
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Bills OTA thoughts

Friday, May 28, 2010
Get me this guy!

I know that some fans will point to Tyler Myers contract being up in two years as a cause for concern about giving a player like Marleau that sort of money. I understand those concerns as I do share them myself. However, that is still two years from now and if the Sabres have learned anything from the Vanek contract fiasco, then they should be writing up Myers' new contract as we speak.
So much for my NBA knowledge

Yes, it was only a week ago that I pretty much dismissed Phoenix and Orlando's chances for getting by the Lakers and Celtics. I mean, both teams looked pretty bad during the early parts of their respective series. Now, I wasn't the only person to put the nail in coffin for both teams. However, like I've always said, just because everyone was fired from their job, doesn't mean you should take solace in getting canned. I was WRONG! WAY WRONG! Like thinking T.O. was the answer to the Bills prayers wrong. Like thinking that Raffi Torres was going to make an impact for the Sabres wrong.
PS- I'm so loving all the hockey fans on twitter enjoying the NBA playoffs. You see what you all have been missing? Like I've said earlier, you can't beat the NBA Final Four. Somewhere, Jerry Sullivan must be smiling or he may have just watched Sex and the City 2.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Trent Edwards says California knows how to party

Well, for the first time in about 16 months, I'm now a fan of Trent Edwards. Yes, it will last until he checks down to Fred Jackson or gets hurt, but you have to give him credit for saying something that I'm sure a lot of the current Bills players were thinking: Shut up, Jim Kelly! I'm sorry, but I'm a little giddy.
I don't know what it is about Kelly that bugs me. I just find him to be someone that likes being heard in the public way too much. I think the fan base worship the ground he walks on as if he's the end all be all of Buffalo life. And is it just me or does the media constantly give him a pass for his statements? Sorry, but he should have been called out for endorsing Tim Tebow and saying that the Bills shouldn't draft a quarterback from California. The California comment was one of the stupidest quotes I've heard in years. However, because he's the great Jim Kelly, no one in the media can say anything. God forbid you can't get an exclusive interview with him about his thoughts on the team. As if I give a crap.
Maybe I'm overstating it, but it just seems like Kelly doesn't know when to walk away from the spotlight as the voice of the Bills. I mean, do you really think Kelly has a group ready to buy the Bills? Sorry, but I don't really buy that and I don't think Kelly would either. This is the same guy who keeps on saying that Ralph Wilson will do anything to win a Super Bowl, even though he has less than a 100 million dollar pay roll. What Trent Edwards said about Kelly's comments about quarterbacks from California was classic.
“It is definitely frustrating because I don’t know how much time Jim has spent in California. I love the state of California. Obviously, I am pretty biased towards where I grew up in, but it is a little bit naïve that he makes comments like that. It is frustrating because I feel like there are a ton of great quarterbacks out there that have played in the league for an extended amount of time. I mean we can go down the list right now. He unfortunately said some things that aren’t always the best things to say but I guess that is kind of the way that he is.”
Look, it has to be a little tough and annoying to hear Kelly and Thomas criticise the team and then walk into the locker room as if they own the place. I know most fans and reporters will say that the team doesn't care, but deep down inside, they must be sick of being trashed by the former greats. I have to say, I'm rooting more for Trent Edwards than I did a day ago.
Friday, May 21, 2010
5 Observations about the Thurman Thomas and Marshawn Lynch feud

What the Magic and Cavs are lacking + quick hits

What the hell has happened to the Orlando Magic? I know most fans thought it would be 50/50 that the Magic would get by the Celtics, but this series looks as if its men against boys. This is what happens when you go against a veteran team in the NBA playoffs. You see, teams like the Lakers and Celtics don't care about the regular season. Those 82 games are nothing more than a tune-up for the postseason. Vets like Kobe and KG are just trying to make it through the regular season without getting hurt. Back to the Magic, I think what the team is lacking is the same thing that the Cavs have thoroughly missed...attitude and a mean streak.
Just think of it this way; If you're in a bar fight and you need to find someone to have your back, who are you going to ask, Kevin Garnett or Dwight Howard?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Will Daniel Briere represent a new heartbreak for Buffalo Sports?

For instance, take the Bills history. When OJ Simpson left Buffalo for San Francisco, he didn't gain 2,000 yards. When Will Wolford, Howard Ballard and Nate Odomes left Buffalo via free agency, they didn't really help their new teams out. Heck, what about Andre Reed, Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith getting cut in 2000? Sorry, but did you really envy the Dolphins and Redskins after watching the old trio play there?
I know there will be a number of fans who will tell me to get over it. They will mention how Briere has battled injuries and Darcy Regier is genius who knows talent. Well, sorry, I'm a bitter man and I can't help but think "what might have been" with this guy. I can't help but wonder what it would be like if the Sabres had a clutch goal scorer. You would be kidding yourself if you didn't have any sort of emotion towards Briere hoisting the Stanley Cup. Good, bad, sad, angry, apathetic, discontent or whatever. I assure you, you would feel something.
Can you picture Briere holding up the Cup? Ugh. I'm sure if he's holding the Cup above his head, he'll be sure to extend his middle fingers towards Buffalo. Thanks again, Tom Golisano.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Top 5 Reasons: Why we should be optimistic about Buffalo's quarterback situation...huh??????

Bottom line: We have no clue what Brohm will bring to the table, but if you were to just judge by his college career, he seems to have a lot of upside. Then again, this ain't college.
I'm sure we have all studied what Gailey did at his previous jobs in football. We know he helped make Kordell Stewart into a 1-year phenom. We know he made Jay Fiedler into a serviceable quarterback. Hell, Tyler Thigpen threw for 18 touchdowns in 2008. All of these quarterbacks were unknowns before Gailey got his hands on them. You've always heard members of the media mention that Gailey thinks he can turnaround any quarterback that he touches. The quarterbacks that I've mentioned haven't been all-pros, but they have had their better years with Gailey.
He's also been a coach whose been able to develop schemes in protecting the quarterback. In Gailey's years with the Dolphins, the offensive line only gave up 28 and 27 sacks each year. If you look at Miami's offensive lineman during those years, none of the names are going to jump out at you. No high first round picks or all-pros.
In the end, Gailey thinks he can make chicken s#$t into chicken salad. He also represents the major reason to have some confidence in what this offense can do. He's Buffalo's best offensive coach since Kevin Gilbride and before that, you can go all the way back to Ted Marchibroda. Yes, it has been that bad with the offensive coaches for the Bills.
Gailey has always taken pride in being able to turn junk into gold. Well, he's going to have his work cut out for him with these quarterbacks.
Friday, May 14, 2010
How the final four in hockey are killing one of the Sabres excuses

The Sabres, on the other hand, have always used the postseason results as a way to make themselves look better. When Marian Hossa didn't win a cup with the Penguins, Darcy Regier pointed out that deadline deals are overrated and do nothing for your team. If it wasn't deadline deals, the Sabres would tell the public that the money that the Flyers and Hawks have invested in their teams via free agency did nothing for them in the playoffs.
I've always been one to scoff at the Sabres for always acting arrogant in some ways of shooting down other team's methods of building a contender. You know what I'm talking about. It's either deadline deals don't improve your team crap or free agency is for the devil. The Sabres have been going with that thought/excuse process for far too long. Seriously, where do the Sabres get off telling fans why other team methods are wrong?
Thursday, May 13, 2010
When I became an NBA fan and WC Finals preview

I had two teams as a kid; the Lakers and whoever the Bulls were facing in the playoffs. Let us start with LA. After Magic retired, I still remained a fan of the Lakers and thought the Nick Van Exel and Cedric Ceballos teams were very entertaining and vastly underrated. Ceballos will forever be known as the NBA Dunk Champion that was blindfolded during his contest clinching jam. However, the guy had a really unique/diverse game. He can dunk, he had an outside shot, he could post up and could drive to the net. LA also added Eddie Jones to the mix and the team really had a run and gun mentality.
Even as entertaining as those Lakers teams were, they couldn't get over the hump. Until...they brought in Shaq and drafted Kobe Bryant. The rest was history. Yes, the two guys hated each other, but the duo brought three titles to the City of Angels. I was a Kobe guy. At first, I wasn't big on Byrant because I thought he tried to channel being the next Michael Jordan a little too much. I'm not talking about his actual game. I'm talking about the way he carried himself and his little endorsement deals. He just seemed like a wannabe in my eyes.
Then, and this is going to sound horrible to say, but after the whole Kobe Bryant rap saga, Bryant began to change. He started becoming an a$$hole. I don't know if it had to do with the Shaq drama or having people turn on him during the saga in Colorado, but, Kobe just decided to say f$%k the Jordan rules, as it was time to play by his rules; AKA...kiss my ass.
A prime example of it happened last week when Bryant posed for some strange/exotic photos in the LA Times Magazine. When questions were brought to Kobe about the oddity of his photos and whether A-Rod had a better magazine spread, Kobe just responded with this gem: The one with 4 rings. The rest can kiss my ass.
Bottom line: The Lakers are too big up front for the Suns to deal with. LA will make it to the Finals for the 3rd straight year.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Wednesday thoughts: ROY recount and which Buffalo personality would I like to see a book written about

To me, the media coverage is one of the main reasons steroids have become such a huge focal point in sports. Maybe this is a case where the NFL gets a pass about steroid use and MLB continues to be picked on daily on the issue. Everyone knows that the NFL gets a pass on everything when it comes to performing enhancing drugs. No one cares about Shawne Merriman testing positive. I'm sure if Albert Pujols tested positive for roids this past season, there wouldn't have been a debate about whether the MVP award was going to get stripped from him. I assure you, Bud Selig would have broken into Pujols' home to get the MVP trophy back.
This is just a case where the media didn't want to get their hands dirty. They didn't want the responsibility of changing the course of history. They sure will talk the talk about it and make our heads explode when speaking about the issues. However, when it comes to walking the walk, well, they walk alright, more like running away.
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If there was a Buffalo sports athlete/personality that you would want a book to be written about, who would it be? It's funny if you think about it that there aren't too many books written about certain players or sporting events in the history of Buffalo. It seems like Marv Levy has cornered the market on being Buffalo's favorite author. I know Jim Kelly wrote a book in the early 90's, but it has been pretty quite on the player front. Same goes for the Sabres. I went to Amazon.com and I found like four books from the 80's on the blue and gold. Anyways, to answer the first question I posed, I'd love to read a tell-all book about Ralph Wilson.
To me, Wilson will always be the biggest lightning rod in Buffalo Sports history. You either love the guy or you hate the guy. Plus, it seems like the reporting on Wilson either covets coddling or rage. I'd like to have someone write a book about him and interview 2nd parties that have worked for Wilson over the years. I've always found Wilson to be a mystery when it comes to his intentions. Does he really care about Buffalo? Is he cheap? What makes him tick? Does he really want to win a Super Bowl? Do people hate working for him? There seems to be no paper trail of really trying to figure out those questions. Maybe a book would help us find the answers to those questions that have been debated for years.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tuesday Thoughts

-BTW, I'm all for stripping the ROY award from Brian Cushing. Sorry, dude, but you cheated and should pay for your actions. If the AP doesn't strip him of the award, then the media is just sending a message that they only b#tch about steroids just so they can sell newspapers and air time-
-BTW, don't think it's a forgone conclusion that Byrd is going to win this award. He only received six first place votes and Brian Orakpo and Clay Matthews Jr. were right behind him. Hey, you know the media loves pandering to the larger markets in this country or football markets that make ESPN daily-
-I seriously hope that when President Obama comes to Buffalo this week, he won't get taped eating chicken wings at Anchor Bar or Duffs. Sorry, but I don't feel like seeing Brian Williams talking over video footage of the President stuffing his face with Buffalo's finest cuisines. If anything, take the guy to where Bass Pro is suppose to be built and have the President ask, "Why is it taking so long for this to be built?"-
-As you can tell, I'm running out of things to blog about-