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2 things I would like to see vs. the Patriots** this year, 1 of which is just plain fantasy (but that seems to be where this thread started): 1. Win a close one. I think the psychological impact of gutting out a close win vs. the Cheaters** would be huge for this team (and its fans). 2. Beat the crap out of them* every which way for 60 minutes. (65 actually: I want a scuffle to erupt during warmups when somebody calls Brady* a cheater to his face.) Just a full on beating, with several plays where Lynch plays the role of Thurman running over Brian Cox. Where Peters gets out in front and escorts Pats* LBs to the nursing home. Where DL are all converging on Brady* for several (clean) bonecrunching hits. And where 'bonecrunching' isn't just figurative language. Where Whitner does to Moss* what he did to that WR for the Bengals. (This is turning into a nice little dream here.) The best part of my fantasy is that late in the game, with the Bills up by a lot, the Bills move the ball into the red zone behind several strong runs--the kind where everyone knows it's going to be a handoff to Lynch, but no one can do anything about it. But they come up short on 3rd, bringing up 4th and a few yards. When the FG unit is sent out, the Bills fans begin to boo loudly and start a chant of 'go for it.' In the postgame conference, DJ is asked whether he heard the chants, and whether he considered going for it. His response: "I have too much respect for the game, and too much respect for the opposing players to do something like that." Win. Win big. Win the Bills way. Of course, throughout the game, the chants of 'cheaters' never let up. OK, dream over. But I do think #1 would be huge for this team. kj

What is sad is that Pats* defenders--including the saps in the media; Don Banks at SI is twisting so hard to make this go away--are reduced to semantic arguments about the degree of cheating involved: 'Walsh didn't have anything new regarding Pats* cheating, so they* can't be proven to be cheaters on a different scale than they* already are proven to be." What we know beyond a shadow of a doubt is plenty: the Pats* cheated. They* cheated for 7 years. Bill* Belichick* lied to the commissioner of the NFL regarding said cheating. He* also lied to the fans. Being a smart man (as cheaters go), Bill* Belichick* would never invest that much of his franchise's* resources for such a long period into a practice that would have had no tangible benefit (not to mention the work that they* did to cover it up). So, they* cheated. They* benefited from it. They* got caught. Their* remarkable success is necessarily tainted (forever to be overpunctuated: shift-8 is my new favorite thing). Unless you can prove that they* didn't cheat--that all of the revelations that have come out are not true--then you got nothing. Cuz at the end of the day, you root for a team* that cheats. And you excuse that cheating. Guess what: that gets you* some added punctuation, too. That is sad. kj

1. Punish cheaters*. Fully. 2. Create a 'tax' on unpooled team revenues that will go into a really big fund so that no NFL team will ever require public financing for stadiums again. 3. Throw up some sort of road block to teams moving, making it difficult to abandon fans. The Art Modells of this world should not be rewarded for their failings as businessmen with a well-financed do-over. 4. Do right by the oldtime veterans and vest them in the current players' pension plan. 5. Not destroy any incriminating evidence relating to cheating. 6. Call Bill Belichick out on national TV for disgracing the game. 7. Encourage a whispering campaign that suggests that Tom Brady's numbers as a QB were inflated b/c he and the coaching staff knew the coverage. kj

Ray Bentley. kj

Toast, bro! (get it?) kj

This needs to be said, just to get it out of the way: We cornered the market. Guaranteed to be a headline in a sports page somewhere. kj

Thus keeping pace with his many teammates who also defy the law. It's just a way of life down there. kj

No way.

Tom Brady: I would trade 2 Super Bowl rings to get my integrity back. Of course, I may not have a choice. kj

It is my understanding, however, that fielding a team just isn't as much of a gamble as you portray. As a whole the league 'gambles' that revenues will increase, that they will attract sufficient fan increase to justify major growth in TV revenues (the bread and butter, correct?) and the other, probably smaller revenue sources (tickets, licensing of bobbleheads). But at the franchise level, there is a significant chunk of guaranteed dollars. That is why the franchise fees are so huge, because they are buying the rights to a guaranteed revenue stream. Someone correct my fuzzy memory on the economics of NFL franchises, please. And the 'gamble' that the player makes is arguably greater. Look at the life expectancy of pro football players compared to the general population. kj

At 5' 9" and change, the scouts have tagged me as 'deceptively slim'. I am not sure I would make the cut as the guy who ran out to retrieve the kicking tee. kj

Montana, Idaho, Kansas--I don't care, as long as Brady isn't wearing a parachute when he is pushed out of the plane. kj

Big, shiny, totally tricked out Tonka truck. kj

Is it just me or is this board already in 'offseason mode'? (This is not directed at this poster individually, and certainly not an attack; post what you want.) A lot of the posts lately feel like the kind of posts that keep the board moving during the down time before the combine or between the draft and training camp. Best/worst lists seem an obvious symptom of this, but also the numerous 'the Bills are moving to LA/shut up chicken little' posts; reliving the Flutie/RJ debate&debacle, etc. These are the kinds of things the board talks about during the offseason, not during the season when we actually have a team--and not a best of or worst of compilation-- to watch and argue about. It seems particularly weird to be doing all this off-season stuff just a few days before the despised Dolphins visit Buffalo in December. This is like Christmas to me: either that big box is a shiny new Tonka truck or it is just a big bundle of socks. But I don't want to be talking about what is going to be in my Easter basket two days before I find out how the biggest event of the year is going to turn out. Again, my point is not to tell people what to post. I know I have no standing here; just a longtime lurker. But it just seems a little odd to me. kj

Thurman Thomas over Brian Cox, 1st down, game over. Man, he was great. kj

Did the Irsay's tell Indianapolis that they will have the Colts next year? "Hello, American VanLines..." kj

RIP, Mr. Hunt. If you love the Bills, then you owe him a big thanks for the birth of the Bills. Thank you. And, to be a little morbid, I wonder if we won't be thanking him again, for their re-birth post-Ralph. If the transition to the next generation goes smoothly in KC, then the Bills have a model for how to handle things and prepare. Whether the Chiefs stay in the family or gets sold to another concern. I know that a close relative of LH is very involved in the day-to-day workings of the family's sports operations (well beyond the Chiefs). Got that I think from an ESPN web article that talked about his imminent death. If things go badly, then Ralph and the Bills can go to school on the Chief's putt, as it were. Ralph Wilson et al are too smart to go forward without thinking this through. Right? kj

Doesn't this claim that TD got good players in here who are producing for the new guys just highlight how crappy he was in picking leaders and planners for the coaching staff? This doesn't really make him look any better. kj

Absolutely right. In fact, your statement could read "the coaching staff has put together game plans"[period] and be equally revealing about the difference between '05 and '06. kj

I have been thinking this very thought since early in the 2nd quarter yesterday. This is what the powers that be should be focusing on. Of course, I am not very smart. kj

And Murph supplies the understatement of the day: "And it is starting to get away from Buffalo here in the 2nd quarter." ugh. kj

Someone had posted earlier asking if there was any video of WillisM's block on the Minn. DT--it's here. About 3:55 in. That is a large file, btw. But worth it for those like me who don't get to see the Bills much. kj

any suggestions? Thanks. kj

Absolutely the truth. Debate over. How good was that punting performance? Best of his career, best by a Bill ever, etc? How far can we go? Anybody remember a better one? I hope people outside of Buffalo notice. I am just amazed by what he did, and the extra 10-19 yds* meant a great deal to the overall effort. Those are huge momentum shifters, grabbing the momentum right back after having been forced to give up the ball. (*: compared to what would have happened with most punters in those situations, a touchback.) kj

Just watched the replays on nfl.com: that was 6 pts all the way, IMO. kj