Spun

I go on board as nervously "concerned". Coe College. Freddy is what makes the offense go.

Interesting! Very gutsy! If you want to swing for the fence, that is how to do it. I sense the Bills aren't that gutsy! Is the difference between Kalhil and the next best OT equal to the two picks? Doubt it! Crazy things happen on draft day. But usually they don't work out in the Bills favor. What is his name? John McCargo? I can say gun shy in two notes...

I would like to agree. I believe the Bills history of fielding a less than formidable offensive line has hindered the development of their QBs. At times it has appeared constant pass rush assaults have rendered whatever QB knowledge unrecognizable (Bledsoe,Losman, Edwards). A wall for an offensive line would be very, very nice! And different!

Poor guy, they are comparing him to Ronnie Lott. Alabama is predicted to have around four of their players go in the 1st Round. While Kuechly sounds like a strong pick, the Bills already did some free agent work on the defense. A solid pick at left tackle makes sense if Fitz is the liability some describe him to be. I didn't see enough of Alabama to know anything about Barron. But as a team, Alabama's defense was stout. http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-farmer-nfl-draft-20120422,0,1210658.column

With all the hype and analysis surrounding the draft, it is unfathomable to consider a team drafting a punter or kicker in the 1st round. I can't see that happening. In 1973, the Raiders drafted punter Ray Guy. It was weird back then. I can't ever see that happening again. Ever. Al Davis!

I had one concussion while playing football (no helmets) with my friends. We were around 20 y.o. I was playing defense. A friend carried the ball, I went in for a tackle and our heads banged. It was like two rocks hitting. I went to the huddle. The only problem was I went to the wrong huddle. I didn't know, my friends had to tell me. My head was ringing for the rest of the day. All it takes is one shot. Listen to some former boxers try to speak. Tommy Hearns comes to mind. Football, hockey and boxing are very tough sports. Careers are usually short but the injuries linger. There have also been a number of recent suicides by former hockey players. As far as liability, I believe it is a personal call. You don't have to have modern day studies on head trauma to know that many injuries (past and present day) can be detrimental to long term health. Those guys sacrifice a lot to play the game at that level. We don't hear a whole lot about players after they leave the game. We can assume that for many, they carry some of the physical pain with them until death. Even though brain injuries from football are commonly discussed in the media, it doesn't seem to translate into how the game is played. Players leading with their heads and hitting to the head, don't seem to be any less than days past. RIP Ray Easterling.

I knew the part about this being based on a true story. I just assumed the skating was a stretch. Sometimes, weird stuff happens in minor league hockey. Novelties such as giveaways (and fighting) can pack in the crowds. It amazes me that they would add this guy to the roster! I have met some guys who played a spell in the AHL. You have to be a fairly good player to play in the AHL. I checked out Smith's stats on hockeydb.com. 37 games played, 0 goals and 1 assist. And in season one of his career 28 games with 179 penalty minutes! In this video, Smith's friend talks about Smith's time as a goon being a time when Smith was "searching for things in his life". That experience is true for a lot of guys playing minor league hockey especially when considering the low pay and the subsistence lifestyle. Some people look at the players and ask "why bother". Years later, they look at these same guys and say "he played in the AHL". I have to check out the book! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B8cTdLJizM

Goon was unsurprisingly very violent and at times uncomfortably so. In light of current times, the comedy struggles not to be a tragedy. In many films, we have to take a leap of faith and just go with the story. The concept of a guy barely able to skate, suddenly thrust into a sport in which most of the guys he was sharing the ice with had been skating since chidhood, was hard to buy. I once played on a team in which two of the guys could barely skate. They were football players but their hockey skills were so bad that they couldn't skate close enough to the competition to even instigate a fight. Goon can't be taken too seriously or the viewer won't like the film. The film did capture the feeling of hockey players on the edge of the sport with few prospects for the future. Minor league baseball has similar stories in that there are broken marriages, kids in limbo and no backup plan for the future. As for "goons", their role has become diminished and their days after the sport are typically a big unknown. I thought the camera work was well down on and off ice. The establishing shots in the various Canadian cities were effective. I did notice that one of the players had the name Ennis on the back of his jersey! I wonder why Ennis? I thought the music had an interesting range including classical, country, tick and rap (en francais!). I do wonder who the rappers en francais were. See the film if you are a hockey fan. Don't expect a bookend to Slapshot and just roll with it.

Here are some articles about Gary Carter from the Montreal Gazette: http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/topic.html?t=Person&q=Gary+Carter

A few years after the bombing, I was working as a bartender in a hotel lounge in Columbus, Ohio. It was a boring day shift that I worked while going to school. One particular day, there was nobody at the bar other than me. It was nearing happy hour when this guy comes in. He ordered a pop and sat in silence. He smoked cigarette after cigarette. He didn't want any alcohol nor anything to eat. Just reading his body language, I could tell something wasn't right. After a while, he started to talk. It turned out his fiancée was one of those lost on Pan Am 103. They were both in their twenties and had big plans for their wedding. There wasn't much I could say. I just listened. I have met some people who had close calls on 9/11 and others who lost friends and co-workers on that ugly morning. But to this day, I have never met such a broken individual as that guy at the bar. I still remember his fiancée's name. I thought Gaddafi got off easy. But I was very happy to see the Libyan people finally hoist some terror on him in his last living moments. He justifiably died with fear.

Very funny! Ironically, Lucic received a one game suspension today. Only one game. That is lame. He has been warned. http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=60&id=143408

Here is a more extensive slide show without the music and with some tasteless ads. http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-2011notables-gallery,0,155600.photogallery Some of the names I didn't know about (Bill Keane of Family Circus and Grete Waitz distance runner). Walt Hazzard played for the Buffalo Braves in 1971-72. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Hazzard

Upshaw. I favor the Alabama pedigree. From what I have read, it is a down year for senior pass rushers. Taking an underclassman DE scares me as I am trigger shy after the Maybin-out episode. The lack of a pass rush is killing both the offense and defense. A Von Miller type or better yet, a Cornelius Bennett all purpose linebacker might help the pass rush. A Bruce Smith type next to Dareus would be nice! More help on the offensive line is needed. A deep threat receiver is a must. A qb in the first round... no. There are bigger needs. Fitz was decent when he had time. Adams might help. Even Freddy struggled in his last game as the o-line didn't make enough space. I would be cool with the Bills building superior lines, then working on the skills and speed.

The NFL is a big leap from college. It is o much more of everything especially in regards to speed. He is a rook, he has lot to learn.

I went to a game in San Diego last year. Yes, the uniforms were skimpy. The athleticism and competitiveness were impressive. There was a lot of effort in the play. I was surprised. Apparently, a number of the players had played other sports. The tickets that we received were comps as were many others in the building. I don't know how the LFL makes money. The scheduling seemed erratic with months between home games. San Diego no longer has a team supposedly until they resolve venue issues. Would I pay to go watch another game? Maybe!

Speaking of videos, Nancy Sinatra in the old "Boots Were Made For Walking" also merits interest.

Is Peerless Price available? Billy Brooks? Lou Piccone?

Anna Kournikova could warrant a nomination.

When the team can't get consistency and there is a dearth of scoring, Pommers also gets critiqued. For last nights game, good enough against a first place team What Sabres team shows up tonight? Keep the puck on the opposition side of the ice. Panicky defense in the Sabres zone has been hard to watch.

Some pretty ones but also some throwaways. Cindy Crawford? Salma Hayek? Penelope Cruz? Jessica Alba? Ann Margaret? Linda Evans? Yes, Sophia Loren! Sofia Vergara? I could go on and on!!! Madonna? HEAVE!!!

I cannot answer most of your questions Madtown but I can say that the NHL will be giving some serious attention to the fighters since a number of them have had serious concussion issues. Goalies are pretty well protected. Goalies tend to lose their skills because of aging (vision loss, slower reflexes). It is an interesting first thread!

One of the Chragers strengths WAS their offensive line. No longer. They cannot effectively run the ball. So Rivers has had to force the pass. Norv has made some very conservative calls kind of like Marty used to do. The fans see this and they are very angry. Norv may need a break from football for a spell. Without Rivers the Chargers would be a lot worse.

The season is almost over. Buy a ticket or don't. Some people who can afford a ticket never buy one because they would rather watch the game while sitting in the living room. Some of those same folks think the Bills should buy up the unsold tickets and pass them out. Some people have "done their part" and bought tickets for many years which has helped contribute to sellouts and Bills home games being on TV. Those who routinely buy tickets enable certain others to sit and watch from the couch. The Bills are rising but the injuries have exposed their weaknesses (weak pass rush and a lack of depth). Twelve years without playoffs is beyond stale. And cheap is cheap. I am going to go to the grocery store while hoping that the owner buys up some groceries and passes them out to cheapies like me!

Firstly, Alex Spanos has been ill for some time and is not running the Chargers in any capacity. When is the last time you have seen A. Spanos on TV? It is a sad story. Dean Spanos has a lot of pull these days and the rumor is that the Chargers may be grooming a younger Spanos for future roles in the front office. As for the Chargers, their window has closed. Talent aged and/or departed. The Chargers were very good for a number of years with solid lines and some explosive players. But in their way stood the Pats, Steelers and the nemesis Jets. And even though the Chargers had some success aginst the Colts, Indy's winning ways certainly impacted the Chargers. Just like when the Bills had their rise in the eighties and nineties, there in the way stood the Giants, Redskins and Cowboys. Very few teams can sustain their winning ways for very long. Pittsburgh and N.E. are exceptions. The Charger fans and S.D. media are having a hard time accepting the reality of their fall. They want some firings and I think that is what is going to happen. As for the Bills, they don't need A.J. Smith. No explosive front office drama is needed right now. Recognize the weaknesses and address them (pass rushing lineman, monster linebacker, deep threat receiver and as always stalwart offensive linemen. Depth is in very short supply but the team has finally turned the corner.

I am sorry to hear the sad news. I had noticed that Allen was missing for some time and I presumed it was for bad reasons. I send my condolences to those who knew Allen.