NFL Hall of Fame 2009

Well for Bills fans this is another big year for Hall of Fame voting. Mark Gaughan is working his ass off, to come up with presentations. He's a good speaker, and Bruce Smith won't be hard. Basically this is the presentation for Bruce Smith.

Bruce Smith. Thats all. Lets vote.


One of the best football ad campaigns ever.

But Andre Reed and Ralph Wilson, that's a more uphill climb. No doubt both will get into the Hall of Fame. But this year? I don't know things maybe stacked against them. Ralph has a lower chance then Reed. Reed has the numbers to back him up. Ralph has owned a team, that has some success, but pretty average through out the years. But lets look at the other candidates and predict who gets in. (Copied from www.nfl.com)

Cris Carter – Wide Receiver – 1987-89 Philadelphia Eagles, 1990-2001 Minnesota Vikings, 2002 Miami Dolphins
Dermontti Dawson – Center – 1988-2000 Pittsburgh Steelers
Richard Dent – Defensive End – 1983-1993, 1995 Chicago Bears, 1994 San Francisco 49ers, 1996 Indianapolis Colts, 1997 Philadelphia Eagles
Russ Grimm – Guard – 1981-1991 Washington Redskins
Bob Hayes – Wide Receiver – 1965-1974 Dallas Cowboys, 1975 San Francisco 49ers
Claude Humphrey – Defensive End – 1968-1978 Atlanta Falcons, 1979-1981 Philadelphia Eagles
Cortez Kennedy – Defensive Tackle – 1990-2000 Seattle Seahawks
Bob Kuechenberg – Guard – 1970-1984 Miami Dolphins
Randall McDaniel – Guard – 1988-1999 Minnesota Vikings, 2000-01 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
John Randle – Defensive Tackle – 1990-2000 Minnesota Vikings, 2001-03 Seattle Seahawks
Andre Reed – Wide Receiver – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000 Washington Redskins
Shannon Sharpe – Tight End – 1990-99, 2002-03 Denver Broncos, 2000-01 Baltimore Ravens
Bruce Smith – Defensive End – 1985-1999 Buffalo Bills, 2000-03 Washington Redskins
Paul Tagliabue – Commissioner – 1989-2006 National Football League
Derrick Thomas – Linebacker – 1989-1999 Kansas City Chiefs
Ralph Wilson – Team Founder/Owner – 1960-Present Buffalo Bills
Rod Woodson – Cornerback/Safety – 1987-1996 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1997 San Francisco 49ers, 1998-2001 Baltimore Ravens, 2002-03 Oakland Raiders

A pretty good list of semifinalists.

There are 3 automatics to me. And there is what 6 spots maybe?

Bruce Smith, Shannon Sharpe and Rod Woodson. All first ballot guys, all great. They are in.

There's always one spot for the Senior selection. Either Bullet Bob Hayes or Claude Humphrey. Honestly I'm too young to really know about Humphrey. But reading the Bio on him. I really can't say why he's not in. 171 career sacks! I think because he played in Atlanta so long, that he pretty much was under the radar his entire career. Plus 6 pro bowls. I say Claude Humphrey gets in.

Lack of Offensive lineman, so its the year for Kuechenberg, but if they want good attendance, they'll put Dawson in. Steeler fans will come out full force. Probably one of the best Centers during the 90's. 7 Pro Bowls. On the all decade team of the 90's. I'm going to say Dermontti Dawson is voted in.

That is 5 people, leaving 1 spot.

I think its between Chris Carter and Andre Reed. Though someone else could sneak in and trump both of them. Since they love to make receivers wait.

Reed 951 catches for 13198 and 87 Td's

Carter 1101 catches for 13899 and 130 Td's

Mark Gaughan may put up the case, but stats never lie, and Chris Carters are better. Especially in the Td category. Therefore Chris Carter is the 6th selection. Because all he does is catch touchdowns.

So my prediction for the selections are:

Bruce Smith
Shannon Sharpe
Rod Woodson
Claude Humphrey
Dermontti Dawson
Chris Carter

Andre will have to wait another year, and probably several more.

But here's another one, that I think we can all agree with. Mr Hopper take it away.

Beast Mode in the Pro Bowl

Well when Jason Peters dropped out of the Pro Bowl, again. It looked like there would be no Bills playing in the game in two weeks, making it totally unwatchable. Now Marshawn Lynch has been called up, with Chris Johnson stepping out. So Beast Mode gets to hit up Hawaii. I couldn't think of another guy who would enjoy this more then Marshawn Lynch. He had a pretty good year with the struggles of the offensive line he finished with...

250 carries for 1036 yards for 8tds and a 4.1 yards a carry
Along with 47 catches for 300 yards and another score.

He was definitely the Bills best player this year and behind a better line, he would have ran wild this year. Marshawn has a nose for the endzone and I'm sure will get a score in Hawaii.

I may now watch some of the Pro Bowl just to see Lynch. Then again I may not. Because its a useless game, that for the most part has no one playing hard, since no one wants to get hurt.

And for old times sake



Getting named to the Pro Bowl is Solid. And it don't get better then solid.

Sabres Flames

The Sabres head South on their current road trip, to run into the Calgary Flames. Yes another one of those teams I have no idea about, and when I look at the roster there's a lot of who's and how's and he's on the Flames? But this won't be easy. The Sabres won't take the Flames by surprise after last night. The Flames sure won't want to be blown out at home, so the Sabres will get the Flames ready to go.

The Flames coached by Mike Keenan, forgot that, are in First place of the Northwest with 60 points. Which isn't as strong as years past. (In my opinion) The Sabres are already 3-0-1 on the season versus Northwest Division opponents. This will be the conclusion of the season against the division. Lets hope the boys in Blue and Gold can close out the season series with another quality win.

I won't bore you with insight, because I know nothing of the Flames, but the key guys are.

• Jarome Iginla who is the Captain and point leader leader with 53
• Mike Cammalleri who leads the team with 22 goals. Really? Is the first thing that comes to mind, then I realize he plays with Iginla.
• Damon Langkow has 37 points on the year.
• Todd Bertuzzi has 31 points and hasn't put anyone into a coma this year
• Dion Phaneuf has 30 points, but a -9.
• And my guy who I would love to be on the Sabres Craig Conroy. I think he'd be perfect for this team right now has a solid 24 points on the year.

Well I look for the typical Western Canadian hockey game. Tough physical, with some scoring, and what Hockey should be. Last night won't be repeated.

This one will be a TSN feed, so pro canada comments and statements about the Sabres that Sabres fans go really? They think that? Whatever.

Enjoy this one.

The Worst Loss at Home in Oilers History

Dan Riedhuber

Let that title sink in. The Sabres went into Edmonton and completely laid waste to this team. Looking at Edmonton, you'd think it would be a good matchup. But the Sabres actually played probably their best game of the season. If Edmonton were on their game, it probably may have been a 5-3 win. But they weren't so it was 10-2. And the crowd wanted the Sabres to score 10. (Maybe they give out free pizzas if that happens)

But lets look at the game. From a numbers stand point.

Jaro Spacek 1 goal and a +4.
Drew Stafford 3 goals and a +2
Tim Connolly 2 goals 1 assist and a+3
Thomas Vanek 3 points and a +2
Kotalik and Pominville both with 2 assists.
Toni Lydman +3
Marc Andre Gragnani +2

Then

Dan Paille -1

How the hell is Dan Paille a -1? Did he not exist? He only played 8 minutes, only Mair played less, and he got hurt. Dan Paille almost scored 20 goals last year, now he's struggling on the 4th line. And when Kaleta comes back, is in real danger of sitting in the press box. And his season stats are even worse

46 games 4 goals 13 points and a -8

Tim Connolly has 13 points in 14 games this year. Paul Gaustad has better stats then Dan Paille. And most consider Goose a Grinder. Really if trades are coming up. Dan Paille's name must be mentioned, he could be a key in getting a great vet on the blue line if they throw him in to sweeten a deal. Not that I'm giving up on the kid, he has a nice contract, so he's not dead weight, but he has the potential to bring in someone that could make a difference on a nightly basis.

Speaking of Tim Connolly since coming back against the Rangers, the Sabres are 5-3 and he's scored 5 goals. There is no doubt when he's in the lineup the Sabres are a much better team. He gives the team extra offense and danger, that they really needed. He plays 20 minutes a game almost. Can give you quality power play and penalty kill time, short handed goal last night. I'm a big fan of Tim Connolly I think he's fun to watch. Watch him backcheck and notice how many times he snatches the puck away. Hes that quality guard in basketball. He can score, set up his teammates, but then can shut things down on the other end.

If he stays healthy and the Sabres can bring in a quality vet forward and defensemen. They could do a little damage in the postseason. The team has playoff experience throughout. Ryan Miller is always better in the postseason. And they still have Lindy Ruff behind the Bench.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Lets just think about Calgary.

Sabres Oilers Preview

Hey its the rare Alberta back to back. That's exciting right? Or are you like me, and these games almost seem like a exhibition, and really if they win or lose, you don't really care. Because really its nice when they win, but teams like Edmonton, Calgary and Anaheim, don't matter in the Sabres World. Maybe the old scheduling has made these teams foreign to me after all these years. Well after the lockout I mean. I use to love the Edmonton games, they seemed like they were playing a real hockey team and it wasn't the usual suspects. But now they seem like they are in a different league and this is some cross promotion. Thanks NHL for almost killing half the league to me. Especially those farther west and north.

Anyway, the Oilers are pretty hot right now. Winners of 5 of their past 6. Sitting in 6th spot in the West, though two points less then the Sabres. So these are pretty two even matched teams. Plus with a week off, they are heavily rested teams. But there is a glaring difference, defense.

The Sabres are banged up, going from healthy to not in what seemed a week. MAG will be in the lineup tonight (thats short for Marc Andre Gragnani) Who might get some minutes tonight. But we all know Lindy isn't very sure of the rookies. Edmonton is pretty healthy on the blueline, and they do something that Buffalo defenders don't do. Produce Points. They have 4 defensemen above 20 points. (Souray, Visnovsky, Gilbert and Grebeshkov) The Sabres have only 1, Jaroslav Spacek. The Sabres get more points up front, then the Oilers do. So you have watch out from the blue line, because the puck will be coming tonight. And Miller loves giving up those long ones.

The forwards aren't slouches. Ales Hemsky is coming off a great week and leads the team in goals and points. Shawn Horcoff is is centerman for Hemsky and has 32 points on the year. Speedster Andrew Cogliano has 25 points on the year and the somewhat disappointing Dustin Penner has 23 points on the year. Erik Cole and Ethan Moreau round up a pretty decent lineup of forwards. You can't take a shift off against the Oilers or they will hurt you.

The one weakness, besides their 29th rank penalty killing unit, is the goaltending. They haven't got real solid netminding from anyone this year, especially the well paid Dwayne Roloson. His 2.73 GAA and .917 sv% is alright. But really is preventing the Oilers from shooting up higher in the standings. If the Oilers get solid goaltending, they could be a team to watch come April and May. If not. Its one and done for Oil Country.

Well the game is on tv, but it will be the Sportsnet West coverage. And who knows how good that is. Enjoy the late one, should be over by the time Letterman comes on. Me, I'll be asleep, maybe. Maybe I'll stay for this one. I used to before I became old.

Canisius Sports Roundup

Well the Griffs are playing tonight against lifelong Arch Rival Niagara tonight. Who they never beat, because they are usually not as good as Niagara. The Griffs 2-1 in their last 3 games, and Niagara is 1-2 in their last 3 games. (Though the Griffs lost 4 in a row before that and Niagara won 3 in row before that. This was the only way I could make the Griffs look good.)

The Griffs in the past couple weeks have pulled themselves from the basement in the MAAC to 2nd last place in the MAAC, and with some good play, could move into the middle. You know maybe get a win in the MAAC tournament, before being dispatched by a much better team.

But Frank Turner is leading the team in most statistics, which is good because he's the team leader and everything goes through Frank. Chris Gadley has become a good transfer for the Griffs and Julius Coles and Greg Logins are also solid pieces in the puzzle. But then the offensive depth drops off after that. They are still growing into what they need to become. They are better then last years awful team, and will improve next year. Though on average are being outscored 5 points per game.

Niagara is not a good matchup for the Griffs. So don't except a Griff win tonight, especially in the Gallagher Center.

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The Womens team, is a different story. They are having quite the year. They are tied for 2nd in the MAAC and 15-5 on the year. They have won their last 3 games, and 12-1 in their last 13. They are hot and playing well heading into the most important time of the year. We can expect good things from the Lady Griffs come March in Albany. (The only good thing we can expect in Albany)

Utah transfer Marie Warner is powering the Griffs with 17 points per game, almost 8 rebounds a game and a 45% shooting percentage. If only the Griffs could pick up more Canadians who wanted to be closer to home. Russell and Cavo are helping out with 11 and 9 points per game. But its obvious the team is riding Warner towards a MAAC title, hoping to beat mighty Marist.

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The Men's Hockey team, is the definition of .500. Well they were until yesterday, after a sweep by RIT. Canisius' budding rival in Atlantic Hockey. The Griffs swept Air Force last weekend, leading into high hopes against RIT at home. But as usual the Griffs don't pull through. They are now 9-10-4 overall and 7-8-2 in conference, good for 6th place. The Griffs usual place in Atlantic Hockey Conference.

Dave Kotusch is the leading goal and point scorer on the Griffs with 15 goals and 23 points, in 23 games. Jason Weeks has 22 points and Josh Heidinger has 21 points. The griffs have 8 guys in double digit scoring. Which is good for 23 games. They have balanced scoring. They are also decent in net, well when Andrew Loewen is between the pipes. His .917 sv% and 2.93 GAA are pretty decent for College Hockey.

The Griffs have conference mate Sacred Heart at home this weekend, so lets hope for a sweep to move above that .500 mark.

Friday Randomness

I guess its a links type page, which is popular on Fridays in the Buffalo Blogosphere, but its just one of those days, where I have no effort to write about anything for very long. Especially the All Star game. Which is this weekend. I use to be excited about it, now I don't care. Don't know if I'll catch one second. You know having a life and all. Having things to do, makes the All Star game pretty much useless. Plus its on Versus. Seriously, there's no Football and you can't get on NBC? Ugh. Here's the official site if you are interested in all activities.
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Looks like Mel Kiper is ready to go. 1st Mock Draft is up. Who knows what actually will happen, but I think Mel has an idea of what teams need and the players that should fill them. Of course some scouts think they know better. But he says the Bills would draft Brandon Pettigrew TE out of Oklahoma St. Mmm lets take a closer look. From the ESPN Rating.

6'6 260

Big guy thats always a plus

42 catches for 472 yards and 0 td's

Umm Antonio Gates he is not

Possesses prototypical height and bulk for a NFL tight end. He's a good athlete but his straight-line speed is adequate-at-best for the position.

I never like the phrase "adequate at best" It doesn't scream, teams will have a tough time matching up with him. It says to me, he'll catch the ball and get down the field, but Ed Reed isn't going to shake in his boots.

Injuries have not been an issue; he has started all 13 games during each of the past two seasons (2006-'07).

Good

Charged with felony assault and battery of a police officer in February, 2008. Police responded to an altercation at a residence in Stillwater, OK. When asked to leave, Pettigrew refused and elbowed an officer in the chest. Pettigrew has since pleaded guilty to a lesser charge (misdemeanor assault and battery) in return for fines paid and 20 hours of community service. He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor public intoxication in the incident and was fined $100. He received a deferred sentence and won't have a criminal record if he successfully completes probation. Coach Mike Gundy declined to suspend Pettigrew, saying in February that he would allow the case to run its course.

Oh boy sound the alarm. A guy that gets drunk and gets into fights. Just what the Bills need and what the City of Buffalo needs, well he'll probably fit in. But I'm sure he's a man.

Productive receiver with big, soft hands. He can pluck on the run and also catches the ball consistently over his head. Rarely drops a 'catchable' pass and when he does it typically has been due to a lapse in concentration

Oooo maybe he can teach Robert Royal something.

Big target; knows how to use his frame to shield defenders from the ball. Is fluid and smooth for his size. Shows adequate-to-good initial burst off the line. But he doesn't run all of his routes with the same level of urgency. He is sloppy with his breaks and needs rounds too many off. Shows an overall lack of discipline at times

What? Doesn't run routes well. Sloppy? Lack of discipline! How is this guy in the first half of the first round? Because he's big and can catch?

This is one of the big areas of concern regarding his pro potential. While smooth and fluid for his size, he lacks the speed necessary to consistently stretch the seam as a receiver. Additionally, while he is a tough runner after the catch, he's not going to make many defenders miss in space, nor will he run away from many LB's or DB's in the NFL

AHHHHHHH!!!! NOOOOOO!!! This is not what the Bills need. They don't need a average reciever who can block at the TE position. Derek Fine and Derek Schoman can do all of this. I don't know but this guy doesn't scream to me first round material.

I'd rather see them draft Orakpo or Maybin. And sign Bo Scaife in Free Agency.

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Theres a lot of anger about the next 4 Sabre games not being on TV. From the Buffalo News saying that MSG should do something about it. Anger from Bfloblog. From many others.

I noticed this a couple weeks ago. Looking over the schedule. And found it odd.

But really I don't care. Listen to the radio, find them online. So you have to work to find what you want to watch. If you want to watch you will. I'm sure those online sites would love the extra traffic. Sure are they losing ad revenue. But maybe the cost is so much then they take in, that it just doesn't make any sense in this climate to broadcast to what will be a much smaller audience. These road trips rarely go well anyway, plus you have to stay up and it ruins the next day. So go to sleep, find out in the morning what happened and then watch the highlights. You'll feel better, and you won't miss anything, I guarantee it.

Sabres Bolt preview

The final game before the All Star break, and everyone can rest, excluding Thomas Vanek who I wouldn't mind if he went lazy in the All Star game. No need to try Thomas. Save it up for the Playoff push. Its also a game against a bottom dweller of the of the East and a team coming off a good win the other day, so they aren't super hungry for a win, but games before breaks are always interesting to see which team is half way home already or willing to play. And Tampa is 5-3 in their last 8 games.

The Sabres really need to win this game. Two points is big here, anything to keep distance from the 3 teams chasing them. Plus its against Tampa. They are 2-1 against Tampa this year. Seriously another team they are already done with? Plus the Lightning are thin on defense. They only played 5 guys on defense, and the 5th guy played 9 minutes. (Who is also sent down) So they will have Lukas Krajicek, Andrej Meszaros, Cory Murphy and Steve Eminger playing well over 20 minutes a piece tonight. So getting the Lightning in penalty trouble is a necessity. Yet Lecavalier played only 18 minutes. What? Put him out there. And with Steve Downie and David Koci in the lineup, I wouldn't be surprised if Andrew Peters got a go tonight.

But the lightning are who you think they are. The Lecavalier and St Louis show. They are hands and shoulders better then anyone on that roster. Including Mark Recchi who still produces, and Vaclav Prospal, a good player and one I wouldn't mind centering the Sabres 3rd line. (hint hint)Vinny and Marty are also plus players on a otherwise minus team. So that means they actually play a little defense.

Ryan Malone isn't producing what he is getting paid. (shock) Steve Stamkos isn't being helped with a bad lineup. Jussi Jokinen probably wishes he were still in Dallas or anywhere else. And the rest of the lineup is filled with filler. The contracts of Lecavalier and St Louis really hamper them to do anything. They didn't fill their needs at defense, and their forwards aren't that good. Now with attendance decline, they don't have the cash to do anything. Thus the Lecavalier trade rumors. It would marketing suicide, but they seriously need to rebuild.

At least they have a decent goaltender again. The Brad Richards trade worked, since they got Mike Smith who has a 2.49 GAA and a .919 sv%. Very Milleresque. He does get on average 31 shots a game which isn't that bad. But this team is years away from being a serious contender. But yet they have a Stanley Cup, which us Sabre fans can't say. So ugh.

The Sabres are also coming off a Paintball team building exercise, because nothing says team unity like shooting each other with paint. Well they should be in a good mood and hopefully loose. So they can light up the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Game starts at 730

Inside Dick Jaurons Office

(phone rings)

Jauron: Hello Coach Jauron.

Bill Kollar: Hey Dick, its Bill. I'm just letting you know the Houston Texans have offered me a job as their D line coordinator, and I'm gonna take it.

Jauron: Oh Ok. Well that's bad news for us, but I'm happy for you, if that's what you want. You provided the Buffalo Bills Organization with a great service and I thank you for your time.

Bill Kollar: Thanks for everything. I wish you the best and good luck next year.

Jauron: Thanks and you too.

(hangs up phone)

Jauron: (lets out sigh) Oh man, I didn't want to have to go search for a coach now. I have enough issues managing my time and this team, let alone a coach search. I would have hired Rod Marinelli, but he got hired by the Bears. Now who am I going to get? I'm sure theres someone out there that will want to coach some nice young kids.

(phone rings)

Jauron: Hello its Coach Jauron

Chuck Dickerson: HEY DICKIE ITS THE COACH! I HEAR YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A D LINE COACH. I'M YOUR MAN!

Jauron: Who?

Chuck Dickerson: CHUCK DICKERSON!

Slight pause, while Jauron searches the internet

Jauron: Ohhhh, you coached the Defensive line of the Bills back in the early 90's.

Chuck Dickerson: I MADE BRUCE SMITH!

Jauron: Well I don't know about that, he was pretty good before you came there.

CHUCK DICKERSON: HE WAS NOTHING. THE COACH MADE HIM A HALL OF FAMER.

Jauron: I don't think so, but I'll go along.

CHUCK DICKERSON: I'M RIGHT. NOW GIVE ME THE JOB!

Jauron: Well, I'm going to look through all my options and fill the position with the right coach. You coached a 3-4, we run a 4-3. So we may lean to someone who is knowledgeable about the 4-3 front.

CHUCK DICKERSON: YOU'RE 4-3 SUCKS. I COULD HAVE 5 YEAR OLDS RUN A BETTER 4-3 THEN WHAT YOU GOT OUT THERE.

Jauron: Really? What would you change.

Chuck Dickerson: FIRST, GET RID OF THAT PANSY KELSEY AND DENNEY. SECOND GET BRUCE SMITH.

Jauron: Bruce Smith is retired and we have a lot of money in those players. Releasing them would be a bad financial move.

Chuck Dickerson: ARE YOU RUNNING A BUSINESS OR PLAYING FOOTBALL?

Jauron: Both

CHUCK DICKERSON: I'M THE COACH. YOU SHOULD BE FIRED AND THEY SHOULD HIRE ME. I KNOW FOOTBALL!

Jauron: You know I'm the one that hires, so saying I should be fired isn't that smart.

Chuck Dickerson: THE COACH SAYS WHAT HE WANTS. DEAL WITH IT. I'll MAKE A KYLE WILLIAMS A BEAST. HE'LL HAVE SNOT COMING OUT HIS NOSE AND DROOLING AT EVERY PLAY.

Jauron: He's pretty effective now.

Chuck Dickerson: DOES HE HAVE SNOT COMING OUT HIS NOSE?

Jauron: I don't know, I don't check or care.

Chuck Dickerson: WITH ME HE'D HAVE SO MUCH SNOT, THE CENTER COULDN'T GET THE SNAP OFF.

Jauron: Thats gross and probably illegal.

CHUCK DICKERSON: WHO CARES ITS THE COACH! WHO LOVES YA BABY!

Jauron: Uh? Well I gotta go, but I'll keep you in mind in my search.

Hangs up phone

Jauron: Doreen, please screen my calls. I don't want crazy people calling me for jobs or at all.

Doreen: Coach Jauron, Ralph Wilson is on Line 1.

Jauron: What did I just say?

Sabres Panthers Preview

The Sabres are at again, with a nice Florida trip before the All Star Break, and man anyone in Buffalo could use some warm weather right now. Unfortunately its a business trip and a important one. They could use the 4 points from the next two points, to secure their position at 7 and maybe moving up. But with a rough trip coming out of the break, winning both games would be nice.

But the Panthers aren't a pushover. It will be a tough game, since both teams need it, and with a break looming don't need to conserve energy (so one would think) The Panthers stand 9th in the conference, 2 points behind the Sabres. They give up as many goals as they score (same as Buffalo) and are 5-3-2 in their last 10. The Sabres are 7-3, two points right there.

They would what I call balanced scoring. With 10 guys with 20 points or more. (The Sabres have 7) No one is above 30 points. (The Sabres have 3) David Booth is the leading goal and point scorer with 18 goals and 29 points. Stephen Weiss has 28, Bouwmeester with 26 points and Nathan Horton with 25. Cory Stillman has 22 points in 28 games.

Other potential offensive weapons are Radek Dvorak, Bryan McCabe, Gregory Campbell, and Richard Zednick.

But what makes the Panthers competitive is their goaltending.

It almost looks like a two goalie system. Thomas Vokoun has 918 sv% and a 2.70 GAA. Lots of saves with a lot of shots, over 30 a game. Craig Anderson has a .930 sv% with a 2.47 GAA. If these guys aren't sharp, they don't have the real big time scoring to overcome it.

The Panthers are always tough at home, and with a Break coming up, the nice weather, it may spell L-A-Z-Y for the boys in Blue and gold. But they may come out hard and actually buy into what Lindy is selling them. Of course theres Nathan Paetsch tonight. If he's smart he'll play well to make Butler expendable when the corp is healthy again. If not, its pressbox city for young Nathan.

Anyway only two more before the All Star break, enjoy.

The longest two weeks in Sports.

The conference championships are over. Now we head into two weeks of hype, the Cardinal coaches getting revenge on the Steelers. Boldin, is he upset and will he play? Is there a player near retirement that is from Tampa story? Because I love the Bettis from Detroit stories, they didn't overkill that. Kurt Warner looking for glory. The coming out of Larry Fitzgerald. Someone saying something stupid that will turn into billboard material. And of course Mike Tomlin getting into an argument with Dr House.

Some may say its not a great matchup. But when is the Superbowl ever the great Matchup? Last year was good, but seriously it was a boring snoozefest for 3 quarters, till people decided to play. This one should at least have some points scored. The Steelers aren't facing a rookie QB, who is average at best. Seriously, they try to promote Flacco, when he threw 4 straight completions. 4! You should do that one 1 drive a game at least. Flacco is terrible. His defense keeps it competitive and their strategy to get pass interference calls to get touchdowns is a joke. The Ravens are unwatchable. Yesterday it was punt after punt, who wants to see that? At least Kurt Warner will spice things up by throwing a pick or two and then hitting Larry Fitzgerald for a amazing touchdown.

But the next two weeks is also a realization that Football is over. That's always sad, and now we get that free agency period, followed by the draft, OTA's then finally in late July we get training camp. LATE JULY! I can't even comprehend that far ahead. Football has just a long offseason and with how the Bills ended, I wish they could get back on the horse in March and start this thing. But I guess anticipation makes things greater, and that's why there is 2 weeks till the Super Bowl.

Before I get to my first prediction for the "Big" Game. Lets watch Willis McGahee go silently into that good night.



Oh man. I'm not the biggest of Willis supporters, but whooo, he got lit up. The Super Vision replay is the best at the end. He looked like a crash test dummy. He's gonna be ok. But oh man, he's feeling that hit till the Super Bowl.

So my initial knee jerk prediction

Pittsburgh 31 Arizona 21

Enjoy the hype everyone!

Weekend Sports preview

The Perfect picture, if the Sabres throw up on the ice tonight.

Well its an exciting sports weekend.

The Sabres play a very important game tonight at home. The Hurricanes come to town, right behind the Sabres and its the first game of the series and the first look at the return of Paul Maurice.

I think its a good tell of this team in how they come out tonight. They won a big game in Dallas, and if they fall flat again, really this team needs some overhauling. (Still think that no matter what) How many times does Lindy have to fire these guys up, until they get it for themselves? They should know to come out hard and play every shift, instead of 2 of 5 shifts. Or what it looks like.

Please come out hard and entertain the fans, they don't need scoring to be entertained. They need hard play. Banging in the corners, clean checks. Nastiness. Thats what will get them into the game.

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The other big event is the NFL conference championships.

Remember when the Bills were in those? Yeah good times. That was how long ago? 1993? Oh man thats a long time ago. Thats almost pre internet. The Bills haven't been relevant since the internet. There is something to think about.

Now my picks, based not on facts but feeling alone.

Pittsburgh vs Baltimore

Steelers take this one. At home, Joe Flacco isn't that good. And they will run the ball. No matter what. They look like they are prepared and losing is not an option.

Arizona vs Philadelphia

A lot of people are picking the Eagles, and I will also pick the Eagles. More experience, better defense. And Jim Johnson is going to make Kurt Warner miserable. The Eagles offense will do enough to win. It won't be a blowout, but the winner won't be in doubt.

Anyway, gotta run.

Have a great sports weekend.

Bisons new uni's

Well the News article isn't out or the video of the festivities, but like any good marketing department. The new merchandise is always ready to be ordered after. So taken right from the Bisons own online shop.


The home and away uniforms are sharp, simple and not too over the top. Traditional and incorporates the Mets into the process.

The hats on the other hand are a little ehh. A simple B, and the Alternate cap is not good whatsoever. It looks like they had to rush the design.

The primary logo I like, the jerseys are nice and simple and the hats are ok. But really who cares I'm sure they'll redo them in 3 years anyway.

Its a long battle ahead.

Even with last nights exciting comeback win in Dallas. There is still a lot of hockey left, and every one of the games will be a battle to stay in the playoff picture. (Battling will be said a lot) Unfortunately for the Sabres there seems to be a little separation of the 7th and 8th spots and the 6th spot. The Devils are 4 points ahead with a game in hand and the 5th placed Flyers are 6 points ahead of the 7th spot Sabres. There are 38 games left for the Sabres. So there is a chance if the Sabres stay hot, get 2 points in 65% of their games, they could leapfrog the Devils or Flyers. But we all know the Sabres aren't consistent at anything. And if they maintain a slight about .500 record, we would be happy with that. And don't look at the top of the standings because the Sabres are a astonishing 21 points behind the Bruins.

Which means basically for the next couple months. Their are 4 teams vying for 2 spots. The Leafs I think are too far back and will only play spoiler, their time comes next year.

As Sabre fans we only need to concentrate on the Hurricanes, Panthers and Penguins. Everyone else is pretty much pointless. The Bruins, Caps, Rangers are way too far ahead and we can only hope they beat the teams the Sabres need to lose. And no charity points. Nothing more frustrating then the Charity point.

The Sabres don't play the Pens anymore this season, going 2-1-1, so really there are no makeup points there. They took 5 of 8 points, and that's huge.

The Sabres next game is against the Hurricanes, which is the first game of the year in the 4 game series. 2 more games in February and what could be a huge game, a April 9th matchup, the second last game of the year, followed by the annual throwaway game versus the Bruins to end the year.

The Sabres have already lost to the Panthers once this year, but have three more matchups. The next one is Monday in Miami, the next two are in March, both at Home.

Thats 7 more games against two of the key opponents in the playoff push. The Sabres absolutely need to take 10 of those 14 points, to stay nicely ahead and keep their playoff status. They have a 6 games on the road coming up. (With a break) And a 13 game schedule in February. February is the do or die month for the blue and gold.

Then March 4th is the trade deadline, where the Sabres are bound to make 1 or 2 moves. They need a little more grit and veteran leadership. Nothing flashy, but sensible, is what they need. They need to make the Playoffs this year, or the fans will turn away.

Buffalo Dallas Preview

Hey its the Dallas Stars, grrrr, do we hate them still? N0? Ok, well I guess there's only old memories for this one to get excited about. Otherwise its two mediocre teams trying to scrap and fight for points. (Battling)

Well after last nights 4-1 defeat, the Sabres have lost the last two games combined 7-2. They have only scored 3 goals in the last 3 games. They head into Dallas, who isn't a awesome defensive team. Well outside their top pair who are plus players, there are a lot of minus players. And a lot of guys that make you go mmm who is James Neal or Matt Niskanen? And then go I have no clue about the Western Conference. If I didn't look at the standings I wouldn't know if Dallas was good or not. No clue. Don't care. Thats what the old schedule did. It made half the league irrelevant to me. HALF! Sure you know the Islanders suck and the Thrashers. But what about the Kings or the Avalanche? I Have no clue?

Anyway.

Loui Eriksson is the leading goal scorer for the stars with 21. (WHO?)
Brad Richards is the leading point scorer with 35. (He I know since he was in Tampa)
Mike Ribeiro is the 2nd leading point scorer with 34. (He I know since he was in Montreal, and I found out has a lot of points and went HOW!)
Mike Modano has 26 points on the year with 13 goals. (He's been in the league since forever)

There are other guys, that you've mostly barely heard about, and really aren't mentioning.

The goalies are though.

Marty Turco everyone knows, because of his postseason flameouts. And his stats this year are hideous

A 3.15 GAA and a .883 sv%. Wow. Those arent very good numbers. And some guy named Tobias Stephen is even worse. Or is that Stephen Tobias. Who cares he sucks.

Hopefully the Sabres can actually put some pucks in the net tonight. Or Marty Turco will look like a hall of famer. For all the offense Tim Connolly was supposed to bring, the Sabres have shown none.

Lets score some goals and win a game. Its January and its freezing we need some entertainment.

Drew Stafford, Chris Neil'd Duncan Keith

Ooo boy. Does it remind me of the Chris Neil hit on Drury.



Both are cross ice hits, but Duncan Keith head is way lower, so its not as similar. But when I saw that hit, it reminded me of the Drury hit. Both hitters target the prey, the shot is away, then bang. No head bleeding from Keith, so its not as dramatic. Nor did it start a huge goalie fight. Though I would imagine Lindy would have loved Lalime doing something productive.

Is it cheap? Ehh, and is the Neil shot dirty, ehhh. But its trying to make someone pay for going over the middle. Its about time someone in a Sabre uniform did something like this. Of course its a backchecking forward, but whatever I'll take it when I can get it.

But with one big hit Drew Stafford just made himself millions more on the market, as he is perceived as tough now. So he can go sign with the Blackhawks for a huge deal. Oh wait, wrong person.

Frank Reich Indy's new QB coach.

Well our old buddy Frank Reich. Leader of the comeback. Has a new job.

With Jim Caldwell taking over Tony Dungy, Frank is the new Quarterbacks coach with the Colts.

Jeez, that's a tough job. It must be hard to motivate Peyton Manning to play well. Well hey its all about stepping up the ladder, and if Peyton Manning says, hey he's a great coach and makes me prepared for every game. That can only improve his resume. No doubt with Bill Polian and the Polian boys running the show in Indy, any 90's Bill is probably in good standing.

Well with Indy coming to town next year, (unless they move it to Toronto and with Colts being a draw, I wouldn't doubt it), we'll get to see everyones favorite backup. And we'll get to see all the clips from the Comeback and all the good memories, and then we'll realize its 2009 and we'll get depressed again.

Good for Frank and I hope its a first step to bigger and better things. Like Head coach of the Buffalo Bills 2010? (jumping way ahead)

Briere sent down?

Well in a interesting and a delaying the inevitable, Danny Briere is going to the minors for a rehab stint.

Now I'm not Bucky Gleason bringing up the past, just bringing up a interesting question.

My question is, doesn't he have to pass waivers? And nobody would bite on that? I guess his contract is that bad, that nobody would bite on a potential point a game player. Yes I know the terrible plus minus, but Drury always has a terrible plus minus and people dismiss that, since he's "captain clutch". More like Captain in the right spot. But since joining Philly he has had injury issues and performance issues.

Mo Money, Mo Problems.

Things will never get back to where they were here, when he was beloved by the Sabre faithful. But he wrote his exit ticket, when he opted to go to arbitration. Which led to them not being able to retain JP Dumont, a loss no one talks about, but was big in my eyes. Now Flyer fans hate him. Want him gone, like we do for Max.

He was a great player while he was here, no doubt, made better by the system they ran, probably the same type of effect, that the Phoenix Suns had when D'Antoni ran them. Players perceived much greater then they are, since they had gaudy stats. Now Chris Duhon is benefiting from this with the Knicks and I'm sure looking for a gigantic payday soon. Drury and Briere had inflated stats, because of the situation they were in, now they have inflated contracts, which will be a burden years to come. Say what you will about Darcy Regier, the Sabres aren't in trouble 2 or 3 years down the road. They have manageable contracts with solid players. Vanek is a all star and gets paid like one, and his highest totals are over sooner then later. Money wise I mean. He's a 40 to 50 goal scorer for the next several years. Maybe the greatest Sabre goal scorer ever, by the time he's done.

Several years ago, Danny Briere could do no wrong, well yes he was called out at times. Now Flyer fans want him gone and his value is pretty much gone.

Sorry Danny, I still like you. You would have stayed if they wanted you to. But the Sabres knew, and let you get your big pay day.

Sorry for the abscence

I have been detained the past few days, with work and with personal life. That kept me away from the blog. Yes I know, very sad. But I should be coming strong this week. The Sabres are on the road. College Hoops is really heating up. And the league championships are this weekend.

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Lets talk about football.

I watched a bunch of the games. Didn't catch much of the Steelers Chargers game. Because I knew how that was going to turn out. The Chargers are ok, and squeeked by last week. The Steelers are always ready at home. Which was going to lead to a non competitive game. But how bad is Quarterback play in the NFL now? Or are the playoff defenses that much better? Arizona made Jake Delhomme look like a rookie. Joe Flacco is a rookie and plays like one, seriously he isn't that good. Kerry Collins was just as bad. Kurt Warner is actually playing well, since teams are giving him time, so he'll rip you to shreds. Eli Manning was terrible, Mcnabb was okay, but nothing special. I though the phone thing was funny and odd. But Roelisberger has his typical day, nothing fancy, just getting the ball around and they run the ball. Rivers got down and had to throw, so his stats were high. But almost completed just 50% of his passes.

You think with the final 8 teams, we could get some decent quarterback play from at least half the teams.

Also, why is it called the divisional round? Theres nothing divisional about it. Which brought my idea up, if they have the names already, why not bump up the playoffs to 8 teams. Have the Wild Card teams play one weekend, then the Divisonal winners play each other one weekend. Then Winners all meet the following week in the Semifinals. Then the conference semifinals the following week, followed by the Conference Championship. Its an extra week of playoffs, more money for the league and Tv, plus it would be awesome. The teams get a week off if they win. It keeps the incintive to win the division. The wild cards are usually better then the division winners anyway, so it won't hurt anyone.

Divisonal playoffs makes zero sense. That has to change. Say, the conference semifinals. That sounds better.

Anyway thats just something that was bothering me. I'm sure it bothers 4 other people.

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On to Hockey.

Well the Sabres went 1-1 on the weekend. Not too bad. Though they really relied on Ryan Miller on both nights. I honestly though they were going to get a point in Detroit. But just fell apart late, and thats all it takes for the Red Wings. But I don't mind losing to the Red Wings in Detroit. The win against the Rangers was good. They really turned it on in the 3rd period. Usually when the Sabres get down the stay down. But fought hard and got the win in the shootout. They have really played much better since the Washington disaster.

And the fact that expiring contracts maybe in vogue for NHL teams to trade for, Max might actually pull in a actual player. The extra room the Sabres have, could really benefit them, and with the amount of money thats expiring for the Sabres this year, they could pull off dead weight for dead weight. Someone who needs new scenery. (They mention Dustin Penner) He makes too much, but I think might bring something for the Sabres, if Brian Burke doesn't snag him first. When thinking trades over the next month or so, think dead weight, the sabres have the right kind of contracts. Max, Connolly, Teppo, Kotalik, that others might want to clear some room this year off their books. Creative accounting trading. With that the Sabres might pull in a interesting player.
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The Griff men lost again, to Fairfield, the crappiest school in the MAAC. No matter who I know who works there. Which drops them to 0-6 in conference. Which will come in handy conference tourney time, when they are the last seed. But seriously, how have they gotten better. They can't score, the don't win close games, its same old same old. Time to hire a new kind of coach.

The Griff women, won for the 9th straight time. Which makes them 12-4 and 4-1 in the conference. They seem to have the right players. Play good basketball and score. Hey Canisius. Why not make the Womens coach, the Men's coach. He's good, I'm sure he can coach the mens team to some success.

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Anyway, more later. But its good to be back.

Sending out a APB on Dan Paille

A actual picture of Dan Paille would be here, but I forgot what he looked like


Well missing in the recent winning streak of the Sabres, is the complete disappearance of one Daniel Paille. I've heard he's on the roster. But you rarely see him during games anymore. For a guy that almost scored 20 goals last year, you'd think you'd hear about him. But when watching games, you think you see a 20 out there, but you aren't quite sure. So if you see him let me know. The stats show he played and he had 2 shots on goal yesterday. Mmm they might mistake him for someone else.

He has been known to assciate with people as Clarke MacArthur or a Ales Kotalik. And sometimes a Paul Gaustad. If you see him, please contact Lindy Ruff.

But seriously, this guy has dropped off the face of the planet. Another forward, who you get nothing from for weeks. Its not just Max. If MacArthur didn't have weeks of good play, he'd be in this group too. Hecht is definitly on this list, and Kotalik.

Since December 1st

2 goals 3 assists -3. 18 shots on goal in 17 games.

He's not hurting the team, but he sure isn't helping the team. He had 19 goals and 35 points last year. He's lucky if he gets 10 goals this year. And with Tim Connolly coming back, he might find his way on the bench. Or traded. Dan Paille could be a good pickup for someone else. He's just another one of those inconsistent forwards. Who can play the penalty kill and play defense. And what I've seen from Matt Ellis, so can he at a cheaper price. If you can get a steady defenseman for Dan Paille, I'd swing that deal.

But please when you find Dan Paille, tell him to pick up his game, or he is on the way out.

Sabres Sens Preview

Well the Sens roll into town at the end of a 7 game road trip, due to the Junior Championships being played there. They have only won 1 game on the trip. With back to back losses on the weekend. Including a rough one to the rival Leafs. There is plenty of talk of whats wrong, what else will happen. It seems the Sens are always at the bottom when they come into Buffalo. It happened earlier in the year, and then they waxed the Sabres. Some may go here we go again. But I don't believe that. The captain is back tonight and I don't think he'll let the Sabres come out flat tonight. They are tired of getting booed at home. (Maybe a reason they seem better on the road) So I expect a fast start. If certain guys don't play, they aren't going to be out there. Its a simple way of getting rid of lazy play. After Saturday, more Matt Ellis please.

The Sens

The problem with the Sens is that they are a 1 line team. And that one line isn't producing as much as they should. Then their second line scoring is atrocious. They overspent on the top 3, limiting what they could do with signing and retaining players. Plus the defense has slowly depleted over the years. Chara, Redden, Preissing, Corvo, Meszaros and Commodore just to name a couple. Now they are younger and with the elder statesman Chris Phillips back there, who is a suprising -21 on the year. But is a +1 against Buffalo this year.

Heatley has 16 goals and 35 points (leads team in both) Alfie has 11 goals and 34 points on the year. And the Jason "hit you with his Purse" Spezza has 30 points on the year. Kuba and Picard are the next two highest scoring defensemen on the team. Which I assume mainly come from Power play participation. (too lazy to look) But after that Mike Fisher is the next leading scorer with 12 points. Chris Kelly only has 9 points. And a bunch of others 12 and under. Really for the high scoring team I always assume of the Senators, they aren't anymore. If you bottle the top 3. There isn't much to worry about after that. Players like Fisher and Kelly were guys who would always get you when you were lazy. But it seems the heart and soul of the Senators has disappeared. Along with the smirk.

But the Sens always have the Sabres number. They see those jerseys and have horrible flashbacks and just seem scared of the Big 3. Hopefully they can break out of this mental block. Because the Sabres seriously need to keep winning. Especially with this on the horizon.

1/9 vs Rangers
1/10 @ Detroit
1/14 @Chicago
1/15 @Dallas
1/17 vs Carolina
1/19 @ Florida
1/21 @ Tampa
1/27 @Edmonton
1/28 @Calgary
1/31 @Phoenix
2/2 @ Anaheim

Thats a nasty stretch coming up. A Midwest road trip. Back home, then a Florida trip. All Star Break. Then back at it with a West Canada Swing then a Southwest Swing. They better like home now, because they ain't seeing it much over the next month.

Woah wait. The Edmonton, Calgary Phoenix or Anaheim games aren't on local tv? Or are they just going to stream the home team feed? Talk about cost cutting. I don't think I heard about this before. Thats 4 straight games. Sure they are all late, and the ratings are probably bad. But I loved the West Coast Sabre games. They were special. Come on MSG. Spend some dough. I guess you'll have to listen to the radio for the last 4 of the road trip.

Anyway tonight will be on tv. So lets hope the Sabres come out hard and want to win again. It will just be nice to see Rivet back.

Sunday Playoff Preview (brief)

Well the Sunday games aren't very intriguing to me, because I have zero idea how the Vikings and Eagles got in. I really didn't follow the NFC that closely. I though the Vikings were bad, the only insight I read about the Vikings is Drew Magary, and he is always done on them, except for Purple Jesus.

But I'm going to base my predictions solely based on team stats, throw out the records, who they played or my image of them. Where do their team stats lie, because numbers never lie.

Vikings vs Eagles

The Eagles come in with the 9th ranked offense in the NFL and the 3rd ranked defense.

The Vikings come in with the 17th ranked offense and the 6th ranked defense.

Well the numbers tell me, that the Eagles will win this game. Top 10 in both rankings usually indicate a pretty good team. Yet the Eagles have never seemed to be that good.

The Eagles win through the Air, good for Andy Reid. 31 to 13


Dolphins vs the Ravens

Chad Pennington vs Joe Flacco. Joey Porter vs Ray Lewis.

Boring guys and crazy linebackers, its a good contrast.

Well using the same strategy.

The Ravens come into Sunday with 18th ranked offense and the 2nd ranked defense

The Dolphins come into Sunday with the 12th ranked offense and 15th ranked defense.

Mmm, you always go against the rookie QB, especially versus one that has postseason experience. But the Ravens D is just too good and too hard. They will come out hard on Sunday to prove how good they are, and Pennington doesn't have the arm strength to really go after this Ravens secondary, even with Jim Leonhard back there. Its a tight one, and low scoring.

Ravens 17 Dolphins 13

Those are my non scientific predictions for sunday's game and I'm usually wrong. But anyway enjoy.