Offside Number 76

Broncos are interested in a trade?

Seriously. At least the Bills fired Donohoe. Millen is still screwing up that team with his offseason moves. Hopefully they can take another receiver at No. 9.

This guy is no Edison, Tesla, Duryea, or Ford. He's a Niagara Gazette writer citing an 18-yr-old QB at a school no one outside of Saint Paul ever has heard of. I wouldn't count on him for the great leap forward.

A second league might not care about the gambling connection, but don't think it wouldn't be a big gambling draw. Sports books take action on WNBA, minor league cricket, and probably freaking ice fishing. That said: (1) The Bills will be just fine, and (2) no second league will be viable, as you stated.

I'm also sure, but you missed the point. No surprise.

Do we count his playing days at Coe College as well?

Nope. Detroit is obligated to take a receiver. Them's the rules.

What are the others lacking that Marv has? Four straight conference titles.

/nm or /belinda, take your pick.

Don't forget, that was a MAC quarterback with the Lombardi trophy tonight. C'mon Turner Gill!

If they can put the computerized yellow line across the field on TV, they also can make the same line available to refs and fans at the game--think of a giant laser level. It's just a question of whether the league wants to do it. Right now, looks like no.

How was this even a question? I had trouble choosing between Pats-Broncs and Sens-Oilers. Choosing the Sabres game was a no-brainer.

What a game. In fact, what a BCS series. The ONLY thing the NFL has on college football is a legit playoff system / champ determination (remember, USC didn't win the BCS two years ago; LSU did). I think major D-I ball is much more exciting than pro ball right now, which seems tepid in comparison. Aspects of college ball that I would love to see in the pro game: --One foot inbounds for a reception. --15-yard max for pass interference. --More plays, fewer TV timeouts. --The streamlined, nearly-always-correct replay review system. --Guaranteed posession OT. --Marching bands. --The Texas cheerleaders. Anyway, here's to a great Bills '06. And to the chance that Levy and Mogilny could return to Buffalo in the same week (see the Sabres boards)!

I'm with you. The mistake was not letting Bledoe go--obviously, he wouldn't succeed in this system, with this o-line. The mistake was the concept that the QB was the problem. Manning (either), Montana, Marino, Unitas, even Saint Jim would play poorly right now with this team. The Losman draft pick--and I don't mind JP--would have been better spent on another position.

Drew is a Bills alum. If we can talk about Kelly, or Thomas, or Smith, Reed, Simpson, or Gilchrist, we can talk about Bledsoe. It's especially appropriate BECAUSE it's a Bills forum.

Glad you all enjoyed it. Mike's answers were: D, B, D, C, D, and D. The correct answers are: A, A, A, A, A (partial credit for C), and A. Mike failed.

Reflecting on the week's events, I came up with the following general knowledge exam. Pit your wits against Mike's and see how well you do! AMERICAN HISTORY: When confronted with the Teapot Dome scandal, President Harding: a) Died in office. b) Suspended his Secretary of the Interior for one week. c) Suspended his Secretary of the Interior for one week, after first checking with Mrs. Harding. d) Suspended Eric Moulds, after first checking with Mrs. Harding. MATHEMATICS: 23-3= a) 20. b) An opportunity for the Dolphins to come back. LITERATURE: A central theme of Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury is: a) The decline of the postbellum South. b) The decline of the post-Polian Buffalo Bills. c) One family’s struggle to continue its legacy. d) One football team’s struggle to win without an offensive line. RELIGION: In Christianity, the concept of evil is personified by: a) Satan, the Prince of Darkness. b) Miroslav Satan, the Prince of Long Island. c) Eric Moulds. d) Sage Rosenfels, but really he’s controlled by Eric Moulds. WORLD HISTORY: When the Germans invaded Belgium at the start of World War I, they: a) Ran a sweep towards the English Channel, then cut inside towards Paris. b) Benched their starting general for several weeks early in the campaign. c) Stuck to their plan in the face of surprisingly fierce Belgian opposition. d) Abandoned their game plan on the second day of the invasion and instead ran up the middle on 3d and 23, while passing when they had a first down just three yards outside of Brussels. SCIENCE: Darwin’s Theory of Evolution holds that: a) Stronger species with sound survival strategies will outlive and overpower smaller, weaker species with poor survival strategies. b) Kansas is exactly 6,000 years old. c) A weaker football team with no discernible gameplan should suspend Eric Moulds. d) A football team that is not winning games should continually employ the same makeshift strategies and trick plays, and eventually, the game will evolve to accommodate them.

It's ok that you disagree--but "please post somewhere else?" C'mon.

For the diehard NFL fan, this obviously doesn't apply... Maybe we're paying a little too much attention to the Bills? Across town, there's a hockey team with more key injuries, but that's finding a way to win (4-1 on Colo., and 17 points out of the last 20, as of this writing). They average in the bottom third of the league in attendance (see today's New York Times for the figures). Across town yet again, there's a college basketball team with six wins and a single loss. They had 3500 the other night against their highest-profile opponent so far (Fresno State, which was a nationally televised "Bracket Buster" game for the UB Bulls last year in Cali--and the Bulls won). They've played local rivals Canisius and Niagara, to small crowds. The Bills are at capacity every game. They're 4-8. I do realize that the presence of the team helps put Buffalo on the map, and eight nights per year, puts customers in local hotels and restaurants. But shouldn't we be devoting SOME attention to the other teams that are bearing our standard? Rebuild, Bills. I'll always like you. But in the meantime, let's go Sabres, and let's go Bulls. And let's show up.

Interesting analysis & man, you did your homework. Hope you had fun at Grevey's.

More than anything else at this point in the season, pulling the developing QB would be a poor decision.

The nickname thing that Berman does was played out ten years ago, but I do like him; he's good-natured and is genuinely excited about the sports he covers. More than I could say about most sportscasters.

Ah, just relax. Try to breathe through your nose.

Record depends on whether the Bills had spent the offseason fixing what really is wrong with the team--the line--instead of picking a scapegoat. If the Bills had collected Dallas's line, there's no reason to believe the Bills wouldn't have Dallas's record. If the Bills merely kept the status quo from last year, the record would be just about what it is now.

With every Dallas win--as well as with every Buffalo loss--the ice thins beneath Donohoe. Never thought I'd say this, but let's see some Cowboys wins.