McD

He wrote me back and I replied...the last two emails we shared. -----Original Message----- From: russakoffrules@comcast.net [mailto:russakoffrules@comcast.net] Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2008 9:34 AM To: McDonell, Timothy E SMSgt USAF AMC AMC/A7XP Subject: Re: BUFFALO Bills OK-- here we go. I hope for your sake and for the leagues sake...it is always the Buffalo Bills. The league would be worse off--noticeably--if it moved the bills out of buffalo. Buffalo fans are a different breed. As a philly fan, there arent many fan bases i respect, but the bills fans are one of them so heres why i wrote toronto. If the bills make more money in this game in toronto than they do in buffalo, you can bet they do it again..and more...until 4 or 5 games a year are in toronto. whats worse, they could move there entirely, and the nfl would "sell" it as internationalizing the game. the only people who lose in that are the fans. Because while you guys bleed blue and red, the execs bleed green. They just care about money. and if they can make more elsewhere...they'll bolt if they can get away with it. it's up to us fans to not let them get away with it. because the teams mean more to us, to our cities, than they do to the players and the rich men who own and run them. i'll change it back next week, because of passionate and reasonable pleas from people like you, timothy. But im concerned that if the attitude is: "it's just one game." it has a potential to snowball. as for the bills, who do you put ahead of them? the steelers looked weak, and denver cant play D. Sir, Thanks for the response. I know that things could indeed snowball if the games in T.O make big money...I hope that it falls flat on its face though seeing how Ted Rogers wants crazy money per game there. I'm sure there are lunatics that will pay that kind of $$ but for how long? Check out this article from a Canadian journalist who has the stance of keeping the Bills out of Canada for the sakes of saving the CFL: http://www.northumberlandnews.com/northumb.../article/109091 Your comment about it "being up to us fans" is entirely correct, and part of it starts with our journalist brethren who hold the ear of millions when the speak/write. All I can ask is that "your part" would be to accurately identify the team with the city/region to which it belongs...which is Buffalo. We want to cement Buffalo as the rightful name rather than give people an opportunity to start identifying it with another city name. As for teams ahead of the Bills...San Diego got "jobbed" in Denver and let an early game against the Panthers slip away, but they're still a damn good team. I also think that Tennessee is a pretty balanced and impressive team that showed it can play with marginal QB play as well as all of the other QB distractions it's dealt with VY's circumstances. Again, thanks for the response. Regards, Tim McDonell

Here's what I wrote him: Dude, It was totally inappropriate for you to refer to the Buffalo Bills as the “T******” Bills ( no, I cant even type it!) This city, and its hard working blue collar people, has loved and supported this team through its highs and lows and deserve more than a cheap shot from anyone. We have earned the right to keep our team, we have done everything we can do to keep the team in WNY where it belongs forever. We’re not a bunch of bandwagon fans…Buffalo lives, breathes and DIES Buffalo Bills football…it’s embedded in our genetic code. We haven’t turned our back on this team and forced ownership to look elsewhere to make more money than they’ll ever need. All we ask is that we fans, who are the ones who read your article, get treated with a bit of respect and ask that you refer to the Bills with their proper (and hopefully eternal) name. The BUFFALO Bills. BTW…I love my team, but they should probably be around # 6 on your list. Regards, Tim McDonell, SMSgt, USAF

Rankings don't mean a whole lot other than fodder for the masses.

Where's the best place to tailgate near the Dome in St Louis?

I'll be there...hopefully early!

Why have a deal where you can still go talk with other teams?? Mmmmm....something sounds odd here. Is there an ulterior motive for the way this is being done?