Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi joined some elite company yesterday in South Florida as he gained over 200 yards on the ground for the second consecutive game. Only three other players in NFL history have ever accomplished this: OJ Simpson who did it twice for the Bills in the 1970s, Houston Oilers great Earl Campbell in 1980 and the Dophins Ricky Williams in 2003. Ajayi, who was born to Nigerian parents in London, England and moved to the US at age 7, played his college football at Boise State and was the 149th overall pick by the Dolphins in the 2015 draft. He was left off the roster for the Dolphins first game of this season at Seattle for disciplinary reasons (in hockey, it's called being a "healthy scratch") but has obviously become a critical part of the offense, taking some pressure off the persistently mediocre quarterback Ryan Tanehill and saving, for now, prospects for the Dolphins season after a 1-4 start.
Now the Bills know what it feels like to have a team run at will against them. When a defence knows that the run is coming but still can't stop it, two things happen: it slowly but surely breaks the spirit of the defence and then it opens up opportunities in the passing game. That's what happened yesterday to the Bills after doing much the same to their opponents over the course of their four game winning streak. They made the score look close with a late touchdown and two point conversion before trying an unsuccessful onside kick with 13 seconds left.
The Patriots keep on rolling, with a win in Pittsburgh yesterday to move to 6-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of the Bills. They make their annual trip to Orchard Park next week. With a win yesterday, the Bills would have pushed their record to 5-2 with this week's game representing a chance to move into first place in the AFC East, tied with the Patriots but holding the tie-breaker having beaten them twice. But, at 4-3, even with a win on Sunday, which seems unlikely, a home playoff game remains a pipe dream in Buffalo as these go only to division winners. The Patriots are early 5 to 7 point favourites on most lines and I look for that line to creep up as the week goes on and the state of some key Bills injuries come into focus.
I have a prediction for what we might see on the evening of November 8th between 10 and 11pm. Hillary Clinton will have won a landslide victory in the Presidential election, at least in terms of the Electoral College results, winning by 9 points over Donald Trump in the national popular vote. The protocol would then require that he address his supporters and the nation before Clinton delivers her victory speech. Protocol would also require that one of the first things that he says in his concession speech would be to very briefly recount a phone call which he had a few minutes earlier.
I think that he will do that but when it comes time to say who he had just spoken with on the phone, there will be a twist. Here's what I think he will say: "I just got off the phone with.......... Ann Coulter" - insert applause here - "and she told me to keep fighting this election and not concede until we have exhausted all possible fraud investigations, court challenges and vote recounts." Then, he will offer some misogynous commentary on her physical appearance (still pretty good but past her best days etc). And, with that, he will not concede - at least not on election night.
Coulter's recent book, "In Trump We Trust" sets out all of the great planks in his policy platform and, on her website, she explains that the only policy detail that he has not provided in the campaign is "which company will supply rebar for the wall".
Ok, back to the Bills. With the Patriots coming up next, followed by a trip to Seattle for a night-before-the-election appearance on Monday Night Football on November 7th, a wildcard playoff spot will look even more difficult to achieve at 4-5 as they enter their bye week.
Commentary on the Buffalo Bills, politics and whatever else is on my mind
Monday, 24 October 2016
Monday, 17 October 2016
Bills 45, 49ers 16
Colin Kaepernick sports a large afro hairstyle and when he jogged out of the tunnel from the locker room to take the field yesterday in Orchard Park, without his helmet on, it seemed like he wanted everyone in the stadium to notice him. There was some booing and a few jeers of "traitor" with one fan near us who favoured the term "eat shit Kaepernick" which he repeated throughout the game. Just as the anthem was about to start, a cheer of "USA, USA" gained momentum but was quickly drowned out by the Star Spangled Banner singer. Kaepernick and two teammates kneeled during the anthem and several more 49ers players stood with their right fists raised and clenched in the style of the Black Panther movement which the world came to know during the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. All Bills players stood in a line on their sideline during the anthem.
Kaepernick's form of protest has prompted a backlash among some football fans and others. After the game yesterday, he explained his position this way: "I don't understand what's un-American about fighting for liberty and justice for everybody, for the equality that this country stands for. I see it as very patriotic and American." I have read reports this morning of t-shirts for sale outside New Era Field yesterday with Kaepernick's image in the cross-hairs of a gun scope and beer coolers with an image of Kaepernick and the words "stand up and shut up". I didn't see any of that myself. Inside the stadium and after the game began, what I saw was a quarterback in his first start of the season who showed only a fraction of the kind of player he was in 2012 when he led his team to the Superbowl.
The Bills ran for 312 yards yesterday (their best running performance since 1992) and, as was reported on Twitter by Football Perspective, they have racked up 847 yards over the past four weeks, marking the highest total for any team in weeks 3 through 6 in the NFL since 1981 and the 5th most since 1970. Most football coaches will say that, if given the choice, they would almost always choose to run the ball; it's more conservative, less likely to lead to turnovers, more likely to keep the game clock running and, when successful, is quite demoralizing for the opposing defense. Marv Levy always said that to win in the NFL, a team need only do two things: run the ball and stop the run. The Bills obviously accomplished the running part yesterday and, while allowing Kaepernick to rush for team leading 66 yards on the day, the defense held the 49ers running backs to only 67 yards on the ground.
49ers coach Chip Kelly favours a "hurry-up" type of offense with either no huddles between plays or very brief huddles. The strategy is meant to tire out the defense and limit its ability to substitute in changing down and distance situations. The Bills defense seemed well prepared for this and, until the game was well in hand, their offense frequently used the same strategy yesterday. And they were able to run the ball at will with strong offensive line play and the the brilliance of LeSean McCoy. It was a dominating performance which allowed us to leave the stadium early and beat the traffic. I was home just after 6.30pm.
Thankfully, the third and final Presidential debate takes place on Wednesday at UNLV. Fox News Chris Wallace will be the moderator. At least Alec Baldwin will be able to get one more guest spot on SNL from it and possibly more, depending on how the final three weeks of the campaign play out. But, if Trump goes away after his expected landslide defeat, Baldwin's run will end after November 8th. Don't bet on it though. Baldwin should keep his Saturday night calendar clear for some time to come as I don't think Trump will accept defeat graciously - if at all.
Kaepernick's form of protest has prompted a backlash among some football fans and others. After the game yesterday, he explained his position this way: "I don't understand what's un-American about fighting for liberty and justice for everybody, for the equality that this country stands for. I see it as very patriotic and American." I have read reports this morning of t-shirts for sale outside New Era Field yesterday with Kaepernick's image in the cross-hairs of a gun scope and beer coolers with an image of Kaepernick and the words "stand up and shut up". I didn't see any of that myself. Inside the stadium and after the game began, what I saw was a quarterback in his first start of the season who showed only a fraction of the kind of player he was in 2012 when he led his team to the Superbowl.
The Bills ran for 312 yards yesterday (their best running performance since 1992) and, as was reported on Twitter by Football Perspective, they have racked up 847 yards over the past four weeks, marking the highest total for any team in weeks 3 through 6 in the NFL since 1981 and the 5th most since 1970. Most football coaches will say that, if given the choice, they would almost always choose to run the ball; it's more conservative, less likely to lead to turnovers, more likely to keep the game clock running and, when successful, is quite demoralizing for the opposing defense. Marv Levy always said that to win in the NFL, a team need only do two things: run the ball and stop the run. The Bills obviously accomplished the running part yesterday and, while allowing Kaepernick to rush for team leading 66 yards on the day, the defense held the 49ers running backs to only 67 yards on the ground.
49ers coach Chip Kelly favours a "hurry-up" type of offense with either no huddles between plays or very brief huddles. The strategy is meant to tire out the defense and limit its ability to substitute in changing down and distance situations. The Bills defense seemed well prepared for this and, until the game was well in hand, their offense frequently used the same strategy yesterday. And they were able to run the ball at will with strong offensive line play and the the brilliance of LeSean McCoy. It was a dominating performance which allowed us to leave the stadium early and beat the traffic. I was home just after 6.30pm.
Thankfully, the third and final Presidential debate takes place on Wednesday at UNLV. Fox News Chris Wallace will be the moderator. At least Alec Baldwin will be able to get one more guest spot on SNL from it and possibly more, depending on how the final three weeks of the campaign play out. But, if Trump goes away after his expected landslide defeat, Baldwin's run will end after November 8th. Don't bet on it though. Baldwin should keep his Saturday night calendar clear for some time to come as I don't think Trump will accept defeat graciously - if at all.
Monday, 10 October 2016
Bills 30, Rams 19
Rams fans are questioning Jeff Fisher's decision to go with a fake punt attempt on a 4th and 5 deep in his own territory with less than 4 minutes to go and trailing by 4 points. The Bills were ready for it, stopped it and went on to score the game clinching touchdown. As the Rams lined up to punt, I was thinking this possibility: with only 5 yards needed for a first down, the chances seemed good that Fisher might try it. If I were a Rams fan, I hope that I would have the perspective to appreciate that it was a reasonable call (although obviously a high risk one) in a game where the Rams needed a touchdown or they would lose the game. The trouble with such a call in such a critical situation is that if it doesn't work, the game is over. And it was.
When the Bills traded linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Eagles before last season for running back LeSean McCoy, detractors said that the NFL had become a passing league and that serviceable running backs could be found in the later rounds of the draft and there was no need to trade valuable assets for a featured back. Under former offensive coordinator Greg Roman, through a full season and two more games this year, McCoy's production was decent at times but probably less than what Bills fans had hoped for when he was acquired. In the three games since Anthony Lynn became offensive coordinator, McCoy has been fantastic and yesterday was, in my opinion, his best game in a Bills uniform, gaining 150 yards on the ground.
Tyrod Taylor's play at quarterback over the course of the Bills current three game winning streak has been less than eye-popping in terms of the usual statistical accumulation expected from franchise quarterbacks. The key statistic for me, on the other hand - and one which sometimes isn't tracked as closely as it should be - is turnovers. In Taylor's case, the dominating statistic is his lack of them. The quarterback, more than any player on the field, has the potential to cause turnovers through the usual course of ball handling, receiving snaps from centre in the shotgun formation, interceptions and sacks/blind side hits which lead to fumbles. How may times did we see JP Losman or even Drew Bledsoe, at critical points in games, hold on to the ball for too long, get sacked and fumble away a game? How many times have we seen Tyrod Taylor do the same? I can't think of any. This man protects the ball and avoids disastrous plays. Sure, he doesn't throw for 300 yards on a weekly basis and sometimes lacks the right touch on certain passes but I will take his modest statistical production combined with his commitment to ball protection - any time. Combining a very strong running game with a competent quarterback who protects the ball is a winning formula and the Bills have proven this over the past three weeks.
Now at 3-2, the Bills have what looks to be an easy out coming up with the San Francicso 49ers coming to Orchard Park next Sunday. I will be watching the 49er bench during the national anthem as coach Chip Kelly will likely start Colin Kaepernick at quarterback. The 49ers are rated at or near the bottom of the league in most analysts power rankings so I look for the Bills to possibly be double digit favourites for the first time in a very long time. Their well documented struggles over the past 16 years have not presented the Bills with many games where they could potentially overlook a weak opponent and I hope they don't start this week. A trip to south Florida to play the reeling Dolphins is on for the following week before a home re-match with the Patriots on October 30th where the AFC East lead could be on the line.
I made sure to put new batteries in my TV remote yesterday morning with the early slate of NFL games, the Bills late kick-off in Los Angeles and then the Blue Jays clinching their series with Texas to earn their second consecutive trip to the ALCS. But at 9pm, my TV was locked on to the second presidential debate which I watched almost in its entirety while checking on the baseball game.
Like many who follow politics, I think I have officially run out of things to say about the campaign. I will offer only this comment: The sheer volume of outrageous statements made by Trump over the past year or so has served to anesthetize us from feeling the contempt and outrage we should over the things has said recently - and one thing in particular from last night. I'm talking about his threat to "direct" his Attorney General (if elected President) to appoint a special prosecutor to go after Hillary Clinton. That's right: a public commitment to prosecute his political opponent.
David Frum said it best on Twitter yesterday: if you left Trump alone in a room with a bottle of whiskey and a revolver and advised him to just do the right thing, when you went back to the room, he would shoot you in the face.
When the Bills traded linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Eagles before last season for running back LeSean McCoy, detractors said that the NFL had become a passing league and that serviceable running backs could be found in the later rounds of the draft and there was no need to trade valuable assets for a featured back. Under former offensive coordinator Greg Roman, through a full season and two more games this year, McCoy's production was decent at times but probably less than what Bills fans had hoped for when he was acquired. In the three games since Anthony Lynn became offensive coordinator, McCoy has been fantastic and yesterday was, in my opinion, his best game in a Bills uniform, gaining 150 yards on the ground.
Tyrod Taylor's play at quarterback over the course of the Bills current three game winning streak has been less than eye-popping in terms of the usual statistical accumulation expected from franchise quarterbacks. The key statistic for me, on the other hand - and one which sometimes isn't tracked as closely as it should be - is turnovers. In Taylor's case, the dominating statistic is his lack of them. The quarterback, more than any player on the field, has the potential to cause turnovers through the usual course of ball handling, receiving snaps from centre in the shotgun formation, interceptions and sacks/blind side hits which lead to fumbles. How may times did we see JP Losman or even Drew Bledsoe, at critical points in games, hold on to the ball for too long, get sacked and fumble away a game? How many times have we seen Tyrod Taylor do the same? I can't think of any. This man protects the ball and avoids disastrous plays. Sure, he doesn't throw for 300 yards on a weekly basis and sometimes lacks the right touch on certain passes but I will take his modest statistical production combined with his commitment to ball protection - any time. Combining a very strong running game with a competent quarterback who protects the ball is a winning formula and the Bills have proven this over the past three weeks.
Now at 3-2, the Bills have what looks to be an easy out coming up with the San Francicso 49ers coming to Orchard Park next Sunday. I will be watching the 49er bench during the national anthem as coach Chip Kelly will likely start Colin Kaepernick at quarterback. The 49ers are rated at or near the bottom of the league in most analysts power rankings so I look for the Bills to possibly be double digit favourites for the first time in a very long time. Their well documented struggles over the past 16 years have not presented the Bills with many games where they could potentially overlook a weak opponent and I hope they don't start this week. A trip to south Florida to play the reeling Dolphins is on for the following week before a home re-match with the Patriots on October 30th where the AFC East lead could be on the line.
I made sure to put new batteries in my TV remote yesterday morning with the early slate of NFL games, the Bills late kick-off in Los Angeles and then the Blue Jays clinching their series with Texas to earn their second consecutive trip to the ALCS. But at 9pm, my TV was locked on to the second presidential debate which I watched almost in its entirety while checking on the baseball game.
Like many who follow politics, I think I have officially run out of things to say about the campaign. I will offer only this comment: The sheer volume of outrageous statements made by Trump over the past year or so has served to anesthetize us from feeling the contempt and outrage we should over the things has said recently - and one thing in particular from last night. I'm talking about his threat to "direct" his Attorney General (if elected President) to appoint a special prosecutor to go after Hillary Clinton. That's right: a public commitment to prosecute his political opponent.
David Frum said it best on Twitter yesterday: if you left Trump alone in a room with a bottle of whiskey and a revolver and advised him to just do the right thing, when you went back to the room, he would shoot you in the face.
Monday, 3 October 2016
Bills 16, Patriots 0
Rex Ryan repeated several times in his post-game press conference that yesterday's win was great but that the Patriots were "down a man", referring of course to Tom Brady who is set to return next week from his four game deflate-gate related suspension. They were down more that one man with second string quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo also inactive yesterday and star tight end Rob Gronkowski seeing limited duty and recording only one reception in the game. But still. A win in New England when it counts - unlike the last game of the 2014 season when the Bills won against a Patriots team which had clinched home field throughout the playoffs - is quite an achievement and something which two weeks ago seemed almost unthinkable.
The score was actually flattering to the Patriots who were thoroughly dominated throughout the game. With the exception of two deep passes which were each slightly overthrown and would have resulted in touchdowns, Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor looked like a franchise NFL quarterback yesterday. The offensive game plan and series to series play calling were excellent yesterday and have been much improved over the past two weeks - certainly compared to the first two weeks, After hitting what appeared to be rock-bottom following a prime time loss to the Jets then changing offensive coordinators, prospects for the Bills season were looking bleak after two weeks. But now at 2-2, they find themselves only a game back of the Patriots with a re-match coming up, with Tom Brady back in the line-up, on October 30th in Orchard Park. Suddenly, the division title, while still a steep hill to climb, is no longer a total fantasy. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. This week offers another stiff test: a trip to Los Angeles to face a Rams team which is playing well and is enjoying strong support from football fans in southern California.
I was watching Rudy Giuliani offer his thoughts on the Donald Trump tax issue which has dominated the US campaign this past week. He said that Trump was a "genius" for arranging his financial affairs so as to pay no taxes for as many as 20 years after claiming a loss of nearly $1 billion in the 1995 tax year. Trump himself, in Monday's debate, referred to himself as "smart" for not paying taxes. Many very smart Americans, with the help of their lawyers and accountants, pay no income taxes. They are rich and paying no taxes helps to keep them that way. Are they smart for paying no taxes? Maybe but I really doubt that Trump is being smart about this issue in the current political context. His base of support lies among disaffected, white, working class males, many of whom have lost their high-paying, low-skilled manufacturing jobs to Mexico or to China or elsewhere. But when they working, they had little opportunity to reduce, defer or evade paying their taxes which were usually deducted at source by their employers. Even if they had concerns about how much tax they were paying or how the government spent some of their hard-earned money, they understood the connection between the taxes they were paying and the operations of the military, border services and police - all things which Trump has advocated for building up.
Throughout the campaign, Donald Trump has broken all of the conventional rules which candidates generally follow. He had made outrageous (and often false) statements on various issues and has viciously attacked his opponents. Through it all, he has somehow continued to poll well, keep the race tight and he amazingly remains within reach of the presidency. There are five more weeks of campaigning and two more nationally televised debates with Hillary Clinton where Trump can try to re-frame the tax issue if he chooses to do so but his pattern has been to double and triple down on things he has said or on positions he has taken. The Democrats will likely continue to hammer the tax issue and if Trump holds to his claim that he's smart not to pay taxes, his base may finally soften enough to cost him the election.
The score was actually flattering to the Patriots who were thoroughly dominated throughout the game. With the exception of two deep passes which were each slightly overthrown and would have resulted in touchdowns, Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor looked like a franchise NFL quarterback yesterday. The offensive game plan and series to series play calling were excellent yesterday and have been much improved over the past two weeks - certainly compared to the first two weeks, After hitting what appeared to be rock-bottom following a prime time loss to the Jets then changing offensive coordinators, prospects for the Bills season were looking bleak after two weeks. But now at 2-2, they find themselves only a game back of the Patriots with a re-match coming up, with Tom Brady back in the line-up, on October 30th in Orchard Park. Suddenly, the division title, while still a steep hill to climb, is no longer a total fantasy. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. This week offers another stiff test: a trip to Los Angeles to face a Rams team which is playing well and is enjoying strong support from football fans in southern California.
I was watching Rudy Giuliani offer his thoughts on the Donald Trump tax issue which has dominated the US campaign this past week. He said that Trump was a "genius" for arranging his financial affairs so as to pay no taxes for as many as 20 years after claiming a loss of nearly $1 billion in the 1995 tax year. Trump himself, in Monday's debate, referred to himself as "smart" for not paying taxes. Many very smart Americans, with the help of their lawyers and accountants, pay no income taxes. They are rich and paying no taxes helps to keep them that way. Are they smart for paying no taxes? Maybe but I really doubt that Trump is being smart about this issue in the current political context. His base of support lies among disaffected, white, working class males, many of whom have lost their high-paying, low-skilled manufacturing jobs to Mexico or to China or elsewhere. But when they working, they had little opportunity to reduce, defer or evade paying their taxes which were usually deducted at source by their employers. Even if they had concerns about how much tax they were paying or how the government spent some of their hard-earned money, they understood the connection between the taxes they were paying and the operations of the military, border services and police - all things which Trump has advocated for building up.
Throughout the campaign, Donald Trump has broken all of the conventional rules which candidates generally follow. He had made outrageous (and often false) statements on various issues and has viciously attacked his opponents. Through it all, he has somehow continued to poll well, keep the race tight and he amazingly remains within reach of the presidency. There are five more weeks of campaigning and two more nationally televised debates with Hillary Clinton where Trump can try to re-frame the tax issue if he chooses to do so but his pattern has been to double and triple down on things he has said or on positions he has taken. The Democrats will likely continue to hammer the tax issue and if Trump holds to his claim that he's smart not to pay taxes, his base may finally soften enough to cost him the election.
Sunday, 25 September 2016
Bills 33, Cardinals 18
This weekend, I was at the school I attended from grades 6 through 13 to mark the 35th year since graduation for my class. I hadn't been back for what I first knew as Old Boys Weekend (now Ridley Association Weekend) since 2001. When I do go back, I always enjoy time spent in the beer tent casually watching - but watching - First Team Football play UCC or TCS or SAC on Saturday afternoon while reconnecting with old friends and faculty. The beer tent was still there, as was the reminiscing with old friends but guess what? Ridley has no football team now and hasn't for about 7 years. The program was deemed to be too expensive but with the school being fully 50/50 coed and with increasing concern about injuries (and concussions and related issues in particular), student interest in the football program was declining to the point where it was becoming difficult to field a team. So, they canned it.
I discussed this briefly with one of my class-mates who was actually the quarterback of the Ridley football team in my senior year (and who I watched being inducted into the new Ridley Athletic Lives of Distinction before lunch on Saturday), I figured that he wouldn't be pleased to see the football program scrapped. But he actually agrees with the decision as he now considers that the risk of serious injury to 16, 17 and 18 year-old young men just can not be justified, at least not at Ridley. Fair enough, I guess but the reunion isn't the same for me without the football game. Hopefully, I'll adjust in time for our 40th in five years.
I know that other high schools of various sizes in Ontario have moved on from their football programs for various reasons, but the trend doesn't bode well for the future of the sport on this side of the border anyway. In the US, I suspect that the move away from high school football will also take hold but it will be slower and less widespread, particularly in the South. The tradition of high school football on Friday nights in the US will undoubtedly hang on for a long time but participation rates in junior football are now in decline and I don't see that changing in the long term as we continue to learn more about brain injuries.
On a much more positive note, the Bills broke into the win column in a big way yesterday at a sun-drenched New Era Field (which I firmly believe should be called New Era Field at Ralph Wilson Stadium, allowing the Pegulas to collect their naming revenue while still honouring the franchise's founder). The team responded to the urgency of avoiding an 0-3 start with strong performances registered on both sides of the ball and on special teams which contributed a touchdown after a costly error by Arizona's long snapper. As Rex Ryan said afterward, "I don't know if anyone needed a win worse than we did".
So the Bills clearly performed well against what was last year a top NFC team. Great. But as Mike Schopp pointed out on WGR after the game, throughout the 16 year playoff drought, the team has certainly won some games - usually enough to fall just short of a wildcard spot. Remember, as Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News pointed out a few years ago, Dick Jauron used to string up 7-9 seasons like Christmas lights on his house. The question is: can the team now take its success from yesterday and win in New England next week? If they can, at 2-2, they would have a shot at ending the drought but, if they can't beat the Patriots without Tom Brady next Sunday, at 1-3, it seems that the playoff drought will be so much more likely to continue.
Tonight's Monday Night Football game between the Falcons and the Saints will have some stiff competition starting half an hour after kick-off as the first Presidential debate is set to go at 9pm. The campaign has been so bizarre up to now that predicting the impact of the debates on its trajectory feels very difficult indeed. The only thing which seems clear is that ratings for this first debate will be much higher than usual, regardless of how compelling the football game is.
Key questions leading into tonight's debate include: Will Hillary come out swinging? Will Trump be rattled? And perhaps most importantly, will tonight's moderator, NBC New anchor Lester Holt, call out either of the candidates should they say things which are obviously not true? An audience of more than 100 million is expected to tune in to see. I predict that both candidates will be more reserved than expected and that many viewers will flip back to the game after a short time.
I discussed this briefly with one of my class-mates who was actually the quarterback of the Ridley football team in my senior year (and who I watched being inducted into the new Ridley Athletic Lives of Distinction before lunch on Saturday), I figured that he wouldn't be pleased to see the football program scrapped. But he actually agrees with the decision as he now considers that the risk of serious injury to 16, 17 and 18 year-old young men just can not be justified, at least not at Ridley. Fair enough, I guess but the reunion isn't the same for me without the football game. Hopefully, I'll adjust in time for our 40th in five years.
I know that other high schools of various sizes in Ontario have moved on from their football programs for various reasons, but the trend doesn't bode well for the future of the sport on this side of the border anyway. In the US, I suspect that the move away from high school football will also take hold but it will be slower and less widespread, particularly in the South. The tradition of high school football on Friday nights in the US will undoubtedly hang on for a long time but participation rates in junior football are now in decline and I don't see that changing in the long term as we continue to learn more about brain injuries.
On a much more positive note, the Bills broke into the win column in a big way yesterday at a sun-drenched New Era Field (which I firmly believe should be called New Era Field at Ralph Wilson Stadium, allowing the Pegulas to collect their naming revenue while still honouring the franchise's founder). The team responded to the urgency of avoiding an 0-3 start with strong performances registered on both sides of the ball and on special teams which contributed a touchdown after a costly error by Arizona's long snapper. As Rex Ryan said afterward, "I don't know if anyone needed a win worse than we did".
So the Bills clearly performed well against what was last year a top NFC team. Great. But as Mike Schopp pointed out on WGR after the game, throughout the 16 year playoff drought, the team has certainly won some games - usually enough to fall just short of a wildcard spot. Remember, as Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News pointed out a few years ago, Dick Jauron used to string up 7-9 seasons like Christmas lights on his house. The question is: can the team now take its success from yesterday and win in New England next week? If they can, at 2-2, they would have a shot at ending the drought but, if they can't beat the Patriots without Tom Brady next Sunday, at 1-3, it seems that the playoff drought will be so much more likely to continue.
Tonight's Monday Night Football game between the Falcons and the Saints will have some stiff competition starting half an hour after kick-off as the first Presidential debate is set to go at 9pm. The campaign has been so bizarre up to now that predicting the impact of the debates on its trajectory feels very difficult indeed. The only thing which seems clear is that ratings for this first debate will be much higher than usual, regardless of how compelling the football game is.
Key questions leading into tonight's debate include: Will Hillary come out swinging? Will Trump be rattled? And perhaps most importantly, will tonight's moderator, NBC New anchor Lester Holt, call out either of the candidates should they say things which are obviously not true? An audience of more than 100 million is expected to tune in to see. I predict that both candidates will be more reserved than expected and that many viewers will flip back to the game after a short time.
Monday, 19 September 2016
Jets 37, Bills 31
It felt as if we were experiencing the first day of a post-apocalyptic world. It was a few minutes before 3am on a Friday as we approached our shining city from the west on the Gardiner Expressway. There were virtually no other vehicles around as we cruised effortlessly over the Humber River toward the Jamieson exit and the elevated portion of the roadway. If only those who travel this road every day from Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton or beyond could experience this level of tranquility and peacefulness. Driving in Toronto is a breeze during a short two hour window between 2.30 and 4.30am. Leaving the Buffalo, NY area well after midnight en route to Toronto is all it takes.
The Bills season is now on the verge of disaster as the team faces a very likely 0-4 start with Arizona and New England on the schedule the next two weeks. The 1998 team went 0-3 and still made the playoffs but the chances of a turnaround seem slim now as turmoil surrounds the team. After an anemic offensive performance in week 1, week 2 saw an improvement in that area, aided by two long passing plays for touchdowns, but the Bills defence was completely stumped by the Jets and two key individuals who are both very familiar to Bills fans: journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and former Bills head coach and current Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. On the night when Bruce Smith's number was retired at a halftime ceremony MC'd by ESPN's Chris Berman, the Jets piled up 493 yards of offence on Thursday night, including 374 yards through the air. The Bills secondary looked out-matched and confused by Gailey's game plan and Ryan Fitzpatrick looked like a top-ranked NFL quarterback.
Multiple reports suggest that the Bills owners, Terry and Kim Pegula, met privately with key Bills offensive players on Friday morning, unbeknownst to head coach Rex Ryan. The Pegulas were apparently unhappy with the style of play calling on offence through two weeks and were looking for confirmation of their concerns from within the locker room. Why their concern that morning did not include questions about the defensive game plan or execution is unknown. The reports say that after the player meetings, the owners then approached the head coach and suggested that offensive coordinator Greg Roman had to go. Ryan then announced a few hours later that he had decided to relieve Roman of his duties and that ownership was supportive of his decision. Ryan not only looks foolish for suggesting that the decision was his but he is obviously not currently not enjoying the confidence of ownership.
Since he retired from coaching after winning the Superbowl with the Steelers in 2005, Bills fans have been speculating, wondering and hoping that current CBS analyst Bill Cowher might return to coaching and that he might be interested in the Buffalo job. I am aware of absolutely no evidence of his interest in a return to coaching in the league generally or in the Bills job specifically but Bills fans have needed some kind of hope to hang on to as the team's playoff drought is about to reach 17 years. The CBS Thursday Night Football makeshift broadcast desk and crew of James Brown, Deion Sanders and Cowher was set up just below our seats at about the 25 yard line. We watched them go through their pre-game analysis between 8pm and kick-off 25 minutes later and when the game started, Cowher stood alone (mostly) on the sideline very intently watching the game, making the occasional note and receiving statistical updates from the production crew. He is a student of the game and would be welcomed in Buffalo if he ever were to want to coach the team but his current gig allows him more sleep, less stress and plenty of money.
With a new offensive coordinator, Anthony Lynn, now in place, the Bills prepare for the Arizona Cardinals who come to Orchard Park next weekend for the first time since 2008. The Cardinals are considered one of the top teams in the NFC, with a dominating defence and big play capability on offence. If the Bills can somehow pull off an upset, their season could be salvaged, especially with some key players returning from injury and suspension in another week or two. Maybe the Cardinals will look past Buffalo as they return to Phoenix to face the Rams in week 4. More likely is that the Pegulas will need to hold another secret player meeting a week from today.
The Bills season is now on the verge of disaster as the team faces a very likely 0-4 start with Arizona and New England on the schedule the next two weeks. The 1998 team went 0-3 and still made the playoffs but the chances of a turnaround seem slim now as turmoil surrounds the team. After an anemic offensive performance in week 1, week 2 saw an improvement in that area, aided by two long passing plays for touchdowns, but the Bills defence was completely stumped by the Jets and two key individuals who are both very familiar to Bills fans: journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and former Bills head coach and current Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. On the night when Bruce Smith's number was retired at a halftime ceremony MC'd by ESPN's Chris Berman, the Jets piled up 493 yards of offence on Thursday night, including 374 yards through the air. The Bills secondary looked out-matched and confused by Gailey's game plan and Ryan Fitzpatrick looked like a top-ranked NFL quarterback.
Multiple reports suggest that the Bills owners, Terry and Kim Pegula, met privately with key Bills offensive players on Friday morning, unbeknownst to head coach Rex Ryan. The Pegulas were apparently unhappy with the style of play calling on offence through two weeks and were looking for confirmation of their concerns from within the locker room. Why their concern that morning did not include questions about the defensive game plan or execution is unknown. The reports say that after the player meetings, the owners then approached the head coach and suggested that offensive coordinator Greg Roman had to go. Ryan then announced a few hours later that he had decided to relieve Roman of his duties and that ownership was supportive of his decision. Ryan not only looks foolish for suggesting that the decision was his but he is obviously not currently not enjoying the confidence of ownership.
Since he retired from coaching after winning the Superbowl with the Steelers in 2005, Bills fans have been speculating, wondering and hoping that current CBS analyst Bill Cowher might return to coaching and that he might be interested in the Buffalo job. I am aware of absolutely no evidence of his interest in a return to coaching in the league generally or in the Bills job specifically but Bills fans have needed some kind of hope to hang on to as the team's playoff drought is about to reach 17 years. The CBS Thursday Night Football makeshift broadcast desk and crew of James Brown, Deion Sanders and Cowher was set up just below our seats at about the 25 yard line. We watched them go through their pre-game analysis between 8pm and kick-off 25 minutes later and when the game started, Cowher stood alone (mostly) on the sideline very intently watching the game, making the occasional note and receiving statistical updates from the production crew. He is a student of the game and would be welcomed in Buffalo if he ever were to want to coach the team but his current gig allows him more sleep, less stress and plenty of money.
With a new offensive coordinator, Anthony Lynn, now in place, the Bills prepare for the Arizona Cardinals who come to Orchard Park next weekend for the first time since 2008. The Cardinals are considered one of the top teams in the NFC, with a dominating defence and big play capability on offence. If the Bills can somehow pull off an upset, their season could be salvaged, especially with some key players returning from injury and suspension in another week or two. Maybe the Cardinals will look past Buffalo as they return to Phoenix to face the Rams in week 4. More likely is that the Pegulas will need to hold another secret player meeting a week from today.
Monday, 12 September 2016
Ravens 13, Bills 7
Earlier this year, I read an interview with Bills Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas who had decided to speak publicly about the concussion related problems he has been having over the 15 years since his retirement from the NFL. His first public comments on the issue came at a concussion summit in Niagara Falls, Ontario in April. Thomas said that he does not discuss these problems with family or friends but decided to speak out in order to help the medical community better understand the condition that he shares with many former NFL players and to build awareness of the issue generally.
Thomas said that he suffers from frequent mood swings which have taken their toll on his family and friends. He also recounted an incident where he was driving home on a familiar route and, for a short time, he had no idea where he was or where he was going. Shortly afterward, he had an MRI done on his brain and his doctor described his frontal lobe as being similar to that of someone who fell off a house and landed on the front of his head. His condition is worsening and he's scared. His wife has decided that she no longer wants the couple's 14 year old son, who has already missed games from concussions, to continue playing football. His comments at the concussion forum included a statement that his going public with his story does not make him any less of a man, any less tough or any less loyal to the NFL. It was obvious that he had considered these questions carefully before speaking out.
I was saddened by this story. Thomas is a distinguished member of the Bills alumae, a resident of the Buffalo area and an active member of the community. As a running back, he certainly would have endured his share of hard hits but it seemed to me that his small stature and low centre of gravity allowed him to generally avoid serious hits to the head. But he played football since he he was a child growing up in Houston, then obviously played high school and college football at a high level before being drafted by the Bills in 1988. Those years of contact have now caught up with him and Thomas is now realizing that the game which made him relatively wealthy and famous (at least among football fans) is now seriously diminishing his quality of life.
As Rex Ryan entered his second training camp as Bills head coach, I was optimistic that the team, and the defence in particular, would benefit from the continuity of a returning coaching staff with the same systems and philosophy. But as the pre-season progressed, things began to unravel as a combination of injuries and substance abuse suspensions depleted the line-up. The Bills top two picks in April's draft are out with injuries - one of which is season ending. Two starters, stud defensive lineman Marcel Dareus and offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson, like to smoke marijuana apparently and have each received 4 game suspensions for positive tests. Without commenting on the appropriateness of the league's substance policies, they are the rules which are in place and they are well known to players. Perhaps they could have followed the rules rather than leaving their team short-handed. There's plenty of time to get high after football.
These stories provided the back-drop for yesterday's regular season opener in Baltimore and I must admit that I was not feeling particularly optimistic about the team's fortunes or about the long term viability of the NFL as the most dominant force in North American professional sports. But I tuned in anyway, leaving the critically important Blue Jays baseball game to be watched only on commercial breaks from the Bills game. It was a ridiculously frustrating game to watch as the offense sputtered badly and penalties took their toll. The Bills were unable to stop the Ravens running game when it mattered most - near the end of the game - and opened the season with a loss in a game where they played well enough to win. But in the NFL, I think almost every team plays well enough to win 10 games.
Maybe a short week is what the team needs to get back on track as the 0-1 Jets come to Orchard Park on Thursday night. We're leaving Toronto after lunch but I will be sure to get a nap in on Wednesday as we won't be home until probably 3am.
Thomas said that he suffers from frequent mood swings which have taken their toll on his family and friends. He also recounted an incident where he was driving home on a familiar route and, for a short time, he had no idea where he was or where he was going. Shortly afterward, he had an MRI done on his brain and his doctor described his frontal lobe as being similar to that of someone who fell off a house and landed on the front of his head. His condition is worsening and he's scared. His wife has decided that she no longer wants the couple's 14 year old son, who has already missed games from concussions, to continue playing football. His comments at the concussion forum included a statement that his going public with his story does not make him any less of a man, any less tough or any less loyal to the NFL. It was obvious that he had considered these questions carefully before speaking out.
I was saddened by this story. Thomas is a distinguished member of the Bills alumae, a resident of the Buffalo area and an active member of the community. As a running back, he certainly would have endured his share of hard hits but it seemed to me that his small stature and low centre of gravity allowed him to generally avoid serious hits to the head. But he played football since he he was a child growing up in Houston, then obviously played high school and college football at a high level before being drafted by the Bills in 1988. Those years of contact have now caught up with him and Thomas is now realizing that the game which made him relatively wealthy and famous (at least among football fans) is now seriously diminishing his quality of life.
As Rex Ryan entered his second training camp as Bills head coach, I was optimistic that the team, and the defence in particular, would benefit from the continuity of a returning coaching staff with the same systems and philosophy. But as the pre-season progressed, things began to unravel as a combination of injuries and substance abuse suspensions depleted the line-up. The Bills top two picks in April's draft are out with injuries - one of which is season ending. Two starters, stud defensive lineman Marcel Dareus and offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson, like to smoke marijuana apparently and have each received 4 game suspensions for positive tests. Without commenting on the appropriateness of the league's substance policies, they are the rules which are in place and they are well known to players. Perhaps they could have followed the rules rather than leaving their team short-handed. There's plenty of time to get high after football.
These stories provided the back-drop for yesterday's regular season opener in Baltimore and I must admit that I was not feeling particularly optimistic about the team's fortunes or about the long term viability of the NFL as the most dominant force in North American professional sports. But I tuned in anyway, leaving the critically important Blue Jays baseball game to be watched only on commercial breaks from the Bills game. It was a ridiculously frustrating game to watch as the offense sputtered badly and penalties took their toll. The Bills were unable to stop the Ravens running game when it mattered most - near the end of the game - and opened the season with a loss in a game where they played well enough to win. But in the NFL, I think almost every team plays well enough to win 10 games.
Maybe a short week is what the team needs to get back on track as the 0-1 Jets come to Orchard Park on Thursday night. We're leaving Toronto after lunch but I will be sure to get a nap in on Wednesday as we won't be home until probably 3am.
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