[Jets @ Bills Game Thread - 1st half]

So far… meet the new boss same as the old boss.

[Singletary & Moss both look much better on new teams]

The fact that our RB coach hasn’t developed f—-all given multiple 2nd & 3rd round picks… why is he still here? Looking it up… We can’t get better than Kelly Skipper?

[Clarissa Thompson admits to fabricating sideline reports.]

2 hours ago, Captain Hindsight said:

This is exactly what I'm referring to. Networks are cutting costs, now that this is out, sideline reporting is an easy target

I think the only reason broadcasters have sideline reporters is to give some jobs to women to be able to say they hired women, and to give some time to some eye candy to fill in the dead moments between the approximately 11 minutes (and, yes, this is an real thing) of actual gameplay in a 3 hour broadcast. Gotta keep short attention span Americans watching the screen by jumping between fifty cameras.

 

I often watch with the sound down very low because honestly, I don’t really wanna listen to two or three shmucks in a booth tell me what I just saw with my own eyes and make blabbering empty-talk. I watch Wimbledon and on the outer courts in earlier rounds they just have a live feed, no commentators or ones that only rarely speak to o point out actually important things but otherwise STHU. It’s like you’re sitting in the stands but with THE best view and replays. Would that we could have that for NFL… but then it’d be patently obvious how terrible it is to watch football as a spectator with so many tv timeouts and such.

[Blue on Blue for Monday Night Football]

14 hours ago, Draconator said:

I really think that if a team wants to wear an alternate uniform, the field has to match that uniform. With the Logo sewn into the turf, that can't easily be changed. So I wouldn't expect red or throwback uniforms until the new stadium is built. Chalk this up to another stupid NFL rule. 

No, that’s not a regulation. Some teams have just gone the extra bit to do end zones or mid-fields in old contemporary-to-throwbacks designs. It’s a fuller nod toward history / tradition. Not a mandate.
 

For us that might entail using green turf paint over the charging Buffalo at midfield and then painting on top of that.

[Dealing with losing a dog?]

We’re taking my little boy to the Rainbow Bridge this evening. Tuft’s vet ER last night said based on history, examinations that it is highly likely a brain tumor and it’s reached end stage. I’ve been a wreck.

 

This is a pre-publishing version of my write-up post to FB to announce it, tho I have told several close friends and fam:

 

Our house has lost its joyful heart and wagging tail.

 

This evening, a day and two months shy of 14 years old, Ruff Ruffman passed over the Rainbow Bridge to meet Sara, Mack, Sammy, his girlfriend from across the street, Elsie, and into the waiting arms of his Nana who was always generous with love, treats & cookies.

 

We tried a few different Rx medications as ‘throwing the gun’ in movie parlance and a trip to Tuft’s yesterday evening where they said because of the progression abdominal their examination, it’s most likely a brain tumor. He has had a rapid decline in neurological condition since my post last month and it has been painful to watch as his body betrayed him…. It’s as if the neuro symptoms stole Ruff’s black & white fur coat and were wobbling, stumbling, and falling around, pretending to be him, belied by that unique Ruff spark missing from his eyes & spirit. 

 

This is the decision every dog parent never wants to have to make. You worry that you’ve made the wrong choice for your best friend but you simultaneously know it was the right choice to give them dignity, peace, and relief. It is downright cruel how short their lifespan is compared to ours; if there is a God, he has a lot of explaining to do. This is going to wreck me, just as losing our previous pups did.

 

I was so lucky to have this little boy brought to me in spring 2010 two years after losing my grandfather and Sammy in the same week. I didn’t want another for two years after and those were the saddest and emptiest two years of my life. Speaking as someone who is autistic… the companionship that comes with having a pet is hard to overstate in its importance of social value, connection with another being in a deeper & more trusted way than with other humans, comfort, and keeping me in a routine / getting me up and going through a day.

 

German shorthaired pointers are a unique breed, high-strung, always need to be 1/4 mile ahead working in the field or by pulling on a leash (I tried ‘bout everything to keep him from near pulling arms out of sockets), always on the lookout for birds and posing with raised front paw and straight tail when they see anything with a heartbeat. The inquisitive head tilts, the 50-a-day full-body shake-outs, the endless running around the yard. Ruff had a rough start at 1 year of age when we were attacked and bitten by two dogs while we were walking home on a neighborhood dirt road. He was never really good / at ease with many dogs afterward and missed out on the joy of that kind of play. Losing him means another link to my mum is now gone — how he lay with her after treatments and on her last night and let out an uncharacteristic howl immediately after she passed as if he knew or saw something at another plane than we experience. We have dearly missed our ice cream walks to the corner store with my niece Madeline, who was always his favorite person and with whom he was so gentle; when going to Jerry’s house, he would always first race to her room hoping she would be there, instead of ripped away by 8 years of stall tactics by lawyers, family courts, and alienation. I will miss so many little things. I will miss making an extra egg in the morning to feed him at the table. I will miss cuddling with him on the sofa and bed; he was a first rate snuggler and on cold nights was a portable cordless heater. He was so loved and was so loving. I was so lucky to have him with me. Uncle Duff gave us a small ceramic plate that still hangs over the fireplace that reads, “Heaven is where you meet all the dogs you ever loved.” I hope so and I hope Ruff is first in that line. My beautiful boy. And not just a good boy — the best boy there is.

 

 

[Dealing with losing a dog?]

Going through vision and neurological issues leading to intermittent mobility problems with our almost 14 year old GSP right now. Decisions may be looming before too too long and I need to give him his dignity and don’t want him in any amount of pain. 

 

We've had several previously and it’s always been hard. Losing the last one in 2008 was very difficult for me, a week after losing my maternal grandfather in WNY. I told myself didn’t want another and it went that way for maybe the saddest two years of my life.

 

I’m on the autism spectrum and don’t have many friends and my dogs have always been my companions and I’m sure that losing my current buddy is going to wreck me.

[Matthew Perry Passed Away]

Is it possible to be shocked and not surprised at the same time?
 

He was heading down the wrong road for quite awhile, and the bizarre memoir in the past year and some resulting problems were signs of a guy who was not well.

[Jersey name plate company recommendations. ?]

I learned how to use the sewing machine from a retired neighbor lady, and have done several switches for myself and friends for Bills and baseball jerseys. Ordered the numbers / names on eBay from a guy who uses laser / Cricut. Use seam ripper on old name, iron on the adhesive-backed twill, and then sew with a zig-zag stitch VVVVV to permanently affix.

[How did Von Miller look?]

Only time I saw him today was the Progressive commercial with Steph and the gold suits.

 

We’re saving Von for the playoffs but we’re not gonna *make* the playoffs.

 

May not be THE worst ever signing by the team but should definitely be involved in the discussion.

[All white (uniforms) in Foxboro]

Pats* are wearing their silver / gray (Nike doesn’t do pants with metallic sheen 👎) tomorrow. They’ve worn them once since the slight uni change, which was a loss to Chicago last season.

[Week 6, NJ Giants v. Bills, 10/15/2023 - GAME BALLS]

[Around the NFL]

Hussey’s crew:

 

[Another OTA TV thread]

I’ve done a lot of antenna stuff for myself and family / friends who cord-cut and went to streamers & OTA for locals.

 

Pointing between the towers doesn’t do it, especially if it’s labeled as a yagi, that typically have a quite narrow beam, like 2-3*… at least for my much bigger XG91 yagi that I use to pull in Boston at ~58 miles away which is near the maximum for antennas due to earth’s curvature… besides the odd & brief times when tropospheric ducting does weird things.

 

I like the Antennas Direct db_e series, with the blank being either the 2, 4, or 8 bay “bow-ties”. Great signal strength in every case I used ‘em with a beam of about 15* and a solid build unlike most of the cheapo antennas. In your situation Jack, the db2e would likely be fine. If going to multiple tvs in your place once coax enters the house, use a powered distribution amplifier rather than a splitter which roughly halves your signal strength.

[One Less Bills Fan Today]

Deepest condolences, Chef.

[Ohtani- make your predictions now]

According to some reports I saw his Angels teammates smashed something he left behind. Like a cup or a mug iirc? 

[OT…Have sports debate shows run their course?]

16 hours ago, Augie said:

I don’t watch any ESPN unless they have a game I want to see. A bunch of guys all talking/yelling over each other at the same time has ZERO appeal to me. 

 

I find Dan Patrick to be the best option in terms of that type of entertainment. He didn’t do the same flawed formula, and I appreciate that. 

I don’t even watch pre-game shows anymore. It’s just a waste of time.

[Bernard, Torrence and Benford all officially starters]

Can I just ask… what the heck is with Torrence stabbing / tomahawk chopping the air a second before the snap? That is incredibly annoying to see on-screen and had me worried about false starts through the game… but… it’s allowed? Didn’t notice that in the preseason games. It kinda gives away the snap count.

[Happy 54th Birthday to SDS!]

Merry Natal Anniversary, Scott!

[Barkley To IR]

1 minute ago, Limeaid said:

 

IR does not mean done for year.  There is short term and long term IR.

Short term requires the guy to have made the final 53 on paper, after which the team IRs him and can sign someone else. IRing him before means he’s out for the season or if given an injury settlement he can sign with another team but not the Bills.

[ESPN.com - “Play of the preseason?”]

Like Christian Wade, the English rugby player we received an additional spot for during preseason a couple-few years ago. He had some really great runs… and then… never heard from again during the season.

[Hurricane Hilary in LA]

Wow. It helps the historic drought situation of the last decade+ I imagine but it happening feast-or-famine is always terrible.

[Yuck]

7 hours ago, boyst said:

The case in point was a politically targeted attack against the PA dude it is argued. It was a really messed up situation 

 

The video is on the Internet if anyone wants to see it. There is also video of a newswoman using a pistol to the temple live on the news during broadcast.

Just looked it up… Bill Dwyer was in the Penn. State House and had been found guilty a few months prior of a bunch of racketeering, bribery, perjury, conspiracy charges about taking money to award a contract to an auditing firm in California. He was to be sentenced the next day.
 

Some say that the hounding of the press drove him to it, but 🤷🏻‍♂️. That was a lengthy sentence coming his way and his life was basically over so he probably would’ve have done it anyway, but maybe in a different, private way. News can’t / shouldn’t let a guy off easy there’s a chance of whatever. But if it hadn’t happened how he did so publicly, I imagine the coverage would have been quite different.

[Yuck]

In J-school, the ethics of reporting on it was that public suicides like this are fair game for coverage… bc quite a lot of people saw it. The case study then was the government official accused of embezzlement in Philly iirc who called a news conference and shot himself in the head on air at the podium. To not mention it at all is a whitewash to something that happened so publicly. That they published graphic description and so many photos including a lot of the sheet-draped remains? Yeah, that is *quite* tough to defend… but I’m also betting the story got a lot of clicks for the same reason people slow down and look over at accident scenes #rubbernecking.

 

Suicide where it was done privately is generally not reported unless the person was a public figure, and even then is not accompanied by scene photos… but for some true rags like NYP it may have less to do with decency and more that they don’t have access to the scene.

[Do you think that we will ever be so advanced that we create eternal life?]

You do know they’re printing organs in labs *now*, right? It’s going to take time before it’s a routine thing to replace a heart but surely not 50K years. Maybe 100, and that’s with massive-profit insurance companies & the slowness of public health guideline changes blocking the way.

[driverless car gets stuck in concrete]

4 hours ago, Fleezoid said:

I can't wait for the first guy that dies because he purposely took a nap on a road trip. 

 

1 hour ago, Gregg said:

 

This is a reason why I don't understand how someone would want to ride in a driverless car. I get that people get into accidents and there are a lot of bad drivers, but I still prefer someone behind the wheel. IMHO.

There was a guy whose autopilot Tesla got into an accident because he went to sleep. He thought the car would be able to do everything. I don’t remember if he died.

 

The thing with this technology is that it is / will be there as the basis / primary system but it still requires & will likely always require a human to be behind the wheel supervising it and making corrections and decisions that AI isn’t / might not be quite programmed to do. Detour, road washed out, debris, accidents, animals in the road, etc. It’s a long way off from what they call the “Level 5” self-driving.