Bills news galore

by Steve

• Here is an article in the Buffalo News about Chuck Schumer getting some assurance Ralph isn't doing anything to move the team and an interesting quote"

  “It is an important question, but a sensitive question,” Schumer replied. Things are being worked on, behind the scenes, but they’re better left unsaid publicly, he suggested."

• Here is something new E.C. Exec Chris Collins is chirpin about. Interesting quote from that article, "Congressman Brian Higgins is also announcing his plan to ask the NFL to permit community ownership with local fans and other people allowed to purchase stock in the team. This would be a similar arrangement to the current ownership of the Green Bay Packers."
• More information on the citizens owning the team that Higgins is proposing. "The Bills are a regional treasure and part of the fabric of our community," Higgins stated.

  "Community ownership in the Bills would give the Buffalo fans that built this franchise a real role in steering the future of this team."

• Bills tickets are still cheapest around. Although mine are actually going up in price while their face value goes down.. hmmm.

Alright a lot of information but not a lot of new information. I guess it is good that the politicos are getting invloved in the processing, ya know cause it is something we care about. But who knows what they can do.

I for one am in the camp that believes the Bills will not be leaving Buffalo time soon. Sure call it blind optimism but if people and the NFL didn't learn from the Cleveland debacle what will they learn anything from. Plus Toronto will not be getting a team any time soon. Lets be real. Los angeles still doesn't have a team, there is the CFL, and who knows if the NFL would work there. Plus fuck Canada.

If the community was allowed to buy a stake in the Bills that would be effn sweet and I'd have a boner, but I am withholding an excitement on that front. Furthermore, a downtown stadium? It would be sweet cause its new and everything, but the new costs, the location, where tail gating would be as sweet, there are issues there. It depends a lot of the location, whether it is a stupid domed stadium the costs, etc.

At least we are being proactive instead of sitting with our thumbs up our asses. (Cleveland)

How good is Daniel Paille?

by Steve

True, we (WNY watercooler) don't talk a lot of hockey, mostly because it is tough to stay positive, the coach is overrated, the team is mediocre at best, their management is a disgrace, the goalie overrated, campbell is only a +1 and needs to be traded etc. I mean, pretty much there a lot of ways it can go negative. BUT! One thing that is extremely positive is the play of one Daniel Paille.

The dude, apparently, is a straight beast. He, Dan Paille, was the 2002 first round pick of the Buffalo Sabres (Number 20 overall) and, evidently is a straight gangsta. A gander at his statistics this season can only further prove that statement. On the season he has 26 points in 48 games, not exactly eye popping, however, in his last 19 games he has 16 points and 8 goals in his last 12 games.

Either, the dude is on a rare tear, or is becoming the next Dan Briere? True he has 25 less points, in 3 less games, but Paille is only 23 and is a respectable 6'0 197. So he has a few inches on the midgets in the league and is capable of banging around in the corner or in the front of the net if possible. Furthermore, this is Paille's first full season in the major leagues. (He only played 43 games in the past 2 seasons combined.)


Basically, what I am saying is this, he is untouchable. If/when the Sabres make a trade in 2008 it can not involve this beast from the East( of Ontario, Welland in fact). He has too much upside and should not be included in any trade.

Now, should Campbell be traded? Absolutely. Should Vanek? Probably, but Paille? Definitely not. Because, at this point he has no ceiling, and with this mediocre team, and with Hecht as his centerman he is straight balling and can only get better.

If you are weary about buying a Sabres jersey I understand, but if you are looking for a strong investment in the future, look no further than Dan Paille. Just check the stat sheet for any further proof needed, the dude is making plays, and at a time where few other Sabres consistently are. AND he is making his teammates better (Pominville 11 points in last 10 games) so caress those Paille boners cause they appear to be up for a long time to come.

Duke @ UNC Preview

by Andy

Well, seeing as how I am the only one that really knows anything about college sports, and it is Rivalry Week, I'll write a Duke/UNC preview. These two historic teams will play Wednesday at Chapel Hill (9pm on ESPN) Duke coming in ranked 2nd in the country while UNC is ranked 3rd. In my eyes this game will be better than the Championship game in San Antonio come April.

Duke is 19-1 overall and 7-0 in the ACC this year while UNC is 21-1 overall and 6-1 in the ACC. Is Duke truly better than UNC? I think so, but by a minuscule amount. I think it comes down to the defense that Duke plays. UNC loves to run and they run off every turnover, but I think Duke is one team that can match their fast break ability.

One thing that gives Duke a little more of an advantage is the injured Ty Lawson. Lawson sprained his ankle against FSU Saturday because he would not let go of the ball during a tie up after the whistle blew. Dumb yes, as a referee myself we tell the players that once the whistle is blown, stop play. Ty Lawson apparently has "Little Mans Syndrome" and let his ego get the best of him. "I don't feel real good about him playing," Roy Williams said during the Atlantic Coast Conference's weekly media teleconference. (Music to Duke fans ears) So that means UNC has to replace Lawson and his 14 PPG, 6 APG and 3 RPG with his bench. Usually Roy Williams would go with Bobby Frasor, but he is out for the year with an ACL injury so that means Quentin Thomas will most likely start. Thomas used to be booed when he was in but recent good play has settled down the fans, who now chant Q when he dishes the rock.

Now lets get to the real X, or should I say T Factor of this game.. That's right folks, I'm talking about Tyler Hansbrough. Psycho T is what the fans call him because of his moaning and intense work outs at the UNC gym. This guy is a straight beast. I personally hate him but it's hard to hate these stats ... 22 PPG, 11 RPG, and 1 APG. Duke has no one to match him inside. Lance Thomas is not strong enough and Kyle Singlar will be forced to guard one of many swing men for UNC. The only way to take him out of the game is to get him in foul trouble, which is hard because he is so smart. Teams have tried to run on him, but due to his uncanny athletic ability, running is even tough.

Enough about the Baby Blue. Let's talk about my Dukies. Coach K and Co. have got these boys playing great basketball. Only lose this year to PITT when they were ranked in the top ten at MSG. No big loses to injury. The 7 footer Zubek is out but he wouldn't be that big of a factor. With 5 guys in double figures, the Dukies are playing some good offense, something they haven't been able to do since the departure of Reddick and Williams. As always their defense is suffocating. Recently however they have been coming out slow, sluggish and flat footed, but after a nice chit chat with Coach K at half, they've come out blazing. If they do come out flat tomorrow night they could get into a hole to deep to get out of. DeMarcus Nelson leads the way for Duke with 15 PPG, 6 RPG, and 3 APG. They then go 14 PPG, 13 PPG,, 11 PPG, and 10 PPG. Their bench is solid with real gun slingers. Look for Jon Scheyer and Taylor King to come off the bench and fire from anywhere on the floor, they do have the green light.

Both of these teams can score and both can defend. UNC is scoring 91 while giving up 72. Duke is scoring 86 while giving up only 66, which should make for a game to really enjoy as a fan.

PG:
Greg Paulus vs. Quentin Thomas
Advantage Paulus. He has played in this rivalry game before at Chapel Hill. He has better numbers, is smarter, and plays harder than anyone on the floor. He has the ability to shoot from long distance as well as putting the ball on the hardwood and getting to the basket. His defense runs his offense, something more players need to learn.

SG:
DeMarcus Nelson vs. Wayne Ellington
Advantage Nelson. Although Ellington is capable of putting up large numbers, I just feel Nelson is a better player. Nelson takes the ball hard to the rim every time he is near it and also can shoot. His defense is also great. Only thing that could cause some trouble is his FT shooting. He is only shooting 63% from the charity stripe.

SF:
Gerald Henderson vs. Marcus Ginyard
Advantage Henderson. I haven't seen anything that great from Ginyard this year. He is a solid defender, but more of a role player. Not that much of a threat on offense. Henderson is so athletic it's unreal. He is always above the rim on offense, just needs to learn how to finish a bit more. His defense is decent but occasionally gets lazy and forgets his assignment.

PF:
Kyle Singlar vs. Deon Thompson
Advantage Singlar. Thompson is very large and strong, but will not be able to follow Singlar on the offensive end. Singlar will take him outside then inside. He will put the rock on the deck and go to the basket. Thompson will hit the boards hard but that's about it, he does not have an offensive prowlis to him and is just a compliment player to Hansbrough.

C:
Lance Thomas vs. Tyler Hansbrough
Advantage Hansbrough. Thomas will not be able to stop T. Look for Duke to bring over double teams. If they do, Hansbrough will find the open man most of the time. Psycho T will also be Mr. Windex on Wednesday. He has an uncanny ability to get great defensive rebounding positioning. Thomas is going to be happy when this game is over, win or lose.

Bench:
Advantage UNC. Only reason I say UNC is because King is a freshman and the game is at UNC. The crowd will be ready. The UNC bench will have an easier time adjusting into the game and feeling comfortable.

Coaching:
Coach K vs. Roy Williams
Advantage Coach K. This guy is one of the greatest coaches in American Sports History. He always has a good team without recruiting the studs. He gets the guys that fall back a tad bit and mold them with role players to always create a competitive team. And he also has Johnny Dawkins, WOJO and Chris Collins. Come on!

Final:
82-75 Duke

G Men 17 Pats 14

by Coast

This game is why I don't bet on sports. Besides the fact that I have no idea what I am talking about, you never know what is going to happen.

Wow...is there anything more satisfying than watching Tom Brady and Bill Belichick lose? That was great. What a joke. Belichick is an asshole and his whole team takes on that same role. Belichick leaves the field before the game ends. His players leave the field without shaking anyone's hands. Guess what New England? Your season was a failure. No one cares about you. In fact, you will go down in history as one of the biggest choke artists in history in my opinion. An 18-0 team losing the Super Bowl. You choked Tom Brady. You choked Bill Belichick and I love it. Your defense is old. Junior Seau-38, Mike Vrabel-32, Tedy Bruschi-34, Adalius Thomas-30, Rodney Harrison-35...nice defense. You guys were so exposed in the fourth quarter it was great. Old, over rated pieces of garbage is all you guys are.

Tom, where were you in this game? Nice accuracy...Little rattled were you? A little bit of pressure too much for you to handle. You're incredible offense just put up 14 points. Tom, Gisele is going to dump you for Eli hahaha rough. Gisele doesn't want to date a loser and that is all you are...a loser. Man, it sucks not getting lucky doesn't it...no pass interference on those last two plays like you guys were banking on. Hey Tom, this game wasn't fixed like some of your wins are. When you don't get bailed out by the refs and the game isn't fixed, you don't always win. Haha, Tom Brady, you loser go f yourself. Nice injured shoulder you D bag. Why don't you take yourself off the injury list for the first time in your career you girl. Haha best team ever to not even in the conversation.

The G Men proved me wrong what can I say. Eli Manning is good. Their defensive line is the best in the league. Justin Tuck is a monster. They were all over Brady. Manning made plays in the fourth quarter. David Tyree wow what a catch. Rodney's old brittle arms couldn't knock the ball away. Nice tackle Seymour on that play too by the way. I know Manning is elusive so I guess I understand whiffing on him. The Giants have effectively ended the Patriot dynasty. Manning MVP back to back years. I used to hate Eli but now I think he is a pimp. Still 2nd best in the 04 class behind Losman but he gained some ground. Unbelievable.

I guess it is hard to win when you can't video tape the opposing team. Can't win when you don't cheat Bob Kraft. Belichick, way to establish the run. You would think it would make it easier for the defense to tee off on your QB when you become one dimensional. Were the Pats losing by a lot where they had to pass? Nice game plan. The Pats were out coached and exposed. As far as I am concerned, we just witnessed the changing of the guards in the AFC East. The young Bills are about to over take these loser, cheater, choker A-holes next year guaranteed. New England without Samuel, without Moss, with their old shitty defense...good luck winning 9 games. I feel like the Bills Dolphins rivalry might take center stage while New England becomes similar to the way they were in the early 90s. This is great.

(editors note)
PS Steve predicted it, he had the money line, the +12, the 2nd half, he said the d was too old, he said brady would choke, and it was all posted by about 4 pm at the latest sunday afternoon. booooyah

FUCK THE PATRIOTS

by Steve

I am still laughing about Tommy's collapse from two weeks ago and am expecting much of the same today. The Patriots are a good team playing in an awful league. They get lucky a lot they cheat, and they have some how miraculously avoided injuries to a defense that is older than shit.

Tom Brady chokes in big games, lets be real here. From the Eagles Super Bowl they should have lost, to the AFC championship game 2 weeks ago, the divisional round against the Raiders two years ago and so on and so forth. If Tommy throws less than 3 picks today I will be shocked.

Really the only thing this lucky team has going for it self is their coach. Who by the way failed in Cleveland and was a nobody as a head coach until Tommy B and 9/11 fell into their laps. The last 6 years of professional football have been awful. From the quarterback play to the coaching ineptitude it has been extremely ugly. Any team with a smart coach a smart quarterback and a solid o-line could tear the NFL up. And unfortunately that is what the Cheaters have done, well they didn't make the playoffs in 2002 but you get the idea.

The "dynasty" ends today folks. Who gives a shit about 19-0 when you play against Pennington,Losman, Edwards, Ray Lucas (or who ever the Dolphins qbs are) and Clemens. In the words of Lindy Ruff "It is the definition of a joke".

Don't worry, I'll be making plenty of loot off this collapse, money line +12, prop bets the whole 9 yards. Anyone that can't see through the bullshit and phony facade I feel bad for you. Moss disappears in big games, their defense is just way to old, and the only playmaker on that side of the ball will be getting owned by Plaxico for 3 straight hours. You have got to love it if you're a Giants fan.

The only thing Gaytriots fans have to look forward to in this game is Tom Coughlin calling off the dogs in the 4th quarter when their team is already bruised hemorrhaging a shit load of blood and hopefully left for dead.

So all I can say in conclusion is bring it Larry Marroney cause you are the only chance that mediocre squad has of winning this game and you suck so thats not a good combination. I don't see Brandon Jacobs running for less than 127 yards and putting 3 linebackers in the hospital with blunt force trauma to the dome caused by getting steamrolled to the ground and hitting your buckets on the turf at University of Phoenix online collegiate institute university field.

GFY, I love it the Cheaters lose this Super Bowl, then get the stolen Super Bowl from the rams ripped from them and rightfully given back th St Louis because, of course, they cheated. THE LUCK HAS RUN OUT.

Super Bowl XLII

by Coast

Pats, G Men...who saw this match up coming...the G Men were probably better than only the Bucs going into the post season...and this includes both conferences....But that's why they play the games. The Giants caught lightning in a bottle at the perfect time led by their quarterback who still hopefully has his horseshoe shoved up you know where.

Can the Giants win this game? Probably not. There are mis matches all over the field. But, they have no pressure. The Giants aren't supposed to win this game. In fact, they weren't even supposed to be in this game. If the Giants lose, regardless of what their players may say, it was a successful year for them and a surprising run. New England on the other hand, must win and if they lose their season is a failure and no one cares about their 18-0 run. This was previewed in week 17. New York had nothing to play for. They had no pressure...win or lose it didn't matter. The Patriots were playing for their perfect season and looked tense and nervous. They got lucky to escape New Jersey with a win. The Giants must build on that and play a near flawless game or else this could get away from them real quick.

What must happen for the Giants to win? Well to me it's simple. Three things must happen and they are all pretty obvious. First off, they must win the time of possession. This means Brandon Jacobs needs to control the game. He must get 25 carries and run for over 100 yards. Eli, yeah he has played well lately, but the Giants don't want this game in his hands if they can help it. Mostly because if they get into a shootout they will not be able to keep up. They need to give their defense plenty of rest and keep Brady on the bench where he can't hurt them. Secondly, they must win the turnover battle. This goes without saying. If they turn it over we could be looking at 49-10. Anything more than one turnover for the Giants spells disaster. They need to pressure Brady...he can throw interceptions as shown in the AFC CHampionship game where he threw three. Finally, they need to make a big play on Special Teams or score a touchdown on defense. They need to get some cheap points. Hixon ran one back in week 17...doing the same today will help. If all three of these things go the Giants way, they could win the game.

So, what do I think will happen? I want the Giants to win this game. However, I need to look at this game for what it is...a team that is loaded with talent versus a team that got on a roll at the right time, a 16-0 team vs. a 10-6 team...a team with Eli Manning at quarterback versus a team with Tom Brady at quarterback. Basically what I am hoping for is a miracle. I won't be able to stand the coronation of Tom Brady and the Patriots for 6 months. I will want to throw up every time I turn on ESPN. This team cheated but yet no one cares and everyone is just crowning them the best team ever. Oh well...maybe the Pats first loss in 2 years will come next year vs. the Bills, that is all I can hope for. Or hopefully Eli Manning really is good and out plays Brady...after all, I have been wrong about him for the past month.

Patriots 38 Giants 21

The Dallas Disasters

by Coast

Super Bowl XXVII and XXVIII

Why waste two posts on these two massacres. They can be grouped into one painful article to save everyone from having to read two.

Super Bowl XXVII was the Bills most unlikely road to the Super Bowl. It was almost a story book ride for them to get there and it felt like fate would be on their side. The Bills were 11-5 in 1992, their worst record during the Super Bowl years. Their defense was a mediocre 14th in the league. They also were forced to play a wild card playoff game because the Miami Dolphins won the division that year. The Bills faced a week 17 game versus the Houston Oilers with a shot at the AFC East still alive. They not only lost the game but they lost Jim Kelly. Then, they had to play host to this same Oiler team a week later. This game needs to description although I could write about it and think about it 24 hours a day. The Bills led by Frank Reich came back from a 32 point second half deficit to win in overtime. The Bills then went on the road to Pittsburgh and led by Reich, they won easily, 24-3. Finally, the Bills went to South Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins. Led by the return of Jim Kelly, the Bills were able to get another easy win 29-10 to earn their third berth to the Super Bowl in as many years.

Their opponents, the Dallas Cowboys, were beginning their dynasty which earned them the title as the team of the 90's. They were loaded with talent and hall of famers. Dallas ranked in the top 5 on offense and defense. Dallas was a 7 point favorite in this game and it goes without saying, they would cover, in what was one of the biggest blowouts in NFL post season history.

Oddly enough, the Bills actually scored first in this game. Steve Tasker blocked a punt and Thurman Thomas, the Bills best offensive player, scored the first touchdown of the game. Thurman Thomas was again miserable in the Super Bowl. He had 11 carries for 19 yards in the game which was actually an improvement from his 13 yard performance a year earlier.

The Bills turned the ball over 9 times. They lost 5 fumbles and had 4 interceptions. Jim Kelly was out of the game in the second quarter. Reich came in and didn't fair much better. In the end, it was 52-17 and an embarrassing rout. The Bills best play, which is the most overrated play ever, is Don Beebe chasing down Leon Lett and knocking the ball out of his hands. Don Beebe makes hundreds of thousands of dollars to play football. What was he supposed to do, not chase him? I don't understand. Just because the Bills were getting embarrassed doesn't mean you stop trying. Give me a break.

The following year was a slightly different story. The Bills had another great year. They finished 12-4 in 1993, won the division and home field advantage and took care of business in the playoffs, including a dominating performance over Joe Montana and the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.

Dallas was also 12-4 during that season and the Bills actually beat them in week 2 at Texas Stadium (Dallas was without Emmitt Smith and I beleive Aikman as well in this game). However, once healthy, this Cowboy team was stacked. They finished 2nd in offense and defense in the NFL. They steamrolled through the playoffs including a 38-21 win over the 49ers in the NFC title game and were favored by 10 in the Super Bowl.

This time though, the first half went exactly as planned for Buffalo. The Bills 5th ranked defense slowed down Dallas' high powered offense and held them to a total of two field goals in the first half. The Bills controlled the game and behind a 10-0 second quarter, took a 13-6 halftime lead. The Bills also were getting the football to begin the second half. They had a chance to take a strangle hold on this game, their final shot at winning it all. This is when disaster struck the Bills. The Bills fumbling issues during the Super Bowl caught them for the final, most devastating time. Thurman Thomas once again had a bad game, rushing for only 37 yards. But, it was his third quarter fumble that ultimately cost his team the game. This fumble was returned for a touchdown by James Washington and destroyed all Buffalo's momentum. Dallas cruised from this point on. Emmitt Smith would score twice in the 2nd half and the Cowboy D shut down the Bills offense to solidify a 30-13 win.

The Bills have lost 4 straight Super Bowls. For that, I have been known to call Marv Levy and Jim Kelly losers. They did choke in big games. The fact is, the AFC was weak during the 90s. It was like the NFC now. The teams in the NFC were just better and Buffalo's timing to have a great team was bad. They ran into the powers that were the Cowboys. That faced a team that had Belichick and Parcells on the same coaching staff. The Redskins had that one great year where they were the most dominant team in the NFL. The Bills had one legit shot at winning it and were outcoached. All this said, I would trade just about anything to go back to these days. No playoffs for 8 years? 11-5 being a bad season? The Bills making the playoffs would feel like a Super Bowl win right about now.