SectionC3

I doubt that Stallworth's insurer is footing the bill for the settlement. Drunk driver = no coverage. Maybe they kick in a little to avoid having to defend a lawsuit, but I'm pretty confident that Stallworth is paying the bulk of the settlement on his own.

"Contempt for the audience" is the best description I have ever heard of Mike Schopp. Some veteran GR listeners may remember Dickerson's cycle - at first people liked him because he was unique and smart (make no mistake - the man is incredibly intelligent), then they got tired of his negativity, but still listened because he aggravated them, and finally they tired of his act turned him off. Two things stick out in my mind re: the Coach: there was a post-game show, and I believe it followed a Dolphins game, where he got NO PHONE CALLS. Crazy, but true. The real sign of the end for him was the "What's wrong with the Coach show" in probably late 2001 or early 2002. He had a fair number of calls, but the sentiment seemed to be that people were just worn out by his act. Schopp isn't there yet, but his time is coming . . . Contempt for his audience is such an elegant, perfect characterization of his act.

Not in the least.

This is not a slap at Paul Daugherty, but having been connected loosely and not-so-loosely to that business for a couple of decades . . . he's lucky to have received a severance package other than a cardboard box in which to have packed his belongings.

I notice absenteeism more in the summer than during football season. I can make 10:30 at Queen of Heaven in West Seneca, stay for the entire Mass and still be in my seat at the Ralph about 30 minutes before kickoff.

The poorly-written headline on the front page of the BNews may be the reason why this thread was started -

Not really. If you're willing to be the guy to stand in the nest with the 60-foot metal rod over your head in a thunderstorm, I bet they would love to have you.

Agreed. If we were the Patriots and we had something going, I would say don't mess it up with this guy. We haven't made the playoffs in a decade, and there's not a ton of hope for next year, so why not?? We're all a lot more excited (good or bad) about the Bills than we were a few days after the season when we learned Jauron was to be retained. The guy is a prima donna, but he doesn't break the law (or at least get caught for it), and you can't knock the work ethic. Let's try something new, and if it doesn't work, at least we went down swinging.

Totally agree. The guy may be a cancer, but there's no life in this team as it is. The guy is a talented whack job, not a criminal. We haven't made the playoffs in a decade and we live with the constant worry of the team moving. Why not try to bring this guy in to help us compete and (maybe) boost both ticket sales and perhaps even luxury sales through Torontonians interested in seeing a bona fide star.

Anti-trust.

What a classy and profound way of expressing your feelings. How impressive. I can hardly wait for your next astute observation or witty vignette. No matter what side of the aisle one is on, the senior Senator from New York will not allow the NFL to remove the Bills from Buffalo. It will not happen.

Two words: Chuck Schumer. This one's not happening.

Realignment is possible, but from what I understand it will mess up the TV contracts and population has to be "traded" properly. I'm not saying it can't work, but finding a partner in the NFC willing to move to the AFC might be tough (absent expansion). As to the list of teams likely to be moved, I don't doubt that Buffalo is in the mix, but I'm convinced that the NFL won't mess with Chuck Schumer on the issue of moving the Bills.

Totally agree with what you have to say. Quick question - I've heard that there is not much love for the Raiders in LA after they split town, and more hostility toward the Raiders than the Rams. Any truth to that? Even if the NFL thinks LA is a two-team market, it doesn't seem like the league would want two AFC teams (and three within 90 minutes if one counts San Diego) in the greater LA area assuming the Raiders are the team to move. One final thought: the wild card here is the Rams. The lease is up in a few years, the stadium is falling behind the times, and the market isn't anything extraordinary.

I totally agree on Kelsay and Preston. Funny that Kelsay and Preston, both mediocre players, are quoted making those comments. Preston's idiocy at the end of the first half against the Patriots precipitated what really was a microcosm of our season: Jauron and company come on the field and talk to the ref about how dumb our players are, while the Belichick and the Pats professionally trot off the field. As to Kelsay: make a play when it matters. The wake up call should have been missing the playoffs each of the last nine years, not the owner and the fans tiring of this mediocrity. This move is motivated by money. Ralph knows we aren't making the playoffs next year with that murderous schedule. Rather than pay two coaches and miss the playoffs, we'll keep Jauron and whack him after next year's 5-11 showing and several more weeks of "Jauron-isms": We tried really hard, but three points just doesn't get it done in this league." "We like the direction we're headed, and we expect to score touchdowns in 75% of our home games next year," etc. Hopefully, though, this makes the players accountable (not that they shouldn't have been already). They have their coach, now get the results. We should have won the division this year, so if this guy and this staff are what you say they are, do something about it next year. It's sad - I was thinking today about how Drury put pictures of the Stanley Cup all over the lockerroom before the Sabres' run. To do the same with the Lombardi Trophy at the Fieldhouse would be a joke. We can't even get a sniff of a wild card, let alone think about what should be our goal of winning a championship. Buffalo in the Super Bowl is sadly farfetched and beyond reality.

I'm going to "Bullough" this one but . . . don't go to Rome and insult the Romans. Coach Tuesday was correct in his assessment.

I have no inside info on Parcells, but I heard the same thing from a bartender at a joint Parcells apparently frequents in Saratoga. For what it's worth . . . .

Usually I don't get into the whole taking a shot at someone on an Internet message board thing, but anyone who would say that (regardless whether it's true) is . . . well, use your imagination. The weakest guy in the weight room always yells the loudest.

FYI for those going to today's game. Early word on the street is that part of the roof of the Fieldhouse has blown off. Many pre-game festivities involving tents or similar "structures" have been cancelled; part of the drive near the Fieldhouse (Drive 1?) may be closed (no word on that yet; haven't heard anything on the pre-game broadcast).

Some have - family can trump business.

Agreed on all counts. Bulldog and Howard are good guys, and as much as it pains me to say this . . . Bulldog really is unlistenable. Of course, I turned the show off a long time ago b/c of his arrogant partner, but that's another story. The point about the "humor" (and I use the term loosely) on the afternoon show is well-taken. I don't know if they're still doing those lame bits with the pseudo-PBP announcer, but wow were those lame.

I dislike JP just as much as, if not more, than the next guy. That said, if he can't execute the call we're talking about, he doesn't belong on this team or in the NFL. Nobody was asking him to do something he's not capable of, like, say, run the two-minute drill or get the team to the line with more than 8 seconds on the play clock. All they wanted was to use the wheels to do something that would have been simple for what hindsight shows us was probably any NFL quarterback other than JP.