can taste football. Thanks to the last decade of Bills football and the last 24 months of the Bulls, the taste is decidedly college, but I’m ready for both games, and the inevitable road trip discussions.

Last year, I made the hike to Massachusetts to meet my two sisters and brothers for Sabres/Bruins before my brother and I witnessed the laugh riot that was the Bills in Foxboro the next day. It was a fun trip, but with no real Sabres/Bills road weekend lining up this year, I thought I’d put together a road trip idea for each of the Bills road outings this season, combined with my love of the college game experience.

Road Trip, Game One – “Options A-Plenty”

--- If you’re also a baseball fan, this trip is a slam dunk. It’s like the Chinese food buffet of road trips: Pick one from list A, pick one from list B, and you get main course C.

Either way, you’ll be spending Monday, Sept. 14 in Foxboro for a Monday Night game between the Bills and Patriots. The beauty of it is that the game starts at 7 p.m., so you can book the red eye. The fun is
what you do on Saturday and Sunday (For those looking to “save a home day,” you can spend Saturday at home for the Pitt Panthers and the UB Bulls at UB Stadium for a Noon kick-off).

Option 1 – “New England”
Saturday – Kent State at Boston College or North Carolina at UCONN
Sunday – Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox, 1:30 p.m.
Monday – Bills at Pats, 7 p.m.

Option 2 – “The Pennsylvania”
Saturday – Syracuse at Penn State, Noon
Sunday – NY Mets at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Monday – Bills at Pats, 7 p.m.

Option 3 – “The Patriotitis”
Saturday – Duke at Army
Sunday – Orioles at Yankees, 1 p.m.
Monday – Bills at Pats, 7 p.m.

Option 4 – “The Crazed Sports Fan/Lunatic Drunk/Get A Driver, Man”
Saturday – Duke at Army
Sunday – Orioles at Yankees, 1 p.m.
Sunday, Pt. II – Redskins at Giants, 4:15 p.m.
Monday – Bills at Pats, 7 p.m.

If you do Option 4, please document every moment. That one’s for those who can’t stand missing the first full day of the NFL’s 2009 season.

Road Trip, Game Two – “Not-so-much a Hockey guy”

The Bills’ second road game comes on the weekend of the Sabres home opener, an Oct. 3 game at HSBC Arena against Montreal. If you’re not a big hockey guy, or know you won’t have tickets, how about this jaunt:
　
Sat., Oct 3 -- Oklahoma at Miami (FL)
Sun, Oct 4 – Bills at Miami, 4:15 p.m.

You get a terrific Sooners team playing at the Canes, who went 7-6 last year, but the game’s in Miami, so it shouldn’t be the world’s worst beat down. The bummer of this trip is two games at the same venue, as Land Shark Stadium is also the venue for Sunday’s game between the Bills and Dolphins. It’s too bad the Marlins aren’t home to close the season, or you could compare three contests at the same stadium.
　

Road Trip, Game Three – “The Arm Pit”

Seriously, this trip is worth it if only for all the ways you and your buddies or wife or children can count down to it. “Two weeks away… I can smell ‘The Arm Pit’ from here.”

Friday, Oct. 16 – Pitt at Rutgers, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17 – Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct 18 – Bills at Jets, 4:15 p.m.

Rutgers has Greg Schiano to thank for beautifully-expanded facilities, while the Devils new joint is always looking for people to sit anywhere. I hate Jets fans, but if you’re nuts enough for a weekend in Jersey, why not hang out with a bunch of obnoxious dorks who still wear their Boozer jerseys.

Road Trip, Game Four – “Options A-Plenty v2.0”

This one has degrees of crazy, which is always fun. Sunday is going to be Bills and Panthers, which I’m sure is as close to a road home game on the schedule, with all the Buffalo transplants in North Carolina. It’s a 4:15 p.m. kick-off, so you have plenty of time to get there, regardless of where you’re starting:

Sat. Oct 24
Maryland at Duke (2.25 hours from Durham to Charlotte)
Vandy at South Carolina (90 minutes from Columbia to Charlotte)
Georgia Tech at Virginia (4 hours, 45 minutes from Charlottesville to Charlotte)
UConn at West Virginia (6 hours from Morgantown to Charlotte)


GT/VU and Vandy/SC are the most fun for football and atmosphere, but the teeth watching in West Virginia has to be great when combined with the passion of the Mountaineer fans. I feel like the South Carolina trip is the play.

Road Trip, Game Five – “Go for the Gusto”

Saturday gives you plenty of options, depending on how far you want to drive before you head to the Bills and Titans match-up at 1 p.m. Sunday. As for Saturday:

Saturday, Nov. 14
Syracuse at Louisville (2hr40 from Ville to Ville)
Iowa at Ohio State (6 hours from Columbus to Nashville)
Kentucky at Vanderbilt (N/A)
UAB at Memphis (3hr15 from Memphis to Nashville)

Again, the simple choice is Kentucky/Vandy. It’s an SEC game, and you can stay in Nashville. Unlike the Miami trip, you get to experience two venues as well, as Vanderbilt Stadium is the home of the Commodores.
　
Road Trip, Game Six – “Get Some Sun”

Our own Jeremy White is taking this trip to see the Bills and Jags on Sunday, Nov. 22, but you have two choices. Jeremy’s choosing Florida Int’l against Tim Tebow and the Gators at the Swamp on Nov. 21, which can take anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours, but you can also spent your Saturday at Maryland/Florida State. Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee is about 2.5 hours from Jacksonville.

Road Trip, Game Seven – “The Ultimate Buffalo Sports Fan”

I’m not sure it should be legal to even attempt this one….
　
Wednesday, Nov. 25 – Sabres at Washington
Thursday, Nov. 26 – Thanksgiving somewhere
Friday, Nov. 27 – Sabres at Philadelphia
Sat, Nov. 28 – Sabres vs Carolina
Sun, Nov. 29 – Dolphins at Bills
Mon, Nov. 30 – Sabres at Leafs

Seriously. Be careful, and report back.

Road Trip, Game Eight – “Midwest Swing”
　
This one is a tough one. The Bills and Chiefs tango in KC on Sunday, Dec. 13, and I was hoping to find Kansas basketball at home the day before… which I did… it’s just not at Allen Fieldhouse. You can see the Jayhawks at home, but they host LaSalle in Kansas City. It would still be fun, and there’s no driving involved.

St. Louis is about four hours away, but you could catch the Flames and Blues on Tuesday the 15th. I know, I’ve failed you. Hopefully one of you can find a better option.


Road Trip, Game Nine – “Going South”

This one is a bit far-fetched, but not giving you an option here would be the lazy way out.

Sat., Dec. 26 – Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte (4 hrs from Charlotte to Atlanta)
Sun, Dec 27 – Bills at Atlanta, 1 p.m.

The last few match-ups in this dopey-named bowl have actually been alright: West Virginia/UNC (2008, 31-30) and Boston College/Navy (2006, 25-24) among them.

So there you go. Like any of these? Got any other ideas? Email: nick@wgr550.com

I don't know what to say about this, except, "Wow" and "Good for you, Tim Tebow." In between winning national championships, claiming Heisman Trophies and circumsizing children on a missionary trip to the Philippines, Tebow is not having sex. He hasn't, he isn't, and he says he won't until he's married. The fact that he's made it to his senior year would make it extremely plausible that he can "go the distance" without "going the distance."

I'm not going to make jokes. I'm not going to say it's impossible. I'm just going to say it's admirable.

Now we can all sit back and wait for some attention-sucking floozie to say she's taken Tebow's virginity, and some irresponsible media outlet to publish the story without fact-checking.

Good for you, Tim Tebow.

Email: nick@wgr550.com

I'm happy that Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle has added a perfect game to his resume, that he's getting another moment in the Sun to go with his 2007 no-hitter and 2005 World Series title.

I'm happy because he's likely destined to be slighted, a terrific and consistent career downgraded because he's a non-strikeout pitcher who tosses for the second-most important team in his city, let alone division or league.

Mark Buehrle may be on pace to go to the Hall of Fame -- he recently turned 30 -- but would likely end up in a wing with John Smoltz as often-over-looked hurlers*. Now, Buehrle's career would really have to take off this year, as Smoltz's 29th year on Earth was a 24-7 gem, but it was also the first time the now surefire HOFer won more than 15 games in a campaign (granted he wasn't the unquestioned No. 1, or even No. 2, on that Braves staff.

*You could argue for Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte's inclusion in this group, but both have played for the Yankees, which is like a giant magnifying glass for any decent player, for better or worse.

Save for his two spotless outings, Buehrle isn't a "sexy" pitcher. He doesn't put up gaudy punch-out numbers, but just wins and his ***NERD ALERT NERD ALERT NERD ALERT*** baseball reference comparison through age 29 is pretty fantastic company: Johnny Podres, Bret Saberhagen, Tom Glavine and Barry Zito (I included Zito because it shows how quickly a world-class pitcher can drop off).

His career 162-game average is 15-10 with a 3.76 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. His career strikeouts-per-nine is 5.26, remarkably average. Buehrle pitches in a hitters park (337 feet to left), and he's been much better than average, but less than great, for a long time (Though it's also worth noting that his worst year, 2006, came after consecutive seasons of pitching the most innings in the league).

I'd also like to thank Buehrle for completing the Chicago no-hitter/perfect game combo for my fantasy baseball team, the Addison Baseball Club. Cubs wonder Carlos Zambrano blanked the Astros in Milwaukee last September for our fine club.

Email: nick@wgr550.com

It was the most games in Grand Slam final history: 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14.

If tennis could promise Sunday's crowd, match and class in every single event, I don't know that anyone could turn it off.

I awoke about two hours later than I wanted to Sunday morning, afraid that I had missed the mens Wimbledon final, that Roger Federer could've easily dispatched Andy Roddick and picked up an unprecedented 15th Grand Slam title. It wouldn't have bothered me a ton -- I've been rooting for Roddick since he picked up Jimmy Connors as a mentor, but Federer is all-class, all-the-time, and it's hard to have anything against the Swiss legend.

Yet sometime during the fifth set, my DVR turned into my enemy. When a match has gone this many games, surely even non-tennis fans like the majority of my friends would be chiming in with texts. Would pausing the final to head to Noon Church cripple my chances of watching this knowledge-free?

It could've, except they kept going, and going, and going. Roddick was outstanding, and the will power and perseverence of both competitors... well, it was impossible to turn away. I cannot imagine facing down perhaps the greatest player of a generation and maybe longer -- in any sport -- and continue to respond, continue to push it as far as I could. Roddick did that.

At this point, I should point out that I'm not a huge tennis fan. I watch the Grand Slams, and the occasional tournament final if the story is good, which to be fair, John McEnroe makes most events sound perfect. Today, I'm glad for that, because witnessing this final was intense, and justice would not have been served should I have been watching highlights on Sportscenter.

In the end, Federer was and is the greatest -- and that's fine -- but Roddick's post-match tears were the focal point of the day for me. Federer was pushed to the limit by an American who took care of Britain's finest hope at Wimbledon just a few days beforehand, meaning Queen Elizabeth II would not be attending the final between Roddick and the Swiss timepiece.

The queen stayed home, the king held serve, but Roddick's jester was the real show. He won some lifelong fans Sunday.

Email: nick@wgr550.com

-- The Sabres got Steve Montador, a steady-enough defenseman who won't make a ton of mistakes and has offensive upside. He gets angry and fights a lot of guys, usually losing. Montador isn't exceptionally large -- 6'0", 210 pounds -- and will be 30 around Christmas.

He's on his fifth team in five seasons, but his last two years have found him coming into his "own," whatever that means -- 12 goals, 32 assists, plus-18 rating, 216 penalty minutes. Montador has been to the playoffs twice, competing in the Flames' losing Cup run in 2003-04 and with the Bruins last season.

It's a good signing, perhaps you'd call him a lower middle class man's Craig Rivet, but I've got a hunch there are 1-2 signings coming up. In hockey circles -- doing radio interviews and talking to folks -- you hear a lot of rumours and such, and the ones that have stuck with me run contrary to preconceptions on the Sabres. I wouldn't be shocked to see a good center (Saku Koivu) and a defenseman with upside (Francis Bouillon, Francois Beauchemin) in town. You could also substitute the "helpful old guy" move that's been popular in recent years (Mathieu Schneider, Todd Marchant, P.J. Axelsson).

During Wednesday's press conference, Regier made the point that the better trades will happen once free agency settles in a bit more, which makes sense for trading, but also hints that they could make a decent signing now and dump some payroll later. Regier disavowed the notion that the Sabres could buy-out a player and send him to the minors.

One thing's for sure, the team's depth chart right now likely won't cut much more than a first-round figure which, sadly, would be an improvement.

---

Eastern Conference teams:

Folks who want to tell you Montreal didn't get that much better are trying too hard. Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri are terrific signings, and picking up Scott Gomez for the rights to Chris Higgins isn't bad at all. Add those forwards to Tomas Plekanec, the Kostitsyns, Maxim Lapierre and Guillame Latendresse, and Habs fans have to be thinking Montreal has done a lot to address the flame-out of a talented team. Their new defensive corps starts with Andrei Markov, Jaroslav Spacek, Roman Hamrlik, Josh Gorges and Hal Gill. That's alright.

I do not get $4.5 per year for Mike Komisarek, Toronto. Honestly, he's two years younger, but his numbers don't look as good as even, say, Montador. Yes, he's big, and tough, but $22.5 million is a lot of money. His Montreal-fan-ballot-box-jammed All-Star appearance and status as a 2001 first-round pick must be worth their weight in currency, because I don't get it -- again, for that money.

I'd say I like what Tampa Bay did, but I liked what they did last year and look where it got them. Good looks to re-up with Lukas Krajicek, and Mattias Ohlund should help Victor Hedmun learn the game. The Lightning were so thin on the blue line that they had to call up WNYer Kevin Quick way before they wanted to, so the signing of Blackhawks blueliner Matt Walker is a nice one as well.

Pittsburgh lost Hal Gill and signed Michael Rupp, but their action was inking Alex Goligoski and Bill Guerin in the last couple weeks. They'll sign a couple more, and the big question will be whether they can come up with the funds to sign Rob Scuderi, or if he's jammed video footage of his Cup-saving saves to every GM in the league who might overpay him.

The Flyers lost Mike Knuble, which is rough, but they couldn't afford to bring him back. Before the draft, Philadelphia traded for Chris Pronger in a deal that makes them better this year, but I don't love it. Ian Laperriere at just over one million dollars a year is a real nice "under-the-table" deal. I wish his sloppy looking nose was in Buffalo.

Ottawa is losing. They re-signed Chris Neil, and crybaby Dany Heatley must look even more attractive to teams after demanding a trade and then turning one to Edmonton down. Now, I'd officially trade much less for him.

If the Rangers can sign RFA Chris Higgins in addition to whomever else they use their freed Gomez money on, you can consider this offseason a win. Oft-injured Marian Gaborik got a lot of money from New York, and if he can somehow play more than 60 games in a year, is an almost surefire bet for 40 goals. In the last three years, he's scored 85 goals in just 142 games. All that in Minnesota, where Jacques Lemaire mandated you play at least one period of every game incased in cement inside the neutral zone. Yeah, he's not there anymore.

Does drafting two goaltenders in the first three rounds and inking Dwayne Roloson say that Rick DiPietro's injury is career-threatening? The Islanders are several years away, though I bet they eventually re-up, in a sense, with Mike Comrie.

New Jersey's re-signing of defensemen Johnny Oduya and Andy Greene works, but losing Gionta will be a tough one to stomach. I would've liked to see John Madden in Buffalo, but his loss won't mean much to the Devils.

Florida's big deal was keeping David Booth around for a while, but all they did on Day One was swap out Craig Anderson for Scott Clemmensen. I can hardly contain myself.

Knuble's signing is a nice one for Washington to be sure, who are already better if Simeon Varlamov isn't a one-playoff wonder.

Erik Cole's back in Carolina for two years at $2.9 million per season. They also kept Jussi Jokinen. Boston and Atlanta did similar bouts of re-signing.

See ya later: nick@wgr550.com