The only US college football game I've ever been to was at the Big House in Ann Arbour in October, 2003. The Wolverines crushed Purdue and their future NFL quarterback Kyle Orton. Because I saw him play live in that one game, I've always hoped for good things for him in the NFL - as I have for the other players from that game who suited up in the NFL (wide receiver Braylon Edwards is probably the best known among them). So, when Tony Romo had season ending back surgery late last week and Kyle Orton was named the starter in the NFC East Championship Game (which was the last regular season game of the 2013 NFL season), the game took on a bit of extra intrigue for me. The pundits were giving the Cowboys very little chance in the game but Orton, in the end, came very close to leading his team to victory. There's a good reason why he's Romo's back-up: Like Romo himself would have done, he played well through the entire game then threw a crucial and, in this case, a season ending interception late in the game on what was potentially the winning drive. The Cowboys lost by 2 points and Jerry Jones was not pleased. Jason Garrett, however, was not among the head coaches fired on Black Monday.
The Bills have never won at Gillette Stadium which opened in 2002. They have come close a few times but Sunday's rain-soaked game was never really in doubt despite Thad Lewis making some good throws in difficult conditions. It's Tuesday morning as I write this and, as he explained in his post-game press conference, Doug Marrone begins his work on the 2014 season this morning. He fired his wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard yesterday but the rest of the coaching staff will remain (unless one of them is hired elsewhere). The Bills have the 9th overall pick in April's draft. The season ticket invoice will arrive shortly.
A few weeks ago, the likely Superbowl match-up was Seattle v. Denver. That has not changed. Each is the number one conference seed which means that with 2 home wins, they will be Superbowl bound. Can the Patriots win at Denver? Yes and Baltimore did it last year. Can Carolina win at Seattle? Seems much less likely. As for the teams who play this coming weekend, San Diego looks like a tough out and the Saints are always a threat but on the road in cold weather is not ideal for them. The 49ers could also win at Green Bay.
Light snow is falling here in Muskoka as I write this on Tuesday morning. The temperature rose a bit overnight and now reads -15. There is at least 50cm of snow on the ground and the skiing is excellent. We will ski and sauna today then have a nice dinner and be ready for more skiing and an outdoor Leaf game on TV tomorrow - as well as some college football.
Happy New Year to everyone. Even to you Rob Ford. I can't imagine how you could top 2013 but if you don't, I know that it won't be because you didn't give it your best shot. I hope you read the very good Globe editorial on Saturday but you probably didn't. You've got just under a year left as mayor. Try to make the least of it.
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Monday, 23 December 2013
Bills 19, Dolphins 0
I went to two Solstice parties on Saturday night with my friend and neighbour Jennifer. We arrived back at Lawrence subway station about 1am and, as we slipped and slid our way along the 300 metres from the station to her house, ice laden branches were creaking and crackling and some were coming down around us. So as we walked under the large trees, we kept our hands on our heads like hostages shuffling along the street under gunpoint. We made it safely and then I made my way back to my building. There were no signs of power issues when I went to sleep.
But I awoke to a darkened building. Around 8am, I made my way down the 11 flights of stairs with my headlamp to survey the situation and see if I could find coffee and something to eat. Power was on north of Lawrence and the Tim Horton's was much busier than usual for a Sunday morning. From there, I called my uncle Ray who lives about 1km away at Avenue Road and Lawrence. His power was also out and the temperature has fallen to just over 15 degrees inside. He's in poor health and was unable to get out to his small, ice-laden pile of firewood beside the house. So, I went over, found a hatchet and some wood for kindling in the basement and went out to chip as much of the ice off the wood as I could. I got the fire going in the woodstove, split and cleaned up the rest of pile and brought it inside. We boiled water on the stove and made coffee. I got his car started and, after a few minutes, was able to clear the thick layer of ice from the windows and wipers so the car was ready to drive. A neighbour and I cleared a large branch from the end of his driveway. The house started to warm up and he sent me on my way. It looked to me like there was going to be enough firewood to get him through the night and perhaps until mid-day today.
I ended up having to bring my computer, in a couple of different sessions, to the Starbucks north of Lawrence to meet my Monday morning work deadlines. I ended up climbing the 11 flights of stairs in the building 5 times before the day was done. I was just about to go to sleep when the power was restored at about 9.15pm last night. But, from my window, I could still see a large swath of darkness through the part of Lawrence Park east of Yonge Street. It was still in darkness at 6am today and I suspect that my uncle is going to need more firewood. When business hours commence, arranging a firewood delivery for him will be my first priority. I have a feeling that I won't be the only one.
Yesterday's Bills game was, ironically, "blacked out" on local television. I caught bits of it on the car radio but followed the game mostly on Twitter. The defence was obviously dominant and Bills fans were able to close out the home season with the team's 6th win of the year. If they can win in New England next week, the Bills will finish the season with a winning record within the AFC East which would be something to build on going into next year.
Merry Christmas everyone.
But I awoke to a darkened building. Around 8am, I made my way down the 11 flights of stairs with my headlamp to survey the situation and see if I could find coffee and something to eat. Power was on north of Lawrence and the Tim Horton's was much busier than usual for a Sunday morning. From there, I called my uncle Ray who lives about 1km away at Avenue Road and Lawrence. His power was also out and the temperature has fallen to just over 15 degrees inside. He's in poor health and was unable to get out to his small, ice-laden pile of firewood beside the house. So, I went over, found a hatchet and some wood for kindling in the basement and went out to chip as much of the ice off the wood as I could. I got the fire going in the woodstove, split and cleaned up the rest of pile and brought it inside. We boiled water on the stove and made coffee. I got his car started and, after a few minutes, was able to clear the thick layer of ice from the windows and wipers so the car was ready to drive. A neighbour and I cleared a large branch from the end of his driveway. The house started to warm up and he sent me on my way. It looked to me like there was going to be enough firewood to get him through the night and perhaps until mid-day today.
I ended up having to bring my computer, in a couple of different sessions, to the Starbucks north of Lawrence to meet my Monday morning work deadlines. I ended up climbing the 11 flights of stairs in the building 5 times before the day was done. I was just about to go to sleep when the power was restored at about 9.15pm last night. But, from my window, I could still see a large swath of darkness through the part of Lawrence Park east of Yonge Street. It was still in darkness at 6am today and I suspect that my uncle is going to need more firewood. When business hours commence, arranging a firewood delivery for him will be my first priority. I have a feeling that I won't be the only one.
Yesterday's Bills game was, ironically, "blacked out" on local television. I caught bits of it on the car radio but followed the game mostly on Twitter. The defence was obviously dominant and Bills fans were able to close out the home season with the team's 6th win of the year. If they can win in New England next week, the Bills will finish the season with a winning record within the AFC East which would be something to build on going into next year.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Monday, 16 December 2013
Bills 27, Jaguars 20
Watching Doug Ford handing out $20 bills at a TCH building last week made me realize that the Fords don't follow the usual guidelines and conventions other politicians do regarding the optics of their various activities, appearances and public statements. Common sense would clearly say that the optics of randomly handing out cash at a public housing building, with TV cameras rolling, are not likely to be positive or helpful. And then to explain it by saying that he had simply run out of time to purchase $20 Tim Horton's gift cards, as he had apparently done in the past. As if that would have made it any better. Rob Ford received considerable support from residents of TCH buildings in the 2010 election, due in large part to the personal connections he made as a councillor with thousands of TCH tenants by returning their phone calls to his office and personally attending at their residences to hear their concerns. It's en example of highly effective retail politics and it earned him those votes fair and square. But I would hope that those who witnessed Doug Ford's cash free-for-all would have found it insulting - as it was.
Here's how Tabatha Southey described the Conrad Black interview of Rob Ford which aired on Vision TV's The Zoomer: "I'll say now that his interview made the queries of a good mall Santa to a child seated on his knee look like Frost/Nixon." The interview has vanished from the Vision TV website and from YouTube due, I presume, to the libel action initiated by Daniel Dale last week. And so it goes: on and on and on. Downtown Relief Line be damned; let's just keep talking about this stuff. Oh, and Doug Ford says that Dale's legal action is nothing more than another Toronto Star strategy to sell papers. Doesn't it seem more like the Fords themselves are the Star's most effective tool for growing readership?
And on to NFL football: the Buffalo Bills have played the maximum number of regular season road games possible in the state of Florida this year, which is 3. And they've won two of those games in the Sunshine State, accounting for all of their road wins. Yesterday's seven point win in Jacksonville was neither particularly inspiring nor disheartening. It just felt like two teams playing out the third last games of their respective lost seasons. Bills fans were interesting in seeing more progression from EJ Manuel but, like the game itself, he produced mixed results, looking dreadful in the early going before playing much better at times later in the game. Stevie Johnson decided to play in the game despite receiving news of his mother's unexpected passing on Saturday evening. Coach Marrone apparently gave him the option of leaving the team immediately to be with his family but he decided to play anyway.
As the NFL regular season comes down to its final two weeks, the most certain thing we can say is that the road to the first cold weather Superbowl goes through the Pacific Northwest. The Seahawks next game away from home is likely to be at the Meadowlands in early February as they finish the season with two home games and have the decided edge on home field advantage in the NFC. Maybe Carolina can win in Seattle but it seems like a long shot. In the AFC, the Broncos occupy the top spot right now, even after stumbling against the Chargers but it's much more wide open than the NFC is.
The Bills host the Dolphins next week at the Ralph in their final home game of 2013 before closing out the season in New England. These next two games - in cold weather and against teams with much to play for - will be a much better test for EJ Manuel than yesterday's game was.
Here's how Tabatha Southey described the Conrad Black interview of Rob Ford which aired on Vision TV's The Zoomer: "I'll say now that his interview made the queries of a good mall Santa to a child seated on his knee look like Frost/Nixon." The interview has vanished from the Vision TV website and from YouTube due, I presume, to the libel action initiated by Daniel Dale last week. And so it goes: on and on and on. Downtown Relief Line be damned; let's just keep talking about this stuff. Oh, and Doug Ford says that Dale's legal action is nothing more than another Toronto Star strategy to sell papers. Doesn't it seem more like the Fords themselves are the Star's most effective tool for growing readership?
And on to NFL football: the Buffalo Bills have played the maximum number of regular season road games possible in the state of Florida this year, which is 3. And they've won two of those games in the Sunshine State, accounting for all of their road wins. Yesterday's seven point win in Jacksonville was neither particularly inspiring nor disheartening. It just felt like two teams playing out the third last games of their respective lost seasons. Bills fans were interesting in seeing more progression from EJ Manuel but, like the game itself, he produced mixed results, looking dreadful in the early going before playing much better at times later in the game. Stevie Johnson decided to play in the game despite receiving news of his mother's unexpected passing on Saturday evening. Coach Marrone apparently gave him the option of leaving the team immediately to be with his family but he decided to play anyway.
As the NFL regular season comes down to its final two weeks, the most certain thing we can say is that the road to the first cold weather Superbowl goes through the Pacific Northwest. The Seahawks next game away from home is likely to be at the Meadowlands in early February as they finish the season with two home games and have the decided edge on home field advantage in the NFC. Maybe Carolina can win in Seattle but it seems like a long shot. In the AFC, the Broncos occupy the top spot right now, even after stumbling against the Chargers but it's much more wide open than the NFC is.
The Bills host the Dolphins next week at the Ralph in their final home game of 2013 before closing out the season in New England. These next two games - in cold weather and against teams with much to play for - will be a much better test for EJ Manuel than yesterday's game was.
Monday, 9 December 2013
Buccaneers 27, Bills 6
Last week I asked friends and colleagues if they could think of a world figure, at any point in history, who was more revered, more respected, more loved or more admired than Nelson Mandela. Names like Gandhi and Mother Tesesa were suggested - and they are obviously worthy of admiration - but, for many reasons, it's hard to top Mandela. His commitment to reconciliation so soon after his release from 27 years of imprisonment was truly visionary and even a modest impulse of retribution on his part would have been entirely understandable. But he chose not to act on that impulse, if he had it at all.
In 1998, I saw him, from a distance of about 20 feet, as he arrived at the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto to speak at a luncheon in his honour. He was a tall, impressive and fatherly figure who smiled at the crowd as he made his way from his car and into the hotel. As we spent the past few days remembering him, when I saw the footage, from the same trip, of his attendance at the re-naming of a Toronto elementary school in his name, I saw the same smile and his deep sense of appreciation which he had for Canada. He had a great respect for Brian Mulroney and his efforts to urge the world to join him in shaming the South African government to make the changes which it eventually did. In this regard, history will rightfully not be kind to Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher.
On this Monday morning, I sit at the table in my cottage as steady snow falls on the frozen lake. It's -5 now and a winter wonderland here. I will probably need to put my tire chains on to ensure that I can get up the big hill without worrying about it. I'm here with my cousin Peter who has a full cast on after breaking his lower left leg in late October. He wanted so badly to take a sauna but, so far, has decided against it. He is moving surprisingly well on crutches through the snow. I bring firewood into the cottage for him but, other than that, he is self-sufficient.
Yesterday, I walked with Sophie the white dog over to Saw Lake with my skates. It is frozen a bit thicker than our lake is but let there be no doubt that I was skating on pretty thin ice. But I kept close to shore, wore my life-jacket and maintained my speed. The ice was perfectly smooth - and a good thing because I would not have been able to see any cracks or other anomalies through the 2 inches of fresh powdery snow. I used the opportunity to work on my backward cross-over turns. Didn't fall once.
I did see most of the Seahawks / 49ers game and the ending of the Ravens / Vikings game. Those were good games, unlike the Bills game which I gave up on at 17-3 when I went skating. It was nice to Rian Lindell still kicking well. He was always a class act.
In 1998, I saw him, from a distance of about 20 feet, as he arrived at the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto to speak at a luncheon in his honour. He was a tall, impressive and fatherly figure who smiled at the crowd as he made his way from his car and into the hotel. As we spent the past few days remembering him, when I saw the footage, from the same trip, of his attendance at the re-naming of a Toronto elementary school in his name, I saw the same smile and his deep sense of appreciation which he had for Canada. He had a great respect for Brian Mulroney and his efforts to urge the world to join him in shaming the South African government to make the changes which it eventually did. In this regard, history will rightfully not be kind to Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher.
On this Monday morning, I sit at the table in my cottage as steady snow falls on the frozen lake. It's -5 now and a winter wonderland here. I will probably need to put my tire chains on to ensure that I can get up the big hill without worrying about it. I'm here with my cousin Peter who has a full cast on after breaking his lower left leg in late October. He wanted so badly to take a sauna but, so far, has decided against it. He is moving surprisingly well on crutches through the snow. I bring firewood into the cottage for him but, other than that, he is self-sufficient.
Yesterday, I walked with Sophie the white dog over to Saw Lake with my skates. It is frozen a bit thicker than our lake is but let there be no doubt that I was skating on pretty thin ice. But I kept close to shore, wore my life-jacket and maintained my speed. The ice was perfectly smooth - and a good thing because I would not have been able to see any cracks or other anomalies through the 2 inches of fresh powdery snow. I used the opportunity to work on my backward cross-over turns. Didn't fall once.
I did see most of the Seahawks / 49ers game and the ending of the Ravens / Vikings game. Those were good games, unlike the Bills game which I gave up on at 17-3 when I went skating. It was nice to Rian Lindell still kicking well. He was always a class act.
Monday, 2 December 2013
Falcons 34, Bills 31, OT
Unlike most who were at the Rogers Centre yesterday, we were lined up at the gate early - shortly after 3.30pm - which got us through the metal detectors and walking up the ramp by about 3.50pm. And when we reached the 500 level, before taking our seats, we had a look out the window at the throng outside the southeast corner of the stadium lined up waiting to get through NFL security which is similar to getting on a plane. About two thirds of those who showed up yesterday missed the opening kick-off. For a 4pm game on a Sunday.
This was the second year, according to Rogers, in which tickets to the annual NFL regular season Bills "home" game were not given away. The house was heavily "papered" for games in each of the first four years. The attendance of 38,000 plus therefore actually reflects the true market in Toronto. The true market, that is, for a game between a 4-7 team from down the highway and a 2-9 team from the south and from the other conference - a team with which the Bills have no rivalry and only a brief series history. Yesterday's crowd was the smallest of the six games played so far but I did see some positive signs. The noise generated on the Bills defensive third downs was the best I have heard in the six years I've been going to these games. Relative to the noise at the Ralph, there is no comparison but it has improved. There is obviously still a very long way to go.
Frankly, being indoors on a day with drizzle and a temperature of plus 2 outside was kind of a treat. And no driving, no border line-ups and no 12 hour day. But from a pure team perspective, giving up a real home game is a significant disadvantage. It's easy to say that the Bills would have won this game had it been played outdoors in Orchard Park but they could have and should have won it anyway. But for a couple of key fumbles by Bills receivers at critical times, they would have. Bills fans in Buffalo have good reason to be disgusted with the Toronto games and many are calling for a cancellation of the remaining 4 games under the current agreement with Rogers. It's not likely to happen but I would certainly go along with it. The best way to come closer to replicating the Ralph Wilson Stadium experience and atmosphere at the Rogers Centre is to bring in many more Bills fans from Buffalo and Rochester and surrounding area. But there's the driving, the border, the expense, the time required and everything else involved - all of the things I'm willing to deal with going in the other direction. But it's their team and it belongs to their community. They didn't ask for this.
Apparently, Rob Ford was at the game - for the first half anyway - wearing a Fred Jackson jersey. Too bad for Fred who is one of the classiest guys in the NFL. There was also a rumour that the Beach Boys played at halftime. We saw a stage and some guys with grey beards off the corner of the north endzone but whoever was operating the sound system must have thought it was the Beach Boys unplugged because we could hear virtually nothing. Last year's halftime show by Psy was awesome in comparison.
Now at 4-8, playoff hopes, as slim as they were, are dashed. Thankfully, I was able to sell my tickets to the Who Cares Bowl against the Dolphins on Dec 22nd. But I do like the coach and the team has some good young players so I am, as always, hopeful for next year.
This was the second year, according to Rogers, in which tickets to the annual NFL regular season Bills "home" game were not given away. The house was heavily "papered" for games in each of the first four years. The attendance of 38,000 plus therefore actually reflects the true market in Toronto. The true market, that is, for a game between a 4-7 team from down the highway and a 2-9 team from the south and from the other conference - a team with which the Bills have no rivalry and only a brief series history. Yesterday's crowd was the smallest of the six games played so far but I did see some positive signs. The noise generated on the Bills defensive third downs was the best I have heard in the six years I've been going to these games. Relative to the noise at the Ralph, there is no comparison but it has improved. There is obviously still a very long way to go.
Frankly, being indoors on a day with drizzle and a temperature of plus 2 outside was kind of a treat. And no driving, no border line-ups and no 12 hour day. But from a pure team perspective, giving up a real home game is a significant disadvantage. It's easy to say that the Bills would have won this game had it been played outdoors in Orchard Park but they could have and should have won it anyway. But for a couple of key fumbles by Bills receivers at critical times, they would have. Bills fans in Buffalo have good reason to be disgusted with the Toronto games and many are calling for a cancellation of the remaining 4 games under the current agreement with Rogers. It's not likely to happen but I would certainly go along with it. The best way to come closer to replicating the Ralph Wilson Stadium experience and atmosphere at the Rogers Centre is to bring in many more Bills fans from Buffalo and Rochester and surrounding area. But there's the driving, the border, the expense, the time required and everything else involved - all of the things I'm willing to deal with going in the other direction. But it's their team and it belongs to their community. They didn't ask for this.
Apparently, Rob Ford was at the game - for the first half anyway - wearing a Fred Jackson jersey. Too bad for Fred who is one of the classiest guys in the NFL. There was also a rumour that the Beach Boys played at halftime. We saw a stage and some guys with grey beards off the corner of the north endzone but whoever was operating the sound system must have thought it was the Beach Boys unplugged because we could hear virtually nothing. Last year's halftime show by Psy was awesome in comparison.
Now at 4-8, playoff hopes, as slim as they were, are dashed. Thankfully, I was able to sell my tickets to the Who Cares Bowl against the Dolphins on Dec 22nd. But I do like the coach and the team has some good young players so I am, as always, hopeful for next year.
Monday, 18 November 2013
Bills 27, Jets 14
It does seem like a mystery that Rob Ford can still maintain considerable personal and political support in light of his recent disgraceful behaviour. Ford Nation iis an interesting, if not disturbing, group of mostly suburban voters who are drawn to a certain kind of simplistic populism similar to that which created and propelled the Tea Party in the United States. As Andrew Coyne recently wrote, Ford's support is based on "condescending populism, (an) aggressively dumb, harshly divisive message that has become the playbook for the right generally in this country, in all its contempt for learning, its disdain for facts, its disrespect of convention and debasing of standards".
First to Canadian football: I caught the end of the Eastern Final on the car radio after the Bills were in command of their game. A surprisingly (to me at least) big crowd of more than 35,000 at the dome saw the Tiger-Cats advance to their first Grey Cup since 1999. I was happy for them, for coach Austin, for the City of Hamilton and happy that, since the Argos season is now done, Rob Ford can not involve himself in any of the festivities in Regina this week. The Saskatchewan Rough Riders will try to become the third team in a row to win the Grey Cup in their home stadium. The Argos did so last year and the BC Lions did the year before.
This year's Vanier Cup will be won by either the Calgary Dinosaurs or the defending champs, the Laval Rouge et Or. My Western Mustangs were trounced by the Dinos in the Mitchell Bowl. The game will be played in Quebec City next Saturday.
I saw none of the Bills big win over the Jets yesterday. It was my mom's 75th birthday and the family gathered in St. Catharines to mark the occasion. The score was 17-0 when I turned on the car radio. The game was billed as as the battle between two AFC East rookie quarterbacks: Geno Smith, the West Virginia product taken by the Jets in the second round of this year's draft, and EJ Manuel of the Bills. Mirroring the Jets season so far, Smith has been either very good - he has beaten the Patriots and the Saints - or very bad. EJ Manuel, on the other hand, had not shown the same extremes in his play that Smith has. Manuel has also been erratic but yesterday's performance in the winds of Orchard Park certainly helped to reassure Bills fans who were deeply concerned after last week's ugly performance in Pittsburgh.
The Bills have only one more game at Ralph Wilson Stadium this season, 5 weeks from yesterday against the Dolphins. As of last week, there were about 20,000 tickets remaining so the game will surely be the first and only one of the seven games at the Ralph to be blacked out this season - thanks to Ralph Wilson "buying" the remaining tickets to yesterday's game (and the Cincinnati game in October). I wonder where he gets the money.
The bye week has finally come and then the Bills face the Atlanta Falcons at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. I might grab a cheap ticket at game time if I'm in town.
First to Canadian football: I caught the end of the Eastern Final on the car radio after the Bills were in command of their game. A surprisingly (to me at least) big crowd of more than 35,000 at the dome saw the Tiger-Cats advance to their first Grey Cup since 1999. I was happy for them, for coach Austin, for the City of Hamilton and happy that, since the Argos season is now done, Rob Ford can not involve himself in any of the festivities in Regina this week. The Saskatchewan Rough Riders will try to become the third team in a row to win the Grey Cup in their home stadium. The Argos did so last year and the BC Lions did the year before.
This year's Vanier Cup will be won by either the Calgary Dinosaurs or the defending champs, the Laval Rouge et Or. My Western Mustangs were trounced by the Dinos in the Mitchell Bowl. The game will be played in Quebec City next Saturday.
I saw none of the Bills big win over the Jets yesterday. It was my mom's 75th birthday and the family gathered in St. Catharines to mark the occasion. The score was 17-0 when I turned on the car radio. The game was billed as as the battle between two AFC East rookie quarterbacks: Geno Smith, the West Virginia product taken by the Jets in the second round of this year's draft, and EJ Manuel of the Bills. Mirroring the Jets season so far, Smith has been either very good - he has beaten the Patriots and the Saints - or very bad. EJ Manuel, on the other hand, had not shown the same extremes in his play that Smith has. Manuel has also been erratic but yesterday's performance in the winds of Orchard Park certainly helped to reassure Bills fans who were deeply concerned after last week's ugly performance in Pittsburgh.
The Bills have only one more game at Ralph Wilson Stadium this season, 5 weeks from yesterday against the Dolphins. As of last week, there were about 20,000 tickets remaining so the game will surely be the first and only one of the seven games at the Ralph to be blacked out this season - thanks to Ralph Wilson "buying" the remaining tickets to yesterday's game (and the Cincinnati game in October). I wonder where he gets the money.
The bye week has finally come and then the Bills face the Atlanta Falcons at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. I might grab a cheap ticket at game time if I'm in town.
Monday, 11 November 2013
Steelers 23, Bills 10
Tabatha Southey is a good writer. Her weekly Globe and Mail column is a must-read for me and I follow her on Twitter too. Her column this past Saturday, entitled "Finally, the mayor he dreamed he'd be" drew an amusing connection between Sandro Lisi leaving plastic bags in the back seat of the mayor's Escalade and his "highly impassioned, successful crusade to end the five cent fee for plastic bags...". At this point in the exhausting Ford story, we're left with trying to find humour wherever it might lurk. It was easy enough at first but the story seems to have run out of funny chapters. But it's a new week and we can only hope.
The Fifth Estate piece on Friday night did a nice job of pulling all of the sordid elements of the story together. Ford's admission of crack use, his angry rant against someone in the latest video and Toronto City Council's continuing ostracization of him may be the least of his problems if more evidence comes to light about his connections to organized crime. The "broker" of the original video, a Dixon community organizer, claimed that unsavoury characters showed up in the days immediately following the original Toronto Star story offering (and showing people) large sums of cash in exchange for the video. Around this time, Ford was calling Lisi multiple times every day. Many of their clandestine meetings at gas stations and elsewhere were recorded as part of the ongoing police surveillance. He has not offered an explanation of any of this but, if he insists on remaining as mayor, the pressure to do so will be immense. Otherwise, we will draw our own conclusions. I wonder when we will get around to discussing the downtown relief line again.
If there is a silver lining to this very dark cloud stuck over the City of Toronto, it could be that the Ford saga has generated renewed interest in municipal politics which could translate into increased voter turnout next fall. High voter turnouts are the great fear of the right wing. Apathy and cynicism helped elect Stephen Harper but as voter turnout increases (if it does), his prospects diminish - and he knows it. Same goes for Ford Nation (which Adam Vaughan referred to as a failed state). Members of Ford Nation vote in large percentages and if others don't, Ford wins. If many citizens who have never voted in municipal elections do vote next October, very few of them are likely to vote for Ford. As long as the non-Ford vote isn't split too many ways, just think, we may be less than a year away from booting him out.
The most interesting thing I saw during yesterday's Bills game in Pittsburgh was some footage CBS dug up from the Bills one and only win in Pittsburgh which took place in 1975. The teams do not play each other all that often but their histories each go back more than 50 years. Many Bills fans were probably happy to see EJ Manuel under centre after missing 4 weeks with a knee injury from the Cleveland game in week 5. I was one of them. But even acknowledging that he had missed the previous 4 weeks and was making only his 6th NFL career start - in Pittsburgh - he had a bad day yesterday. Very bad. So bad that on the past-game call-in on WGR, The Bulldog wondered if the team should consider drafting another quarterback in next year's draft. The remaining 6 games in this season, while unimportant for Bills fans who have probably thrown in the towel on another lost season, are going to determine if the Bills will do that or stick with Manuel and fill another need in the draft. Let's hope he shows some of whatever they saw in him when they picked him. I predict that he will bounce back, play better and be the quarterback to lead the team back to the playoffs.
The Fifth Estate piece on Friday night did a nice job of pulling all of the sordid elements of the story together. Ford's admission of crack use, his angry rant against someone in the latest video and Toronto City Council's continuing ostracization of him may be the least of his problems if more evidence comes to light about his connections to organized crime. The "broker" of the original video, a Dixon community organizer, claimed that unsavoury characters showed up in the days immediately following the original Toronto Star story offering (and showing people) large sums of cash in exchange for the video. Around this time, Ford was calling Lisi multiple times every day. Many of their clandestine meetings at gas stations and elsewhere were recorded as part of the ongoing police surveillance. He has not offered an explanation of any of this but, if he insists on remaining as mayor, the pressure to do so will be immense. Otherwise, we will draw our own conclusions. I wonder when we will get around to discussing the downtown relief line again.
If there is a silver lining to this very dark cloud stuck over the City of Toronto, it could be that the Ford saga has generated renewed interest in municipal politics which could translate into increased voter turnout next fall. High voter turnouts are the great fear of the right wing. Apathy and cynicism helped elect Stephen Harper but as voter turnout increases (if it does), his prospects diminish - and he knows it. Same goes for Ford Nation (which Adam Vaughan referred to as a failed state). Members of Ford Nation vote in large percentages and if others don't, Ford wins. If many citizens who have never voted in municipal elections do vote next October, very few of them are likely to vote for Ford. As long as the non-Ford vote isn't split too many ways, just think, we may be less than a year away from booting him out.
The most interesting thing I saw during yesterday's Bills game in Pittsburgh was some footage CBS dug up from the Bills one and only win in Pittsburgh which took place in 1975. The teams do not play each other all that often but their histories each go back more than 50 years. Many Bills fans were probably happy to see EJ Manuel under centre after missing 4 weeks with a knee injury from the Cleveland game in week 5. I was one of them. But even acknowledging that he had missed the previous 4 weeks and was making only his 6th NFL career start - in Pittsburgh - he had a bad day yesterday. Very bad. So bad that on the past-game call-in on WGR, The Bulldog wondered if the team should consider drafting another quarterback in next year's draft. The remaining 6 games in this season, while unimportant for Bills fans who have probably thrown in the towel on another lost season, are going to determine if the Bills will do that or stick with Manuel and fill another need in the draft. Let's hope he shows some of whatever they saw in him when they picked him. I predict that he will bounce back, play better and be the quarterback to lead the team back to the playoffs.
Monday, 4 November 2013
Chiefs 23, Bills 13
Once again, I was asked a question I have never been asked before at the US Border at Lewiston, NY yesterday morning, There were a grand total of three questions actually: "Where are you going?", "When are you returning?" and, I guess because I was wearing only a base layer and a short-sleeved fake Mario Williams jersey over that, as he handed my passport back to me, the agent causally asked "Are you going to be warm enough?". After hesitating for a second, I decided to tell him the truth. I just wasn't sure. It turned out to be mostly sunny by kick-off so not too bad.
I met up with a few of my Buffalo peeps in a muddy parking lot just outside the stadium parking lot where I usually go. They had a big fire on the wet grass with logs from an ancient cherry tree which was cut down either by George Washington or a neighbour of theirs many many years ago. We stood around in the muck for an enjoyable couple of hours before Joe and I invested about half an hour lining up to get our "stadium blankets", another of the so-called "Season Ticket Holder Benefits" handed out this year. We got our blankets finally but missed the first 3 minutes of the game.
Fast forward to the first Bills drive of the 3rd quarter, leading the Chiefs 10-3. They moved the ball all the way down to the Chiefs one yard line, then ran it twice for nothing, setting up a key third down for the Bills offence. Before the snap, Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith is lined up opposite Stevie Johnson in the slot. TJ Graham is lined up to Johnson's right. At the snap, Johnson heads to the back of the endzone where he is wide open because Smith releases from him, pauses at the line of scrimmage and, as Jeff Tuel throws to his right looking for Graham, Smith is right at the goal line for the pick which he returns 100 yards to tie the game at 10. With the Bills poised to go up 17-3, it was a 14 point swing in one play - or at least 10 if the Bills had settled for a field goal - and, in a game which the Chiefs won by 10 points, it was obviously the key play.
Undrafted Jeff Tuel, pictured above, played remarkably well and the Bills were able to run the ball for 241 yards against a highly rated Chiefs defence. They outgained the Chiefs by 260 yards on the day but key turnovers sunk them.
With tomorrow being the first Tuesday of November, there are election signs along the main roads in Western New York. Sheriffs, State Senators, State Representatives, Judges, Controllers, County Administrators, Dog Catchers - Americans fill public positions by election significantly more than we do in Canada. While I do see the value in public officials having accountability directly to the citizens they serve, I wonder how informed voters can really be about the qualifications of candidates for some of these positions. Take Judges for example. Political advertising for these positions often involves arguing over various degrees of being extremely tough on crime. I guess, as the saying goes, we get the government - or the Judges or the Dog Catchers - we deserve.
Up next for the Bills: a trip to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers who are having a down season. The Bills schedule does soften considerably over the last 7 games and a playoff run is not entirely out of the question as it does look the 6th seed in the AFC will probably be 9-7 or possibly even 8-8. Time to string together a few wins.
I met up with a few of my Buffalo peeps in a muddy parking lot just outside the stadium parking lot where I usually go. They had a big fire on the wet grass with logs from an ancient cherry tree which was cut down either by George Washington or a neighbour of theirs many many years ago. We stood around in the muck for an enjoyable couple of hours before Joe and I invested about half an hour lining up to get our "stadium blankets", another of the so-called "Season Ticket Holder Benefits" handed out this year. We got our blankets finally but missed the first 3 minutes of the game.
Fast forward to the first Bills drive of the 3rd quarter, leading the Chiefs 10-3. They moved the ball all the way down to the Chiefs one yard line, then ran it twice for nothing, setting up a key third down for the Bills offence. Before the snap, Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith is lined up opposite Stevie Johnson in the slot. TJ Graham is lined up to Johnson's right. At the snap, Johnson heads to the back of the endzone where he is wide open because Smith releases from him, pauses at the line of scrimmage and, as Jeff Tuel throws to his right looking for Graham, Smith is right at the goal line for the pick which he returns 100 yards to tie the game at 10. With the Bills poised to go up 17-3, it was a 14 point swing in one play - or at least 10 if the Bills had settled for a field goal - and, in a game which the Chiefs won by 10 points, it was obviously the key play.
Undrafted Jeff Tuel, pictured above, played remarkably well and the Bills were able to run the ball for 241 yards against a highly rated Chiefs defence. They outgained the Chiefs by 260 yards on the day but key turnovers sunk them.
With tomorrow being the first Tuesday of November, there are election signs along the main roads in Western New York. Sheriffs, State Senators, State Representatives, Judges, Controllers, County Administrators, Dog Catchers - Americans fill public positions by election significantly more than we do in Canada. While I do see the value in public officials having accountability directly to the citizens they serve, I wonder how informed voters can really be about the qualifications of candidates for some of these positions. Take Judges for example. Political advertising for these positions often involves arguing over various degrees of being extremely tough on crime. I guess, as the saying goes, we get the government - or the Judges or the Dog Catchers - we deserve.
Up next for the Bills: a trip to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers who are having a down season. The Bills schedule does soften considerably over the last 7 games and a playoff run is not entirely out of the question as it does look the 6th seed in the AFC will probably be 9-7 or possibly even 8-8. Time to string together a few wins.
Monday, 28 October 2013
Saints 35, Bills 17
I'm just happy that the Chiefs won again yesterday. Because they will now bring their undefeated record to Orchard Park on Sunday to face the 3-5 Bills who will be looking to be the first team to knock them off this season and, in the process, preserve any chances of their own at a successful season. The game is sold out, making it the 5th consecutive home game to sell out this season. I will be there and I will be betting on the Bills - as I always do.
I had a Pro-line ticket for this past weekend's games which was truly one for the ages. My entirely (so far) unsuccessful strategy is to play a 6 game parlay with the Bills to win (regardless), some home underdogs and other unlikely hunches. My tickets usually pay somewhere in the range of $8,000 to $20,000 on a $20 bet. It just makes watching the out of town scoreboard a bit more interesting. This time, with the Bills going into New Orleans as heavy underdogs, I decided to go all-out with the heavy underdogs including the Dolphins, Giants, Redskins, Vikings and Rams (who play tonight). Well, the Giants won yesterday and if the others had done the same, I would be watching tonight's Seattle/St.Louis game as the world's biggest Rams fan. A Rams win (along with 4 others yesterday) would have paid $192,060. I would have definitely bought one of those fancy Bills branded scissor legged bar-b-ques from Dick's Sporting Goods. And possibly a new pair of cross-country skis. Oh, and maybe another canoe.
One of the problems with fixed election dates is that campaigns last much longer than when election dates are unknown - or at least uncertain. US Presidential campaigns last almost the entire time between elections - especially if the sitting President is serving a second term. My Toronto city councillor, Karen Stintz, announced her candidacy for mayor of Toronto yesterday - exactly one year from the election date. Rob Ford has been in campaign mode since the transit debates of March last year and we await possible announcements from Olivia Chow and John Tory and perhaps others. David Soknacki (who?) declared his candidacy a month ago. So, city business will now take a back seat to the year-long pre-election political posturing about who wants subways more than the others without raising taxes. I generally like Karen Stintz and I admired her willingness to take on the mayor over his objection to light rail in areas where ridership does not justify the expense of a subway. But does she really need a year to get her campaign message out? Maybe now is a good time to point out that she first won election to council in 2003 by campaigning against the Minto condo towers at Yonge and Eglinton (which have of course since been built) and unseating the long-standing and respected Anne Johnston who, along with David Miller, supported the plan because it would have (and now has) resulted in increased density at a well-serviced transit hub - ie, smart and responsible urban planning. She capitalized on a classic NIMBY movement in her neighbourhood and won election almost entirely on that issue. I just hope that we can eventually settle on one candidate who isn't Rob Ford. If we see Chow, Tory, Adam Vaughan and others all enter the race as well as Stintz and Soknacki, Ford could easily win again. And Karen Stintz would likely not be on his Executive Committee this time around.
I had a Pro-line ticket for this past weekend's games which was truly one for the ages. My entirely (so far) unsuccessful strategy is to play a 6 game parlay with the Bills to win (regardless), some home underdogs and other unlikely hunches. My tickets usually pay somewhere in the range of $8,000 to $20,000 on a $20 bet. It just makes watching the out of town scoreboard a bit more interesting. This time, with the Bills going into New Orleans as heavy underdogs, I decided to go all-out with the heavy underdogs including the Dolphins, Giants, Redskins, Vikings and Rams (who play tonight). Well, the Giants won yesterday and if the others had done the same, I would be watching tonight's Seattle/St.Louis game as the world's biggest Rams fan. A Rams win (along with 4 others yesterday) would have paid $192,060. I would have definitely bought one of those fancy Bills branded scissor legged bar-b-ques from Dick's Sporting Goods. And possibly a new pair of cross-country skis. Oh, and maybe another canoe.
One of the problems with fixed election dates is that campaigns last much longer than when election dates are unknown - or at least uncertain. US Presidential campaigns last almost the entire time between elections - especially if the sitting President is serving a second term. My Toronto city councillor, Karen Stintz, announced her candidacy for mayor of Toronto yesterday - exactly one year from the election date. Rob Ford has been in campaign mode since the transit debates of March last year and we await possible announcements from Olivia Chow and John Tory and perhaps others. David Soknacki (who?) declared his candidacy a month ago. So, city business will now take a back seat to the year-long pre-election political posturing about who wants subways more than the others without raising taxes. I generally like Karen Stintz and I admired her willingness to take on the mayor over his objection to light rail in areas where ridership does not justify the expense of a subway. But does she really need a year to get her campaign message out? Maybe now is a good time to point out that she first won election to council in 2003 by campaigning against the Minto condo towers at Yonge and Eglinton (which have of course since been built) and unseating the long-standing and respected Anne Johnston who, along with David Miller, supported the plan because it would have (and now has) resulted in increased density at a well-serviced transit hub - ie, smart and responsible urban planning. She capitalized on a classic NIMBY movement in her neighbourhood and won election almost entirely on that issue. I just hope that we can eventually settle on one candidate who isn't Rob Ford. If we see Chow, Tory, Adam Vaughan and others all enter the race as well as Stintz and Soknacki, Ford could easily win again. And Karen Stintz would likely not be on his Executive Committee this time around.
Monday, 21 October 2013
Bills 23, Dolphins 21
Yesterday's game in the heat and humidity of South Florida looked like it had slipped away from the Bills after they had built an early 14-0 lead. But trailing by a point late in the 4th quarter, their $16 million man, defensive end Mario Williams, sacked Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill and forced him to fumble into the backfield. The fumble was recovered by defensive tackle Kyle Williams - but just barely. Kyle looked like he wanted to try to pick up the ball and run with it but fell clumsily and was able to grab it with some difficulty. From there, quarterback Thad Lewis led the Bills into filed goal territory where former Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter put them up by 2 points. His subsequent short kick-off was returned to mid-field and the game finally ended with a hail-mary pass to the end zone which was knocked to the ground.
Bills coach Doug Marrone was asked at his post-game press conference if he was surprised that the Dolphins were passing at that point in the game. He considered his answer carefully before saying "you would really have to ask them about that". I like Marrone a lot. He is trying to change the culture of mediocrity which has become entrenched within the team for almost 15 years now. He talks about expecting to win. Chan Gailey, by comparison, often looked thankful to win and sometimes even surprised. Not that he experienced the sensation all that often. Marrone's team is now 3-4 and yesterday he talked about wanting the team to "get on a roll". It's going to be tough however as the Bills play at New Orleans next week. The Saints lost their last game at New England and will have had 2 weeks to prepare for the Bills. Not that coming off a bye week seemed to help the Dolphins much yesterday.
One thing I noticed watching yesterday's game was the surprising number of empty seats at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. The Dolphins have a rich history with much success in their past. The franchise has had a Hall of Fame coach in Don Shula and was quarterbacked by one of the most prolific passers the NFL has ever seen in Dan Marino for many years. The team has not reached the Superbowl since the 1984 season but had numerous playoff appearances with Marino under centre. Florida is college football country with the Gators, Seminoles and Hurricanes all enjoying very strong fan support. The state's 2 other NFL franchises, in Jacksonville and Tampa, have not had much recent success either (although Tampa won the Superbowl in 2002) and are also experiencing attendance problems. In Jacksonville, for example, the top corner sections of the upper deck of EverBank Field have been covered by tarps (maybe the Toronto Argonauts learned this strategy from them) but the team still can not come close to selling out their home games. I can't explain why pro football seems to take a back seat to the college game in Florida to the extent that it does but the league can not be happy about persistent empty seats and local television black-outs.
Speaking of black-outs, the Bills announced last week that their next home game against the Kansas City Chiefs on November 3rd has sold out. Each of the first 5 home games have now sold out and if the team can string together a few more wins and stay in contention, they could sell out the last 2 as well. I'm going to the Chiefs game and I'm looking forward to spending the day with my old school friend and Buffalo native Chris Banning. Maybe the Bills can be the first team to beat Kansas City this season.
Bills coach Doug Marrone was asked at his post-game press conference if he was surprised that the Dolphins were passing at that point in the game. He considered his answer carefully before saying "you would really have to ask them about that". I like Marrone a lot. He is trying to change the culture of mediocrity which has become entrenched within the team for almost 15 years now. He talks about expecting to win. Chan Gailey, by comparison, often looked thankful to win and sometimes even surprised. Not that he experienced the sensation all that often. Marrone's team is now 3-4 and yesterday he talked about wanting the team to "get on a roll". It's going to be tough however as the Bills play at New Orleans next week. The Saints lost their last game at New England and will have had 2 weeks to prepare for the Bills. Not that coming off a bye week seemed to help the Dolphins much yesterday.
One thing I noticed watching yesterday's game was the surprising number of empty seats at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. The Dolphins have a rich history with much success in their past. The franchise has had a Hall of Fame coach in Don Shula and was quarterbacked by one of the most prolific passers the NFL has ever seen in Dan Marino for many years. The team has not reached the Superbowl since the 1984 season but had numerous playoff appearances with Marino under centre. Florida is college football country with the Gators, Seminoles and Hurricanes all enjoying very strong fan support. The state's 2 other NFL franchises, in Jacksonville and Tampa, have not had much recent success either (although Tampa won the Superbowl in 2002) and are also experiencing attendance problems. In Jacksonville, for example, the top corner sections of the upper deck of EverBank Field have been covered by tarps (maybe the Toronto Argonauts learned this strategy from them) but the team still can not come close to selling out their home games. I can't explain why pro football seems to take a back seat to the college game in Florida to the extent that it does but the league can not be happy about persistent empty seats and local television black-outs.
Speaking of black-outs, the Bills announced last week that their next home game against the Kansas City Chiefs on November 3rd has sold out. Each of the first 5 home games have now sold out and if the team can string together a few more wins and stay in contention, they could sell out the last 2 as well. I'm going to the Chiefs game and I'm looking forward to spending the day with my old school friend and Buffalo native Chris Banning. Maybe the Bills can be the first team to beat Kansas City this season.
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Bengals 27, Bills 24 OT
I try to watch Mark Shields and David Brooks every Friday on the PBS Newshour. They provide their analysis of the week's news and events, mostly focusing on US politics. Shields is a syndicated columnist - and more of a liberal - while Brooks is a columnist with the New York Times -and more of a conservative. Neither is partisan for or against either of the two major US political parties and, while they often disagree, they do so in a more respectful and considerate way than just about any other political panel I can think of.
This past Friday, they discussed the current US government shutdown and the looming possibility that the government could default on its debt obligations. Both agreed that the position taken by House Tea Party Republicans is quickly driving down the popularity of the Republican Party. I guess I knew that but the extent of the damage, according to Shields and Brooks, was a bit of a surprise to me. Shields suggested that the Republican Party now has the support of about 28% of the American population. This level of support would be good in four party system but, in a two party system, it is disastrous. Not that I really mind seeing the GOP self-destruct, but when the world's financial system is potentially put at risk, something needs to be done.
The problem is that certain Tea Party Republicans ran on the basis that they would fight for their issues (reversing the Affordable Care Act, cuts to entitlements etc) and that in the course of the fight, they would not compromise. The American legislative system is based on compromise and without it, over the course of the country's history, very few legislative initiatives would have ever been come to pass. I understand that the Tea Party does not support Obamcare and that they want cuts to social security to balance the budget - I really do understand that (although I don't agree) - but not being willing to compromise is recipe for a failure of the system. Imagine if a group of Democrats refused to raise the debt ceiling unless significant gun control or carbon emission legislation were passed.
The GOP is being punished (rightly) in public opinion polls. I am not naive enough to think that only 28% of the American public supports the Tea Party's position on the issues. I am certain that's not the case. But what does seem likely is that three quarters of Americans oppose the idea of a refusal to compromise. And so they should. There are now two days left to get some kind of a deal before the US defaults on its debt obligations and sends the world economy off the edge. House Speaker John Boehner has publicly suggested that the President seems like he will settle for nothing less than a total surrender by House Democrats whereby they would gain virtually nothing in whatever deal emerges. At least he's right about that.
This past Friday, they discussed the current US government shutdown and the looming possibility that the government could default on its debt obligations. Both agreed that the position taken by House Tea Party Republicans is quickly driving down the popularity of the Republican Party. I guess I knew that but the extent of the damage, according to Shields and Brooks, was a bit of a surprise to me. Shields suggested that the Republican Party now has the support of about 28% of the American population. This level of support would be good in four party system but, in a two party system, it is disastrous. Not that I really mind seeing the GOP self-destruct, but when the world's financial system is potentially put at risk, something needs to be done.
The problem is that certain Tea Party Republicans ran on the basis that they would fight for their issues (reversing the Affordable Care Act, cuts to entitlements etc) and that in the course of the fight, they would not compromise. The American legislative system is based on compromise and without it, over the course of the country's history, very few legislative initiatives would have ever been come to pass. I understand that the Tea Party does not support Obamcare and that they want cuts to social security to balance the budget - I really do understand that (although I don't agree) - but not being willing to compromise is recipe for a failure of the system. Imagine if a group of Democrats refused to raise the debt ceiling unless significant gun control or carbon emission legislation were passed.
The GOP is being punished (rightly) in public opinion polls. I am not naive enough to think that only 28% of the American public supports the Tea Party's position on the issues. I am certain that's not the case. But what does seem likely is that three quarters of Americans oppose the idea of a refusal to compromise. And so they should. There are now two days left to get some kind of a deal before the US defaults on its debt obligations and sends the world economy off the edge. House Speaker John Boehner has publicly suggested that the President seems like he will settle for nothing less than a total surrender by House Democrats whereby they would gain virtually nothing in whatever deal emerges. At least he's right about that.
Monday, 7 October 2013
Browns 37, Bills 24
I went to a Bills playoff in Cleveland in January of 1990 - the season before they began their 4 year Superbowl run. Cleveland won the game 34-30 after Ronnie Harmon dropped the game-winning touchdown pass from Jim Kelly in the endzone in the dying seconds of the game. On the following play, Kelly was intercepted by Clay Matthews to seal the win for the Browns. There are 2 things I remember very clearly from that game: first, Bills receiver Don Beebe jumped high to catch a pass, was hit in the air and made NFL highlight reels for years to come by then bouncing vertically off the top of his head. He was not injured. The other memory from that game was a kick-off return by Eric Melcalfe of the Browns. As a fan of the visiting team, I was not participating in the roaring of the crowd as he broke through the wedge and coasted from his own 40 yard line. As opposed to a goal in hockey for example, a kick-off return for a touchdown affords the crowd a good 10-15 seconds of frenzied cheering before the play ends and I remember looking around the stadium (the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium) at the crowd and thinking that Cleveland fans must be among the best in the NFL. It was deafening.
The Browns and the Bills share more than Lake Erie waterfronts. Both franchises have had success in the past but, in recent years, both teams have been very disappointing to their loyal fan bases. Art Modell even moved Cleveland's team to Baltimore and the city had to then press the restart button with an expansion team. Both teams have been dismal since 1999 which was the last year that the Bills made the playoffs and the year that the new expansion version of the Browns first took the field. So, because both are struggling rust belt cities with dedicated working class fan bases, because of the recent on-field sorrows they share and because I have been to a game there, if the Bills are to lose a game, it may as well be to the Cleveland Browns. Plus, they have the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.
The most entertaining game of week 5 took place in Dallas yesterday. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and Denver quarterback Peyton Manning put on an a spectacular offensive show in the Broncos 51-48 win. But the story from the game will probably be that Tony Romo once again found a way to make a critical mistake at the end of the game by throwing an interception deep in his own territory. Manning then got the Broncos close and simply ran out the clock to set up the game winning field goal as time expired. Romo has a strong arm, can scramble when he needs to and shows himself to be a strong competitor but, as Rodney Harrison pointed out last night, when crunch time comes, he seems to worry about making a critical mistake. Then he makes it. But, he's still probably better than whoever is going to be under centre for the Bills for next few weeks.
As of Friday, there were 7.500 unsold tickets for the Bills next two home games - against Cincinnati and Kansas City - and about 10,000 left for the remaining two games against the Jets and Miami. At 2-3 and with the franchise quarterback EJ Manuel on the shelf with a knee injury, Bills fans are likely to experience 4 local black-outs this year after the team sold out the first 3 home games. At least we will be able to watch the Toronto game against Atlanta as it will certainly be "sold out". In fact, it already is.
The Browns and the Bills share more than Lake Erie waterfronts. Both franchises have had success in the past but, in recent years, both teams have been very disappointing to their loyal fan bases. Art Modell even moved Cleveland's team to Baltimore and the city had to then press the restart button with an expansion team. Both teams have been dismal since 1999 which was the last year that the Bills made the playoffs and the year that the new expansion version of the Browns first took the field. So, because both are struggling rust belt cities with dedicated working class fan bases, because of the recent on-field sorrows they share and because I have been to a game there, if the Bills are to lose a game, it may as well be to the Cleveland Browns. Plus, they have the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.
The most entertaining game of week 5 took place in Dallas yesterday. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and Denver quarterback Peyton Manning put on an a spectacular offensive show in the Broncos 51-48 win. But the story from the game will probably be that Tony Romo once again found a way to make a critical mistake at the end of the game by throwing an interception deep in his own territory. Manning then got the Broncos close and simply ran out the clock to set up the game winning field goal as time expired. Romo has a strong arm, can scramble when he needs to and shows himself to be a strong competitor but, as Rodney Harrison pointed out last night, when crunch time comes, he seems to worry about making a critical mistake. Then he makes it. But, he's still probably better than whoever is going to be under centre for the Bills for next few weeks.
As of Friday, there were 7.500 unsold tickets for the Bills next two home games - against Cincinnati and Kansas City - and about 10,000 left for the remaining two games against the Jets and Miami. At 2-3 and with the franchise quarterback EJ Manuel on the shelf with a knee injury, Bills fans are likely to experience 4 local black-outs this year after the team sold out the first 3 home games. At least we will be able to watch the Toronto game against Atlanta as it will certainly be "sold out". In fact, it already is.
Monday, 30 September 2013
Bills 23, Ravens 20
I have been looking after a white dog - Sophie, the one in the photo - for the past couple of weeks. I've been in Muskoka for as much of that time as possible. Not because it necessarily suits me but for her. She loves to chase squirrels and tennis balls, swim and spend her days roaming around the property and the shoreline. Of all the dogs I have known, Sophie is probably the most intelligent one. And definitely the one which sheds the most white hair. I will need to borrow her owner's Dyson.
So, the US government is set to "shut down" as early as tomorrow. This is thanks to Tea Party Republicans who see the budget and debt ceiling debate as an opportunity to defund the Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare". Republicans who are not members of or supported by the Tea Party movement have been urging their colleagues to back off for fear of a public backlash against the party. There is now a clear division within the Republican party which makes it look as if the right hand doesn't know what the extreme right hand is doing. The best thing that the more "mainstream" Republicans could do is to ask their Tea Party colleagues to form their own party where they would be free to continue to create their own set of facts and truths as well as the policies which fit within them. They could continue to advocate for further tax cuts for "the job creators" and rail against the evils of "big government". FOX News could move from being their unofficial to their official broadcaster and they wouldn't have to waste time bad-mouthing people like David Frum any more. I am now convinced that a three party system is what's needed in the United States. The time has come. And the fact that the Democrats would govern the country for at least a couple of generations would just be an added benefit. After Obama's second term ends, Hillary Clinton would serve two terms as the first female President and then maybe the Democrats could nominate a Hispanic for President. Let's call him President Martinez.
After finally selling my tickets to yesterday's game on NFL TicketExchange on Saturday morning, I decided to stay at the cottage to watch the game. Mainly for Sophie of course. The Bills were able to run for more than 200 yards against the Ravens and, along with the career high five interceptions given up by Joe Flacco, the running game dictated time of possession and was key in winning this close game. All four Bills games this year have been decided by seven points or less.
Up next is a Thursday night road game against the Bills' Lake Erie cousins, the Cleveland Browns. Then the Bills will have 10 days to prepare for the Cincinnati Bengals who come to Orchard Park on Canadian Thanksgiving Day.
So, the US government is set to "shut down" as early as tomorrow. This is thanks to Tea Party Republicans who see the budget and debt ceiling debate as an opportunity to defund the Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare". Republicans who are not members of or supported by the Tea Party movement have been urging their colleagues to back off for fear of a public backlash against the party. There is now a clear division within the Republican party which makes it look as if the right hand doesn't know what the extreme right hand is doing. The best thing that the more "mainstream" Republicans could do is to ask their Tea Party colleagues to form their own party where they would be free to continue to create their own set of facts and truths as well as the policies which fit within them. They could continue to advocate for further tax cuts for "the job creators" and rail against the evils of "big government". FOX News could move from being their unofficial to their official broadcaster and they wouldn't have to waste time bad-mouthing people like David Frum any more. I am now convinced that a three party system is what's needed in the United States. The time has come. And the fact that the Democrats would govern the country for at least a couple of generations would just be an added benefit. After Obama's second term ends, Hillary Clinton would serve two terms as the first female President and then maybe the Democrats could nominate a Hispanic for President. Let's call him President Martinez.
After finally selling my tickets to yesterday's game on NFL TicketExchange on Saturday morning, I decided to stay at the cottage to watch the game. Mainly for Sophie of course. The Bills were able to run for more than 200 yards against the Ravens and, along with the career high five interceptions given up by Joe Flacco, the running game dictated time of possession and was key in winning this close game. All four Bills games this year have been decided by seven points or less.
Up next is a Thursday night road game against the Bills' Lake Erie cousins, the Cleveland Browns. Then the Bills will have 10 days to prepare for the Cincinnati Bengals who come to Orchard Park on Canadian Thanksgiving Day.
Monday, 23 September 2013
Jets 27, Bills 20
The way I see it, Justin Rogers owes me $6,550.60. That was going to be the payout on my 6 game parlay Pro-line ticket yesterday. Each and every one of the 5 other games came in as required and a Bills win yesterday by 4 or more points would have earned me that amount. According to the fans calling in to WGR after yesterday's game at the Meadowlands, the ugly loss can be pinned entirely on the Bills 3rd year cornerback.
Rogers, a product of the University of Richmond Spiders, was selected by the Bills in the 7th round of the 2011 NFL draft and stands 4th on the depth chart at his position. But with Stephon Gilmore and Ron Brooks inactive yesterday due to injuries and after Leodis McKelvin went down early on, Rogers was lined up against the Jets top wide-outs for the rest of the afternoon. And he was thoroughly torched, as receivers he was "covering" gained 270 of the Jets 331 passing yards on the day. As WGR's Mike Schopp repeatedly asked callers, is Rogers really any worse than most other 4th string cornerbacks on NFL rosters? Should the Bills release him and sign a cornerback from another team's practice roster? Maybe they should and maybe they will but when injuries take their toll and 4th string players are lined up for every snap, opposing coaches will always take advantage. I feel sorry for Justin Rogers. I really do. But I still need him to fork over the Pro-line payout. After all, it was his fault.
If I were Rogers though, I would take a walk over to EJ Manuel's locker and ask him to consider a healthy contribution as well. Not only does Manuel earn 1st round draft pick money, he was quite simply terrible yesterday. The Jets defence played very well and were not only able to shut down the Bills running game early on but they brought relentless pressure on Manuel who looked rattled and ended up struggling mightily with accuracy on his throws. As much as last week's game winning drive boosted Manuel's (and Bills Nation's) confidence, yesterday's debacle may well have done even more to erode it.
Yet, somehow - thanks largely to the 20 penalties taken the the Jets - the Bills were able to tie the game at 20 in the 4th quarter before Jets quarterback Gino Smith found Santonio Holmes for the game-winning 69 yard touchdown. Smith threw to Holmes because, after all, he was covered by Justin Rogers.
The defending Superbowl champion Baltimore Ravens come to Orchard Park on Sunday. Although they have lost Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, their defence is still formidable and if the injury plagued Bills are going to recover from this difficult loss, why not do it against the defending champions? The game is sold out and my tickets are currently listed on NFL TicketExchange. If Justin Rogers has family, friends or any other morbidly curious fans in need of tickets, I would gladly give them to him. After he pays me.
Rogers, a product of the University of Richmond Spiders, was selected by the Bills in the 7th round of the 2011 NFL draft and stands 4th on the depth chart at his position. But with Stephon Gilmore and Ron Brooks inactive yesterday due to injuries and after Leodis McKelvin went down early on, Rogers was lined up against the Jets top wide-outs for the rest of the afternoon. And he was thoroughly torched, as receivers he was "covering" gained 270 of the Jets 331 passing yards on the day. As WGR's Mike Schopp repeatedly asked callers, is Rogers really any worse than most other 4th string cornerbacks on NFL rosters? Should the Bills release him and sign a cornerback from another team's practice roster? Maybe they should and maybe they will but when injuries take their toll and 4th string players are lined up for every snap, opposing coaches will always take advantage. I feel sorry for Justin Rogers. I really do. But I still need him to fork over the Pro-line payout. After all, it was his fault.
If I were Rogers though, I would take a walk over to EJ Manuel's locker and ask him to consider a healthy contribution as well. Not only does Manuel earn 1st round draft pick money, he was quite simply terrible yesterday. The Jets defence played very well and were not only able to shut down the Bills running game early on but they brought relentless pressure on Manuel who looked rattled and ended up struggling mightily with accuracy on his throws. As much as last week's game winning drive boosted Manuel's (and Bills Nation's) confidence, yesterday's debacle may well have done even more to erode it.
Yet, somehow - thanks largely to the 20 penalties taken the the Jets - the Bills were able to tie the game at 20 in the 4th quarter before Jets quarterback Gino Smith found Santonio Holmes for the game-winning 69 yard touchdown. Smith threw to Holmes because, after all, he was covered by Justin Rogers.
The defending Superbowl champion Baltimore Ravens come to Orchard Park on Sunday. Although they have lost Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, their defence is still formidable and if the injury plagued Bills are going to recover from this difficult loss, why not do it against the defending champions? The game is sold out and my tickets are currently listed on NFL TicketExchange. If Justin Rogers has family, friends or any other morbidly curious fans in need of tickets, I would gladly give them to him. After he pays me.
Monday, 16 September 2013
Bills 24, Panthers 23
"Are you carrying currency over $1,000?" asked the US Customs and Border Patrol officer at the Queenston/Lewiston Bridge yesterday morning around 9am. This came after I was asked to remove my cap and wind down my rear window (I don't have tinted windows). Maybe his reflector sunglasses prevented him from seeing the folded card table, barbque, bag of charcoal and our other usual Bills game gear in the back seat of the car.
"No Sir" I answered, trying not to make my response too military sounding. He then handed the 2 passports back to me and we were on our way south towards Orchard Park. I must have crossed the border in my car close to 100 times and somehow, I'm sure by design, every time I do, I am asked a question which I have never heard before.
The NFL has made a concerted effort over the past few years to make the game-day experience more "family friendly" and this effort continues. There was more evidence of it yesterday with an increased police presence in the parking lots before the game (we saw mounted police for the first time) and a new fence which effectively removed access to a small stream bed beside Drive 5 which had always been a very popular urinating location (for men at least). The atmosphere at the tailgate party was more subdued than it has been in the past and security inside the stadium has, over the last 10 years or so, gone from non-existent to being "on call" by way of a simple text message. Messages on the jumbotron encourage fans to report any security or behaviour "issues" they may be having by text and the take-up of this service seem to be strong. Maybe too much so. At least twice, 2 Erie County Sheriffs were summoned (we presume) to the section beside ours to "deal with" a few Carolina fans who appeared to be guilty of simply cheering for their team. They didn't look to be drunk, abusive, excessively loud or disruptive. It looked like some Bills fans just didn't like them showing up and rooting for the visiting team. The worst offence we saw was a few people sitting in our section without proper tickets. When I first started going to what was Rich Stadium in the 1980s, it was a real-life "Lord of the Flies" experience. The most obvious result of this effort by the league to transform the game-day experience is that there are noticeably more women attending the games. Although the Lord of the Flies experience was often entertaining, it was sometimes unsettling. I think its a better experience now.
Bills rookie quarterback EJ Manuel took a big step yesterday. After struggling at times and turning the ball over twice in the second half, he lead the team to a game-winning 80 yard touchdown drive in the last 1 minute and 38 seconds, with no time-outs left. Aided by a key (but undeniable) pass interference call against Stevie Johnson deep in Carolina territory, Manuel found Johnson in the corner of the endzone (the corner closest to our seats) with 2 seconds left to tie the game at 23. The extra point sealed the win. Fans were rightfully ecstatic and, as Tony Dungy said last night, it looks like the Bills and their fans have someone under centre who they can believe in. Jim Kelly retired after the 1996 season and the franchise has been in the doldrums more or less ever since. In his second NFL game ever, EJ Manuel became the toast of the town yesterday and he has the potential to lead a turn-around that Buffalo and Bills fans have been denied for far too long.
Also, this just in: Cam Newton is a good athlete.
The 1-1 Bills travel to New Jersey next Sunday to face the Jets in a big division match-up before returning home to face the defending Superbowl champion Baltimore Ravens in week 4.
"No Sir" I answered, trying not to make my response too military sounding. He then handed the 2 passports back to me and we were on our way south towards Orchard Park. I must have crossed the border in my car close to 100 times and somehow, I'm sure by design, every time I do, I am asked a question which I have never heard before.
The NFL has made a concerted effort over the past few years to make the game-day experience more "family friendly" and this effort continues. There was more evidence of it yesterday with an increased police presence in the parking lots before the game (we saw mounted police for the first time) and a new fence which effectively removed access to a small stream bed beside Drive 5 which had always been a very popular urinating location (for men at least). The atmosphere at the tailgate party was more subdued than it has been in the past and security inside the stadium has, over the last 10 years or so, gone from non-existent to being "on call" by way of a simple text message. Messages on the jumbotron encourage fans to report any security or behaviour "issues" they may be having by text and the take-up of this service seem to be strong. Maybe too much so. At least twice, 2 Erie County Sheriffs were summoned (we presume) to the section beside ours to "deal with" a few Carolina fans who appeared to be guilty of simply cheering for their team. They didn't look to be drunk, abusive, excessively loud or disruptive. It looked like some Bills fans just didn't like them showing up and rooting for the visiting team. The worst offence we saw was a few people sitting in our section without proper tickets. When I first started going to what was Rich Stadium in the 1980s, it was a real-life "Lord of the Flies" experience. The most obvious result of this effort by the league to transform the game-day experience is that there are noticeably more women attending the games. Although the Lord of the Flies experience was often entertaining, it was sometimes unsettling. I think its a better experience now.
Bills rookie quarterback EJ Manuel took a big step yesterday. After struggling at times and turning the ball over twice in the second half, he lead the team to a game-winning 80 yard touchdown drive in the last 1 minute and 38 seconds, with no time-outs left. Aided by a key (but undeniable) pass interference call against Stevie Johnson deep in Carolina territory, Manuel found Johnson in the corner of the endzone (the corner closest to our seats) with 2 seconds left to tie the game at 23. The extra point sealed the win. Fans were rightfully ecstatic and, as Tony Dungy said last night, it looks like the Bills and their fans have someone under centre who they can believe in. Jim Kelly retired after the 1996 season and the franchise has been in the doldrums more or less ever since. In his second NFL game ever, EJ Manuel became the toast of the town yesterday and he has the potential to lead a turn-around that Buffalo and Bills fans have been denied for far too long.
Also, this just in: Cam Newton is a good athlete.
The 1-1 Bills travel to New Jersey next Sunday to face the Jets in a big division match-up before returning home to face the defending Superbowl champion Baltimore Ravens in week 4.
Monday, 9 September 2013
Patriots 23, Bills 21
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gathered his senior leadership team together earlier this year for a brainstorming session on the subject of ensuring that the league maintains its prominent position in North American sports culture. He cited examples of companies and organizations who had enjoyed dominant market positions and then lost those positions, never to recover them. The biggest risk to the future success of the league that he saw was the issue of player safety, concussions and the civil action commenced against the league by a group of 4,900 former players who alleged that the league withheld information it had on the danger to its players - both short and long term - of concussions and, in particular, repeated concussions.
When former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson died from suicide in February, 2011, he did so by shooting himself in the chest after leaving a note requesting that his brain be studied for possible signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). When recently retired star player Junior Seau died the same way in May, 2012 (without leaving a note), his family also had his brain tested for CTE. Both tests were positive. Seau's wife later said that although he had never officially "had" a concussion during his playing career, he did suffer many blows to his head, after which he always "bounced right back".
Over the course of my school sports career, I can remember hearing the expression "you just had your bell rung; get back out there". Thankfully, it was never said to me. I have, however, at least twice, while playing hockey as an adult, fallen to the ice without being able to properly brace myself. Each time, I banged the back of my helmet on the ice and I certainly felt a little dazed and confused afterward. I recall that once I continued playing and the other time I sat down for the rest of the game. I have not suffered any long term effects of those incidents - at least not that I know of.
The NFL now requires that a strict protocol be followed for each player who suffers a head blow. That protocol does not include "getting right back out there". Players must be symptom free for a period of time before returning to play. The lawsuit brought against the league by former players was settled a couple of weeks ago for $765 million with no admission of liability on the part of the league. The league earns about $10 billion in annual revenue. I am certain that the commissioner pushed very hard for a settlement in an effort to move past this issue and to protect the league's dominant position in the professional sports market and its $10 billion revenue stream. Two important questions remain: first, will the protocol now being followed for head injuries be enough to protect players in the long term, especially for those who suffer repeated head injuries? Second, will enough parents across North America begin to withdraw their children from contact football - or never register them for it in the first place? "Enough", as in, will high school and college programs begin to see a decline in player participation and will the NFL eventually find itself drafting from a much smaller pool of college players so as to dilute the quality and the fan appeal of the game? These questions will be probably be answered over the next decade or so.
I saw none of the Bills game yesterday. I know that they had the lead and the ball at mid-field with about 5 minutes remaining and then blew it. But it could have been worse. The Carolina Panthers come to Buffalo next weekend and the Bills will look to even their record before going to the Meadowlands to play the Jets in week 3.
When former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson died from suicide in February, 2011, he did so by shooting himself in the chest after leaving a note requesting that his brain be studied for possible signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). When recently retired star player Junior Seau died the same way in May, 2012 (without leaving a note), his family also had his brain tested for CTE. Both tests were positive. Seau's wife later said that although he had never officially "had" a concussion during his playing career, he did suffer many blows to his head, after which he always "bounced right back".
Over the course of my school sports career, I can remember hearing the expression "you just had your bell rung; get back out there". Thankfully, it was never said to me. I have, however, at least twice, while playing hockey as an adult, fallen to the ice without being able to properly brace myself. Each time, I banged the back of my helmet on the ice and I certainly felt a little dazed and confused afterward. I recall that once I continued playing and the other time I sat down for the rest of the game. I have not suffered any long term effects of those incidents - at least not that I know of.
The NFL now requires that a strict protocol be followed for each player who suffers a head blow. That protocol does not include "getting right back out there". Players must be symptom free for a period of time before returning to play. The lawsuit brought against the league by former players was settled a couple of weeks ago for $765 million with no admission of liability on the part of the league. The league earns about $10 billion in annual revenue. I am certain that the commissioner pushed very hard for a settlement in an effort to move past this issue and to protect the league's dominant position in the professional sports market and its $10 billion revenue stream. Two important questions remain: first, will the protocol now being followed for head injuries be enough to protect players in the long term, especially for those who suffer repeated head injuries? Second, will enough parents across North America begin to withdraw their children from contact football - or never register them for it in the first place? "Enough", as in, will high school and college programs begin to see a decline in player participation and will the NFL eventually find itself drafting from a much smaller pool of college players so as to dilute the quality and the fan appeal of the game? These questions will be probably be answered over the next decade or so.
I saw none of the Bills game yesterday. I know that they had the lead and the ball at mid-field with about 5 minutes remaining and then blew it. But it could have been worse. The Carolina Panthers come to Buffalo next weekend and the Bills will look to even their record before going to the Meadowlands to play the Jets in week 3.
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