Buffalo Boy's Blog
Giving You More Than Just My Two Cents
October 2009 Archives
Sabres 3, Leafs 2
I've been saying it all year with the Bills and the same holds true in the NHL, bad teams find ways to lose and good teams find ways to win. The Leafs last night found a way to lose while the Sabres showed why they are a good team, they found a way to scrape together a goal in overtime and take another one from the Leafs.
The Sabres had the lead for most of the night but late in the third Toronto tied the score. The Leafs dumped 16 shots on goal in the 3rd and probably deserved more than than another defeat on an already ugly season in the hockey mecca of the world.
The Sabres though were led by Ryan Miller who has been sharp from day one but if not for him last night it could have been much different and Tim Connolly who was also brilliant.
Connolly had three points last night including the game winner. If he gets on a role there is no better puck handler/playmaker in the league.
I will say this for the Leafs, though there is no consolation prize for such a dismal start, "The Monster" looked pretty darn good in goal.
If your keeping score at home that is one regulation loss in the first 10 games of the season and 17 points good for a 3 point lead over Ottawa in the division and third in the conference.
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
The Grand Island Holiday Inn
Halloween is a great time for ghost stories and Western New York has its fair share of them. The Grand Island Holiday Inn is one of those landmarks. It sits where there used to be a mansion that burnt down and a girl Tanya was killed there.
Whether you believe in this sort of thing or not its interesting at the very least. The Inn on Grand Island was amongst the top 10 haunted hotels in the US not to long ago.
Here is the story of Tanya:
Category: Halloween 2009
Facebook Abuse
Category: Miscellaneous
Sabres 4, Devils 1
7-1-1 to start the season and three in a row on the road including a 4-1 win against the New Jersey Devils tonight who have owned us recently. We finally beat Martin Brodeur as he gave up 4 goals tonight on just 27 shots.
We are officially undefeated on the road thus far. Not a bad start and I would say that this was our second real test of the season. Detroit was our first and we passed with flying colors. Tonight was a tough defensive minded New Jersey team that we always struggle against and we handled it well.
Jason Pominville, Clarke MacArthur, Paul Gaustad and Tim Kennedy's first goal of the season led the way and Ryan Miller dropped his 1.69 goals against even more.
Next up: The distraught Leafs. Could be a trap game though. Something tells me the Leafs play tougher than their record and could be a very hard fought game.
We will also know if Darcy Regier makes the correct decision by keeping Tyler Myers on this team. Be smart not conservative Darcy. He wouldn't be the first 19 year old to play in the NHL.
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
Conyers: Public Option or Nothing
Category: healthcare
Schwarzenegger Drops The "F" Bomb
This is awesome! Yes it was sent to a democrat but so what! Arnold Schwarzenegger responded to California democrat Tom Ammiano with this letter. Take a look at the left margin which spells out Fuck and You:
This will create a media storm and we won't hear the end of it for weeks but who cares. I have often said that Arnold is the ONLY republican that I would A) Trust and B) vote for if he were able to run for president. Change the amendment folks because this just raises him up even more.
TO THE Members of the California State Assembly:
I am returning Assembly Bill 1176 without my signature.
For some time now I have lamented the fact that major issues are overlooked while many unnecessary bills come to me for consideration. Water reform, prison reform, and health care are major issues my Administration has brought to the table, but the Legislature just kicks the can down the alley.
Yet another legislative year has come and gone without the major reforms Californians overwhelmingly deserve. In light of this, and after careful consideration, I believe it is unnecessary to sign this measure at this time
Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger
No, not for the left margin but for this statement: "Water reform, prison reform, and health
care are major issues my Administration has brought to the table....."
A republican focused on MAJOR issues like the environment and holy crap real healthcare reform. If Barack Obama could somehow tap into Schwarzeneggers backbone we would have single payer healthcare in this country. Instead the minority in Washington pushes him around.
Lets face it, republicans and democrats alike in Washington are paid off by lobbyists who don't want reform in anything from financials to healthcare because the fat cats keep getting fatter and are able to pay the lobbyists even more money to hand out to even more politicians.
Arnold doesn't need the money, hes made and continues to make boat loads of it from Hollywood and his movies and bodybuilding endorsements. He would knock heads around in Congress and the Senate and clean up a dirty Washington. If only we could get Arnold to run as an independent and lead a third party revolution for the middle class......Change the damn amendment and let this guy run for president.
Olivia Is a Jays Fan
Olivia just happens to think the Jays would do a much better job than the Yankees did tonight against the Phillies. They did back in 1993. For now we are rooting for Pat Gillick and the Phillies!!!!!
Category: Baby Buffalo Girl | Sports | Toronto Blue Jays
Religion: Man's Flaw
Here are two videos that discuss religion as being one of man's flaws. They suggest that religion was made by man not the other way around and go from there.
Adam Corolla makes a few appearances. It really gets you thinking about religion and its purpose/lack thereof. What is religion and how do we get to the point where we have faith in such ridiculous things. Most who read this know that I am closer to being atheist or at the very least agnostic than anything and constantly question the purpose of religion, any religion.
Category: religion
Happy Halloween!
Category: Halloween 2009
This Is Halloween
Category: Halloween 2009
Bills 20, Panthers 9
Are the Bills playing with horse shoes in their shorts or what? Im not getting my hopes up for them yet. Im not even going to go where some fans will undoubtedly go.
They won their second game in a row on the road, the first time that has happened since 2004. They also have a rookie safety playing like a superstar right now who will make it very hard to bring back the injured starters if he keeps picking off passes.
If they win next week Ill mention the P word and show a little more optimism. Until then, they beat another mediocre team.
For now, they are 3-4, they got help from the Saints and they remain one game behind the Jets. Thats it.
Category: Buffalo Bills
Throw The Book At Ruutu
Watching this play makes me sick. The more I look the more I see Jarko Ruutu who is no angel in the NHL leading with his elbow and hitting a vulnerable Darcy Tucker whom I have an enormous respect for from his days as a Leaf. Darcy is no saint either, but as tough a customer as Darcy is and as willing as Darcy is to throw his body I never knew Darcy to be a cheap shot artist. He didn't deserve the hit that Jarko placed on him. Jarko clearly led with his elbow and knew exactly what he was doing. This play needs to be reviewed and Jarko should recieve the stiffest punishment possible.Category: Hockey
Sabres 3, Lightning 2
I almost turned it off, I came within an eye lash of saying screw it. I had to get up at 6 AM for a swim meet and I had the overnight shift with our daughter but I kept the TV on. It was 2-1 Tampa late and for the most part the Sabres were playing a rather perimeter type of game.
But, like a true fan I kept it on. Im glad I did. Drew Stafford scored the game tying goal from an impossible angle which proves that good things happen when you throw it at the net...how many times have we heard that one...and then it went to overtime.
Overtime was relatively uneventful, then 11 straight shooters in the shoot out and my man crush on Sabres rookie 19 year old defenseman Tyler Myers just reached a new high. This kid has played 8 games in the NHL and he is already on a nightly basis our best defenseman without breaking a sweat.
After 4 shooters for us I thought gee, I wonder if they would let the big 6'8" giant give it a shot in the shootout. They did and he put his huge reach to work and beat Mike Smith for the game winner. 6-1-1 good for 13 points and lst place in the Northeast thus far.
The move they need to make that scares the living crap out of me and Im sure other Sabres fans is the thought that they could send Myers back to juniors as more of an economic move. I would like to think that he has played well enough to warrant letting the 19 year old stay. I think if they send him back to juniors at this point you will have a lot of upset and confused fans and media.
Myers HAS to stay!
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
Sunday Retro Capsule
Im going to start doing what I will call Sunday Retro Capsules, showcasing some of my favorite Retro bands and featuring more than one song/video. This week I figured I would go with one of my favorite 80's groups who honestly i don't include as much as I could in Sunday Retro posts.</p>
The Cure first caught my attention like a lot of fans with their 1987 double LP Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, which included their all time classic Just Like Heaven. I was just getting out of my "Top 40" phase as a kid and getting into some more eclectic music and the Cure fit the bill. I soon discovered what I believe to be their best record Head on the Door which featured Push, Inbetween Days and Close To Me.
What I have always liked about The Cure is they can range from what most people mis-label them as gothic to very pop sounding to downright moody and angry.
They are still going strong today with three new records since 2000 including their latest 4:13 Dream which they toured on extensively. Robert Smith who is essentially "The Cure" has featured 11 members not including himself over they years though bassist Simon Gallup has essentially been a mainstay.
The Cure's influence can be seen in bands like Korn, My Chemical Romance, My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai and Evanescence.
Boys Don't Cry off their first full lenth record:Boys Dont Cry : The Cure - Click here for this week’s top video clips Push off of Head on the Door, live 2005:
The Cure - Push - Watch the best video clips here One Hundred Years, possibly their angriest/most gothic song ever, how many songs have started with the lyric "Does it matter if we all die...." Its live on the Trilogy DVD and features some of the bands loudest work:
The Cure - One Hundred Years (HD) - Click here for more blooper videos A Cure Classic, Just Like Heaven:
The Cure - Just Like Heaven - Funny video clips are a click away From 1992's Wish, Friday Im in Love:
The Cure - Friday Im In Love (Live 2008) - The best free videos are right here Fascination Street, off All Mixed Up:
The Cure - Fascination Street [Extended Mix] - The top video clips of the week are here Something a little more recent, Alt End off their self titled record released live in Toronto in 2004
The Cure - Alt.End - The funniest home videos are here
Category: Sunday Retro
Rush Proves Hes a Gas Bag
Not the band, the fat ass talk show host. Rush Limbaugh's witch hunt on Barack Obama came to a screeching halt Friday as he thought he had uncovered some juicy material on 10 pages of Barack Obama's thesis entitled "Aristocracy Revisited".
Only one problem, Rush, nor his producers checked this "thesis" for fact and went ahead and based their show on it anyway. This is just more proof that a) Limbaugh is on a witch hunt from day one with Obama and b) hes probably full of crap on his other "socialist", "facist", "communist" and other claims he has made about Obama. Seriously, does anyone realistically look around them and see any semblence of a communist society? I don't. The first thing that republicans like Limbaugh will bring up is General Motors or as they call it "Government Motors". GM filed bankrupcy. They asked for government assistance, the government didn't want to LEND them money. The key word there is LEND. GM is no more owned by the federal government than millions of students who take money from government sponsored student loans for college. GM had to agree to pay back those loans based on the bankrupcy agreement. Limbaugh has been out for Obama's head since November, stating he wants our president to fail and failing to check facts on stories like this thesis and supporting birther's claims that Obama isn't a citizen of this country are examples of Limbaugh's and other talk show hosts recklessness on the right who have no other grounds to go after this president other than to smear him at every turn. Listen to AM 1520 in the afternoon for an hour then switch to Limbaugh on WBEN 930. Listen to the way in which the liberally based AM 1520 is more about solutions to America's problems than it is about smearing the president. 1520 is liberal radio but by no means are they signing praise for Obama at every turn, unlike Limbaugh and his conservative talk host friends who thought W could do no wrong. Ed Schultz who works the afternoons and is nationally syndicated like Limbaugh but on significantly fewer stations is the complete opposite of Limbaugh. The only thing they share is their passion for what they believe in, though I would even question that in Limbaugh who has said in the past that he does what he does for the ratings, not because he necessarily believes it. You want a witch hunt and false claims against a president and democratic party trying to fix the mess left by W, listen to the fat ass on 930, you want someone who is trying to find solutions and engages with ALL listeners republicans, democrat or in the middle, give Ed Schultz a shot.Its The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
Everyone's favorite scene from this classic...The Football scene
Category: Halloween 2009
Titans Meet
I will be coaching at the Tonawanda Aquatic and Fitness Center for the Tonawanda Titans Halloween Meet this weekend. Its really our first well attended short course meet of the season.
We had a few kids swim tonight in the 200 Yard Freestyle and 200 IM. Tomorrow we have a busy day including 28 heats of 12 and under mixed 50 freestyles and 18 heats of 13 and over.
I'll post more over the weekend as able. Of course this being the Halloween Meet means its time to find some SCARRRRYYYYYY POSTS.
Category: Swimming
Downstate Morons Suing Over GI Tolls?
Let me get this straight...a couple of boneheads from down state are suing the New York State Thruway Authority for not charging Grand Island Residents more for going over the Grand Island Bridge?
Okay, look, I understand, this is a sue happy country and people will sue if you sneeze and they catch the same damn cold as you had that made you sneeze, but really?
If they want to sue over this, then lets sue downstate for taking all the money that upstate should get from the astronomical taxes we pay in this state. Besides have they seen the tolls at the bridges around New York City? Sue them! Did they pay the New York State Thruway toll when they drove their asses up here from Long Island?
:Lets review:
1. The Grand Island Tolls should not be there anymore anyway. The bridges have been paid for 10 times over by now but at this point its a cash grab for the Thruway Authority.
2. Island residents have no choice. What are they supposed to do move? If the toll was $1 for them thats probably what they would all do, move. They can't go to a hospital, a mall or a movie without leaving Grand Island. You make Island residents pay the full $1 or even the quarter that commuters pay and they would end up spending $300-$1000 a year just on tolls.
That would be a perfect recipe for a mass exodus on Grand Island, you would probably see a lot of people move off the Island.
The good side of this is that it goes to court and it could show just how out of line these tolls are and make the case for having them removed completely. The deal was that once the bridges were paid for they would be taken down.
Lets face it, no offense to Grand Island residents, and I can say this because I was one, there is nothing on Grand Island worth paying a dollar to use those bridges for. Is Fantasy Island Amusement Park really worth a dollar toll?
Its unbelievable that people on the Island haven't made more of a stink about it and its even more unbelievable that this lawsuit is even being heard, especially since it comes from a couple of dicks who have gone over the bridge a grand total of once. The real argument should be whether they should tear them down....the answer to that is a big Yes.
Category: News
There Is Another
There is another Buffalo blog in the blogging world. The name? Buffalo Dave. I will probably put him up on my sidebar. Help welcome him into the Buffalo blogging world and check out his site.
He appears to be a republican so it should provide A) a little competition for me and B) a different view from my liberal points. Of course Im assuming that he is new as he has only 16 posts thus far. Dave, if you stop by, correct me if I am wrong.Category: Blogging
Radio Nigel, My New CFNY
Since 102.1 CFNY has taken a big fat crap my new favorite radio station for the last several months now has been an internet station called Radio Nigel...their playlist for the last 10 songs
1. Front 242- Tragedy For You
2. The Clash- Police and Theives
3. Joe Jackson- Nineteen Forever
4. Concrete Blonde- Tomorrow Wendy
5. Squeeze- Black Coffee in Bed
6. Cheap Trick- I Want You To Want Me
7. Heaven 17- Let Me Go (12" Extended Mix)
8. Bump G4- Read My Lips
9. Berlin- Sex
10. When in Rome- The Promise
There are brief self promoting commercials but nothing incredibly long, otherwise they are commercial free, they operate in part on donations, I haven't donated yet but I may shoot over a dollar a month towards the cause of keeping good music streaming from somewhere.
Sean Hannity: George W. Deserves a Nobel Peace Prize???
Seriously? Hannity has gone off the deepend. Make no mistake about this, Barack Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. Sean Hannity seems to think George W. Bush deserves one too....yeah if they start handing them out to idiots.
I'll let <a href="http://www.wegoted.com/default.asp">Big Ed Schultz do the talking on this one:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Category: Politics
Lollipop
Category: Television
Still In It? Bills 16, Jets 13
I know I haven't been throwing fluffy, happy adjectives the Bills way this season and for good reason, however, they are not out of it after a win today.
Last season they won 5 of their first 6 and missed the playoffs, why can't the reverse be true this year essentially? Nevermind the 318 rushing yards against or the 6 interceptions the defense came up with which tied a Bills record, the following happened today that hasn't happened in a long time:
1. They won on the road.
2. They beat an AFC East team, one that was in a tie for first place at the start of the day BTW.
3. They came from behind to win.
4. They won with their backup quarterback.
5. They won a close game in OT.
When was the last time any of those things happened at all, nevermind in one game? It was a possible confidence booster for a team with a fragile ego right now and puts them just one game behnd the Jets in the standings.
Im not ready to put them in the playoffs, but a win today gives diehards a reason A) watch and B) go to the games.
For all of you who are already yelling for Fitzpatrick to start next week, he had a quarterback rating of 51 and was 10 of 25. Not exactly stellar but good enough to win. Not good enough at least for me to take Edwards out if hes healthy. If hes not healthy next week then Fitzpatrick maybe could make a statement and convince to let him keep going.
Category: Buffalo Bills
Thrashers 4, Sabres 2
What is it about Patrick Lalime that the Sabres always tend to lay an egg in front of him? The Sabres lost their first game in regulation this year so we can officially put to rest any thoughts about being 81-0-1 before the end of the season.
Lalime had to start sometime and last night was a good night to let it happen on the second of back to back games. Well not only did they come out flat but they also go beat by a team in the Thrashers who is getting used to beating us regularly.
Why do we have such a hard time with the Trashers regardless of who is in goal. I thought last night against the Islanders that we would come up empty but every once in a while we tend to play down to our opponents.
Buffalo was outshot in the first period 16-13 and then absulutely dominated the third period outshooting Atlanta 20-4. Too little too late and of all players who had to put it on ice against us......Max Afinogenov.....ugh....
On a positive note, Tim Connolly had two points and Clarke MacArthur scored his fourth goal.
Next we go on the road into Florida which the last two years had been full of traps so it should be interesting to see if they bounce back Wednesday night. Thomas Vanek should be back by Wednesday as well.
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
Sunday Retro
The Yankees have come out strong against the Angels but that doesn't mean I want to go to New York City. The Demics do though. This is the classic and rarely played Demics- New York City for Sunday Retro.
Category: Sunday Retro
Sharpen Up
Category: Miscellaneous
Did I Say He Should Have Been President?
Category: healthcare
He Should Have Won The Presidency
Hind sight is always 20-20, but I said it throughout the primaries, Congressman Dennis Kucinich was my choice, ahead of Barack Obama, ahead of Hilary Clinton, ahead of Joe Biden.
Kucinich gets it. He understands what the people of this country want. He gets the progressive movement in this country. Obama is playing to the right wing and its getting him no where.
I love the passion that Kucinich delivers and I love the fact that he speaks his mind and doesn't hold back. This man is a politician who doesn't play by the rules of the others. He truly represents the people he ran to serve, not big industries or coorporations.
These are a few recent clips of Congressman Kucinich speaking on healthcare and the the bill he and Representative Conyers drafted HR676 Medicare for all, single payer healthcare.
Category: Politics | healthcare
9 Year Old's Trick Shot
This is a clip from TD Bank's Mini One on One Challenge in Boston. Its a part of a promo that they will do between periods at the Boston Bruins game.
The kid in the video is 9 year old Oliver Wahlstrom and he does nothing short of a stupefying move on this poor goalie. It was....Ovechkin like:
Category: Hockey | Miscellaneous
Sabres 6, Red Wings 2
I may be a day late but its worth posting about this one. Its really one of a few quality opponents the Sabres play early in this season and Detroit was a push over for the most part.
This game was even in the first and third but in the second period Buffalo manhandled the Red Wings outshooting them 18-4 and scoring 4 goals in the second.
That is something few teams have done in recent years. Detroit is a juggernaut. Lindy talked up the Wings to his team and maybe the players got sick of hearing how good the Wings were and decided to show Lindy Ruff how good they are.
Ryan Miller won again and has not allowed more than 2 goals this season. Thomas Vanek has showed up scoring two goals.
We also got good news for this weekend as Vanek was originally expected to miss weeks after he tumbled into the boards Tuesday night but he may be back this weekend. That is good because there is no replacing a 40+ goal scoring left wing.
It was the first big test for this team and they handled it well. Tyler Myers its safe to say is staying past the magical nine game mark, he has to. At 19 he is this teams best defenseman right now.
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
SCARRRY SWINGERS!!!!
The way people are freaking out you would think that the swingers convention at the Holiday Inn on Grand Island is going to break into their home, steal their spouse or significant other and hold them down against their will and do unnatural things to them. Scary to be sure with Halloween approaching but that is not going to happen.
For those of you who don't know what a "swinger" is they are NOT someone who builds swing sets. Far from it. They are:
"Typically, swinging activities occur when a married or otherwise committed couple engages in sexual activity with another couple, multiple couples, or a single individual. These acts can occur in the same room (often called same room swinging) though different or separate room swinging does occur. On these occasions, swingers will often refer to sex as play and sex partners as playmates".
Yeah baby....if thats your thing go for it. Now its not our thing, but just because its not our lifestyle choice doesn't mean its freaking us out. The media and those who are coming out against this thing are acting like its against the law to have sex in a hotel room. Its not last time I checked.
The ones on the news freaking out about it need to get themselves a "lifestyle", hell they are probably jealous and when all is said and done, its really none of our business,
Seriously, would anyone be using Biblical references or condeming this convention if it were a "straight convention"? Probably not. Its different yes, but wrong? Only to the religiously and conservatively extreme who are just as freaky if not more so than any other group of people.
Its a group of people who like to swap partners and they may or may not be having sex with each other BEHIND CLOSED DOORS in their PRIVATE HOTEL ROOMS that they PAID FOR. They won't be in the lobby stripping down, they won't be in the hallways, they will be in their rooms when they do the horizontal shuffle....So whats the big deal?
Category: Miscellaneous | News
Single Payer Still A Possibilty?
Physicians for a;National Health Program is still putting up a fight for single payer and as recently as October 5th were at the table meeting with President Obama. I read a lot of the research and press releases from this site that has been run and organized by 14,000 physicians here in the US and every time I go there they are still there and as long as reform isn't done, I still have a feeling that Obama is going to stand up all of a sudden and put the conservatives and repukes in their place and get single payer done. This was a clip on CBS back in September:Watch CBS News Videos Online
Category: healthcare
Health Insurance Industry Takes a Shot at Reform
It was bad enough when the fabricated grass roots, conservative movement paid for by multimillion dollar coorporate executives were showing up at town hall meetings and spewing their lies about what wasn't in the health bill, now the health insurance industry is taking a shot at the democrats and president Obama's effort to reform healthcare.
Yes, the same health insurance companies that have been raising our premiums and causing pain and suffering to those of us who half to pay their huge premiums, the employers who have to eat the cost or not offer the benefits to their workers and kicking off those who do get sick.
They say that the public option would infact raise rates by as much as $4000 by 2019....The White House of course has to respond to this and now we will see where our elected democrats really stand.
The American people have been getting killed with rising health insurance costs and this is what they say, that they will continue to raise rates even with reform? Fine, if this reform goes through and they continue to raise rates we will have single payer because I can guarantee you that everyone will choose the public option and all these whining insurance companies can go belly up.
The sad part is that I don't think the reform bill is what any of us democrats voted for last November anyway. I have seen nothing being mentioned about eliminating pre-existing conditions and prohibiting health insurance companies from dropping patients when they get sick. There is nothing about prohibiting companies from raising rates when you get sick either. The other big one that we wanted was making ALL health insurance companies non-profit.
Its sad that this healthcare reform bill has gotten so watered down by a bunch of screaming idiots who were generating lies with their conservative coorporate leaders.
Next November is looking more and more like an Indpendent year, time to get third party politicians a chance to get in there and stir it up. Third party politicians that represent the middle class of this country.
Category: healthcare
Sabres 1, Predators 0
I really hope this isn't going to be the norm all season. Three games in and Its taken incredible efforts from Ryan Miller to get this team two wins and points in three straight.
Whats worse is they are consistently out shooting teams by huge margins and coming up with one or two goals a game.
At some point pucks need to start going into the net.
Tyler Myers continues to impress. He is way ahead of the learning curve. Have you ever seen a defenseman use the boards when he shoots the puck as well as he does? There have been a number of occasions where he has shot wide and gotten a great bounce in front to his forwards. Only problem is they aren't burying the chances hes producing.
He skates well for a 6'8" defenseman. Darcy was talking between periods last night and he was discussing whether or not the team would be keeping Myers. He didn't even hint as to their decision only to say that they have 9 games to determine where he goes. If the first three games are any indication....he has to stay and play. Sit someone but he has got to play. Hes easily the best defenseman on the team right now.
Same with Buffalo native Tim Kennedy, its not even close. He was probably the best forward on the ice last night and for much of Thursdays game. If I send anyone down its Matt Ellis.
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
The Smart One
Olivia was at the grandparents house today for the game and she was the smart one:
She slept from 1:00 until the game was over. How many of us wished we would have slept that one away?
Category: Baby Buffalo Girl | Buffalo Bills
Retro Sunday
The Lowest of the Low's Shakespeare My Butt is probably one of the greatest Canadian/North American records of all time. They would probably make any music fans list of top records of the 90's and Canada's highest selling Independent release until the Barenaked Ladies infamous Yellow Tape surpassed it. This is just the audio clip and it fit this week. The fans in this area have been subject to a bad product on the field by the Bills, yet like a good salesman, the Bills keep hooking the gulilbe fan base who keeps selling out games. This is Salesmen, Cheats and Liars, its audio onlyCategory: Sunday Retro
Fire The Dick
Its time. If he isn't fired by tomorrow something is seriously wrong. Either Fire Jauron or sell the team to someone who will. After watching what has got to be the all time low for this franchise this afternoon Ralph Wilson has got to be pondering it. Thats if he can still see. When you cancel half time ceremonies because you are afraid of getting booed off the field, its time to relinquish ownership and turn the franchise over to someone who cares.
What was worse? The fact that Derek Anderson of the Cleveland Browns completed a grand total of 2 passes for 23 yards or that that performance actually beat the happless Bills?
Four things realistically need to happen:
1. Jauron gets fired by tomorrow
2. Trent Edwards needs to sit for the rest of the year....don't think so? His after game comments said it all "We have a coach who is taking this team in positive directions" or something of that nature.....Postively awful directions....Trent? Have you recovered from last years concussion?
3. Release Roscoe Parrish....He returns kicks like Roscoe from the Dukes of Hazard. They would have been better off telling Roscoe to just not touch the ball, don't even go near it, let it go where it goes and we will take over from there.
4. Hire a real GM
Name a lower moment in the franchises histor? The owner cancelled a half time ceremony because as he said "This day needs to be about the players"? Like a game against an 0-4 team is special. They cancelled it because he was afraid people would boo him off the field. He was probably smart for doing so but it was just an example of how this franchise is basically dying from its owner down to the injured linebackers being carted off the field.
They lost to the supposed worst team in football....well, not anymore. The Bills officially took over that title today. Sure there are teams who are 0-5, but this team would find a way to play down to them and lose to those teams too.
1-15 seems like a real possibility. 17 penalties, 13 of which were accepted, 9 were false starts. 9, including inexcusable ones by their recievers. Two more and they would have had a false start for every player on the field. Its a lack of discipline and a lack of focus....that all boils down to coaching and leadership from the top.
T.O. would actually be a breath of fresh air were he to call out some people on the team...What the hell does he have to lose? Hes already on the worst team in football. They can't get him the ball. Maybe if he cause enough of a stir he'll get traded to a team that has a chance to be .500. I actually feel sorry for the guy because he is probably the only one in that lockerroom who cares enough to voice his opinion.
Throw in the Superbowl losses and this loss today still qualifies as the losest point in franchise history. 10 years with no playoffs is a certainty, a team that is going to have to be blown up before it gets better. Who wouldn't want to at least be in the playoffs again regardless of the result?
Dick Jauron has had 3+ years to get it right, three 7-9 years, including one that they started 5-1 and blew it and now a 1-4 start. Its not getting better, its getting progressively worse. Next week its the Jets on the road, they haven't won a division game since when?
Blow it up.
Category: Buffalo Bills
Nobel Obama
Conservatives are going ape shit over Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize and the more they do the more they look like complete clowns, as if we didn't know that.
Obamaa won this prize not because of the respect and humility he has presented on the world's stage. For his willingness to work with other countries regardless of background and to come to middle grounds with our enemies.
This comes at a horrible time though, he still has to make a decision on troops in Afghanistan....the right call won't be made though. The right call is to get out, get every troop out and leave it be, but it won't happen.
If he sends troops in, so much for the peace prize, thats not very peaceful, but if he doesn't send more in and it gets worse the repukes will have his head on a platter.
The best decision is to get out. Realistically, is being over there making our country any safer? Not when we are currently catching terrorists in our country in the process of trying to blow more stuf up here. Whats the point in being over there if there are already terrorists here?
The solution is and has been all along to strengthen ourselves here at home with local law enforcement and the FBI/CIA and work our own country.
Anyway, Obama won the prize and deservedly so, you'll notice that the conservatives don't know how to address this because you can't take anything away from Obama, the Nobel Peace Prize is the utmost of respect from his peer throughout the world and really there may be no higher honor.
Its unbelievable how much disrespect they show Obama when all he does is tries to reach out to conservatives and those of differing opinions, the more he tries to work with them, the more they shoot back. Hannity and Limbaugh both need to have socks duct taped into their mouths.
Sabres 2, Coyotes 1
For the better part of 5 periods I was wondering where Thomas Vanek was. He showed himself as he netted the game winning goal last night. If they are going to continue to out shoot their opponents by double the shots they need to start scoring like it. This should have been a 4-1 game or better.
Ryan Miller is setting himself up to have a monster year. He looks as sharp as he ever has. Also on the defensive side of the puck, Tyler Myers may have scored his first NHL point towards rookie of the year. He paid the price and got his bell rung to get his first assist, shook the snow off his jersey and was back out for his next shift. The kid is calm, cool and collected.
Patrick Kaleta has got to be striving for Sean Avery like status, only Sabres fans wouldn't know it because hes on our team. There were five times that Coyote players went after Kaleta, all five times resulted in Coyote penalties.
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
Sunday Retro
After watching the Bills we can officially say that it is "no fun" to watch them anymore, as if that is news to anyone. This week, like every Sunday I post a retro tune and this week The Sex Pistols doing a cover of Iggy Pop's No Fun seemed appropriate.
This clip was recorded in San Francisco the band had already been on an extensive tour of the US and they were at the tipping point. They were being spit at and having syringes being thrown at them on stage. They went off stage in the middle of the set and decided to end it with this encore.
You could see the frustration in Johnny Rottens face as he delivers the vocals and Steve Jones was spitting back at the crowd. Bassist Sid Viscious by this point couldn't play a note because he was constantly high on heroin, Johnny Rotten despised him for this. It was a legendary performance for a band whose tumultuous career was way too short until a recent reunion tour.
This song should be the anthem for the Bills at this point:
Category: Sunday Retro
Miami 38, Buffalo 10
What an embarrassment! How can a team come out so flat against an 0-3 Miami team. Miami isn't nearly as bad as their record and they proved that today.
Buffalo is a team that isn't anywhere near as good as their near win over New England nor the three quarters they played against the Saints would suggest. They are a bad football team. I have been saying that since week one and I dare anyone to challenge that after today.
No emotion, no big plays on offense, defense or special teams. Lets be honest, even the sacks they had were useless sacks. They did nothing to improve the situation on the field.
The coaching staff is just bad and I would love to see Ralph Wilson get to a microphone and call out his coach and his players this week. A loss like this against Miami 15 years ago would have had Wilson looking for someones head, now there is barely a legitimate response from anyone from the owner down to the players.
I called for the backup QB after the first half but all they did was force feed us more of Trent Edwards. He looks awful and one caller into WGR made a very good call by saying that he looks no better right now than Rob Johnson. Hes right, Edwards is probably at the lowest point. Whats more is that you don't see one reciever, one coach or anyone trying to help him on the sidelines.
The franchise is at its lowest point. Its quarterback is rendering himself useless, the coaching staff is inept, the running game all of a sudden has stalled and their number one draft pick that they picked to rush the QB is sitting on the bench can anyone answer that one for me? What is Maybin doing sitting on the bench? Eric Flowers all over again?
Coaches have been fired in this league for doing better than this coaching staff has done, its about time that a change is made. Screw continuity, the only continuity I see week to week is stupidity and losing. If thats what they want out of their coaching staff they have it in spades.
Last December this team lost in an embarrassing game to the same Miami team at Rogers Center. You would think that they couldn't possibly repeat that same, emotionless performance....They did.
Next week they get the Cleveland Browns possibly the worst team in football, no I'll say it because they are my favorite team, the Browns ARE THE WORST TEAM IN FOOTBALL, that is until next week when they will beat the Bills because right now, the Bills look like a pile of crap.
At the very least the Browns responded by changing quarterbacks and they improved this week against the Bengals even if they didn't win. They made a change to light a fire under their team. The Bills will do no such thing, they will come out in interviews this week about how they have to look themselves in the mirror and that they have to get on the same page......What was the preseason for? Instead of playing your starting offense 1 or 2 series a game in the preseason let them play whole halves or hell make them play until they get it right!
This team will not make changes and for that they will be stuck in the mud again next week and the week after and the week after that. Folks the Bills are the worst team in football, don't let the one win fool you. When they are willing to make a significant change like firing the coach, changing QB's or hiring a real GM, maybe they will start to resemble a franchise that is not an embarrassment to this community and one whose owner and management actually care.
Category: Buffalo Bills
Hated Habs 2, Buffalo 1
The Sabres played the first 20 minutes like a team with a new attitude, the problem was, the attitude they started with didn't last long. The last 40 minutes was probably some of the most boring hockey I have seen them play on par with the last two seasons with two exceptions: Tyler Myers played great and Tim Kennedy was banging around all night.
Did anyone see Thomas Vanek out there last night?
Ryan Miller slammed the door for most of the night which was encouraging but this team needs to expose a defense that was down essentially three defensemen on the bench with injuries and light them up in the last two periods. Instead they laid back in a shell and didn't attack.
Sloppy dump ins, bad passes, too fancy when they should have gone straight ahead with the puck...all things we saw last year.
The defense was better though they were still good for mindless penalties at times.
Its only game one and they played well in the preseason so we will cut them some slack and say that last night was a matter of the Hated Habs getting even for last years home opener that saw the Sabres win 2-1 in a shootout.
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
Lose Today, Blow It Up
Today is a make or break day, a quarter of the season will be over, you are playing an 0-3 Dolphins team that you have to beat if you have any intentions of making the playoffs or doing anything with this season.
Add to that your top three recievers on the team don't include your two best players on offense: Lee Evans and Terrell Owens. Lose today and Owens has fits and the lockerroom crumbles.
Lose today and doubts about Trent Edwards go into high gear. Realistically you'd have to start thinking about which quarterback you are going to draft next year.
Lose today and Dick Jauron has to be on the hotseat to be fired before seasons end. John Gruden would love to take over this team.
This team HAS TO WIN TODAY. Trent Edwards needs to show that he can play quarterback and complete a pass to one of his two all world wide recievers without sending them for hail marys down the side of the field.
Fans of this team have been way too patient, selling games out continuously and giving them every benefit of the doubt, today represents the end of all benefits fans have been giving them. They have to show they want to win today from the owner on down to the towel boy in the lockerroom. This cannot be a game like the last meeting with Miami at Rogers Center in Toronto.
Category: Buffalo Bills
How About a Tax Break For NY Residents?
I saw this article this morning and it really got me burning up inside about this friggin state. Apparently NY State thinks enough of OUT OF TOWN flim makers to give them up to 30% tax credits to make their movies throughout NY.
Most of the projects go to down state obviously but there are more and more projects finding their way up here towards Western New York.
Stars such as Keanu Reeves (if you choose to call him a star) in Buffalo, Denzel Washington in Olean, Matt Mesler in Buffalo for Nicholas of Myra: The Story of St. Nicholas (what Buffalo has to do with that I have no idea), Angelina Jolie in Albany, Will Ferrell also in Albany......the list goes on blah blah blah, we all get the point. Hollywood is coming to NY.
So fucking what! Its on the taxpayers backs. Out of town film crews/movie stars with bloated Hollywood budgets come here and get tax credits? How about us?
In the meantime the people who make the state run, the residents, get hit with hidden utility fees/taxes, $25 cash grab by the state for new license plates next year because we are broke, all sorts of other new DMV fees, taxes and other shit laid on the backs of residents of this state.
If the state is broke, why are we going out of our way to give 30% tax credits to rich Hollywood filmcrews and movie stars? Because it will help the states economy? Bull crap, how many of us are getting checks signed by Hollywood studios for any of these movies?
This state has it all screwed up which should come as no surprise, its consistent with how its been and where its been going. This state could give a crap about middle class citizens in this state and these tax credits are just a small piece that they try to put a positive spin on it, yet its a big steamy pile of crap.
JP Riccardi Fired as GM....Now Fix This Thing
Thank you Jays front office for not waiting two more days. JP Riccardi was just escorted out of Baltimore.
Now hire a new GM, preferrably someone we have heard of, who has done the job before and give them some real AL East type money to work with to overhaul this team in the offseason.
Also, keep Cito as manager.
I knew Riccardi was on the way out when they decided to let go Alex Rios in August. It was a sign that they were clearing payroll so that the next GM could come in a build the team in his image.
Im taking the optimists approach. They need an aggressive GM and enough trust to give him a $120-130 million payroll to let him do what he needs to do with the faith that if this team is at least interesting fans will fill the seats again. Signing Marco Scutaro and extending Roy Halladay should be priorities.
After that we need:
A big bat outfielder to replace Vernon Wells
A big bat first baseman to replace Lyle Overbay
Release or trade Vernon Wells and/or Lyle Overbay preferrably both
A big bat 3rd baseman the Encarnacion thing is over.
A number two guy to go behind Halladay in the rotation....I don't think we can count on Marcum and McGowan just yet but when they come back, if they come back it will be nice and they could both possibly anchor the bullpen, McGowan would make a nice closer if healthy.
Extend Barajas or go out and sign a quality free agent catcher.
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
Okay Now Im Ready
Okay now Im ready, I was watching some of the best brawls in team history and these are the ones that came to mind: 1. The zamboni doors fly open! Who can forget this game and chaos that ensued as JIm Schoenfeld took the fight into the halls of Memorial Auditorium. This game is legendary and no matter what Brawls take place from here on out, this one will always be number one in the books. 2. 2/22/07 Enough said. 3. Steve Shields and Garth Snow. Sabres and Flyers have been good for lots of this stuff. 4. Barnaby Fake Out. Matthew Barnaby was my favorite player back in the 90's and this was one of my favorite scenes from his days as a Sabre. Who else but that asshole Garth Snow. 5. Sabres-Flyers 1997, what is it about Sabres brawls that always includes Garth Snow? This features the Dominator going at it with Snow after Garth comes out and starts throwing punches for no reason whatsoever. Rob Ray gets the action started.Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
Game One Tonight
Here it is, the shortest offseason in sports is over. The Buffalo Sabres are back at it and though it will be a challenge to accomplish their goal of returning to the playoffs with a much improved and rejuvinated Leafs team, a stocked up Montreal franchise the Sabres will embark on that goal tonight against those hated Habs.
Thats exactly what I am going to refer to them this year, the Hated Habs. Of all the teams in the East who do we hate the most? For me its the Habs. Some might go with Philly but honestly, I've softened on them somewhat. The Habs are like the Yankees of hockey, easy to hate and when they suck you hope they suck more.
I didn't get to my usual position by position season preview with the exception of the centers so briefly Ill give you my run down of this Sabres team:
Forwards: They got more physical in the offseason and though they didn't sign a high profile free agent to lead the offense they did sign a high profile leader. Mike Grier returns.and if he has life left in the legs and can still add the piss and vinegar he brought three years ago this is a great signing, maybe not on the score sheet but definitely in the lockeroom and as a physical presence.
They also re-signed Drew Stafford which was probably the most important part of this season. Drew has big expectations now and has to show that he can be the player we all think he can be. He does it in spurts but this year has to be consistent.
If Tim Connolly plays 70 games this seasaon this team makes the playoffs without a sweat. Last year he put up 47 points in 48 games, that translates to about 80 points. Id take that and this team could use that all season long.
The population of Pominville needs to exceed 20 this year. 30 would be good, 35 better and 40 would be awesome but it will take a consistent season from Clarke Macarthur for Pominville to do that.
Defense: They got tougher and bigger by signing Steve Montador and giving Tyler Myers a shot.
Myers is huge at 6'8" dominated juniors last year. Its nice to see a team that usually preaches patience with their youth give a 19 year old a shot to make the club out of camp. They need his size and if he can keep up hes going to be a Chara-like presence for this team with a bit more scoring touch. Lets hope hes not Mike Wilson part 2 and uses that 6'8" body to his advantage.
Montador makes this team tougher and though he was relatively unknown when signed brings a toughness to the blueline that will help Craig Rivet not have to carry the physical burden all by himself.
Sekera and Butler are both back and hopefully both will play ahead of Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman more often than not.
Goaltending: Ryan Miller looked to be in mid-season form throughout the pre-season, that is good enough for me. Hopefully they can rotate Lalime in there and find the right balance to keep Miller sharp and rested as needed throughout the year.
Coaching: Lindy is on a short leash this year. Hes got what this team was lacking last year: Leadership and toughness in Mike Grier, Steve Montador and ultimately Tyler Myers who if he uses his 6'8" frame should be incredibly tough to play against.
Tonight against the Hated Habs Sabres 5 Hated Habs 3.
Category: Buffalo Sabres Hockey
Joe From Atlanta on Ed Schultz
If this call isn't proof that we need UNIVERSAL, SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE I don't know what is. This man Joe who is calling from Atlanta describes his familys experience with cancer and the failure of our healthcare system.
This man lost his business, lost his insurance, his son has the same symptoms that led to his cancer and his wife now has cervical cancer. He is broken by our broken healthcare system:
10-02-09-hour3-joe-from-atlanta[1].mp3 - Ed Schultz This should not happen in the so called greatest country in the world. Yet it does all too often and here we are at a point where the change that those of us wanted when we elected our president is being compromised because the greedy, for profit health insurance companies have managed to pay off just about every congressman and woman and senator of this country. I know that Michael Moore has released his new movie Capitalism this weekend but part of me feels that we need a Sicko 2 to reinforce what the first Sicko attempted to get across to the American public, that our healthcare system sucks and needs some major overhaul with a government run public option at the very least. Republicans say they are for business owners, yeah, the multi billion dollar business owners who can line their pockets including the extremely wealthy health insurance CEOs from United Healthcare and Blue Cross/ Blue Shield.
Category: healthcare
Gaston Is Not The Problem
Its funny, after the game tonight against Baltimore Cito Gaston was asked about the mutiny in the clubhouse and he was clueless. Other players such as Adam Lind and Lyle Overbay were also clueless as to the hotilities toward Gaston.
Im going to step up on Cito's behalf and say that this is not a Cito Gaston problem. The problem lies much deeper. It probably has more to do with JP Riccardi than anything Cito has done or any one player or group of players in that clubhouse.
Every player to a tee, with the exception of maybe David Wells would tell you that Cito Gaston was a players manager and the players from those World Series years and beyond respected Gaston more than any other manager they played for. He let the players play and every player knew their role on the team.
Is their frustration in the clubhouse? Absolutely and why shouldn't there be? The frustration shouldn't be misdirected though. Cito was given a potential winner this year as evidenced by this teams first place status back at the end of May-Early June. So what did his GM do to support his manager? He offered up his best player on the trade market.
That alone would frustrate any group of players, knowing you are in first place and your GM is still selling your best player on the roster.
He didn't stop there, instead of working with Alex Rios and the upside that is still there he let the outfielder go for nothing on the waiver wire.
In addition, he let the team leader Scott Rolen go for an under achieving Edwin Encarnacion.
This is not Cito's doing and would it surprise anyone if JP isn't tring to divide the clubhouse behind Cito's back in order to keep his job secure for next year? JP Riccardi is a snake, he can't be trusted to keep a good team on the field as GM and when it comes to crunch time he can't deliver when his team has a chance to actually compete in the AL East.
So, who does he manipulate to help shift the blame? The coaches left from the John Gibbons regime and any player willing to listen to his hot air.
Cito is not the problem. He is a winner who was hired to turn this group into winners. Obviously some of the players think otherwise. To me, if you are not willing to listen to a manager who got it done not once, but twice and willing to take his leadership and allow it to get you as a team to the next level then go play for another ball club.
Cito has one guy going for him at this point, Paul Beeston the one higher up in the organization who can vouch for Cito. Beeston should see this thing for what it is, JP Riccardi's ship has sunk and its time to bring in a new GM, one that will work with Cito, spend the money necessary on talent to compete and give the team the tools it needs. JP has not done that, especially in June when the team needed it most.
Category: Toronto Blue Jays
Humble and Fred Fridays
I've been a little behind on my Humble and Fred Fridays, I have a ton of old Humble and Fred shows from their days on CFNY and MOJO Radio in Toronto and occasionally on Fridays I do try to post a clip....or two.
This week is a nice one, its the end of their show talking about Fred's week off the following week and checking in with Danger Boy and Uncle Vince on their weekend. Also it features the famous Humble and Fred Polka finish to the show.
Enjoy!
Humble and Fred Theyre Done For The Day - Humble and Fred
Category: Humble and Fred
