WAKE UP

The Sabres must be drinking some Gatorade supplied from their brothers from Orchard Park. That has to be the explanation. Derek Roy must not like it though. Defensive lapses (Darcy Reiger was on the radio today, he said the defense has been decent, more worried about the offense), lack of goals (9 in 5 games), and a horrible powerplay.

Here in Buffalo, many people ALREADY want to trade Vanek, Connolly, Stafford, Miller, basically anyone not named Tyler Myers, Tyler Ennis, or Derek Roy. These people are the same ones who think Miller isn't good, and the Sabres won't win a Stanley Cup with Tim Connolly in the blue & gold. Don't get me started on the idiot that writes for the Buffalo News, Jerry Sullivan. He has about as much brains as a cast member of the Jersey Shore.

Here's the deal people. The season is 5 games old. Yes, the fact that they've lost 4 straight at home is very disturbing, but they do have time to turn things around. Hell, they only need to get to 8th place. Ask the Flyers and the Canadiens how that worked for them last season. Like Darcy said in the interview on WGR 550 this afternoon, they need time to jell. There are new parts to this team, and it may take some time to adjust to a lot of things... playing in Lindy's system, the environment in Buffalo, the people around them, etc.

All the Sabres need to do is WAKE UP. Vanek will go nuts soon. He always does. He has games where he can never seem to get a break, then he will go on a terror where he scores 4 or 5 a game for 3 games. Connolly hasn't played well at all. He's in a contract year, you think he's going to play like crap the entire year? Pommers will be back in a week or two, Ennis will get one soon (one of the few Sabres who looked like they were trying tonight). Many of the goals against the Sabres this year were bad bounces (I.E. the one of Butler's skate), but those can be stopped with better play in their own end.

My point is, calm down, it's an 82 game season. People need to slow down & realize this: the Sabres have more wins than the Bills.

Sabres 1, Bills 0.
Suck on that, Bills.

AFC East Mascots

In honor of everybody in the AFC East being competent besides the Buffalo Bills, I figured I would do the one thing that would make Buffalo successful in comparison to the rest of the divison.  What's that you might ask? It's a side by side by side by side comparison of the 4 mascots of the AFC East Division teams!  I'm not going to waste any time, let's get right into it:

Billy Buffalo: His name is appropriate to that of the team, he's HUGE, he's a buffalo, he rides a chopper.  Honestly, what's not to like?  Alright outside of the fact that he's blue.  But he is a mascot, so I guess there had to be at least one ridiculous aspect to his get up.  But all in all, he's a solid mascot in my opinion.  Not too ridiculous looking, but not lame either.  I can remember when the Bills first introduced him;  he used to throw Flutie's Favorite Subs into the crowd every once in a while. He was BA then, and he's BA now.  I just wish he'd make like a real Buffalo and charge someone every once in a while.

T.D.: Ladies and gentlemen, oi vey. Where to begin with this one, where to begin? Well I guess I could start with the fact that he has a helmet on that is about 4 sizes too small for his head.  Which is fitting because that's the same way Chad Henne wears his helmet too.  He has no hands (which I guess is appropriate) so that's got to be hell on whoever is actually IN the mascot costume.  He has to wear that thing on Sunday afternoons in Miami, FL.  You couldn't get me to wear that thing in 95 degree heat if my life depended on it.  You're lucky if I put pants on period down here it's so hot.  This truly has to be the worst NFL mascot outfit for the guy INSIDE it. And lastly, he represents the biggest oxymoron in all of sports.  He's the mascot for the Miami Dolphins, a team that uses a porpoise as their logo and mascot.  So I guess his name should actually be "T.P." which seems a little more appropriate for the way the Dolphins play at least.  

Pat the Patriot: Wow. First of all, what is on his arms?  It looks like something Captain America would've worn .... if Captain America were partaking in the gay pride parade in NYC.  And what's up with that hat?  I'm pretty sure that at no point during the history of the United States did anyone ever wear a hat that looked like that, and if they did .. well ... NYC.  But the strangest thing about this mascot in my opinion has got to be the fact that he looks like the offspring of Quagmire from Family Guy and Stan from American Dad.  I have to say, what in the hell was Robert Kraft thinking when he approved this?  If I were a Pats fan I'd almost rather just have a Ben Franklin look a like walking around the field or something.  I mean at least he invented bi-focals.

Fireman Ed: Which brings us to the worst of the bunch, Fireman Ed.  I'm not even really sure what this costume is supposed to be?  I mean all he has on is a Jets jersey and a fireman's hat.  Seems more like the beginning of a porno than a mascot costume to me.  His redundant spelling exercise gets pretty old pretty quickly as well.  I bet this guy must feel like the most important person in the world when he gets those other 82,565 people to chant that along with him.  Little does he know that the rest of the sporting world laughs at him every time he does it because generally he makes a face much like the one he's making in this picture upon completion.  Look at him, he looks so excited you'd think his team just won the Superbowl or something.  The last time they did that was 42 years ago, kind of like the jersey he's wearing.  Hmm .. maybe Ed has a sense of humor?

Thoughts anyone?  Feel free to comment on how lame you think Fireman Ed is too.

Ryan Miller Would Be a Great Politician.

Basically, Ryan Miller should run for President. Okay, well maybe just focus on New York governor (he would already be better than the jokes we have running now). I love the comments he made, all of which were spot on and 100% true. Miller, Pominville, Roy, Vanek, Connolly, etc have been together for over 5 years now, people should stand up for their teammate/friend.

If you haven't seen or heard the comments made by Millzy regarding the hit on Jason Pominville last night against the Blackhawks, here's a link. Oh I can't wait until these two teams play again... it's on Saturday! I have a feeling there might be some words/fists exchanged. I already heard a rumor that Pat Kaleta & Pat Kane did such a thing at Sunset Bay Beach Club in Buffalo earlier this summer. Don't quote me, just a rumor i read/heard today. (PS Kaleta, these next stretch of games would be a perfect opportunity for you to score 4 or 5 goals.... someones got to make up for Pommers, who by the way, will miss his first NHL game Wednesday when the Devils come to HSBC Arena. It will effectively end his consecutive games played streak at 336 games.)

The hit was dirty. Like Millzy said, there really is no place for it in the game, no matter if you were trying to make a play or not. It deserved a 5 minute major & game, as what was handed out. The Sabres never recovered. They lost 4-3, and many players were visibly shaken on the bench after the hit, and even after the game in the locker room. For those who may have missed it, here is the hit.

Can we also notice that the first Buffalo Sabre to start beating the crap out of Hjalmarsson was Tim Connolly? TIM CONNOLLY? Good for him, he should start doing that more often. Then again, no, just focus on scoring/setting up goals. I have a strange and sad feeling that Pommers wont be the same after this.

To the Blackhawks announcers, coach, and anyone who has/had no problem with this. Switch the players around, you would react the same way us Sabre & hockey fans are today. Thank you Ryan Miller for speaking out against hits like these. He's right, there is no place for them. Ever.

Syracuse Football: 4-1?!

For the first time this century, the Syracuse University football team has started the season 4-1.  Granted 2 of the wins came against FCS teams Maine and Colgate, but this is still a great accomplishment for a program that has been mired in mediocrity (and that's being extremely generous) for years now.



Rawr, I'm intimidating!



But what's even more impressive than the 4-1 start is THIS.  If you look all the way at the bottom, under the section that says "Others Receiving Votes," right there with 4 votes you will see .... that's right ladies and gentlemen: Syracuse!  When was the last time Syracuse Football was even mentioned in the same breath as the Top 25, let alone receiving votes from people?  This is an extremely impressive turn around (thus far) for Coach Doug Marrone.  Marrone was entrusted last year with the task of untangling the absolute MESS that Greg Robinson created in his time here at Syracuse.  Something Michigan fans are beginning to notice, much as we did.  It's sad to say but Greg Robinson just really isn't qualified to be a football coach, at any level.



Spruill, Spanish for Beast.

Doug Marrone is getting solid, underrated recruits on both sides of the ball.  He's created a tough, physical defense that absolutely stymied USF; a team that has dominated SU since they joined the Big East.  Players like Freshman Marquis Spruill, Philip and Shamarko Thomas are all solid players that have a chance to be very good.  Ryan Nassib has the potential to be the best QB we've seen in a Syracuse uniform since Donovan McNabb graduated.  Bottom line: Marrone is slowly but surely changing the culture here at SU from one of losing and unaccountability, to one of winning and responsibility.  With a legitimate chance to make and win a bowl game this year, Marrone has the opportunity to present Syracuse fans with something they we seen since 2001; A WINNING RECORD.  A winning record and a bowl win would be an absolutely astounding feat when considering the state of the program when Doug Marrone took over, and the short period of time in which he would be able to accomplish this
All of this just goes to show you that maybe Dr. Darryl Gross got it right this time after all. After the win against USF this past Saturday, in the post-game news conference, Doug Marrone had a hard time containing his tears. Somewhere in Michigan, Greg Robinson was doing the same thing, but for an entirely different reason.

J-E-T-S: Scum, Scum, Scum!

I just want to say that I am absolutely appaled at the this latest story about Brett Favre and these text messages/voice mails that he left a Jets employee during his tenure in NY; and NOT for the reasons you might think.

We're about to see a lot more of this I'm sure.

If true, I'm not condoning Favre's actions by any means.  But this entire situation begs the question: What are the motives behind this?  Let's put everything into perspective here.  Brett Favre apparently sent voice mails and text messages (and pictures) to a Jets reporter/employee that were "inappropriate" back when he played for the team .... IN 2008.  As I said before, I'm not condoning Favre's actions in any way, but why is everyone acting like Favre is the only one who did something wrong here?  Why is no one questioning the New York Jets, or this employee; Jen Sterger (who by the way was in Playboy).  Not that being in Playboy makes her a terrible person or anything, just thought it was worth noting.  In any event, doesn't anyone find it the least bit curious that this story is just NOW coming out, on the eve of Brett Favre and the Vikings getting ready to play the New York Jets?  I certainly find it a bid odd.



And does no one find it curious that this woman (Sterger) for some odd reason saved voicemails/texts/pictures that Brett Favre sent her, 2 years ago?  Why would you hang on to things like that?  Unless you were planning on using them at a later date (blackmail, lawsuit, etc.) what reason would you have to save them if you were uninterested?  This entire situation just REAKS of fishyness on the Jets' part in my opinion.  Did he do it?  Probably.  But why come out with this NOW?  Why not come out with it when it actually happened?  I just don't get it I guess.  Maybe this chick is hard up for cash or something, who knows.



What I do know is, this entire story has angered me on more than one level.  Not only does it make the douchebag meter go up on Rex Ryan and the New York Jets, but it also leaves me even more upset with the Sports Business World.  All this girl did in her life, was get picked out of a crowd by a camerman at an FSU game because of her looks, and all of the sudden she is completely engrained in the sports world.  She gets to write columns for Sports Illustrated online, she gets a job with an NFL franchise, she hosts a Sports show on Versus, hosts ABC's Race to March Madness, and all FOR WHAT?  SERIOUSLY, FOR WHAT?!  Just because of this girl's looks she gets ENDLESS job opportunities in the Sports field.  She got her degree from Florida St. in CRIMINOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY!  It has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with sports.  The extent of her knowledge on sports is that she is a FAN, and she was spotted in the crowd of a game presumably because she's good looking and probably had half a shirt on.



Just looking to get ahead in life.

This is the type of thing that drives me absolutely BAT SHIT CRAZY.  This girl, with no experience in the sports industry and a degree in a completely unrelated field gets numerous job opportunities.  Meanwhile, hard working people like myself and others that I graduated with get NO opportunities what so ever.  Even though we've graduated with degrees in Sport Management and worked countless athletic events and internships in numerous fields.  I apologize to the working world that I wasn't born a woman with a huge chest and good looks.  This embodies everything that is wrong with this country in my opinion.

People will take this the wrong way I'm sure and this post was not meant to discredit her, or take away from her accomplishments in any way.  I'm sure that she is a hard worker and is doing what it takes to make it in the field.  This is more a reflection on how fickle we are as a society that she receives opportunities that people like myself don't based clearly on her looks and nothing else.  If she was so keen on working in sports, she would've gone to school for something sport related, or at the very least journalism/broadcast journalism.  I know not many people will read this, and probably even fewer people will care.  But this is just the kind of thing that makes my blood boil.  Thanks America, I love you too. 

Trent Edwards' Intel?

Earlier in the week, Chris Brown from BuffaloBills.com posted a story about Trent Edwards and how the Bills were going to counter his "intel" during the game today against the Jacksonville Jaguars. I just have one question: What in the holy hell does Trent Edwards' intel consist of?

On his knees, as usual.

Through the past three seasons I haven't seen ANYTHING from Trent Edwards that gave me ANY indication that he understood how to run an offense. The extent of Trent Edwards' "intel" as far as the Buffalo Bills offense is concerned is, "Fred Jackson is open 2 yards downfield."  I'd also like to know, what was it about Trent Edwards' career that made the Jacksonville Jaguars feel as though he was a capable NFL QB?  Was it the fact that he's thrown more INT's than TD's in his career?  Or maybe the fact that in 3+ NFL seasons he's never had a 300 yard passing game (something even the lowly David Garrard has done 5 times).  Or maybe it was just his boyish good looks?  I guess we'll never know.

What I do know is; I am deeply saddened and upset by the fact that I now live 90 miles from Trent Edwards.  I thought when the Buffalo Bills cut him that I rid him from my life forever, but no, of course not.  I just can't get away from this guy.  He's the bane of my existence.  I am literally sitting on my couch right now PRAYING that Trent Edwards somehow gets into the game today and that the Buffalo Bills defense just absolutely decapitates him (personal foul or not).  The only way that situation could be any better was if the severed head of Trent Edwards flew into the crowd, knocking unconscious an inexplicably present Dick Jauron.  Which in turn somehow sent the entire universe into a black hole of time reverting us back to the year 1990, where in Scott Norwood kicks the ball exactly 3 feet further to the left.  Hey, we all have dreams.