Ghost of Dwight Drane

So is Coors

They have to give him a fair shake or else the room would implode. They will figure it out.

He was a really good Brian Campbell who played that way from 18 years old. The way he played at 18...19...20.....people thought he might be "it". He was always really in the second grouping of really good defensemen. That is why I use him for a Myers, "potential", example. Myers is a different skillset, and will never be the offensive defeneman Housley was, but he can develop his defensive and physical game. It is all about a guy coming in and doing very well, and projecting him for greatness. Many times the guy ends up just doing and progressing very well. Myers actually looked better all-around his rookie year than he has the past 2 and that is cause for concern, especially given his unique size and build. Pronger was more solid, Chara is a gorilla. Myers can be a sturdy giraffe. They are different guys and you can't look to them as the standard for his progression.....sort of like Mario Williams is a different animal than Bruce Smith. It was fun listening to Polian disect the different types of builds and attributes. You have to know what you have and what their limits are.

I am not saying Housley and Myers play the same type of game....I am saying Housley came in right away and lit the game on fire, and only had one or two years in his career that were much better than his rookie year. Just because you are very good at 18 doesn't mean you will be amazing at 25. That was all.

Make sure he knows that a bye is counted as a win! Let's see what the Bills do still. In reality they only need an OLB/DE type and another quality CB on defense. I am assuming Scott will be back at S. You still need a LT and a WR. Buddy is saying they are out of the WR business.....and I guess they can get by if they strengthen the OL and view Jones and Brad Smith as a speed platoon. Spiller and Freddy might be on the field together a lot more, and that is one way to make up for it. This year I figured the Sabres had enough talent to get a #6-7 spot and get bounced in the first round. Just the fact that we have seen the philosophy of ownership unfold, and the lack of internal pressure to change direction, the Sabres are in short term worse shape than even I imagined. I said last year the Bills had probably a 30% to win more playoff games the next 3 years than Sabres win series, and people laughed and wanted to send me to the looney bin. Didn't matter the sound reasoning. Now I'd lean Bills 60/40 over the next 3 years. Next year is probably a push.......but the Sabres will still be treading water with Status Quo in charge and the best they can realistically do is #5 seed next year. It will be 2013 where I am confident the Bills are a top 1/3 team. Until a philosophy change is put into effect by Mr. Pegula, I will have to assume the Sabres are the Sabres on the ice.

I remember getting autographs from Housley and Barrasso at AM&A's when I was 7. My mom said she wanted to pinch Housley's cheeks.

Am I being too nice by saying flatline? I'm going to be honest.....the odds of Myers winning a Norris are probably as good as his odds of a sheared aorta.

The only reason Chan leaves the next 3 years is because of health....and I pray that never happens. Nice to see you say it with a straight face. I only wish I could have hooked Webster or someone else into a Bills vs Sabres bet last year.

Actually....Housley is probably a better comparison for Myers. A D-man who came in right away....wowed everyone with his promise.....and sort of flatlined to a very nice career overall.

Wanny is a good guy. He really stayed in the background last year and tried not showing up Edwards. He was focused on his LBs for the most part and showed no sign of ego. Now he can tinker. He is a good tactician and pretty passionate about his guys and strategy, all while being even keeled. He's more of a Wade Phillips, good guy.....probably better at sticking to his passion than taking a head coach gig.

Over the past 3 days, the Bills odds to win the SuperBowl have taken a 20% shaving across the board. Being looked at as an outside wildcard team, just off the heels of Seattle, Tenn, Oakland. Still work to do, but it's hard to find 1 guy and have something like that happen.

GoldBond

:P

Nothing left to derail. I'm on record with my opinions on both franchises. I guess I'm a little like Ralph.....I don't go all-in on something unless I trust and believe in those I am surrounded by. I look at both franchises and see 2 for 2 in one group, and 0-2 in the other. People can laugh or get mad at me in either case....but I don't care. I tell it like I see it, and am not afraid of speaking the truth. Great day for Buffalo!

There is a difference between trying and failing.....and failing to try. Bills: Butler/Phillips.....resigned their guys and were Homerun throwback away from a possible run. Brought in Flutie amidst laughs Donahoe/Modrak/Williams/Mularkey.........Traded for Bledsoe, signed Milloy Levy/Brandon/Jauron.....spent on Triplett/Dockery/Walker/etc......TO Those 10 years of f-ups, and the damage done by horrible talent evaluators and coaches........so Ralph let Buddy gut the team, start from scratch, build a few years, then go for it again when on the verge. Sabres: Regier/Ruff There is a HUGE difference. Ralph tried and failed, and was ashamed he trusted a snake oil salesman like Donahoe who brought in poor choices from Modrak/Guy/Williams/Mularkey. That set this franchise back years. I don't know how many times I have tried to explain it the past 2 years. Good people time their shots. You go big. It either works or it doesn't. Ralph has gone big 4 or 5 times in the past. One more for the road!

Haha... Kevin Snow tweets "See, I do care about you Mario"........they are putting him on Kiss Cam and letting him fire the t-shirt gun.

My point is more along the lines of, if you need to see Washington losing 3-0 to play harder at this point of the season, you probably have the wrong guys playing for you. You can't control what happens out there. Worry about killing the guy across the ice from you. He's probably upset he has to run bottled water to Schopp+Bulldog at the arena, and they aren't fawning 24/7 over the chase for 8th place.

I'm glad you confirmed. I don't worry about the scoreboard either. You control your own destiny. Let the chips fall where they may. Just clueless of him to put that up there, although when Wilson got fired 2 weeks ago, he was also bragging that it was the 171st coach to get fired since Lindy Ruff was hired......maybe not the most "in-tune" guy out there.

It's classy of Kevin Snow, the Sabres PR guy, to tweet he doesn't care about Mario Williams. I'm sure Scott Burchold was tweeting, "I don't give a crap about Terry Pegula", last February.

4-3 now. Mario is fine. Kyle Williams had bone issues rubbing on the tendon. That is much better than a breach in the tendon itself. He's a big boy, so that will be a concern, but there is a 70-80% chance he comes back full strength. Dareus had his own arm issue last year that limited his strength. It will be fun seeing him full speed. Kelsay is fine. Merriman, the tendon is bad. There is a 15-20% chance he comes back full speed and a 40-50% chance he can be an effective player. The Bills are not counting on him but have hope. Here is your front 7..... Merriman-Williams-Dareus-Williams-Kelsay-Moates-Barnett Spence Johnson, Dwan Edward, Carrington, Heard.....not a bad breather group to bring in. Morrison-Shepphard-Batten....ok depth at LB. They probably draft a LB/DE tweener in 2nd round. Secondary......they have 4 capable corners but no bankable guy. I think they will bring in a $3-4 million guy in here over the next few weeks after some cuts elsewhere in the league. If you have a passrush, this is a very crafty and capable secondary. If they draft a tackle at #10, and get another servicable WR, at worst I think you are talking an average defense and an average offense with upside on both sides of the ball.

"We can worry about the economy and the war tomorrow, today let's just worry about Mario Williams." - Luke Russert on GR

Just thank the baby Jesus it's been 60's and sunny. It sure as heck puts you in a positive frame of mind to make a decision over 40 and drizzle.

Who's up for some wings at the Big Tree tonight?

OK Letang vs Myers

Right, because he is not tall enough to get his shoulder into the crook of Gomez's neck as he drives his head down into the boards. He'd do it the smaller man's way and stick him in the nads.