Spun

I saw Sally Ride give a speech in San Diego a number of years back. She was and is an inspiration especially to children wondering and dreaming about what they are going to do for a job when they become adults. The thing I remember from her speech is how she casually responded to an ad in a student newspaper that led to her eventually becoming an astronaut. Pancreatic cancer is vicious. Once diagnosed, the remaining time is short. RIP Sally Ride.

I would run outside and make snow angels or grass angels or sand angels... Definitely angels. I think it would be more than "is that all there is". Since it would be the first time, I would expect constant reminders from friends, co-workers and people who know that I am from Buffalo. Knowing the long road we Bills fans have trekked, I believe there would be national adulation (except with the usual suspects) as in "they FINALLY, FINALLY did it". Then we could do a group exhale! No riots. None.

San Jose, interesting perspectives! I think a couple of the players (MaGahee, Lynch) mentioned brought the hostility onto themselves in their words or actions. A couple of others (Peca, Hasek) wanted out of Buffalo during their prime only to want to return years later. Buffalonians could do a better job moving on I suppose! I don't know how often you visit Montreal but it is a very different place in some respects than when you lived there. I have visited Montreal numerous times over the last fifteen years. Montreal is a very cool city with great cultural offerings. Montrealers can be very passionate with a history of rioting (Rocket riot of 1955 and the playoff riot of 2008). That passion also effects spheres other than sports with this year's student protests, the pursuit of separatism and the language law being particularly dramatic!. I am American with parts of my family being from both the U.S. and Canada. I haven't lived in Buffalo for a long time (now in San Diego). However, based on my interactions in Montreal, Toronto and Buffalo, the relations between Americans and Canadians have become much worse over the last thirty or so years. There are a lot of reasons for the anger. But it is anger and that is especially true from the Canadian side. This resentment was on full display for the 2011 World Juniors tourney in Buffalo. From my view, it is well beyond rivalry. In Montreal, it is well known that the locals don't like Americans. Feeling it from both sides, it is unfortunate. I often wonder how different Buffalo and Buffalonians would be with a thriving economy (first) and a couple of championships on our resume. I wish for both!

That are many things to say on this story, good and bad. Firstly, Josh Reed is one of a long list of players who played for the Bills. He lived in WNY so he has some perspectives that mostly sound bad. How much does it matter, Josh Reed and his observations? What matters to me is not Josh Reed. Nor Willis MaGahee, Emerson Etem, Tom Brady, etc. (all three who in addition to Reed have said some unflattering things about Buffalo, it's people, etc.). What does matter to me is Buffalo, WNY, the residents and transplants (to and from) and yes of course, the Bills and Sabres. Buffalo is a very small city in comparison to most cities with major sports franchises. Many of these other cities have much larger populations and greater prosperity. With such prosperity, some of these larger cities do have a lot more to do. As for Buffalo, are things better economically than ten, twenty, fifty years ago? Is the city safer? How are the public schools doing? The libraries? Are the city neighborhoods getting better or worse? What do you honestly think of downtown Buffalo in comparison to it's more prosperous past? The point isn't Josh Reed the person. He matters little to me. Buffalo matters to me. We do have things to work on. Let's stand up and acknowledge that fact and then we can take on the challenges of Buffalo life. Buffalo is unique and it can do better. Buffalo gets maligned repeatedly in the national media (nothing new). So what can the people do to make it better? Or better yet what should the people not do? The last thing Buffalo needs is it's people making life worse for themselves and each other. The weather is what it is. However, look at a map and you can point out wintery locales that do prosper. NYS taxes hurt the entire state. So also do situations (some self made) that make taxation a "viable solution" hurt WNY. Life is obviously better when you win whether it be Josh Reed or any of us. Life is usually better when money isn't an issue. Maybe Reed had other issues? Who knows? Make Buffalo better and forget about what Josh Reed said.

I would say Orange County is one of the most conservative places in the country. O.C. has lots of wealth, nice beaches, pricey property and lots of beautiful women. One summer day while in Huntington Beach, I was walking down Main Street when a cop pulled over a car at a stop sign. The cops suspected that the kids in the car were smoking cigarettes and underage. Apparently, they were right. When going to Ducks games, my Buffalo brethren always create a stir by openly popping beers like they were outside the Ralph. Orange County cops don't like that. They are a little uptight up there in O.C. When the young ladies of Orange County come down to San Diego for college they go off. All those rules get tossed aside. Not all bad!!! The young ladies of San Diego State!!! I don't know if this happens anymore but historically on Independence Day, the locals revolt in Huntington Beach. People go around lighting up dumpsters and couches as the cops try to chase them down. The business ditrict (mainly the bars) gets shut down. I was there one year not knowing the tradition. I couldn't leave until the next morning as moving vehicles got pelted with bottles, rocks and water balloons. Kind of like snowballs in WNY. From what I have been told, the back story is that one year there was supposed to be a bikini contest and the cops shut it down so the locals rioted.

That may be true among sports fans but I have met many people (during my twenty years of living in So Cal) who say they are from L.A. only to later learn that they are from (way) outside L.A. In fact, when someone tells me that they are from L.A., I ask them to clarify where in L.A. because the inaccuracy is fairly frequent. Recently, I met this lady who claimed she was from L.A. only to learn that she was from Newport Beach (in Orange County). The excuse given is that the non-Angeleno assumes people haven't heard of their town. Yeah, I know. Newport Beach? Who hasn't heard of Newport? When it comes to sports fans, Anaheim in particular, they are adamant about being from Anaheim or Orange County. I have been to a number of Ducks games and many of the fans seem angry and bitter. The Ducks fans get sick and damn tired of opposing fans coming into the their building. I don't blame them. The same anger exists in San Diego when Dodger fans pour into town for baseball games. Always fights and widespread alcohol abuse! Anaheim and San Diego both resent L.A. One interesting thing to watch in the aftermath of the Kings Cup win is the growth of hockey in So Cal. Californians are starting to be drafted into the NHL. One example is Emerson Etem (yes, the one who called Buffalo a "ghost town" at the 2011 WJC), who led the CHL with 61 goals this past season.

The Sabres did handle the Kings when they played in Berlin last October. The Kings did it like it is supposed to be done. Their playoff success on the road may never be equaled in our lifetime. The Kings just made it into the playoffs. The Sabres just missed getting in. The Sabres have urgent problems with the Bruins and Flyers among other issues such as...scoring goals. Losing games to the Flyers and then the Bruins in the last week of the season was a metaphor for the season. One thing that really bothered me was how the press called the last game of the season against the Bruins a "meaningless game". That mindset must change. No game against the Bruins is EVER meaningless. Even preseason games against "THEM" has meaning. And add the Flyers to that sentiment.

I grew up in a family that always had a home newspaper subscription. We had the nightly Buffalo Evening News (later known as the morning/daily The Buffalo News after the sad demise of the Courier) and the Sunday Courier Express. Then and now I have always appreciated journalism. I didn't and don't always agree with what turns up on the pages but that is part of why I read. I enjoy a full debate. Today, I read the print edition of the Sunday L.A. Times. The local San Diego Union-Tribune (SD U-T) is junk. With the internet and Facebook in particular, I have eleven different newspapers scrolling through my FB homepage. This access to newspapers far and wide is what is greatest about the internet. I read news from various favorite cities and some in French and Spanish. I fully understand the publisher's need to optimize their profits through a revised business model. That model may be the best way for newspapers to survive. But as a reader, we have lost something significant in losing what was the newspaper before and after the arrival of the internet if that future means pay as we go. I wish I could pay for all of the newspapers that I browse through. But of course, I can't. (I have yet to utilize RSS). I do what I can to support journalism. When traveling, I always return with a stack of the destination city's fishwrap(s). (I still prefer the actual newspaper). Locally, I buy papers and leave them in the pile at coffee shops. Today, it seems like people are reading less of most everything but status updates and texts. So many people don't use the public libraries. People are reading less books, magazines and newspapers. Bookstores are closing down. And I don't believe the "readers" (nook, i-pad) have served as a suitable alternative (yet?) for former book, magazine and newspaper readers. However, all is not lost if we still partipate in journalism (yes, that includes barbs at you Jerry Sullivan). As for me and The Buffalo News, we will see. I live to read and I live for the news.

Interesting perspectives. There are a lot of things changing in L.A. L.A. does have some cool things going on culturally. I love the variety of ethnic food in L.A. and there are some beautiful women! However, it true that a sizable part of the population in L.A. is very dangerous. That fact ruins the fun for a lot of people. Raiders games were not USC games. Whenever the Dodgers visit San Diego, many of their fans come to the games. Typically, too many of their twenty-something y.o. male fans get very drunk, very fast. It is funny at first until the fights start. The cops usually have to start throwing people out in the early innings. This is at baseball games! As for Raider and Charger games, it is more of the same with fights and yes, in the past there have been stabbings. They do want to put the new stadium in downtown L.A. not suburban Pasadena. The stadium will be built and L.A. will get a team. They just better leave the Bills alone. I know what it is like to be on the losing side of a franchise shift (the Buffalo Braves). I hate franchise shifts. I prefer expansion.

I can see Jerry Jones doing that. In fact, he probably already is fighting a San Antonio franchise. I do believe Jerry wants a team in L.A. which should provide more money for Jerry. A two team expansion including L.A. would take the pressure off of all the "target teams".

Give L.A. an expnasion team along with either Portland, Oklahoma City or San Antonio. Circle the wagons.

USC was Corp's first college.

Like any other QB, what happens to those skills once he gets repeatedly knocked down? I like the pickup, hopefully he does well! I also like the pickup of QB Aaron Corp. With great coaching, whatever blue chip potential that he had may return...

Same bar!

I have been very close to family and friends going through severe depression. Some have threatened suicide but never tried. Others tried and couldn't finish it while others sadly completed the act. Then, there are the ones with no apparent warning, just checkout. Unfortunately, I have been one of the frustrated and angry ones left behind trying to understand and wishing I could have done something more. I also know what it like to have my father pass away at 42 (not suicide) when I was 3. It is easy to assume that it is selfish when one leaves behind people who do care about the deceased. But the human mind is much more complex than that. Sometimes the perception is that people don't care even when that isn't the reality. Last night, I heard a radio interview with Jerry Rice. Rice was good friends with Junior and had recently seen him at a golf outing. Rice asked Junior how everything was going and Junior responded favorably. Apparently, Junior was masking the truth. In our culture, guys typically keep things inside while the females are better able to let out the good and the bad. Us guys mask what ever may be troubling us for a multitude of reasons including difficulty and discomfort expressing our feelings or embarrassment. How many people do we know who habitually respond favorably to a "how are you?" even when things aren't well? Mental illness is stigmatized in the U.S. What does mental illness look like? Look around. It could be anybody. Many don't get help when they need it. And some go for help and it just doesn't work. We may never know what was troubling Junior. It probably isn't any of our business. It wasn't uncommon to see Junior around town here in San Diego. He was a success on and off the field. He was surrounded by caring friends and family. His restaurant was doing well. He was a guy who was known to be generous. He tipped the local bar and restaurant staffs very well. He liked to party. He loved the ladies. His was an American success story. His parents moved here not knowing english. He grew up in a very rough area of Oceanside. He excelled at an elite university, USC. Celebs have a public persona but few of us really know the real person. It doesn't make sense to us. But suicide rarely makes sense to those left behind.

We used to see Junior out and about quite frequently here in San Diego. People always used to come up to him all the time and he was very cool about it. I just left him alone. It wasn't uncommon to see Junior at numerous events at local hotels. One in particular was for a charity involving wheelchair athletes who played football. We hear a lot about athletes getting into trouble (especially in San Diego). But as for helping charities on another Saturday night, Junior did a lot of that. Junior helped a lot of the less fortunate in San Diego. I saw him do it. Suicide sucks. I have lost too many friends this way. It is hard to understand. I lost one of my very first and best friends about a year ago. He was a big Bills and Sabres fan. I still don't get it. Why? He had kids but also some broken relationships. His heart was broken and apparently he felt empty. I insist I could have stopped my friend if I known how bad things were. To think that someone would throw their life away is difficult. And painful for those of us left behind. There isn't anything funny about it. The local media is scrambling for answers. Speculation is beyond control right now. A number of my friends knew Junior personally. I did not. We don't have the answers right now. In regards to the comments regarding our returning vets and their struggles with PTSD, I agree that their care should be a national priority. We have a lot of vets in San Diego. There have been numerous stories of vets committing suicide and struggling with adjustment in my neighborhood. We see them before they leave and we see some of them when they come back. They deserve better.

The first Braves game that I attended was against the Lakers. There was a collision between Brave Bob Kaufman and Jerry West. West hurt his knee so badly that they stopped the game for about twenty minutes. The Lakers had Wilt Chamberlain, Pat Riley and Gail Goodrich. The Lakers won 131-118. They had 103 points after the third quarter in the age of no three-pointers. Van Miller used to do the radio call on WBEN. I still have my original Braves pennant on the wall.

The Flyers have a good mix of draftees and pickups. Schenn was an unbelievable pickup. I am sorry but I cannot nor will not ever root for the Flyers in this or any other lifetime.

There is always the CHL and then the Memorial Cup. And the World Championships. Roughly five months until opening night. Draft somebody good please.

The Braves entered the NBA in 1970 along with Cleveland and Portland. And the Sabres also began in 1970. It was a great time to see all three Buffalo teams rise. I used to go to sleep at night listening to both Braves and Sabres broadcasts. I saw McAdoo score 52 points one night. The Braves won one playoff series against the Washington Bullets. The Celtics were the biggest rival with John Havilicek, Dave Cowens, Jo Jo White and Don Nelson. The support for the Braves was growing. The late Randy Smith was a three sport star at Buffalo State (basketball, soccer and track). The original owner, Paul Snyder, sold the team. The new ownership (Kentucky Governor John Y. Brown / Mr Phyllis George) started selling off players for money and lower quality players. The fans were pissed. The ownership then gave the fans an ultimatum: buy x amount of season tickets or the team is moving. That pissed off the fans even more. Get rid of the best players and then demand that the fans buy more season tickets. The NBA owners went along with the plan to get another NBA team on the west coast. There was little Buffalo could do. The Braves were also involved in some complicated trade involving the franchise with Boston. The lights went off and the Braves became the San Diego Clippers. The Clippers #1 pick after leaving Buffalo: Bill Walton. I live in San Diego and I occasionally see San Diego native Walton riding his bike down near the ocean during the summer. It isn't hard to miss a seven-footer riding his bike! Anyhow, one time when Walton was riding by I yelled out "The Buffalo Braves will rise again". He laughed! Walton would have been a Brave. The Braves traded their best player Bob McAdoo to the Kew York Knicks for a guy named John Gianelli. PA annouincer Danny Nevereth was famous for the "two for McAdoo" phrase. After McAdoo left and Gianelli arrived, the phrase became "two for McGianelli". Nevereth was soon fired. When the Braves left, the NBA lost me for life. I skip that part. Basketball is a great sport to play and watch. Basketball is great for conditioning. I loved basketball. But after the Braves left, I was done. I watch some NCAA basketball, that is it. I hate franchise shifts. I understand economics and greed. It's a business blah, blah, blah. What happened to the Cleveland Browns was wrong. They could have worked that out. The Baltimore Colts and Houston Oilers moves also were bad. I also didn't like the Nordiques and Jets moves in hockey. As for the Bills and the other named relocation targets in the NFL, leave them all alone. L.A. has a great football tradition and can support an NFL team. Couple up an L.A. expansion team with a team from possibly Portland, Oklahoma City or San Antonio. Leave everybody else alone.

No Philadelphia and no Boston. No. Not at all. I don't care if it is little girls pony league badminton. No Philadelphia and no Boston. And if they play each other, cancel the series and send them to a faraway distant place. While I admire Briere, I have to wonder if you saw Perreault play. If not, review SOME of the highlights on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gilbert+perreault&oq=gilbert+perreault&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_l=youtube.3..0l10.173.4565.0.14010.12.12.0.7.7.0.211.790.0j4j1.5.0. For the sake of humanity, Go Caps.

Yeah, I'm also an oldie. It could be but we just don't know it yet!

If Kuechly could fix the TE problem (NE) that would be great. With an increased pass rush, Brady dumpoffs to the TE should be on the increase. As for Welka'? I was just reviewing some of the most recent drafts. It was like going to bed dreaming about Christmas only to instead get a nightmare of no Christmas (other than Dareus).

He wraps like a clamp. Would he mind the cold?

Or worse!