No Marty Schottenheimer

He is 66 and staying off the sidelines:

Schottenheimer has said repeatedly that he has no desire to return to coaching, but I spoke with him briefly this afternoon to ask specifically about his ties to Nix and the Bills’ coaching job in particular. Schottenheimer said no way.

“I don’t see any way I’ll be back in coaching,” he said during a brief telephone interview this afternoon. “I’ve got a full plate as it is right now. My frequent flier miles are as high as they’ve ever been.”

Schottenheimer, one of the most successful coaches in NFL history, said the desire to return to the sidelines is not there. “We spent a good 30 years at it,” he said, “but now we’re enjoying the spoils of that.”

Given the family ties between Schottenheimer and Nix – who worked together in San Diego – some believe Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer could be in the mix for Buffalo’s job, which is held by interim coach Perry Fewell entering Week 17 after Dick Jauron was fired earlier in the season. As I reported earlier this week, the Bills are essentially re-starting their coaching search after being unable to land a top candidate like Mike Shanahan or Jon Gruden.

That search could take several weeks, according to a source with knowledge of the process, and will include a thorough interviewing of several prospects, particularly once the season ends and candidates already on NFL teams become eligible to interview.

Buddy Nix Buffalo Bills new GM

Per Adam Schefter

"Buffalo is on the move. Bills hired Buddy Nix as GM and Russ Brandon as CEO."

Nix's job with the Chargers was to oversee both pro and college scouting and to be one of the main decision makers in each NFL Draft. Nix was a major reason the Chargers turned around from a losing football team to a rebuilt, winning team.

Number of San Diego Chargers Pro Bowl Players drafted under Nix:

2004 3 Pro Bowlers
2005 6 Pro Bowlers
2006 11 Pro Bowlers
2007 8 Pro Bowlers

Nix is considered by some to be one of the top 5 talent evaluators in the NFL. The Chargers have won 4 out of the last 5 AFC West Titles with Nix as Assistant GM and Director of Player Personnel, in charge of college scouting and instrumental to the decision making process of their NFL drafts.

Nix's career has spanned from star college player and award winning college football coach, to scouting in the NFL for the Bills and finally as a Front Office Executive with the Chargers.

Nix is all football. He has a list of head coaching candidates but to date wasn't involved in any interviews or search itself. One would have to think, any rumors previously are now out the window as Nix will be choosing the next head coach.

He seems to believe in retaining talent and not spending big in free agency. The guy was an inside hire but he isn't Modrak and Guy. He said he is going to review all aspects of the football operations and there could be shake ups. Schottenheimer Rivera, they I would say are an option. Don't look for Cowher.

Buffalo Bills press conference at 2:30

The Buffalo Bills are going to be holding a press conference at 2:30 available to be viewed on buffalobills.com We'll be here all day following whatever they may be announcing.

**UPDATE**

Tim Graham thinks it will be something big

and profootballtalk thinks it could be Modrak or Nix being moved up to GM which would be a joke

**UPDATE 2**

Most likely it could be Buddy Nix as the GM not Modrak.

"Nix would certainly be an unexpected hire. He returned to the Bills this year as their national scout after serving as the team's Southeast scout from 1993-00. He left Buffalo initially to join John Butler in San Diego, where he oversaw college and pro scouting for the Chargers from 2001-08."

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/billboard/2009/12/bills-making-major-announcement-today.html

Buffalo sports 2009 in review

by Steve

Some how we trick ourselves into think each year that this year can't get any worse than the prior year. 2009 was different. Jauron was retained as head coach before the end of last year. That news alone made a skeptic out of most for the coming year's prospects. Furthermore, the Sabres were scuffling in mediocrity with over priced players and little results. Basically we knew it was coming.

Our nightmares came to reality in 2009. The Bills are a borderline laughing stock, the Sabres finished 10th in the conference and did little to nothing in the offseason to pique interest. True they are doing well now but the season isn't even 3 months old.

There were a few bright spots:

The signing of Terrell Owens and his reality show. The Owens experiment was a C- although the Bills front office would probably grade it a B+ for marketing. He didn't put up big numbers but it is tough to make plays when your quarterbacks blow. The writing was on the wall in preseason so it wasn't a big shock any way.

UB sports. The Bulls played in a bowl game for the first time ever. Although they lost. Oh and their best player, James Starks didn't even play a down due to injury in 2009. Well, on second thought it is tough to say they were a bright spot. The 2009 season was a complete flop and Gill left the program. The basketball team did get to the MAC Championship although they got curb stomped and didn't get a sniff by the selection committee.

Holy shit, there were no bright spots. What an awful awful year. Could we even rank the bad years in Buffalo sports any more? They just seem to all blend together in failure heart break and suicidal thoughts. You just gotta wonder where the bottom is.

Here are some quick hits from 2009 in case you forgot

• Jonny Flynn got paid and is playing well albeit on an awful awful team in the middle of no where.
  
• Oden is again got hurt and is out for the year perhaps career.
• The Bisons had one of the worst years in team history after changing affiliations to the Mets.
• Vanek got hurt in early February and wasn't really replaced, dashing any playoff chances as the Sabres folded.
• Lynch got arrested again leading to multiple Bills getting arrested
• The Bills signed Fitzpatrick in late Feb, who knew he would start so many games?
• Trade deadline day, the Sabres make a huge splash acquiring a nobody in Dominic Moore
• For some reason Sienna got a home game in the MAAC championship V Niagara
• HAHA, Ralph Wilson died rumor emerges
• What ever happen to those Cushing and Matthews failed drug tests? Oh we got Maybin
• Lynch suspension, that didn't adversely effect his season.
• Jason Peteres traded, fail.
• Ugh, Aaron Maybin drafted
• Jairus Byrd drafted!
• Trent Edwars and the K-gun, haha
• Owens gets a key to the city
• Farewell Losman, Coast probably cried.
• Uhoh! Pat Kane beats up a cabbie
• Aaron Maybin hold out continues, hmm I wonder
• 10 reasons to be positive about the 2009 Buffalo Bills
  
• The Bills were favored by 6 vs the Browns at home.
• Fire Jauron billboard, did it hurt?
• The Ballhawk takes flight
• Shanahan had an 8 hour interview over two days, seems like a decade ago.

2010, Buffalo is due. We get the NCAA tournament, we get the World Juniors, new head coach, new GM, the Sabres look good. Gotta stay positive people.

Sabres storm back to victory v Penguins

by Steve

The season doesn't officially start until 4pm Sunday when the Bills season ends but I'll get a jump on it. The Buffalo Sabres, down 3-0 at home to one of the best teams in the league pulled their star goaltender and replaced him with Patrick "mediocre at best" Lalime and came back to win in regulation 4-3.

Games like this will remind me to not count out the Buffalo Sabres in 09/10. Stafford was beyond struggling after getting benched earlier in the week, Pominville is one of the more over paid players in the league and the back up goaltender has the been the major question mark of the team. All three had stellar performances to steal two points from the defending Cup champs the Pittsburgh Penguins.

True it is only one game, but the effort the team put forth once Miller was yanked was nothing short of spectacular. Two goals from Stafford (one on a penalty shot) a goal by Gaustad set up by Stafford and a power play snipe by Pominville in on the power play in the 3rd were all the 'bres needed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Maybe it was the spark of Lalime coming in, or an abysmal Penguins powerplay but the Sabres looked like two different teams tonight. They are such an enigma I can never get to high on this team, but no one should get too low either.

If any combination of Pommers, Staf, Vanek and Connolly can really play to their full potential this team will compete in the post season. They still miss Kaleta what with the previously cut Mair, invisible Ellis and Paetsch being non factors as per usual. Those three need to be replaced or held back on ice time big time. True everyone needs role players but this team has two or three too many of those type.

Hopefully Miller bounces back from a weak performance and it is full steam ahead towards the playoffs.

Brian Brohm's first NFL start

by Steve

Did he look good? no. But did he look completely lost ? no.

I thought he got the ball outside the numbers better than our two previous QBs. Lee Evans was involved in the passing game for a change also. Brohm held the ball too long and didn't have much pocket presence but that is to be expected. He missed on the two long balls to Owens but at least he didn't short arm them.

With this coaching staff and offensive line it is near impossible to give this guy a fair shake either way. This coming week's game against the Colts likely will not give us much more information about Brohm since it will be all reserves but it should be cold and snowy and that will give us a bit of an indication as to how he reacts to our elements.

I'd be willing to invite him in for an open competition next year with a rookie and a journeyman although I'd prefer Vick. It is just way to early to throw this guy into the garbage heap after one game with that personnel around him.

Buffalo Bills Top 10 Errr 5, Games of the Decade

-Coast

As I sit here and think about the ten best wins of the decade, only two or three games come to my mind while about 25 brutal losses pop right into my head. The Bills won a combined 65 games through the decade up until this point. They have lost 93. Therefore, due to lack of material and lack of wins, I am going to trim this list down to the top 5 before reaching on say this season's overtime win over the Jets which ranks 8th.

Worst Games of the Decade

Worst Moves of the Decade

Best and Worst Draft Picks of the Decade

Top 5 Best Bills wins of the Decade

5. The Bills best playoff run came in 2004 so one game from that 6 game winning streak has to make this list. The Bills started out 0-4 and then ran off 9 wins in 11 games. The 6 games leading up to the Steelers game resulted in wins by 20, 31, 10, 30, 16 and 34. It was the 16 point win in week 15 that stands out the most, maybe for selfish reasons. Since 2004, I have been to 5 road games, they have won 1 game and this was it. Rookie free agent tight end Jason Peters blocked a punt and scored a touchdown (He also caught JP Losman's first touchdown pass...what a tight end he was). The highlight of this game though was Takeo Spikes. He was making his first trip back to his original team and didn't disappoint. He picked off a Jon Kitna pass and took it 62 yards to the house. This was for me, the most memorable road game of the decade so it had to make the list. The Bills won the game 33-17 and would go on to beat the 49ers 41-7 before the far more familiar fate, a heartbreaking week 17 loss to the Steelers.

4. I'll be honest...I started this list at 1 and worked by way back and I am reaching right now. I am forced to go to the Dick Jauron era for the 4th best game of the decade. It was Jauron's first year and it was the game where many people thought "Ok, maybe JP Losman is this teams quarterback of the future." It was November 19, 2006. The Bills were 3-6 and their season was pretty much over already as they traveled to play the Houston Texans. The Bills first two possessions in the game resulted in 83 yard touchdown receptions by Lee Evans. Evans on the day had 11 receptions for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns. JP had his most prolific game as a Bill with 340 and 3 touchdowns. However, the Bills were still losing late in this game and thanks to terrible play calling by Houston, had a chance to win it at the end. Losman marched the Bills down the field and hit Peerless Price with about 10 seconds left down 4 to win the game. Losman actually looked like he had a clue how to play football on this drive as he used Anthony Thomas underneath and hit two big passes, one to Evans and one to Price to win the game 24-21. The Bills used this win to propel them to 4 wins in 5 games before they choked away their playoff hopes. (I realized that Peerless Price has been an integral part of three of the top four games of the decade as you will soon see.)

3. The 2002 season brought some of the best memories of the decade, mostly because we had an offense with a pulse. Before the Bills thought sending games to Toronto was a good idea and the NFL thought that a December divisional game should be played in Toronto, the Bills had some memorable December games vs. the Miami Dolphins and this game was a perfect example. It was December 1, 2002 and the Bills were trying to snap a 3 game losing streak and save their season. Ricky Williams torched the Bills defense for 228 yards and two touchdowns, including a 45 yard run for a TD on the games first play. Ricky though couldn't carry his team to a win. Instead it was the Bledsoe/Peerless Price/Eric Moulds show. Bledsoe threw for 306 and 3 YDs. Moulds had 130 and 1 TD and Price had 93 and 2 TDs. The most famous part of this 38-21 win was the 2nd half blizzard. The Bills outscored Miami 21-7 in the snow in the 2nd half. Moulds caught a bomb from Bledsoe off a deflection and Price took a quick slant to the house and ran straight into Jim Kelly's arms while the fans sang "Let it Snow."

2. Fresh off a 3-13 season in 2001, the Bills went out and traded a first round pick for quarterback Drew Bledsoe in an attempt to turn their fortunes around. At this point, the Bills were still a franchise with a history of winning over the past 15 or so years and missed the playoffs twice in a row for the first time since the 80's. Bledsoe didn't disappoint in the home opener as the Bills put up 31 points against the Jets, only to fall victim to Chad Morton's two kickoff return touchdowns including one in overtime.

In week two on September 15, 2002, the Bills traveled to Minnesota for what was the most exciting game of the decade. Drew Bledsoe, Peerless Price, Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss put on a show in the Metrodome. Moss had 11 catches for 111 yards and a TD as Culpepper threw for three total. Bledsoe and Price showed them up. Drew threw for a 463 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. This type of game can't even be imagined by Bills fans lately. Peerless Price caught 13 balls for 185 and 2 touchdowns. With the Bills trailing 39-36, Mike Hollis nailed a 54 yard field goal, off the cross bar and through. Then in overtime, Bledsoe connected with Price on a 48 yard touchdown pass for the win, 45-39.

1. This is a no brainer. The same team who handed us three or four of our worst, most heartbreaking losses also provided us with the best three hours of the past 10 years. The date was September 7, 2003. The Bills were coming off a promising 8-8 season after finishing 3-13 in 2001. Drew Bledsoe was coming off a pro bowl season. The Bills had new defensive stars all over the field...Sam Adams, perhaps their best acquisition of the decade in Takeo Spikes and to add further spice to this game, Tom Donahoe went out and brought in strong safety Lawyer Milloy who was recently cut by the Patriots earlier that week.

New England was the defending world champions and were the favorites again in 2003. The Bills defense completely owned Brady. Up 14-0, the Bills produced their most famous play of the decade, a 37 yard interception return for a touchdown by defensive tackle Sam Adams. This play earned him a spot on the cover of Sport Illustrated with the caption "Off and Running." Tom Brady threw 4 interceptions, including two to Takeo Spikes. In the end, the final score was 31-0. The Bills followed this up with a 38-17 win over Jacksonville, a game in which Drew Bledsoe produced a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating. The Bills were destined for great things in 2003...they catapulted to the top 2 in the power rankings on ESPN. The only problem is that they would go on to finish the season 4-12 and fall apart from the seams.

Honorable Mention: There are none. Seriously, I was reaching after three and can't really think of one other good win this team has had this decade. I guess you can say the October 19, 2008 23-14 win over San Diego which put the Bills to 5-1 and made all of us (including me) think Trent Edwards was the real deal. We all know it was a tease though and there is no way in hell Trent Edwards belongs on this list.

Jairus Byrd to IR

Jairus Byrd was put on IR and Josh Stamer was signed.

Holy shit. There goes one of the few reasons to actually watch the last two Bills games. Unbelievable how one team can have so many players on the injured reserve list.

Happy Festivus

From all of us at WNY Watercooler we would like to wish you all a happy Festivus. A fantastic Festivus Miracle would be if the Sabres beat the Capitals Wednesday night in Washington but we won't push our luck. We do have a lot of problems with you people but for now we'll air just a few grievances:

• Ralph Wilson, sell the team to a local ownership group, or at least a minority stake.
• Russ Brandon bring in a real GM and hire a real head coach not Haslet or Zorn.
• Darc trade Vanek
• Miller, uh you're a stud just don't wear yourself out in the Olympics
  
• Fewell for god's sake play Brohm Sunday you aren't getting the job any way
• MLB institute a salary cap.
• NBA fold
• Jeff Quinn stick around UB Football for at least 5 years and recruit some 2 and 3 star talent.
• Bass Pro build already
• Peace Bridge, eh fuck it
• Readers buy our shirts and tell your friends about us

Next is the feats of strength...

Brohm likely to start Sunday vs ATL

Per The Buffalo News:

The Brian Brohm era is at hand for the Buffalo Bills.

With starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and backup Trent Edwards both suffered ankle injuries in Sunday's 17-10 loss to the New England Patriots, Brohm is expected to get his first NFL start against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, a league source said. Interim coach Perry Fewell offered few details Monday on the severity of the injuries to Fitzpatrick and Edwards, but the source said Edwards suffered a high ankle sprain.

Fewell said recently that Brohm didn't know the offense well enough to run if effectively. Fewell said the primary focus in the season's final two games will not shift to getting extra playing time for the team's inexperienced veterans, including second-year receivers James Hardy and Steve Johnson.

Um is everyone pretty much done with Perry Fuel? Either way with Bro-hm in there Bills fans have some what of a reason to watch Sunday. Expectations will be low because of a horrid o-line and general inexperience of Brohm but we'll take any glimmer of hope we can get Sunday.

The Bills are +7.5

10 Best and worst Buffalo Bills draft picks of the decade

by Steve

The introspective of the Bills past decade of futility has been all negative thus far(worst games, worst moves). Tough not to be with only one winning season in the whole 00's. So today we'll attempt to be positive sorta. Here is the best and worst draft picks from 00-09:

Worst draft picks

5. Willis McGahee 2003 23rd overall

The Bills didn't have their normal pick (14th overall) this season because they traded it to New England for Drew Bledsoe. They did however get a pick in the first round this year with the trade of Peerless Price to Atlanta. So instead of shoring up the offensive line or bolstering an offense that would go on to score the third least points in the league, they reached on a broken, injured, useless running back to ride the pine for at least a year and sit behind 2002 pro bowler Travis Henry. He was never the game breaker Donahoe anticipated and eventually talked his way out of Buffalo.

4. Erik Flowers 2000 26th overall

Great way to start out the decade. Bust city. Not only was he out of the league after five seasons he only played for the Bills for two. He had four sacks in his time here and yet still has better stats than Aaron Maybin's rookie year. (sadly he might be on a revised list in a few years)

3. John McCargo 2006 26th overrall

The Bills were in desperate need of a shutdown defensive tackle after not replacing Pat Williams the season prior. Instead of filling this gaping hole @ 8 with Haloti Ngata the nearly consensus pick at the time, they took Whitner. Since the hole remained they traded back into the first for this bum giving up their 2nd and 3rd round picks for McCarbust. Adding to the peculiar selection which was thought of as a reach by many prognosticators at the time was the idea that McCargo was traded to the Colts two years later. Of course he failed the physical and was sent back to the Bills. He continued to play for the Bills despite what the Colts diagnosed as bulging discs in his back.

2. Fat Mike Williams 2002 4th overall

This is what the Bills got for going 3-13. The guy was a consensus top 10 pick true but some times you just have to be smarter than idiots on television. It was between Williams and Bryant McKinnie. McKinnie albeit not a pro bowler still plays for the Vikings who took him at 7. Mean while the Bills were stuck with Williams until a short stint with the Jags in 06. He was out of the league for all of 07 and 08 and some how has started 6 games for the 'skins this season.

1. J.P. Losman 2004 22nd overall

The Bills were desperate for a QB. Blowdsoe was deteriorating quickly and Donahoe was desperate. Roethlisberger was just taken at 11 and the Bills were hand tied. They took Evans at 13 and still foaming at the mouth for anything that could throw the football. They hyper reached, traded Dallas their '05 #1 and got this bust out of Tulane. He didn't have the best of luck with coaches, injuries, or offensive line help but from the get go he seemed lost. He single handily ruined the rest of the decade for the Bills.

Honorable mention:
James Hardy, Donte Whitner, Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish, Trent Edwards

Best draft picks:

5. Paul Posluszney 2007 34th overall

You find a better one. The Bills needed a MLB to replace an aging and overrated Fletcher so why not tap Linebacker U again? The early comparisons to Shane Conlan have been way too premature but Poz has made strides since the Bills traded up in the second round to get him. Some wanted David Harris or Jon Beason but the Bills chose Posluszney. After a series of injuries and broken arms it appears the dude is legit. He racks up mad tackles and has interceptions in consecutive games. Look for him to improve if he stays healthy.

4. Lee Evans 2004 13th overall

Despite having little to no discernibly talent at the quarterback position Lee Evans has consistently put up decently good stats. He has averaged more than six touchdowns per season and has the game breaking speed most teams desire. Again his stats aren't great but he hasn't missed a game in his career and has been working with basically garbage throwing him the ball and garbage lining up on the opposite side of the field. He routinely faces double teams and got paid big time last season. On a better team he is a pro bowler.

3. Aaron Schobel 2001 46th overall

Most Bills fans take Schobel for granted and underrate him. Maybe it is because he only has 14.5 sacks in his last three seasons. But he might be a bit underrated because he is one of the few players on the team that was a legit probowler at some point in their career and he had 45.5 sacks during a four year stretch.

2. Nate Clements 2001 21st overall

Most people remember Clements for being a me first pretty boy but isn't that how most star CB's are? True he probably cost the Bills a victory in the '04 opener when he went for the pick instead of knocking the ball down against the Jags and said afterward he would do the same thing but he was a play maker. He had a TAINT against the Steelers in the '04 finale if you recall. Oh and he got paid big time by the 49ers a few years ago.

1. Terrence McGee 2003 111th overall

One of the rare late round picks to significantly contribute to the Buffalo Bills this decade. A rare talent that can play shutdown CB and has a knack for returning kickoffs. For a few years he was the most feared returner in the game while also taking on the #1 WR. His role has been reduced in recent years to solely cornerbacking but you can still count on this guy to keep the opposing wide receiver largely in check.

Honorable mention:
Sammy Morris, Kyle Williams, Jairus Byrd

UB Hires Cinci O cord Jeff Quinn

Per ESPN:

"It's an unbelievable honor to know that somebody respects the body of work and the value that I bring, especially at the University of Buffalo," Quinn said Sunday night, according to The Enquirer.

Quinn was elevated from offensive coordinator to interim coach when Brian Kelly took the head-coaching position at Notre Dame earlier this month.

An assistant of Kelly's for the past 22 years, Quinn oversaw the Bearcats' signature no-huddle spread offense that was responsible for 7.28 yards per play -- second in the nation to Nevada (7.48), but against a much tougher schedule.

With 27 years of college coaching experience, Quinn returns to the Mid-American Conference, where he previously served as offensive coordinator at Central Michigan.

10 Worst Buffalo Bills games of the decade

-Coast

Since we started this decade long reflection with the worst front office moves, it seems natural to transition right into my personal favorite, the ten worst losses of the 00's. Oh man this is going to be fun/painful/gut wrenching/humorous/sickening to think about. How can I choose just ten out of the plethora of mind numbing defeats this team has experienced over the past ten years? Here's the list...

10. Browns 6 Bills 3 October 11, 2009

The Bills capped off 3 straight losses to the pathetic Browns by losing the worst game ever played in NFL history. This game summed up the decade and the Jauron era...embarrassing. The Browns quarterback Derek Anderson went 2-17 for 23 yards and an INT, but won. From Sunday November 2nd, 2008 through Sunday December 6th, 2009, the Browns won 2 football games and lost 19. Both wins came IN Orchard Park. How about that stat?

9. Patriots 21 Bills 16 October 30, 2005

The Patriots will find themselves all over this top 10 list with all they have done to this franchise since 2000. Heart breaking choke jobs, embarrassing blow outs...they have found different ways to tear out our insides. This game was on Sunday Night Football. It was Bruschi's famous first game back after a stroke and the Bills did all they can to steal the spotlight away from Ted. Willis McGahee had 31 carries for 136 yards. Kelly Holcombe out played Tom Brady. The Bills won every category on the stat sheet. New England only converted 1 3rd down in the game and the Bills had 121 more total yards. But, as usual, the Bills choked. Up 9 in the 4th quarter, they allowed New England to score and then proceeded to fumble it back to them right away. Then on 4th and 7 down 5, the Bills threw a 2 yard out to Moulds who had a guy all over him. Why is your number one receiver running a 2 yard pattern on 4th and 7 with the game on the line? So, despite being outplayed, Bruschi's emotional lift propelled New England to a win.

8. Patriots 56 Bills 10 November 18, 2007

Yeah, this wasn't a heart breaking loss...it was just the most embarrassing, one sided loss I have ever seen. The game wasn't even really this close. Tom Brady had four touchdown passes at half time to Randy Moss. The worst part about this is the Bills were riding a 4 game winning streak coming into this game, and on top of that, the NFL actually flexed this game to Prime Time. The NFL had to have regretted that decision. No one was watching this game outside of Massachusetts after the 2nd quarter.

7. Titans 30 Bills 29 December 24, 2006

Christmas Eve in Buffalo and the Bills were alive in the playoff race, presumably needing to win their last 2 games to get in. The Bills had a 9 point 4th quarter lead but in typical Dick Jauron fashion, they let it slip away. The end of each half was a complete catastrophe for the Bills. Yeah, they got a lucky field goal at the end of the first half, but it was what happened seconds before that that really hurt. The Titans faced 4th down with under 20 seconds left in the half and the Bills let Vince Young run it in from 36 yards out straight through our defense. At the end of the game, the Bills led by their coach Dick Jauron, were completely lost as to whether or not to kick a field goal into the wind. The Bills didn't know what yard line they needed to get to in order to attempt it and after much confusion they had to rush to the line and Losman ended up throwing up a prayer. They were playing for their season and couldn't know something as simple as where do I need to get to in order to attempt a field goal.

6. Broncos 15 Bills 14 September 9, 2007

The Bills never trailed in this game until the clock said 0:00. They had a 14-3 lead in the second half. One of their teammates, Kevin Everett, livelihood was in serious question. And then, with a 14-12 lead, Denver went on a march that none of us will ever forget. Jay Cutle led the successful march despite an errant pass that went backwards some 15 yards. On that drive, the Bills forced Denver into a 3rd and 23...only allowing a 19 yard reception from Brandon Marshall to set up a very manageable 4th down, which they converted. Later on the drive, out of timeouts, Cutler threw a pass in the middle of the field, complete. The clock ran, the offense sprinted off the field, the kicking team sprinted on. They somehow lined up and snapped it with 1 second left...Good.

5. Jaguars 13 Bills 10 September 12, 2004

Losing on the last play of the game isn't a strange occurrence for the Bills, but something made this one feel even more painful. The Bills seemed to control the entire game. The Jag offense was miserable. Leftwich threw for 147 yards and 2 interceptions in the game...most of those yards came on the last drive and specifically, one famous 4th down and 14. Leftwich threw the ball up for Jimmy Smith. Nate Clements tried to pick it off rather than knock it down...Smith made the catch then London Fletcher kicked the ball for a delay of game penalty and before the sellout crowd in Orchard Park could figure out what happened, Earnest Wilford was catching a game winning pass in the end zone on 4th and goal on the last play of the game. I have never in my life heard that stadium quieter or in more shock than I did that day.

4. Cowboys 25-Bills 24 October 8, 2007

The week before the "Duel in Dallas" between the undefeated Patriots and the undefeated Cowboys, Dallas had to travel through Orchard Park on Monday Night Football. The Bills were 1-3 coming into this game and were coming off back to back losses by 23 and 31 points. The Bills had no chance to win this game, right? Instead, it was the Bills defense who stole the show.

Tony Romo had 5 interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. The Bills added a kick return touchdown also. 21 points with their offense on the sidelines. All the Bills offense needed to do was manage to score 5 points and the Bills win the football game. Actually, all they needed to do was run the ball on third and goal inside the 10 in the fourth quarter with an 8 point lead. Run the ball, win the game. Instead, they pass it, Edwards throws a pick to Newman who returns it 70 yards. The Bills D tried bailing the offense out again with another Romo pick, but it didn't matter. The Bills punted and we all know what happened from there on. Dallas TD, missed 2 pointer, recovered onside kick, then there were 7 seconds left and Dallas was out of timeouts and out of field goal range. The Bills gave the sideline to the outside receivers and Folk nailed the kick, twice. Again, the Bills did not trail until the final gun. The only saving grace was that all the bandwagon fans who root for Dallas had to be a little upset that their beloved Yankees got eliminated by the Tribe that night.

3. Patriots 25 Bills 24 September 14, 2009

Monday Night Football. Bills v Patriots. Brady's first game back. This was supposed to be Tom Brady's coming out party. Him and his high powered offense were supposed to steam roll the Bills. They were double digit favorites at home playing in front of a national television audience. Instead, the game belonged to Fred Jackson and the Bills. They didn't trail for 59:10. They had a double digit lead until the 57:54 mark. This was supposed to be our time. Finally, the Bills would beat New England and what better time to do it? Instead, it became the single most heart breaking loss in a non playoff type game that I have ever experienced. I literally was feeling the effects of this loss for a month. The only saving grace is it helped in the process of getting the coach fired.

2. Steelers 29 Bills 24 January 2, 2005

The season finale in 2004 was the most important Bills home game of the decade. It was the only meaningful Bills home game in January since '96. A win, coupled with a Jets or Broncos loss, and the Bills were playoff bound. They had run off 6 wins in a row and were straight up steam rolling everyone in their path. The Steelers were 14-1, playing for absolutely nothing. Big Ben was given the day off. Tommy Maddox was under center. Little known Willie Parker was carrying the load at running back. No name James Harrison started at linebacker. Brian Saint Pierre played a majority of the 2nd half. This should have been a slam dunk win for a team playing for it's season verse a team who was playing for nothing. Instead, James Harrison scored a touchdown, and Willie Parker ran for over 100 yards. The back breaker occurred in the 3rd quarter. The Bills led 17-16 marched down the field only to have their drive stall. Lindell shanked the 20 something yard field goal and on the very next play, Parker ripped off a 58 yard run. The worst moment was sitting in my car in the rain after the game hearing the announcement that the Jets lost.

1. Titans 22 Bills 16 January 8, 2000

Home run illegal forward pass.Who knew at the time how successful this game was at setting the tone for the entire decade? What explanation does this game really need? This game single handily started the demise of the franchise.

Honorable Mentions:

Browns 8 Bills 0, 2007 Season...Bills run screen pass on 4th and goal with season on line in a Blizzard.

Browns 29 Bills 27, 2008 Season...Monday Night Football...the Bills complete their tail spin after a 5-1 start with this gem in Orchard Park. Edwards plays worst game in NFL history, Jauron settles for 47 yarded into the wind at end of game, Lindell misses.

Jets 31 Bills 27, 2008 Season...Bills try and play spoiler, but Jauron calls inexplicable pass play at end of game, Losman fumbles, Jets score, game over.

Jets 37 Bills 31 Opening Day 2002 Season...Chad Morton returns opening kickoff of overtime back for a TD.

Dolphins 24 Bills 23 2005 Season...Bills blow 23-3 2nd half lead to Sage Rosenfels...I lose my triple parlay and subsequently bet 212 dollars on the Denver Nuggets -1 at Orlando to win back the 200 I was down...Nugs lose by 30, I lose 412. Ouch.

I am sure I missed some games...if I did, leave a comment. It was an ugly decade. We will try and list the top 10 best games since 2000 but we may have to trim in down to a top 3 list or something. Here's to the 2010's.

T.O. questionable? Bullshit

If Owens is so questionable to play Sunday why is he gallivanting in Toronto? If he doesn't play Sunday we should IR his ass.

#terrellowens
Jus finished autograph signing @ Sears n TO! The fans were gr8!! So ws the staff & security!!

I'm @ the raptors/nets gm & I'm telling u RITE NOW that I CAN PLAY 4 THE NETS!!! This is a D-league team if that!!

New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills podcast preview

Steve Coast and Wreck discuss the upcoming game against the Patriots at the Ralph the future of the Bills and a little reflection of the past decade of failure.

(right click save as to download)

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Bills to interview GM candidates next week

Per the Buffalo News:

by Mark Gaughan

Don't expect a household name to be the new addition to the Buffalo Bills' personnel department in 2010.

It's the nature of the business that many top talent evaluators in the NFL are not well known outside league circles.

Yet the Bills will have a lot of qualified candidates to consider in the coming weeks as they work on overhauling their football operation.

The Bills are expected to start interviewing candidates to become either the new general manager or the new director of football operations sometime after Christmas.

The Bills may not hire anyone in the front office until they find out what former Denver coach Mike Shanahan plans to do. The Bills have had an initial interview with Shanahan. Any team hiring Shanahan would have to allow him to pick his own personnel man, since he would come with the clout to call his own shots. Hiring Shanahan still has to be considered a long shot for the Bills, since he is likely to have more attractive offers from other teams facing less of a rebuilding task than the Bills. Meanwhile, Bills Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon is studying GM-type candidates.

Also the Redskins fired Vinny Cerrato their "GM" and hired Bruce Allen as the new top football executive. Rumors of him wanting Gruden. Another question is whether he could co-exist with Shanahan.

Bills sign Richie Incognito Mitchell not impressed

Per Rotoworld

Bills claimed OL Richie Incognito off waivers from the Rams.

It's doubtful that a scenery change will cure Incognito's mental problems, but he's talented enough to take a flier on. When healthy, he was the Rams' best run-blocking interior lineman (as little as that's saying). The Bills will have the option of retaining him in 2010 with a restricted free agent tender.

Per Kawika Mitchell's twitter account:

mitchell on twitter "... WILL BE. REALLY WISH I WAS PLAYIN RITE NOW. SERIOUSLY... I KNO WE'RE N NEED OF OLINE BUT THIS GUY SUKS BALLS."

RT @ProFootballTalk Bills add Richie Incognito http://is.gd/5qtmn #NFL--BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT THIS YR. THE GUYS A BUM. DIRTY AND ALWAYS...

10 Worst Buffalo Bills moves of the decade

by Steve

Today's date December 15, 2009. Holy shit only 16 more days till the end of a decade. A decade of Buffalo Bills futility, failure, embarrassment, heart ache and break. Basically an abomination. This season is about 99.59825% over (in regards to playoff chances) and interest is waning. So to spice things up we're going to make lists of the worst (and maybe some best if there are any) for the Bills and Buffalo in the worst decade in Buffalo sports history.

Today worst front office decisions from 2000-2009

10. Drafting Willis McGahee

The year was 2003. Travis Henry coming off a strong sophomore season with 1,438 yards and 13 touchdowns, seemingly a star on the rise in the National Football League. Willis McGahee, a rare talent, had one of the worst looking injuries in a National Championship game anyone had ever withnessed. It was a fact that he would miss an entire season and would be questionable as to whether he would ever fully recover. Tom eff'n Donahoe was our GM. Looking to make a splash and (maybe take the best player available) decided to waste our first round pick @ 23 and take McGahee.

Everyone knows the rest. He played decent to pretty good for three full seasons. Then he threw Buffalo and the fans under the bus, wanted money and was traded to Baltimore. He has had an average career. The worst part about the whole thing is we didn't need a running back. He didn't contribute to the team for another year and even when he did he barely distinguished himself. Not to mention the attitude, the super agent and the Buffalo bashing. I hated the pick and still do.

9. Trading Jason Peters

Could rise on this list in the future as the trade commenced just this season. Peters was a malcontent since 2008. He received a contract extension in '06 and was generously paid after playing his first season at LT. Less than two years later Peters believed, and rightly so, that he deserved yet another raise after being selected to the all pro team and Pro Bowl. He held out all of the '08 training camp and missed the first game before returning.

In 2008 to the shock of some he was reselected to both pro teams after an up and down season which statistically bore out a poor season in terms of sacks allowed. Rumblings of another lengthy hold out and contract demands started immediately after the season. The Bills played chicken, lost much of their bargaining power and folded like a tv dinner table. He was dealt for a late first and fourth in the 2009 draft and 6th in 2010. The Bills left side has been a major question mark all season and Philly is poised for a Super Bowl run partly due to Peters stellar play. Awful awful trade that will haunt this team for years.

8. Gregg Williams hired as head coach

The year, 2001, the GM Tom Donahoe, first decision? Greggggg Williams. Stellar career, 17-31 record in three seasons. True his teams weren't the most talented but they certainly weren't the best coached team around.

Donahoe completely whiffed. The guy was over matched and completely lost for nearly a third of the decade. Anyone will give him a pass in '01 as it was a rebuilding period, but what is the excuse for '02 and '03 with Bledsoe at QB, Henry piling up stats, Clements, Fletcher, P Williams, Schobel and Winfield on defense. The defensive mastermind was ranked in the bottom half of the league in 01 and 02 and a top 3 defense in 03 he wasted with offensive mismanagement and blunder after blunder.

7. Drafting JP Losman

The year 2004, 22nd overall. The Bills were desperate for a QB. Blowdsoe was deteriorating quickly and Donahoe was desperate. Roethlisberger was just taken at 11 and the Bills were hand tied. They took Evans at 13 and foaming at the mouth for anything that could throw the football. They hyper reached, traded Dallas their '05 pick and grabbed Losman, a Tulane mediocrity looked at as a project at best.

Things started out great and got better. In his first training camp he got his leg broken by Troy Vincent basically ending his rookie season (great lesson putting a rookie in his place Troy thanks). He was subsequently put into and taken out of just about every game for the next two years fighting Kelly Holcomb for playing time. Offensive coordinator after offensive coordinator continued to erode Losman's confidence and skill. '06 seemed like a revelation leading many to beleive Losman had turned the corner. That was all dashed with a cheap shot by Wilfork in '07 basically ending his tenure as a starting QB for the Bills. He was let go after '08 and went to the UFL.

6. Drafting Mike Williams

Gregg's second draft. #4 overall. A can't miss OT out of Texas. Too bad he got paid too much, got too fat, unmotivated and couldn't care less. The only real debate for this draft was him or UM tackle Bryant McKinnie. Who knows, may it was just a blunder most teams would have made at that spot, or with some better due diligence this pick would never have been made. 2002 was a bust city draft though. Regardless it set back the franchise til um what year is it now?

5. Hiring Mike Mularkey

The second bust of a head coach Gregg hand picked. An ol' buddy offensive 'genius' from Pittsburgh who never had it as a head coach in the National Football League. He didn't last past his second season. Things started out pretty solid in '04 rattling off 6 straight wins before collapsing at home in week 17 to the hated Steelers' backups. The team never bounced back from that loss under Mularchuck. The devastating L kept the Bills from making the playoffs for the only time this decade. "ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Willie Parker, Brian St. Pierre and James Harrison -- who are these guys, you might ask?" That is from the ESPN.com recap of the game January 2, 2005.

The guy was ushered out of town along with Donachuck by an irate fan base and some shit talking too his kids at school. He resigned in disgrace after the '05 season in which the Bills went 5-11 and the Bills dropped 8 of their last 10.

4. Rehiring Marv Levy as GM

Donahoe was gone but the shipwreck remained. Wilson vowing never to relinquish as much power as he had done back in 2001 went calling to his ol' buddy Marv. The guy had no credentials as a GM and thought he could still coach at the ripe old age of 81. Great as a coach awful as a general manager. His two years (06-07) were crucial to the rest of the decade. He blew it at nearly every turn.

Drafted Whitner @ 8, traded up for McCargo @ 26 Lynch @ 12 (running back was a terrible decision here), seemed to only sign players from Detroit and Chicago, gave Langston Walker $25 mil, Derrick Dockery $49 million, $10 mil to Bob 'can't catch' Royal, hand picked Trent Edwards as quarterback out of Stanford in the third round, oh and hired Dick Jauron as head coach

3. Not Resigning Pat Williams and Antoine Winfield

I'm lumping these two together even though Winfield went to Minny in 03 and Williams went in 04. They were one of the top free agents those two years and were irreplaceable. It is impossible to disagree with the blunderous blunder it was not resigning these two studs. They have been anchors on one of the best defenses the last 5 years.

For some reason Donahoe thought Pat Williams was finished and didn't bat an eye when he immediately got scooped up by the Vikings. He was never replaced by Donahoe on a terrible defensive line that still misses him today. Winfield got paid no doubt about it, but the battle between the Vikings and Jets to sign this stud CB didn't teach Donahoe a god damn lesson it should have about retaining talent. He just resigned with the Vikings for even more money.

2. Hiring Dick Jauron and resigning him

One awful head coach hiring will happen, two is trouble some but three blunders in a row? Can't happen right? Well, it did. The guy was a career loser from the get go. He was the god damn interim head coach of the Lions for Christ sake. What the fuck did Levy and co see in this guy that could have tricked them into thinking he was a winner?

His record for 3+ seasons weren't that bad, it was the way he lost that was so infuriating. The guy was a total incompetent. He lost heart breaking defeat after heart breaking defeat. That could be a list in itself. I would say he had enough talent to make the playoffs one of the last three years so that isn't an excuse. The guy was catatonic on the sidelines, had no idea how to use time outs, challenges, what to call where, how to defend the middle of the field, when to kick when to punt etc etc. The guy took years off every Bills fan's life. AND HE GOT A CONTRACT EXTENSION

1. Hiring Tom Donahoe
This listed is blooded with missteps and mistakes by this absolute bum. He had complete control of the franchise for half the decade. He wasted draft picks hired incompetents, he signed bums, he didn't sign or resign studs. He was in over his head, didn't know when to relinquish control and took the wrong move at nearly every turn. The guy will go down as one of the most hated villains in this franchise's 50 year history. He makes me sick.

Halladay to Phillies Lee to Mariners

per SI:

The Phillies are in agreement on a three-team trade with the Mariners and Blue Jays to acquire star pitcher Roy Halladay, SI.com has learned.

Sources say Halladay will agree to a contract extension to complete the deal.

It's likely Cliff Lee would wind up with the Mariners in the deal.

Crazy. Blue Jays had to move him it just comes down to which prospects. Without seeing who the Mariners dealt they appear to be the early winner. Lee and King Felix? AL West may be shifting north of SOCAL.

Buffalo Bills 16 Chiefs 10 F

by Steve

GREAT the Bills win when we want them to lose and lose when we want them to win. Not much to take out of this boring game other than a few things.

• Why does Aaron Maybin celebrate every tackle like he just won the Super Bowl?
• Where was Lynch the first 11 weeks of the season other than being suspended?
• Ryan Fitzpatrick sucks, there is absolutely no reason to continue to trot this guy out on to the field. At best he is a back up QB at worst he is a great water boy.
• Jairus Byrd is a beast ball hawk even though it would have been better if he didn't catch that INT. Although George Wilson did rip an INT from him on that hail mary pass.
• Did Kansas City really try extra hard to sell out the stadium for that game? Yikes.
• KC is a worse team than the Bills ouch.
• The what if game is useless but what IF we beat JAX and the Browns?
• How the hell did Dick Jauron make it past the Houston game?
• FYI Orakpo had 4 sacks yesterday alone.
• How can James Hardy and Steve Johnson not even be seeing the field at this point? What is dressing Josh Reed accomplishing.
  
• If the draft was today we would have the 11th pick.
• Anyone else see us going 7-9 and getting the 12th pick? Anyone not seeing that?
• Give me a W this week against the Patriots and lose the last two.
  

Kansas hires Turner Gill

by Steve

So much for hoping UB would get another year with Turner Gill.

Yahoo Sports is reporting that Buffalo coach Turner Gill will be heading to Lawrence to coach the Jayhawks. Gill is 20-30 with the Bulls, including their first MAC championship in 2008.

All aboard the failboat. Holy shit sad sad day for UB football and the region as a whole. Gill basically invented UB football and definitely got me interested in the program. He brought in talent and coached talent like UB has never seen. Two division titles conference championship and a bowl birth.

I can't blame him really. Money talks and the MAC sucks. The Big 12 is a far superior conference a BCS gig and way more exposure. Really the two programs aren't comparable. Really I just hope he chose the right program to leap into and succeeds.

The question now is what is to become of UB football? I don't think anyone can answer that question. Any chance Warde Manual is makin calls to the Big 10? Probably not any more.

BRIAN KELLY = PIECE OF SHIT

by Steve

Are you kidding me? Undefeated season in a BCS conference with a program that has historically been nothing and you abandon them? The Bearcats have been and will be nothing. A coach transforms that into a BCS powerhouse winning a conference two years straights and an undefeated season and he doesn't even coach in the Sugar Bowl:? That is a fuckin joke.

Not only did Brian Kelly sell out but he abandoned a program a team and a commitment. He has ZERO respect in my book and his old players minds as well. How can you take another job before you even finish the great season of your career? How can you even be taken seriously?

True money talks but can it really talk that much? Why couldn't Kelly have coached through the Sugar Bowl, a BCS game (with an undefeated season) and a slim change of an outright championship and then talked contract? (Anyone remember Auburn a few years ago?)

This a god damn travesty. No way am I allowing this sell out piece of, shit never was, to coach my team if I was the AD of Cinci. Kelly is dead to anyone associated with the University of Cincinnati and he should be to anyone with half a brain. Bullshit bullshit Take the money and fail you ass clown. Fuck Notre Dame

Tiger woods betting props

by Steve

If you read this blog you either love sports, gambling, Buffalo, me, or are really bored. Likely you gamble, so I got some gambling for you! Betus.com is taking wagers, proposition bets or props, on some crazy shit about Tiger Woods. Yes websites let you gamble on politics or the latest reality TV show but I've never seen anything like this.




















YES, you can actually wager on which of Eldrick "Tiger" Woods' mistresses will write a book first. Breaking it down you would have to assume the safe money is on whore #125 Jaimee Grubbs. She seems to be the first bitch to talk and she was on a magazine cover wasn't she? (-120)? I'll take it.

But wait, there's more! You can even bet on whether Eldrick will serve jail time for his indiscretions. Just another reason to love internet gambling.

Drew Willy signed to Colts practice squad

Rookie Curtis Painter, a sixth-round draft pick from Purdue, becomes the primary backup. Next up is former University of Buffalo quarterback Drew Willy, who joined the practice squad in place of Shane Boyd, who was cut from the practice squad.

Buffalo sports quote 'em Tuesday

by Steve

• "I think above all else, that's what really kind of sticks in your craw," Williams said. "To know that everything was so close, and the way things are shaking out in the division that, other than our own stupidity, we could've been there." '

Umm, wtf is a craw?

• "Embarrassing. I thought our effort was embarrassing," was Ruff's initial assessment.

Hmm, who's to blame for that Lindy?

• "I went to get a lot of work and that's what I got served with," Lalime said before Monday's game. "It was a lot of fun and it was nice to get back out there."

Stay there bro

• “Realistically I could see at least two to three,” said Owens. “I want to be able to walk away from this game under my own power and when I feel it’s time to walk away, not trying to prolong or there aren’t any milestones I want to accomplish. I just want to try to compete and help the team win a championship. So if I can do that for the next couple of years then I’ll be satisfied.”

Nobody gives a shit to

• Fewell was asked why Lynch did not get more carries after averaging 10 yards per rush on six carries (60 yards).

  “We ran the ball 23 times and passed it 24 times,” said Fewell of Thursday night’s game. ”Fred is still our featured back. We’re just trying to get our playmakers the football. It wasn’t a conscious effort to not give Marshawn the football. We felt like Fred could run behind this scheme a little bit better at that particular time.”

Looks like it was the wrong assessment in that scheme at that specific time Fuel.

• "Thanx 2 EVERYONE n Twitterland 4 their b'day wishes!! I'm n New York Cityyyyyyy!!" Terrell Owens

Is this dude ever in Buffalo? Who is the account manager of his frequent flier miles?

The sham BCS games announced

by Steve

Classic bullshit money wins out crap we are fed every year by the all knowing computers and uber rich elite of the NCAA. They put money and the all mighty BCS conferences ahead of anybody and everybody. TCU v Boise st? Give me a god damn break. It is obvious the determining gods of the BCS didn't want any part of a non-BCS team beating a BCS school in an embarrassing major bowl game costing their precious schools money prestige and recruits. So lets make sure one of 'em loses.

It is beyond a shame. This was so predictable. I would be irate if I was a coach or athletic director in a 'smaller' conference not allotted the big bucks of the BCS 'super' conferences like the Big East and ACC. Give me a fuckin break. It isn't even just that game.

Instead of having a playoff to determine a true champion the public is stuck wondering truly who is the best team in the nation. There are five undefeated teams. They put powerhouse Florida against Cinci to ensure a loss for the Bearcats who have to go down south, play in a dome sans weather giving them a severe disadvantage. They put the two non BCS teams against each other ensuring another loss. This in turn then hurts the winning team's ranking because they only beat another non-BCS team.

The championship game in which Texas faces Alabama is another sham. Texas should have and probably did lose against Nebraska. Save for a clock snafu, Texas would be in the chikfela bowl or some bullshit. But no, they'll get creamed by 'bama in yet another awful championship.

So lets celebrate! The rich get richer and the rest stay poor, fuck 'em right?

Greg Oden out for the year

i hate this, hate it big time. buffalo kid, #1 overall, and more injury prone than the Bills offensive line, or Trent Edwards, or


PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland center Greg Oden will likely miss the rest of the season after fracturing his left knee cap Saturday night in the Trail Blazers' victory over the Houston Rockets.

"He's a strong kid," said general manager Kevin Pritchard, visibly shaken by the latest injury to befall the 7-foot center. "He's going to bounce back from this."


Oden dropped to the floor clutching his left knee and grimacing after colliding with a driving Aaron Brooks midway through the first quarter.

Oden was almost immediately surrounded by trainers and physicians. The crowd at the Rose Garden stood and chanted "Oden! Oden!"

The game was stopped for some 7 minutes. Finally, Oden was gently moved to a stretcher and wheeled from the court. He underwent an MRI shortly thereafter.

The Blazers said Oden will need surgery. A timetable for his return was not immediately set.

"I'm obviously disappointed having worked so hard to get to where I was. This is a setback but I'll be back. It's in God's hands now," Oden said in a statement released by the team. "I want to thank the fans, my teammates and everyone in the Blazers family for all of their good thoughts."

Oden, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft out of Ohio State, has been plagued by injures his entire NBA career.

The 7-footer missed rookie season after undergoing microfracture surgery on his right knee. Last season, Oden sat out six games after injuring his right foot in the season opener against the Lakers, then missed 14 games after the All-Star break with a bone chip in his left knee. He finished the season averaging 8.9 points and 7 rebounds.

Turner Gill to interview for Kansas job

Per CBS pregame show

UB football coach Turner Gill will reportedly interview for the vacant head coaching position at Kansas on Sunday according CBS Sports’ Tony Barnhart. Barnhart mentioned the meeting during CBS College Football Today before the SEC Championship game.

The Jayhawks are looking for a new coach following the resignation of Mark Mangino on Thursday.

Gill interviewed for positions with Auburn and Syracuse last season following the Bulls run to the MAC Championship and appearance in the International Bowl. The Bulls took a step back this season finishing 5-7. Last Tuesday, at his end of season press conference, Gill said he had not been contacted by any schools about any coaching vacancies.

Losman gets a look by the Colts

Indy likely to sign Losman?

The Indianapolis Colts worked out former Bills quarterback J.P. Losman Friday.

Losman, who just completed the UFL season, could sign with the Colts, who are concerned about backup Jim Sorgi's recovery from a shoulder injury suffered in practice more than a month ago.

UFL players were allowed to start visiting teams and signing with teams after Dec. 1.

If he is handed the back up roll after he actually signs and the Colts lose a game he would play against the Bills week 17, wow

Blow This Bills Team Up...Please

-Coast

Blow this team up. Top to bottom and I mean bottom...Corey Mace, want nothing to do with you buddy. This team is pathetic. I may have sounded optimistic on this weeks podcast, but wow was I wrong. Am I really hoping that a third sting quarterback from Green Bay's practice squad is the future of this franchise? Is this how low we have fallen? Play Brohm for God's sake.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is pathetic and I am so embarrassed that I actually made the comment that he may be solidifying himself as a potential 2nd string quarterback for this team. Get rid of him for the love of God. 9 for 23 for 98 yards with an interception and a lost fumble. The Jets defense is good, but come on. Fitz is the most inaccurate quarterback I have seen in my life. The Bills have had 12 QBs play since Jim Kelly retired...he is the most inaccurate and that is including Billy Joe Hobert...no lie.

Lee Evans catches a 38 yard pass on the first drive of the game. What is more pathetic the fact that he was invisible the rest of the game or the fact that he still led all of our other receivers combined in yards. Yes, combined. Seriously though, why can't we throw to Evans? Hey Fitz, we have a $9 million receiver on this team and it isn't your boyfriend Terrell Owens...why don't you look elsewhere once in a while and when you do, how bout throwing it within 10 yards of the guy you bum. Oh yeah, and T.O. sucks.

Marshawn Lynch had 5 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Guess how many carries he had in the 2nd half? Zero. Statistically he had one, but it came on a shot gun snap that hit Fitzpatrick in the thigh and Lynch picked it up and ran 2 yards. Instead, we stuck with Fred who had 13 carries for 31 yards. Fred has been good this year, but didn't look good yesterday. Lynch did, he averaged over 11 yards a carry in the first half and didn't get a single carry in the 2nd half. Can some one please explain this to me... Zero carries???

This defense is a joke, a JOKE. Donte Whitner-you suck, Bryan Scott-you suck, Reggie Corner-you really suck, nice coverage on Braylon you idiot, Ryan Denney-you suck, Chris Kelsay-you suck and are overpaid you scum bag, Chris Draft-you were cut this season...how many guys on this team were cut by another team or on someones practice squad...so Chris Draft-you suck...so many players on this team suck. I can go down the line to guys like John Wendling but it isn't worth it and I don't really care about special teams because SPECIAL TEAMS DOES NOT CONSISTENTLY WIN FOOTBALL GAMES. I really don't care if we have good special teams units year after year, who CARES??? All good special teams coupled with bad offensive and very mediocre defensive teams do is win 6 maybe 7 games. 249 yards rushing allowed. The Jets fullback had 2 carries for 36 yards, one carry for 19 yards and another for 17 yards. That is PATHETIC. How does a full back run it twice and get over 15 yards both times. Where are our linebackers? Oh yeah, one of them was cut this season and another one is a safety.

The Toronto series is a joke, that's all I am going to say about that. No home field advantage there. The fans don't give a shit. I would love to know the actual total number of tickets that were really sold for this game, maybe about 40,000 maybe. We have 3 more regular season games there...Does it have to be a December divisional game every season? I am hoping the Bills play a single meaningful divisional game in December at some point in the next 3 years and if it is in Toronto, I'll lose it plus I can't even legally go to the game.

Jets 19 Bills 13 F

by Steve

Holy shit a classic Bills in Toronto game. Is the $78 million even worth it? Granted there were more fans there this game than last game but Christ. What kind of atmosphere was there tonight? I don't care if you were a Jets fan or a Bills fan or even a National Football League fan, it was pathetic.

The Bills have a terrible quarterback. I have been wondering for three games why this dick head Fitz is playing. He isn'te better, he isn't smarter, he doesn't even really give the team a better chance ot win. Ryan Fitzpatrick sucks, this isn't a waver or flip flop I've been saying it since the beginning.

Lynch showed up tonight, well at least in the first half when he got the ball. Jackson did little, the oline was mediocre at best, and Evans didn't get the ball enough. Has anyone seen more overthrown or underthrown balls in their life?

Ugh, give me 6-10 a legit GM a qb via trade free agency or the 2nd round or late 1st and some free agent pick ups. Fucking brutal, Fitz sucks always has always will. Fuck toronto and canada

3 Ub Bulls earn First Team All Mac Honors

by Steve

Although their 5-7 season was a failure, not everything turned out terrible for the UB Bulls 2009 football team. Stud junior safety Devonte Shannon earned his third straight 1st team All Mac honors while Naaman Roosevelt was selected for the second straight time. Tightend Jesse Rack made the team for the first time. Guard Peter Bittner and safety Mike Newton were named to the second team. Wide Receiver Brett Hamlin was named to the third team.

One would have to think the season would have turned out differently if Niagara Falls beast running back James Starks wouldn't have gone down before the season ended. A shit load of pressure would have been taken off Zach Maynard's shoulders and the bums behind him wouldn't have had as many touches.

With a good recruiting class, strides by Maynard, Nduka, and sophomore running back Gill 2010 could be a big time bounce back year. The Bulls did finish strong and it seems likely Turner Gill will return for another season, so why not.

For now we might as well turn our attention to the combine and the draft. Roosevelt has an outside look at being selected on day 1 and if Starks appears healthy at the combine he should be selected. Senior Rack is 6'3 236 but at this point isn't showing up on any big boards and would need a breakout combine to get a sniff.

Jim Kelly on the coach/QB search for 2010

Evidently Jim Kelly writes a column on buffalobills.com here is a portion of it:

And it would be great if it came down to the end of the year and Perry Fewell emerged as a finalist for the permanent job and he was the one who turned things around and started a winning tradition again. He’s got his back against the wall with all the injuries, but sometimes it doesn’t take winning football games to see the character of an individual to see if a guy can coach or play.

Some of the players have taken to Fewell’s approach right away. They want to succeed for Perry, but they also want to succeed for themselves. Losing stinks, and when you have to come in week in and week out with that same feeling in the locker room it doesn’t help.

So with Fewell as their interim coach and the win this past Sunday it’s a breath of fresh air for the guys in that locker room. Time will only tell where this team is going and who is going to be their leader. I’m pulling for Perry Fewell. He might be the guy, but the Bills must continue their due diligence and their research and work toward finding out who is going to be the leader of this football team moving forward. And not only the head coach, but a quarterback that can be a leader for this team on the field as well as off the field.

Good to see he hasn't been tricked by Fitzpatrick and seems to be about where most fans are on Fewell, give him a chance but by no means settle. Either way bring in a GM

New York Jets vs Buffalo Bills podcast preview

Steve Coast and Wreck discuss the Bills personnel, coach, up coming joke of a Toronto game, the future, and uh playoffs?!?

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Rogers buys rest of Jets v Bills tickets

Whoop whoop it sold out! Haha year 25,000 fans will show up though. It is going to be ugly in there.

Buffalo Bills game against their AFC East Division rival New York Jets this Thursday in Toronto is sold out and will be televised locally.

The Bills-Jets game is the second regular season game at Rogers Centre in the Bills Toronto Series, part of an eight-game, five-year deal between the NFL team and Rogers Communications Inc. The Canadian media giant is paying the Bills $78 million over the term to host the games, which include five regular season and three preseason games.

The Bills-Jets game, to be televised in the U.S. on the NFL Network, will mark the second NFL regular season game played in Canada and the sixth regular season game played outside the United States.

Though the game is deemed a sellout, organizers say a limited number of team returns and premium seats remain available for the game. Last year’s Bills game, versus the Miami Dolphins, was also considered a sell out but complaints regarding prices led Rogers to reduce seating costs by 17 percent this year. Prices now range from $99 to $275 per seat.
The Rogers Centre has a capacity of approximately 52,000 for football.

Thursday's game will air on Channel 7. Pre game coverage starts at 7:30.

Buffalo Bills Quote 'em Tuesday

• "It's no knock against anybody," said Donte Whitner, knocking the former head coach, "but we're used to playing it safe in those situations and the opposition knew that."
• "Oh, I love it," Fewell said. "I told him, "You have some big gonads.' And I told him as long as he keeps hitting them, keep throwing them."
• "We stayed aggressive with that (Owens) pass... It was just a different feeling out there that we were going to go do whatever it took to get it done." -Kirk Chambers
• "We knew that we were playing against them and the refs," Davis said. "That's tough. You can't make the game close."
• "It's the experience," Owens said. "He's not a stranger to being back there at the quarterback position and he's recognizing defenses. He's putting us in situations for us to win whether it's run or pass, and the guys up front are giving him a little bit of time to kind of assess that and he's delivering the ball."
  "I didn't pay attention," Davis said. "After that, I just knew (the officials) were not letting us get out of here with that game."
• "It's almost as if Belichick didn't want to give the Saints the satisfaction of squashing an attempt to score one touchdown, much less three of them. And so Belichick opted not to even try to pull off a similar kind of magic that Brady and company worked on Monday night in Week One, against the Bills." Mike Florio
  

Bills 31 Dolphins 14

-Coast

There is no denying that the Bills look like a completely different football team the past two weeks. Their games have actually been exciting. They have played inspired football. Yesterday, the Bills actually finished off Miami in the 4th quarter to win and a lot of what happened had to do with the decisions made by Perry Fewell.

In a tie game, the Bills faced a 4th down and 8 from the Miami 38 with under 4 minutes to play. What would Jauron have done here? Well, there is no doubt he would have punted and tried not to lose as he always did. Fewell on the other hand, went with his gut, and threw Lindell on the field to attempt a 56 yard field goal. Miami appeared to not be ready and lined up late. Lindell has never made a kick of such length, but has made kicks from this distance in warm ups. Lindell drilled it.

Later, after a Drayton Florence interception, the Bills once again had the football with just above 2 minutes to play at their own 49. Jauron would have ran the football three times and punted the ball back to Miami with a slim three point lead. Fewell once again wanted to win the football game right now. The Bills called a pass play knowing that a few first downs ices it. Of course, Fitzpatrick audibled to a bomb and Terrell Owens burned the rookie corner Vontae Davis for a touchdown which iced the football game.

This leads me to another point. I am not a huge Ryan Fitzpatrick fan...but I'm a much bigger fan now than I was 2 weeks ago. He has no fear throwing the ball Saturday. He saw man coverage, audibled and took a shot. Would the Jauron clone Trent Edwards have audibled and thrown a deep ball at the end of the game there? I think not. Trent would have been terrified to make a mistake, audibled to a run even if a pass was called, and gotten off the field in three plays. Fitzpatrick isn't that accurate of a passer, makes bad throws and bad decisions a little too much, but he at least has balls. It is no accident that T.O. has blown up since Fitzpatrick took over. Evans only had about 40 yards on 2 catches yesterday, but Fitz threw deep to him more than once. It is a completely different offense.

Back to Fewell, at the end of the first half, the Bills actually tried to score. Yeah, Fitz threw an interception but I don't care because they tried. The defense stood Miami up and the interception did not cost them. These decisions not only show confidence in the offense but confidence in the defense that they can come up big if something does go wrong.

At the end of the game, the Bills had first and goal at the 8. Miami was out of timeouts and the Bills could have taken a kneel. This decision to run another play has been criticized by the media and it was risky and maybe stupid, but I loved it. Fred Jackson was a horse the entire 2nd half. Fewell rewarded his guy. He was running through Miami's defense and Fewell rewarded him by allowing him to punch it in there. Also, all Bills fans love running up the score on Miami. 31-14 sounds a lot better than 24-14. Stupid or not, I loved rubbing it in Miami's face.

Finally, another impressive part of this game was the way the Bills answered Miami's drive to begin the 2nd half. The Dolphins marched in over 9 minutes to score a touchdown to take a 14-7 lead. So what do the Bills do? They don't come on the field, go three and out in 42 seconds and put their defense right back on the field, they answered. The Bills went on a 13 play 75 yard touchdown drive that took 7:04 off the clock. They actually gave their defense a break and it showed in the final quarter.

It would be nice if Buffalo could land Mike Shanahan or Bill Cowher, as much of a long shot as it might be. In my opinion though, Perry Fewell has an opportunity to win this job. It is a long shot, but he has a chance. In my mind, the only way it should be considered is if he gets this team to .500 AND beats the Patriots at home. If Fewell goes 5-2 in his 7 games and beats the Patriots at home, he deserves serious consideration. I love the way this team has reacted to him being the head man...they beat a Miami team 31-14 yesterday that Jauron lost to earlier in the season 38-10 and twice to last season. Yes they lost to Jacksonville, but they were two penalties away from that game not even being in question in the 4th quarter (two touchdowns called back because of penalties resulting in 3 points total).

It is finally exciting again to watch the Bills I can honestly say that the amount I cared at the end of the Jauron era was at an all time low. Yeah, I watched every play of the Tennessee game and Houston game but didn't care much about the outcome. I just wanted whatever would get Jauron fired to happen. The Bills play again in 72 hours...and sweeping the Jets and getting three wins in the division after 0 last year is all I care about. Oh yeah, win out and make the playoffs?

Dolphins @ Bills preview

by Steve

Rivalry week! Fish in our barn, get pumped! Eh fuck it.

No really though I want the Bills to win three more games this year. Dolphins this week, Jets on Thursday (or lose in a really boring game to fuck over Toronto) and the Patriots game week 15. Lose the rest get a top 10 pick, see Brohm in the last couple games and start the offseason search for a coach and GM.

• Why is Fitzpatrick starting?
• Anyone else hate that asshat half jacket wearing bus driver of a coach Tony Sporano as much as I do?
• Lynch put up or sit down this week.
• Owens is going to show up tomorrow, again, book it.
• Anticipate a low scoring affair.
• No rain please
• Ricky williams ows the Bills look for him to have a big day, remember '02?
• Byrd is about to blow up, even more.
• Maybin first sack is my prediction
• Surprisingly good crowd will be on hand
• Fitzpatrick gets exposed as a mediocrity some how even more.
• Who the fuck is Chad Henne?
• Peezy the new Bryan Cox? Eh he's too old and both teams don't matter.
• Some how we won't be ready for the wild cat still.
• Donde esta Hardy, S Johnson?
• Bring an extra 30 rack its gonna be ugly

Dolphins 15 Bills 13

Bills news: Jeremy Jacobs, Russ Grimm

• One of Buffalo's few rich people, Jeremy Jacobs, who in the past has said he would never sell the Bruins to buy the Bills, is rumored to be doing the opposite."Denials of a potential Bruins sale to the contrary, some insiders believe that Boston owner Jeremy Jacobs might quietly put his Bruins on the block, if he hasn't’t done so already."
• From PFT: "Though he offered up the likes of Jim Haslett and Marc Trestman without acknowledging the fact that those names had been out there for more than a week, Casserly identified a new candidate for the job.
  
  Russ Grimm.
  
  Grimm, the Cardinals' offensive line coach, was a finalist for top job in Pittsburgh nearly three years ago."

Tiger Woods in serious condition

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/os-bk-tiger-woods-accident,0,7254095.story

Professional golfer Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident early this morning, the Florida Highway Patrol just reported.

Woods, 33, pulled out of his driveway in the Isleworth community about 2:25 a.m. when he struck a fire hydrant, and then drove into a tree at his neighbor's property, FHP reported.

Woods was transported to Health Central Hospital in Ocoee in serious condition, FHP said. No other information about his condition has been released.

A Health Central hospital employee said at 2:30 p.m. that Woods was not a patient. A hospital operator would not say if Woods had been treated and released.

FHP said the airbags in Woods' Cadillac Escalade did not deploy, which means the vehicle was traveling under 33 mph.

Orange County Fire Rescue received the call for aid at 2:28 a.m. Woods was transported from his Windermere-area neighborhood by the hospital's own ambulance.

FHP did not report the accident until just after 2 p.m. today. The agency said the crash remains under investigation and charges are pending.

Bills injury update

Eight-year NFL veteran Kendall Simmons, who was signed Tuesday, might start in Wood’s place Sunday, when Buffalo (3-7) hosts Miami (5-5). It will be the seventh different offensive line combination this season.

Meanwhile, starting cornerback Terrence McGee (knee), starting defensive tackle Marcus Stroud (knee), and starting left tackle Demetrius Bell (knee) didn’t practice Wednesday. Backup defensive tackle John McCargo also missed practice because of a calf injury. Rookie safety Jairus Byrd, who leads the league with eight interceptions, was limited because of a groin injury.

Running back Marshawn Lynch practiced fully after missing the second half of Sunday’s loss at Jacksonville because of a shoulder injury.

“We’re happy so far,” Wood said from his hospital room at Baptist Medical Center in downtown Jacksonville on Wednesday night. “Hopefully, everything will settle the way it should and I’ll be ready to play football in six to eight months.”

Jim Kelly's 2 cents on the Bills search

He talks about just about everything:

"I like Trent personally," Kelly told USA TODAY. "He works hard. But he's had three years. It's time to find somebody who is the future of the Buffalo Bills.

"If I'm the owner, that's what I'm thinking.

"Whether it's Tim Tebow, whether they'll have a shot at him when draft time comes ... you have to look at the top three quarterbacks in the draft, really study them. And you look for a guy with good character, good leadership ability and good arm strength — and a guy who doesn't come from California.


"After this Thanksgiving weekend, I'm going over to the office and sit down with them," said Kelly, 49. "Because if it'll take a phone call from myself, or (former teammates and fellow Hall of Famers) Bruce Smith or Thurman Thomas, there's no doubt we'll make it.

"There's no doubt they realize how passionate Bills fans are. Fan support, you don't have to worry about that in western New York.

Kelly said he wants to team up with Wilson to secure the franchise's future.

"I would love the opportunity down the road to be a big part of the ownership group," he said. "I hope I can sit down with Mr. Wilson at some time and discuss the future and making sure this Buffalo Bills franchise does stay in Buffalo, and making sure it is the Buffalo Bills from 1960 to 2040."