smokinandjokin

Wait a minute, Australia is its own country? I thought they were part of the U.K.! Crikey!!! No, just kidding Aussie, I know your homeland is a supporter of the U.S. and vice versa. But our list of worldwide friends has been runnning low recently, and I just wanted to let Nick and his Limey pals know that we are in this together. I don't know how some parts of the world live (and die) with events like this on a daily basis. It is tragic, and something I hope does not become commonplace. Unfortunately, there are places in the world where a bus explosion is hardly news anymore. Sorry for the omission Aussie, you guys are all good with me

Nick, hope all is well with your friends and family...London will be stronger because of this! God Bless the U.K., our only friends I believe al Qaeda is responsible at some level, but it may be too early to rule out Dolphin fans. Nah, even they are above the scum that did this...I feel horrible...Nobody deserves to die because they woke up and went to work. Keep us posted Nick, and think of your 7 mile walk home tonight as training camp!!

1) Every team has holes on the offensive line 2) Perhaps they wouldn't have had a rookie head coach if Bledsoe could've won a few games for the previous coach. And, a 12-year veteran at QB should make it easy on a rookie head coach. 3) Every team has injuries 4) Bledsoe made a line look a lot worse than it really is. 5) The rookie head coach (remember?) couldn't just hand Willis the starting job (at the risk of alienating the veterans on the team). He had to give him a chance to earn it, which he did. Shall I repeat? A top-tier running back, two top-tier receivers, a top-3 defense, the #1 special teams...what was missing? A QB. A decent 12-year vet (and Pro Bowl caliber) QB would have taken this team to at least a playoff game. But it would have been a road game, and Bledsoe would have been terrible, and the Colts wouldve beaten the Bills 59-3.

Don't blow yourself up. I plan on attempting to blow up my liver with massive amounts of alcohol in Buffalo, NY

I hope he learned not to hotdog down the sideline past Troy Vincent after the whistle blows in a training camp practice.

No doubt, Bledsoe is class all the way, and he did make a bad Bills team watchable, and especially in 2002, very exciting. But the fact is he has major shortcomings and I can't see him being successful again in his career. He came into the league in a time before schematic zone blitzes and complicated coverages, and now he is still trying to adjust. It is tough to watch a 12-year veteran not able to anticipate what's about to happen. The '04 Bills had a top-tier running back, a top 3 defense, and the #1 special teams. What was missing? I suppose the concrete difference is that with Bledsoe, you know what you're going to get: 8-8, maybe 9-7 (with 2 losses to New England of course). At least with JP, there is some hope of having a special player.

Average year for Martin again- not too many highlights, but grinds out 1000 yards like usual. He doesn't face the Bills for the 2nd time until the last game of the year, so he only has to dodge a decapatating hit from TKO once before he picks up 1000. You gotta give him credit, he gets pounded, especially when teams crowd the line because of Pennington's dink-and-dunk style. Losing Jordan hurts- he was a weapon.

THANK YOU!!!! How bad could JP be? Certainly not worse than Drew. Talk about setting up an offense to minimize a quarterback's mistakes- it makes sense to do it with a rookie, but that's what the Bills were doing with a 12 year veteran. Drew won the game at Miami last year, but that was it. His decision making and general ineffectiveness lost so many more (see: Baltimore, Jacksonville, Oakland, countless Pats games, the Steelers 3rd string, etc.) The Bills made the right move and even if JP struggles, which will happen from time to time, it can't be any worse than what we saw last year. Good post obiewan.

Portis was supposed to have been a real prick at UM. He tried to ruin McGahee's confidence, and gave him no support or help whatsoever. A little nervous about your starting job, Clinton? Obviously, Willis the next year showed what he could do when he scored 119 touchdowns for Miami. I guess Portis should've been looking over his shoulder. Actually, Willis started at fullback in the title game against Nebraska (?) I believe it was (the year before the Ohio St game). I wouldve let a few LB's slip past me to pop Portis if I was McGahee. But he doesn't do that, and that's why he's a player. And I agree, the stiff arm is fierce.

I have family in Liverpool- they are big Everton fans, but I have been to a few Everton vs. Liverpool Derbys. It was a blast...I will always prefer the Ralph, but it was a great time.

Nick needs to know so he can include it with all of his drunken songs at English football matches. "There's only one Michael Owen, Walkin in an Owen wonderland"

Supposedly this Zamboni driver at a public rink in Jersey blew a .12 (in honor of Jimbo perhaps?) A co-worker called the cops because of his high speeds and near misses around the boards. Check it out: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/12005489.htm I also heard some old guy in a grocery store got a DUI on a motorized shopping cart. That was probably in Jersey too. You know what they say, "Jersey girls ain't trash....(trash gets picked up)"

Shout must stay!!! I was at my sister's wedding in NYC, and she was marrying a Giants fan. All of the sudden, the band (great band) broke into "Shout." The entire contingent of Buffalo people at the wedding stormed the dance floor and began singing the Bills version of the song. "Hey eyyy Hey eyyyy! Let's go Buffalo!" Classic. The Giants fans were apalled. The Bills fans were drunk. There was big plans to change the song several years ago, and rumor was they created a new one. But on opening day, just before the Bills came out of the tunnel, "Shout" came on, and the place went nuts.

I recently noticed that Roscoe Parrish will be sporting #11 for the Bills. It made me very nervous as I assumed this is the one cursed number in the Bills 1-99. I was born in 1978, so maybe there are some other numbers which brought out the worst in players. But for #11, I cite Norwood, Bob Johnson, and Bledsoe...nuff said.... Any other #11's who didn't get it done? Will Roscoe reverse the curse?

Alaska- I take it you'll be betting the under in this game?

All of the obvious already posted, of course I agree...Cox, the Cowboys, etc. However, it was very, very tough to see Thurman in the Dolphins teal for that one season, and at that point I hated him. Good to see him come back to his roots, he is again a Bill and again I love him. Can't wait to see his name on the wall this year, at halftime of the game against....Yup, the Fins!!! Now that Thurm is off the booze, perhaps he can burn one with Ricky after the game to celebrate.

If you and your wife have a squabble, you can track down my ex-girlfriend. She lives there and is pretty easy, I think you could make it happen. Also, search the city's gay bars to try to get Brady's autograph. He only gets photographed with that actress as a coverup.

My heart says 24-3 Bills, but three years of watching Bledsoe have his "Belichek meltdown" make me cringe. I place no importance on JP's performance in last year's game, he was not ready, nervous, and thrown to the wolves. He will want to erase the memories of Bledsoe in that stadium. In the end, it will probably be Willis vs. Dillon...C'mon Willis!!! My head says 24-17 Pats.

Yep, tis true...I remember looking at the schedule before last season and seeing the last game of the year at home against the Steelers....the 6-10 Steelers with huge QB questions....I remember thinking, "If the playoffs comes down to that game, I feel pretty good. Pittsburgh sucks." Whoops. It is too hard to tell who's going to be good. The 2004 Chargers? Gag me if you say you saw that coming. The only constant every offseason for me is the unwavering belief that the Bills are going to the next Super Bowl. And with their schedule this year, it seems like a lock....

It was extremely rude of Scott Norwood to miss that kick