Whites Bay

Not trying to be a poop, but it did happen. I've been unsuccessful in my efforts to find it through web searches, but believe me - it did happen. I believe it was in 1970, and I believe it was with the Chicago Bears. A player did in fact die on the field (it was so notorious that it showed up the following week in a "Doonesbury" cartoon). The upside of this tragedy is that every NFL stadium now has ambulances and paramedic staffs on site throughout every game. every Sunday (and Monday, and Thursday, and occasional Saturdays at the end of the season). The ambulance that rolled onto the field to carry Kevin Everett away was NOT put there by the NFL "just in case". They would NOT put the money out "just in case". They are putting the money out for that ambulance because an NFL player did indeed die on the field a long time ago, and - at the time - everyone just stood around like a bunch of goons looking at this guy dying on the field because there were NO ambulances or EMT personnel available. Don't kid yourself. There's a reason for everything.

I'll regret this, but, okay, I'll bite. What is your profession?

Okay, did some digging. Not a LOT of digging, but enough keystrokes to confirm my hazy memory: "An NFL source informs me the Bills have agreed to accept the Eagles’ second first-round draft pick, 28th overall, and a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft and a conditional pick in next year’s draft in exchange for Peters." If this is true, all Bills fans should be rooting for a quick recovery. I acknowledge that Peters is a dick, and I'm glad he's gone after the abortion-of-a-performance he put forth last year. But that's last year. This is "this year". And I'm Jason Peters' greatest fan. Because I want a better pick next year. I don't want his fat ass sitting on the bench collecting more money than I'll ever imagine in three lifetimes. I want that fat ass to earn it.

Wasn't the trade conditional? I mean, wasn't there an escalation clause? I thought the Bills got more if Peters did well. If this is the case, one would hope the best for Peters, right? Flame away, because I'm not certain, but I do recall something about performance incentives.

If all this works, I'd expect Trent to look significantly better against 3-4 defenses this year than he did last year. Partly because I'd expect to see some improvement in the quality of Trent's play. But mostly it's because the situation in which Trent was placed, last season, when going up against 3-4 defenses, was absolutely terrible. The Bills' front office very clearly made a conscious effort to upgrade those circumstances in the off-season. I agree to a large extent, but he's going to have to maintain the quick release that he showed early in the season. After that "Arizona" hit, it just looked like he was moving in slow motion. (I hate to be too critical, but he started to look like Johnson out there). Marino used to drive me nuts - 1, 2, 3 bang. It's a wonder Smith could EVER get to the guy.

THAT would be making a statement. Good girl.

Yes. Well done! "We're painting the roses red!"

Mark my words. He's going to take the spot, and he's going to be Oglethorpe. I like the bit about his ability to come in on the blitz. Always a challenge blitzing Brady*, but the mental image of Oglethorpe tattooing his jersey number on Brady's* rib cage will leave me smiling all day long.

Nice to see McCargo's name mentioned two or three times in Chris Brown's "Day 3 Notes". It's been so long since I've heard anything positive about the young man that merely seeing his name in print is a plus. I'm so hopeful for him, because I'm really not comfortable with the Bills' run-stopping effort. Maybe with Stroud being hurt for a couple of days, we'll see more mention of McCargo because of more playing time.

You're correct. A million years ago I worked a summer job with the Monroe County Environmental Services Department. As a 20-year-old. I got to take water samples from streams and beaches around Monroe County and check them for turbidity and bacterial content. Such a most-excellently-cool job. I was the "Richard" who got to call WBBF and WCMF to close down Charlotte. That's right - ME. I'm the dick that did that to you several decades ago, and ruined so many parties. And I loved it. The reason Charlotte can be such a schit hole is that the piers were designed in a time when no one thought about current flow. The Rochester harbor was designed to allow freighters to move in and out, and to provide shelter during line squalls - not mitigating algal growth. So the piers were built of steel-reinforced concrete with steel plating that interrupted the normal west-to-east current. The result? All that Cladophora piles up on the west beach next to the pier. And rots. It's not as bad as it was back in the 1960s and 1970s with all the dying alewives (Pseudoharengus sp.), but it's still pretty gruesome. Structures like that wouldn't be allowed anymore. Anything that even approximates those piers would have channels built into the to allow cross flow. That won't help Charlotte. It's always going to be downwind from hell because of those piers. Drink up!

Fair enough. "Starting to fight" is one thing. "Succeeding" is another. The legislation that is the Great Lakes Compact started out of an episode in (?) 1997 or 1998 when a company - I believe a Canadian company - started selling water from the Great Lakes to China. That schit got stompted upon in a New York Minute. But it still took 10 years for all 8 states (apologies, Pat Leahy and Vermont, but you don't count with Lake Champlain) and two Canadian Provinces to sign off on the agreement, and to have said agreement passed in the Federal Legistlature of both countries. Okay, so there are a few Wisconsin communities that are pissed off and are going to light the torches and pitchforks and march on the collective capitals to change a law that took a decade for TWO NATIONS JUST TO GET TO THE POINT OF SIGNATURE. Hello, Satan speaking. Not a lot of snow down here, but I'm waiting....... "Libby" - Carly Simon

Oh, no. You're quite right. He's saying all the right things, and bringing a positive media spotlight to a place whose chip-on-its-shoulder is the size of a Douglas Fir. And it's nice to get the positive props for once. (Not saying the props to WNY are not well-deserved). But let's see what TSW when Owens implodes. Lemmings, anyone?

I agree, and am trying to view the game WITHOUT WEARING the "Homer" goggles. There was another thread in which someone posted thoughts about the Pats* defense. The D-Line is terrifying. That much is unarguable. But their LBs? They were playing during the Eisenhower Administration, weren't they? And their secondary is.....well, per Tim Graham, anyway......"pedestrian". As such, I guess it comes down to the the Pats* pass rush. If they can bring it against the Bills' O-line, bad night for Buffalo. But if that line holds. my money's on Evans and Owens against the Pats* CBs. My money's on Reed and Parrish out of the slot against the Pats* geriatric LB corps. (Does anyone in Pats*-land REALLY think Bruschi is going to be be able to catch Parrish's first move ? Seriously? Good for Tedy. I honestly wonder if he'd be kept on another team). I'm not ready to write the game off. I know everyone's 0-0, and everything's bubbling with optimism in preseason. Looking at it rationally, however, it's not as gloomy as it has been for the past few years.

You crack me up! I know you don't do this on purpose, but....Jesus, it's so funny. I think I'm starting to like your posts!

Thanks, Senator. I'm so grateful that people are bitching about posts like this, rather than the collective inanity of the off-season. I'm not able to attend camp this year, so I appreciate the updates. The reality is that we're both looking at a 340-pound man who is out of shape on the first day of training camp. Imagine my surprise.

The water's going nowhere. Last year, amidst absolutely zero fanfare (thank God) the Great Lakes Compact was passed and signed into law. The water of the Great Lakes can only be used by those COUNTIES in those states which border the lake, and which are part of the drainage basin. So, for example, Lake Ontario water can't even be diverted to Sullivan or Rockland Counties. I'm sitting here looking at a beautiful bay in the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario.....and it's going to be here forever. NOT watering some goddamn golf course in Nevada.

You're right, SD-ster! They are some sort of astronomical anomaly - a living, breathing statement that black holes exist in Orchard Park. Because they suck, suck suck! [How'd I do? Was that inane enough, or did I blow it on the "sincerety" part?]

I hear you. I caught the requisite ration of fecal input in a conversation with a co-worker in Atlanta. I let him go on about the Falcons for awhile, and let him tell me about all their improvements, upgrades, blah, blah, blah. It was then that I asked him about the defense. "And how is your secondary?", I asked. "Oh, we got rid of a cornerback..um, I forgot his name...but a real cancer in the locker room. We're okay at CB, I guess", he replied. "Good", I said. "You're going to need it in December". Being a Bills fan, I'm not much of a braggart. But it felt good to say it, you know what I mean?

Yes, but was it intentional? Or did he just "mulligan" it? "Every Night" - Paul McCartney

"Giving him the business......."

Ever read "Endurance" by Alfred Lansing? You, Dan, probably have. I'd recommend it to anyone on this board that doesn't use the "Fingerpaint" option when they're posting on this forum. Every offseason becomes more Shackletonian than the last. But, in the words of Ernest Shackleton himself...."We've done it". We've endured another off-season. Let's see what these boys can do. "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" - Michael Jackson

Hello Eeyore, Let me be the first (a week early) to wish you a Happy 1-Year Anniversary! How did I know that you'd be the first to crap all over this post? Don't forget to wipe with emery cloth. Signed, Christopher Robin

Great news, Sven. This is a twofold godsend: 1) The Bills have needed a TE that can stretch the field for about 6 years. He'll be one-dimensional at first, but he'll scare the living daylights out of DCs just as a decoy, if nothing else. Especially after he breaks his first 15-yarder into a big one. 2) It's just so refreshing to log into TSW and see posts related to signings and, you know, like "football stuff", instead of posts like "What was your best Bills groin scratch EVER?!?!". Or something like that. I'm so glad the offseason is receding in the rearview mirror. Getting smaller every minute.

John, the downside outweighs the upside. Focus on the latter first. Would Vick - coming to Buffalo after 2 years of orange jumpsuits, "warm showers" and no practice - be a better fit for the Bills than would Edwards? I don't care if you're a Losman man or an Edwards man. Or a Flutie or Lamonica man. The question is whether Vick would be able to come into this offense THIS FRIGGIN' SATURDAY MORNING and be able to drive the Bills to the end zone better than would Trent Edwards. I would maintain "No", but I have this horrible logical view of the world that I find hard to shake. Focus on the former second. Let's play a comparison game. We in Upstate New York are basking in the midst of a "TO Totality". It's all about TO. Reality TV. Househunting. Even nude photos. Weird, I admit. But we're along for the ride, and we're grinning all the way. The media loves TO, and in a warped and f-ed up way, they're loving.....well, tolerating....Buffalo. You're not seeing a lot of "Jesus, what a schit hole Buffalo is" stories in the national press, are you? It's an oddball sort of place, but woo hoo that TO is some crazy dude up in Buffalo! Okay, let's hit the fast-forward button. National Media Headline - "90-year-old Ralph Wilson signs Michael Vick". Please let that headline bounce around your brain like a BB in a soup can. "90-year-old Ralph Wilson signs Michael Vick". I'd continue with the argument, but I simply don't have the strength. I live in a universe where 90-year-old men, who are original owners of the biggest brand of sport franchise, and are about to be inducted into said sport's Hall of Fame in 3 short weeks, do NOT.........repeat......NOT.....sign convicted animal abusers as their quarterback. A guy like Wilson doesn't sign Vick to be his svengali servant, much less his QB! Security would have to open up 3 of the stadium parking lots JUST FOR THE PETA PEOPLE WITH THE PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES. WHY WOULD RALPH WILSON DO THIS TO HIMSELF AS HE'S WALKING INTO CANTON???!!!!!?????!!!! I know I'm asking a LOT, but please think about MY universe before you post things like this.

No. It was Alfred E. Newman. God, kid, that was awful. I know I call out a lot of bad grammar and spelling on this board, but WOW. You're the future of our country? Wonder if there are still openings in Bermuda. I'll check the visa......