This is the peak of football season - especially for Canadian fans. Sunday's Grey Cup will mark the end of the Canadian football season but this week, there just couldn't be any more football and it's all important.
The Don Boscoe Eagles, coached by Toronto mayor and village idiot Rob Ford, easily handled the Northern Red Knights 31-0 in the so-called "Toronto Bowl" to earn a spot in the Metro Bowl semi-finals this week against the St. Andrews College Saints. The winner earns a trip to the Metro Bowl at the Rogers Centre on November 27th. Whether the Eagles make it to the final game or not, the Toronto high school football season is almost over and that probably means that Ford will be spending more time at City Hall. It was a good run while it lasted.
Last year's Vanier Cup was one of the best football games of the year and should be a good one again this time around as the same two teams, McMaster and Laval, earned trips to Friday night's big game at the Rogers Centre. The Vanier Cup was first awarded in 1965.
In US College football, the BCS standings were turned upside down as 2 of the top teams lost for the first time this season. The Oregon Ducks lost at home to Stanford and Kansas State fell to Baylor. Things are looking good for Notre Dame who remains undefeated and will almost certainly earn a trip to the BCS National Championship game with a win on Saturday at USC. The University of Buffalo Bulls won for the third straight week with a 29-19 win at UMass. Grand Island Native Alex Neutz lead the way with 9 catches and a touchdown.
The 100th Grey Cup is now set for the Rogers Centre on Sunday. The Toronto Argonauts managed to hang on for a 27-20 win in the Eastern Final at the Big Owe before over 51,000 fans. Alouettes receiver Brian Bratten seemed startled to have the tying touchdown pass bounce off his chest on a third down play in the dying seconds to seal the win for the Argos. Calgary won in Vancouver in the Western final to earn their trip. CFL rules require that Toronto hosts and plays in the Grey Cup game every 30 years. The 1982 game featured wet and windy weather as the Edmonton Eskimos earned revenge for their 1952 defeat at Varsity Stadium. I have already ordered my tickets for the 2042 Grey Cup game which will be played at the 90,000 seat RIM Stadium (I'm bullish on the BlackBerry 10) which the Argonauts share with Toronto's wildly successful NFL team which moved here from Buffalo following the 2016 season.
And, on the Bills big win in prime time last Thursday. We left Toronto around 2pm in fine clear weather and, despite the pesky Buffalo afternoon rush hour traffic on Route 5, arrived in good time to Drive 5 ready to tailgate in the dark. The entire parking surface area of Drive 5 has now been asphalted which makes it seem somewhat more civilized than the gravel surface it replaced. But the asphalt absorbs nothing. And it's too bad because we now know that the gravel served to absorb the considerable amount of liquid which ends up on the ground during a tailgate party and the slope of the parking lot now means that the liquid runs in long streams throughout the entire surface area. Thankfully, the liquid is all beer - in one form or another.
The Bills defence showed up in a big way in the first half and, despite red zone difficulties, CJ Spiller and the offence played well enough to get the win. Jairus Byrd, the "ball hawk", made a fantastic interception late in the fourth quarter by sprinting full speed toward the sideline and making the catch fully extended and right in front of our seats. They would need one more pick to seal the win. I walked in the door at 3am.
Next up for the Bills: a trip to Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis on Grey Cup Sunday. Luck isn't going to win the game for the Bills but they will have to find a way to deal with him if they are to make a run at a wildcard spot. If they can win this one, 2 easily winnable home games against Jacksonville and St. Louis follow.
Enjoy this week football fans. It doesn't get any better than this.
Commentary on the Buffalo Bills, politics and whatever else is on my mind
Monday, 19 November 2012
Monday, 12 November 2012
Patriots 37, Bills 31
Saturday night was the Ronin Dragonboat end of season party and this one was a little more tame than others before it have been. Got home at 1.20am - hardly out of control but late enough and certainly enough red wine to make things a little rough yesterday. Especially that last bottle of Trius Red which Kevin and I shared as we walked along Bloor Street chatting about football, Conrad Black and other things I'm sure. Thanks to Amanda and Willie for welcoming us into their home.
So I got up Sunday morning, wrapped up the Monday Morning News and decided to drive to Muskoka to watch some football, have a hard bike ride and a sauna to sweat out the impurities of the previous night. As I settled into the 1pm time slot, I was certain that I would end up watching mostly the Argo playoff game after the Bills were on their way to being blown out of Gillette Stadium, a place where they have never won since it opened in 2002. The early stages of the game featured a Bills defence which could not stop Tom Brady and an inept offence which was repeatedly penalized as they dug themselves an early 17-3 hole. Only a few more minutes before I would be free to switch to the CFL playoffs, I thought to myself and, in this the year of the 100th Grey Cup, that seemed like the right way for it to be.
But the Bills hung around and started to match the Patriots in offensive production as the game still looked competitive. When Ryan Fitzpatrick lead the team to 5-1 start last season and signed a $59 million contract extension, Bills fans began calling him Fitzmagic. But since they won in Toronto against the Redskins in October of last season, he has rightfully earned the names Shitzpatrick and/or Fitzputrid. Opponents realized that he can not accurately and consistently throw the ball down the field which leaves the offence limited to short passes, running plays, draws and screens. But yesterday, Ryan Fitzpatrick played one of his best games in a Buffalo uniform as he threw for 337 yards, completing 27 of 40 attempted passes. Thanks to his leadership and quality play yesterday, the Bills earned a team record 35 first downs and almost won the game. They would have if rookie TJ Graham had run his slant pattern in the endzone in front of Patriots safety Devon McCourty rather than behind him but he didn't, McCourty intercepted the pass and the game was over. The Argos won big before the usual small crowd which was "announced" at 25,792. A win in Montreal next week puts them in the big game.
Last Tuesday, after Ohio was called for Obama (even after Carl Rove was satisfied), the glow of victory lasted less than a day as the reality of the fiscal cliff came into focus. John Boehner was quick to reiterate his preposterous position on income tax rates for high income earners (or as Fox News calls them, the "job creators"). The battle lines are drawn and the House Republicans remain dug in - at least for now. The following day, speculation began about the 2016 Iowa Caucuses. My prediction: Jeb Bush will lose the 2016 election to Hilary Clinton and Bill will get to move back in to the White House where he belongs.
This week, we go to Buffalo for a Thursday night game against Miami. It will likely be a later night for me than Saturday was so we will need to rest up, be thorough in our preparation and just go out and do the best we can in the late night cold conditions.
So I got up Sunday morning, wrapped up the Monday Morning News and decided to drive to Muskoka to watch some football, have a hard bike ride and a sauna to sweat out the impurities of the previous night. As I settled into the 1pm time slot, I was certain that I would end up watching mostly the Argo playoff game after the Bills were on their way to being blown out of Gillette Stadium, a place where they have never won since it opened in 2002. The early stages of the game featured a Bills defence which could not stop Tom Brady and an inept offence which was repeatedly penalized as they dug themselves an early 17-3 hole. Only a few more minutes before I would be free to switch to the CFL playoffs, I thought to myself and, in this the year of the 100th Grey Cup, that seemed like the right way for it to be.
But the Bills hung around and started to match the Patriots in offensive production as the game still looked competitive. When Ryan Fitzpatrick lead the team to 5-1 start last season and signed a $59 million contract extension, Bills fans began calling him Fitzmagic. But since they won in Toronto against the Redskins in October of last season, he has rightfully earned the names Shitzpatrick and/or Fitzputrid. Opponents realized that he can not accurately and consistently throw the ball down the field which leaves the offence limited to short passes, running plays, draws and screens. But yesterday, Ryan Fitzpatrick played one of his best games in a Buffalo uniform as he threw for 337 yards, completing 27 of 40 attempted passes. Thanks to his leadership and quality play yesterday, the Bills earned a team record 35 first downs and almost won the game. They would have if rookie TJ Graham had run his slant pattern in the endzone in front of Patriots safety Devon McCourty rather than behind him but he didn't, McCourty intercepted the pass and the game was over. The Argos won big before the usual small crowd which was "announced" at 25,792. A win in Montreal next week puts them in the big game.
Last Tuesday, after Ohio was called for Obama (even after Carl Rove was satisfied), the glow of victory lasted less than a day as the reality of the fiscal cliff came into focus. John Boehner was quick to reiterate his preposterous position on income tax rates for high income earners (or as Fox News calls them, the "job creators"). The battle lines are drawn and the House Republicans remain dug in - at least for now. The following day, speculation began about the 2016 Iowa Caucuses. My prediction: Jeb Bush will lose the 2016 election to Hilary Clinton and Bill will get to move back in to the White House where he belongs.
This week, we go to Buffalo for a Thursday night game against Miami. It will likely be a later night for me than Saturday was so we will need to rest up, be thorough in our preparation and just go out and do the best we can in the late night cold conditions.
Monday, 5 November 2012
Texans 21, Bills 9
In the days leading up to the 2000 US Presidential election, the Buffalo Bills were well into the third season of a quarterback controversy which pitted Rob Johnson, the tall, NFL prototype Californian with the big arm, against Doug Flutie, the diminutive former Boston College and CFL star known for his leadership, intelligence and his ability to scramble and improvise. Bills fans were conflicted between the two, each of whom had enjoyed their own degree of success in the previous 2 seasons, as the Bills made the playoffs in both. It almost looked liked each of them was running for vice-president as fans carried signs featuring and incorporating all 4 names: Gore, Bush, Johnson and Flutie, confusingly and randomly mixed and matched .
This year, as the election looms, the state of US politics is about as depressing as the state of the Bills quarterbacking and most of the rest of the team. The "Citizens United" Supreme Court decision, which created essentially unlimited political spending by interest groups through Political Action Committees (PACs) and "Super PACs", has resulted in unprecedented spending on political advertising, mainly in about 7 key swing states. Thanks to the Electoral College state by state "winner take all" system, the campaigns and their Super PACs generally ignore states which consistently vote one way or the other and focus on the swing states. If you live in Sacramento, CA, Binghampton, NY or Austin, TX, you have been spared from most of the Super PAC TV ads but you will also have had virtually no chance to see either of the presidential candidates in your area. But, if you live in Cleveland, OH or Tampa, FL, you could have seen them on almost a daily basis for the past 2 months.
The list of endorsements for President Obama has grown in the past week and include The Economist, New York mayor Bloomberg and The Globe and Mail. Mitt Romney's math has been correctly called into question as has his party's position on social issues like abortion and same sex marriage. But as New York Times columnist David Brooks has been pointing out for months, the President's campaign has been sorely lacking in the presentation of a real vision for his second term. The Democrats have instead chosen to focus their entire campaign on attacking the Republicans. While the first term is always cut short by focusing on re-election, most 2 term presidents use their second term to think big and accomplish the key policy initiatives which will define their presidency and form their legacy. If Obama wins tomorrow, he may well be able to do that but it will require him to break the Congressional deadlock which has ground the legislative branch to a halt for the past 2 years, and move forward with some support from House Republicans. He has been unable to make any headway on this in his first term and the Republicans probably deserve most of the blame for that (especially the Tea Party members who pledged to never compromise with the Democrats). The responsibility, however, lies with the President to create the political momentum to move forward with bi-partisan support. This will be his biggest challenge and if he succeeds in getting the US Congress working the way it is designed to and the way it always has, that will define his presidency.
This year, as the election looms, the state of US politics is about as depressing as the state of the Bills quarterbacking and most of the rest of the team. The "Citizens United" Supreme Court decision, which created essentially unlimited political spending by interest groups through Political Action Committees (PACs) and "Super PACs", has resulted in unprecedented spending on political advertising, mainly in about 7 key swing states. Thanks to the Electoral College state by state "winner take all" system, the campaigns and their Super PACs generally ignore states which consistently vote one way or the other and focus on the swing states. If you live in Sacramento, CA, Binghampton, NY or Austin, TX, you have been spared from most of the Super PAC TV ads but you will also have had virtually no chance to see either of the presidential candidates in your area. But, if you live in Cleveland, OH or Tampa, FL, you could have seen them on almost a daily basis for the past 2 months.
The list of endorsements for President Obama has grown in the past week and include The Economist, New York mayor Bloomberg and The Globe and Mail. Mitt Romney's math has been correctly called into question as has his party's position on social issues like abortion and same sex marriage. But as New York Times columnist David Brooks has been pointing out for months, the President's campaign has been sorely lacking in the presentation of a real vision for his second term. The Democrats have instead chosen to focus their entire campaign on attacking the Republicans. While the first term is always cut short by focusing on re-election, most 2 term presidents use their second term to think big and accomplish the key policy initiatives which will define their presidency and form their legacy. If Obama wins tomorrow, he may well be able to do that but it will require him to break the Congressional deadlock which has ground the legislative branch to a halt for the past 2 years, and move forward with some support from House Republicans. He has been unable to make any headway on this in his first term and the Republicans probably deserve most of the blame for that (especially the Tea Party members who pledged to never compromise with the Democrats). The responsibility, however, lies with the President to create the political momentum to move forward with bi-partisan support. This will be his biggest challenge and if he succeeds in getting the US Congress working the way it is designed to and the way it always has, that will define his presidency.
Monday, 22 October 2012
Titans 35, Bills 34
It's just before 9pm on Saturday evening. The finishing touches on my weekly newsletter for MCAP are done. The folding table, bar-b-que, charcoal, lighter fluid and seat cushions are in the car. The gas tank is full. The hot Italian sausages, sauerkraut, mustard, veggie tray and beer are packed together in the fridge, ready to be loaded into the cooler in the morning. I'm going to chill for an hour or so and see if Miami can hold off the heavily favoured Florida State before I turn in. I then get a text message from my friend in Greg in Ottawa who is scheduled to be on a 6am flight to Pearson where I will pick him up before we drive to Orchard Park. He has taken a puck in the face at one of his son's hockey games and he's in the emergency room. It could be a broken jaw. It's not looking good for tomorrow.
At that late hour, I knew the chances of finding someone to go with me are slim. I made a few calls but there were no takers. What to do? I decide that I'm going anyway. I have never failed to meet friendly and energetic fellow football fans at the tailgate and I have gotten to know most of the fine people from Buffalo who sit in my area of section 113, so why not go? I decide that I might be able to sell my second ticket to someone before the game.
After a much better drive than last time, I arrive in Drive 5, on the north side of the stadium, right around 10am. I pull in between two spaces, one occupied by two young women and the other occupied by three young guys. I would spend the next two and half hours with these 5 - and others. The guys, it turned out, all play football for the University of Buffalo Bulls which is a Division 1 football school, although not a highly ranked one. Scott Pettigrew is a linebacker from Tennessee who admitted that he is much more of a hockey fan than a football fan. He was wearing a Nashville Predators jersey. Alex Neutz is a 6'4" wide receiver from Grand Island, NY and Fred Lee is a 6'2" wide receiver from South Carolina. He knows Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore. I have a million questions for them. They opened the season playing at the University of Georgia, which was ranked 7th in the country at the time, before over 92,000 fans. The Bulls were blown out but the experience was quite a thrill for them. They were nursing their bruised bodies, having lost at home the previous day to the University of Pittsburgh, Dan Marino's alma mater. Next week, they are home to Mid-American Conference rival, University of Toledo. I will be checking the stats to see how each of them does. The 2 young women were pounding beer bongs and freely offering - and strongly encouraging - beer bongs and free face painting to everyone. I pass on the beer bong but agree to have a small Bills logo painted on my cheek. I was offered 10 bucks for my spare ticket by a scalper. I pass, hoping for a better offer but none came.
Once inside the stadium, a few things became clear: The Titans defence is terrible but the Bills defence is somehow worse, even with all of the high priced talent they acquired. The Bills defence was able to make Matt Hasselback look like Tom Brady - not an easy thing to do. Ryan Fitzpatrick had what looked like his best game of the season, connecting on a couple of very nice touchdown passes to Donald Jones and Stevie Johnson. For those hoping to see him benched sometime soon, he redeemed himself near the end of the game with an interception on a very poorly thrown ball which gave Tennessee the ball on the Bills side of the 50 and a chance to overcome a 6 point deficit and win the game. They did that by way of a Matt Hasselbeck pass to Nate Washington in the endzone on a 4th down and 9 from the Bills 15 yard line. Game over.
At 3-4, the Bills now enter their bye week. They will need the extra time as the next 2 games after the bye see them travelling to Houston and then to New England before coming home on a Thursday night against the Dolphins. I'm looking forward to following my tailgating buddies on the Buffalo Bulls, my new favourite Division 1 college football team. Go Bulls!
At that late hour, I knew the chances of finding someone to go with me are slim. I made a few calls but there were no takers. What to do? I decide that I'm going anyway. I have never failed to meet friendly and energetic fellow football fans at the tailgate and I have gotten to know most of the fine people from Buffalo who sit in my area of section 113, so why not go? I decide that I might be able to sell my second ticket to someone before the game.
After a much better drive than last time, I arrive in Drive 5, on the north side of the stadium, right around 10am. I pull in between two spaces, one occupied by two young women and the other occupied by three young guys. I would spend the next two and half hours with these 5 - and others. The guys, it turned out, all play football for the University of Buffalo Bulls which is a Division 1 football school, although not a highly ranked one. Scott Pettigrew is a linebacker from Tennessee who admitted that he is much more of a hockey fan than a football fan. He was wearing a Nashville Predators jersey. Alex Neutz is a 6'4" wide receiver from Grand Island, NY and Fred Lee is a 6'2" wide receiver from South Carolina. He knows Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore. I have a million questions for them. They opened the season playing at the University of Georgia, which was ranked 7th in the country at the time, before over 92,000 fans. The Bulls were blown out but the experience was quite a thrill for them. They were nursing their bruised bodies, having lost at home the previous day to the University of Pittsburgh, Dan Marino's alma mater. Next week, they are home to Mid-American Conference rival, University of Toledo. I will be checking the stats to see how each of them does. The 2 young women were pounding beer bongs and freely offering - and strongly encouraging - beer bongs and free face painting to everyone. I pass on the beer bong but agree to have a small Bills logo painted on my cheek. I was offered 10 bucks for my spare ticket by a scalper. I pass, hoping for a better offer but none came.
Once inside the stadium, a few things became clear: The Titans defence is terrible but the Bills defence is somehow worse, even with all of the high priced talent they acquired. The Bills defence was able to make Matt Hasselback look like Tom Brady - not an easy thing to do. Ryan Fitzpatrick had what looked like his best game of the season, connecting on a couple of very nice touchdown passes to Donald Jones and Stevie Johnson. For those hoping to see him benched sometime soon, he redeemed himself near the end of the game with an interception on a very poorly thrown ball which gave Tennessee the ball on the Bills side of the 50 and a chance to overcome a 6 point deficit and win the game. They did that by way of a Matt Hasselbeck pass to Nate Washington in the endzone on a 4th down and 9 from the Bills 15 yard line. Game over.
At 3-4, the Bills now enter their bye week. They will need the extra time as the next 2 games after the bye see them travelling to Houston and then to New England before coming home on a Thursday night against the Dolphins. I'm looking forward to following my tailgating buddies on the Buffalo Bulls, my new favourite Division 1 college football team. Go Bulls!
Monday, 15 October 2012
Bills 19, Cardinals 16, OT
When Shea Emery intercepted a perfectly thrown pass - perfectly thrown to him that is - and returned it for a touchdown to give the Montreal Allouettes a 24-12 lead over the Toronto Argonauts in the 4th quarter of yesterday's CFL game at the Rogers Centre, I knew that I soon would be able to leave, get on the subway, make my way home and settle in to what I hoped would be a turnaround game and a better effort from the Bills in the desert.
There is something about being inside the Rogers Centre when the roof is closed. Something bad. Even when it's close to full for regular season NFL games, the sounds coming from the public address system echo off the concrete and steel in a way that makes the building still feel empty. The Argonauts have given up on drawing more than 30,000 as the entire 500 level is closed, save for a few large fabric advertising banners (including one I noticed for the company which makes fabric advertising banners). The 100 and 200 levels were close to full on the east side of the stadium - the Argos side - but the west side looked to be less than half full, except for the 2 full sections of Montreal fans. The official attendance was over 25,000 but the feeling I had for most of the game was one of listless emptiness. The game itself was poor by CFL standards but the building is just not well suited for football - especially CFL football. If the Argos had an outdoor facility with about 30,000 seats, they could create at least some sense of a real football atmosphere. With the exception of the Bills/Seahawks game in December for which I bought tickets 4 years ago, I will not soon be back to the Rogers Centre for football.
The Bills were leading 9-3 when I turned the TV on just after 4.30pm. After 2 weeks of embarrassment, the defence showed up this week. Mario Williams recorded 2 sacks and the front 7 created constant pressure on Cardinal quarterback Kevin Kolb. Ryan Fitzpatrick, unfortunately, played poorly again. His passing accuracy is simply not good enough to win consistently in the NFL. But with the defence playing closer to expectations and CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson performing very well as one of the leagues best sets of running backs, the Bills found themselves leading by 3 with just over 3 minutes left in the game and driving with the ball at around the Arizona 35 yard line. That's when the game went wacky.
Brad Smith came in at quarterback to run a wildcat play and, for the first time this year, he threw the ball. And he threw it deep. And very poorly. It was intercepted in the endzone by the Cardinals who then drove to just inside the Bills 45 yard line. Facing a 4th down and long, Jay Feely came in to try a 61 yard field goal. He made it easily to tie the game. Then the Bills then went 3 and out and the Cardinals again drove deep into Bills territory and lined up to try a game winning 38 yard field goal to win the game. But Alex Carrington got enough of a finger on the kick to steer it to the goal post where it bounced out, leaving the game tied. In overtime, Jairus Byrd's second interception of the game set up the winning kick. Before the Smith wildcat pass, the game was under control with a couple of more first downs probably being enough to secure the win. Despite playing much better than they had the previous 2 weeks, it certainly looked like they were going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
All 4 teams in the AFC East are tied at 3-3. The Tennessee Titans come to Orchard Park on Sunday. They, like the Cardinals, will have had 10 days to prepare, having beaten the Steelers last Thursday. The game is winnable and it's sold out. I am going with a friend has not been to Orchard Park for about 20 years.
There is something about being inside the Rogers Centre when the roof is closed. Something bad. Even when it's close to full for regular season NFL games, the sounds coming from the public address system echo off the concrete and steel in a way that makes the building still feel empty. The Argonauts have given up on drawing more than 30,000 as the entire 500 level is closed, save for a few large fabric advertising banners (including one I noticed for the company which makes fabric advertising banners). The 100 and 200 levels were close to full on the east side of the stadium - the Argos side - but the west side looked to be less than half full, except for the 2 full sections of Montreal fans. The official attendance was over 25,000 but the feeling I had for most of the game was one of listless emptiness. The game itself was poor by CFL standards but the building is just not well suited for football - especially CFL football. If the Argos had an outdoor facility with about 30,000 seats, they could create at least some sense of a real football atmosphere. With the exception of the Bills/Seahawks game in December for which I bought tickets 4 years ago, I will not soon be back to the Rogers Centre for football.
The Bills were leading 9-3 when I turned the TV on just after 4.30pm. After 2 weeks of embarrassment, the defence showed up this week. Mario Williams recorded 2 sacks and the front 7 created constant pressure on Cardinal quarterback Kevin Kolb. Ryan Fitzpatrick, unfortunately, played poorly again. His passing accuracy is simply not good enough to win consistently in the NFL. But with the defence playing closer to expectations and CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson performing very well as one of the leagues best sets of running backs, the Bills found themselves leading by 3 with just over 3 minutes left in the game and driving with the ball at around the Arizona 35 yard line. That's when the game went wacky.
Brad Smith came in at quarterback to run a wildcat play and, for the first time this year, he threw the ball. And he threw it deep. And very poorly. It was intercepted in the endzone by the Cardinals who then drove to just inside the Bills 45 yard line. Facing a 4th down and long, Jay Feely came in to try a 61 yard field goal. He made it easily to tie the game. Then the Bills then went 3 and out and the Cardinals again drove deep into Bills territory and lined up to try a game winning 38 yard field goal to win the game. But Alex Carrington got enough of a finger on the kick to steer it to the goal post where it bounced out, leaving the game tied. In overtime, Jairus Byrd's second interception of the game set up the winning kick. Before the Smith wildcat pass, the game was under control with a couple of more first downs probably being enough to secure the win. Despite playing much better than they had the previous 2 weeks, it certainly looked like they were going to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
All 4 teams in the AFC East are tied at 3-3. The Tennessee Titans come to Orchard Park on Sunday. They, like the Cardinals, will have had 10 days to prepare, having beaten the Steelers last Thursday. The game is winnable and it's sold out. I am going with a friend has not been to Orchard Park for about 20 years.
Monday, 8 October 2012
49ers 45, Bills 3
The usual practice in the NFL is for teams to return to their home facilities each week to prepare for each game, regardless of where it is going to be played. But the Bills are not coming back to Buffalo this week as they prepare for their second consecutive game in the west coast time zone. Maybe the dryness and clear blue skies of Arizona will help them achieve some semblance of a defensive identity as they prepare to face the well rested Cardinals who played last Thursday and will have had 10 days to game plan against the high priced Buffalo defensive line. Maybe the Bills defence will find a way to set another dubious NFL record this week so that they can face the home town media only after having done that. Maybe they should just go to Sedona, walk out into a canyon, stare up at the famous red rocks and think about what is to become of their season. At 2-3, the season is nowhere near lost. It just feels that way when they give up yards and points like they have the last two weeks.
The 49ers set an NFL record yesterday, becoming the first team EVER to run for 300 yards and pass for 300 yards in the same game. The first team to ever do this. Thankfully, and for the second consecutive week, I saw none of the game as family Thanksgiving activities took priority. Maybe these were the two games to miss this year - anomalies in the course of a successful season. If so, and even if not, I'm glad I missed them.
The schedule does get easier in the the second half but after the upcoming game in the desert, they are home to Tennessee which should be a winnable game but then two more tough road games are next: at Houston then at New England. It's unlikely that they will have a record better than 3-6 going into the prime time Thursday game against Miami on November 15th. For that one, I'm looking forward to getting a good sleep the night before, tailgating in the dark and seeing what Bills fans are like after an extra 7 hours of drinking. They better win that one or it could get ugly. And I'm not just talking about the one scary guy in my section who seems like he may be about ready to exorcise his demons at any minute. For his sake, for our sake and for his poor wife's sake, they need to win that game.
The Toronto Argonauts, on the other hand, don't have a rich tailgating tradition or a strong influence on the psychi of the citizenry and community identity of the city the way the Bills do for Buffalo but I'm still a fan. They play at the Rogers Centre against the green Riders this afternoon and then at home again next Sunday against Montreal, a game for which I purchased tickets a few weeks ago. If the Bills season continues to slip away, the Argos and the CFL season will become the focus - at least until the 100th Grey Cup is played at the Rogers Centre later in November.
The 49ers set an NFL record yesterday, becoming the first team EVER to run for 300 yards and pass for 300 yards in the same game. The first team to ever do this. Thankfully, and for the second consecutive week, I saw none of the game as family Thanksgiving activities took priority. Maybe these were the two games to miss this year - anomalies in the course of a successful season. If so, and even if not, I'm glad I missed them.
The schedule does get easier in the the second half but after the upcoming game in the desert, they are home to Tennessee which should be a winnable game but then two more tough road games are next: at Houston then at New England. It's unlikely that they will have a record better than 3-6 going into the prime time Thursday game against Miami on November 15th. For that one, I'm looking forward to getting a good sleep the night before, tailgating in the dark and seeing what Bills fans are like after an extra 7 hours of drinking. They better win that one or it could get ugly. And I'm not just talking about the one scary guy in my section who seems like he may be about ready to exorcise his demons at any minute. For his sake, for our sake and for his poor wife's sake, they need to win that game.
The Toronto Argonauts, on the other hand, don't have a rich tailgating tradition or a strong influence on the psychi of the citizenry and community identity of the city the way the Bills do for Buffalo but I'm still a fan. They play at the Rogers Centre against the green Riders this afternoon and then at home again next Sunday against Montreal, a game for which I purchased tickets a few weeks ago. If the Bills season continues to slip away, the Argos and the CFL season will become the focus - at least until the 100th Grey Cup is played at the Rogers Centre later in November.
Monday, 1 October 2012
Patriots 52, Bills 28
I downloaded the Bills mobile app during the week because I knew that I wasn't going to see any of the game on account of a family reunion yesterday afternoon. I checked it only a couple of times as I enjoyed a great spread of food and wine and caught up with relatives I hadn't seen for a while.
In the car on the way over the my aunt's house, the Patriots took an early 7-0 lead. I saw the score only twice more during the party: The first time I took a moment and checked the app, the Bills were leading 21-7 in the third quarter. This sounded very promising. The defence must have stiffened and the Bills running game must have been chewing up the clock, scoring on long drives and keeping the ball out of Brady's hands. The next score I saw was 42-21 New England. I figured the mobile app had a bug. I mean, how could they have scored 35 points while I was chatting with my uncle Dave and eating ham, salad and my cousin's fantastic baguette? It only seemed like was about than half an hour. How does a football game change so quickly?
Well, having listened to the post-game call-in on the way home and having seen the highlights and reading some of the obituaries this morning, I guess turning the ball over 6 times played a role but the team's inability to stop the Brady and the Patriots offence was the reason - as it has been consistently over the past 10 years. The high priced defensive line was not up to the task in stopping the run or pressuring the passer, tackling was poor and the defensive backfield couldn't cover. Not much else to say.
Next week's game will probably be even more difficult as the Bills travel to San Francisco who walked into the Meadowlands yesterday and pounded the Jets 34-0. The following week takes them to Arizona to play the Cardinals who sit at 4-0 after yesterday's OT win over Miami. That's a formula for going from 2-1 to 2-4 in 3 easy steps.
Last Tuesday, the day after the Monday night debacle in Seattle and the day before the NFL officials labour dispute was resolved, I saw this "headline" come through my Twitter feed: "Romney Leading in Presidential Race - According to NFL Replacement Officials".
I'm looking forward to Tuesday evening for 2 reasons: the first is that I'm going paddling with the Komodo Dragons and the second is that my post-paddling bike ride from the Outer Harbour should get me home just in time to see the start of the first Presidential debate. Romney needs a knock-out and I'm looking forward to seeing him swing wildly. I wonder of he will release his tax returns today. Maybe he could bring them to the debate and hand them to Jim Lehrer.
In the car on the way over the my aunt's house, the Patriots took an early 7-0 lead. I saw the score only twice more during the party: The first time I took a moment and checked the app, the Bills were leading 21-7 in the third quarter. This sounded very promising. The defence must have stiffened and the Bills running game must have been chewing up the clock, scoring on long drives and keeping the ball out of Brady's hands. The next score I saw was 42-21 New England. I figured the mobile app had a bug. I mean, how could they have scored 35 points while I was chatting with my uncle Dave and eating ham, salad and my cousin's fantastic baguette? It only seemed like was about than half an hour. How does a football game change so quickly?
Well, having listened to the post-game call-in on the way home and having seen the highlights and reading some of the obituaries this morning, I guess turning the ball over 6 times played a role but the team's inability to stop the Brady and the Patriots offence was the reason - as it has been consistently over the past 10 years. The high priced defensive line was not up to the task in stopping the run or pressuring the passer, tackling was poor and the defensive backfield couldn't cover. Not much else to say.
Next week's game will probably be even more difficult as the Bills travel to San Francisco who walked into the Meadowlands yesterday and pounded the Jets 34-0. The following week takes them to Arizona to play the Cardinals who sit at 4-0 after yesterday's OT win over Miami. That's a formula for going from 2-1 to 2-4 in 3 easy steps.
Last Tuesday, the day after the Monday night debacle in Seattle and the day before the NFL officials labour dispute was resolved, I saw this "headline" come through my Twitter feed: "Romney Leading in Presidential Race - According to NFL Replacement Officials".
I'm looking forward to Tuesday evening for 2 reasons: the first is that I'm going paddling with the Komodo Dragons and the second is that my post-paddling bike ride from the Outer Harbour should get me home just in time to see the start of the first Presidential debate. Romney needs a knock-out and I'm looking forward to seeing him swing wildly. I wonder of he will release his tax returns today. Maybe he could bring them to the debate and hand them to Jim Lehrer.
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