Sabres vs Panthers recap: Six star edition

Rising Stars

1st Rising Star: Raffi Torres
I didn't exactly understand the logic of Lindy Ruff putting Raffi Torres with Adam Mair and Matt Ellis in his first game back from injury. There has been a lot of pressure on Torres to perform since his trade from Colombus. If you want to get an offensive player going, you shouldn't be putting him on the 4th line. Well, that's why I'm not coaching the Sabres. Torres finally made an impact for the Sabres; getting three assists and actually making Adam Mair look good. I kid, Adam. I need just another well played game by Torres to get him out of the Dominic Moore model. But hey, at least he's not Bob Corkum.

2nd Rising Star: Tim Kennedy
You want to talk about a rise and fall and a rise for this season, it's Tim Kennedy. Timmy is kind of the epitome of what the Sabres season has been like. Kennedy played exceptionally well the first two months of the season, but really hit a rookie wall around January. I think the biggest problem for Kennedy was that Lindy Ruff was treating him as if he was going to be a shutdown center by playing him with Grier and Hecht. I don't think Kennedy's all around game suits well with playing on a line with a bunch of grinders.

Kennedy has offensive talent. We definitely saw it in the beginning of the season and by playing with the third and fourth liners, it kind of dragged his production down. This may sound remedial, but playing with talented players will help your offensive game out. He looks really aggressive out there, and looks to have found a niche with Roy and Stafford. I kind of wish Ruff would do this more with some of his younger talent.

3rd Rising Star: Darcy Regier
I know Darcy and I haven't exactly seen eye to eye, and having Christmas dinner together is out of the question. However, I'm definitely digging these rookies. Tyler Ennis, Tyler Myers, Tim Kennedy and Nathan Gerbe have made such huge strides during their time in Buffalo. You can tell that Gerbe and Ennis have a complete understanding of what it takes to play in Ruff's system. You have to give credit to the coaching staff in Portland for making these kids play in Ruff's system. Hell, they've looked better than some of the vets on this team.

Ennis and Gerbe are playing great in the open ice and their motors are always running. You never get a sense that these kids are taking a shift off. They want to earn their spot on this squad. Every time I see them on the ice, you kind of get the feeling they can score at any moment. Just watch how Gerbe or Ennis play during a shift. I don't know what it is, maybe it's the staring at the new hot girl in class that I mentioned the other day. But I just can't keep my eyes off of them.

I know all of you dam Regier apologists have been telling me that his master plan is centered around the youth movement in Portland. Well, if this is just a tip of the iceberg for these kids, then you can just call me a Regier apo.l..o..ggg....I'm becoming more open minded. How's that?

Falling Stars

1st Falling Star: The Florida Teams

My god, those are some terrible, terrible hockey teams. I think the NHL should look into sending those teams down to the AHL for a tune-up. Fans always say that the NHL should move the southern teams to the Canadian hockey hotbeds. Seriously? We have stolen Canada's game and you want to torture our neighbors to the north with watching that crap? Sorry, but I'd be looking at buying CFL season tickets if I had to cheer for that garbage. As for the Panthers, how the hell can you have just five shots in two periods?? No wonder why the Capitols are going to win the President's Trophy.

2nd Falling Star: Time Warner Cable NYC

Bastards!? So it's 7pm, I have my Turkey sandwich ready, along with my glass of um...milk. I turn on channel 431 for the Sabres game and lone and behold, there's nothing there but pitch darkness. Reset the cable box, same thing. Called Time Warner Cable, they had me reset the dam box again, while they shot some electronic signal into my box. Nothing but darkness. Of course, all the other channels were working for Center Ice. As if they are a ton of fans in NYC that want to watch the Hurricanes play. Luckily, the channel came back on at the start of the 2nd period. So, you're lucky TWC, because I had Fios on line two.

3rd Falling Star: Drew Stafford

I'm going to keep putting Stafford on this list. It's not just about wanting to see Ennis or Gerbe play in Stafford's spot. It's how Stafford has just one goal in his last 23 games. Like I wrote the other night, you'd think that Stafford would try and put his best foot forward and pick-up the slack with Vanek and Connolly out of the line-up. Now, with the emergence of Ennis and Gerbe, I think it's safe to say that Stafford is on audition for the rest of the regular season to keep his job.

Overall

Nice, solid outing for the Sabres. I probably could have added more stars to the list, but my frustration with TWC isn't letting me think clearly. Plus, they beat the dam Panthers. To think that the Sabres need a win against lonely Toronto and a Senators regulation loss tomorrow night, and they can clinch the division. That's pretty dam cool. I know fans have always said that no one thought this was possible in October, but how about a month ago? Remember when Ottawa was breathing down their necks? Very impressive, Sabres. BTW, I'm still scared of Ottawa.

The Bills are back to work

I've always said that the NFL Draft is by far the most over hyped event in NFL History. Well, you can throw in workouts/mini-camps/training camps into that discussion. You can just set your watch for the discussion points that players are going to start kissing the new coach's ass. Everyone talks about how they are in the greatest shape of their lives. Everyone will talk about how excited they are about getting a new playbook, the fresh start, the new commitment, yada,yada, yada.

I always remember when Gregg Williams took over as the Bills head coach, his OTA's had epic speeches that would make me scratch my head. From Rob Johnson was born to be in the west coast offense to the Bills are going to set the NFL sack record were all just comical. Anyways, lets just pump up the volume from the Rocky IV soundtrack and talk about the workout sessions.

I Want My MTV
I couldn't help but chuckle towards the Bills getting rid of all their TVs in the workout area. This is a good sign that "Club Dick" is finally closed for business. Lets hope that Gailey has some intense training camps that have been long overdue for this team. I have a question though, Why do you need 12 Television sets? My gym has like five, and I'm sure it's a little bigger than the facility at One Bills Drive. I wonder what they will do with all of them? Maybe they sent them to Ralph Wilson's home or to Dick Jauron as compensation for the money still due on his contract.

The New Gym Equipment

Very happy to hear that the Bills have more free weights than ever before. Seriously, some of these players made it sound as if last year's gym was equivalent to training in the same barn as Rocky did in Rocky IV. I was ready for Eric Wood to tell me that last year he had to chase a chicken in the field house with Dick Jauron yelling, "If you can catch this, you can catch grease lightning!" I'm very happy that the Bills decided to upgrade to Ivan Drago type training.

Marshawn Lynch is a No-show
Well, I'm not going to sit here and say I'm disappointed, I mean, these workouts are all voluntary. However, it's not exactly an endearing act for Lynch to not show up for his new coach's first day of class. It's also strange that Chan hasn't spoken to Lynch since becoming the head coach. Hmmmm..that's something to keep an eye on.

Trent Edwards is still with the Bills
Dam it! I was hoping that the Bills would pull what the Titans did with Steve McNair a couple of years ago and barred Edwards from the facility. Unfortunately, Edwards is still here. I've said it before, the thought of him starting for the Bills makes me want to gargle Drano. Not only does Edwards completely suck on the field, but he has the dullest interviews of all time. How can you avoid speaking about T.O. and Josh Reed not being here next year? My goodness, just have an opinion for god sakes! You could always throw a bone to James Hardy and Stevie Johnson and say they have to step up. BTW, enough with your rhetoric about losing as a team. You had two all-pro wide receivers at your disposal and you completely stunk up the field. That omen falls on you, Trent.

Maybin is Training Hard
To keep with the "I'm in the best shape of my life" bit, Aaron Maybin was very excited about his workout regimen for the offseason. I can already see the Bills releasing information about how many repetitions Maybin is doing in the weight room and how he's in the same shape as Shawn Merriman. I don't care what anyone says, Maybin is under the most pressure of any defensive player on the Bills. I think the reason the Bills decided to go to a 3-4 defense was so they could try and get the most out of their former first round pick. If Schobel decides to hang them up, the Bills are going to need Maybin to develop fast into the team's premiere pass rusher.

Gailey on Tebow
Can somebody please ask Gailey what are his thoughts on Jimmy Clausen, Colt McCoy, Dan LeFevour and pretty much any other quarterback that can throw the football? You know, there are other quarterbacks out there that aren't named the "Immortal One."

Sabres vs Bruins Recap: 6 Star Edition

Rising Stars

1st Rising Star: Sabres heart and soul

Entering tonight, I was ready to write off the Sabres. I mean, how can you beat a playoff team like the Bruins, when you're missing four players from your regular rotation. I was getting ready to write that tonight's loss was all about not being healthy. Hell, even a cynic like myself, knows that playing with a quarter of your forwards that were in Portland just a week ago is merit for cutting the Sabres some slack. Well, that's why they play the games.

This may have been the Sabres most impressive victory since beating the San Jose Sharks before the Olympic Break. Sorry, but I'm not counting the beat down of the Florida teams. I said a week ago that it was going to be interesting to see what the Sabres would do against playoff teams like the Canadians, Bruins and Senators for the upcoming week. Yes, they lost again to the Senators. However, you can't dismiss their comeback effort against the Canadians. You also can't dismiss their effort for playing with five rookies in their line-up against the Bruins. Both of those winning efforts wouldn't have had happened if it were last year.

2nd Rising Star: The Sabres system

OK, so this is a continuation of the first star. I've been one to scoff at the notion of Sabres fans who try and compare this team to the 05/06 version. However, tonight, I couldn't help myself for going down memory lane of that time period. I remember during that season, the Sabres battled a ton of injuries, mostly due to their sports hernia problem. Even with all the injuries, that Sabres team were still able to find someone to pick up the slack. Tonight's game, had a bunch of kids that only played a handful of pro games, and were still able to play as if they had been 10-year pros. Hell, they made a Bruins vs Sabres game entertaining. I mean, when was the last time you said that?

3rd Rising Star: Tyler Myers

WTF else can I say about Myers. I mean, aren't you suppose to be hitting a rookie wall just about now? Myers 11th goal of the season is the most for a Sabres blue-liner since Brian Campbell had 12 goals in the 05/06 season. You want to talk about exceeding expectations, start with Myers. We all knew that Ryan Miller had the makings of being a great NHL goaltender before this season.

However, at the start of the season, no one in their wildest dreams would have expected this sort of production from a 19-year old kid. Myers, not only has been the Sabres best defenseman, but he has also added a play-making ability that the team has needed on the blue line since Campbell was traded two years ago. You could have also put Tim Kennedy or is Tyler Kennedy (More on that later) into the rising star category for tonight. He's been playing great as of late.

Falling Stars:

1st Falling Star: Tim Thomas

What the hell happened to this guy?! He won the fricken Vezina Trophy last year?! From a Boston stand point, he's got Bill Buckner and Grady Little written all over him. To let in three goals on 13 shots against a Sabres team that wasn't at 100% is totally unacceptable. That dude needs a bro-hug or a shrink couch, ASAP.

2nd Falling Star: Joe Micheletti

Or maybe I should call him Joe Rogan or Doc Emerick, or Michelangelo from the Ninja Turtles. Memo to Versus: You are suppose to be the home of hockey coverage on your stupid network that nobody watches. I counted at least 3x times that play-by-play man, Joe Micheletti, said the name "Tyler Kennedy," when it came to describing the play of Tim Kennedy...or was it Tyler Ennis? Hell, he could have been talking about John F. Kennedy at this point?! Now, this wasn't over one shift or a power play, this was throughout a period. Don't you think someone in the dam truck would have told him that Tyler Kennedy plays on the Penguins? Totally stupid.

3rd Falling Star: Drew Stafford

Was Drew Stafford even on the ice tonight? You would think that with two of the top six forwards not playing tonight, Stafford would at least try and put on his best effort to pick up the slack. Instead, he did absolutely nothing. If there's one top six forward I would love to jettison after this season, it's Stafford. He's done nothing during his career and is lucky enough to even be considered a top 6 guy. The Sabres need to trade this guy while they still can get value for him. Trust me, don't make this into a Max or Kotalik situation where you can only get a bag of pucks for him. The Sabres tried lighting a fire under Stafford when Ruff benched him earlier this season, and it worked..for like two games. Sorry, but Stafford's ship has sailed...actually, more like sunk.

Tim Tebow has a T-Bone steak with Jim Kelly

UGH!! I hate, HATE talking about Tim Tebow. Last week, I made my discussion points perfectly clear on the overkill of the Florida quarterback. I'm just so over this discussion. Now, we have some real news..if you want to call it that.

According to Peter King's twitter page, Buddy Nix really likes Tim Tebow. Besides Nix's apparent man-crush , the word around the campfire is that another prominent member of the Bills organization has a thing for Tebow as well. Bills ambassador, Jim Kelly, whose still on the payroll at One Bills Drive (For god knows what), took Tebow out to dinner at The Buffalo Chop House last night.

Look, I'm not here to say that Tebow is going to be a legit NFL quarterback. Honestly, no one fricken knows, which was a part of my overkill story that I wrote earlier last week. I still don't care what he did in college. I still don't care about his leadership skills. I don't care how President Obama is looking for Tebow to get involved with peace talks in the Middle East (OK, I made that one up). I just don't care. I see Tebow in the same breath as all the other quarterbacks selected beyond the 3rd round of the NFL Draft.

Now, I have new issues. I am not a big fan of having Kelly being a voice on where the Bills organization should turn to in the NFL Draft or any other personnel issues. Now, if he wants to take Tebow out to dinner and talk about what it's like to be the starting quarterback in Buffalo and how women will worship the ground you walk on....oh, wait. This is Tebow we are talking about..scratch that...if Kelly wants to go out and tell Tebow how Buffalo has a ton of churches, that's fine by me.

However, when Kelly starts saying that Tebow is the real deal and that the Bills need to draft him, that's when the buck stops with me. Kelly has previously said that he's a big fan of Tebow (although he hates Californian quarterbacks), because he has the leadership skills and is a proven winner that can turn around the morbid Bills franchise.

Look, I know Kelly is like the pope in Buffalo and is probably the most famous player in franchise history. Hell, he could be the most famous Buffalonian that has ever lived. However, when it comes to being a talent evaluator, Kelly needs to stick with just dinner parties.

Ozzie Newsome wasn't anointed the end all be all after he retired from the Browns (Now the Ravens). Newsome had to pay his dues as a scout. From what I understand, Kelly hasn't done any of that. To me, Kelly's opinion on Tebow is a mute point. If anything, Kelly should have used the tab on Tebow's dinner for Bill Cowher or Mike Shanhan.

I don't know how much of Kelly's voice, or any other former players have an impact on the front office decision making process. Hell, I'm still waiting for that surprise under the Christmas tree that Thurman Thomas promised us. Sorry, but Chan Gailey and Buddy Nix are a little closer to coal than having an "official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time." (BTW, that's from The Christmas Story)

In the end, I think the Bills organization should use their former players as nothing more than tour guides for incumbent free agents and draft picks. If they really want to get involved, start with whatever entry level position the team offers in the football department.

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As for the apparent interest from Buddy Nix. I've said all along that if the Bills firmly believe that Tebow can be a franchise quarterback, franchise being the key in all of this, then I'm cool with the selection.

However, if there are questions within the front office about him being a legit quarterback, and the prevailing voice of reason comes from the marketing suites who think that Tebow is going to sell jerseys, morale, tickets and sponsorships... well, that's where I have a problem.

Sorry, but I'm over having gimmicks as a way to make me like the franchise more. Winning should lead to more fans buying tickets; not some college folk hero. Personally, I'd rather the Bills draft a LT and NT with their first two picks and then draft a quarterback in the 3rd round.

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It has been a couple of days since the rumors of the Bills being interested in McNabb had emerged. Now, the new rumor making its way around the campfire is that the Raiders are the front runners for his services. I've said it before, I'm not a fan of McNabb coming here, because the Bills are more than a quarterback away from competing.

However, last week, Profootballtalk.com reported that one of their sources said that Ralph Wilson wasn't interested in paying/extending a new contract to McNabb, which would in essence, kill the deal. Now, as much as I didn't want McNabb to come here to begin with, I'm not exactly thrilled with Wilson's excuse.

Look, I get that the Bills are a small market. I get that they have to go above and beyond to compete with the Cowboys/Redskins/New York teams in order to make a significant profit. But come on, Ralph! You've been in town for 50 years and your $25,000 investment is almost worth a billion dollars. You can afford the money.

I swear, motives like this make me wonder what it would be like to have a different owner of this franchise.

The Sabres have a mutiny on their hand

The Sabres have just confirmed that Mark Mancari and Nathan Gerbe have been called up on emergency recall from the Portland Pirates and will be with the team for Monday night's game in Boston. Thomas Vanek, Tim Connolly, Patrick Kaleta and Raffi Torres are all injured and the team dressed seven defenseman for Saturday's win over Tampa Bay. They can go back to six for Monday. (The Buffalo News)

Mind of Joe

There is a lot of buzz on the Sabres' blogosphere about being able to see Gerbe and Mancari on the roster, which already consists of Tyler Ennis. I've always said that the fixation with the Sabres prospects has more to do with the civil unrest with the Sabres top 6 forwards than the prospects themselves. It's kind of like the buzz you get when you get the new hot girl (who really isn't that hot) that enters your high school class. You're noticing the girl a hell of a lot more, because you're bored with the same girls that have been in your class for the last four years.

As for Tyler Ennis, I was kind of drooling like some of those guys checking out the new hot girl in class. Ennis looked awesome and was always looking to get his teammates involved on scoring chances. However, he played against the Lightning, which happens to be the worst NHL team I've ever seen. Mancari, on the other hand, has had so many opportunities to make it on the parent club, but always finds a way to get sent back down to the minors. I like Nathan Gerbe, but the dude may be too small to play in the NHL. Every time Gerbe comes to Buffalo, he plays fine, but always has a tendency to get hurt.

Look, I'm not going to sit here and go gaga over any of these guys. For every Tyler Myers that Darcy Regier finds, there's an Ales Kotalik on his resume. Lets not forget that fans were ready to throw guys like JP Dumont off the ship when Derrek Roy and Drew Stafford came up from the minors. Of course, 4 years later, those guys are hanging by a thread with the Buffalo fan base.

Even after Tyler Ennis' nice game this weekend, fans and myself included, need to put the anointing oil away when it comes to these young pirates. Yes, there are some guys on this team that I'd love to get off the Sabres ship and put them on a life raft (Or the door from the movie Titanic) and ship them out to sea. More than likely, we aren't going to know anything about these kids until next year or at least when they can play over the long haul.

Buffalo vs Tampa Bay Recap: 6 Star + Bonus Edition

Rising Stars

First rising star: Paul Gaustad
That's the Paul Gaustad that Sabres fans have learned to love. It has been a while since the Goose has played well in back-to-back games. Goose finished the night with one goal (Could be two, but the goal officials are blind at The HSBC Arena) and acted as if he was Antero Nittymaki's shadow in the first period. He's one of the few physical players on the Sabres that can hold his own in the offensive zone. Goose is probably the biggest body the Sabres have that can take the pounding inside the crease which is always beneficial.

It's been a tough year for Gaustad. He started off very strong in the beginning of the year; hitting everyone in sight and was a key contributor on the forecheck. However, he got injured around Thanksgiving and was out for a couple of weeks and didn't seem like himself upon his return. Over the last couple of games though, Goose seems to be back to his old self and is reeking havoc on the opposition. If Kaleta is out of the line-up for a long period of time, Gaustad is going to have to be the designated hitter for this team.

Second Rising Star: Patrick Lalime
Lalime looked good tonight. OK, who am I kidding...he went against a god awful team. However, I'm happy for Patty. If anyone has been an apologist for Lalime, it's yours truly. If anyone should have a gripe with the back-up goaltending situation, it should be directed at how Lindy Ruff screwed up the goalie rotation. I found it kind of cool that Lalime got his 200th win in front of the home crowd that booed his ass during his last game he started. Of course, the crowd did give him a nice ovation at the end of the game, which will hopefully end the overhyped lovers quarrel between the two.

Third Rising Star: Tyler Ennis
OK, enough of these mixed messages from the Sabres front office. This isn't like the hot girl that has like 10 guys at her disposal, and keeps the flavor of the month around. Keep this kid on the active roster. Find him a hotel room in Buffalo to stay at. This kid looks like the real deal. He looks so good in open ice and is always looking to get his teammates involved. His pass and skating on the assist of the Mair goal was one for the highlight reel. Now, who would I sit if Torres, Kaleta and Connolly return? Maybe Stafford, Mair and Ellis? I don't care, just make room for this kid.

Forth Rising Star: Derek Roy
OK, maybe I should move Roy higher on the list. I mean he did have a hat trick. However, I kind of wish Roy's biggest game moments wouldn't come against the South East Division. Of Roy's 22 goals this season, 19 of them have come against non-playoff teams. Like I've said before, the top six forwards have to show me they can score when it counts, especially against the better teams. But hey, a hat trick is a hat trick. Hopefully he's coming into his own for the season.

Fifth Rising Star: James Woods
Look at James Woods dropping Tom Golisano's name at the beginning of his interview during the first intermission. I think it's the first time all year that Golisano's name has been mentioned during a Sabres broadcast...considering that he doesn't attend the games anymore. Woods was in town scouting possible locations for a movie he's producing, which is always good for the city's economy. Yes, Woods wasn't exactly funny during his interview, even though Kevin Sylvester was doing his best imitation of Paul Hamilton laughing at Lindy Ruff's jokes. However, it's always good to have a celebrity in the house.

Falling Stars

1st Falling Star: The Tampa Bay Lightning
Memo to all the fans who b#$tch about hockey not selling in south: If the Tampa Bay Lightning were known as the Buffalo Lightning, no one would go to their games. No one would buy their crappy jerseys. No one would be partying in the plaza. They are a pathetic hockey team and play some of the worst defense this side of the American border. Chris Gratton and Dave Andreychuk are rolling over in their graves. I kind of feel bad for their fans to hear northerners call them out for not supporting hockey. I mean, how can you support such a pathetic product like that? I sure as hell wouldn't.

2nd Falling Star: MSG
I can only assume that the reason it took over 15 minutes to see the replay of the Vincent Lecavailer spear of Tim Kennedy was because the TV crew was going gaga for having an interview set-up with James Woods. Maybe they were trying to get him the best beef on weck in the green room. First, you run to a commercial break with Lecavalier going to the dressing room without showing a replay of why he was going. Then you come back and not even bother showing the replay.

Yes, I get that the Sabres were going on a long power play, but you could have easily showed the replay during one of the whistles. For god sakes, the score was 1-0 when the spear occurred and it became 3-0 when they finally showed the replay.

Overall
Nice victory...but it's against Tampa Bay. I don't care how many closed door meetings the Sabres had today. They should be able to wipe the ice with teams like these. I still have some doubts, especially against a team whose name start with the letter "O." BTW, THE SABRES ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!! Even a grouch like myself is happy for that.

Sabres vs Sens Recap: 6 Stars Edition

Ugh! How I hate writing posts on the Senators kicking our asses! I bet the word "domination" is mentioned like 10x in this post.

The Rising Stars

First Rising Star: Brian Elliott
Can you say Roman Cechmanek? In case you don't know about the history of Cechmanek, he was the Flyers starting goaltender during the 2000-2001 season, and completely owned the Sabres. During the regular season, Cechmanek had a record of 4-0, with two shutouts and gave up just TWO goals in four games. Roman wasn't anyone special. But for whatever reason, he completely owned Buffalo.

Flash forward nine years later, and Brian Elliott is on a similar streak against the Sabres. Going into tonight's game, Eliott had won all seven of his career starts against Buffalo; sporting a GAA of under two goals a game. Tonight, Elliott looked awesome in turning away 41 Buffalo shots. Even though Elliot has been hot as of late, it shouldn't justify his domination over the Sabres. Against the rest of the NHL, Elliot is just an average goaltender on a talented hockey team.

If the Sabres meet the Sens in the playoffs, they need to figure out a way to solve the riddle of Elliott. Maybe it's having Adam Mair take a run at him. Maybe it's having Marty Biron make a special appearance and pick a goalie fight with him. How about taking Elliott to the same restaurant that all of the Sabres players had food poisoning at. They have to do something to figure this guy out.

If they don't, the series is going to end in five. As for whatever happened to Roman....well, the Sabres met the Flyers in the playoffs that year and won the series in six games. The Sabres were finally able to figure out the hot goaltender, especially in game six, when the team scored eight goals. So, maybe all isn't lost.

Second Rising Star: The Senators
What the hell can you say? Ottawa owns Buffalo. If you want to give me the history of Derek Plante's game seven goal or sweeping Ottawa in 99', well, go ahead if that makes you feel better. It's not even a rival anymore. I mean, you have to win once in a while to make it a legit rivalry, right? Dating back to last year, the Sens have dominated the Sabres; winning nine straight games. You don't even want to know their record against the Sabres since the lockout.

There are a ton of factors involved in the Sabres inability to beat the Sens. You pick it, the Senators have dominated it. They have had better goaltending, better star player performances, better coaching, better physicality...just better everything.

Seriously, take away the playoff series in 2006 and the Senators have completely outplayed the Sabres in every facet of the game. Oh, and I'm not even going to get into the Sabres psyche against Ottawa, because like Ryan Miller said once about his team, "It's fragile."

Third Rising Star: Sabres 3rd and 4th lines
I know there are times that I bash Lindy Ruff for giving so much playing time to the 3rd and 4th lines. However, for tonight, those forwards definitely earned it. Welcome back Paul Gaustad. Goose, along with Grier, Mair and Ellis were all over the ice . They were constantly pressuring the Senators in their own zone and were all over Elliott. You can tell those guys really wanted to end the losing streak.

The Sabres started the game on a mission...a very psychical mission. They wanted to beat the crap out of the Sens and it almost worked. If you can't skate with the Senators, you may as well try and slow them down by playing old-school hockey. How about that fight Patrick Kaleta started? Unfortunately, the effort was there, but the end result was the same.

Falling Stars

1st Falling Star: The Sabres top six forwards

Tell me if you have heard this one before? Where were the top six forwards tonight? I don't care if Pomer got a goal on a two on zero. When your 3rd and 4th lines are showing the most effort and getting the most scoring chances, you have issues. This is the only, and I mean only reason why my confidence is shaken for the playoffs.

The Sabres top six forwards have been so inconsistent this year. If the Sabres really want to make noise in the playoffs, they are going to need at least two of their top six forwards to go on a nice point streak. Yes, you can talk all you want about goaltending, but you can't win all four games of a playoff series by a 2-1 score.

I'm in no mood to see Mair/Ellis/Kennedy go up against the Spezza line with 2 minutes left in a game, because Lindy is pissed off at Roy and Vanek for being invisible. You want to know why Ottawa kicks the Sabres asses all the time? It comes down to the star players on both squads. Guys like Alfredsson and Spezza are Sabres killers. The last time the Sabres top six forwards did anything against Ottawa was when RJ was screaming "these guys are good, scary good!!"

Yeah, it's scary alright. So scary that someone needs to call Ghost Busters, because since Pominville beat Alfredsson and Ray Emery, the Senators have been haunting the Sabres.

2nd Falling Star: The Sabres Memos

Memo to Toni Lydman: It may be funny to try and stick your leg out when the waiter walks past your table at a restaurant, but it sure doesn't work on the ice. Dumb, DUMB tripping Penalty that lead to the Senators 3rd goal of the game.

Memo to Tim Connolly: Thanks for the nice fricken slashing penalty that nullified a five minute power play. Really, thanks a lot.

Memo to The Whip: Please, just end the segment. Interview the Senators beat writer or talk about the Water Front Project that your boss is designing. Your topics are nothing more than rehashed garbage from a slow sports day on a talk radio show.

Memo to the Sabres Power Play: I don't care if you score two power play goals a game for the rest of the season, the power play will always stink.

Memo to the Sabres feelings: I was reading on Sabres Edge that prior to the game, there were a number of Sabres that were rolling their eyes at the questions about the Sens domination. Um, start manning up, wimps! Stop sticking up for Patrick Lalime getting booed and realize there are bigger fish to fry! The Sens have dominated your ass over the last four years! I'm sick of you guys acting as if you're kids, who are sick of being disciplined because you're constantly getting detention in high school. You're professionals, and you shouldn't be rolling your eyes at anybody else but yourselves. Welcome to professional sports, boys.

3rd Falling Star:Ryan Miller
Look, I'll be honest, it's very hard for me to give Miller a falling star. He was good tonight, especially in the third period, but not great. However, this falling star is more of an indictment of his play against the Senators overall. For Miller's career against Ottawa, he's 8-14-2 with a GAA of just over three goals a game. That's not very Miller like.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Miller is the heart and soul of this hockey team. You can always tell that he treats every single game as if it's his last. But, enough with the cliches. Miller just doesn't seem right against the Sens. Even the first Ottawa goal tonight, which wasn't really a bad goal, kind of made Miller look as if he was pressing a bit.

Miller knows that the key to the Sabres survival in the playoffs rests on his shoulders. He knows there are plenty of questions and concerns about the Sabres being dominated by the Senators. I'm sure he wants to win the most out of any of his teammates. But, if you were to look at the season series, and ask me which Sabres player has had the worst game against Ottawa, you gotta put Miller up there.

I'm hoping that Miller's performance against the Senators is just a hick-up for his career. Hick-ups can always go away. He's proven that he can dominate the best in world (which is something we can't say about his teammates).

I'm just hoping that if Miller meets the Senators in the playoffs, the outcome isn't the same. If it is, well, Pedro Martinez and Ryan Miller are going to have something in common with their division rivals. "Just tip my hat and call the Senators/Yankees my daddy."

Overall

You really can't bag too much on the Sabres effort tonight. There was definitely a hop in their step. You can tell they wanted to end the streak and clinch a playoff birth. If it wasn't for a couple of bad bounces and some stupid penalties, they could have won and ended the streak. However, there are no scraps in my scrap book.

I'm sick and tired of writing posts about the Sabres losing against Ottawa. Sorry, but youtubing the 7-6 victory over the Senators in the 2006 playoffs...isn't helping my state of mind. I can already hear the homers, "Dude, the playoffs are a different ball game and we have defense and solid goaltending." Awesome, I get that...but what about f$%ken Ottawa?! What is it? seven regular season victories in five years? Sorry, but you can take your blue-collar work ethic and your lunch pall...and stick up it up your ass!

Read my lips: I DO NOT WANT TO PLAY OTTAWA IN THE PLAYOFFS! I don't care what anyone out there says. If you feel better because they gave an honest effort tonight, well, ah salute.

However, we have seen these types of efforts before, and the end result is always the same against Ottawa. Tonight, the Sabres tried a different tactic with getting physical and it just didn't work. The Sabres have made Elliott look as if he's a Hall of Fame Goalie. The Senators have a REAL version of an NHL first line.

You want to know what this rival has become? In a nut shell, compare Vanek's shot off the crossbar to Alfredsson's game winning goal in the last meeting. Great players aren't always great, they are just great when they have to be.

Sorry, but I'm not seeing that with the majority of Sabres on this roster.

What does Hulkamania have to do with booing Sidney Crosby?

OK, I should warn everyone that before you read this article there's a lot of wrestling talk in it...but there's also some Sidney Crosby bashing. So try and keep an open mind.

A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to WGR, and Mike Schopp discussed how he didn't understand why so many fans disliked Sidney Crosby. A few of the callers made the case that disliking Crosby had everything to do with him being the best player in the NHL. Schopp, of course, bemoaned the opinion, saying that fans were just jealous because he wasn't on their respective teams. Which may be true. However, when it comes to me not liking Crosby, it goes beyond jealously and being the best in the world.

You see, if I were watching a Caps vs Penguins game, I'm booing Crosby over Alexander Ovechkin. To be frank, it has absolutely nothing to do with Ovechkin's dirty play, Crosby's whining, or anything having to do with their style of play. Why do I hate Crosby so much? I think it's a combination of two things:

1) I just didn't appreciate the NHL taking "The Next One" and shoving him down my throat.
2)That cookie cutter image that Crosby pulls off, just doesn't impress me.

All of this marketing talk and having the "right" company spokesman at the helm, reminds me of my childhood from the 80's. I'm not talking about cheering for Gretzky or Pierre Turgeon. I'm talking about Hulkamania, Brother!!!

You see, back in 1985, the WWF (Now the WWE) reached main stream entertainment by having Hulk Hogan as the focal point of their company. Hogan was classic Americana (With the steroids). Hogan and WWF teamed up to make millions of dollars off the American public. He was a folk hero, whose motto was the following:

"Say your prayers, take your vitamins, train everyday and drink your milk, BROTHER!"

Hmm...doesn't that sound like something Crosby would say in a commercial? Hogan was the good guy; fighting for truth, justice and the American way. In the WWE's eyes, Hogan represented what the American public wanted as their hero. Lets be honest, the 80's were a cheesy time period in America, and an even cheesier wrestler was at the top of the mountain. People that lived during the 80's were all about feeling good about themselves.

It may have been attributed to the drugs, Huey Lewis, Ronald Reagan's trickle-down economics, or beating the Russians in the Olympics. Hey, you pick the reason. All I know is everyone seemed really, really happy.

Unfortunately when the 90's hit, things started to change for the Hulkster, WWF and society. In the mid 90's, the wrestling boom of the 80's were at a standing eight count with the American Public. Hogan was still doing his shtick with the say your prayers crap, but it just wasn't getting over with the fans. Wrestling was dying a slow death.

Pop culture started to change as well. Huey Lewis (Absolutely no clue why I'm using him as an example) and the cheesy 80's bands were replaced in mainstream music by edger groups. Bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam performed songs about not taking s#$t anymore and revolting against anyone that said the word "no" to them.

Even athletes that most fans would have grown up hating in the 70's and 80's were becoming idolized. Deion Sanders, Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley were becoming fan favorites because of their "I don't give a s$#t" attitude. It seemed like being outspoken and rebellious were ideal traits for America's youth. Those rebellious traits made fans look towards "the bad guy" as being their new hero. The anti-establishment had legs.

As for Hogan's good guy image...it wasn't going over too well with the fans. Most of them started booing him or just stopped watching wrestling. To get even more deep in the wrestling analogy, around the same time fans were booing Hogan, The Rock debut for the WWF. The company tried to do the same thing with the Rock as they did with Hogan in the 80's. They tried marketing him as the good guy that smiled at the crowd and was all about preventing injustice.

Well, the fans decided to pass judgement of their own and booed the crap out of the Rock; almost ruining his career. It wasn't just his cheese ball persona that perturbed fans, it was the fact that the WWF was saying, "Hey! This is who we want you to cheer for. He's good looking and has all the traits to be a real American hero."

This was exactly what the company did with Hogan and the birth of Hulkamania in the 80's. "Well f$@k that! You can't tell me who to cheer for! Especially if the good guy image is so passe," echoed wrestling fans.

Fortunately for the Rock, he was able to turn the fans booing into a positive for himself, as he was able to insult them for ridiculing his on-air persona. Lone and behold, The Rock's insults and being a bad ass to the wrestling public, caught the eyes of most fans as they started cheering for him.

It only took about five years for The Rock to reach Hollywood super-stardom. The cheering for Rock wasn't just an isolated incident for wrestling fans. You started seeing the same trend with fans rooting for the bad guy. Steve Austin, The NWO and even Hulk Hogan's heel turn (Becoming a bad guy) got over with the fans. Wrestling went through a renaissance and made more money than ever.

Wrestling fans changed their tune. They went from cheering the 80's cheese balls to cheering for the 90's bad asses. They wanted to embrace athletes who reminded them of...well, themselves. Society didn't want to drink their milk and say their prayers anymore. Instead, they wanted to drink a pint of Guinness and say "my god" after checking out the hot girl that walked past them down the street. Sure, that stuff has always been around, but it became more excepted in the mainstream entertainment. You know, The Real World TV show crap.

Now, back to reality...and please, I know using wrestling in a sports article is considered taboo and hockey fans are different from wresting fans. I know that my credibility (Like I even had some) will go down the toilet. However, I think it works with this comparison. Crosby represents a combination of what Hulk Hogan was in 1985 and what The Rock was when he debut as a hero. Sidney has the nice image, boyish good looks and always seems to say the right things. More importantly, Crosby had the marketing machine of the NHL behind his back. Lets not forget, Crosby was being touted as an all-star type player even before he played a professional hockey game.

I think fans resent how they were kind of given an ultimatum by the NHL to cheer for Crosby. The NHL went with a guy they believed was the ideal pick for the future. The believed that the fans would rally around Sid the Kid (Which most of them have). However, I think some fans are annoyed that the league decided to make the decision for them; without having Crosby play an NHL game. Plus, his squeaky clean persona is just dull, which I think makes him not an ideal fit for fans.

On the other hand, Oveckin represents what Steve Austin and The Rock became during the late 90's. Fans embrace Oveckin because he's a bad ass superstar. He's a player that rebelled against the traditionalists, who think that celebrating a goal is juvenile and don't appreciate his bravado or arrogance. Maybe, the league not having Ovechkin as the focal point of their marketing campaign made fans embrace him more than the force fed effort of Crosby.

In the end, I think fans are going to cheer for the player they relate to the most. Honestly, who would you want to have a beer with at a bar? Ovechkin or Crosby? Sorry, but I'm going with the guy that would have my back in a bar fight over the soft spoken squeaky clean dude. More importantly, I think fans want to make their own decision without having the input of the NHL marketing wizards. Anyways, that's why I'd boo Crosby over Ovechkin.

3rd Sabres jersey?

Look, I hate having debates on uniforms. Even as awful looking as the slug jerseys are, I thought the idea of having on-line petitions to get rid of those uniforms was a little over the top for my taste. I just think that there are bigger fish to fry in sports than fashion apparel.

However, I do think, in a twisted logical sense, that the Sabres decided to use the Banana slug logo just so they could remake their uniforms four years later and make an even greater jersey sales impact. I mean, the slug uniforms had what? Five Sabre players in the top 10 for NHL jersey sales (2006/2007).

Now on a fashion sense, I have to give the thumbs up for the possible new third jersey. Hopefully, this will make all you so-called fashion experts happy... as I'm sure it will make Quinn and Golisano even more happier in sales. What do you think?

Sabres vs Canadians: Six Stars

First Star: Ryan Miller

How many odd-man rushes have the Sabres given up this year? Seriously, I've seen Miller stone wall 2 on 0's and 3 on 0's. Hell, you'd think you're watching " The Riding of the Bull" with Miller playing the role of the male cattle. If it wasn't for Miller tonight, the Sabres would have been down by five goals. They are going to need games like this from Miller in order to make some serious noise in the playoffs. In my view, Ryan Miller is by far the most important player for any team in the Eastern Conference. Even if Ovechkin and Crosby went down with injuries, both of those teams have some serious role players that can carry the load. Sorry, but Derek Roy can't even carry the puck in his own zone. Miller is the only... and I mean only.... reason why the Sabres are in first place. BTW, Miller is 4-1 against the Canadians this year. All due respect to the Habs, but I'd love to see them in the first round.

Second Star: Lindy Ruff

Gutsy, gutsy call by Ruff to pull the goalie with over three minutes left. It seemed like a wake up call for the Sabres to finally get their dam heads in the game. They had incredible pressure against Carey Price in the last three minutes; scoring two goals. The passion that they showed was as if they were playing for a playoff birth. Up until that point, the Sabres were god awful with the man advantage. I know there are times that fans and media members coddle the ways of Ruff too much for my taste. However, for tonight, he knew exactly how to push the Sabres buttons(well, for the last three minutes at least).

Third Star: Danny Gare's tie

WTF was that!? Is he trying to be like Robie and have sponsors like Yancey's Fancy and Kaleida Health take notice of him? I can only assume that it was a "My Cousin Vinny" situation, where the Tie store had the flu and the only place open was Nerds...err...Kids "R" Us.

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First falling star: First 57 minutes of the hockey game

Dear Sabres, I know you beat down some crappy teams as of late and your confidence is sky high (I'd say mine is at the height of my apartment building). Maybe you can relax against the Florida teams, but you can't coast against playoff teams. The power play was terrible tonight and I don't care how many shots you had on goal. Those weren't quality chances in comparison to what the Habs had. Also, way too many odd man rushes.

Second falling star: Derek Roy

Bro, WTF is going on with you? Way too many giveaways for my taste. But what else is new?

Third falling star: Don't bring up 2005-2007

Look, it was a fun victory tonight and the game was kind of a microcosm of what those Sabre teams did after the lockout. But lets not start acting as if it's Happy Days and it's a Goo Goo Dolls album party. Look, I get that most Sabres fans (myself included) would love to act as if we are witnessing those teams again. But we aren't. They are good...but not scary good. To be honest, I can't remember the last time the Sabres overcame a two-goal deficit. This team is a one man machine and even by coasting, they still have a chance to win because of Miller

Up Next:

The Sabres have a HUGE game against the Senators. I don't care what anyone says. This is a big game. Everyone in that locker room knows that the Senators have owned them since 2006. If the Sabres lose against the Sens, I don't want to hear apologists say that the team is in first place and we should all be happy. I'm happy, but there's a good chance that you're going to see the Sens in the playoffs. I want a confidence builder. I need a sign. The Sens are hot, especially Brian Elliot, who has two straight shutouts. Well, the Sabres are kind of hot too. I guess we can say it's time to beat the Sens at their best.

Get mad, Sabres! Get angry! Get even! Shut me up, I dare you?! I don't think you can beat the Senators in a playoff series. Please, prove me wrong.

McNabb to Buffalo Trade Rumors

Donovan McNabb-to-Buffalo rumors were swirling during the final two days of the NFL owners meetings. According to one report, the Bills would get the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback for draft picks.

The rumor proved to be false, at least for now. But Eagles coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that the team has been fielding offers and are in the process of evaluating them. He declined to say if the Bills were one of teams that called.

There are other dynamics are at play here. One is what the Bills would have to give up for him. Reports out of Philly is the Eagles have lowered their demands from a first-round draft pick to maybe a second-rounder or a combination of picks. Even that might be too pricey for a Bills team that can't afford to give up draft picks considering their expressed desire to build through the draft. Something else to consider is McNabb going into the final year of his contract. No team, not even the Bills, would pursue a trade for a guy unless they knew they can sign him to an extension. (The Buffalo News)

Mind of Joe

Look, I don't wake up everyday and think of ways to hate on the Bills. The McNabb rumors to Buffalo are intriguing, but honestly...it would be a mistake. I understand that McNabb would be a short term solution for the Bills. I get that. But to me, the Bills are so far away from competing that McNabb would just represent a band-aid on a gun shot wound. If Buddy Nix is suppose to be this big time draft guru, then he should be doing his best imitation of a fat kid and treat his draft picks as chocolate bars.

The trade wouldn't make any sense because the Bills aren't very good. Along with missing a left tackle, a number two wide receiver, a pass rusher and a nose tackle, the Bills are installing a new defense and a new offense, which is going to take a couple of years to adjust too. I assure you, if McNabb comes to Buffalo and is surrounded by this cast of players, the Bills will go 7-9. Don't get me wrong, I like McNabb a lot, but he only has about 2-3 years left and a history of battling injuries going against him.

Also, fans are underestimating the Eagles overall talent. It wasn't all McNabb that made the Eagles an NFC force over the last 10 years. He'd be leaving an ideal situation with a great defense, superior offensive line play and a great coaching staff. The Bills have neither of that. Hell, the only thing the Bills are probably better at is their running back depth (And Buffalo wings over Philly cheese steaks)

Fans have to come to realization that the Bills should just strip this team down and build from the ground up. If the Bills were just a quarterback away from being a playoff team, I'd be leading the parade to get McNabb. But sadly, they aren't. Fans have to learn that these get rich quick schemes just don't work. It didn't work with Terrell Owens and it didn't work with Drew Bledsoe. Plus, McNabb doesn't want to come here. When the Raiders and Bills are the teams interested in your services, the Eagles will need security and the jaws of life to pry McNabb's hands away from his locker.

McNabb to the Bills would make things more interesting from a fan's stand point and get some nice PR...which I'm sure is something the Bills are counting on. I think it would be a great story if he could turn around the Bills and stick it to Eagles fans who have taken their franchise quarterback for granted. However, the end result will just be a lot of hope that will result in a 7-9 record.

Bills thoughts: Dante Culpepper wants to play in Buffalo...Gailey's thoughts on Tebow...Adding another running back..and more

So Dante Culpepper is interested in playing for the Buffalo Bills. Well, at least it's nice for someone to actually want to come to Buffalo for a change, instead of coming here because he can't pass team physicals (I kid, I kid).

As much as Culpepper's early career accomplishments were outstanding, he hasn't played well since Drew Bledsoe was the Bills quarterback. It's kind of a sad story that his terrible knee injury suffered in 2005, totally derailed his brilliant career. Unfortunately, he's not the same quarterback and has failed in Miami, Oakland and Detroit.

The guy makes Drew Bledsoe look like Mike Vick with his mobility. And if I'm correct, he's like in the top three for most fumbles by a quarterback. I can already predict what the argument is going to be for Culpepper in Buffalo:

"At least he's an upgrade over Fitzpatrick and Edwards."

As bad as I want Edwards off this team and would be happy with just about anyone else under center, I know my hatred for Trent would just blind me in evaluating Culpepper as my starter. Culpepper just isn't an upgrade in my view.

Now, I wouldn't kill the team for signing Dante, but it's not going to make a difference if it's Edwards or Culpepper back there. One of Buffalo's biggest goals this offseason is to try and find a franchise quarterback. Throwing Culpepper in the mix with three other quarterbacks isn't the right choice. Plus, this is an NFL team, not a retirement community.

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Allen Wilson and Tim Graham caught up with Chan Gailey today to discuss a wide number of topics. One of the questions posed to Gailey was his thoughts on Tim Tebow:

"He's got every intangible that you could ever want in a quarterback. The bottom line on him is, is his delivery going to keep him from being able to play. How much work is there to be done? I haven't gotten the tape yet, so I don't know about his workout. But how much work is there yet to be done and how much of a change can he make because if you go with the delivery he had he will really struggle in this league.''

Well, on the surface, it doesn't sound like Gailey has a man crush on Tebow. However, you can't ignore the fact that the Bills are bringing him in for a personal workout, which tells me they are still interested in him. Gailey could be saying all of this as a smokescreen; so other teams may wait to select Tebow in the 3rd or 4th round without considering the Bills as competition.

I'll be frank, I really don't have a strong opinion about Tebow, and there are a couple of reasons why: There are a number of NFL elite quarterbacks that were drafted late or were bagging groceries when scouts and critics were chastising those players prior to the draft.

However, that number is probably equivalent to the amount of college quarterbacks that have won the Heisman and couldn't make the transition to the NFL. I'm not enamored in Tebow's accomplishments as much as others, mainly because I'm not a big college football follower.

More importantly, I'm completely over the topic. This could be the biggest debate to lead to absolutely nothing. I think the Tebow commentary is complete overkill by the media because everyone has an opinion about it.

To me, Tebow is no different than Chad Henne, Todd Collins, Trent Edwards, Matt Hasselbeck, Tom Brady and all the other late round quarterbacks selected in the history of the NFL Draft. The only difference is that Tebow just has a huge following....which I don't care for (No offense).

I'm not a professional scout and neither are the talk show hosts, print journalists, or the talking heads on ESPN. In the end, we have absolutely no idea what any of these draft picks are going to do as pros.

On a side note, if it was up to me, I'd rather draft a conventional quarterback like Colt McCoy or Dan LeFevour. Also, never underestimate the Bills wanting to draft Tebow to appease some of the fan base that are so hungry to become "relevant" again. Which seems to meet the fans expectations more so than finding a legit quarterback or building the offensive line.

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Frankly, the Tim Tebow discussion wasn't the most telling comment made by Chan Gailey today. It was the talk about wanting to add another running back to the mix.

"We've got to upgrade there in some way, shape or form, and there are some good running backs in the draft this year, different from what we've got,'' Gailey said. "So a change of pace is may something we could do there with a different type of player. The guys who are coming out now, there's a bunch of those 5-9, 180 to 185-pound, quick-as-a-cat water bugs that are running backs/receivers that might give you a little bit of a punch on the field and maybe make a big play.'' -BTN-

First off, I don't have a dam clue what a water bug looks like or if they are quick as cat. Secondly, I've always been a big proponent for the Bills to acquire a change of pace running back. However, it would be rather difficult for the Bills to add a third option to the team's already crowded backfield. If the Bills are serious about adding another running back, Marshawn Lynch has to be on the trading block.

Now, the Bills better not be thinking of adding one these water bugs within the first three rounds of the NFL draft. Recently, I was watching the NFL Network, and one of their draft experts predicted that the Bills may end up taking running back CJ Spiller with their first round pick. Now, it's just another talking head draft expert, but you can't dismiss it, because it's coming from an NFL Network personality. I've always believed that the NFL Network insiders normally get more information than ESPN personalities do, because they are owned by the 32 NFL owners.

I assure you, if a running back is drafted first by the Bills, I'll be taking a cab to Radio City Music Hall and kicking the ass of the guy who answers the phone at the Bills draft table.

It's a forgone conclusion that you can find great running backs later in the draft. It happens almost every year that an unknown back finds his way onto the football field and pays dividends for his team. Plus, the Bills running back situation is just fine. What is with the fixation of drafting a running back early?

If the Bills decide to draft Spiller, it would mark the 5th running back (Antowain Smith, Travis Henry, Willis McGahee and Marshawn Lynch) that the Bills have taken within the first two rounds of the draft since 1997. Which would be the most for any team selecting in those rounds. In that time frame, there have only been 18 teams that have drafted two or fewer running backs within the first two rounds.

I think a part of the reason why the Bills love drafting running backs so early is because first round picks tend to get long term deal (5-6 year contract) than a later draft pick would. Which means by the time they reach the age 27 or 28, their days as a legit running back will be coming to an end. All and all, it makes for a very cheap investment for the Bills.

Now, that's just the financial part. As for the on the field part, the Bills running back situation ranks about 15th between repaving the parking lot and building a football museum on the Bills "To do list" for the offseason. If they want to add a change of pace back, trade Marshawn Lynch for Darren Sproles or draft one in the 5th round.

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In keeping with the theme of Chan Gailey, the Bills franchise decided to let their coach be the deciding vote in the overtime rule change for the playoffs. Of course, we all know that the rule change went down, but Gailey was against the OT change.

Now, I'm for the overtime change because I just thought the old format was outdated. However, it's kind of strange that Bills decided to let their first year head coach be the end all be all for the overtime rule. I mean, this Chan Gailey, not Bill Belichick. Even Buddy Nix was for the rule change. I can only guess that Gailey must have gotten burned coaching Georgia Tech with the college OT format.

I know, I know...the Bills may never make the playoffs, which seems to be the joke of the day. But, Gailey's vote could show a side of the type of coach we are getting with him. Saying you don't want the new OT change tells me that you're kind of conservative. Which is something many of Gailey's critics have said about him.

Yes, I should wait to till the season starts to critique Gailey's coaching methods, but he's been compared in some circles as being the offensive minded version of Dick Jauron. I know, give the guy a chance...we'll see.