SouthernMan

Three that come to mind immediately....."Only the Beginning"(Chicago), "Start Me Up" (Stones), or "It Don't Matter To Me" (Bread).

He looks like he's pushing 400 lbs.and I don't think it was just water weight. Maybe one more reason to push for Corey Simon.

The thing that struck me was the overall speed of the team in all three phases of the game. The packers looked totally blind-sided through much of the play. This should be a really excting team to watch this year. Not only that, I didn't see all that much of the sloppy play that is so common in initial scrimmages and preseason games. There were some miscues, which is to be expected, but for the most part they looked sharp. Remember, they'd only been in camp practicing for about 6 days prior to the scrimmage. If our o-line can get the job done, look out. I think JP will make some mistakes, but I think he's got the tools to overcome them, and I think he has the support of the rest of the team. This may be the year that the Donahoe/Modrak stamp is realized and their regime reaps the rewards following the "cap jail" struggles.

Comes a time. I mean, there are people out there (probably some reading this) who have tacky Bills bobbleheads, penants from the 70's, a whammy weenie, and god knows what kind of crap adorning the walls and filling the shelves of their rec rooms. It really does look cheesy as all hell. One or two tastefully framed prints or mementos, strategically placed would be just fine. And the 50 or so video tapes - many with multiple games - they're about to go in the garbage. They're all from the late 80's up until a couple of years ago. All the great ones. Comback game, Raiders 51-3 blowout, Kelly touchdown in Miami, etc. I've seen them enough. I've got penants from 3 of the 4 superbowls. Any takers? And I swear I've seen some of the Mexican laborors around town wearing some of my old Bills sweatshirts and t-shirts. I left a whole garbage bag full for the painters who did my house. Time to move on. The one thing I'll probably hang on to is my 1960 Bills media guide. I call it "the floating head" media guide. The photos of Richie Lucas and the rest are heads pasted on a blank background. Typical 60's style graphics. Someone should have a web page dedicated to their "Bills Rooms". I just know there's some virtual Cheektowaga material out there.

I have it and it's framed. May want to get rid of it. Been hanging in my basement pub for 13 years. Just moved. Not sure if I'll have a place for it in the new crib. Getting sick of Bills crap hanging on the walls.

Couldn't disagree more. One of the elements that made the mid-90's Cowboys so potent was the high level of talent and depth on their defensive line, allowing them to rotate linemen and keep them fresh, wearing down opposing o-lines. That's how you stuff the run and get to the QB. When it's nearing the end of the 3rd quarter and opposing O-line is getting tired, a fresh D line can create havoc and turnovers. I think the Bills want to have the option to have this kind of D-line rotation. Also....Adams and Edwards should be fine as a tandem. Anderson has potential the coaches seem to like, but he's effectively still a rookie and will be out-techniqued by experienced O-linemen. After Anderson, there's an even bigger drop in D-tackle depth. So what happens if Adams gets hurt and is out for an extended period? It could burst the bubble of the Bills defense, which is supposed to carry the team during Losman's first real exposure to playing with the big boys. Bringing Simon in would also be a good move, looking forward past 2005. Adams is getting towards the end of his career and getting Simon now could allow the Bills to draft another need position in round 1 and not use it up on the D-tackle position. Sounds like getting Simon would be a savvy move.

Brett was intrigued by the youthful California boy and obviously wanted JP to "come play in the dirt". He dropped enough hints, but the naive JP was starstruck by the all-pro QB and didn't pick up on it. I'm thinking Brett had a little red hat he wanted JP to take a whack at.

No need to apologize. I got it the first time. What was so hard about understanding the statement "In 2004, in the 3rd quarter, the Bills outscored their opponents 80 to 12". What a bunch of knuckleheads.

Other than the fact they both have black hair, I don't see any resemblance between RJ and JP. Look at the video (Bills.com) of JP arriving at camp. Except for the hair, there are times that he has certain facial expressions when he reminds me a lot of Springsteen. Let's hope he has some "Glory Days" are in the near future.

It's nice to know that at this advanced age (dark side of 40's), it's possible to get that feeling of excited anticipation back - the feeling of being a 6-year-old with a permanent smile, unable to sleep on Christmas eve. When I was younger, I used to get geared up about things like a party where some chick I was hot for would be, a big concert at the aud with a killer laser show, upgrading my vehicle, saving for and finally buying some coveted guitar, going on an exciting trip, etc... While all these things were great memories, the only thing that still brings back that euphoric feeling of anticipation on a regular basis is the beginning of Buffalo Bills football. A clean slate. A chance for a new beginning with hope for a perfect ending - a superbowl championship. One year it may actually end that way. Maybe this is the one! 44 days until kickoff. Today, with training camp just beginning, it's sort like when you first saw Santa at the end of the Thanksgiving Day Parade. You knew it was just around the corner. On the Saturday that falls 43 days from now, I'll be just like that 6-year-old on Christmas eve.

Pat was conspicuously absent throughout the entire reel. Saw lots of Schobel and Adams getting the QB, but I don't remember seeing Pat Williams at all! I don't think Bledsoe or Jennings were mentioned by name. NFL films usually avoids featuring players who have since gone on to other teams. I think the NFL Flims stuff is all part of the promotional machine to get everyone even more geared up for the coming season. It worked!

I thought Leypoldt succumbed to a heart attack. It was no secret that he had some demons and a few abusive habits that may have sped up the process. Saw him around town at a few watering holes following his playing days. I always had the sense that he was disturbed (possibly by Bills fans like myself bugging him at the bar).

Buffalo '66. ...a movie about a young Buffalo man who feels isolated and is afraid to love because of the neglect and distain he got from his mother. She's the Buffalo Bills freak and his untimely birth in 1966 made her miss the Bills last winning championship. She's always blamed him for missing that game. His one chance for redemption and winning his mother's affection is shattered when Bills' kicker Scott Wood misses what would be the winning field goal when it goes wide right in the superbowl. The Buffalo (Bills) connection made it better for me, but even if it had been the Philly and the Eagles, I would have enjoyed the quirkiness of it. A lot of people thought it was the stupidest thing ever, but I loved the characterizations. Bizarre, but my kind of movie. I don't much care for predictable gag movies and flicks that are centered around special effects.

Vince Lombardi Babe Ruth Michael Jordan Wayne Gretzky Muhammad Ali Rod Stewart Arthur Ash Bobby Jones Dan Gable Richard Petty Jesse Owens Mark Spitz Any sideline chick reporter

Meet The Millers

I'm glad somebody finally said it. Well said. As far as wanting all those criminals dead - ummm...we had founding fathers who helped establish a system for convicting criminals. It's not perfect, but it's definitely superior to the vigilante justice that Nugents' statements seem to support and encourage. How would you like to have a loved one wrongly convicted in the court of Ted Nugent and gunned down for sport on one of Ted's outdoor sporting adventure TV shows? I'm not against handguns or possessing firearms for protection and safety. In my estimation, folks like Nugent, who are OBSESSED with guns and other bad-ass weaponry, have issues and questions regarding their masculinity. It's all about image and others' perception. Nugent wants to believe he's one bad mofo. In reality, he's a has-been who never could sing, wasn't much of a guitarist, had a few good rocking songs, but now is an old fart with shriveled up genitalia who tries to maintain his power, youth, and manhood by pretending he's Rambo. When nobody's paying attention or buying his music, he throws out something provocative like the statement about killing criminals. What a total dick.

Add to that list David Essex's "Rock On" with the line, "blue jean baby queen, prettiest girl I ever seen. See her shake on the movie screen - Rock On"

The major hurdle with a TH trade or anyone in his stage of contractual obligation is that a team is reluctant to give up very much for what, under current conditions, amounts to a one year player. If he should get hurt a season ending injury in training camp or early on, the team would have given up a pick or other compensation and gotten a whole lot of nothing in return. A second rounder is a bit of a steep price for this kind of gamble. If he were contractually bound for 2 or 3 years, at least they'd have a chance to recoup some value, even if there was a major injury. If a contract extension could be excuted concurently with a trade, mayber the Bills would have a chance to get something better than a 3rd rounder in the next draft. Right now, that's not a bad value for a player who will be a free agent next year.

I only got through about 5 or 6 replies, so forgive me if someone else had the same advise. When you say she has a man, is it a boyfriend or a husband? If it's her husband, don't bother with her. If it's a boyfriend, she's fair game. Is she real attached to the current guy? How long has he been in the picture? Has she been trying to dump him, but he's not taking the hints? A lot of women can't stand to be without a boyfriend for any length of time. Makes them think they're unattractive, gets them depressed if they don't have someone to have on their arm at holiday season and give them birthday and valentine gifts or make a fuss over some anniversary. They need someone to tell them they're not fat, even when the clerks at Lane Bryant and the Wegman's bakery know her on a first name basis. Worst of all, they don't get to hang out with their married and attached friends as much when they're the single one in the group. Here's some possibilities: 1. This chick might have had one of them "interim boyfriends". Y'know... the guys they're not that crazy about, yet they keep them on the hook until someone better comes along (this is where you come in). The guy is filling out a roster space until the next available free agent steps into the picture (you). Remember, they don't want to be alone. Go after her. 2. Maybe the previous relationship has run it's course and he's not mature enough about taking the next step. She's had enough of waiting around for him to pop the question. Go after her, only if you think you it's possible to have the same long-term goals. 3. Same as # 2, only she's using you or some other sucker to get the current beau jealous and speed up the proposal/engagement/wedding process. In this scenerio, you're nothing but a pawn. Forget about her and move on. 4. She has no intention of leaving him, but needs attention and some side nooky. Give her both things she needs, but keep it in perspective and don't get attached and tell her not to name it after you. Maybe she's just a bar slut. Have a few laughs, bang her few times and leave cab fare on the dresser. In any case, never ever go after her if you know the current boyfriend. That's against the rules.

Well good morning then mate...er rather, good afternoon. So was your first game in Orchard Park everything you hoped it would be? As an honorary Buffalonian, here's some other customized questions for you: Have you tried Buffalo style chicken wings? If so, did you like them? Did you go to the Broadway market in Buffalo and ask for bangers as you pointed at the Kielbasa? Did you wear your "Wellies" to the December game? Were you the guy supplying Princess Di with cocaine? Do you know what disaster occured in New York City on September 11?* *trick question - the answer is the first ever Bills loss (1960) Have you ever walked across or been photographed at the famous Abbey Road crossing stipes? What's up with all the bad teeth in England? OK now.... you can go back to your bacon butties and tea. Hope to meet you at the season opener.

I think the majority of this forum's members are former Buffalonians or come from a family native to WNY. After reading the column about the UK fan who is starting a backers chapter, it got me thinking about the non-Buffalonians who adopt the Bills as their team. http://www.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=3237 As a young kid growing up in suburban Buffalo, I was exposed to live Bills games at an impressionable age. The contagious atmosphere of Bills football had me hooked before OJ was ever fitted for a USC Trojan helmet. This is not an unfamilar beginning for many of us. Who can ever forget the first exposure to the sights, sounds, and smells when walking into the old Rockpile or shiny new Rich Stadium? Had I not grown up around the Bills, it's unlikely I would have become a fan of the team. I'm always facinated by the idea that someone unfamilar to Buffalo, or in the case of the guy from the UK, unfamilar with American football, becomes enamored with our Bills. Soooo....this question is intended only for those who have no Buffalo or Western New York connection....How did you happen to become a Bills fan? What's the story behind it?

All these genius ideas and it took my idiot friend who can barely read to come of with this: Wouldn't it be easier to just destroy the moon? - thereby eliminating the earth as we know it. Good question. Would the earth's rotation and revolution be thrown out of whack, hurling it into space? Regardless, all life would cease to exist in a short period of time right? I say we destroy the moon! Who's with me? (after the Bills win the superbowl of course)

During training camp in 1997, I bought one of them souvineer Bills' footballs to get signed. I had a basement pub with some pennants and a few other Buffalo/Bills stuff, and I thought the ball would be a nice addition. After the workouts, my wife kept pushing me to get some autographs. I don't really give a damn about autographs and didn't want to bother with it. Finally, I approached a couple of the players. The first was John Fina, who had his leg all wrapped and iced, sitting on a golf cart, was talking up some chick who I'm guessing wasn't his sister. I extended my hand, sharpie, and football, and asked him to sign. He gave me the biggest eat shiite look, then reluctantly signed it. Made me feel about 2 inches tall. Thought I'd try one more time. Got about the same thing from Kent Hull. I immediately thought to myself, "you a$$holes. I've been supporting this team since before you fuggers were born. Screw youse. Only later did I think about the whole autographs for cash business. It didn't occur to me at the time that they don't like signing for adults for this very reason. As if I was gonna start my retirement fund with John Fina's autograph. One of the nicest guys was fellow Georgia resident and Bills' hall of famer Billy Shaw, who sat across the aisle from me on the flight to Buffalo a couple of years ago. We struck up a conversation and I think he was surprised I knew who he was. Without asking, he handed over his hall of fame and AFL Championship rings for me to inspect. While I was doing that, he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a couple of his personalized HOF cards which he signed and gave to me. A very pleasant and personable guy who seemed to enjoy talking about the glory days. We talked for 5 or 10 minutes then both went back to our magazines and paperwork. I saw him the a couple of days later at the season opener, along with Lou Saban and others from the 60's teams, who were at the 50 yard line being commemorated. It's got to be trying getting bugged for autographs and stuff all the time, but that goes with the territory. I think I could deal with it for a few years, considering the millions many of them make. BTW - I was in the neighborhood for some work-related stuff yesterday and drove by Takeo's new Atlanta crib. Didn't see him out front, but if I had, I definitely wouldn't have asked for his autograph. His house backs up to a main road. Maybe next time I drive by, I'll throw the worthless Fina/Hull football over the fence and into his pool.

I realize it's completely subjective, but it would be interesting to take this list from the last 20 years and then compare it to the previous 20 years, 1965-1985. I don't think the 1985-2005 top 100 could put a dent in the top albums catalog from the prior 20 years. Some of the artists who put out their most prolific work during this period - Led Zep, Who, Stones, Beatles (and all the solo stuff), Jethro Tull, Temptations, Supremes, Yes, ELP, Clapton, Allman Bros, Stevie Wonder, Sex Pistols, Ramones, Bowie, Genesis, James Taylor, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, Steeley Dan, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young (again - all the solo stuff), Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Pink Floyd, etc etc etc. And what's sometimes forgotten is the fact that it was expected that rock acts churn out at least 2 albums every 3 years. It wasn't unusual to have one every year for some acts. Most of the albums were good from beginning to end. Seems like a lot of artist today take 2-3 years between albums, and a lot of times there are 1 or 2 good tracks with lots of filler in between. The record companies want to point the finger at internet music piracy for lagging sales. I think they're way off base. The reason sales lag is because the quality isn't there. Kids aren't willing to pay $16 at a retailer for 1 or 2 songs. They've got tattoos and other stuff to spend their money on! I know I sound like our parents, but really, most acts in the past 20 years are flash in the pan poets. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is going to be hard pressed to find deserving inductees 25 years from now. The army of uncharismatic, has-been rock bands, with the shirtless beanpole bass players and instruments hanging to their ankles, swaying like possessed muslims, aren't going to be filling stadiums in 2045, as McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Clapton, Bowie, et al are doing 40 years after they made a name for themselves. You'll find most of the previously mentioned losers hanging around your local town parks, bumming smokes off kids who won't be born for another 25 years.