2ForMacAdoo

Shaw, this is so right on; you nailed it. Orchard Park born and raised, I've lived in Patriots nation the last 20 years. Have been going to a sports bar in Boston called the Harp (across from TD Garden) forever, a sports bar that converts into a WNY island in the heart of Boston on Sunday afternoons during football season. Well, until this upcoming season if there is one... It wasn't until the George Floyd assassination (and there had been plenty of police brutality episodes prior to this going back to Rodney King in 1991 and then a whole series of visible ones in the cell phone era beginning with Michael Brown in 2014) that I saw the light. Started asking myself questions like: Why in this sports bar where 400+ rabid Bills fans are crammed packed into the upstairs and downstairs sections, why have I never seen a single African-American here in all the years I've been coming here? Shaw, thanks for taking the time to write that thoughtful piece with a real understanding of social injustice issues and a recognition of the unconscious bias that we all possess, as uncomfortable as it may be to acknowledge.

So you're saying there's a chance....

LMAO, too funny C. Biscuit! "Lou Saban, what a great job he's done."

I'll chip in another $250 on your Go Fund Me campaign. I think we're close to making this happen!

Hahahahaha! Perfect comparison. AJ Klein couldn't hold Bryce's jockstrap. Just looked up the contract numbers for Klein: 3 years, $18 million, $11.3 million guaranteed, $6 million average annual salary. Basically double the NFL MVP's salary from 25 years ago for a backup. Insanity.

Bryce, do you remember when the Bills signed you away from Green Bay in 1995? I'll never forget how everyone was talking about how Ralph had really emptied his pockets to make that free agent signing (3 years/$7.5 million). How things have changed. Today, that would be backup $$, not elite, first tier category.

Hey fellow teacher, totally agree with you about remote learning being far from ideal. I think ultimately they will try to start the season but realistically I just can't see them finishing. Name a more contact sport than the NFL. Players breathing, spitting, sweating on each other. The perfect storm for transmission. Boy how I hope I'm wrong. Best chance for the Bills to make some noise in 30 years.

Or as "Feel the Burn" Bernie would say: "YUUUUGE"

One of the greatest SNL skits of all time. They compiled a book of "Great Jewish athletes". The book was all of two pages long: Rod Carew (a converted Jew through marriage) and Sandy Koufax! Classic.

Damn, cat's out of the bag now. Hate it when that happens.

Haha! Russ to T. Pegs after the Wrex interview: "Do not let him leave the building without a contract." PR genius.

Is that Kelly Pegula masquerading as oldmanfan?!

As much as this thoroughly bums me out, it just seems like the inescapable reality until a vaccine comes along. Ugh.

FCS = For Jesus' sake

Haha, you're right. I just looked it up and it was 102 yards. Herb Mul-key. Short-lived NFL career but made the Pro Bowl in 1973 as a special teamer as well as a Super Bowl appearance the same year. I'll never forget the shocked look on dad's face as it was the first play of the game in that brand new stadium and we were both so pumped. He had that "Is this a bad omen?" look I will never forget.

The day the Buffalo Braves traded MVP Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo (my screenname) for John Gianelli (yours) and cash, was a sad, sad day for that franchise. Still, seeing your name brought back amazing memories of going to games at the good old Aud with dad and watching big Mac and Buff State boy Randy Smith. Thanks for posting this historic video.

Totally agree with you, Bryce. I was 9 when the stadium opened and went to the opener against the Washington Redskins with my dad. I wax nostalgic about the 70's too eventhough the teams between 1988-'94 were obviously better than the OJ/Fergie years. 2020 is only half over and it's already been the worst year in my memory. Thank God at least the Bills are back to being good again!

I was 11 when dad took me to the home opener at then Rich Stadium. Still have the commemorative coin they gave out to mark the historic occasion. The unforgettable part of that preseason game against the Redskins was the KR for Washington ran the opening kickoff back 98 yards for a TD. Not the most auspicious beginning but still an amazing experience just to be there.

This.

Bryce, I love the game of basketball but the Braves were dead to me the moment they left for San Diego. When I see the LA Clippers, Kawhi and Paul George playing in Buffalo Braves throwback jerseys (yes, it happened several times this season until the season was suspended), I got a little emotional but I cannot feel invested in them. Not having a horse in the race, yes, I can appreciate a great talent like MJ or Kobe but it's just not the same. Just my luck, we've lived in Patriots nation for the entire Brady/Belichik era (2000-present) so I have to work hard at educating my daughter about Buffalo sports. Last year, we did a double-header weekend (Sabres Saturday night, Bills Sunday afternoon) in WNY. I confess that I bought the cheap nosebleed seats at the Niagara Center so I could afford to splurge at New Era. After the first period, my daughter gets tired of being so far from the action so we head down to the lower section. She tells me, "Dad, just follow me and pretend you know what you're doing." She leads me to two amazing seats a couple of rows behind the Sabres bench. Sabres win Saturday, Bills win Sunday. The perfect weekend. Agreed about the Sabres. I really thought after drafting Dahlin, with those 2 elite talents, they would turn it around quickly. Boy was I wrong. On the other hand, I am all in on the Bills and Josh. I expect the season to start without fans in the stands. My biggest fear this year isn't the Bills letting us down. It's several players from multiple teams getting infected and entire teams having to quarantine. No way to predict or prepare for that really. Can you imagine that happening late in the season with the Bills having already clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs? That would just be too Billsy!

In one of my sports-starved, Covid-19 era moments, I watched an old Youtube video of Randy Smith's 1978 MVP all-star game just a couple of weeks ago. What a great ambassador for Buffalo. Local boy makes good. Ernie D may have been a defensive liability but sweet Jesus what a passer. It was like he had eyes in the back of his head. Loved Garfield Heard before he was traded for John Shumate. My dad and I used to joke that Gar arched the ball so high that he would forget where the ball was going! (just the opposite of Ken Charles who may have had the flattest shot I've ever seen in the NBA.) Terrific defender. Gosh, I'm waxing nostalgic now about the Aud, Bryce. We too used to sit up in the nosebleed, Orange section too! Yes, they were high up but gave you a great perspective of the game. I loved the Aud more than the modern, cookie cutter arenas today. Do you remember Danny Neavereth, the public address announcer? "That's TWO for MAC-ADOOO". McAdoo is indeed still alive. And yes, the side burns were a classic trademark of his. Not too long ago, the Buffalo News did an extended interview of Paul Snyder, the local owner who sold the Braves to Kentucky Fried Chicken mogul John Y Brown (and future husband of the late Phyllis George). Interesting tidbit: in it, Snyder describes how to this day, McAdoo has tried to purchase a framed action photo of himself from Snyder but which he doesn't want to give up! Snyder basically tries to exonerate himself saying that the real problem was the Braves having to play second fiddle to the Sabres when it came to scheduling. I cried for weeks following the move to San Diego as if I had lost a family member. In some ways, I think I've never recovered from that trauma lol. Even with the Pegulas firmly entrenched as owners of the Bills, I still worry about them being moved to a bigger market. Small market blues.

Glad that you were there to enjoy that epic game and moment too, Bryce. (Hey, I love your user name too; those were the days!) McAdoo was indeed amazing. I call him a Kevin Durant before KD's time. Yes, he led the league in scoring 3 consecutive years (one year 34.5 per game and that was before the 3 point shot.). Had the 3 point shot existed back then, he may well have averaged 40 a game. He could shoot the eyes out of the ball and from way downtown too. Do you remember local Buff State boy, Randy Smith? Could have been a professional soccer player, as fast as Russell Westbrook. Amazing athlete. RIP to Randy.

Benny Williams was my favorite childhood player. After one game I still remember going with my dad down to the tunnel where the players head back to the locker room. I distinctly recall shouting down to him at the top of my lungs, "YAZ-OOO city" as I always loved the unusual name of his hometown. Will never forget him looking up with his classic, big smile, pumping his fist in the air with pride! Great memories.

I echo your sentiments, FredEx. I was as big a Braves fan as they come (as evidenced by my 2ForMacAdoo name). Dad shared season tickets with 3 other families so we essentially went to 10 home games a year. I was scarred for life when the Braves were moved (and have feared ever since that the same fate would befall the Bills). I cannot stomach even the name John Y Brown.

That blocked FG return for the TD against Denver in 1990 was epic. We were sitting in the opposite endzone and I don't ever remember screamimg any louder at any Bills game (or any sports event for that matter) his entire 80 yard run down the sideline. As the great Van Miller would say, it was pandemonium, fandemonium. At the end of that run, I don't know who was more gassed, Cornelius or us! To me, Cornelius was an elite football player and put that team over the top. He is more deserving than Talley to be on the Wall and for me it isn't even close. Playmaker.