Whites Bay

Not meaning to continually geek out about the weather, but I just had a face-to-face (literally) with the joys of Upstate NYs weather, and how it might affect tomorrow. I just got back in from what will probably be the last boat ride for the season in the eastern basin of Lake Ontario. Low gray clouds with a 10 mph wind from the SE (very strange for these parts, but there it was). I know it was 10 mph because I traveled WITH the wind for a few miles, and watched the speedometer on the depth finder, and the flag on the aft light lay flat against the pole. I was going at wind speed at 10 mph. The leaves were changing, the geese floated overhead, the world was right. All good things must come to an end, and I brought her about, bow-into-the-wind to get back to the marina. Any math majors out there? If I'm moving at 10 mph, and heading into a 10 mph headwind...that's right, it's a 20 mph wind in my face. DAMN! I couldn't imagine throwing a football in that crap and being successful at it. Particularly if there's rain blowing along with it. I mean...DAMN! I could barely see through the spray. If that wind comes in tomorrow off the lake at the predicted 15mph sustained with 20+ mph gusts...DAMN! Bring your ground game!

I dunno, dev. I can't shake memories of the Buffalo-at-Indianapolis game in 2006. You know, the year the Colts won the Super Bowl, and the Bills, well, sucked. Again. Manning was supposed to SLAUGHTER the Bills in Indianapolis. Remember that? The Bills lost - goodness, what a surprise. But they only lost by a point, because the defense got on Manning like no one had gotten on Manning. I dunno, dev. I just dunno. Don't write IN a win. Don't write 'em OFF just yet...

I personally couldn't give a rat's hairy exit chute what any of the announcers on ESPN has to say about anything, unless it's something like "The meteorite is expected to impact Upstate New York in 30 minutes, so hurry up and make a play for the hot wife across the street while you still have a pulse". And I'd make sure I Tivo'd it so that I'd have an excuse in case the meteorite missed, because that would be MY luck. That having been said, let's not deal with what those chowderheads have to say, for chrissakes. Like they KNOW something? They're sitting behind that desk with no pants on. This is a fan board. Let me, as a fan, tell you something - I'm praying to whatever god I can rent that the Pats* schit the bed at Foxboro against the Falcons. Because if they do, in the words of Ross Perot, you're going to hear a "giant sucking sound" as that narcissistic house of cards crawls up its own back door and deposits a suppository with its own teeth. "F" the Pats*. I'm the Falcons' biggest fan this weekend. New England is going to represent the next living definition of "Self-Doubt" if that limp-wristed-nancy-boy franchise loses. Oh, blessed happy day. "Barrytown" - Steely Dan

If you're THAT good at predicting the weather, baby, there's a job for you wearing a tight sweater in an Atlanta television studio. Screw the Weather Channel. Per my earlier post, go to the National Weather Service, look up Buffalo, and play with the maps. And get a different sweater.

Well done, Ramius. And it's not just the second glass of Sauvignon Blanc talking. That was pretty good. "Paper Moon" - Nat King Cole

johnnyb, I got it. This was actually very funny. No sarcasm here - I got a good laugh out of it.

Someone in another thread had expressed the opinion that The Weather Channel pads their forecast to cover their collective ass. Fair enough. While they DO have some hot looking weather babes, that's not what's important at the moment. What counts now is getting the forecast right. As such, I went to the source - The National Weather Service. Check out this link: http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/wfo/sectors/buf.php. Pretty cool. The forecast? Rain...meh, somewhat. The temperature? Maybe 70, but then dropping. No big deal on either front. The kicker is when you scroll down to "Wind", and "Wind Gusts" at 1 P.M. and then at 5:00 P.M. By 5:00 P.M., it's going to be a steady 15 mph wind gusting to well over 20 mph coming off the lake. By 6:30 P.M., I'm guessing both teams are going to have had to pack up their long passing game in favor of the ground game. A wet ball fluttering around in 22 mph gusts in fading light is not a doable proposition. Unless you're a cornerback. Then you're a happy man. So what? Well, if the Bills can keep it close going into the fourth quarter, the 12th Man (the fans) and the 13th Man (the weather) might be enough to (dare I say it)...pull this off. It really might be a close game. I'm now very grateful for the late start.

Welcome aboard! Don't worry. Dumber things will come up. The trick is not being the one to start a thread on 'em.

Aarrgghh. It hurts just to be optimistic about this game. But I am. Someone raised an interesting point about the score being 13-10 and pissing off all the fantasy goobs. If the Bills can somehow actually contain these guys and keep it a field goal race, guess what.....

Hey John, Welcome back. Good to have you here. WB

The weather might play a factor. Only "might". It'll be rainy, but the real factor could be the wind. Weather.com is calling for winds from the SW at 12-15 mph. The kicker, however, is what is in store for Monday. Showers and a wind moving up towards 21 mph. If that second blast gets to Buffalo a little sooner than later, the long pass aspect of both teams' game will be hindered. The field will shorten to RBs, TE, Slot receivers. If THAT'S the case, the Bills should be able to keep up in a track meet. More importantly, however, the weather MIGHT allow a more effective blitz package. Not as many fruitful opportunities to get out of the blitz by bombing long if the WRs are dropping balls.

Good advice. I'm no big fan of Zebb's, but it would represent a shorter drive home after said "adult beverages". But I'll swing by Griff's this week to get the lay of the land. Or I'll hook up the downstairs 32" HDTV to the computer and spend the $25 on Game Pass instead of on overpriced drinks, and then be able to use my own bathroom.

Just checked Titantv. No Bills games in Watertown, Utica or Rome. Zebb's, here I come. I'll call them tomorrow.

I actually missed the first couple of minutes of the Bills game because I was so engrossed in watching the Jets hand it to the Pats*. The Pats*/Jets game ended just as Parrish threw the home run throwback to Yobouty. The Pats* are looking very, very ordinary. I repeat this - the Pats* are looking very, very ordinary. The victory over the Bills will be looked upon as being VERY lucky...not very GOOD. I think I'm going to pop into a few Pats* message boards this week to watch the feeding frenzy. Mark my words - very, very ordinary. The dynasty's done. The Bills and Jets are on the way up. The Pats*...

After watching Monday Night's game plan (which had to be squeezed into 5 days), I'm feeling fairly confident that AVP is NOT a moron. After watching the amount of time that the O-line gave Edwards, I'm feeling fairly confident that the Bills are going deep. Keep in mind that the crowd in Foxboro was screaming its collective head off when the Bills were passing on Monday night. If our loyal fans are not too toasted, they'll have the presence of mind to keep their collective pie holes shut during passing downs. I think the aerial attack represents itself well today. I've not heard a lot about the Bucs' secondary or pass rush. Anyone from Tampa have any insight? If they're not better than the Pats*, they're going to get torched.

I can't stop chuckling at this post. If this doesn't describe the 1960s- and 1970s- dreary gray late afternoons in upstate New York, nothing does. Well done, JR! I think I watched every one of those games right beside you! I think I also have to add the fact that I (and, I'm sure, MOST of the 0ver-21-Crowd on this forum) are usually half in the bag by the 4:00 game. Even with big-screen HDTV, I just miss a lot more "Xs" and "Os".

Jim, you need to take a deep breath and ask why you're really asking this question. Because I sure as hell can't figure it out. Let me put it into basics: 1) Jets suck. 2) Pats* are the AntiChrist. Sucking is good, in the right hands. The AntiChrist is USUALLY something you don't want to show up at the seat next to you at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Root for sucking. Root against the AntiChrist. Got it?

I'd vote for "evilbuffalobob", but it would likely be a waste of effort. Probably wouldn't sink in.

Good for you! I've started on Malbecs, myself. Similar quality for about 30% less per bottle. Had a great Stellenbosch the other night, however. As for the Revolution, I guess it took from 1775 through final surrender in 1783. No "thunderclap", that's for sure.

Oh, no, Darin. I'm not burying them. I'm saying they're a lot closer to mediocre than in times past. Because by the time they replace the talent from all those losses on defense (and WHEN does Wilfork hit the road?), they'll start losing talent on offense. Not a collapse. A corrosion. A team that can probably count on a lot of 10-6 seasons in front of them, like the Bills in the mid-to-late 90s. And we know how that worked out.

First off, nice avatar. Secondly, no, I wasn't saying the same thing when the Bills pounded the Pats* 31-0. I was at that game, and was wondering (in between Labatts) whether the Milloy investment would keep paying dividends. The Labatts wore off, and so did the investment. Third, my mistake. I'm taking a long view here, which is probably lost (a) on an internet board; and (b) on most of the <15-year-old posters on said board. I've thought about this for awhile, and I'll try to put it in some perspective. 1) A million years ago, I lived in Orange County, CA, and tried to support the then-local Rams. I endured years of frustration as the Montana/Young-led 49ers treated the Rams like a ball of string. What was the high-water mark of the great 49ers team? Hard to say. My guess is that it was the "No Punt Game". They met their match in the Kelly-led K-Gun, and never returned to form after that season. Did I know it at the time? No one did. 2) On the opposite side of that coin, I (and many of the folks on this board) screamed throats hoarse supporting our Bills throughout the early 90s. UnstoppaBill. Until 1994. What happened? I don't know, I guess I could look it up. But they didn't make it out of the playoffs in 1994. None of us knew that was the end. But it was certainly the turning point. 3) The Cowboys. America's favorite enema. They were unbeatable in the early 90s, as Bills fans know too well. But after the 1995 Super Bowl, the 1996 season was a death spiral in slow motion. Smith goes out injured, Irvin gets a five-game suspension, and they became mediocre. Not terrible overnight, just....you know...another beatable team. It's very hard to point to a signal moment in a rise or fall. I admit that. What I saw on Monday Night, however, was not just another Pats* comeback/slaughter/ass-whipping against the Bills. The Bills went into Foxboro Stadium with a bunch of nobodies - NOBODIES - on the offensive line and tight end, with two back up running backs, and a new offensive coordinator, and punched the Pats* until they wept. And if not for one stupid, boneheaded play on the part of McKelvin, they walk out of this winners. Again, I'm not talking about the Bills here. I think you now have 14 defensive coordinators (I'm not counting Fewell) looking at that game and realizing that the Pats* are MUCH more beatable than they used to be. Wonder how the line changed in the upcoming Jets game before-and-after MNF? Perhaps years of losing talent at the Front Office, Coaching and Player level have finally caught up. The high-water mark for the Pats* will be remembered as the 2007 Super Bowl. A sure sign that they've gone into decline, however, will be the opening Monday Night Game in Foxboro when the Buffalo Bills brought in the junior varsity squad from Mt. St. Mary's Sisters-of-the-Blind and knocked the front teeth out of the hometown favorites. Long view, I admit. But I'm solidly on the bandwagon.

I'll make this a quick one, as the board is just now coming off suicide watch. Okay, the Bills lost. What else is new? We're all pissed off after a Bills loss. What else is new? My take on it, however, focuses not on the Bills loss, but the Bills' opponent, the Pats*. Even with the great drive at the end of the game, with the extra downs they received, the media ball washing...Brady* looked like crap. I've never seen the guy overthrow, underthrow, or just plain-out miss like he did on Monday Night. My gut call? You finally saw the crack in the dynasty for which we've been waiting. Nothing happens by revolution, only by evolution. They're not going to implode and go 5-11 this season. But the Pats" showed themselves to be closer to "Ordinary", and much farther away from "Unbeatable" than they've done in years. I'll dig this thread out at the end of the season, and we'll see how much crow I'm going to eat. But I think teams around the league are going to look at this game as a blueprint. The myth has been shattered.

"Scary" indeed for SDS. We're going to need more bandwidth if I'm to call out all the negative dicks on this board. And a surge protector the size of Lockport.

Ah, another fellow optimist. THOUGHT I might find you here, SJBF. To echo a point I'd raised a couple of days ago, let's watch for how many times Maybin creates a false start on the Pats* O-line. I'd be just as happy with THAT sort of disruption as I would with a sack. Unless it's a real painful sack, mind you. I'd like a real painful sack. Not on me, but on Brady*. And I'm referring to "sack" in the footbal sense, not in the anatomical sense...oh, never mind...

In line with your theme of keeping it in perspective, Jim, let's get through Monday. I don't care what happens in Week 11 or 14. The Bills may suffer badly at the hands of the Pats* later in the season, but that's not the problem for this week. Let's get through September 14th, and then we'll move on to September 20th. And so on.