Saturday, February 28, 2009

Bills sign C/G Geoff Hangartner (Carolina)

6'5 301 guard slash center who will probably be starting for the bills @ center. He will be 27 before the season starts, scored a 47 out of 50 on the wonderlic. Started eight games for the Panthers last year and was widely considered their "6th offensive lineman". He was drafted out of Texas a&m in the 5th round.

He started 4 games lin 2007 and 15 in 2006 mostly due to injuries. Hopefully the playoff meltdown vs Arizona back in January wasn't his fault. The Bills should still look center in the 3rd round come April 27th.

The contract is for 4 years, still no word on $$$

Bills, no fault on Dockery

From the Buffalo news

It all came together - getting Dockery to agree to go to Detroit, getting a good idea that the Lions could strike a deal with Dockery, and getting the Bills to work out trade parameters with the Lions - right about the 4 p.m. deadline. The paperwork for pushing back the bonus was filed. Dockery was released.

But on Friday the Bills and Lions found out that the league office deemed that the paperwork either never got approved in time by the league office or never made it in on time by the deadline. It was a race to the finish.

"There is a lot of paperwork involved, and there were a lot of moving parts to get done by 4 p.m.," said Dockery's agent, Todd France.

Was it the Bills' fault that it all didn't come together by the deadline.

"By all means, no," France said.


Whatever, why are the Bills still sitting on their thumbs while the Patriots are dealing a mediocre bum like Sammy Matt Cassell for high draft picks?

Friday, February 27, 2009

Dockery coulda been traded?

per ESPN http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3941156

The Bills didn't place Dockery on the waiver wire, and there had been interest by the Detroit Lions in acquiring him in a trade.Dockery flew to Detroit Friday for a visit and a physical. The Bills didn't get the paperwork in on a trade, so he was officially released Friday.

Did the Bills fuck up or did Detroit pull out? I think either way Brandon doesn't look good here

Bills sign Ryan Fitzpatrick

The Bills have signed Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He played for the 'nati last year.

Fitzpatrick (6’2” 225) started 12 games completing better than 59 percent of his passes. He threw for over 1,900 yards with eight touchdowns and nine interceptions and a passer rating of 70. The Harvard product played his first two NFL seasons with St. Louis.

No action on Day 1 of free agency

by Steve

It is 9:30ish pm on Friday. And the Bills haven't done a damn thing. STFU and stop complaining. There really hasn't been that much movement and signings. Wow Hansworth got vastly over paid and and over rated Scott went to the Jets. Who gives a shit.

If we recall, last year the Bills didn't do anything til Saturday, when BAM, Stroud was throwing on a Bills uni. I doubt anything as good as Stroud will happen this year but here's hoping. Just don't complain and give me bullshit that no one wants to play here. NFL players will take the biggest contract no matter what. Look at the dude from Baltimore, the G/C he went to St. Louis!

Fred Taylor and L Coles thought it was worth their time to come here. Lets assume others will too. If the rumors of a 2nd and conditional 2010 5th for Winslow Jr are accurate I'd like to hear the reason the Bills didn't go after him. KW2 will probably get a new BIG contract but he's worth it. Other than being sort of a fuck up and being injury prone the dude makes plays. He is a monster. And would have filled a major need for the Bills.

At this point I predict we'll sign a middle of the road guard and wide receiver for depth. Hopefully make a run for a solid center or look 2nd round for that. Also don't be surprised if a LB is brought in and D-end is where we look @11. I wouldn't mind looking at Pope from Arizona as our new tightend also.

Fred Taylor to New England

-Coast

Pats sign Taylor...although Adam Shefter says we might be interested in cast off Kevin Jones...we'll see. I'm still not sure why we are looking so hard for a running back.

Bills Schedule Four Visits, Scott Signs with Jets

-Coast

Bills schedule four visits...center Geoff Hangartner from Carolina, and guard Kendall Simmons from Pittsburgh. Also visiting is quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick from Cincinatti and wide receiver Laveranues Coles from the Jets.

Coles would be a good signing...yeah he isn't a big receiver but he is a good player and would be a good complement to Evans. I actually would love this aquisition...as much as I hated him the past two years. He had 70 catches for 850 yards and 7 touchdowns last year for the Jets...no receiver on the Bills sniffed 7 touchdowns.

Hangartner was the center on the offensive line of the best running game in the NFL last year... He has played in 16 games in each of the past three seasons.

Simmons has two rings. He has started every single game he has played in during his NFL career...he only played in four games last year though...must have been hurt.

Ryan Fitzpatrick sucks. I'd rather keep JP as a back up. That's all I got on him.

On a side note, the Jets sign Bart Scott...Faucckkkkkkkkk

Winborn, Florence visit One Bills Drive

-Coast

Linebacker Jamie Winborn and cornerback Drayton Florence visited Orchard Park Thursday.

Winborn, the former Bronco linebacker, had his best season of his career last year with 99 tackles. He only had 1/2 sack however. From 2005 through 2007 however, he registered a total of 64 tackles. Don't know much about the dude, except that he hasn't really done anything and is either injury prone or bad. I don't think he would be the answer as a starting strong side backer.

Drayton Florence is coming off his worst year with Jacksonville. He registered 0 interceptions in 2008, with 5 in the previous two seasons combined. It looks like the Jabari Greer era is over with the Bills...if Florence is signed, he most likely will wind up battling Ashton Youboty for the role as 3rd cornerback.

On a side note, Keith Ellison, Fred Jackson and WR/S/ST extraordinare George Wilson were all tendered offers on Thursday. Keith Ellison better be sticking around strictly for backup purposes.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Bills Cut Dockery, Royal

In the Bills first major free agency move, they release much overpaid left guard Derrick Dockery. And FINALLY, they plan on releasing Robert Royal.

From the Buffalo News:

NEWS SPORTS REPORTER

The Buffalo Bills will release veteran left guard Derrick Dockery today as they prepare for the start of the free-agency shopping season, a league source told The News.

Dockery was the Bills' big free-agent addition in 2007, signing a $7 million a year contract for seven seasons. He wound up playing only two seasons and getting paid about $18.5 million.

A 6-foot-6, 335-pounder, Dockerey had a subpar year in 2008 and was not dominant enough, particularly in pass protection, for the Bills liking.

Meanwhile, the Bills also will release veteran tight end Robert Royal, who spent the past three years with the team.

Dockery, 28, still will count $5.4 million against the Bills' salary cap this year, but that's less than he would have counted if he had stayed on the roster ($5.85 million). By releasing him, the Bills will avoid paying him a $1.75 million roster bonus in the coming weeks.

The NFL's free-agency season begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

Royal, who turns 30 in May, caught 33 passes last season but had just nine catches the second half of the year. The Bills have not had a tight end catch 50 passes in a season since 2001.

The Bills also re-signed fullback and special teamer Corey McIntyre to a two-year contract. He was due to become a free agent.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Free Agency Part I

-Coast

Yes, I am back from a brief hiatus. The pain of the Bills season/offseason lasts from March through December, so a few months of limited blogging has to be expected. It is time to start the circus again.

In part I of my free agency breakdown, I will address the offensive side of the ball. What better place to start than with our running back, Marshawn lynch. About two weeks ago, as we all know, Lynch got arrested for the 2nd time in two years. He had a gun in his trunk. My opinion...who gives a shit. He had it in his trunk...knowing him, he probably didn't realize it was even there. What percentage of NFL players own guns? You know how much those grills Lynch wears are probably worth? I'd carry a gun too. But, seriously, Lynch is not very smart and is young and immature. He is only 22 years old. After he hit a drunk Canadian idiot last year, the NFL will probably not be very lenient on him, but I still say 2 games max...if any. This begs the question...why was Fred Taylor in town today?

Fred Taylor, along with Kelley Washington, were the Bills first two free agent visits this afternoon. We will touch on KW later, but Fred Taylor? Are we bringing in Fred Taylor simply to be the third running back on the roster? Are we bringing him in for insurance in case Lynch gets a suspension? This seems like an awfully big move for a team to bring in a running back for those reasons. Many members of the Buffalo media think getting rid of Lynch is a good idea. To them I say...go f*** yourself. Do the Bills plan on losing restricted free agent Fred Jackson and are bringing in Taylor to be Lynch's backup? I really don't even know or want to know. If anything, Taylor can be a good example for a young and stupid Marshawn Lynch, but to think Lynch will be dealt is simply retarded. It was this same crew of idiots that drafted him...they aren't going to ditch their 11th overall pick from two years ago...they aren't that dumb...or are they? How could I forget? They certainly are that dumb.

Ignoring the running back position, the Bills have needs at tight end, wide receiver, center, backup quarterback and full back. As mentioned before, the Bills brought in Kelley Washington for a visit. I don't know what bringing him in solves. Our number 3, 4, 5 and 6 receiver slots I would say are in decent shape, assuming we learn how to use Roscoe Parrish eventually. Kelley Washingon played for the Patriots the past two years, if you can call it that. In 24 games, he had a whopping 1 catch for 3 yards. Maybe this is a savvy move by the Bills staff to bring in a guy who can help them learn how to stop New England...ie. the Patriots signing Sam Clay Aiken and Sammy Morris among others. Kelley Washington would be a pointless signing in my opinion. We need a number two receiver and the Bills are not going to make any plays for TJ Housh, Boldin or Chad Johnson...so let's face reality, the Bills will enter next season hoping either Hardy isn't a bust or Steve Johnson is the next Marques Colston. Ughhh.

One of the Bills most pressing needs the Bills have....for the 28th consecutive year, is tight end. Robert Royal should be cut...he is going to be making over 2 million dollars and quite frankly anything over minimum wage for any US worker is overpaying for this scum bag. The Bills need a guy who is some what of a threat in the passing game. Derek Fine and Derek Shoumann aren't going to scare any defensive coordinator. There are some good tight ends in the draft...but the Bills better not take a tight end at 11...Pettigrew ran a 4.85 or something like that...pathetic. There are two tight ends that the Bills could pursue that I would absolutely love. Obviously Tony Gonzalez can be had via trade. Allegedly he didn't want to come to Buffalo last season when the Bills were good so why would he want to come now? The other very interesting option is Texans' tight end Owen Daniels. He is the best tight end available and will definitely not come cheaply. (think multiple draft picks [he is a RFA and a big 'tract) He is a beast though...he had 70 catches a year ago for 862 yards...which dwarfs any numbers any Bills tight end has put up in ages...and he is only 26. If the Bills landed Daniels...I may gain some hope back. Other tight ends available that could be worth bringing in if Daniels doesn't pan out include Eric Johnson and Leonard Pope. Veteran LJ Smith is also a free agent...I wouldn't be too interested in him...but all of these players would be an upgrade.

The Bills need a center...bad. Everyone remembers all the times Melvin Fowler has gotten tossed into the backfield, and Duke Preston fighting dudes downfield with the clock running at the end of the half...let's face it both of these dudes suck...and that is an understatement. There are some solid centers available. Matt Birk has been one of the best centers in the league over his career and would a great addition to a young offense. Another veteran center that could provide good experience and leadership is Jeff Saturday from Indianapolis. Obviously, he has had a lot of success, but like Birk, is getting up there in age. I would be shocked if both of these players were unable to resign with their former teams, but you never know. I would love either of them. I expect the Bills to address this need via the draft or sign another bag of shit like Fowler.

Finally, who will be backing up Trent Edwards next season? We know whoever it is will be needed to play about 4 games due to injury since he is a girl. No offense to any female reading this but you are probably more of a man than Trent Edwards. Anyways, the Bills need to find a veteran quarterback. Someone with experience to tell Trent not to be a pussy for an entire game if he throws a few early interceptions. Jeff Garcia is my favorite available quarterback. The dude just wins wherever he goes...yeah I know they choked last year and he had a bad experience with the Browns, but the guy is a winner. He would be a good mentor to Trent...although he probably still wants a chance to start and won't get that with the Bills. Byron Leftwich and Chaz Batch would also be good suitors for the job, especially Batch. He knows his roll as a backup. Rightwich may want to start still also Trent Green just got cut.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is Jason Peters. Jordan Gross signed a 6 year 60 million dollar contract with Carolina. Peters is without a doubt well aware. He makes less than 4 per year...which is less than the Raiders just signed Shane Lechler, their punter, for. Peters is going to hold out 100 percent, unless the Bills hook him up with a restructured deal. Pay the dude the amount of jack he deserves being a top 5 left tackle in the league. The Bills have plenty of cap room,use it. Gross is a 1 time pro bowler, Peters 2...he will use this contract as a starting point.

Part II tomorrow will address the defense.

Monday, February 23, 2009

PFT losing credibility

by Steve

While cruising the sites taking a gander at mock drafts for the upcoming NFL draft, by the way it is in about 61 days, I eventually fell upon ProFootballTalk.com's mock draft. Not only did they have the Bills taking a wide receiver at #11 but Michael Crabtree was still on the board.

I'm not too certain who Jeremy Maclin, receiver, Missouri is, especially since wide receiver isn't even remotely anywhere near my radar screen, but if the Bills take this dude and Crabtree is still on the board (they have him going #12 and Hakeem Nicks going 9th) I'll not only start torching stuff I will send death threats to OBD. [aside: Maclin looks to be hurt at the combine and didn't run all that great in the 40 either]

Who knows maybe it is just a prank by the fellas over at PFT but that mock selection is more than disconcerting. A more realistic conclusion is that Floria et al are losing credibility. I mean, it isn't even the Bills pick, it is quite a few head scratching picks up and down their draft. Just read the comments.

I thought you were better than this profootballtalk I really did.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Millsie out Enroth up

by Steve

The Sabres beat down the slumping Rangers last night 4-2 but the real story was Ryan Millsie Miller's high ankle sprain. I'd say he'll be out 2-4 weeks but who knows. Jhonas Enroth, the boy wonder, has been called up. Dude better get some playing time. I don't hate Lalime like most do but if he is up here you might as well get a look at him.

I'd put him in on Saturday vs the Islanders. They are a piece of shit team and it would be a great learning curve game for Enroth to start. It will be our 3rd game in 5 nights so it is an obvious game to play the back up.

Also it seems like there is quite a furor over how pussied out the Sabres are. Millsie gets run and no one does anything? I don't wanna hear any bullshit about a 5 on 3. They were up by three goals. Bust some god damn skulls. This team has been, is, and always will be a bunch of pussies.

The next few weeks will be very interesting. Who is going to step up. No Miller no Vanek and the trade deadline is March 4.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Bills news, Owen Daniels, Jabari Greer, Fred Taylor

http://www.eastcoastsportsnews.com/als09scoop.html

"Combine Buzz...The latest buzz circulating around the Combine is the Buffalo Bills covet Houston Texans tight end Owen Daniels....the Bills are expected to make a strong play for his services in the upcoming free-agency period."

Both the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills are the top landing spots for Taylor, and he is expected to visit both teams this week.

Taylor, who turned 33 last month, is a former first-round draft pick who is entering free agency for the first time in his career, having spent his first 11 seasons with the Jaguars.


Also the Bills allegedly offered Jabari Greer 5 years $20 million

The Bills have reportedly offered unrestricted free agent CB Jabari Greer a five-year $20 million dollar contract.

The Bills have reportedly offered unrestricted free agent CB Jabari Greer a five-year $20 million

Bracketbusters UB @ Vermont 1pm Sat

by Steve

Just a quick reminder. UB basketball plays @ Vermont today @ 1pm on ESPN2. True the Bulls have lost two straight to kind of burst the bubble a bit but it is a brackbuster game and hopefully in HD on the deuce.

UB (17-7) 9-3 in the MAC are going to have a tough road to the tourney either way. It is a mortal lock there will not be an at large bid coming out of this weaksauce conference. Their RPI is currently 95 and their strength of schedule is #201 in the nation. YIKES! The best RPI in the conference goes to Miami of Ohio at 72, it is ugly.

Vermont isn't much better and won't necessarily improve UB's rankings much with a win. Their RPI is 100 with a strength of schedule of 239. WTF. They are 21-7 and 12-3 in the conference (Something called the America East conference.) It should be a close game and uh lets go UBBBBBBBBBBb.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Lynch not charged with felonies

from WGRZ channel 2

Marshawn Lynch's attorney and the lead detective on the case tell 2-On-Your-Side that the Bills running back will be charged with misdemeanor gun possession following his arrest in Culver City, California last week.

Lynch was arrested last Wednesday in Culver City California near Los Angeles.

Detective Ryan Thompson tells 2-On-Your-Side's Adam Benigni that he presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney Thursday morning, and that Lynch will be charged with three misdemeanors.

A spokesperson for the DA could not outline the charges, saying the paperwork had yet to be filed and they were not ready release any information. Lynch's attorney M. Gerald Schwartzbach says he believes it to be three misdemeanors all on gun possession. Schwartzbach offered this initial comment:

"I'm not pleased that Marshawn was charged... but if he was going to be charged I'm pleased it's a misdemeanor... I haven't seen a police report or charging documents, but I'm certainly pleased Marshawn wasn't charged with a felony."

The National Football League says it's still waiting for all the facts of the case, and that they will be evaluated "under the NFL's policies."

Lynch could face League discipline for the incident. It's not clear at this point if the NFL will consider him a repeat offender, given the hit and run incident we was involved in last spring in Buffalo.

The Bills have issued a statement declining comment until all the facts are gathered. Head Coach Dick Jauron was asked about the Lynch situation at the NFL combine Thursday morning in Indianapolis.

"Well, you never like to see any Bills names or really an NFL name in the news in regard to those kind of incidents. Marshawn has retained a lawyer and the organization has made a statement."

Earlier in the week, Culver City police captain Dave Tankenson offered details of what led to Lynch's arrest. Takenson said police approached the black Mercedes Lynch and two others were sitting in it was parked suspiciously with the engine running, and that the car didn't have proper license plates.

"They (officers) knocked on the window of the car. Someone unrolled the window. They saw three people in the car and they could smell a strong odor - marijuana coming from the car. They had the occupants exit so they could further investigate to see if there was any marajuana in the car. What they found were four, not marajuana cigarettes - what they call blunts or swisher sweets that appeared to contain marijuana in them," says Tankenson.

Tankenson says neither Lynch nor the other two individuals were charged with possession of marijuana because they could not determine who was smoking, or whom the cigars belonged to.

It was during the subsequent search that police say they found a loaded gun in the car that they determined belonged to Lynch.

Lynch's attorney, M. Gerald Schwartzbach wouldn't comment on specifics, but did says he finds it "unfortunate that some persons have chosen to provide one side of an issue when defense counsel hasn't been provided with any information."

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

News and notes

  • Franchise tags need to be placed by 4pm Thursday. Karlos Dansby alright got it, look for Suggs to be next followed by Peppers (which) would piss him off big time and the only other interesting possibility is Jeff Saturday.
  • Bills have currently $24 mil in cap space
  • "Culver City police reportedly found four marijuana blunts in the Mercedes Benz with Marshawn Lynch and two friends when Lynch was arrested.
    There were no charges for possession of marijuana because police could not determine who was smoking. ESPN.com is reporting that the Los Angeles County District Attorney does, however, expect to charge Marshawn Lynch with possession of a loaded weapon by the end of this week. Similar to the Plaxico Burress case, Lynch could end up serving jail time if he's found guilty.
    "
  • The Sabres are currently tied for 6th 7th and 8th place, 3 points behind the Flyers (who they play thursday) and 2 points ahead of 8th place Florida
  • Oh and we resigned Justin Jenkins

Monday, February 16, 2009

Sort of Lynch update and cuts coming?

BUFFALO,NY(WIVB) - M. Gerald Schwartzbach, the lawyer that is representing Marshawn Lynch in his recent arrest on a weapons charge in California spoke to News 4 Sports on Monday.

He said Lynch was embarrassed about the arrest, and wants to resolve it quickly.

Schwartzbach, who has represented Lynch in the past said he did not have complete information as he did not see the police report yet. What he did tell News 4 Sports is that he didn't think anyone in the car was doing anything illegal at the time. He went on to say the car, which is owned by Lynch, was not pulled over by police. He did not know why police were searching the vehicle.

"There was no violence or threat of violence" at the time of the arrest, said Schwartzbach. He went on to say "I don't believe police found a firearm on him. I understand one was found in the vehicle that was owned by Marshawn," Schwartzbach said. He also said Lynch does not have a license to carry a firearm.

An April 2nd court date in Los Angeles, California is set for Lynch's case.

Copyright WIVB.com

Bills | Royal could be released
Sun, 15 Feb 2009 1342 -0800

Mark Gaughan, of The Buffalo News, reports the Buffalo Bills may release TE Robert Royal this offseason so they can save some salary cap space. The Bills would save $2.23 million if they released Royal.

Bills | McCargo could be released
Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:14:19 -0800

Mark Gaughan, of The Buffalo News, reports the Buffalo Bills may release DT John McCargo this offseason so they can save some salary cap space. The Bills would save $1.83 million if they released McCargo.

Royal w/ cheese and McCargo cut soon?

AFC East free agents

I think we're all sick of Marshawn Lynch so here is a list of the free agents from the AFC East from profootballtalk.com:

Buffalo Bills: LB John DiGiorgio (restricted), LB Keith Ellison (restricted), S Dustin Fox (restricted), QB Gibran Hamdan (restricted), WR Justin Jenkins (restricted), WR George Wilson (restricted), OL Kirk Chambers, LB Angelo Crowell, OL Melvin Fowler, CB Jabari Greer, LB Teddy Lehman, QB J.P. Losman, RB Corey McIntyre, OL Duke Preston, OL Jason Whittle.

Miami Dolphins: S Yeremiah Bell, OL Vernon Carey, LB Channing Crowder, CB Andre’ Goodman, S Renaldo Hill, OL Al Johnson, WR Tab Perry, LB Derek Smith.

New England Patriots: LB Eric Alexander (restricted), OL Wesley Britt (restricted), LB Pierre Woods (restricted), LB Rosevelt Colvin, RB Heath Evans, WR Jabar Gaffney, P Chris Hanson, S Rodney Harrison, OL Russ Hochstein, LB Larry Izzo, RB LaMont Jordan, CB Deltha O’Neal, OL Lonnie Paxton, S James Sanders, CB Lewis Sanders, LB Junior Seau, DT Kenny Smith, OL Barry Stokes, S Tank Williams, DT Mike Wright.

New York Jets: S Abram Elam (restricted), LB Eric Barton, CB Ahmad Carroll, RB Jesse Chatman, K Jay Feely, TE Bubba Franks, CB Ty Law, DT C.J. Mosley, K Mike Nugent, CB Hank Poteat, S J.R. Reed, FB Tony Richardson, LB Cody Spencer.


Sunday, February 15, 2009

Lynch arrested, WTF

by Steve

All I wanna do is BOOM BOOM BOOM. WTF God damn. Was there just no news on the Bills for a month so someone had to step their game up and take one for the team. Get us back in the news?

From the Buffalo news

CULVER CITY, Calif. — Authorities say Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch has been arrested in Southern California on a weapons possession charge.

Culver City police said in a statement Sunday that Lynch was arrested after officers confronted him and two other men in a car and found a loaded firearm in the vehicle.

Lynch was arrested Wednesday for possession of a concealed firearm after officers determined the gun belonged to him. He was released that night on $35,000 bail.

Culver City police did not immediately return a phone message seeking information about why officers first confronted Lynch and his companions.

Lynch's lawyer, M. Gerald Schwartzbach, said his client was not involved in a traffic accident and was in California visiting friends.


He is a god damn retard. Dumbest thing ever. Why not just get a fucking permit for it? He is looking at a suspension no doubt about it. But we really need more info about this. Why was he pulled over? If it was such a terrible offense why on $35,000 bail? Is just having a gun in your car while driving really even that bad?

It doesn't even really matter, Jauron is our head coach. So we'll win 6 games next year instead of 7 big whoop. And are these players really this stupid or do they really live in some crazy world we really don't know. Where you have to have a gun cause people are always out to get you, they know your rich they know you party and they know you're an easy target? Who knows, but uh. ffffffffffffffff you Lynch. See you in September.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Sabres steal 2 points

by Steve

Without Pominville snapping a 17 game goal drought and Rivet finally playing like the Rivet we all expected, this would be a "the season is over" post. I mean c'mon. They were up by three goals twice! I don't care if San Jose is the best team in the league or the best team in the world Up three goals at home against a team running out of gas, and you cough up the lead, like that was the plan all along. Brutal.

Not only would this be a 'the season is over' post it would be a Ryan Miller sucks post. Or a where is Drury and Briere post. Suffice to say, it would have gotten real ugly real fast. But the Sabres got the clutch goal with 4 seconds left to tie the game. They stole two points winning a lamesauce shoot out. So everything is fine and dandy right? Well not really, we'll see what happens tomorrow against Carolina.

But back to the game. WHY CAN THIS FRANCHISE NOT FIND A BACKUP GOALIE WITH SHIT? Isn't it painfully obvious Ryan Millsie Miller is over worked? He has played well this season but he's also played something like the 3rd most games in the league. WTF. Is this not the same thing that happens every year around this time? The goalie starts giving up softies, the team starts losing, and things precipitously collapse. Either play Lalime or get another goalie that can play at least once every two weeks. shiaat.

A few more things:

  • Is this the signature game for Craig Rivet where he truly becomes the captain of this team and continues to make plays?
  • I feel Jason Pommers Pominville is bout to explode with say 2 goals in his next 17 games.
  • Gerbe needs to start scoring or stay in Portland. He is too young and needs to keep his confidence up. He did play well yesterday though.
  • So is it now only 2 - 3 weeks for Vanek? Can't come soon enough.
  • Shoot outs suck, who didn't want that game to just keep goin in overtime?

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Got my Bills bill

by Steve

Come celebrate the 50th anniversary of the franchise (the Buffalo Bills) with us. But uh, first, send us money! I mean it is not like we're a complete joke, travesty, embarrassment. I mean we made the layoffs 9 years ago. Remember back in 1999? Home run throwback? Surely you recall. Plus continuity! Dick Jauron and nearly his entire coaching staff (one got some how got a better job) are all coming back for the 2009 season! Hooray! Oh, and we'll give one free parking pass as well.

Why am I a Bills fan again? Jesus Christ what a joke... Cause it is the NFL? Cause we were good like 20 years ago? I guess. Also it is fun to tailgate, talk about the game (usually only before) plus the draft, when the schedule comes out, that is pretty much it. There is zero chance of ever making the playoffs again, the owner is 90 something. umm well, don't worry Bills I'll renew, cause I don't know anything else. But i'm not sure how many tickets I'll be keeping. And i'm sure there will be 10,000 less of us. First check is due March 9th, alright i'll be sure to wait till the last day at least.

Lets change topics.

While scouring the internetz I discovered a great place for online poker. They have poker tournaments, discussion groups, tips, poker news and even games for MACs. Check it out, there isn't much else goin' on right now.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Vanek??????????????????????????

by Steve

Holy shit, I never thought Vanek meant this much to this team. Watching tonights 3-1 thrashing at the hands of the Sens gives only one impression. Without Vanek this team is garbage. Maybe it is just the Sens have our number, but the Sabres looked like shit, period.

12 power plays?!?! One goal? Damn. Shiattt. That is brutal. Thank god the UNC Duke game was on around the 2nd period, cause this game was unwatchable. They are terrible. What if anything to players like Kotalik, Mair, Teppo, or Hecht contribute? They do nothing. How about high priced players like Pomminville? He is a bag of worthlessness.

This team needs to make some trades, get rid of dead weight and send Gerbe to the minors for the remainder of the season. He does little to nothing out there. He hasn't scored yet, he is Roy but smaller, and is too green.

Oh, and uh, where were you coach Krazzzzzzzzzuskiiiiiiiii???

Monday, February 9, 2009

wnywatercooler.com is born

Congratulations to us! We at WNYwatercooler have purchased wnywatercooler.com boiiiiiiiiii. It just redirects you to this blog at blogger so its not a big deal and we're not going any where but now you can conveniently just type in wnywatercooler.com and voila(french, yuck) you're here! [We love to be self-referential]We bout to pwn the intrawebpzz son so get ready.

Oh and here are the Sabres new lines sans Vanek

Roy-Connolly-Stafford
MacArthur-Hecht-Pominville
Kaleta-Ellis-Kotalik
Paille-Mair-Peters

Petsie yikes. We need Mancari up here like whoa.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Vanek out 3-4 weeks ugh

ouch (prob about 10 games)

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres are going to have to make due without top goal-scorer Thomas Vanek.

The NHL team announced Sunday that the winger is expected to be out of the lineup for three to four weeks with a fractured jaw.

Vanek suffered the injury when he took a puck to the face during Saturday's game in Ottawa. He had successful surgery on Sunday.

Vanek is currently third on the NHL's goal list with 32. He also has 20 assists to lead the Sabres with 52 points.

The 25-year-old has only missed one game during his four-year NHL career. He was a healthy scratch in April 2006.



also.. here is a funny Marshawn da pro bowla Lynch profile by the Sporting News

Friday, February 6, 2009

Mock Draft 1.0

by Schrum

All the Super Bowl dust has settled and it’s time to get serious. Here is my Mock Draft 1.0. Please comment on what you think. I’m not including stats or 40 times because I don’t think they matter that much and the combine has not started yet.

I’m only going up to pick 11, because everyone else after the Bills I could care less about.

1. Detroit Lions: Matt Stafford, QB, Georgia. Sam Bradford is an idiot. I don’t care how bad you want to redeem yourself and win a National Title. It’s not guaranteed. First overall NFL draft pick money is guaranteed. The Lions have to take a QB. Kitna is not the answer. They have the WR’s to make some noise in the bad NFC Norris. Stafford is better than Sanchez and beyond that I’m not too sure if anyone is worth a #1 pick.

2. St. Louis Rams: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia. The Rams are in trouble. They need a lot of help on both sides of the ball. It wouldn’t surprise me if they took Crabtree because of the success of Larry Fitzgerald and ‘Tonio Holmes. But I think they should take Monroe here. Solidify your Tackle position first. You have a good not great QB and an almost great RB locked up for a few years. Give them more time and the offense will be a lot better than last year. Plus Orlando “Pankcake” Pace is old and injured.

3. Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest. With Pioli running the show, I think they go D here. Curry is a stud and reminds me of a better Jerod Mayo, who Pioli took last year with NE. They do need a QB but I don’t think Mark Sanchez is the answer. Tyler Thigpen didn’t look that bad last year. And let’s face it; a new QB will not take this team to the promise land in 1 year. Wait for 2010 for a guy like McCoy or Bradford. Pioli allegedly found 2 studs in Brady and Cassel in late rounds, so I don’t see him grabbing an unproven QB at the 3 spot.

4. Seattle Seahawks: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech. This guy is a true gamer. Don’t think so? Look at his game against Texas this year. His route running is good and he has excellent strength and speed after the catch. He can go over the middle because of his size. He reminds me of Calvin Johnson, just without the major hype. The Seahawks have no WR’s really so why not. The defense is decent and Hasselbeck is a good QB. The running game is terrible but there is no RB that good to take this early.

5. Cleveland Browns: Michael Jenkins, CB, THE Ohio State. The Browns secondary is weak. Jenkins is an instant impact guy. The offense will come, if they ever figure out who they want at QB. The WR and TE spot is fine too. Some scouts say he will be converted to a safety because his speed with his back to the ball isn’t that great, but his ball breaking speed is excellent. We will wait and see but he’s got to be a better option than Eric Wright or Brandon McDonald.

6. Cincinnati Bengals: Andre Smith, OT, Alabama. I think it’s obvious that the Bungals need an OT. Since Monroe is off the board it’s got to be Andre Smith. Michael Oher has a rep for a shaky pass block and Jason Smith from Baylor isn’t as good as Andre. I don’t know too much about him other than he played in the SEC for a top 5 team. He’s battle tested and a monster. The Bengals do need to revamp their terrible defense but Stacy Andrews is a free agent and probably won’t resign with them so Smith is a safe pick.

7. Oakland Raiders: Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss. This years draft is loaded with OT’s. Last year Oher was a top 5 pick, but he decided to stay at Ole Miss (God only knows why). The Raiders have Run DMC and a young QB in Russell. If they can get these two college standouts going the Legion of Doom could cause problems in the embarrassing AFC West. Cable is an OL coach so I think Oher is a good choice.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jason Smith, OT, Baylor. Three OT in a row? I know. I don’t like it one bit, but the fact of the matter is the Jag’s OL stinks. Girard led the league in picking himself off the turf last year and his INT’s went up 10 in just one year. The INT’s aren’t his entire fault. He needs more time. Smith gives him that time. The Jag’s spent money last year to vamp up their WR’s. If Smith can create time to get the ball to them, the Jags are a team that could be a force next year. Remember, they beat Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh in 2007 in a wild card game.

9. Green Bay Packers: Everette Brown, OLB/DE, Florida State. I would love for him to be at 11, but I just don’t think he will be. GB is moving to a 3-4 and last year their pass rush was pathetic. All this means is that they need to find another OLB and someone to play outside of DE Aaron Kampman. Brown is their guy. Brown might be a bit small with his hands on the ground but he played DE and LB at FSU which should lead to an easy transition to an OLB in the NFL. He has great speed and is just a beast.

10. San Francisco 49’ers: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC. Let’s face it, Alex Smith was a bust. They need a QB. Shaun Hill, J.T. O’Sullivan and Jamie Martin are not NFL starting QB’s. Sanchez is the next best QB. That took a lot for me to say that. I’m getting sick actually say that. Singletary is a defensive guy but we all know Patrick Willis is a beast, he’s a dog, he’s a mutha f**king problem; so they can address any D problems in rounds 2-7. Take Sanchez, teach him to hand it off to Frank Gore or hit Davis in the flat.

11. Buffalo Bills: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas. Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills, and no one runs 20 yards past the QB pocket like our DE’s. We need a pass rushing monster DE. I’d like to address this need through a State Penitentiary. Sign some dude on death row that has nothing to live for. But that’s not possible so Orakpo will do. He is very fast off the snap and can fly around lager and slower OT’s. He has a unique blend of size, strength and athleticism. This should be a no brainer if he is on the board. We can’t draft a TE at 11 can we?

The Bills have a lot of needs. We need a pass catching TE, pass rush DE, back up QB, possibly an OT because we all know Peter’s is holding out again and Kirk Chambers sucks and a LB because who knows if we’ll land Suggs. If Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State is for real as all the scouts say he is, trade up and grab him late in the first. Or if Orakpo is gone at 11, trade down, scoop up some draft picks and take him later in the first. I wouldn’t mind drafting a backup QB in the 5th. A guy like Drew Willy from Buffalo would be just fine. If Crowell is healthy and I doubt other NFL teams are drooling over him, sign him to a low salary incentive laced deal. That way we don’t need to address LB so early in the draft.

Who knows what our GM (if that’s what we should call him) Russ Brandon will do. DJ is lost when it comes to draft days, well just in general. Odds we throw money at some FA’s are worse than odds of me marrying Heidi Klum.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Sabres roster in 05/06

by Steve

The Sabres are hot right now. It almost hearkens back to the glory days. Ya know, 2005/2006, it was fast and loose, no more lock out, no more trap, and plenty of goals. Damn that team was good. They were a team of destiny. No one thought the Sabres would be good, it was the post lock out era and we still had the friggen goat head jerseys.

That team became the poster child for the new NHL. Fast, high scoring, young, and cheap. Some how after only 2 seasons they went from one of the best to one of the worst. The NHL changed back after this quick hick up of a more exciting NHL and went back to boring and low scoring. Salaries jumped exponential and the Sabres again became the poster child for what was wrong with the NHL. They lost all their players, everyone got paid like kings and the players that were left ended up sitting on the side lines as the playoffs started in 07/08.

So here is a breakdown of that roster and their current salaries in the new old NHL.
(at least 48 games played [08/09 salary given])

Max Afinogenov $3,500,000
Chris Drury $7,100,000
Ales Kotalik $2,500,000
Daniel Briere $8,000,000
Tim Connolly $3,500,000
Thomas Vanek $8,000,000
Derek Roy $3,500,000
Brian Campbell $7,140,000
Jochen Hecht $3,000,000
JP Dumont $4,000,000
Teppo Numminen $1,100,000
Jason Pominville $1,375,000
Paul Gaustad $1,700,000
Mike Grier $1,775,000
Henrik Tallinder $2,900,000
Dmitri Kalinen $2,100,000
Jay McKee $4,000,000
Toni Lydman $3,150,000
Rory Fitzpatrick $500,000
Ryan Miller $3,500,000
Martin Biron $3,500,000

total $75,840,000
god damn and I'm sure the rest of the NHL is saying the same thing. If only Darc/quinny had the foreskin err foresight to have signed Briere and Drury before they hit free agency. Actually if only they had signed Briere before his infamous arbitration hearing. Where he was offered 1 year $5 mil.

But hey, on the bright side our only soon to be restricted and non restricted players are Connolly, Sekera and Stafford and its not like they've been playing well and will be getting paid big time this offseason, aw shit. Well, here's hoping we at least win a playoff series or at least get to the playoffs.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Worst word of 2009

by Steve

Quick rant. It is only what the 34th day of the year and already we have the worst NEW word of 2009. Sixburgh. Oh god, just typing it makes me wanna punch my self in the dick. Tough to rip Shitsburgh and their lame celebration today since I'm from Buffalo and we would celebrate more for a 6th seed clinching but I still have to. Actually, when you get to celebrate a championship in football about twice a decade it is impossible to really go all out while celebrating. I guess

But ummm fuck you who ever coined "sixburgh"

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Super Bowl = yawn

by Steve

Hmm who woulda guest it. The steelers got every call and ended up winning after showing they aren't that good of a team. They couldn't score inside the 5. Their coach coached scared, and they couldn't run the ball when they needed too. Good thing the Cardinals aren't that good and their defense sucked or the world would have stopped and the Steelers would have actually lost the Big Game.!!

What a fuckin joke. OH yeah, ps, don't watch the game with dumb drunk idiot women. Man they are annoying. Almost as annoying as those pissed stained towels and the laid off steelmill workers. Fuck off Shitsburgh. How is it that the officiating is always terrible in Steeler games, I don't get it.

The only reason to watch the Super Bowl when terrible teams like this are in it is squares pools. Figuring out all the different scenarios is 10x more fun that watching Benjamin get lucky, or John Madden actually make sense and say that cheater career loser Harrison shoulda been thrown out of the game for a dirty cheap play from a player that couldn't hack it in the league for 5+ years before he started roiding it up. What a joke. Get cut three more times bro.

But hey, fitz thanks for showing up with 3 minutes left. And thanks refs for calling a strange holding call in the end zone to cost me the 4th quarter pool numbers. Thanks..

I'll bet ya one thing though. That Hinze Ward, he loves the game. He'd play for free. He always has a smile on his face. God damn he loves the game of football. He'd pay us just to be able to run around out there and catch the ball. He's a warrior, he's a true NFL player. And MVP/drug dealer Plax errr Santonio, you got any of the good stuff left? I need some weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed mannnnnnnnnnnnnn. cock sucker.

Everyone else, have fun listening to, reading about, and hearing how this is one of the greatest super bowls ever, when in reality it was boring for 57 minutes, the refs blew, and neither team was all that good. Thank god for the Office.

Oh and PPS, ROJO was the last Bills qb to be associated with a Super Bowl, and he has a ring!

Super Bowl 43 or somethin

by Steve

Lets gooooooooo terrorist attack. Ok fine too much. But I hate both teams. I have major reservations about even watching this fuckin game.I hate the steelers. That is well documented. I hate their fans. I hate the city. I rEALLY hate that stupid piss stained towel they wave around. This was one of the worst playoffs in recent memory. These teams had cake walks to the big game. Neither are deserving of a title and I hope the game ends in a tie or there is a black out or something.

The Cardinals are in the Super Bowl? The joke cards with zero fans, ineptitude for like 61 years and a 9-7 record in the regular season? Your QB is Kurt Warner? The dude couldn't even beat out Matt Leinart 2 years ago and now he is looking at this 2nd ring? Wow.. Good thing they choked against the Pats in '01. Wait did I really just say that? nevermind I take it back.

How did they have home field advantage in the Conference championship game? I don't get it.. They played in easily the worst division in football. Probably one of the weakest divisions of the decade. They sleep walked through the last 6-8 games and got to rest for two months while teams in real divisions had to battle to get in. The hawks? The 9ers? rams??? wow..

Then they get a piece of shit over rated Falcons team with a rookie QB, coach, and generally 'just glad to be here' over achieving Falcons team that really had no shot. Easy victory. Lawyer Malloy? Pssht please. Then they face a seemingly tough Panthers team in Carolina where they were 8-0 this season. Too bad Delhomme had the worst single performance by a player in post season play in any sport ever, any where. What happen to the run game Foxie? 6 picks? Straight up luck.. bullshit.

Then the hottest team on the planet, the Eagles, with a penchant for choking in conference championships from a tougher division with better players, better fans, better coach, etc etc had to travel to Arizona where it is tough to win. They of course choked and allowed the Cards to ice the game on a long scoring drive in the 4th. They were tired. They were battling for 3 straight months while the cards continued to fall backwards towards the super bowl.

Bottom line, the Cards are extremely lucky to be at this game. It pisses me off. I believe Kevin Garnett said it best. ANYTHINGSSSSSS POSSIBLEEEEEEEEEEE


Oh yea, the steelers. They get every call, the NFL loves them and they seem to always play every big game at home. I have no idea how it seems to always work out for this piece of shit franchise but it does. The Super Bowl in '06 was a clear example of this.

Jeepers Pittsburgh had to play SD and Baltimore to get here. What a tough road. An 8-8 albatross that had to travel across the entire country after battling all of December just to get to January had 0 chance. Then Baltimore? A rookie QB who couldn't make a play if he had to with a rookie head coach on the road. All the juice in the world wasn't going to propel Ray Ray and co to a victory.

So here we are two joke teams about to play in one of the worst Super Bowls of the decade.(And thats saying something) Brutal. At least there is a new office on after the game.

Cards 21 - Steelers 17