up Congress!"

Just some constructive criticism... the echoing is really off-putting.

Here's a virtual round on me! It's also Marv Levy's natal anniversary. HB, Marv-elous! BTW, does anyone big on horoscopes? Was just reading some this a.m. for sh--s and giggles. I've never fit the Leo mold --- 180 degree opposite, in fact --- but a lot of things in sidereal astrology (where I am a Cancer instead) make total sense. I mean, a lot of it is just general stuff that most people can be simultaneously. But the 'silver and emerald' bit (as opposed to gold/ruby for Leo) was a bit of a moment b/c it has real meaning. I don't mean to get deep into this b/c it's probably mostly hooey anyway, but just found it interesting.

This is an important point about our young starters. We've got maybe a three-year window to make a playoff push with the nucleus we have now, and then it will be a crucible to see which of them we get to keep under 'cash to the cap' unless new ownership comes in with a different tack. Ralph seems intent to ride out this wave that Marv helped generate. Of course, it will be worlds different three years from now. We'll have three drafts (hopefully spent on players who'll fill the holes the FO anticipates/coordinates). Some of the higher-priced UFA mercenaries will surely have moved on (Mitchell, Fowler, possibly even Dockery & Walker if we ever draft an OL-man again (the ghost of Mike Williams haunts this franchise --- but it goes back much farther than that, doesn't it?). Whatever LE's deal is compounds with whatever Edwards and Lynch will command. Indy manages to do it, tho, so let's just hope that some other method of dealing with the cap is in place by then (I think some playoff appearances might justify a change), whether Ralph stops squeezing the nickel 'til the Buffalo sh--s or if it's a new owner. To be more accurate with that metaphor, each player is in different boats, grouped in separate pools according to their position. They're not bothered when other guys get fat contracts b/c that 'rising tide raises everyone's boat' in that pool. Most players & agents realize the timing factors that they could get more in two years, but now is now. I also think most will accept that guys signed via UFA make the big $ --- that's just how it is and they have to wait their turn. But there's always a special situation, or an anxious player or agent who feel enough inequity that they take drastic measures. But make no mistake, this is not off the cuff --- they have orchestrated every move they take. I don't know what mindset JP took in this push for a new deal, but it all ends with, he wants more bones and the Bills want more bones to be able to give to their other guys from a league- and self-limited stash. Right now it's a game of chicken; if it remains this way come late this month, then it becomes a problem.

I second the 'Looks good!', night owl.

Well, that's not good enough. It is outrageous that people are denied the right to effectively defend themselves and others when something akin to this happens. A madman knows he can get control over an area and no one can stop him. I don't advocate the OK Corral, but fer Christ' sake! Police, fully 90 percent of the time, show up after the crime is committed and/or the perp is gone --- that includes property crimes and violent crime. Average violent crime is over w/in 1m30s of onset; police response times average several minutes at best. They cannot protect you. Security, by and large, is self-help. Some people live in a dream world and just don't get this fact. After this state had a couple of home invasions where families were killed, more people have been getting permits and taking marksmanship classes. You can only hope that the Harper govt ends the abject failure that is the handgun ban (a ban that came after the Canadians required registration but said there wouldn't be a ban; the same series of events as in Germany such that people couldn't fight back when that govt took too much power --- make no mistake, America, your rights are taken away in small steps). Only thing it does is make the criminals more brazen b/c they know they'll have a time window where they can do whatever they want and no one can easily stop them. A year and a half after the VT shootings and there has not been one measure of protection taken anywhere that's worth a warm bucket of sh--. Colleges have compiled 'watch lists' and set up email/cellphone notifications. Doesn't do a damn thing when a madman bent on destruction is 20 feet away. The tragedies happen piecemeal and after a few days on the morning shows with sobbing sweatshirt-clad students, America's attention span is sapped and everyone goes back to watching Idol. Rinse, wash and repeat.

What'd the Irish ever do to her?

Link Still, my alma mater managed to get 9 votes. The system is seriously incestuously FUBAR, tho, and everyone knows it and doesn't do a thing about it, year in and year out.

Macrocosmically, maybe not. But the kid has talent that could have contributed to the team, especially on ST. Maybe whoever replaces Bowen lets a KOR slip by b/c he's just a bit slower. It's all the microcosm that puts together that macrocosm, you know. And you have to feel for the kid on a personal level... unless your heart is a stone and you had no empathy for Kevin Everett either. The annals of NFL rosters are filled with guys who never really make it back from this kind of injury. He went from a possible diamond in the rough to now having a major row to hoe in rehab for coming back next year. That's why what you said is pretty sh--ty.

As said, there's nothing wrong with it in the foreign relations scheme. People burned paper with 8-point font text. Big whoop. Same reaction I had when someone shot and flushed the Quran. It's the Muslims who got outraged and used that manner of story as a pretext to behead people. And now it's the Jews who are burning the bible. A curious thing to be sure to spit on many of the hands that try to help them in defense and civilian projects. Even then, tho, it doesn't represent mainstream Israel. This is just another of many extremist groups with a niche cause who want their time in the spotlight; I don't care a whit that the media, for once, didn't give it to them.

TBD Terms of Service Grab your popcorn, ladies and gents. I think we're about to see a live execution of krazykat. (Probably not his first).

No sh--. Like that wasn't publicized to death, like, last week?! And the difference b/w Peters & Butler/Williams is that they've shown they want to be part of this team. Peters can be there or he can not be there. His choice. It doesn't make much of a difference. I'd rather have someone at camp 100% on board than someone who'll take plays off and get our QB killed b/c he's disgruntled. I tell ya, if it goes on much longer, I'd like for the team to say he can go f--- himself, sit on a couch and amass $15,000/day fines for the next 3 years. I second that motion.

And I'm gonna go there free Like the fool I am and I'll always be I've got a dream, I've got a dream They can change their minds but they cant change me I've got a dream, I've got a dream -- Jim Croce - "I Got A Name" -- Brandi Carlile - "How These Days Grow Long (Live)" (Just a great summer tune. I could cite many other songs by her. Do loiter around youtube a little if you have the time. In an age of a lot of crap music, BC is a throwback authentic.) "Many years have passed Since those summer days Among the fields of barley You can tell the sun in his jealous sky That we walked in fields of gold" -- Sting "Fields of Gold" (The Eva Cassidy cover is better suited). This song is providing me a little comfort in the wake of losing my grandfather (96yo, an old WNY farmer) and the best dog ever (we literally "walked in fields of gold" at the farm just before the funeral, we got home and then he went downhill with what turned out to be advanced cancer) about a week apart. This all was last month and I'm still a mess.

ESPN link I seem to remember some kind of deal like that with Jim Kelly too (tho, a much smaller sum --- $1M lump payment iirc). I wonder what the rules are on such a payment re: the salary cap. It seems like a way to undermine it in some cases, ala, 'We'll give you this contract that states you'll get $40M from the team after you retire if you take less money now and help us stay under the cap.'

You're not offending me. I simply happen to disagree with you. <shrug>

Sorry I'm too 'cheap' for you (then again, my family nickname is Scrooge McDuck ; he didn't need to spend all of his wealth to be truly happy). Some people don't have much $ to be throwing around, especially in these times and especially on a shirt the average person will wear maybe four times a year. If you have a problem with that, then I don't know what to tell you.

Or you could go with your own name and favorite #. It won't go out of use until the uniform changes... but then, I'd just get it in the throwback. Too much moving around (not to mention the NFL-average 2-1/2 year career) to plunk down that much coin for a glorified piece of fabric.

Whoever that was is stepping out on a very small limb.

Yep. Mickey, molsen, beausox, steely, hogboy.... there's been a steady stream of virtually the same persona. He creates different user-names so they have the air of being on the board for a while with the join date, then languishes a few of them to pull out when one inevitably gets banned (ever notice how they just roll out in sequence after each ban?) b/c he acts like an a--hole (crusades, posting entire copyrighted texts w/o links or quotes, personal insults among other violations of the Terms of Service). And then just the general 'Do my research for me' and 'I don't care what the facts are; I'm not going to admit I'm wrong, so I'm just going to toy with people.' Tracing the IP addresses would probably confirm some things. It really brings the quality of the boards (PPP, TSW and OTW) down to have to deal with this kind of bs, and puts a lot of crap work onto the mods.

He's again't it. Unless you provide him some links... HTML only, no PDFs, site domain-name registered by godaddy.com, and in triplicate.

Wasn't that one of Rob Johnson's maladies in the injury report one time? Yeah, everyone's read that Encyclopedia Brown story --- how'd Novak know it was a "he" if he didn't see him? Case closed! That'll be 25 cents, plus expenses!

King Nick uses the "Royal We."

Dude, that is so Jeremy Davies' voice! 'Bad Robot' spy! 'Bad Robot' spy!

(Except, AAD uses "!@#$ing" as a verbal form rather than an interjection/intensifier).