Whites Bay

FINAL final? You'll have to wait for the highly-anticipated "Post-Game Weather Thread", provided by those poor souls trying to get the f*#k out of the stadium at midnight.

I believe the same thing, and that's my point. I've gone through reorgs like this in my career. They didn't just hire a GM, they hired a package deal. Amazing how blindingly fast it all came together. Almost like it was on the drawing board.

I'll go with an organizational move. Although technically Pegula pulled the plug, I credit Beane with (a) blowing up the old scouting staff and (b) bringing in a new one. Like within 5 minutes of walking in the building. Because I'd had enough of head-scratching drafts year-in and year-out. The front office suddenly felt like the grown ups with a plan had grabbed the helm.

Oh, my God! Who wants that woman as a neighbor? She shows up and someone's dead. Week in, week out in the same small town. F that. Keep away from MY family reunion.

I'm not sure about that, to be honest. I took a picture of yesterday's map to send it to my family (a diaspora of Bills fans spread around the country). I'm comparing it with the one on the 506 Sports NFL page for Week 18 (9 Jan 22) and it doesn't look any different than it did 24 hours ago. Better make sure of that. Quick update of my own. I just checked the map again, and the following bullet points are present: UPDATES: many cities nationwide: NYJ-BUF to NE-MIA (Fri) Fresno CA: CAR-TB to NYJ-BUF (Fri) Cape Girardeau MO; Mason City IA: NYJ-BUF to CAR-TB (Fri) The photo I took yesterday doesn't include these comments, so I can't tell you whether they were there yesterday or not.

I'm going to head down a tangential path. I recognize it, but I'll throw it out there anyway. I know we're talking about the in-booth broadcasters, but the in-studio hosts can drive me out of my brain. And the one who stands out (in my mind) as the one who HAS to head to pasture is Terry Bradshaw. I am SO done with his hee-yuk shtick, his "analysis" is three decades out of date, and - for the life of me - I can't see how Fox or the NFL thinks he's going to be relevant to anyone under 60 years old (that's me, by the way - and I can't stand him). Those of you with children coming into the NFL viewing experience can flame me if you wish. It escapes me why he's drawing a paycheck, but maybe Fox just wants a clown around as an eyeball magnet. Personally, I wish they'd just go back to the experiment they had a few years back with the ultra-hot weather chick. A much better use of 5 minutes of my life.

That's what happened with Mile High and Meadowlands, right?

Huh? What are you talking about? It gets us one week closer to Spring. Get a grip.

Every time someone comes up with these things, it makes me think of a New Jersey Giants take-off. I mean...stop already. Wide Right was just too searing.

They're the #4 seed right now with a fairly soft schedule in front of them. Realistically, the best they're going to get is the #3 seed, which I think requires the Bengals losing to the Chiefs. If the best they're going to do is the #3 seed...great! Go for it! If nothing else, it would be bragging rights. Given where the team was about 4 weeks ago (and with the fan base and this board throwing itself off the closest freeway overpass), I'd be f-ing THRILLED with the #3 seed.

Such a beautiful reference. Always one of my favorites, and brings a tear to my eye. God speed, Glen Campbell. But this ain't Wichita, dude. It's Buffalo.

Actually, I was thinking along a related line. Those helmets look WAY too much like the Giants. And that's WAY too many bad memories, even after all this time. No thanks.

I think he was still going by the name Lew Alcindor when they won the championship. Yeah, they're now the NBA powerhouse known as the Sacramento Kings.

To your preamble in Point 4 ("The competition for a starting spot on the O-Line is going to be stout in camp..."), I think the question really focuses on the IOL. We're looking at things from a Bills Fans perspective - "How do we get past KC so as to get to the Big Dance?" Answer - "We have to put Patrick Mahomes on the ground", hence two DL at the top of the draft. Well, consider that there are about 5 teams behind the Bills that want to move from the Final 8 to the Final 4 (Cleveland, Baltimore, Nashville, etc...you can make your own list). What's the question that they're asking? "How to we get past Buffalo so that we can get to the Final 4?" Answer - "We have to put Josh Allen on the ground." I wouldn't call IOL a "weak spot". But I'd certainly call it a "question mark". Those are three critical positions.

This is so true. Disclaimer - I f-ing hate the Cowboys. But the moment that I realized they were just an irrelevant doormat came the day they fired Jason Garrett, and they put his record as coach on the screen as they made the announcement. I had to look this up just now, but the numbers are the numbers - he was 85-67 in 10 years. Putting my higher math skills to the test, it struck me that they're just a 9-7 team at best. Good enough to make a run at a Wild Card berth some years, but certainly nothing to be feared or revered. They're an irrelevant team that benefits from great branding.

I still can't believe the Bills picked up a 5th for McCarron. Barely even unpacked his bags, and 'whoosh'...

It looks like my brother is going to score a pair of tickets for the Bills@Jets game this year (through his work). We went a few years back when the Bills won 22-17. Always a good laugh.

What I remember from the four Super Bowl AFCCG is getting spoiled by the Raiders game. The Bills just crushed Los Angeles. Pulp. The problem that arose from that (as a fan) was the expectation that this would happen each and every single time. What a rude awakening. That Broncos game was tough as nails. And the Kansas City game was no walk in the park, either. (Until Montana got brained, and then the air just went out the Chiefs sideline like a f*rt in a windstorm). What's the point? I could see a surprisingly low-scoring game this weekend. Great teams surprise you with adaptation.

He doesn't iron his shirts. That came right out of the suitcase. Who dresses this guy?

Or Hai Karate.

Grew up in Rochester watching the The Juice on a snowy, grainy black-and-white set. Watched 10 years of futility against the Dolphins. Thrilled at being at the Raiders AFC Championship Game, and the Greatest Comeback Game (almost left...but didn't...). And endured the slights and humiliations of colleagues and co-workers who weren't even football fans as they stuck their heads into my office to ask "Hey, wha happened to your team AGAIN?! HAHAHAHA!!!!" for four f*cking years in a row. And then came the wilderness years, but we continued to buy season tickets. Years of Donohoe, and Mularkey, and Jauron, and Gailey and Marrone. Drinking the Kool-Aid as I pinned my hopes on players like Shaud Williams and Bennie Anderson and Trey Teague and Eddie Robinson and LEGIONS of anonymous cast-offs and retreads. Watching our top draft choices fail because of horrible scouting or crap coaching, or leave the instant their rookie contracts expired. Holding my breath for YEARS every time there was ANOTHER report on Ralph Wilson's deteriorating health. And what's worse than THAT? Infecting my two (now grown) daughters with the virus, and hearing their anguished pleas of "Dad, why did you DO this to us?", and knowing that they weren't joking. And then came the end of the drought - sitting in a sports bar in Orange County with those two daughters as a miracle happened. Not ashamed of crying in public in front of my girls over a stupid football team that had broken my heart for decade after decade after decade. Then getting weird looks as I celebrated at a bar at a convention in Phoenix as the name "Josh Allen" was called at the Draft. Hurdling linebackers. Getting penalized for face-masking defensive tackles. Mercilessly crushing past tormentors like the Seahawks, the Patriots*, the Steelers, the Dolphins. I'll be okay if they lose tonight. I don't need people pulling me off freeway overpasses the way I did 30 years ago. But I know for a FACT that the Bills are back. F*ck You. The Bills are back.

Sorry to bump my own post from yesterday, but I thought it would help to see how the forecast has changed side-by-side. The new forecast: Saturday: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. West wind 8 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Saturday night: Snow showers likely, mainly after 11pm. Cloudy, with a low around 31. Breezy, with a west wind 16 to 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. So the biggest change over the past 24 hours is the wind. We're now talking upwards of 20 mph by the second half (up from 13 mph yesterday morning). And if a snow band settles on the stadium...buckle up.

60% chance of snow, and west winds 9 mph - 13 mph. Wonder what that means for the gusts? Sharp, high-speed jukes are going to be hard for both teams. Straight ahead football. Hope the lines are healthy.

Like I say, everyone's entitled to believe the forecast they want to believe. I live up by Watertown. This time of year, I ALWAYS check the forecast for wind events. Simply put, nothing in the world can prepare you for I-81 during heavy lake effect. You just have to experience it. And when I see a chance of THAT happening...I'm not going out.

Not for nothing, but I spent WAY too much time watching the Accuweather channel last night. Folks...there's something big coming in. Temperatures for the next 48 hours are going to be comfortably above normal, and right behind it is a big push of frigid air. Which means the forecast is calling for VERY strong winds, and the lee sides of all the Great Lakes are going to get clocked. We can debate which team that favors or harms, but my guess is the kicking games for both teams are going to be challenged. Everyone is entitled to believe their own weather forecast. Have at it. I've seen enough to convince me. I'M not going to be on I-81 Saturday evening or Saturday night.