Bills 23, Ravens 20

I have been looking after a white dog - Sophie, the one in the photo - for the past couple of weeks. I've been in Muskoka for as much of that time as possible. Not because it necessarily suits me but for her. She loves to chase squirrels and tennis balls, swim and spend her days roaming around the property and the shoreline. Of all the dogs I have known, Sophie is probably the most intelligent one. And definitely the one which sheds the most white hair. I will need to borrow her owner's Dyson.

So, the US government is set to "shut down" as early as tomorrow. This is thanks to Tea Party Republicans who see the budget and debt ceiling debate as an opportunity to defund the Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare". Republicans who are not members of or supported by the Tea Party movement have been urging their colleagues to back off for fear of a public backlash against the party. There is now a clear division within the Republican party which makes it look as if the right hand doesn't know what the extreme right hand is doing. The best thing that the more "mainstream" Republicans could do is to ask their Tea Party colleagues to form their own party where they would be free to continue to create their own set of facts and truths as well as the policies which fit within them. They could continue to advocate for further tax cuts for "the job creators" and rail against the evils of "big government". FOX News could move from being their unofficial to their official broadcaster and they wouldn't have to waste time bad-mouthing people like David Frum any more. I am now convinced that a three party system is what's needed in the United States. The time has come. And the fact that the Democrats would govern the country for at least a couple of generations would just be an added benefit. After Obama's second term ends, Hillary Clinton would serve two terms as the first female President and then maybe the Democrats could nominate a Hispanic for President. Let's call him President Martinez.

After finally selling my tickets to yesterday's game on NFL TicketExchange on Saturday morning, I decided to stay at the cottage to watch the game. Mainly for Sophie of course. The Bills were able to run for more than 200 yards against the Ravens and, along with the career high five interceptions given up by Joe Flacco, the running game dictated time of possession and was key in winning this close game. All four Bills games this year have been decided by seven points or less.

Up next is a Thursday night road game against the Bills' Lake Erie cousins, the Cleveland Browns. Then the Bills will have 10 days to prepare for the Cincinnati Bengals who come to Orchard Park on Canadian Thanksgiving Day.

 

Jets 27, Bills 20

The way I see it, Justin Rogers owes me $6,550.60. That was going to be the payout on my 6 game parlay Pro-line ticket yesterday. Each and every one of the 5 other games came in as required and a Bills win yesterday by 4 or more points would have earned me that amount. According to the fans calling in to WGR after yesterday's game at the Meadowlands, the ugly loss can be pinned entirely on the Bills 3rd year cornerback.

Rogers, a product of the University of Richmond Spiders, was selected by the Bills in the 7th round of the 2011 NFL draft and stands 4th on the depth chart at his position. But with Stephon Gilmore and Ron Brooks inactive yesterday due to injuries and after Leodis McKelvin went down early on, Rogers was lined up against the Jets top wide-outs for the rest of the afternoon. And he was thoroughly torched, as receivers he was "covering" gained 270 of the Jets 331 passing yards on the day. As WGR's Mike Schopp repeatedly asked callers, is Rogers really any worse than most other 4th string cornerbacks on NFL rosters? Should the Bills release him and sign a cornerback from another team's practice roster? Maybe they should and maybe they will but when injuries take their toll and 4th string players are lined up for every snap, opposing coaches will always take advantage. I feel sorry for Justin Rogers. I really do. But I still need him to fork over the Pro-line payout. After all, it was his fault.

If I were Rogers though, I would take a walk over to EJ Manuel's locker and ask him to consider a healthy contribution as well. Not only does Manuel earn 1st round draft pick money, he was quite simply terrible yesterday. The Jets defence played very well and were not only able to shut down the Bills running game early on but they brought relentless pressure on Manuel who looked rattled and ended up struggling mightily with accuracy on his throws. As much as last week's game winning drive boosted Manuel's (and Bills Nation's) confidence, yesterday's debacle may well have done even more to erode it.

Yet, somehow - thanks largely to the 20 penalties taken the the Jets - the Bills were able to tie the game at 20 in the 4th quarter before Jets quarterback Gino Smith found Santonio Holmes for the game-winning 69 yard touchdown. Smith threw to Holmes because, after all, he was covered by Justin Rogers.

The defending Superbowl champion Baltimore Ravens come to Orchard Park on Sunday. Although they have lost Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, their defence is still formidable and if the injury plagued Bills are going to recover from this difficult loss, why not do it against the defending champions? The game is sold out and my tickets are currently listed on NFL TicketExchange. If Justin Rogers has family, friends or any other morbidly curious fans in need of tickets, I would gladly give them to him. After he pays me.

 

Bills 24, Panthers 23

"Are you carrying currency over $1,000?" asked the US Customs and Border Patrol officer at the Queenston/Lewiston Bridge yesterday morning around 9am. This came after I was asked to remove my cap and wind down my rear window (I don't have tinted windows). Maybe his reflector sunglasses prevented him from seeing the folded card table, barbque, bag of charcoal and our other usual Bills game gear in the back seat of the car.

"No Sir" I answered, trying not to make my response too military sounding. He then handed the 2 passports back to me and we were on our way south towards Orchard Park. I must have crossed the border in my car close to 100 times and somehow, I'm sure by design, every time I do, I am asked a question which I have never heard before.

The NFL has made a concerted effort over the past few years to make the game-day experience more "family friendly" and this effort continues. There was more evidence of it yesterday with an increased police presence in the parking lots before the game (we saw mounted police for the first time) and a new fence which effectively removed access to a small stream bed beside Drive 5 which had always been a very popular urinating location (for men at least). The atmosphere at the tailgate party was more subdued than it has been in the past and security inside the stadium has, over the last 10 years or so, gone from non-existent to being "on call" by way of a simple text message. Messages on the jumbotron encourage fans to report any security or behaviour "issues" they may be having by text and the take-up of this service seem to be strong. Maybe too much so. At least twice, 2 Erie County Sheriffs were summoned (we presume) to the section beside ours to "deal with" a few Carolina fans who appeared to be guilty of simply cheering for their team. They didn't look to be drunk, abusive, excessively loud or disruptive. It looked like some Bills fans just didn't like them showing up and rooting for the visiting team. The worst offence we saw was a few people sitting in our section without proper tickets. When I first started going to what was Rich Stadium in the 1980s, it was a real-life "Lord of the Flies" experience. The most obvious result of this effort by the league to transform the game-day experience is that there are noticeably more women attending the games. Although the Lord of the Flies experience was often entertaining, it was sometimes unsettling. I think its a better experience now.

Bills rookie quarterback EJ Manuel took a big step yesterday. After struggling at times and turning the ball over twice in the second half, he lead the team to a game-winning 80 yard touchdown drive in the last 1 minute and 38 seconds, with no time-outs left. Aided by a key (but undeniable) pass interference call against Stevie Johnson deep in Carolina territory, Manuel found Johnson in the corner of the endzone (the corner closest to our seats) with 2 seconds left to tie the game at 23. The extra point sealed the win. Fans were rightfully ecstatic and, as Tony Dungy said last night, it looks like the Bills and their fans have someone under centre who they can believe in. Jim Kelly retired after the 1996 season and the franchise has been in the doldrums more or less ever since. In his second NFL game ever, EJ Manuel became the toast of the town yesterday and he has the potential to lead a turn-around that Buffalo and Bills fans have been denied for far too long.

Also, this just in: Cam Newton is a good athlete.

The 1-1 Bills travel to New Jersey next Sunday to face the Jets in a big division match-up before returning home to face the defending Superbowl champion Baltimore Ravens in week 4.

Patriots 23, Bills 21

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gathered his senior leadership team together earlier this year for a brainstorming session on the subject of ensuring that the league maintains its prominent position in North American sports culture. He cited examples of companies and organizations who had enjoyed dominant market positions and then lost those positions, never to recover them. The biggest risk to the future success of the league that he saw was the issue of player safety, concussions and the civil action commenced against the league by a group of 4,900 former players who alleged that the league withheld information it had on the danger to its players - both short and long term - of concussions and, in particular, repeated concussions.

When former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson died from suicide in February, 2011, he did so by shooting himself in the chest after leaving a note requesting that his brain be studied for possible signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). When recently retired star player Junior Seau died the same way in May, 2012 (without leaving a note), his family also had his brain tested for CTE. Both tests were positive. Seau's wife later said that although he had never officially "had" a concussion during his playing career, he did suffer many blows to his head, after which he always "bounced right back".

Over the course of my school sports career, I can remember hearing the expression "you just had your bell rung; get back out there". Thankfully, it was never said to me. I have, however, at least twice, while playing hockey as an adult, fallen to the ice without being able to properly brace myself. Each time, I banged the back of my helmet on the ice and I certainly felt a little dazed and confused afterward. I recall that once I continued playing and the other time I sat down for the rest of the game. I have not suffered any long term effects of those incidents - at least not that I know of.

The NFL now requires that a strict protocol be followed for each player who suffers a head blow. That protocol does not include "getting right back out there". Players must be symptom free for a period of time before returning to play. The lawsuit brought against the league by former players was settled a couple of weeks ago for $765 million with no admission of liability on the part of the league. The league earns about $10 billion in annual revenue. I am certain that the commissioner pushed very hard for a settlement in an effort to move past this issue and to protect the league's dominant position in the professional sports market and its $10 billion revenue stream. Two important questions remain: first, will the protocol now being followed for head injuries be enough to protect players in the long term, especially for those who suffer repeated head injuries? Second, will enough parents across North America begin to withdraw their children from contact football - or never register them for it in the first place? "Enough", as in, will high school and college programs begin to see a decline in player participation and will the NFL eventually find itself drafting from a much smaller pool of college players so as to dilute the quality and the fan appeal of the game?  These questions will be probably be answered over the next decade or so.

I saw none of the Bills game yesterday. I know that they had the lead and the ball at mid-field with about 5 minutes remaining and then blew it. But it could have been worse. The Carolina Panthers come to Buffalo next weekend and the Bills will look to even their record before going to the Meadowlands to play the Jets in week 3.

Bills 28, Jets 9

The Wilson Hockey League, which plays outdoors on winter Thursday evenings at Otter Creek rink - and has done so since 1996, has seen many players come and go over the years. Some have played for years then moved away or hung them up entirely and some have played only once or twice as guests. Last week, on the day after Boxing Day, the WHL welcomed its best known guest player ever, a former NHLer and well know TV hockey analyst. I am leaving his name out in order to best preserve any chance that he might join us again. I realize that readership of this blog is not big but I want to play it safe. Plus, I can say lots of other stuff about him without risk of him ever seeing it. Not that what I am going to say would displease him.

On the contrary, here's what I saw. This was a player whose role when he played in the NHL was that of part enforcer, part checker, part general toughness and grit. No fan would have perceived him as a high skill player at least not in comparison to his pro colleagues. Yet, some 15 or so years after his retirement from the NHL, he is a supremely skilled hockey player compared to the rest of our lot (and we have some decent players, myself NOT among them) whose stick-handling and passing was a pleasure to watch and a thrill to be part of. He hit me with several perfect passes, most of which I managed to screw up but I did thankfully follow through on one. Nice guy too. And it sure seemed like he had fun. He is welcome back any time.

I've seen a couple of good films recently. Life of Pi earned 4 stars from the Globe and Mail, and deservedly so. It is a visually rich (and worth seeing in 3D) interpretation of the Yann Martel novel and, with the help of CGI, a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker seemed very real to me. A couple of days ago, I saw the new Tarantino film, Django Unchained. The D in Django is silent as Jamie Foxx sometimes points out before blowing peoples head off. I loved it but I'm a big fan of Tarantino. I realize that not everyone is and I completely understand that. This film features another stellar performance by Christoph Waltz, the Austrian actor who Tarantino brilliantly cast in Inglorious Basterds. The Globe gave it only 2 and half stars and this mystifies me. If Life of Pi was worth 4 (and I would probably have given it 3 and half), then this film, although different in every way, deserves the same. Both are worth seeing.

Well, the Bills finally beat the NY Jets yesterday, although they waited until it did not matter and the only real result was that the Bills now draft 8th overall instead of higher had they managed to lose. Unfortunately, 6 of the 7 teams drafting ahead of them also need a quarterback so perhaps it's time to trade up like the Redskins did this year to get Robert Griffin III (who lead his team to the NFC East title last night). Ralph Wilson is 94 years old and he alone will decide the fate of GM Buddy Nix and head coach Chan Gailey. My best guess is that both will be gone and, if that is the case, could Bill Polian be headed back to One Bills Drive (as has been rumoured)?  If he is, he has the credibility to attract a quality head coach but the ongoing uncertainty over the ownership situation and the fact that the Bills have done it on the cheap through their 13 years out of the playoffs could keep the top tier candidates away. Ralph Wilson will have about 5 weeks before he sends out season ticket renewal invoices. My bet is that there will be a new GM and coach in place by then. I guess change and renewal helps to get people like me to pay up. I would any way. The Bills are still in the National Football League after all.
    

Dolphins 24, Bills 10

Brad Barker of Jazz FM was in the TVO studio last week with Steve Paikin to try to explain some of the genius of Dave Brubeck, American jazz master who passed away earlier this month. Brubeck was a true musical star - which is unusual in the world of jazz which has always produced brilliant players who mostly toil in total obscurity. Barker explained to Paikin that Brubeck's innovative time signatures set him and his quartet apart from most other music we know - often popular "blues based" music - as he pushed the limits of progressive jazz. Time signature refers to the number of beats per measure. Blues based music is easy foot tapping or dancing music because its time signature is often in 4/4. Most casual music listeners are fully aware of that time signature without knowing it. The Brubeck quartet's best known piece "Take Five" (which was written by Brubeck's long time saxophone player Paul Desmond and is from the 1959 album Time Out) is written in a 5/4 time signature. Other time signatures he used included 6/4, 9/8 and 13/4. Brubeck was a serious professional musician who did not drink or take drugs. He always wore a shirt and tie when playing. He was a musical giant. As Barker said, when you listen to Take Five, it just makes you feel good. I am happy to have learned a little more about Dave Brubeck last week. And I purchased Time Out so that I can feel good anytime I want.

In the US, the National Rifle Association took a full week to comment after the Newtown shootings. But for those of us hoping that the organization shoots itself in the foot as often as possible, it was well worth the wait. NRA spokesman Wayne Lapierre held a press conference to explain that "the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun". Lapierre also called for the posting of armed federal agents in all schools and went as far as to say that if that idea seems crazy, "then call me crazy". As Lapierre was making his statement, a gunman in Ohio shot four people in an apparent random act. Whether or not the timing was by design is not clear but on Twitter, someone commented in "defence" of the NRA: "you try holding a press conference at a time when there isn't a mass shooting going on. Its just not that easy." The good news, it seems to me, is that Americans seem more and more to be rejecting extreme views such as those of the NRA and its most recent position about armed guards in schools. In the long term, these views will become more marginalized and this should pave the way for meaningful gun control in the US. Not soon but eventually.

It's Christmas Eve. I am sitting in the warm cottage looking out over the just barely frozen lake. I was able to get in 2 hours of skiing yesterday through 8-10cm of snow which is not really enough for skiing but too much for mountain biking. There is a crusty frozen layer on the ground which helps keep the skis off the rocks as I move through the forest. The ice on the lakes is too thin to ski safely on and the ice on the beaver pond to the north of the road probably is thick enough but is flooded with slush at the surface. This is the shoulder season I guess. It's about a month late based on a 100 year average.

My Christmas shopping is done. It consisted of the purchase of a crown roast of pork from Upper Cut Meats at the St. Lawrence Market. It sits in the fridge ready to be transported to St. Catharines tomorrow for our family dinner. I made a batch of apple/ginger jam a couple of weeks ago and I made my second annual cash donation to the Daily Bread Food Bank through the Sounds of the Season website. That's it. A jar of jam and knowing that I donated to the food bank is all anyone is getting for Christmas from me. And the pork roast too. Happy Holiday everyone!

The Bills close out another sad season on Sunday December 30th at Ralph Wilson Stadium against the New York Jets if anyone cares. I do because I am trying to get rid of my tickets for it.

Seahawks 50, Bills 17

David Frum was doing the rounds on CBC radio this morning as I drove to Muskoka. I heard him speaking first with Matt Galloway as the reception faded then to Wei Chen about 45 minutes later. He feels that the gun control issue in the US is so sensitive that it probably can not be dealt with by elected politicians in the current highly polarized environment. If the President were to initiate gun control legislation, the NRA and the Republican party would dig in and success would be virtually impossible. He is hopeful, however, that a citizens group could succeed in building a broad, non-partisan consensus in the US around this issue which could then lead to legislative changes down the road. He used the example of Mothers Against Drunk Driving which was able to effect significant change in the 1980's not only in law but in creating full public consensus for stronger laws and stiffer punishment around drinking and driving. The difference in this case is that there is no organization which speaks for the constitutional rights of drunk drivers the way the NRA does for American gun culture.

Yesterday at the Rogers Centre, the Buffalo Bills gave up points Gangnam Style (sorry, had to use it) as they clinched their 13th consecutive non-playoff season and their 8th straight losing season. Chan Gailey is now officially on the hot seat and Bills management probably realizes that bringing him and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick back for a fourth season would alienate a significant chunk of the fan base and put a serious dent in season ticket sales. Unless something remarkably positive takes place over the final two games, it seems likely that a new head coach and quarterback will be headed to Buffalo in 2013.

PSY took the stage at halftime yesterday and performed his signature (and only popular) song, Gangnam Style. He is a good showman with a catchy Korean charisma (from the alliteration department) and a commanding stage presence. I don't know what he was paid, but for four and half minutes work, it's probably pretty lucrative for him. May he ride it as long as he can.

Yesterday also marked the sad conclusion to the ill-fated "Bills in Toronto" series. When it was announced in early 2008, I thought that it would be hugely popular and highly successful in this, North America's fifth largest market. So obviously did Rogers Communications. That's why a friend and I jumped on the chance to pay more than $3,500 for two 500 level tickets to all eight games in the series. It ended up being only seven games and I can't recall the total amount of the rebates we received after the first year. I do remember that the face price of the tickets to the two games in 2008 was $255 and the same tickets yesterday had a face price of $95. Even with the steep price reduction, there were significant chunks of empty seats in the top corners of the 500 level for yesterday's game. So, what is the lesson for the Bills and for Rogers? First, the Bills relationship with Toronto is not the same (or even close to being the same) as the Green Bay Packers relationship is with the city of Milwaukee - the example that Rogers probably looked to when the idea was conceived. And, Toronto is home to many NFL fans but not as many fans of the Buffalo Bills as Rogers had assumed. And, the Rogers Centre atmosphere, even if it were sold out, is so different from that of Ralph Wilson Stadium that it is barely comparable. If the Bills in Toronto deal is renewed, Rogers and the Bills will have to come up with a different way to promote and sell the games in the Toronto market. The league is probably not pleased with the take-up of these games in Toronto but if there is any organization in North America which is capable of harnessing its marketing machine to come up with a way to make these games more compelling, it is the National Football League itself. If the NFL can't help to figure out a way to make it work, then it simply can not be done.