When the Bills went ahead 21-0 against the Patriots last Sunday, I foresaw the symetry. Think back to week 3 when the Patriots went up 21-0 in Orchard Park only to lose the game on a Rian Lindell field goal as the final seconds ticked away, sending delirious Bills fans home on that warm summer like afternoon. I haven't seen such symetry since the 2003 season when the Bills beat New England 31-0 in the season opener, only to finish 5-11, losing the final game of the season at Foxboro by a score of - you guessed it - 31-0. The Patriots went on to win their second Superbowl a few weeks later. The Bills fired Gregg Williams who had completed his third season as head coach.
I was grateful for the early season success of the Bills this year as there was something to be excited about - if only for a short time. After the game on Sunday, Chan Gailey said that the team needs to learn how to finish. I wasn't sure of he was referring to the Partiots game and the 21-0 lead or to the season in general or to both. Yes, I agree. They need to learn how to finish.
I've been suffering from a cold virus over the past few days and this has allowed me to wait until the Iowa Caucuses were completed before creating this post. It's been fascinating to watch as each and every candidate in the race (except John Huntsman, I guess, whose endorsement by the Boston Globe yesterday may propel him forward) caught up to Mitt Romney and then faded under the scrutiny which success brings.
Rick Santorum peaked at exactly the right time - for Iowa anyway - and finished in a virtual tie with Romney. As the candidates turn their attention now to New Hampshire, the knives are out for Santorum. There's certainly a lot to aim at and a couple of things have caught my attention. Santorum is, in my view, an extreme social conservative. He is a catholic and is the father of 6 children. In 1996, his wife, suffering from pregnancy complications and a high fever, gave birth at 20 weeks to a boy who lived for only 2 hours. Santorum and his wife then slept with the dead baby between them and then brought him home to show the other children their "brother". The children then spent the day taking turns holding him. I know very little about catholic tradition but I'm certain that this falls outside it. It's weird and it's creepy.
Santorum's views on homosexuality are, not surprisingly, quite intolerant. They are not playing very well in New Hampshire either. Yesterday, he was speaking to a college group and he was asked why he is opposed to marriage within a same sex partnership between consenting adults. His response was: "What about a marriage with 3 men? Is that ok?" He was booed rather loudly as he wrapped up his remarks. In previous statements, he has compared homosexuality to beastiality. As a senator, he also pushed for an amendment to the Bush "No Child Left Behind" initiative which would require the teaching of the concept of "intelligent design" as an alternative to the Theory of Evolution. It became known as "the Santorum Amendment" but, thankfully, was not part of the final bill. New Hampshire is, apparently, the least religious state in the union which will limit his upside there but the next primary is South Carolina where, apparently, (according to CNN's John King) 45% of the population describes themselves as evangelical christians. Rick Santorum has neither the money nor the organization to have a realistic chance at winning the Republican nomination but when Mitt Romney chooses a running mate, Santorum will be in the conversation as he can help deliver the religious right and social conservative elements of the Republican party - where Romney's appeal is tepid at best.
I heard another of those partisan quips I love on CNN which seem always to come from party "strategists". In commenting on the race for the Republican nomination and the rotation of co-front runners with Mitt Romney, a Democratic strategist described the machinations of the Republican party by suggesting that "it's almost as if the right hand doesn't know what the extreme right hand is doing".
The NFL playoffs are finally here and the Bills will sit them out for the 12th consecutive year. With the Detroit Lions making the post-season this time around, the Bills now own the longest current run of non-playoff seasons.
In this weekend's games, I like Cincinnati, New Orleans, Atlanta and Pittsburgh. 2 home teams on Saturday and 2 road teams on Sunday.
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