To my readers who do not mind a column that's pretty unrelated to sports, but relative to the concept of America,

It began almost exactly four years ago, to the day. I had a good load of scruff, and struck up a conversation with a good friend in which we discussed the benefits, both physical and alliterative, of not shaving for the entire month of November.

Today, I bring this tradition, and discussion, to you.

Please, do not shave this November. My main reason is this... do you think the pilgrims shaved on their trip over to the New World? When they sat down to that first meal after a morning of playing Turkey Bowl football with their old high school buddies, do you think they had clean faces?

Rather, isn't it more likely they had icicles on their wonderful beards, with gravy grasping hold of those same follicles? In my opinion, and certainly 'Sheed's, it is.

So it is with great honor that invite all of you men, and however many of you women would like to find a way to contribute, to join in "No Shave November." There is a facebook group created by one of Dan Hager's pals -- the esteemed rugby player, Clarence Picard -- devoted to our month-long affair. Feel free to find it, and join.

The rules are as follows:

-- You may only trim your neckline and cheek bones, with a few exceptions:

A) You have a job interview and are not adept at trimming a nice beard

2) You're getting married

-- Don't shave.

I know this isn't sports-related, but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year, and I think most people should celebrate it with a nice facial garden. Let's face it, once the pilgrims had that first meal and shaved, they turned into some pretty terrible characters.


If you love America, keep it growing,
Nicholas J. Mendola
Email: nick@wgr550.com

The Buffalo Sabres have had between 15 and 23 captains in their history, depending on if you feel the rotating captains should be counted, which I won't for our purposes. For the record, if people spoke of Sabres captains like they do of popes, I'd be on my 11th captain, as I didn't ever see the 'C' on Danny Gare's sweater.

So here is my fairly-educated ranking of Sabre skippers:

14. Floyd Smith (1970-71) -- What else can be said about Floyd Smith, the first captain of the team? Well, he was born on May 16, 1935 in Perth, Ontario. Good on you, Floyd.

13. Alexander Mogilny (1993-94) -- Extortion attempts, aviatophobia and a 76-goal campaign doesn't make him any more of a resounding leader in my book, just a fun Sabre.

12. Gerry Meehan (1971-74) -- I have to admit my only knowledge of Meehan is as a general manager. He came to Buffalo from the Seattle Totems, and had the best years of his career with the Sabres, with more than 46 points in all four season in Buffalo.

11. Daniel Briere (2005-2007) -- There may be a lot of email hate for slotting Briere this low, and he was an awesome guy in the community, as well as vocal with the media, but there was a little too much unsteadiness in both his exit and playoffs for me to move him ahead of anyone in front of him. Great times, though.

10. Stu Barnes (2001-2003) -- Quiet, steady, confident. He took over after a captain-less year, and played hard every night. Maybe he should be a little lower, but I have a fondness for Stu Barnes.

Is it just me, or did Stu Barnes have either a tiny head, or a really big helmet?

9. Lindy Ruff (1987-89) -- Lindy was traded for the pick that became Richard Smehlik. He plays golf right- and left-handed.

8. Danny Gare (1977-82) -- Tied for the longest-tenured captain with Gilbert Perreault and Pat LaFontaine. Was dynamite, notching over 50 goals twice and 40 goals thrice. Tough, smallish forward who never registered less than 70 penalty minutes.

7. Michael Peca (1997-2000) -- Will his reputation stand the test of time? I hope so. I remember the offensive highlights, like a legitimately wonderful goal against Hartford, as well as the bone-crushing open-ice hits. Hopefully, I'll forget the off-ice acrimony in time. I have to admit that I wondered what became of him when hearing about the Peca/Smith/Pronger camps in Edmonton a few years back, but they went to the Cup.

Mike Peca needed a chainsaw to shave, or like a Mach-15-blade razor.

6. Jim Schoenfeld (1974-77) -- Skippered the squad to its first Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and has one of the most memorable checks in team history. Also would fight and, like Ruff, became a pretty good head coach, even if I seem to recall him being behind the bench when a Devils goalie scored in his own net.

5. Chris Drury (2005-2007) -- Whether it be fabled or fact, Drury will always hold a special place in the hearts of Sabres fans, whether they view his exit as shady or justified. The guy blocked shots with his face, played hurt and saved Canaima, California from a deadly species of Venezuelan spider. Oh, wait, that last part was Jeff Daniels in "Arachnophobia."

4. Mike Ramsey (1991-92) -- Respected, tough as nails defenseman who would've worn the 'C' much longer had he not been on a team with Perreault and Foligno. Olympic hero was extremely well-respected around the league.

Ramsey was so well-respected that the Russians let him use them as a couch on his way to ending the Cold War.

3. Pat LaFontaine (1992-97) -- Classy with the media, LaFontaine will always go down as a player who was cut down by concussions when plenty of good hockey left to play. His arrival instantly transformed the image of the club, and Mogilny doesn't score 76 without his almost-absurd 95 helpers in 1992-93.

2. Mike Foligno (1989-91) -- My favorite hockey player of all-time for the grit and goals. His only downfall was a penalty shot on my birthday against the Red Wings. Sitting in my seat, I was ready for my hero to light up Glen Hanlon. Hanlon stopped him, and did the celebrated Foligno goal jump. Pretty awesome in retrospect, even if it ruined my day, just as it did the time Esa Tikkanen sat on him at center ice during an Oilers/Sabres game I attended. Thanks, Dad and Uncle Larry.

Mike Foligno's nose defines hockey. He's also the only professional athlete I'm actually intimidated around. Pretty weird, huh?

1. Gilbert Perreault (1982-97) -- There's no debate. The franchise's leader in almost everything was here from its inception until 1986. Plus, I fell down the stairs of the gold section with right before he scored his 500th goal, meaning my parents missed the milestone. I've heard about it every time the replay's been televised since then. For goodness' sake, Mom, I was four.

And he could sing.

I didn't take forever to make these rankings, so cut me a little slack, cause that's how I see it. I'm ready for hockey season, and I'll get some predictions your way soon. Leafs/Red Wings tonight on television!

Email: nick@wgr550.com

P.S. Send me your rankings if you'd like.

This is just a short, little note from Tuesday's Sabre practice, but it's been on my mind for a bit.

The enduring image of practice was Jason Pominville letting loose on a snap shot down the right wing that beat Patrick Lalime high, glove-side. It was just one of several slick plays that stood out for the fourth-year player (he did play one game in 2003-04, but come on) who may or may not be named captain Wednesday. My hope is that he receives the honor and I wouldn't be surprised to see his numbers improve again.

After .53 points-per-game in his rookie year, his ratio improved to .83 in 2006-07 and then .98 last season. Pominville ripped a resounding 232 shots on net in 2007-08, many of which were gobbled up on the rebound to contribute to his 53 assists, while the Lady Byng finalist took just 20 minutes in penalties.

Look for Pominville to at least quintuple his power play goals this season. After two last year, count at least 10 on the way to a 30-35 goal, 50-55 assist campaign, which would put him over a point-per-game, assuming he puts up his third-straight 82-game season.

Indulge me -- my picks for assistant/alternate captains -- Teppo Numminen and Derek Roy. That way, when Numminen takes a night off, you can reward the hardest-working Sabre with an 'A' for an evening or two, and Roy's maturity evolved so much last season that asking for more in the next logical step. Regardless, I think you'll see Jochen Hecht get an 'A,' but those were my picks, and I like Hecht a ton as well.

When I was in my late single digits -- ah, to be young -- there was one, and only one, thing that mattered to me during football season besides the Bills:

"Inside the NFL" with Len Dawson and Nick Buonicotti on HBO.

Now, I was too young to realize that Buonicotti picked against the Bills because of his history with the Dolphins, but I lived by that show, waiting for my dad to get home so we could either:

a) become enraged when someone bet against our Bills
b) play catch after the Bills were picked to win

One season specifically, I tuned in with special interest. The Bills and Redskins were the only remaining undefeated teams, both at 8-0 or 9-0, and the obvious broadcasting debate each week was, "Which one will lose first and will it be this week?"

I don't even remember who it was, but flash forward to 2008, and I'm reliving those moments right now. Howard Simon mentioned on our show this morning that he's not going to say the 'S' word yet. That's fine, I'm not worrying about that either. I'm busy having "Inside the NFL" delusions of grandeur with just three other teams holding an '0' in the loss column.

Hey, if Buffalo makes it past Arizona, it gives the other teams two weeks to blow it.

Maybe the Bills are benefiting from a soft schedule, but the fan in me doesn't care much, and the analyst is on vacation right now, so feel free to leave a message for when he returns. At 4-0, I'm having fun remember some of my favorite moments as a young Bills fan:

-- Leonard Smith picking off a pass and racing to the end zone in a 29-28 win over Denver in 1990 (Part of a huge comeback night game in which "The Biscuit" returned a blocked field goal 80 yards for a score.

--The next week... J.D. Williams blocking a punt and Nate Odomes ripping the ball away from a Raiders wide-out, both returned for touchdowns in another come-from-behind win at the Ralph.

-- The next week... Jamie Mueller catching a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jim Kelly to cap another come-from-behind win at the Ralph.

Remember those games? That run was euphoric, and while the Bills of now aren't in that class, the comebacks and "We're not going to lose" feeling of the first four weeks are nothing short of nostalgic. I'm not preparing for the return of Carlton Bailey and the 10-7 win over Elway and Denver at Rich Stadium in the AFC title game, but it's just a lot of fun.

This is Buffalo. Let's try and enjoy it, huh?

Email: nick@wgr550.com

A Week Four haiku, entitled "Nick works at 5 a.m.":

The Bills beat the Rams
Later in the day than most weeks
Write quickly for sleep

— Would you trade the reliable "20-for-25 for a TD" Trent Edwards for
the one we saw against St. Louis, having to wait for long routes to
develop, and misfiring on a deep ball or two, likely one for an
interception? I'm not concrete on this idea, and I'll ask some coaches
next week, but I think you sacrifice efficiency when you
call more "Shot" plays (I think I heard that somewhere). Also, is it possible that this is the sort of
"bad game" we'd see from a veteran Trent Edwards? I'll admit it, I'm
excited, and it's not because of the line.

— Did anyone else catch Solomon Wilcotts' best "Wisdom of Solomon"
moment ever? Midway through the third quarter, Trent Edwards is hit as
he throws, the ball pops out of his arm and goes to Josh Reed in a
complete act of luck. Wilcotts says — seriously — that Edwards did a
great job of staying tough in the face of the rush to deliver that
ball. My mom and dad were over, so four folks laughed hard at that
one. And yes, I could do a better job.

— Wilcotts and Ian Eagle had some very good analytical moments,
however, including Wilcotts pointing out how James Hardy will look
once he learns how to position himself — which he hasn't. Full credit
to Turk Schonert for calling his name several times early. Ronald
Bartell was simply up to the task.

— The Buffalo Bills secondary hits hard, and I'm not just talking
about the Leodis McKelvin/Dane Looker/short-term memory fumble fiasco.
I remember talking to Ko Simpson after Week One about how his hitting
stepped up in the season opener, and he said that when he hits
someone, he wants them to remember it every time they come deep into
the secondary. Simpson delivered again in Week Four, as did Donte
Whitner.

— The Bills definitely had some problems tackling against the Rams,
but I'll credit most of that to Steven Jackson's hard-running. Lynch
has made a lot of defenses look like poor tacklers, and this is what
it looks like on the other end.

— A nod to Rian Lindell. Two 45-yarders mixed in with his three field
goals... not child's play by any means.

— Another "would you trade": Would you trade the "offense looks slow
for a half, then turns into a veritable powerhouse for the rest of the
game" for a quick start and then barely holding on? That's why I'm not
complaining.

— I thought the illegal formation penalty on Robert Royal was garbage,
but maybe I don't understand the rule right. When I rewound the DVR,
he looked fine, a step back from the right tackle, with Josh Reed in
the slot and James Hardy closing the line.

— Trent Edwards was only sacked four times? Was the guy who ran the
stat book drunk, or did I eat too much salsa? Another
"feast-or-famine" performance from this offensive line, who looks
brilliant at times. Potential nickname: The Feast or Famine Line? I
like it, especially since they're the biggest line in the league.

— Would someone please block for Marshawn Lynch? He's a 200-yard game
waiting to happen, and I'm sick of watching him get beat up. At one
point in the fourth quarter, there were nine Rams trying to bring him
down, and only the whistle did.

— It never got old at Rutgers, and it won't get old in the NFL. Brian
Leonard is a running back for the Rams. Brian Leonard is also the name
of my father-in-law. It's just pretty amusing.

— Speaking of dads, my dad literally called the Jabari Greer
touchdown. He had just checked out my basement and, after being
negative for much of the day, said "Here's where we get an
interception return for a touchdown." Nice!

— Just for the record, I picked Washington to win the NFC, and some of
my morning show compatriots told me I was nuts. Just saying.
(Although, my Buffalonian spirit wishes I could be a homer and take
back Pittsburgh winning the AFC, even if I think they are one of the
few teams built to beat the Bills).

— Couple other emotional "around the league" notes. Thoughts and
prayers out to Arizona's Anquan Boldin after a horrific injury toward
the end of the Cards' 56-35 loss in New York, and even more to Tampa
Bay kicker Matt Bryant, who played this week despite losing his
three-month old baby on Wednesday. I can't imagine how difficult that
must be.

Stat line I enjoyed:
-- Leodis McKelvin, 3 kick ret., 97 yards; 2 punt ret., 26 yards; 1
tackle, 1 fumble recovery.
Playing what was definitively his best game as a Bill, McKelvin showed
prologned flashes of the football brilliance the Bills' saw when they
made him pick No. 13 in April's draft. He was fast, decisive, exciting
and hard-hitting. His reputation was for dropping interceptions, but
the team didn't let Torry Holt kill them, and McKelvin was a part of
it. Good game.

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
-- Bills offensive line, four sacks allowed; 3.6 yards-per-rush
That 3.6 figure is embarassing when you throw the fact that Fred
Jackson had a 22 yard run mixed in there. You can't discredit the big
run, but another rough day for the big guys, including a play early on
when Brad Butler quit on a play while Lynch was still charging away.
When the normally relentless Butler has a listless play, you're having
a rough day.

Game ball:
-- Lee Evans, 2 catches, 88 yards, TD; 2-point conversion.
With all due respect to some gutsy catches from Josh Reed, it was
great to see Evans rebound from one of his worst games as a Bill to
catch two big deep balls and run a terrific route on the 2-point
conversion.

Lastly...
Let's start quickly against the Cardinals, huh? They should be fired
up after laying an egg in New York

Next week:
Arizona. Remember how the Bills looked good when they turned it around
after a terrible first-half. The Cardinals looked better when they did
the same in the third quarter against the Jets. As sad as it is to
say, Boldin's injury makes the Fitzgerald/Boldin/Breaston threat a
little more palatable for the Bills, who at the very least have a
dinged-up Terrence McGee. Regardless, I think I'll take the Cardinals
to end the dream of a perfect season, but check back with me later in
the week. Arizona 31, Buffalo 27.

Email: nick@wgr550.com

P.S. I don't hate hate hate the Mets — thought I do hate Whitey
gloating about their rare successes and he told me I was "nuts" to
pick the Phillies to win the division — but nice baseball team, New
York fans. Way to send Shea out in style.

Sixteen years ago, the Buffalo Bills began the season 3-0 on the way to a Super Bowl loss.

I was going to write something else intelligent about how the Bills are now 3-0, and how sixteen years ago I was playing squirt hockey for the Kenmore Knights, but I just sat and stared at the word "Super Bowl" for like 15 seconds and lost my entire train of thought. Actually, let me amend that -- I lost my entire spinning biosphere of thought.

You see, for the first time in a long time, winning the AFC East looks plausible. So, if I really wanted to dream, I could think about the Bills winning a playoff game or two. And if, say, someone slipped a crate of acid into my iced tea before I took a nap, I could have a long and vivid dream about the Super Bowl before, ultimately, dying. That dream might include flashbacks to the 1991 crazy night-game comeback against the then-Los Angeles Raiders I kept having during this game.

Yes, the Buffalo Bills are 3-0. After today, several other teams will fall from the ranks of "those unbeaten." Heck, the Patriots already have. So while I am leagues away from even predicting the Bills will win a playoff game, I feel legitimately pumped about the Bills.

Now, let's get a little deeper:

-- My favorite play of the game was Donte Whitner doing something really stupid. After Johnnie Lee Higgins (who?) lit up the defense for a 84-yard touchdown slant, the former-UTEP wide-out really classed it up, slowing down several times while out-racing Whitner to end zone. Whitner, justifiably, realized some guy named Johnnie Lee Higgins was showing him up and tackled him just short of the stands.

The 15 yards would've been costly, especially that close to the end of an obviously still winnable game, but I love the statements it makes:

A) Don't make Donte Whitner angry
2) That doesn't fly in Ralph Wilson Stadium
D) That doesn't fly against the Bills
20) Don't make Donte Whitner angry

-- Before we leave that play, two other crucial questions:

1) Why in the world would Paul Posluszny go for a one-handed interception instead of containing Higgins and forcing a punt?

2) What in the world was Higgins' touchdown dance? Seriously, someone go rewind the game and tell me. Was he figure skating? Doing interpretive dance? Combining sign language with a seizure?

-- Tell me when you want the negative stuff.

-- Good teams beat the teams they are supposed to beat, so maybe, just maybe, we have a good team on our hands. The Bills were awful for most of the day. Luckily for them, they played an equally-awful-performing team who lost one of their cornerbacks in the fourth quarter due to a case of idiocy. Thanks, Gibril Wilson! Josh Reed has never been so happy to be slapped in the face.

-- Ah, Trent Edwards. Right when we were getting ready to write-off a horrendous performance as "something that happens to a young quarterback," he decides to make 99 percent of Western New York forget about that first half (more on that later).

Edwards, and his line, were dynamite for the final 16 minutes and 54 seconds. The first of the three final scoring drives was of the 16-play, 96-yard drive variety. What followed were two seven-play drives to win the game, but perhaps most remarkable was that the drives weren't flawless, and the Bills didn't come apart. "Weren't flawless?" Heck, there was a 3rd-down-84-yard-usually-back-breaking-slant-route for the Raiders mixed in there. Wow.

--Speaking of quarterbacks. I'm pulling for Jamarcus Russell. Kid's got some tools, just needs to move pass Losman status in Oakland. I wasn't rooting for him against the Bills, by the way.

-- Don't you dare hate on Leodis McKelvin for being pushed out of bounds by Raiders' kicker Sebastian Janikowski. He had one chance of getting by Janikowski, who was angling McKelvin toward the sideline, and the Raiders had two special teamers coming if the Bills returner cut back.

Even moreso, Janikowski is a left-handed and -footed, and a right-handed kicker would not have been able to shove with the same force. It's funny how a detail like that can factor into a play. Also, Janikowski is known for being an aggressive tackling kicker -- that reads funny, I know -- and up until the last couple years would join in the rush upfield to pursue the returner.

He also was a member of Poland's U-17 National Soccer team before emigrating to the United States. Can you believe I just typed about the other team's kicker for this long?

-- Is it weird that I never thought the Bills would lose? After the 84-yard score to Higgins, I conceded that it was capable a Bills team performing this poorly could lose, but I never really felt Buffalo would fall to Oakland. It's probably because I'm so awesome.

-- Let's play Madlibs:

For more than three quarters (A Bills left guard) and (A Bills left tackle) looked like (mammal) (bodily fluid) as the (below average AFC West team)'s (defensive end or linebacker) abused them on the football field. I can't fathom how a (insulting noun) could possibly think missing training camp was a good idea.

Seriously, Jason Peters and Derrick Dockery were 670 pounds of uselessness for much of the game, and they compounded the rough day Edwards was having by making him rush throws. Edwards seemed to rush throws when defenders were not using a magnifying glass for identify the thread count on his jersey's name plate, as if he knew a Raider must be coming. Dockery looked great with Langston Walker in Week One, so go figure.

-- Pardon my anger after a good win, but shouldn't we be seeing some run-blocking from this line soon? Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson continue to grab yards after contact, and the contact seems to often be a yard in the backfield. It would be cool if the line would allow Lynch to put up some All-World statistics.

-- What in the world was up with the DeAngelo Hall interception? Can anyone explain it to me.

-- On the same topic, I loved when Dick Jauron looked at the official and asked if he actually had to throw the red challenge flag, and then dropped it a foot from his own shoe. Grown men, folks, grown men.

-- Off-topic from the win, I hate the entire situation with Lynch and his hit-and-run, how he dealt with it and how the police handled it, but I don't hate him for getting angry when the media brought the incident up during his Friday interview.

-- Another solid game for Ashton Youboty. Nice.

--Robert Gallery seems to finally be looking good as a blocker.

-- If Oakland coach Lane Kiffin gets fired after this performance, it's even more of a joke than had he been fired after the Raiders' Week Two win. One of Al Davis' problems with Kiffin is the coach's displeasure with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Well, if Kiffin gets sacked for Ryan's defense's failings, it's an even bigger act in the Oakland circus.

Stat line I enjoyed:
--Josh Reed, 6 catches, 72 yards.
Plus, he's really good at getting slapped in the helmet.

Stat line I also enjoyed:
-- Oakland running backs, 29 carries, 97 yards
A usually-accurate media peer of mine text messaged me during the game that the Bills' offensive and defensive lines were getting pushed around like it was 2007 all over again, but I disagree on the latter half. I thought Marcus Stroud, Chris Kelsay and Kyle Williams highlighted a solid defensive line performance. At the time of the text, the Raiders' backs were average 4.3 yards-per-carry. They finished the game at 3.34 yards-per-carry.

Stat line I didn't enjoy:
-- Bills offensive line, three sacks allowed
Get better already. You're supposed to be good at the pass blocking part.

Game ball:
-- Lynch, 23 carries, 83 yards, gymnastic TD; 4 catches, 31 yards.
What a freak! His touchdown was a pivoting, leaping thing of beauty. He gets the you-know-what hit out of him week-in and week-out, and keeps going. He's like a dread-locked Energizer bunny who loves chain restaurants and Lil' Wayne (I caught him singing "Got Money" on the way up the tunnel after Thursday's practice).

Lastly...
Don't do that again. By that I mean go down by double digits in the third-quarter, because I hope they have huge comebacks whenever they need them.

Next week:
St. Louis, who looks all sorts of awful. Being a road game should help the Bills' not look past them, and I'll predict a blow-out, even with Steven Jackson. Buffalo better not be doing what I am, and wondering if the Bills can stick with Kurt Warner and the Cardinals. Buffalo 34, St. Louis 10.

Let's type about it: nick@wgr550.com

Post-type, or "Some random, non-football points I need to get off my chest":

A) The carpets were cleaned in our office and smell like wasabi.
B) My soccer team, Buffalo City Football Club, hasn't lost since the Bills' preseason, so maybe we're good luck and the other teams should not show up and risk hurting the Bills?
C) The Cubs won their second-straight NL Central crown. Feel free to email me with ways they could blow it this year.