Whites Bay

I'm throwing this one out to those on this forum who have played, or - more specifically - those who have coached. We're all enjoying the training camp reports on Shawne Merriman's progress. Imagine - a pass-rushing linebacker. I'm still trying to get my mind around it. In addition, it sounds like Dareus has potential. I'm not going to say he's "The Real Deal" yet, because he hasn't played a real down. Call me an embittered realist. But the potential exists on the defensive side of the ball this year for the Bills to really cause some problems from the outside for the first time in a long, long, long time. Here's the question. What makes more sense...putting both of these guys on the same side (I'm assuming QBs blind side), or does the coaching staff break them up so as to bring heat from both directions? I know the pat answer is "it depends on the play/the opponent/blahblahblah". What is a rule-of-thumb? And, from an historical perspective, someone tell me what the Bills did during the Smith/Bennett era? I was too naive, and drank way too much back then, to really understand the strategy behind it. Thanks in advance, guys.

I've always felt that the moniker should be "The Polar Express". Trust me, I'm in marketing. My job is to put $#!+ in a box and get you to like it. "Polar Express" works. Send the royalty check to the offshore bank in the link below.

The cynic in me agrees with you, KD. But unless you have an investment group that is willing to plunk down the total cost, if not the majority cost, of a billion-dollar stadium, the L.A. bid has a big problem. I'm not saying it's an insurmountable problem, but let's get down to brass tacks. California is a budget nightmare. New York is god-awful, but California makes New York look like some sort of fiscally Puritanical nirvana. I mean, it's a goddamn mess. They can't even pass a budget, and even if they do, next year's fiscal situation will be worse. And AEG is going to look for SEM (Someone Elses Money) to build a billion-dollar stadium? Yeesh. That's salesmanship. "Free Man in Paris" - Joni Mitchell

True enough. Not meaning to "rain" on anyone's barbecue, but let's be honest - I wouldn't want to be in the NFC Central THIS year. I still can't believe that Detroit landed Fairley IN ADDITION to Suh. Thank heavens the Bills have a few years before they face THAT crap again. Unless it's in the Super Bowl, of course. "One Toke Over The Line" - Brewer and Shipley

In agreement. I'm SO DAMN GLAD the brain trust drafted Dareus. Note to the doubters...don't like Fitz? Friggin' deal with it until the 2012 draft. Bring your Tums, and wash them down with the Labatts. Fitz is who ya got. Rally 'round. "Ain't That A B word" - Johnny 'Guitar' Watson

1) Time is essentially linear, at least from our perspective. It's 2011. 2) Marshawn Lynch plays for the Seattle Seahawks. Right?

Uh...Metzelaars?

Possibly one of the funniest posts I've ever read. Almost geysered the Shiraz. As to the self-consuming paranoia that engendered the original post..."Get a life" comes to mind, along with a few other statements that would get me in the soup again. Relax. The Bills had a great draft. Sit back and enjoy the buzz. Idiot.

If - for some bizarre reason - we reach Pick #3 and Newton and Dareus are still on the board, and this Front Office picks Newton, I think I'm going to $#!+ myself. It won't be pretty, and for that reason I'd recommend you all stay away from the North Country. But if you start hearing warnings about E. coli contamination, don't come back to me with a lot of whining. You've been warned. Given this Front Office, I'd start boiling my drinking water and stocking up on chlorine tablets. "Crippled Inside" - John Lennon

I want Marcel Dareus at #3. I don't want a quarterback. I'm not dillusional. I'm not even delusional. I know how to spell. Try C-A-T with me. Jesus. Brains of Steel.

No, for winning the lottery! For getting away with it! For being a total ass clown and having someone weirdly stupider than he is PAY him TONS of money for doing NOTHING. You can be critical of Russell, and you should be, but don't pretend for a minute that you - and everyone on this board - doesn't dream of some idiot with a lot of money tossing a crapload of it YOUR way for being Homer Simpson. To deny this sentiment is being dishonest with yourself. And Jamarcus Russell got away with it. Lucky bastard. "That thing you do" - The Wonders

I'm in France and was watching the game on NFL Gamepass on wireless - in other words, the transmission was a little ragged and jumpy for most of the game. From what I could tell, however the one Bell moment that got airplay was the head-slap takedown Bell had on his opposing lineman (sorry, I didn't catch his name). Oh, my God, he looked like Deacon Jones! If Demetrius Bell is creating a highlight film to show his kids sometime in the future, I hope that hit is included. Honestly, it was funnier than hell.

I'd probably like to have given Lee Harvey Oswald a shove on the elbow. And then pray he couldn't reload fast enough to put me in a pine box.

Bob, One of the best movies ever made. Just a perfect post! To to OP - deal with it. If you have any hope of optimism around here, just don't even log in for the next 36 months. This place is on collective suicide watch until the Bills show a potential for a winning season. Trust me, this forum is best addressed during the off season, when everyone is 0-0. Threads of this sort will, unfortunately, not change things. Tune in at 1:00 P.M. Eastern time on Sunday, crack open your beer, and hang in there along with everyone else. "I'm all smiles" - Barbara Streisand

Echoing comments made by a poster in an earlier thread, I'm predicting - expecting - a full-scale dynamiting of the offensive line on Tuesday 12 October 2010. This would give the Bills O-line two weeks to get their collective @($% together. I plan to be thriled. Will THOSE changes make the OP happy? I'm guessing not.

Sullivan is the master of the half-truth, the spin, the second-guess. I can't for the life of me understand why people get wound up over the vomitus to which he "treats" us. We - and I mean "we" as a Western New York community, not "we" as the people who post here - will never Never NEVER get anything even remotely resembling "I was wrong" from Jerry Sullivan once the Bills turn things around. I mean...N-E-V-E-R. He'll dance and two-step around everything he's ever written. Jerry Sullivan has a career just waiting for him in Albany. Lt. Governor Sullivan....hmmm...... Where are you in Japan? Do you enjoy sushi? If so, you're in Mecca.

The most accurate tool I've used is TitanTv (www.titantv.com). I'm not saying it's 100%, but it hasn't screwed me yet. As of nearly 6:00 P.M. Thursday evening (that's 5 hours post-blackout announcement), both Syracuse and Watertown ARE SHOWING THE GAME. I agree with Jack vis-a-vis Watertown. I've had games blacked out on Syracuse 5, but still televised up north. Thoner7, head for the North Country.

By the way, thanks for going back to the "classic" Bob Dobbs avatar. Sincerely.

I consider myself one of the more rosy-eyed members on this forum. Having read the aforementioned post, I humbly doff my chapeau, bow deeply, and shake your hand. Bills over the Pack? In Lambeau? Oh, you beautiful, delusional fool. You were there at Pickett's Charge, weren't you? "Badge" - Cream

The 174th ANG from Hancock was transitioned from F-16s to drones about 4 months ago. F-15s never flew out of SYR. Now it's going to be a bunch of guys in an airconditioned room moving a joystick. And you don't want THAT schit flying over the Ralph.

Real stupid question, but are you doing this on a charcoal or a gas grill? I'm a charcoal guy, so I can't help you on the gas grill side of the world. If you're using charcoal, start with a cheap-o charcoal chimney - best $10.00 you'll ever spend from WalMart. Sink a few while you're waiting for the coals to reach "maturity". Dump 'em on the base, put the grate on the grill, and toss in a 1 cm x 1 cm x 5 cm piece of hickory. Now comes the tricky part. Make sure you put the chicken to the edge of the grill. In the periphery. In other words, don't put the chicken right on top of the heat. Let it take the "shock" of the heat indirectly. Cover it, for God's sake, and stand by with a glass of water if things start to scream. Give it one glass of wine, and then flip it. Give it another glass of wine. At that point, you can determine whether more cooking is required. More wine is always good, but all bets are off after three glasses. Don't call me if you "F" it up. But the upshot is that if you drop the chicken right into the middle of the coals...well, it's like an afternoon in Hiroshima, if you catch my drift. Plan accordingly.

I don't understand the concept of going to church ANY week. But from my perspective, I REALLY don't understand going to church during football season. The Bills need all the support and good vibes that I can give them. Church would be a harmful distraction. Maybe if they start winning again, they wouldn't need my focus on Sunday mornings...

What kind of post is this? Idiot. The Bills suck, suck, suck. Thought I'd throw in my obligatory self-demeaning post. One has to keep one's head down around here, you know. Look, TC, I'll say it here and now. This could be one of the better offenses in the AFC East. I'm not prepared to say the Bills will outrun the Pats*. However, it's starting to look like the Bills can lay a few points on good teams (last I checked, Indy went to the Super Bowl). My greatest concern is that the linebacking corps performs worse than some of the posters on this forum. And THAT, my friend, is saying something. The Bills look to have the capability to put some points on the board against the rest of the AFC East. Bubble screens into the short zone against the Bills? Ugly, as usual.

Hey Scott. Thanks...but what a PITA. How do I change my font? Or does it permanently default to "that which looks like Times New Roman? I hate Times New Roman. But the site looks nice, and will take some working around therein. "How Does the Wine Taste?" - Barbara Streisand

I've just re-read early Hemingway. I'm at home with Gabriel's article. I have nothing else to say.