Maybe Goodell has a point afterall...

By Chris

To whoever said cheerleaders AREN'T distracting, please explain this:


Once again, Happy Halloween from the Roost.

Holy Crap

by Ryan

I was really hoping I wouldn't have to use the "balls" tag for a while, but then I saw these and knew it would be necessary to break it out.

Holy crap. Have you listened to those ringtones? Talk about cookie cutter, huh? I wonder if anyone else has something different? Guess not.

I just can't get over the fact that someone is going to pay two bucks for that. I understand this whole marketing scheme, but to actually pay for a twenty second clip of the guy from NFL 2K5 doing play by play is just crazy. He was completely emotionless with the go-ahead goal, too. Almost like it didn't even happen.

The least they could have done is get the chant right. "Let's Go Buffalo," guys. I mean, every team in the league has to pick from two or three basic chants. We picked that one. Get it right, Cingular.

What I want to know is what happened to those "May Day" and other Rick Jeanneret ringtones. You know, the ones that actually made sense?

Flavor of the Month: November

by Ryan


Baskin-Robbins and the Buffalo Sabres declare the Flavor of the Month. to be "Love Potion #5."

Hey, it was "Chocolate Finland" until we stared into his longing eyes. If those don't scream passion I don't know what does.

Um... hopefully this goes a bit smoother than last month.

Happy Halloween

We may only be .500, but we still have the Right Hand at right wing.

Also, for those of you who would like to celebrate with a movie, check out
Night of the Living Dead. Thanks to the wonders of the Public Domain, it's completely free.

Gee, Thanks Time Warner!

By Chris

Don't adjust your television sets, Buffalo. We're going to be getting a lot more hockey.

How much more? Try 24 hours worth. That's because Time Warner is adding the NHL Network to its digital line up.

Channel 171 should be up and running in a few hours. It'll be a fine parallel to when I was waiting for the NFL Network to sign off.

Oh yeah, we're getting Versus in HD, too. Hockey for everyone!

From WGRZ-TV:

"Time Warner is adding two new channels to its lineup which are sure to please hockey fans.

On October 31st, customers will be able to watch the NHL Network on Channel 171 and Versus HD on Channel 771.

The NHL Network launched in the U.S. on October 1st. Fans can watch live NHL games, (subject to local blackout restrictions) highights and other league programming on the network. They'll also be able to enjoy sporting events, including NHL Hockey, in high definition on Versus HD."

Hockey Halloween!

Surprisingly, Andrew Peters is Smarter Than You

by Ryan

So I've been dying for some hockey news since Saturday night, and since Lindy has been mum on captancy and signing a new defenseman, all I've gotten was this. Okay, that's interesting, I enjoy the word "constitution."

So as I skim and a few Ted Saskin jokes come to mind, I stop dead at this:

Lindros, Craig Adams (Carolina Hurricanes), Andrew Peters (Buffalo Sabres) and Matt Stajan (Toronto Maple Leafs) were appointed to the review process in June and have since headed the process with lawyer Paul Cavalluzzo and NHLPA staff.

Wait, Petey? Really? I mean... I know he's our union rep, but he's leading the way in reshaping the NHLPA constitution?

I understand the selection, but it's kind of hard to get used to the idea of Petey at a table in a suit reading through line after line of paperwork next to Eric Lindros. In fact, that image may haunt me forever. No wonder Eric hasn't signed with anybody yet, he has his hands full with sounding out the big words for Andrew.

Actually, maybe Petey helping overhaul the Players Association is a good idea after all. Andrew will serve the best interests of the lower level players in the league, the guys with entry level salary and who will depend on the PA later on in their careers. Who knows? Maybe the Union will come out in much better shape and Petey will forever leave his mark on the league, something that will be almost impossible for him to do on the ice.

Unless, you know, you count Andro use.

Top 10 Worst Sports Halloween Costumes

By Chris

So you're a sports fan. And chances are you're going to a Halloween party but haven't put much thought into what you're going to dress as. You're best bet is to go as someone in the wide world of sports because that's what you're into. But what's original? I know I'm still struggling to find a good costume that doesn't involve an old Matt Barnaby jersey.

And while drunk Joe Namath seems too easy, here are other costume ideas that will make you look like an even bigger loser than you already are.

10. O.J. Simpson:
Sooooo 10 years ago. But if you insist, at least make sure you autograph the footballs you're "taking back."










9. Jon Kitna: If you're going to go out praising our Lord and Savior on All Hallows Eve, then make sure you're going with a Bible-touting hot chick who doesn't look anything like Kurt Warner's wife.



8. Jonathan Papelbon:


New Rule- No man should be allowed to perform an Irish jig in 40 degree weather while wearing nothing but compression shorts and UnderArmor. That is unless he can throw a 97 mile-an-hour fastball.


7. Bill Belichick:
It would be easy to throw on a Pats hoodie, carry around a freaking huge video camera and call yourself a cheater. The problem is that New England is so damn good and just doesn't care anymore. Bill would eat you alive if he saw you were poking fun at him. This is for your own safety. You'd probably be better off wearing a bra and calling yourself the Mangenious. Except Mangenious might actually want to eat you.


6. Pokey Chatman:
You might as well go as a former college basketball coach who also happens to be a lesbian if you're going to dress up for Halloween at all, right, guys? I mean, you can still flirt with all the slutty girls, right? Maybe this isn't such a bad costume idea after all. Hmmm....


5. Don Imus:
The Crypt Keeper might actually be a better choice if you're going for the creepy, bony, decaying old guy look. It's essentially the same costume and at least as the Crypt Keeper, you won't be accused of being a racist.







4. Ron Mexico:

I was actually going to do this one. Then I remembered that I can't buy a Vick anymore because Reebok stopped making them. And I don't have any dogs to fight. Or herpes.





3. LeBron James:
Especially if you're a white guy, the Yankees hat-LeBron Jersey will only make you look like a poser. And no one likes posers. Or blackface. Or redface.









2. Kevin Everett: Just not cool. And you'll probably go to hell.




1. Chris Benoit:
When someone first told me that their friend dressed up as the Pegasus Kid, I could only shake my head. It's even worse than dressing up as Eddie Guerrero. I mean paint yourself pale, tie a noose around your neck AND wear tights? That's just taking it a little too far. No one wants to see your junk exposed, especially when you're portraying a 'roided up family killer. And you'll probably go to hell for it, too. Just saying.

Limp Wristed

By Chris

The injury bug strikes again. J.P. Losman will be the Bills starting quarterback this week against the Cincinattica Bungals because, according to head coach Dick Jauron, "Trent Edwards’ wrist will prevent him from participating until late in the week, if at all.”

So it's not like last week, when Jauron came right out and said, "Trent Edwards is our starting quarterback." We've actually regressed to two weeks ago, before Willis Bowl, when Edwards was only starting because Losman's knee still wasn't right and he didn't have enough reps in.

So who knows what next Tuesday has in store. If Losman plays well enough, does he have the job back? Or would that interrupt the already interrupted consistency in the Bills offense?

The Bengals have a notoriously bad secondary so the long ball should come in handy. The lovefest between J.P. and Lee Evans should help too. It feels like we're playing with two totally different starting pitchers. Edwards is controlled and is going to hit the corners, Maddox-esque. Losman is a flamethrower, hitting triple digits on the radar gun.

Play calling hasn't found a way to merge those two styles to accommodate one guy, and that's why we're in the position we are now, injuries aside. The coaching staff doesn't trust Edwards with the long ball and they don't trust Losman to dink and dunk his way down the field.

Until they find a way to balance the play calling and until they allow both players a fair chance at leading the team in all facets of the passing game, there's a very good chance we're going to be having this debate every Tuesday for the foreseeable future. Until then, tune in next week for another edition of "Quarterback Swap."

Maybe Those Hooligans Are On To Something...

by Ryan


So I watched the Dolphins-Giants game this weekend because, well, I'm a glutton for punishment. Not only was it one of the worst games on the schedule, but I had to listen to Tony Siragusa try to be funny and British. Not good times.

One of the things I did notice is what the Wembley crowd reacted to the game a lot differently then most NFL fans do. Since there wasn't much scoring, the loudest cheers came when there was any semblance of a scuffle after a whistle. Anytime a block continued after the play ended, any kind of hands to the face, any scramble for a ball, real or otherwise got a huge roar from the crowd. With the frustrating performance of the Dolphins this year, they got plenty of it.

It was very apparent that they love the violence of the game, and anyone who has seen rugby can understand why the English are attracted to America's game.

The other thing that actually surprised me was that they booed at the game's close when the Giants knelt down. They had the win in hand, and did what any smart team does when the opponent is out of timeouts. Any Giants fan applauds the move and is thankful they escaped with a win against the disgustingly bad Dolphins.

Not Giants fans at Wembely. They booed. Well, everyone booed. They wanted the Giants to go for the kill, and it kind of surprised me.

Now, I understand they want to get their money's worth, but you really can't expect Eli to let it rip with a three point lead late. It could be that the crowd didn't understand the logic of taking a knee, or maybe they've never opened the "Clock" package in Madden. Still, it was an interesting gesture from a bipartisan crowd, and something that made me wonder.

So here's the question: Would they cheer on the Patriots?

I think so. There are so many people here that will take offense to what the Patiots are doing. At this point, it's obvious they are running up the score and could care less what people think. But after watching the English crowd react to Eli killing clock, maybe that's what teams should be doing.

Here's my take on it. When teams take their foot off the gas and change out players, in most cases it is because there is enough of a lead that a team can protect it's players from injury. Yeah, the play calling can get more relaxed, but even the toughest of running backs can get injured on a dive play.

So the Pats don't take the foot off the pedal. Obviously they have things other than injuries on their mind. (most likely embarrassment) The answer is to make them pay for it.

I'm not talking about destroying someones career, but a cheap shot here and there isn't going to be too big of a deal. Hey, even the Pats don't mind rolling up on some legs, so why not return the favor? If Dreamboat Brady is going to fake spiking at the end of the half, why not pop him once or twice for it? What's a 15 yard penalty assessed on the kickoff?

Why are you just letting them run you over? Do something about it. Cause a scuffle. Take offense to it and fight back. Don't break into the gun closet, but the least you can do is take a few blocks below the knee. Heck, just lay out their punter to send a message, they don't need him for much anyways.

I'm not condoning it, I'm just trying to throw some examples out there. Because complaining about it isn't going to do it anymore. If you want to take the ESPN route and give them the trophy now, then fine. I hope you enjoy a world where the Super Bowl is won in October.

Maybe it's morbid, but cracking some skulls may be the only thing that will save this mediocre season from a predictable ending. After the "Game of the Year" this weekend it's all downhill from here.

Return Trip To Mecca

by Ryan


I am and always will be a Buffalo Sports Fan.

It's an interesting feeling, then, to watch your team from Boston win a World Series. It gets a bit more complicated when they win twice in four years.

When I watch the Sox suddenly my rooting interests go from the perpetual underdog with minimal payroll to a team expected to win based on a monster salary. It's about as big a leap as you can take in the sporting world, and one that has taken a bit of time to adjust to.

I'm certainly not complaining, but it is something worth noting. I would be crazy not to recognize that this Red Sox team is the result of some Yankee-like free agent signings. We have the second biggest payroll in the league, and guys like J.D. Drew are still finding places for those truckloads of cash to be stored on Theo's behalf.

Still, this Red Sox squad is one of the most likable teams I've ever seen, and free agency has nothing to do with it. I am being completely honest when I say that this year has been the most fun I've ever had watching the Red Sox. Sure, in '04 it was amazing and terrifying and wonderful, but to paraphrase Peter King, I'm pretty sure we led the league in smiles this year. (I will never say that again, I promise)

Every home run celebration, with Ortiz and Manny creating intricate handshakes the team is obligated to follow. Screaming "Youuuuuuuk" when the Greek God of Walks raises his OBP once again. Dustin Pedroia taking all kinds of abuse in the clubhouse because his swing looks like a lawn gnome trying to break someones kneecaps. Our terrifying closer doing the YMCA while warming up. Almost everything this team does is completely obstinate and ridiculous, but oh my God does it work.

I guess people can say that we bought a World Series again, and that the Red Sox are no better than the Yankees. You can make a strong argument with signing guys like Drew, Daisake, and Schilling that point to just that. However, you cannot ignore the homegrown talent this team has produced, as well as the some shrewed roster moves Theo has made.

World Series MVP Mike Lowell was a contract the Marlins demanded come with Josh Beckett. Now Sox fans are pleading to resign him at any cost. Okajima makes less money a year than Mike Comrie, and despite two home runs given up in the last two games he was a major part of our bullpen.

Then you have to look at the homegrown talent. Jacoby Ellsbury is the fastest Native American I've ever seen, and Sox fans have been raving about him since he scored from second on a passed ball over the summer. Toss in Kevin Youklius, who's been in our system forever and has some high quality facial hair. Ignore Dustin Pedroia's receding hairline and remember that he's just a rookie too, one that started off the sweep with a leadoff homer.

Don't even get me started on Jonathan Papelbon. This guy is the most absurd pitcher I've ever seen. Rich says it right, I've never seen a pitcher who would be a serial killer if not for his arm. This guy claims that the "voices" in his head told him to dance, and that flash of intensity he shows on the mound is just plain unsettling. Still, I've never felt safer late in a game than with Paps, and my next jersey purchase may have his name all over it.

This Red Sox team was a good collaboration of fun ball players that knew how to get the job done. For every rookie there was a Schilling or Wakefield or Timlin. For every Matsuzaka and Okajima a Papelbon or Lester. I mean, it's hard to believe the pitching performances turned in when you consider Wakefield was left off the World Series roster and a guy with a no hitter, Clay Buchholz, never saw the postseason.

I know I'm rambling here, but it's hard to come down from this feeling so soon. Finally winning in 2004 was the best sports moment of my life, but a championship with this team may be at the top. This is the kind of team that turns ordinary baseball fans into lifelong Sox fans, and makes people on the edge of fandom immerse themselves in the ride.

"You picked a fun team" is what my girlfriend said to me when the Sox hit back to back home runs in Game Two of the ALCS. Even though we went on to lose that game, she's right. I picked a team that seemed to fit my rooting interests (read: complete failure) and have never looked back. It's been a hell of a ride, and one that I will never regret.

One final note: Every year I've gone to see the Sox in person they have won a World Series. If you think I'm going to put off another trip to Fenway, you are out of your freaking mind.

You say, "Goodbye" and I say "Hello"

By Chris

Eh, why not one more photo blog?

Say hello to the newest manager of the New York Yankees, Mr. Joe Girardi.



From one Joe to another...

The Yankees faction of the Roost approves this decision. Now does anyone know where we can find some starting pitching?

"Stay Tuned. I've Got Something For Ya, Kid"

by Ryan


My first child's name will be Jacoby.

I promise this is the last picture post, but I've been a nervous wreck all day. I just think it really tells you something about this team when they don't even have a bobblehead ready for the guy that saved me from having a heart attack.

I'll be back tomorrow after things calm down a bit.

Oh Crap, We Won!

JP demands a share of our fruit snacks. Still no controversy though, right?

Founding Father Dead at Four

by Ryan

George Washington is dead. Again. This time it's not bloodletting, but a broken leg that took him out.



The only reason I mention it is because it took me three solid passes on the Bottomline before I knew what was going on. I swear, horse racing headlines will be the death of me.

Odd Man Out

by Rich

There are a lot of things that could impact Game 3 of the World Series tonight.

Josh Fogg has been a horse so far in the playoffs, and also seemed to make every big start during the Rockies' improbable run to close out the regular season. If ever there was a "stopper" Colorado could turn to down 0-2 with a realistic hope of putting them back in this series, it's Fogg.

On the other side, there's the $100-million-dollar-question-mark that is Dice-K. He may throw 8 shutout innings, or he may get pounded for 7 in 2.1 innings. Neither would surprise me all that much.

Additionally, the outfield dimensions in Coors Field are, like, a square mile bigger than Fenway. Ellsbury has a lot of range in center, but J.D. Drew is sort of an unknown in right field. And let's face it, Manny will probably think that he's in the parking lot.

But has any of this been mentioned? Not really. Apparently the only thing that could have any impact on this game is Terry Francona's decision to sit Kevin Youkilis. It seems a little silly to me how much is being made of this decision. Here are the lifetime stats against Josh Fogg for the three guys concerned:

David Ortiz: 3/6, 0 XBH
Mike Lowell: 6/16, 1 double, 1 HR
Kevin Youkilis: 2/3, 1 double

As you can see, there's not a whole lot of history there. Lowell's hitting .375 off of Fogg, mainly from his days in Dade County with the Marlins. Youk and Papi have had decent success against him also, but also have fewer than 10 AB's combined against him. Sample sizes that small tell you very little.

The bottom line is that Terry Francona is doing what he sees as best for the club, and it's sort of hard to argue with him. And really, what are his alternatives? He could:

A) Play Ortiz and Lowell, and sit Youkilis

This makes sense, and it's what he's decided to do, at least for Game 3. Give Ortiz at least three at-bats, bring Youkilis in as a defensive replacement/pinch hitter, and see what happens. If Papi's knee can't hold up to playing six or seven innings in the field, then obviously he would come off the bench in Game 4.

B) Sit Ortiz, play Lowell and Youkilis.

This is the best option defensively, and it probably wouldn't hurt Boston too much from an offensive standpoint either. Youkilis is the only full-time first baseman in the game not to commit an error this season, and Lowell is only the best-fielding third baseman ever. The problem with this is that you simply can't bench David Ortiz in the World Series. The guy is the heart and soul of that franchise; if getting his bat in the lineup means 2 games of subpar defense at first? So be it.

C) Sit Lowell, play Youkilis at 3rd and Ortiz at first.

I heard this one suggested a couple of times, and...it's just not that smart. Youkilis is a good defensive first baseman, but he's not nearly as good at the hot corner. This arrangement would not only be benching the guy with the highest career fielding percentage ever at third, but it'd be doing so for a minimal offensive upgrade:

Youkilis: .288/.390/.453 with 16 homers, 83 RBI
Lowell: .324/.378/.501 with 21 homers, 120 RBI

Yeah, benching Lowell for Youk would be a great idea, if you're a Rockies fan.

D) Play all three (Lowell at third, Ortiz at first, Youkilis in right field, bench J.D. Drew)

This is just a bad idea. I know that hating on Drew is the trendiest thing since Ugg boots, but he's hit pretty well lately. Not to mention the fact that playing in a huge outfield with Manny, a rookie in center, and a corner infielder in right is probably not a good approach to take to your outfield defense.


With all that being said, I can't find any reason to second-guess Tito for this decision. Besides, no matter who you have to sit, isn't the bigger "decision" going to be whether or not the Rockies decide to throw the ball over the plate tonight?

Outside the Shipping Lanes

by Ryan


Daniel Paille's new nickname is "Fat Crosby". Trust me, this makes sense. A friend of mine said this at the Sabres/Thrashers game a few weeks ago, and it really didn't hit me until now. For those of you that need photographic evidence, I give you this:

+

=

I know it's a bit rough, but there isn't exactly a plethora of Dan Paille photos floating around the Internet. But please, for me, the next time you see Paille on TV flash an image of Sid the Kid through your mind. Get back to me on the results.

The only reason I mention it is because it takes someone with serious hand-eye coordination issues to miss the puck hanging above Vokoun tonight. Seriously, Dan, that thing hovered there forever, and you Ole!-ed it like nobody's business. Thank God you did, but still... it's pretty hard to miss a duck like that.

It also takes a special individual to beat Mike Van Ryn to the puck, out muscle another Panther, and rip it by Vokoun on the penalty kill. That's not only a great play, but a player showing some of the intensity that was sorely lacking from the past handfull of games.

What kind of player does both in the same period? Fat Crosby does.


Some other lingering thoughts:

- I've never actually seen Paul Hamilton until tonight. Based on his voice I had always thought of him as a skinny short guy. I... was a bit off. Still, I really respect him as a beat reporter. The players seem to trust him, and he isn't afraid to give his opinions, no matter how critical.

- Hamilton made a really good point about Florida's second goal. At first I thought Sekera made a terrible play throwing it up along the boards, then ending up nudging Miller in front. Vanek really was to blame for it because he didn't drop into position along the wall. He waited for it to leave the zone instead and Peltonen picks it up. A few seconds later it's on Peltonen's stick and Vanek is behind Miller. Yikes.

- Vanek didn't have a good game at all. He took a terrible, lazy penalty late in the game that killed a great power play. He lost the puck and hooked instead of skating, which is disgustingly lazy. Even if the puck leaves the zone, we have at least 30 seconds of PP time left. Instead it's 4 on 4 and the Panthers get a chance to push for the tie.

- I hope that C Hecht has on his uniform is Velcro, because I don't see him having it much longer. I think Captain Goose is quite realistic as of now...

- Quote of the night from Harry Neale:
“Last year I went to the beach and the lifeguard told me to stay out of the shipping lanes”

- Overall the effort was much better. The team skated, played with a bit of an edge, and made a minimal amount of mistakes. I thought Weber didn't play too bad, our penalty kill was excellent, and Miller made some key stops late.

Up next is the St. Pete Times Forum and the Lightning. I hear it's pink thundersticks day down there, so that should be fun.

More to come tomorrow.

Isn't it Well Past Labor Day?

by Ryan


The Sabres are in the midst of a five game road trip, but when they come back home they may look a little bit different next month. That's right, we're gonna party like it's 2002-03.

Buffalo will wear their road whites at HSBC Arena for games against Boston (Wednesday, November 7) and Toronto (Friday, November 9), along with Thanksgiving week visits from Ottawa (Wednesday, November 21) and Montreal (Friday, November 23).

Um... why?

“The Buffalo Sabres asked the NHL to wear white jerseys at home for the month of November so that fans could differentiate divisional games from non-divisional opponents,” said Quinn.

Oh. Well that's not insulting at all.

C'mon Larry, we play everyone in the Northeast eight times a year, how can we not have them memorized? I mean, everyone knows we play the North Stars, Whalers, Rockies, and Seals four times a year at home, what's a white jersey going to change?

Seriously, though, I'm a bit confused about the point of all this. I personally prefer the blue unis to the white, and having the away team wear colors doesn't exactly have a purpose in the modern era. I guess it's a novel idea, but one that will end up causing more confusion for the Versus crew than anything else.

If they really wanted to make a difference, wait a year to bring out the throwback third jerseys again and wear them for every divisional home game. That's 16 games worth of use, and everyone will know what the deal is when we take the ice slug-less. It more than justifies bringing back a classic. Oh, and it will sell like crazy. Isn't that what matters, Quinn?

---

In somewhat related jersey news, Great Skate had some Winter Classic apparel up a few days ago, including an old school white jersey said to be modeled after the RBK Edge system. The page implied that it would be worn in the Classic, something that many people were hoping the team would do.

A quick check of that today page now shows the jersey was taken down. Either Great Skate is in a lot of trouble for lying, or they are in a lot of trouble for leaking considerable news without a proper press junket. (RBK said there would be no alternate uniforms this year for any team. This would directly contradict that.)

Also in the realm of my own personal speculation, but doesn't the Penguins logo on the shirts remind you of their baby blue era? That would be pretty cool looking...

Electricity

By Jon

I'm a Yankee fan. This has been said numerous times on this site. Proud of it, too. Die-hard? That may be a bit excessive, but the Yanks have been my team since I was old enough to understand the fundamentals of baseball. Coincidence that they won four World Series titles in my first five years of following baseball? Probably not, but I was young and didn't know any better, and I've firmly kept my place on the bandwagon for far longer than it was cool to be a part of it. Am I as big of a fan of the Yanks as I am the Sabres or the Bills? No. Does that stop me from hating the Red Sox? Of course not.

Despite all of this, I have developed an incredible amount of respect for the Boston sports scene after a completely spontaneous trip East from my temporary residence in Albany last weekend.

Boston already was my favorite major city that I've visited (Yes, that includes NYC). There's something about the cleanliness of the city that sucked me in. Throw in the fact that the city is very friendly to my demographic (the "college crowd," if you will), and I'm hooked. But my only other trip to Boston was in March, and while I did walk around Fenway, it was nothing compared to the spectacle I saw on Saturday afternoon.

Around noon on Saturday, I began my trek to Fenway Park. To my dismay, I turned a 1.3 mile walk into a 5ish mile journey (I ended up by Copley Square and the Prudential Center, at the Eastern part of the map.) My unintended tour of Downtown Boston showed me how the entire area was behind their team. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. Seemingly every person I passed had at least one piece of Sox apparel. I hate to use an incredibly cliched statement, but it seemed as if the town was painted navy and red. Everyone just had a glow on their face. Losing wasn't even on their mind....... everyone KNEW they were going to win. I'm having trouble putting the atmosphere around the city into words, and it's appropriate, because you really can't understand it unless you were there.



When I finally made my way on to Landsdowne St., I was greeted with this...


Tents. Chairs. Tables. Whiffle Ball in the street. People tossing a football. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. I mean, it was 2:45, and gametime wasn't until 8:21. Well, as it turns out, these people were camping out, some for 58 hours, through bad weather for just a chance at a returned ticket to the day. Just a chance. This blew my mind.


You could feel the electricity. It was unlike any other sporting event that I had ever been around in my life.


I continued to circle the stadium. A stage was set up for entertainment later. An outdoor vendor had already set up, some five and a half hours before the game. Shops selling Red Sox souveniers were buzzing, and copies of a gameday paper were flying off of the shelf. The Cask N' Flagon was packed, a line at the door. People were lined up against a barrier, just hoping to catch a glimpse of their beloved Sox as they made their way into the stadium, some waiting for hours on end.


As I began to walk away, I noticed a women handing something out. I got closer, and she handed me a sign. I looked at it, smiled, and walked off with it. I was the new, proud owner of a "Let's Go Red Sox" sign.


Am I changing my allegiances? Of course not. But you better believe that I'm keeping that sign.

Because we all know that someday, with a rivalry this intense, I'll need a reminder of the day I developed respect for Red Sox Nation.



(P.S. Rockies in seven.)

UPDATE: Bill Simmons nailed it with this excerpt from his Oct. 23 column.

But by all accounts, Sunday was a magical day in Boston. Because of the weather (a perfect 80 degrees) and the sports (a Game 7 combined with the Pats' trying for 7-0), multiple readers e-mailed me just to say, "You should see it in Boston right now, everyone's completely locked in." I miss those mornings and afternoons before big Red Sox games, when it's just a flood of Sox hats and T-shirts and you can see the nervous giddiness in every face. We're all in this together. That's the feeling you always get.

God, ESPN Hates Junior Seau

(Click to Enlarge)

Wow, that's putting it a little harsh, huh? Almost sounds as if God is smiting Seau for retiring and being lured back to football by the devilish Patriots.

I'm sure Easterbrook had something to do with this...

Break out the Mustard

by Ryan


The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle is reporting that Mike Weber will be the newest rider in our defensive carousel. Dimitri Kalinin is expected to miss 2-4 weeks with a knee sprain lack of defensive focus, and a call up seemed inevitable. Weber looks to be the guy, and judging from his prospect profile, well... eh. He's a young kid that has potential and has played for a team called the "Spitfires." How can you be anything but giddy about this?

Honestly, a rookie moving into an already weak defensive system is never a good thing, but what can you do? We're hit injury troubles early, no one on this team has taken it upon themselves to back check, let alone step up and be a leader. (I'm looking at you, Jamochen Hecht)

For sanity's sake, let's pray Goose doesn't have any serious ocular damage and we can get this road trip turned around. Otherwise I need to get my Mike Weber sign ready. I'm thinking something like this:



Don't make me do it, Goose.

Fire Up The Hearth

by Ryan

Mike Robitaille just called the Carolina Hurricanes "a piece of hickory." I am downright baffled by this. Either they are really solid baseball bats, or they plan to out-bake us with delicious pecan pies.

Really, for the love of God... where is Brian Blessing? Did they kill him off?

More after the game.



UPDATE: I found him. Thank God he didn't get maimed by one of Roby's analogies.

Also, a disgusting 6-2 final doesn't make me feel much like posting about hockey. Instead, here's a video of Marshawn Lynch in "beast mode." Let the healing begin.

World Series Preview: Game One

by Rich

As you probably already know, there is only...one...October! < /Dane Cook> . Sorry. Apparently I'm legally required to include a reference to those commercials in every post concerning the playoffs, just like every other blogger in the country.

Anyhow, regular readers may remember that I previewed both NL Division Series at the beginning of the playoffs. Then I didn't post the AL one in time, and midterms precluded me from covering the LCS. Probably a good thing, considering I picked the Phillies in 4 and the Cubs in 3...oops.

But fear not, baseball fans: I am here to preview the Fall Classic one game at a time, from first pitch to champaign shower. As always, I will include my suggestion that these predictions be accompanied by salt, as well as lime and tequila. We'll start, well...at the beginning, I suppose, with the Game One starters:

Josh Beckett has been "The Man," "lights out," or simply "wicked awesome" depending on where you live (unless that's Cleveland or Anaheim). Here's the point: In this postseason, Beckett is 3-0 in three starts. He has an ERA of 1.17 over 23 innings. In those 23 innings, he's allowed 13 hits and one walk while striking out 26. The guy is a monster, AND he's 4-1 career against the Rockies. Critics will point out that the one loss came during the Rockies' interleague series with the Sox this year, but the fact of the matter is that this guy is on another level right now. As a note of interest: although JB19 has done very well against the Rockies in his career, Holiday, Helton and Atkins are all hitting over .300 in their careers against him (6/14, 4/12, 6/10 respectively, in case you were wondering about sample size). We'll see if that's just good luck within a small number of at bats or if these guys can really hit the Cy favorite.

Jeff Francis is sorta...The Other Guy. Don't get me wrong, he put together a really nice season this year (17 wins, 165 K's in the regular season) and has won his only start in each round of the postseason, but in this case, he's just a good pitcher going up against a great one who happens to be in the middle of one of the best playoff runs in recent memory. If he has a good outing and so does Beckett, he still loses. Nobody is hoping that Holiday, Helton, and Atkins are able to hit Beckett more than Jeff Francis.

Miscellaneous Things of Interest:

• Youkilis and Pedroia contributed a ton to the Red Sox comeback against the Indians, and if they can continue to get on base, somebody in that lineup will be able to drive them in.
• There's the obvious question of how the longest layoff ever between an LCS and a World Series has affected the Rockies. Nobody knows. They might come out flat and get stomped, or blow Beckett onto the Mass Pike. Hell, they might be on either side of a 20-inning game for all I know. But my gut says that they're like George Mason in the Final Four. They've had a long time to sit around and realize where they are and what's going on, and that's never good for Cinderella.

Bottom Line: Boston has more talent than Colorado. They're the better team, but that doesn't always matter in October (see also: 2006 St. Louis Cardinals). The postseason is a crapshoot, but if you have to roll the dice, I'd be much happier going to war with Josh Beckett than anyone on Colorado's roster.

Sharing is the Bee's Knees

by Ryan


Trent Edwards is the starter, blah blah blah. To me it's something that really isn't worth posting, because this has to be the worst QB Controversy of my lifetime. Neither Edwards nor Losman has done anything for me to say I want him as my starter, and Jauron and company are doing everything they can to flounder through this like the indecisive group of mediocrity they are.

What? They announced Edwards a day earlier than last week? Well whooptie freaking doo! That's much better than waiting a week and a half after a bye week to announce him the first time. Listen boys, if you are going to throw JP under the bus, just go ahead and do it already. Quick and easy is best for everyone, just ask Kenny Lofton.

All I'm saying is that if Trent knocked your socks off enough to start him in the first place, stick to him and say he's your guy for the year. Don't carousel on me. What could have possibly changed from Sunday at 4pm to Tuesday morning when Marv sent me that text message? Did you think JP would promise to cut his emo bangs or something?

I guess my problem with the whole thing is that I like JP and Trent. It's kind of the "like you but don't like you like you" thing we all have when girls are still kinda icky. Sure, JP looks good at times and he's your current fling, but when his parents move him to PM preschool and suddenly Trent is around, you don't mind that either.

Then you start to notice all those check downs Trent goes to, and the uncanny pocket presence he has. Let's face it, sometimes he makes you giggle. But when you giggle you remember all those times JP did the same thing as your relationship was developing. Some old guy named Vincent broke his leg once. Good times! Plus he likes your best friend Lee, and they play well together. Remember that time he threw to him twice deep and won that Houston game?

Hrm...after thinking about JP you start to notice the downside of thinking Trent is the bee's knees. He makes a bad throw here and there, and sometimes he checks down a bit too much. Plus, he hasn't exactly said he "likes you likes you" back, and sometimes he throws to the other team. Do you really want to go through the same motions you had to with JP just to get him as your quarterback? To put it plainly, Trent hasn't blown your doors off, and suddenly JP is back in the morning Pre-K class.

So what happens now? Who do we give our extra fruit snacks to? Who's our partner at activity time? After all, you can't play checkers with three people. Um... little help, teach?

"Um... er... play with Trent. For this week. I'll let you know about next week later..."

Thanks, Coach.

Brownout

by Ryan


Cleo Lemon is the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins.

If that statement isn't funny enough, things got downright hysterical today.

Now I know the fantasy owners who have Brown are quite upset, but any Bills fan that hates the idea of an 0-7 Dolphins team is just insane. Every year the mantra around here is that if you aren't a playoff team, at least finish better than Miami. So far so good.

The great thing about the Dolphins being absolute garbage this year is that they have to suck on the International stage. Next week the Fins take on the Giants at the new Wembly Stadium. The way the G-Men are playing I doubt the Cam Cameron Sucktown Express have any chance next week.

Hopefully the score is something absurdly lopsided and London will forever remember the Dolphins as the suckiest team in England since Derby.

My hope is that they go the distance and fail to win a game at all this year. That way we all could celebrate just like the '72 Dolphins. Yes, after each team finally gets that first win, we can all crack champagne bottles open and remember just how bad that '07 team was. Could anything really top that?

You know, other than Dan Marino in those NutriSystem commercials...

Obligitory "Holy Crap What a Goal" Post

Wow. If you had any doubts about that December 15th game being a silver, you have your answer.

A win is a win is a win

By Chris

The playcalling still wasn't great, but the offense was able to generate 19 points. The defensive scheme was well executed, even at the end when it looked like we were all bound for another last-second heartbreak. As ugly as it was, the Buffalo Bills got the job done. And at this point, that's all you can ask for.

Trent Edwards wasn't flashy at all. He only completed 52% of his passes, but that was all he needed. He ran an effective no-huddle offense, almost reminiscent of the K-Gun and was able to get the win, despite another late interception. Then again, a rookie quarterback only threw one interception against the Baltimore defense. That's cause for some celebration. If Edwards isn't out there next week, then Jauron should be fired. The guy moves the chains and allows the defense to rest. He gives the Bills the best chance to win.

Marshawn Lynch was able to churn out a very respectable 83 yards against a stout Baltimore defense and that was enough. This guy is a freaking horse. That's the only way to effectively describe him. He will fight for every single yard he gets--and behind the Bills line, maybe that's what's required.

The defense continues to play well above the level they're expected to. After all, those are 2nd and 3rd stringers out there late in the game. For them to be able to pull out a win like this is a huge confidence boost.

Sure they almost coughed up another close game, but they didn't. Maybe they're learning how to win. Right now, that's enough for me.



Willis who?

CBS Hates the Lions

Happy Birthday, Willis McGahee!

by Ryan

Thanks for all you've done for us! The big two-six, huh? Man, you've almost scored as many touchdowns as your age!

Those six touchdowns last year really meant something to us, buddy. So we all chipped in and got you something to celebrate with after the game.



So gather up the gaggle of children, load them up into the McGahee family minivan, and get ready to "Eat Good in the Neighborhood!" There's a shiny new $24 on that card, one for every magical touchdown you gave us. I'm sure around these parts that can get you pretty far!

Oh don't worry, Willis, it shouldn't bee to hard to find find a store in the city. I mean, what else is there?

Hey, we were gonna get you the new Madden, but I figured you were sick of it after all those boring nights in the city. I hope you can keep your focus today, we wouldn't want you getting hurt or anything.

So yeah, Happy Birthday.



Assclown.

"Live Blog" Sabres vs. Blue Jackets

by Ryan

Hey folks. It’s 3 AM and I’m coming to you live from HSBC Arena. Okay, that’s a lie. It’s 3 am, I’ve been in a cone of silence since 6:59 PM Friday, and I’m watching a tape of the game right now. Since everyone else is asleep, I thought I’d “live blog” the game and talk things out this way. Otherwise I would start asking inanimate objects how they feel about our forecheck, and I doubt that would end well.

[PLAY]

I listen to “Chevy Game Night” long enough to be told some things I already knew. Sabres comeback, Miller’s playing, Sekera’s in. Blah blah blah. What I didn’t know is that he’s paired up with Paetsch tonight. The Nam flashbacks to the Hurricanes series took a bit to subdue, but I’m okay with it.

They introduced the Jacket’s goaltender as Pascal Leclaire, who happens to be on my fantasy team. Last game he got absolutely lit up by Colorado. The two previous games were shutouts. I’m not sure how I feel about him.

I can’t wait to see the tens of Blue Jackets fans that invaded HSBC Arena tonight. Man do we have it coming.

Puck drop, quick save for Miller.

Hockey Fights Cancer is getting some equipment/ties from tonight’s game. I swear to God, if Timmy Connolly signs a pink bra tonight, I’m sliding a modest bid its way. Okay, $200 tops.

Max does that speed thing he does, and a very early power play for Buffalo. C’mon Goose, coax another D to tip one in for you.

David Vyborny, also on my fantasy team, is killing this penalty. It’s not a conflict of interest, I just honestly didn’t know he killed penalties. As you can see, I am fully satisfied with his shorthanded performance.

LeClaire looks good early, making a few saves off tips. Vanek draws a penalty in front, and a brief 5-3 yields nothing.

Excellent passing on the power play, and a great job of keeping the puck in the zone. It really is uncanny how poised they look. No dice on a goal, though. 0-2 early.

Mike Peca! Remember when everyone wanted him here? Then his groin died. Good times...

RAV and the Rochester Blue Line get trapped in our end, and things get a bit kooky for a while. Jaro’s just out for the weekend, right? Right?

I forgot Ken Hitchcock coached the Jackets. Do you think if we win 9-1 tonight he will get fired, or do we have to destroy him in the playoffs, too?

Quote from our new color man: “Being a coach is sometimes like being a jackass in a hailstorm, there’s nothing you can do but stand there and take it.” Man that was fun. I’m just happy that got past the censors...

I’m really digging the Blue Jackets’ new unis. I mention this because not much has happened. Nash was on the ice, but he never touched the puck. Captain YoYo has a scoring opportunity, but he needs at least a half dozen to convert one.

Is it just me, or does our 4th line always make really, really nice looking plays that they can never finish? I just saw Ryan and Mair go coast to coast together, then precede to lose the puck in the slot. I swear this will happen once a shift for them.

Coming back from a commercial break they show the 9-1 massacre, followed a few reaction shots from Hitch. Not sure if they were stock or not, he always looks constipated.

Icing, and Rob Ray bumbling over Harry Neale. Nothing to be sorry about, Harry. Give it about five more games and he will realize Ray doesn’t have much to say after all.

Stafford hits the goal post, and the crowd goes “GOOOOSE” when Gaustad works the puck in the corner. It’s nice to hear those things when I’m not there.

Instead of a pretty play, our 4th line takes a penalty this shift. Leclaire heads to the bench and Columbus literally flips the puck around in their zone for 30 seconds. Mair to the box.

We were biting this morning, we were biting... this morning...

Vyborny on the Power Play. Hey, at least he’s out there for them...

Good kill by the Sabres.

Another penalty. Paetsch interferes with the will of God or something. The call is a bit weak, a battle for possession along the boards at center.

Peca feels for young Nathan, and holds Lydman’s stick. The crowd is thrilled. Probably because they recognize a name other than “Nash” or “Fedorov” on the other team.

4 on 4 gives the Sabres a chance to practice taking shots that juuuust miss the net, with Timmy and Kalinin getting high marks.

End of One. Time to fast forward.

Period Two

Both penalties end by the 21st minute, (some soccer jargon for you) and a whole bunch of nothing follows.

Tallinder joins the “gunned wide of the net” club on a rush set up by Stafford.

Rob Ray reports that indeed Paetsch and Sekera are taking a regular shift. Thanks buddy, just don’t punch that cameraman.

Goose and Tollefsen get into another scrum in front of the net. I was worried about spelling his name right, but the cameraman gave me ample time to get it right. What? It’s not like I can rewind or anything...

Sekera and Paetsch are out again. Did you know they are actually getting ice time? Yeah, I just heard myself.

Ray mentions that Sekera has been on the ice a lot, and has enjoyed his play. I had no idea they could fit a dead horse between the benches, but Robby’s been beating that thing like a drum.

A 4 on 4 is created when Roy’s tan offends Adam Foote.

Hank coughs up the puck to Nash, who is stopped by Miller. The rebound is left to four Sabres in front, but somehow Peca backhands it by everyone while diving to the ice.

1-0.

Mike’s dive looked just like Bobby Orr on that one, only if Orr had a tattered groin and couldn’t lift his legs higher than four inches off the ice.

Five of the seven Blue Jackets fans in attendance are shown with a Blue Jackets flag. Shouldn’t they just have the Flag of Ohio?

Buffalo remembers they have to score goals to win games, and Vanek and Captain YoYo come out flying. Somehow this ends with Hecht underneath LeClaire and the puck under his hand.

Paille blows a tire at center ice before Campbell passes him the puck. Great vision by Soupy.

Maxim Afinogenov has been on this team for half a decade, and I still can’t figure out how he looks so fast going nowhere.

A quick view of Danny Gare, who does color for the Blue Jackets now. He looks much older than his days at Empire. Also, did anyone notice that three of his highlight goals were empty netters?

Sekera, our “New NHL Defenseman”, takes an Old NHL Interference penalty. I’m sure Rob Ray has something to say about this.

Nash gets behind the D, and a gratuitous hook by Hank becomes a penalty shot. No way to argue the call, Tallinder almost removed his elbow pads with his stick.

Miller v Nash. Who ya got?

Miller Time. Stick side high and Miller stones him. Ryan looked great there, not afraid to challenge and get a good angle on Nash. He’s much more focused now than to start the season. (For obvious reasons) Look at the difference in Comrie’s breakaway on opening night and both Nash chances. Huge stop.

A flash of Lindy Ruff screaming “THAT’S F#$%ING OFFSIDES!” Thank you, MSG.

Crowd seems much more into it now, and the “Let’s Go Buffalo” chant sustains until the puck leaves the zone.

In a repeat of Hank’s earlier giveaway, Nash picks off Kalinin’s boards pass, walks out, and rifles it bast Miller.

2-0.

Again, wasn’t it supposed to be our Rochester Blueline that makes the big mistakes?

A 2-1 is given up by that very D pair after Paetsch makes a bad pinch. Sekera stays stride for stride with the Russell, and he shoots over the net.

Some strong work in the Colombus end by Goose, Max, and Ales forces a penalty. Jody Shelley for holding. Another penalty caused by Max.

Roy promptly gives the puck away to Nash, who tries his best Spin-o-rama on Hank to no avail.

Again, great puck possession on the PP, including some blueline magic from Timmy and Max. Lots of chances, and some good saves by the kid. Hey, it just means his save percentage will be good, right?

A great pass from Stafford sets up a one timer for Paetsch, who shatters his stick. Rob Ray thinks his stick looked inexperienced there.

Nash takes a tripping penalty late in the second, dragging his foot to slip Miller up behind the net.

The second period ends with a bit of booing. Yikes. It’s not like we’re playing the Thrashers here. The third should be a bit looser.

[Fast Forward]

Third begins with the Sabres on the PP with Nash still in the box. I think I’m going to start calling Nash “Gordy,” if only because that facial hair makes him look a bit tubby. This makes sense to me. Have I mentioned it’s 5 AM?


Gordy out of the box, and a quick icing.

A four minute stretch of nothingness is interrupted by Goose taking a penalty in front of the net.

Columbus appears to be satisfied with killing two minutes. Great hockey being played here.

First time I’ve heard preseason Sabre killer Gilbert Brule’s name all night. I’m sure he’s doing well.

A scrum not shown by the MSG cameras results in a Kalinin penalty. I’m sure if this was in HD I would have caught it.

Again, Columbus shuffles their feet and stares at the jumbotron for two a bit. Roy tries to draw a tripping call, spilling everywhere like a bad jug of milk. Remember when we defended his reputation as a diver?

Penalty ends, 12 minutes left to mount a respectable offensive.

Harry Neale used the t-shirt cannon during that TV timeout. He claims it was the second time he’s shot a gun, the first being when his team was losing 5-0 and he shot at his goaltender. God I love this guy.

Scoring chance #2 unsuccessful for Captain YoYo. Four more of those and we’re only down by one!

Nine minutes left. Out comes the 4th line. I have hope.

Again, pretty cross ice pass to Mair, who shoots it into the defender. Almost, boys.

Seven minutes left. Another TV timeout. If we come back and Neale is doing the Kiss Camera with RJ, I’m going to sleep right now.

I’m not sure why, but I have this nagging feeling Colombus is using the trap.

Sekera says “bah” to the trap and takes it all alone. A self-made dump and chase leads to him shoving his check to the ice. Ref’s arm goes up. Awesome.

Does typing “shutout” now affect the game I’m watching taped? Nah, didn’t think so.

Five minutes left. Suddenly I don’t blame Colombus for wanting to play crappy hockey. It may not fill seats, but it does win hockey games.

3:30 left and the RAV line goes to town. Three chances on this shift, all of which are put aside by Leclaire. Looks like he brought his A game tonight. I’m pretty sure he only has an A game or an F game.

Final commercial timeout. 2:30 left. I’m starting to think a next message of the score would have been welcome tonight.

Two minutes.

1:30. Miller to the bench. Timmy has a chance in front that Leclaire stick checks away.

One minute left. Turnover at center, and Zherdev nets it.

3-0

File this one under the “balls” category.

Game.


What an ugly game. Slow, mistake filled, and undisciplined. It’s amazing that the same turnover in the same place on the ice costs us two goals. This team continues to be loose in the defensive zone, and it cost them tonight. It should have cost them on Monday, but not every team we’re going to play has a D as slow and overpaid as Toronto.

Next up is Montreal on short rest. A hostile environment after a tough home game is a never welcome, but we’ve had the advantage of scheduling twice already this year. (Washington and Atlanta)

Let’s hope things in back tighten up a little.

$I(%&$(#$&@#&

By Jon

I don't think I was the only Bills fan that let loose an expletive laced tirade when I saw this little tidbit. Maybe I'm overreacting a bit (I tend to do that), but forgive me if I'm just a little skeptical.

The situation has been laid out a thousand times, why not lay it out again. Ralph is old. Very old. He refuses to sell the team despite pleas from thousands of fans (Quite the pretentious move, in my opinion.) Neither his kids nor his wife want the team because of the incredibly outrageous inheritance tax they would have to absorb. With Buffalo being the small market that it is and an NFL franchise being such a valuable commodity these days, it is completely plausible, maybe even expected, that a new owner with no WNY roots would relocate the team, with Toronto and Los Angeles being the most logical answers based on their market size and lack of a professional football team.

I believe the Bills brass when they say that this PR scheme is to expand the market. I don't think Ralph and Co. are intentionally trying to schedule games in Toronto to make the Toronto market look attractive to future buyers, but if these two games sellout and the Rogers Centre is at a fever pitch on gameday, prospective owners will be chomping at the bit to move our beloved Bills north of the border (as if they aren't already.)

I would love to be a fly on the wall inside the offices over at One Bills Drive. The timing of this announcement should strike every Bills fan as being peculiar. Relocation is in the back of everyone's mind and you go out and schedule a game at one of the rumored relocation destinations? This shouldn't worry me just a bit? If this is a move to expand the fanbase, why wasn't it done years ago?

To add to the strangeness of the timing issue, we play our good friend Willis on Sunday. I don't think I need to remind anyone what Willis thinks of relocation.

Whether they are trying to sell more seats or not, I think schedule games in T Dot is a huge mistake. I won't be the only Bills fan reading too deep into it, and season ticket-holders won't be happy. They lose a home game out of the deal, and while I'm sure they will have first crack at tickets, I can't imagine that more than half of them will make the trip. Making the trip north would effectively support a move, in my eyes (although I'm sure most people would argue that.)

Kevin Everett's statement to the fans

"I am deeply humbled by all of your support, your thoughts, and your prayers during this trying period in my life. As you may already be aware, I have shown significant progress in my recovery. But, I am also fully aware that the recovery from the type of injury I have sustained is filled with peaks and valleys. While the road to recovery is long and hard, I am determined to fight through it each and every day.

This week, with the assistance of a walker, I was able to take steps, and I have been able to move in my wheelchair, both of which are great triumphs for me. I maintain a positive attitude and feel fortunate every day that I am alive and well. I value and appreciate the unfailing support of my family, my friends, my doctors, and my fans.

While I am happy to share these moments of success in my recovery with you, I also ask that you understand this is a very challenging and personal time for me. I respectfully request that any future updates regarding my medical condition be obtained exclusively from the media relations team at Memorial Hermann|TIRR. I hope that I can soon report another milestone in my recovery. Until then.

Respectfully, Kevin Everett."

LINK.

Manny being Manny

By Jon

Manny Ramirez is at it again. According to Manny, if the Red Sox fall victim to the Indians in the ALCS, it's not a big deal. To quote him exactly, "It doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world."

Here's the thing, though: Manny Ramirez is the only person in all of professional sports who can get away with saying something so idiotic. Can you imagine any other player, especially one who means so much to their franchise, saying this and getting out of it without a backlash from his fanbase? Ramirez has the absolute strangest relationship with the media, but ever since David Ortiz coined "Manny being Manny," he can get away with pretty much anything.

If I was a Red Sox fan, which I most certainly am not, I'd be pretty outraged. To put it in perspective, what if Danny Briere made a similar comment while we were down against the Sens in the Eastern Conference Finals last year? He would have been run out of town (not that he wasn't set to leave anyways), and been added to the ever-growing list of Buffalo sports public enemies.

Maybe I'm reading too deep into his comments. Maybe I don't understand the whole "Manny being Manny" concept, but I know that I wouldn't want one of my franchise players making those comments with my team on the brink.

Upon Further Review...

HAPPY FIRST GOAL GOOOOOOOOOOSE!!!

Game winner, too.

Seven more games against McCabe and we're right near his career high...

Photo: Mike Lynaugh

Dead to Rights

by Ryan


The Atlanta Thrashers have something special going on for sure, but not something we haven’t seen firsthand. After an 0-6 start and an embarrassing 4-0 shutout loss on national television, they fired Bob Hartley today. I couldn’t help but find last night’s opponent extremely ironic, because the Thrashers are doing exactly what Philadelphia did last year.

Recall for a moment the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Buffalo Sabres in the #4 seed hosted the #5 seed Philadelphia Flyers. After an exciting Game One, the Sabres blew out Philly 8-2 in Game Two, a game in which Flyers goaltender Robert Eshe actually left his crease to tussle with a player near the team benches.

After tying the series at two at home, Philly was shut out 3-0 in Game 5 , and absolutely dismantled at home in the series finale, 7-1. The Flyers were never the same after Game Two, looking outplayed and outmatched on all fronts. The playoff defeat never left the team, and a lackluster opening of the 2006-07 season was personified by a 9-1 drubbing by that same Sabres team on October 17th, a game nationally televised on Versus.

The game marked a rapid shift in the history of the Flyers, one that they still feel today. Just days after, Flyers ownership fired Ken Hitchcock, and GM Bob Clake resigned. The team floundered for the rest of the year, finishing last in the Eastern Conference with 22 wins.

What does that have to do with anything? Well, the Thrashers’ woes didn’t start this October. They’ve been dead to rights since last spring, riding a ten game losing streak that started by getting swept by the New York Rangers, including a 7-0 Game Three final. Thrashers goaltending was awful, and star Ilya Kovalchuk was completely throw off by Sean Avery throughout.

Just another playoff match up that completely destroyed a good playoff team, this time a division winner. It’s no coincidence in how the Thrasher’s season ended last year and how this year began. The Thrashers have an eerie resemblance to last year’s Flyers. Both teams carried struggling goaltenders, frustrated players, and a longtime coach that couldn't re-motivate his team. Both were badly outplayed in the postseason and began the season looking light years behind other teams, culminating in an embarrassing loss on national television.

In essence, that playoff loss "killed" Atlanta, much like how Sabres fans joked we collectively "killed" the Flyers last year. I know Philly has seen a strong resurgence this year, but how often does a perennial playoff team lose one series and carry those consequences over so dramatically the next year? That playoff defeat literally set the franchise back a year, maybe even longer.

In the case of both teams, such a sound spanking in the postseason carried so much bad karma it caused a team with relatively the same roster to be completely lost. Philadelphia was a 101 point team in 05-06. Something happened between that April ‘06 and the following fall, and my guess is that it happened on ice.

It’s hard to argue that Atlanta won’t follow the same path. The Thrashers haven’t won a game since April 7th, and the way they looked last Thursday, it may take a while before they even look competitive again. GM Don Waddell, once embattled himself, will be interim coach. How well do you think that will turn out?

"Certainly Bob has been here a long time. ... We weren't getting the most, particularly out of our veteran players, and that was a concern," Waddell said.

Doesn't that sound a bit like...

Snider said he was optimistic about the team's future with Holmgren and Stevens at the helm. Snider said he didn't expect miracles, but hoped the changes might prompt better results from the players.

"We'll see how they respond," Snider said. "Hopefully they will respond favourably."

Sounds pretty similar to me.

There is no real way to know how Atlanta will do this year, but I don’t expect them to fare much better than a 60 point season. Philly had to make a lot of moves to get a new core group, and I think Atlanta may need to try the same thing. Goaltending has to be a concern, and Waddell may have to decide if he needs to move his assets (Hossa, Kovalchuk) for a younger group of players. Philly did that with Foppa and are looking good so far.

Looking forward, it will be interesting to see if something like this will happen again to another team. It may be just be a bad start for the Thrashers, and maybe Philly just had a bad year in 06-07. Still, you can't help but look at the similarities between the two teams. Sometimes momentum is everything in hockey, both negative and positive. The beating sustained from the Rangers last spring seem to have taken their toll on Atlanta, it's only a matter of time before it happens again.

McGahee Bowl I: Cry, dawg

By Chris

Why I Hate Willis McGahee Reason #3423:

That nipple-slapping player hater "Da Secret" from Madden Nation.



I can't believe Andre Davis caught that ball either. I mean, he sucks.

Willis returns on Sunday, what will you be burning for the occasion?

The Hand of Ralph

By Chris

On the homefront, ESPN is reporting that Dick Jaruon is going to name Trent Edwards the starting quarterback for McGahee Bowl I on Sunday.

While it's not fair to Losman to take his job away because he was hurt, everyone has to remember that the NFL is not about fairness. It's about taking advantage of your every opportunity. So far this season, Edwards has taken the bull by the horns and has made the offense watchable.

And the kid can only get better, right? Right?

Now there's no way this was all Jauron's decision. Or even all Marv. This order came straight from the top.

Ralph Wilson has always liked Trent Edwards. He found his way into the locker room after the Jets' game (Edwards' first win) and made himself available to the media, gushing over the kid.

Yeah, he said that the "quarterback controversy" would be left in the hands of the coaching staff. But if you believe that, then you're the person who still hopes for a quarter under your pillow the morning after you lose a tooth. It's Ralph's money and his pen stroke that signs the checks.

Do you really think he wants to pay Losman a big money contract to keep him in Buffalo when his contract expires after next season? Me neither.

Ralph will go the cheap route and hedge his bets with the young guy he fancies that isn't due for a big contract for another couple years.

Personally, I want to see as much of Edwards as possible. I could care less about Losman, really. Let the kid develop and show us what he's capable of. Losman's development was hindered by Kelly Holcomb and Mike "Ralph Bucky" Mularkey's mismanagement of the whole situation.

Let's do this one right.

Kevin Everett Update: Small Steps

By Chris

Some very good news out of Texas today: Kevin Everett is able to walk. Now it's still a long road to recovery, but news like this--for lack of a better word--is awesome.

From WIVB's report:

"News 4 has learned that Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett is walking, with some assistance. The Bills tight end has been recovering at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston since September 21st.

Doctors in Buffalo originally thought a spinal cord injury Everett suffered during the Bills home opener September 9th would leave him permanently paralyzed. But, medical experts now believe the Bills' training staff may have saved Everett from more serious damage by quickly injecting him with an ice cold saline solution. A procedure developed by the Miami Project and Dr. Barth Green.

Doctors are very optimistic that once his rehab is done, Everett will be able to walk on his own."

Kevin Everett remains in the thoughts and prayers of everyone here at the Roost. Get well soon, Kevin.

Makeup Call

The Hockey News sincerely apologizes to anyone who was offended by last week's cover.

YoYo's Not Left Hanging

by Ryan


What a difference a year makes.

Last year the Sabres refused to negotiate in season with players. Regardless of the truth value of Bucky's story on past negotiations, you all know what resulted of staying mum in season.

Exit Briere and Drury, and suddenly Darcy and the Boys get gabby.

Overall, you can't blame them for the shift in philosophy, and their decision to start with Jochen Hecht. The players voted him their captain, and I really do think that if that's the case he should wear the C permanantly. That being said, getting him under contract long term is a great sign of commitment to your players, and anything will help after the past summer's events.

The numbers of the deal aren't very extravagant, either. Three million a year for a player like Jochen may turn out to be a steal down the road. Coming off a career high in points and taking a leadership role on the team this year, we still may not have seen his best game yet, and if not, his contract is still tradable down the road.

Even with the Vanek and Roy deals, you can't fault Darcy's other signings as of yet. Locking up Paetsch for three years may be a bargan at >$1 per year, and extending Hecht means the only forward with UFA status in July will be the 178 year old "prospect" Mike Ryan.

A quick look at the cap figures shows a lot of UFA symbols left in the defensive category, but Teppo is likely to retire and Kalinin may not be worth retaining at that money. Honestly, with Nathan already playing a big role in the D with Teppo's ticker on the fritz, and Sekera making a big impression in camp this September, signing Campbell may be the only absolutely necessary negotiation left for Darcy come summer.

Again, all of this is pure speculation, but it is nice to see progress made rather than panic. A small market team like Buffalo needs to be constantly looking towards the future. This is a team not capable of signing Foresburgs and Blakes, but more than capable of locking up Hechts and growing Staffords.

The way Soupy's come out of the gate, he better give that redhead a call.

97.5 Percent

by Ryan

Blame the fans, blame the variable ticket prices, or blame the day it was held on, but 18,217 is not a sellout in HSBC Arena.

It's a pretty big swing from a team expecting to sell out the season in ten days.

So what does it mean? Not much to me. The stat was nice, but there was no way we were going to sell out 359 straight games. An eight year sellout streak is almost impossible to break in this day and age, not to mention the 2,000+ more seats at HSBC than the Aud.

Does this mean people care less? No. Take into account the high price for a Gold ticket, the major turnoff of sitting near drunk Leafs fans, and the weeknight effect and you really can't blame people for wanting to sit this one out.

To say no one cares anymore is quite a stretch, it's just that fans value other games more than more than an early season Monday night Leafs game. I know when I sat down to pick out my minipack, I could pick one Leafs game or two or three cheaper games. I went with quantity, and it seems that many others did as well.

Personally I can't see paying for a "Golden Ticket" unless it is something I really, really want to see. To be honest, I will probably plunk down top dollar to see Chris Drury when he comes back in February. That game is something I feel like I need to be there for. However, until that feeling hits for a Leafs game, count me as one on the couch.

Own Goal

by Ryan


Well that was some freaking fun. 5-4 Final in OT. Let's talk about it.

-You really can't blame McCabe for trying, but that was the second time he swiped it in the direction of his own net as time is expiring. (Once in regulation and the own goal in OT) I know it worked the first time, but that is certainly not a high percentage play he makes. Especially directing the puck back towards the net. Curious play at best.

- Overall the Leafs played a much better defensive game. Very tight on the blue line and forced a lot of pucks to the sideboards. Well, until the third period. I mean, did someone say "Go" on the Sabres bench, or did all that cash on the blueline weigh them down?

- The Sabres D was, well... it worked out in the end. The defensive focus we saw in the last two games was a bit lacking tonight, proved by all four Leafs goals. Gamache should have been tied up, Antropov needs to get cleared out in front (they weren't calling anything at that point), and both Kilger goals looked way too easy. He is anything but a goalscorer.

- One thing I have noticed are Roy's slip ups on D so far this year. Granted, he has been an good penalty killer, but he had two points tonight and still wound up a -1. It's nothing new, I distinctly remember him not staying with the play in front on opening night, leading to a Hunter's goal and a 6-4 deficit early in the third. I'm not implying anything, but it is something I have noticed. All I'm saying is I'd like to notice less of it.

- Overall goaltending play was pretty good. Raycroft impressed me, making a few big stops early. He also got a lot of help from the goal posts, which seemed to ring quite often tonight. Four goals on 19 shots in the third looks less impressive, but for facing 42 shots he played pretty well. Late he had some huuuuuge rebounds, but you can't argue with starting him over Toskala after how he looked in the preseason game.

- In his first start this year, Thibault looked a bit shaky but got the job done. He never really looked comfortable, but I think it was a good move to start him tonight. He knows what a Leafs game is like from his days in Montreal, and with Miller dealing with family issues, you can't blame Lindy for giving him the night off. Only 25 shots against, so if he somehow was your fantasy goaltender tonight, you're out of luck. Otherwise you can't complain about your backup's first start. He will get better, just hope his hip holds up.

- Overall the game was entertaining, but a bit frightful to see. It was good to see the Sabres get sparked and explode, but once again defensive breakdowns were obvious. Play inside the zone has to get better, with a better pickup of loose players by back checkers. If this team wants to go coast to coast, they better learn to cover the latter shore.

-Thank God I didn't go to this game. I've never been a Sabres/Leafs game and I was temped to get a ticket tonight. I decided against it, realizing that after listening to Cowboys fans last week and Leafs fans this week, I would have been arrested for sure. There's only so much smug a guy can take.

Speaking of annoying people...

- Did you see that guy around Section 108 or so that stood up while on his cell phone and waved? I hate those people. It's a slight variation of "guy behind home plate on cell phone", but is even worse because if you are behind him, he's suddenly annoying and in the way. I don't sit in the lower bowl that often, but I swear if anyone actually does that in front of me one time, well, he will be getting a stern talking to. With vitriol.