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.
Commentary on the Buffalo Bills, politics and whatever else is on my mind
Monday, 16 December 2013
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.
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