Whites Bay

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......

Oh, I hear you. Please, please, please, Jesus, get us to Saturday. Bring us the next level of inanity, but please deliver us from this one.

I agree. Graham's point was that the secondaries are pedestrian; nothing was mentioned about the pass rush. I don't think anyone's going to claim that Wilfork and Jenkins are pedestrian. My bone of contention relates more to the quality of the players in Buffalo's secondary, not the overall performance of the pass defense....which, frankly, sucks...because there IS no pass rush (to your point). Give the Bills a decent pass rush this year, and Buffalo will have a very STOUT pass defense. Because the Bills' secondary - the quality of the players manning those positions - is definitely NOT pedestrian. I maintain that Buffalo's secondary could be in the Top 5 in the league, certainly in the Top 10. To your point about Interior versus Exterior, I guess that's going to come down to Edwards' maturity. It takes some serious cojones to step up into the pocket when the world is collapsing around your ears. Assuming the interior of the line holds, I'm more comfortable if the Bills' tackles are middle-of-the-road....SO LONG AS Edwards has the confidence to snuggle up behind the guards and center. Not every quarterback is comfortable doing that. Either they lack the confidence in their linemen, or they're just not brave enough to hang in there, step up, and find shelter where shelter shouldn't logically exist.

Madden has an interesting take on "Who's Your Pick for the Super Bowl?". He always says that you have to pick the team that won it, until someone comes along and knocks them off. I'm not always one of Madden's biggest fans, but the logic does seem to hold in the early part of the season. If I use that logic, therefore, I'm picking the person that took the nickel spot coming out of camp last year. It's Yobouty's to lose. If that guy shows what he showed last summer, he'll be a lock for nickel. He simply played lights-out, and pushed everyone else aside. Cripes, there were discussions during last year's training camp where people were wondering if he was going to supplant Greer as the Number 2 sometime during the season. Then came the plantar fascitis. It depends on how he comes back from the surgery, but if he's back to where he was last August, you have to pick the guy who won the spot last year. And I'm sticking with it.

Tim Graham raises some good points in this article, and a lot of story angles to ponder. I have two minor disagreements: 1) "AFC East secondaries matching up with Drew Brees: The Saints' bombardier will go up against four generally pedestrian pass defenses. Each AFC East team will have at least one new starting cornerback this season and could have a new starting safety, too." Okay, Tim, you're technically correct in that the Bills' starting CBs were McGee and Greer in 2008, while this year they're likely to be McGee and McKelvin. But it's not as though McKelvin is a raw rookie, and didn't get plenty of playing time last year. The nickel will likely be Yobouty, whom many on this board were running out of town on a rail last year...only to watch him play his brains out in training camp to start at nickel. Whitner is solid, as is Scott. The only question is whether Byrd supplants Scott. My point? I don't consider the Bills to have a "generally pedestrian pass defense". I consider the Bills to have a generally pedestrian pass rush. I think you're going to be looking at one of the better secondaries in the entire league this season. 2) "The Bills' dynamic passing attack against NFC South secondaries: Teams can't double cover Lee Evans anymore; not with Terrell Owens on the opposite side of the field." Having just pumped up the home squad, let me temper the enthusiasm. Let's not go overboard. The Bills DON'T have a "dynamic passing attack" YET. As I've said 100 times already this off-season, it's going to come down to the interior of the offensive line. If that group holds, then, yes, the Bills COULD have a dynamic passing attack. I'm not ready to get my popcorn as I sit here in July. Maybe by October. I want to see it happen first. Overall, a good article. Having read Tim's Point #4 ("Brady against Carolina's pass rush), I'm bummed out that we won't see that matchup until Week 14. I'd like to see him face that action in Week 1, and put a little doubt in his mind.

This thread is a moot point. The Bills will scare the Pats* on MNF but lose. And my heart will be broken again. They will then go 3-0. Tampa? Get serious. New Orleans? Not so much on the road. Miami? Close, but the Wildcat isn't anyone's surprise anymore. Here's what will REALLY happen if the Bills go 1-3. This board will EAT ITSELF ALIVE. I plan NOT to be here when THAT happens. This place was intolerable last November. If I want suicidal tendencies, I can go to work every day. Sheesh. "But I Might Die Tonight" - Cat Stevens