Neo

Roger Doucet in Montreal.

Shrinkage ...

Youtube ... tonight’s Coach’s Corner. I am watching the HNiC feed. Ron MacLean just gave a most remarkable eulogy, celebration, summary of the past week and Don Cherry. He spoke to what happened, his role, Don’s, and alluded to the network’s. He celebrated Cherry and made it clear, at the same time, that what had to happen did happen. MacLean spoke of friendship, love, and human beings. No preaching, no criticism. Duality, humanity. He nailed it ....

My brain freeze ... you nailed it. I had him filed as a member of the first draft class, not 1974’s.

Wouldn’t Taro be older than 65? In any event ....

To Eleven: Carlin’s Rome, awesome. Carlin’s almost everything, awesome. Hardcore History. Some great stuff (hours and hours) is free. Death Throes of the Republic $9.99, and a bargain at that. To everyone: I have complicated and mixed feelings about Cherry. It was inevitable (one side of the coin) in this environment (other side of the coin). A man can be more, or less, articulate. He can be more, or less, graceful. He can be more, or less, accurate. I’ve listened and watched the segment and have a view about where he lands on those three continua. Now, I skate onto thin ice. His defenders may conclude he’s further along on the accuracy axis than he is on those of articulation and grace. His detractors may say that matters not. The latter is an approach to our society that fills me with dread and sadness. As best as I can find or figure, he was fired for being divisive, not for being wrong. That should give the thoughtful pause. Now, I don’t know enough about Canada’s Remembrance Day and poppy statistics to know whether he’s generally correct or generally wrong. I do know that generally correct statements can be shouted down and punished in our current environment. Cherry had an idea. Heaven forbid we debate it when we can simply assert it’s divisive and fire him. I think i know where Triumph Communes was heading. That place would be far more important and interesting than the “old dinosaur had it coming” space. Society fired Don Cherry ten years ago. His employer waited until sufficient cover arrived to make the announcement. This isn’t unique to old Don. It was the correct income statement decision, today. Thirty hears ago it would’ve led to a boycott of Hockey Night in Canada. This is progress, or not, depending on your views of language, reason and debate. Canada is hosting some great debate in the realm of freedom, reason, and “social justice” (as the concept somehow exists outside of simple “justice”). It’s not for the faint of heart, the indoctrinated, or the closed minded on either side. Good luck, Canada.

Yes ... the extra-ordinary comes with cost. It also makes for a richer world. PS ... I, too, was looking for chanting, flag waving, and drums!

Iconic Cleveland Browns play.

Bills Mafia, Florida edition .... IMG_5967.MOV

Cole Beasley ... go deep.

Jack Eichel is a very good hockey player. He is who he is. I’ve made peace with this. He takes over moments, not games, teams or seasons. When he’s not having those moments, he’s either struggling or dissappearing. With zero NHL games coached on my resumé, here’s what I’d say to him. “This is what you are. It’s good. Be it every shift. You have no more. I’ll accept no less.”

You’re on a roll, tonight. Angry Eleven has become Whimsical Eleven. I hear Hal 9000, slightly buzzed. ********* Is Rochester a neutral site?

Someone needs to visit the MODO pad ... which appeared to be awesome.

Word ...

I wrote earlier this year about cutting cable, streaming and saving money. I can still DVR, but don’t. My NHL pass lets me watch any game, in progress or from the beginning, when I log in. Unexpected gift ...

Pin It! Field Trip!

6-2. Better than most. Not among the best. Generally good defense. Pedestrian offense. Played the Pats tough. Manhandled by a Philly team better than its record. Built to pursue on defense. Protecting the undeveloped on offense. Easy schedule taken advantage of in a business like way. No one’s a HOFer. No one sucks. Nothing’s a joke. Playoffs because of all of the above. Will be underdogs. Important pieces in place, if not yet arrived. Need another good offseason to incrementally improve. SCREAMS process, to me. I like it. Others don’t. I don’t have an alternative. REALLY looking forward to the Dallas game as a measuring stick. Good team. Physical team. National stage. No one’s good at all aspects of the game. Keep the pursuit defense and wait for the next level of offense that will keep you in games against the physical teams.

oh, much better than crude!

I like Wentz.

An all time favorite .. best wishes.

Just yesterday, we were bringing Andrej Meszaros in ....

It’s not an argument. It’s all any of us have, pro or con. I’m saying he’s passing the test. You’re saying it’s not much of a test. Talk to me when you like the test.

Who, exactly, would you prefer after 16 starts? I looked at Montana, Mayfield, Brady. His first year Allen had a bad D1 receiving corp and worse oline. Is the point he’s “not a pro bowl player”? He wins. I want the ball in his hands in the fourth quarter. I’m not anointing him, but he’s ten miles ahead of my expectations. What would you like to see more of after 16 games other than “all around all pro play”? “Better decisions, quicker decisions, more touch, except when it should be more velocity, moving around, except when he shouldn.’t, going through prohressions except when he should be getting rid of the ball, bombs, but no hero ball.” Well, I’d like that, too. From every Bill ever. You coined the phrase “Sam will be fine” and he showed less than Josh with a higher draft expectation. What’s the standard, here? He’s a QB. The standard is wins. Sometimes you run, sometimes you pass, sometimes you’re deep, sometimes you dink and dunk, sometimes you throw it away. He wins. You play differently, at QB, with a team with a great defense than you do with a team with a lousy defense. I don’t want to see him do anything more than I want to see him win. There’s no other position like it in sports. I’d not be throwing bombs with that defense, either. I like him best from his draft class through today. Darnold’s close. Through today.

I’ve been composing in my mind for a week and have let the perfect be the enemy of the good. It’s time to post! I went to my first same sex wedding last weekend in Minneapolis. My niece got married. What a trip! 1). I left Tampa’s 82 degrees to land in Minnesota’s 38. Oh, that crisp, stinging, air. I’ve been immersed in the heavy, dull, air of the Gulf Coast for 22 years. I like the weather here, but immediately felt “home”. Absence makes the heart, and all that .. 2). What a loving, raucous, joyful ceremony. Two beautiful gowns. I didn’t know if I’d see gowns, tuxes, two of each, one of each ... neither!? 3) The reception was in a 126 year old restored boiler works on the Mississippi River, so charming and stately. As I sat through the ceremony, I looked at the exposed brick walls and thought of the masons who laid the brick. If only they could see this ceremony, this world, today! There are precious things that are abandoned in the name of progress. I can abide progress, I can revel in progress, but I can’t do either without acknowledging the importance and beauty of some things swept aside. The masons would not have approved of the event. I understand and feel them. 4). The crowd included many same sex couples. The gender/style was different everywhere I looked. My favorite was a young lady with short parted hair and a perfectly tailored suit with her wife in a vintage, Audrey Hepburn evoking, billowy dress. Breakfast at Tiffany’s met Madmen. 5). The wedding took place on a Bills Bye Week. That was no accident. My niece is the most die hard Bills fan I know. The reception included spontaneous chants of “Let’s go Buff A Lo” and a dance floor cramming “Shout”. Our new Minnesota-native family members popped their eyes and looked around with every new cheer or song. 6). I have a new job that regularly takes me to New Orleans. I’ve watched the Mississippi slither languidly into the Gulf of Mexico for the last two months. It doesn’t slither languidly at its head. The Minneapolis Missippi is a roiling riot of a river, with swirls and white caps. No one in Louisiana nicknamed it “Mighty”. Some Swedish settler in Minnesota did. 7). My daughter is a Type I diabetic. She traveled with her new fiancé and they had their own room. The combination of dancing, wine, and travel lead to seizures at 2:30 am after the reception. Her fiancé was with her. It was bad. He had no experience. In a matter of minutes, he had EMTs enroute and my wife and I running for elevators. He called 911 at 2:31. The EMTs were in the room at 2:38. Terrifying. All is well. Children go off on their own after high school. I’m glad she’s sharing a bed with someone she loves. I thought this when she got engaged, just a few weeks ago. So soon, so grateful. He’s a Patriot fan. I have no problem with this. 8). To first responders! 9). My daughter was diagnosed almost 19 years ago. She’s lived alone, in dorms or apartments, for six. She traveled through Europe, alone except for 10 days in Paris where I joined her. In two decades, and on two continents, she’s had three critical events. Once, I was in a car with her. Once, I was in a hostel with her. Once, I was in a Minneapolis hotel with her. Believe what you want ... I know what I believe. 10). “Sometimes, there is so much beauty in the world, I feel like my heart cant take it”.

You are one of them .... joie de vivre!