Offside Number 76

Really? Reducing scholarships by 20 and no bowls for four years is harsh? No football at all until they straighten out priorities would have been the appropriate response. I hope the Big "10" does kick them out, but it won't happen.

Correct.

The other "joke" circulating is that they'll put the statue in the library to remind people to keep quiet. I don't find either one to be that funny though. EXACTLY. If this were UB, the program would be shut down. But no way is the NCAA going to kill one of its cash cows. Huh? Rose Bowl 4 years ago; 2 BCS bowls in the last 7 years. What is "some time ago?"

That would have happened with the penalty PSU should have received, too.

Not very severe at all.

I read this all the time and wonder why people don't realize that practicing the wildcat also takes valuable time away from the Bills' offensive gameplan. And how hard is it for another team to plan for the Bills' version of the wildcat? They know he's going to run 95% of the time. I can understand the posts above about Smith keeping a roster spot because he can back up so many positions. That's legitimate. The wildcat is not.

He scored a pretty important touchdown on a run that started inside and moved to the outside. Any Texas or USC fan will tell you all about it. That said, I still can't stand the wildcat, no matter who is under center. It's a completely stupid proposition when teams don't throw out of the formation. Just direct snap to the running back and get on with it.

They can't direct-snap to Freddy or CJ? If you think he was automatic on third down because he has some special third-down mojo, then I don't know what to think.

You're not missing anything. The Wildcat was outdated the weekend after Miami started using it (does any team pass out of that formation more than 5% of the time?), and Brad Smith, while probably a great guy, has no purpose for this team.

Immediately get away from wherever I'm watching the game and go home. I live near Elmwood and I don't want to be near any riots. And then I would go to the parade down Delaware in the morning.

It may very well come from that. When I met him, he seemed somewhat shy and humble (of course, this was less than 24 hours after being drafted, so maybe he was overwhelmed by attention), and that also can be misinterpreted as a lack of intelligence. My bet is he's just fine.

Excellent change-of-pace back, and he was every bit as important to the comeback against Houston as Reich and Reed were.

It's not for everybody.

I'm sure it would. We can say whatever we want here. We can stay still when asked to move. We can be Americans. And I'm not anti-cop at all, not for a minute.

Yes. Something that, while classless, stupid, and counterproductive, is not and should not be a crime. We're allowed to be a-holes in this great free land of ours. Most, fortunately, choose not to.

It's Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748 (2005). Fing's quotation, "The Supreme Court ruled on Monday..." is from the 2005 NYT article.

I think cops are great. I long ago passed the point where I thought of them as the enemy. That said, if you think there aren't a few on every force who are just looking for a way to bring some "uppity" young black man down, you're naive. I don't believe the backfill story that Peterson pushed an officer, either. He'd be charged with more if he had.

He's black, famous, and didn't do exactly what the officers wanted him to do.

Well, not necessarily. There certainly are plenty, plenty of good charities that try to keep administrative costs low and benefits to the community as high as possible. A couple of things to look for: Is it named after a person? If so, is it locally based rather than nationally recognized? And is a family member of the person on the board or otherwise an administrator? Compare, for example, Gilda's Club or the Susan G. Komen foundation to some of the organizations in the article (and their local counterparts). Has it been around for a long time? Is the organizer or namesake (if alive) actively involved in philanthropy? Finally, and maybe most importantly, can you trace the organization's activities to a societal benefit? Two of my local favorites, Food Bank of WNY and Ronald McDonald house, have visible and tangible benefits. I can think of others, even some run by or on behalf of former Buffalo athletes, that seem to specialize in fundraising, advertising, lobbying, and golf tournaments--but I couldn't tell you what they actually do for the community. These, I avoid.

It's not a video. It's part of "Clayton's Mailbag," which sounds somewhat disturbing. It's about halfway down this page: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8119571/nfl-league-makes-right-call-blackout-requirements

Here, for those who don't want to go through a crappy BR slideshow: Cardinals: Kevin Kolb Falcons: Peria Jerry Ravens: LaQuan Williams Bills: Alex Carrington Panthers: Captain Munnerlyn Bears: Roberto Garza Bengals: Kevin Huber Browns: Ben Watson Cowboys: Orlando Scandrick Broncos: Ty Warren Lions: Gosder Cherilus Packers: Andrew Quarless Texans: Garrett Graham Colts: Jeff Linkenbach Jaguars: Cecil Shorts III Chiefs: Alex Tanney Dolphins: John Jerry Vikings: John Carlson Patriots: Devin McCourty Saints: Michael Higgins Giants: Ramses Barden Jets: Tim Tebow Raiders: Khalif Barnes Eagles: Dion Lewis Steelers: Shaun Suisham Chargers: Jeromey Clary 49ers: Randy Moss Seahawks: Tarvaris Jackson Rams: Kellen Clemens Buccaneers: Jeremy Trueblood Titans: Matt Hasselbeck Redskins: Lorenzo Alexander

Tell me I'm wrong: There is no better show in rock than Springsteen. The man brings it every time. And brings it for three-plus hours.

In the pit for Springsteen a couple of months ago. Technically, it's not a "seat," but when you can touch the stage, you don't care if you're standing.

Echo that. Anyway, I'll bet RW keeps the blackout percentage at 100. Not because he's cheap; because he's a traditionalist.

Did I win?!