smokinandjokin

It should be noted??? No! Do NOT note that he missed three games against three of the NFL's worst rushing defenses!!! He failed to reach 1,000 yards and he sucks- that's all that matters!!! Forget that he would have had 1200 yards if he played in those three games! Forget that the offensive line was so horrible in the first half of the season that major position changes were required! It was all Willis' inability to see the holes, that's why they had to change the line around!!! We can get any RB in the 5th round who will be better!!! Let the guy be happy. He just went from a team that has been mediocre (or worse) this decade to a team that was #1 in the AFC last year going into the playoffs. He's going to play with a few of his superstar buddies from the U. Why shouldn't he be excited? I'll take the article at face value and leave it be that McGahee appreciates the opportunity the Bills gave him and that he enjoyed playing with his teammates here. Now he's in a good football situation where he will probably sign a pretty wealthy deal, and I'm sure he'll do fine. I don't need to burn a Willis doll or use his jersey as a bar rag. It was a football decision, and it's been made. Now the Bills have the RB hole to fill, along with several others. Hopefully it works out for all parties.

You do realize that this is a 100,000 sq ft building where you can find EVERYTHING imaginable for fishing, hunting, hiking, camping, boating, waterskiing, sailing, rock climbing, canyoneering, and just about anything else you can do outdoors. I completely understand the point you're making, but let's not pretend that this is Bob's Bait & Tackle that is going to anchor the development plan. Is this superficial?- The Bass Pro store will serve as anchor tenant for Canal Side, which is billed as a $275 million mixed-use development that will fill the Erie Canal Harbor neighborhood with a mix of shops, restaurants, entertainment venues, museums, a hotel, and residential and office space. Planners are predicting the reborn haborfront will attract 5 million visitors a year. The agreement also provides the City of Buffalo $10 million in state money to demolish the idle Aud, with promises of additional funding to meet costs in excess of that allotment. Under terms of the agreement, the harbor development corporation will invest $25 million in public funds to prepare the riverfront site and construct the shell of a three-story retail building, designed to resemble the original Central Wharf terminal that stood on the property in the mid-1800s. Bass Pro Shops will spend approximately $15 million to build out the interior of the store and also will pay $300,000 a year in fees to support Canal Side. Over the course of the proposed 20-year lease, those fees would total $6 million. And if Bass Pro exercises all lease renewals, that sum would climb to $15 million over 50 years. The store, which will employ about 1,000 full- and part-time staffers, is expected to generate $3 million annually in sales tax. The agreement also calls on the harbor development corporation to construct a 20,000- square-foot Erie Canal Museum and a 30,000-square-foot public market. I'm not sure what bustling metropolis you live in Ink, but in Buffalo, ANY development plan is welcome- superficial or not. (Obviously, as we all know, development plans and actual groundbreaking are miles apart in Erie County...But hopefully this is moving in the right direction.)

Some people call them a bust. Matt Millen just calls them "my picks."

Always Fondling Titties? Never Entered Anally? Maturity is my strong suit.

Well, two pregnant girlfriends means that Brady has had sex at least twice, which is two more times than Manning.

This is BY FAR my favorite draft bust

I'm willing to bet you are a product of Chadron State as well. You guys all think you're entitled to something. Just because Buffalo doesn't have the nightlife that is found in central Nebraska doesn't mean Beebe should be badmouthing the Super Bowl teams. It's also a little known fact that Beebe had 2 & 7 in his Super Bowl XXVII squares and the only reason he "hustled" to knock the ball out of Lett's hands was to preserve his $10,000 payout.

Just another typical punk from Chadron State in Nebraska who thinks he can run his mouth. I always knew Beebe wasn't a 'Buffalo guy'!!!

Tater, would you shake hands with them after they beat themselves?

I don't disagree that they've mailed it in on a few of their recent performances. However, last night is not a game I would use as an example. They made a conscious effort to play a more "New Jersey" style last night and take care of business in their own end, cover for each other in the back (see Hecht's first goal when he covered the point for a D-man who pinched) and limit the risky passes and silly turnovers. The lack of SOG lately is a cause for concern, but Lindy is stressing to the players to get more pucks on net from all angles. In general though, it's tough to win consistently when you are outshot by 15 every night. They pretty much played a playoff style last night, and in the process, beat a very good team with a very good goalie. The first two periods were definitely not exciting, but that is a product of 1) The way the Devils play, and 2) A conscious effort by the Sabres to be more patient. NJ is not a team you want to get behind 2-0. If you think they are boring in general, watch them with a lead.

This is news? I don't think so. Everyone knows the franchise's rules about long hair.

The Devils need to worry about their division rather than the Sabres and the Eastern Conference. Choke??? NJ has lost 5 of 8, opening the door for Pittsburgh (8-2 in their last 10) to move into a tie for the division lead. The Devils could easily go from challenging for the top spot and home ice advantage to falling to the #5 seed and opening the playoffs on the road in Ottawa. The truth is, Buffalo very well could falter in the playoffs. Better teams than the '06-'07 Sabres have been bounced out early. If you catch another team with a goalie who is on fire, any team can lose 4 out of 7. But at least Buffalo will go down swinging, and not sitting back and playing a 4-deep trap like the Devils. I'm not sure how big of a hockey fan you are Ed, but I would be sick to my stomach if I had to watch NJ play all season. They suck all the life out of the game.

Speaking as someone who peaked athletically when I was 20, yes I am amazed he's still playing. I would most certainly be golfing, and I'd probably only be using the golf as an excuse to get out in the sun and drink. Hasek's escapades across the border when he was a Sabre are well documented. Maybe he realizes that 19-year old strippers don't care about ex-hockey players, so he keeps on playing. Windsor is a quick jaunt from Detroit....

Lindy could really be on to something with Drury between Zubrus and Kotalik. There's a lot to like on that line...Mr. Do-it-All Capt. Clutch, a playmaker and hustler in Zubrus, and a finisher with a cannon shot in Kotalik. I wouldn't consider any one of them bangers, but I think they all play the body more than they're given credit for, especially Kotalik. Briere between Pominville and Hecht is still working, and Roy between Vanek and Stafford have been outstanding. It's pretty incredible that Lindy has to decide on a 4th line from Max, Paille, Connolly, Mair, and Peters. Quietly consistent all season has been Paestch. 2 G, 22 A and a +10 is not too bad for a rookie 7th defenseman. I'm not sure what is better for Miller- keep playing and try to ride a hot streak into the postseason, or sit a few games and make sure he's fresh. For as good as this team is, if they plan on playing in mid-June, it's all going to come down to Miller.

60% of the time, it works everytime.

In Canadian currency: Apps in the $12-$20 range. Entrees in the $25-$45 range. Plus drinks. It's always the drinks that does it. We had about 15 people at dinner, most drinking liquor...The bill was astronomical, but we were blindly turning over hundreds of dollars after our incredibly sexy waitress started dancing on our table.

Congrats Rockpile. Only 26 weeks of work, and then you can get back on the dole again!

Not sure what you have on the agenda, but if you are looking for an excellent meal, go to The Globe restaurant (the website is fairly annoying.) I was in Montreal for a bachelor party, and we went there to eat and had an incredible meal. Very, very tasty. Then, as dinner is winding down, all of the sudden music came on, and several EXTREMELY hot waitresses got up and started dancing on the tables. Very classy and very hot and sexual. The dinner was expensive but I walked out of there thinking that it was one of the greatest places on Earth. It is a real restaurant and not a 'gentleman's club,' so the dancing on the tables was completely unexpected, but thoroughly enjoyed. A friend of mine got a waitresses' cell number and called her that night and gave her the business. Overall, a quality establishment.

Tragic story... Giants Stadium, the Continental Areana, and the entire Meadowlands area is such a piece of schit. The poor kid was trying to go get a sandwich and since they decided to build the stadium complex on a swamp in the middle of nowhere, he had to walk on the highway and got pegged by a car. Say what you want about the seedy area surrounding the HSBC, but at least you're not going to get hit by a car on the shoulder of the 190 because you want to go get lunch.

Pens will be gone in Round 1. For as good as Pittsburgh is playing, there is a team that is playing better right now and flying under the radar: the Ottawa Senators. Yes, I know, they are a classic playoff collapse franchise. And the Penguins are a nice story and are getting some pub with the youngsters like Crosby, Malkin, Staal, and Fleury. But I don't see Pittsburgh beating Ottawa. This year's Ottawa is like last year's Sabres...Playing well, staying close to the front of the pack, and doing it without much fanfare. Ottawa as a 4 or 5 seed is much more dangerous than the #1 or #2 seeded Senators teams that have consistently underperformed in years past. Either way, one of those two gone in Rd 1 is good news for the Sabres...And if the favorites prevail in the other series, the Sabres would get the winner of the 4 vs. 5 matchup...Hopefully they beat each other up!

Thanks MDH, that's EXACTLY the point I'm trying to make. For pretty much this entire decade, the Bills have been letting players walk or trading them away without a viable replacement in the plans. It's as if they look at the next guy on the depth chart, even if he isn't starter-caliber, and say, "Well, I guess you're the starter now." I certainly am not saying that keeping Clements at that salary would have been a good move. And 5 years $25 mil for Fletcher is too much. However, I think McGahee was primed for a good season, and I would like to see Spikes a full two-years after his injury. Spikes was certainly not as explosive last season, but everyone seems to forget that he was also playing a new position, Strong side LB, where you don't tend to fly to the ball like you would as the Weak Side LB. I am not a 'Sky is Falling' fan and I am not predicting the complete demise of the franchise. All I'm saying is, they're getting rid of their four biggest stars and will have a press conference letting us know that they think we are better off. I hope they are right.

The Kobe Bryant thread is in Off the Wall.

I hear you PTR and I am far from a draft guru myself. I can't worry about who they might draft, I just wait until who they actually DO draft. With Fletch and now apparently Spikes gone, it seems it has to be a LB in the 1st round...But who knows? My main point was that you know the press conference is coming where they talk about the team getting better. Will you buy it? It can be frustrating when players are dealt with no apparent backup plan, and a team with several holes to fill is creating more. In response to your question- I don't think the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavs, Detroit Tigers, or the Nashville Predators have any question marks....

They were serious about upgrading the O-Line. They were serious about being fiscally responsible. And they were apparently serious when they said that Ryan Denney is awesome. However, you know Marv and Ralph and Dickie J will come out after the draft and say that they love the direction, and the team is improving. What will it take in the draft for you to believe them? Is it even possible to get better after losing four of your best players in McGahee, Clements, Fletcher, and Spikes? Are these simply too many holes to fill? Should Marv put McGee and Evans on the block just to see how many 3rd and 4th round picks we can rack up for our skilled players? Can McCargo get healthy for the first time in three years? Will the Jumbotron and ribbon board take your mind off of the product on the field? Also, we've all seen Willis when he's motivated. The over/under on his performance in the Ralph next year: 135 yds rushing and 1.5 TD's. Over or under?

Everything you say is true Ramius...But....Who is he supposed to pass to??? They've been without Odom for most of the season, Kwame Brown (probably the best pick-setter of any #1 overall draftee) isn't an offensive weapon, and Andrew Bynum is 16 years old. Maybe dish to Smush Parker for the open J? No thanks. There's no denying the fact that Kobe has had 268 points in the last 5 games and only 11 assists. However, for as much as he's been gunning it, he's shooting 52.6% overall in that stretch (91-173) and 47.7% from 3-point land (21-44) and his team has won all five games. I would consider that a pretty damn fine job of leading his team, even if all five games were against some of the dregs of the Western Conference. They probably will lose in the first round to San Antonio (LA's opponent if the playoffs started today) but the Spurs can't be too excited about the matchup. Is it unrealistic that Kobe could score 50 three or four times in seven games to steal a series? I'm no Kobe lover, but it's hard for me to call him a rapist. A chick goes to his hotel room alone, gets banged, and then cries rape and is found to have semen from Kobe and two other men on her person....And then takes cash and drops the case....Dollar-sign eyeballs on that slut...