Whites Bay

Not meaning to be cute, but - ASIDE from the lucky shot - does Indy really have anyone that is going to overpower the O-Line enough that this is going to be a real problem? We're not talking J.J. Watt, or, you know, the Bills. The odds of Taylor making it through the game in one piece are actually pretty good here. Going up against Luck, I'd just as soon make sure the Bills have an extra LB, safety or CB.

I think he's done a very good job. I guess I'm wondering how many Doug Whaley report card polls we're going to do this week. Pre-season is almost over. Thank God.

How about NOT re-signing Brandon Spikes? I miss his run-stuffing, but talk about deftly side-stepping a PR dumpster fire.

If we get a screaming hot summer, you can pretty much count on a mother-of-all-lake-effects sometime in late October or early November. Just too much thermal energy in the lake, and that cold clipper comes roaring across from western Canada, like clockwork. Boom. A foot of snow, and every stupid network is filming autumn snow coverage downwind of the lower Great Lakes. Also like clockwork. Idiots.

I'd rate the wide receivers as better this year than last. Not a HUGE improvement, but an improvement nonetheless. Top three at the beginning of this year are Watkins, Woods, Harvin. Last year at this time it went Watkins (in only his rookie year), Woods and Mike Williams (who was sent packing midway through the season). I mean, we started last season with T.J. Graham on the squad. Again, not a gigantic upgrade, but definitely better than 2014.

I hate to say that I'll actually be WATCHING for it, but a telling factor will be the way the zebras call the game when it comes to Marcia. I'm hopeful (but I'm such a cynic that I'm not THAT hopeful) that Deflategate might have changed the hair-trigger on the flags. I mean - I almost believe this will happen. I'm guessing Marcia comes up grabbing his chin bar and screaming for a face mask or roughing call by about the second play. The real question is whether the flags get thrown - as always - or whether the zebras just give him the look that says "Tommy, you're on the way to Canton, but you're a whining little kitty, and always have been. And I've received a call from NFL HQ that tells me to stop swatting flies off your candy ass". "Cross-Eyed and Painless" - Talking Heads (the live version from 1980)

And THIS is the element that will be the key to the first game. I'm also a little worried about Luck-to-Darby all day long. The answer? How about holding on to the ball for 9:00 drives? I saw that the other night in the Jets pre-season game - 9:30 or something like that. Think about bringing two beers to the barca-lounger, because there's no break. Bill, I'm looking forward to your Monday Morning comments this year - PRAISING the O-line for the first time in ages!

Chidi Ahonotu. I don't know if he was THAT bad (certainly non-descript), but that name always stuck in my mind. Didn't he decide to live in a condo in Toronto? And there was a return guy in around 2001-2002 with blazing speed. Like 4.27 crazy schit. And he would catch the ball on kickoffs, light the burners, and climb right up the back of his blockers. Never broke a big one. He just couldn't see a hole developing. Never saw anyone hit the wall so fast in your life.

Shaud Williams Bennie Anderson Trey Teague Melvin Fowler The list goes on. Do we HAVE to do this? Someone make it stop...

First of all - FANTASTIC! I've traveled throughout Europe a LOT, and have dual citizenship in Ireland. I've always said that there are two countries worth visiting on that side of the pond - Ireland and Portugal. The rest... Second, in which city are you living? Dublin, or Galway? Or are you up north in Belfast? Nice place, Scottish weather. Third, the GamePass is the best investment you'll make as a Bills Fan in Europe. I can't tell you how many hotel rooms were graced with my F-bombs from 2008-2013 while watching the Bills at 6:00. That's the only headache. You better hope there aren't a lot of late games. Hitting the sack at 12:30-ish and getting up for work are tough.

I used chunky (organic) peanut butter in a Have-A-Hart trap. The little bastard was just too sharp for the rat traps, and I almost ended up taking my fingers out with those things anyway. I found him in the trap when I came back up to the lake the following weekend, and he'd already starved to death. (The peanut butter was gone). They are VERY destructive little bastards. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

I've eaten sparrow. No kidding. It was in Cagliari, in Sardinia. It wasn't bad, but it was cooked with the heads on and the whole bit. When they lifted the lid on the platter I'm sure my eyes were as big as...well, sparrows. They were plucked and baked. Little heads and beaks and closed eyes. Something out of a travelogue. You know what? They weren't bad. All I could eat were the breasts, in one bite. But - no - it didn't taste like chicken. The wine helped.

As I sit here 12 miles (as the crow flies) from the border? That's easy. Cesar. THAT'S Canadian. "Cast your fate to the wind" - George Benson

We have a fruiting Stanley plum at the lake, and have a Santa Rosa and Shiro "on the way". My wife makes the BEST plum cake. It's like a strudel. Man, we're tap dancing for a week after harvest season.

This brought back memories of the Chiefs/Bills playoff game in January 1994. (Yes, I was there). Smith, Hansen and Wright all meeting for beers in the backfield with Joe Montana. To quote the New York Times: "The three of us hit him," said Smith, the All-Pro defensive end. "I think when he came down, his head hit the carpet and he went, 'Uhhh,' and we knew something was wrong with him then. I was trying to ask him if he was all right, but he couldn't comprehend what I was saying." My point? It happened once. It could happen again.

Make sure you check in for your flight a day ahead of time. Any time saving is going to help. But I wouldn't cut it that close. The Dulles option listed above might be a better idea. I've had WAY too many close calls. It's just not worth the ulcers and grinding teeth.

We need a new stadium with a retractable roof in the middle of downtown and all will be perfect.

The Bills beat the Pats* twice, but beat them by a higher margin at Foxboro than they do at The Peg.

I've been worried about running out of fresh water. Now I'm beginning to think we're going to collapse the earth's crust.

Ralph Is Cheap. I'm sorry. I had to go there before anyone else did.

I have been blessed such that I've been able to visit the Omaha Memorial twice in my career. I try to stay in shape; I work out regularly, but I was winded walking to the top of the hill from the beach on what is now an asphalt-covered pathway. It's f-ing steep. I can't imagine the hell that would have ensued while trying to yomp a 50-pound pack up THAT slope with VERY determined people trying to kill me. I'm not a right-wing flag-draped idiot. But I have to tell you something. Anyone who stands before the field of crosses and Stars of David and is not moved to tears has no business being part of this country. All those dreams washed away. It's unbelievable. And I guess if anyone's interested (which I doubt), drop me a PM and I'll send you a couple of pictures from my last trip there. A beautiful. haunting place.

This is correct, and this is exactly what I expect them to do. All we've been hearing is "Ground and Pound" since Ryan took the podium in January. Expect a series of 7- to 9-minute drives. So...what's it going to come down to? We'd all better hope that Roman has the O-line in FANTASTIC shape. It's going to be hot and sunny, and the O-line is going to be expected to beat Indy's D-line into submission. Long, horrible, pounding drives stretching into the fourth quarter in the blazing sun. 21-10, or 21-17 Bills if the O-line is in shape. If not...we're all REALLY pissed off on Monday.

I SO want to Google that and see if it's real, but I'm at work and I'll get a call from IT.

Following NFL.com. Still shows it's Chiefs pick. "Lies" - J.J. Cale

Idiot. If you consider that he was thinking with his "Richard"...it ought to tell you something about size.