Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The 2000s so far: Moment No. 6
5:34 AM | 
Posted by
Nick Mendola
6. New York Rangers at Buffalo Sabres, Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game Five -- May 4, 2007
When I'm an old man, or even just an older dad, and discussions come up about athletes my kids never saw play, there's a good chance one will be waxed poetic more than most. He was listed at 5'10" -- key word: listed -- and he'd rather physically stop a puck with his face than let the opposition score. He didn't play major junior hockey, wasn't a first-round pick and wasn't considered indispensible by a middling Western Canadian hockey team, let alone the Stanley Cup Champions with whom he skated to start his career.
It's hard-to-believe now, but the career of Chris Drury was still that of an underdog story when he was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres on July 3, 2003.
To know the story of Game Five versus the Rangers is to identify with Drury's whole backstory, which is probably a large part of why Buffalo fell in love with Drury. He was constantly-valued, but constantly-expendable. He went to work every day, did his job the best he could. In doing his job, he was often better than everyone else, and often overlooked. A lot of Western New Yorkers feel that sting every day.
Even when he was named captain of his new hockey club, there was a rub. He'd wear the 'C' on half the nights, because there was another underdog story with a little more glitz to it. Daniel Briere was approximately 4'11", and he was dismissed by the Phoenix Coyotes. When that joke of a franchise sent him to minor leagues, the other NHL teams not named Buffalo didn't care to ink the dude.
Of course, all that changed in the course of three years. Drury went from a bargain to a steal to Buffalo's own Italian Job. The man was folklore dressed in blue-and-gold (Well, first, he was dressed in black, red, white, gray and silver). He had won the Little League World Series, and the Hobey Baker. He asked why there wasn't a picture of the Stanley Cup in the locker room. He just did things that made you want to buy him a beer or three.
His first year, the Sabres almost made a run to the playoffs. His second year, they gave the city a dream season that -- hint, hint -- we'll explore a little more later.
His third year, however, was the coup de grace. For the first time since the 1993 Bills, Western New York was backing the clear best team in the league in its Sabres. Buffalo would go 53-22-7, capturing the Presidents Trophy. Drury was no longer any sort of underdog, scoring a career-best 37 goals. It isn't far-fetched to say he won't come close to that figure again in his career.
But as much as there was magic in town, the playoffs brought a lot of questions. Buffalo did not look like world beaters in defeating the New York Islanders in five games in the first round of the playoffs. The series was even tied at a game a piece after two. They looked rusty against an Isles team that was certainly just happy to be there, and had little else in the line-up save for a rushed-back-to-the-ice and still-injured Rick DiPietro.
So, there were questions beginning to emerge about the team's heart heading into the second round series with the Rangers. Weren't these guys that much better than everyone else all year? How were they struggling with the Isles? Could Ryan Miller outplay Henrik Lundqvist?
Luckily for Buffalo, and Drury, the pundits inspired Miller. It'll be long-forgotten and perhaps even a bit irrelevant, but Miller's stats against the Rangers were impeccable. After Buffalo took Games One and Two at home, Miller gave one of the finest performances of his career came in a double overtime loss in Game Three, stopping 44 of 46 shots in a contest the Sabres were out-played and out-worked. Two nights later, Buffalo only managed one goal again, and the series was headed back to Buffalo with the sixth-seeded Rangers square with the East's best.
Now the questions were really pouring in -- Where was the leadership? It was the first time that query was raised in years, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. That, too -- hint, hint -- a little later.
There was a Game Five to be played, and the Sabres came out looking like the team that won the Presidents Trophy, out-shooting New York 24-14 through two periods. Still, goose eggs. Then, Martin Straka raised the collective blood pressure of Erie County by scoring with just 3:19 to go in the third to make it 1-0.
It looked bleak. It looked rough. If Charles Dickens had written the tale, someone's head would've been chopped off. But with 16.6 seconds to play, Lindy Ruff drew up a play for the a face-off deep in the New York end. Take it away, Rick Jeanneret...
"Puck goes to the boards, though, the Rangers... here's Drury after it in the corner. Drury spun it out in front. Here's the shot, blocked in front, rebound, SCOOOOOOORES! BUFFALO SCOOOOOOORES!!! CHRIS DRUUUUURRY!! WHO ELSE? WHO ELSE?!? CHRIS DRURY HAS TIED IT AT ONE WITH SEVEN-POINT-SEVEN SECONDS TO GO!"
Who else, indeed? HSBC Arena was electric, and the series inevitably became Buffalo's property. Unlike Game Three, it took Maxim Afinogenov just 4:39 to beat Lundqvist, and the Sabres finished the Rangers in New York a couple days later. Ultimately, Drury couldn't save the team against Ottawa, though he did score the only game-winner of the series.
The Presidents Trophy ride was over, and it was a monumental disappointment. The Ottawa series signalled the beginning of troubling times for the team.
By the time the 2009-10 season ends, Chris Drury's time in Buffalo will be equalled or bettered by his time in both New York and Colorado. His career stats will be read by eyes that know no better. If it ended today, his stats would look like a career minus-player who scored enough to matter to four or more teams.
In Buffalo, though, those 268 total games and 102 goals will mean a lot more, and a certain goal will ring in the city's minds. Maybe it'll even ring a little hollow. But there's no question that May 4, 2007 tally was a special one. As Drury's former teammate and captain Joe Sakic once said of Drury:
"You want a goal? You're in overtime? You want him."
We didn't want him. We had him.
Email: nick@wgr550.com
When I'm an old man, or even just an older dad, and discussions come up about athletes my kids never saw play, there's a good chance one will be waxed poetic more than most. He was listed at 5'10" -- key word: listed -- and he'd rather physically stop a puck with his face than let the opposition score. He didn't play major junior hockey, wasn't a first-round pick and wasn't considered indispensible by a middling Western Canadian hockey team, let alone the Stanley Cup Champions with whom he skated to start his career.
It's hard-to-believe now, but the career of Chris Drury was still that of an underdog story when he was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres on July 3, 2003.
To know the story of Game Five versus the Rangers is to identify with Drury's whole backstory, which is probably a large part of why Buffalo fell in love with Drury. He was constantly-valued, but constantly-expendable. He went to work every day, did his job the best he could. In doing his job, he was often better than everyone else, and often overlooked. A lot of Western New Yorkers feel that sting every day.
Even when he was named captain of his new hockey club, there was a rub. He'd wear the 'C' on half the nights, because there was another underdog story with a little more glitz to it. Daniel Briere was approximately 4'11", and he was dismissed by the Phoenix Coyotes. When that joke of a franchise sent him to minor leagues, the other NHL teams not named Buffalo didn't care to ink the dude.
Of course, all that changed in the course of three years. Drury went from a bargain to a steal to Buffalo's own Italian Job. The man was folklore dressed in blue-and-gold (Well, first, he was dressed in black, red, white, gray and silver). He had won the Little League World Series, and the Hobey Baker. He asked why there wasn't a picture of the Stanley Cup in the locker room. He just did things that made you want to buy him a beer or three.
His first year, the Sabres almost made a run to the playoffs. His second year, they gave the city a dream season that -- hint, hint -- we'll explore a little more later.
His third year, however, was the coup de grace. For the first time since the 1993 Bills, Western New York was backing the clear best team in the league in its Sabres. Buffalo would go 53-22-7, capturing the Presidents Trophy. Drury was no longer any sort of underdog, scoring a career-best 37 goals. It isn't far-fetched to say he won't come close to that figure again in his career.
But as much as there was magic in town, the playoffs brought a lot of questions. Buffalo did not look like world beaters in defeating the New York Islanders in five games in the first round of the playoffs. The series was even tied at a game a piece after two. They looked rusty against an Isles team that was certainly just happy to be there, and had little else in the line-up save for a rushed-back-to-the-ice and still-injured Rick DiPietro.
So, there were questions beginning to emerge about the team's heart heading into the second round series with the Rangers. Weren't these guys that much better than everyone else all year? How were they struggling with the Isles? Could Ryan Miller outplay Henrik Lundqvist?
Luckily for Buffalo, and Drury, the pundits inspired Miller. It'll be long-forgotten and perhaps even a bit irrelevant, but Miller's stats against the Rangers were impeccable. After Buffalo took Games One and Two at home, Miller gave one of the finest performances of his career came in a double overtime loss in Game Three, stopping 44 of 46 shots in a contest the Sabres were out-played and out-worked. Two nights later, Buffalo only managed one goal again, and the series was headed back to Buffalo with the sixth-seeded Rangers square with the East's best.
Now the questions were really pouring in -- Where was the leadership? It was the first time that query was raised in years, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. That, too -- hint, hint -- a little later.
There was a Game Five to be played, and the Sabres came out looking like the team that won the Presidents Trophy, out-shooting New York 24-14 through two periods. Still, goose eggs. Then, Martin Straka raised the collective blood pressure of Erie County by scoring with just 3:19 to go in the third to make it 1-0.
It looked bleak. It looked rough. If Charles Dickens had written the tale, someone's head would've been chopped off. But with 16.6 seconds to play, Lindy Ruff drew up a play for the a face-off deep in the New York end. Take it away, Rick Jeanneret...
"Puck goes to the boards, though, the Rangers... here's Drury after it in the corner. Drury spun it out in front. Here's the shot, blocked in front, rebound, SCOOOOOOORES! BUFFALO SCOOOOOOORES!!! CHRIS DRUUUUURRY!! WHO ELSE? WHO ELSE?!? CHRIS DRURY HAS TIED IT AT ONE WITH SEVEN-POINT-SEVEN SECONDS TO GO!"
Who else, indeed? HSBC Arena was electric, and the series inevitably became Buffalo's property. Unlike Game Three, it took Maxim Afinogenov just 4:39 to beat Lundqvist, and the Sabres finished the Rangers in New York a couple days later. Ultimately, Drury couldn't save the team against Ottawa, though he did score the only game-winner of the series.
The Presidents Trophy ride was over, and it was a monumental disappointment. The Ottawa series signalled the beginning of troubling times for the team.
By the time the 2009-10 season ends, Chris Drury's time in Buffalo will be equalled or bettered by his time in both New York and Colorado. His career stats will be read by eyes that know no better. If it ended today, his stats would look like a career minus-player who scored enough to matter to four or more teams.
In Buffalo, though, those 268 total games and 102 goals will mean a lot more, and a certain goal will ring in the city's minds. Maybe it'll even ring a little hollow. But there's no question that May 4, 2007 tally was a special one. As Drury's former teammate and captain Joe Sakic once said of Drury:
"You want a goal? You're in overtime? You want him."
We didn't want him. We had him.
Email: nick@wgr550.com
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The 2000s so far: Moment No. 7 (tie)
7. (tie) The UB Bulls win the MAC Championship with a stunning upset win over No. 12 Ball State -- December 5, 2008
One of the greater arguments for the 2008 UB football team's place in history is how it ressurrected one of the finest forgotten stories in NCAA history. While pundits and fans were celebrating Turner Gill's meteoric turnaround of the Bulls from a tomato can to a gutty prize fighter, reporters were unearthing stories of the 1958 Buffalo squad that showed what defines a team.
But before we worry about that, there's this thing on the field that folks like called football, and UB had a heck of a team rolling into Detroit for the 2008 Mid American Conference Championship. Their task as a program was relatively epic -- beat an undefeated team eyeing up a BCS Bowl, and do it in your first championship game. Oh, by the way, you've never beaten your opponent in the history of your program, let alone a ranked team.
Seriously, UB? Who were they to think they'd do anything against No. 12 Ball State, a team that hadn't really played a close game all year? Only one of the Cardinals' 12 wins that year was by less than 12 points, a 31-24 road victory at a very good Central Michigan team. Ball State had quarterback Nate Davis, a signal caller being viewed as a lock to leave school early and find a home in the National Football League.
Perhaps the great naivete of the program played a big part. Most of the Bulls players, coaches, administrators and fans didn't know any better. In a season that saw a win on a Hail Mary, three overtime victories and comeback stories Hollywood wouldn't touch, the community seemed to have the mindset of "%^&$ it, we're here, so let's do this. Why not?"
Why not?
The Bulls had a couple of pocket aces, though. Athletic director Warde Manuel and head coach Gill had done this dance before, Manuel as a defensive end under Bo Schembechler at Michigan and Gill as a Heisman-hopeful quarterback under Tom Osborne at Nebraska. They may not have known any better as first-time men-in-charge, but they didn't seem to care all that much about predictions. They did, after all, agree to take over a Division-I football program that had been deemed all but a monumental flop in Western New York.
Which brings us full circle to that 1958 team. Say what you will about Buffalo moving forward, but the Bulls athletic department would have to be considered progressive. UB was the only D-I school with a black athletic director (Manuel), head football coach (Gill) and head men's basketball coach (Witherspoon) -- the latter of which had captured the campus with a gritty group of hoopsters in 2005.
That willingness to hire the best man for the job honored the '58 boys, a team that turned down an invitation to The Tangerine Bowl because the event wouldn't let Buffalo's two African American players participate in the game. That honorable sting wasn't fixed with the next winning season and a more reasonable bowl committee -- Buffalo wouldn't be bowl-eligible for 50 years.
So, you'd say bless the aforementioned naivete at first glance. How would these players, barely noticeable on a national scale after a 7-5 season, take down a conference giant they'd never vanquished?
Well, unlike most Buffalo teams, they'd get bounces. Playing with the trademark brash and reckless abandon of their coach, the Bulls unleashed their physical game on a nationally-televised scale, hanging tough for a nice story as the first half ended with the Bulls trailing, 10-7. When local product Naaman Roosevelt snagged a 39-yard touchdown pass from Drew Willy to give the Bulls a 14-10 lead, Ball State came right back and punched the upstart Bulls in the gut with a compassionless seven-play, 65 yard touchdown drive capped off by a Miquale Lewis touchdown run.
17-14, Cardinals.
Two plays later, the Bulls appeared on the verge of folding to this team that had beaten them seven times in seven tries. Buffalo fumbled the ball away to the Cardinals, who marched down the field in a hurry. From the 1-yard line, the only certain thing was the crying. Would it be Lewis again? Would Davis pull out some trickery? How would Ball State secure their undefeated campaign for another month?
Davis ran left and got his proverbial highlight reel ready, taking to the air to reach the Buffalo goal line. Only problem is, Josh Thomas popped him pretty good, and safety Mike Newton was gone... 99 yards gone. Three-and-a-half minutes later, Sherrod Lott scooped up another Cardinals fumbled and raced 74 yards for the score. By the time Niagara Falls native James Starks scored late in the fourth quarter, the Bulls held a 42-24 lead.
The win came with all the glorious accoutrements we don't see here in Buffalo, and one you don't really see anywhere, as a teary-eyed, voice-shaking Gill addressed the world.
"These guys... I'm just proud of them, man," Gill said, his voice wavering while being interviewed by ESPN's Rob Stone, who asked him where the moment ranks in his big-moment-filled career.
"The greatest.. just because of this program was at, and these guys come through in three years and become MAC Champs. I talked about becoming champions, and they did it... they did it. I'm proud of them."
Then, in a moment too emotional to recapture in words, the camera did the talking. Gill met Manuel a few yards away, and two grown men too large for life wept in victory.
Gill's gone to Kansas now, and Manuel's due to get a big call sometime soon, but no one can take that moment from Buffalo.
See the highlights and interview mentioned here: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=283402084
Email: nick@wgr550.com
One of the greater arguments for the 2008 UB football team's place in history is how it ressurrected one of the finest forgotten stories in NCAA history. While pundits and fans were celebrating Turner Gill's meteoric turnaround of the Bulls from a tomato can to a gutty prize fighter, reporters were unearthing stories of the 1958 Buffalo squad that showed what defines a team.
But before we worry about that, there's this thing on the field that folks like called football, and UB had a heck of a team rolling into Detroit for the 2008 Mid American Conference Championship. Their task as a program was relatively epic -- beat an undefeated team eyeing up a BCS Bowl, and do it in your first championship game. Oh, by the way, you've never beaten your opponent in the history of your program, let alone a ranked team.
Seriously, UB? Who were they to think they'd do anything against No. 12 Ball State, a team that hadn't really played a close game all year? Only one of the Cardinals' 12 wins that year was by less than 12 points, a 31-24 road victory at a very good Central Michigan team. Ball State had quarterback Nate Davis, a signal caller being viewed as a lock to leave school early and find a home in the National Football League.
Perhaps the great naivete of the program played a big part. Most of the Bulls players, coaches, administrators and fans didn't know any better. In a season that saw a win on a Hail Mary, three overtime victories and comeback stories Hollywood wouldn't touch, the community seemed to have the mindset of "%^&$ it, we're here, so let's do this. Why not?"
Why not?
The Bulls had a couple of pocket aces, though. Athletic director Warde Manuel and head coach Gill had done this dance before, Manuel as a defensive end under Bo Schembechler at Michigan and Gill as a Heisman-hopeful quarterback under Tom Osborne at Nebraska. They may not have known any better as first-time men-in-charge, but they didn't seem to care all that much about predictions. They did, after all, agree to take over a Division-I football program that had been deemed all but a monumental flop in Western New York.
Which brings us full circle to that 1958 team. Say what you will about Buffalo moving forward, but the Bulls athletic department would have to be considered progressive. UB was the only D-I school with a black athletic director (Manuel), head football coach (Gill) and head men's basketball coach (Witherspoon) -- the latter of which had captured the campus with a gritty group of hoopsters in 2005.
That willingness to hire the best man for the job honored the '58 boys, a team that turned down an invitation to The Tangerine Bowl because the event wouldn't let Buffalo's two African American players participate in the game. That honorable sting wasn't fixed with the next winning season and a more reasonable bowl committee -- Buffalo wouldn't be bowl-eligible for 50 years.
So, you'd say bless the aforementioned naivete at first glance. How would these players, barely noticeable on a national scale after a 7-5 season, take down a conference giant they'd never vanquished?
Well, unlike most Buffalo teams, they'd get bounces. Playing with the trademark brash and reckless abandon of their coach, the Bulls unleashed their physical game on a nationally-televised scale, hanging tough for a nice story as the first half ended with the Bulls trailing, 10-7. When local product Naaman Roosevelt snagged a 39-yard touchdown pass from Drew Willy to give the Bulls a 14-10 lead, Ball State came right back and punched the upstart Bulls in the gut with a compassionless seven-play, 65 yard touchdown drive capped off by a Miquale Lewis touchdown run.
17-14, Cardinals.
Two plays later, the Bulls appeared on the verge of folding to this team that had beaten them seven times in seven tries. Buffalo fumbled the ball away to the Cardinals, who marched down the field in a hurry. From the 1-yard line, the only certain thing was the crying. Would it be Lewis again? Would Davis pull out some trickery? How would Ball State secure their undefeated campaign for another month?
Davis ran left and got his proverbial highlight reel ready, taking to the air to reach the Buffalo goal line. Only problem is, Josh Thomas popped him pretty good, and safety Mike Newton was gone... 99 yards gone. Three-and-a-half minutes later, Sherrod Lott scooped up another Cardinals fumbled and raced 74 yards for the score. By the time Niagara Falls native James Starks scored late in the fourth quarter, the Bulls held a 42-24 lead.
The win came with all the glorious accoutrements we don't see here in Buffalo, and one you don't really see anywhere, as a teary-eyed, voice-shaking Gill addressed the world.
"These guys... I'm just proud of them, man," Gill said, his voice wavering while being interviewed by ESPN's Rob Stone, who asked him where the moment ranks in his big-moment-filled career.
"The greatest.. just because of this program was at, and these guys come through in three years and become MAC Champs. I talked about becoming champions, and they did it... they did it. I'm proud of them."
Then, in a moment too emotional to recapture in words, the camera did the talking. Gill met Manuel a few yards away, and two grown men too large for life wept in victory.
Gill's gone to Kansas now, and Manuel's due to get a big call sometime soon, but no one can take that moment from Buffalo.
See the highlights and interview mentioned here: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=283402084
Email: nick@wgr550.com
Monday, December 21, 2009
The 2000s so far: Moment No. 7 (tie)
7. (tie) The Bills trade a 2003 first-rounder to New England for Drew Bledsoe -- April 21, 2002
The 2001 Buffalo Bills were awful, and first year head coach Gregg Williams had a mess on his hands that felt even worse than the 3-13 mark the team threw up on the field. Two of his top three tacklers were guys named Jay Foreman and Keith Newman. A career third-stringer played 12 games at quarterback, throwing 307 passes. Their second-round pick of a running back, Travis Henry, averaging 3.4 yards-per-carry during his first season with the job.
So you can imagine that ticker tape didn't appear on the menu when Bills fans addressed their offseason needs. This team was bad. It had more holes that a men's mesh tank top, and was just as appealing to the eye.
On April 21, 2002, in multiple pops of a flash-bulb, the story and mood changed in Buffalo. The Bills had a new quarterback, and things looked great. His middle named was McQueen and he threw bullets. Buffalo had dealt their 2003 first-round pick to divisional rival New England to acquire prolific passer Drew Bledsoe, the same Bledsoe who would finish his career by totalling 3,083 yards, 20 touchdowns and just nine interceptions in 14 games against the Bills.
The story almost seems like a joke now, but try to remember just being a handful of years removed from glory and imagining the next Hall of Fame quarterback of the Buffalo Bills was coming to town. The Howard Simon Show's co-host, Jeremy White, can.
"It was legit," White writes. "Don't let anyone talk you into thinking he was totally washed-up. The Patriots only dumped him because his replacment never lost. Bledsoe was good...that parade was warranted."
It's hard-to-argue. Three Bills had "helped" the Bills throw for 18 touchdowns in 2001's miserable campaign. Bledsoe had thrown for more five times in his career since being the first pick in 1993's NFL Draft. Heck, he tossed his 18th touchdown as a Bill by Week 11 of 2002.
In three years in Buffalo, Bledsoe would throw for 10,151 yards, 55 touchdowns and 43 interceptions while being sacked an almost-absurd 140 times. In a bizarre and sad case of "got 'til it's gone," Bledsoe was run out of town after averaging 3,383 yards passing per season. Since he left, the Bills as a team haven't come close to that figure, only twice throwing for more than 3,000 yards. Only one quarterback, J.P. Losman in 2006, threw for more than 3,000 yards on his own.
Forget the failures that would come. Bills fans threw Drew Bledsoe a coronation party that in some ways would be fitting by the time he left. In a sickening decade for Buffalo football, Bledsoe was -- by far -- Bills quarterback royalty.
Fun fact: The Pats turned the 2003 first-round draft pick into defensive end Ty Warren by trading picks with Chicago. Warren's first game for New England was.... a 31-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on September 7, 2003.
What event also registered at No. 7? Log on Tuesday morning to find out.
Email: nick@wgr550.com
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Immediate Reactions, Wk15
For more pathetic, self-deprecating immediate thoughts, head to twitter.com/NicholasMendola. Let's be friends.
Fool me once, shame on me.
Fool me every year since 1999, shame on... me. More shame on me. Giant giraffe-height wheelbarrows full of shame on me.
I hate sports right now...
-- The Howard Simon Show spent an hour or two this week talking about the face of the Bills for this decade. There might not be a better one than Aaron Maybin, who was offsides on a play where the Bills successfully recovered an onside kick. Now, that sentence may read like jumping the gun in a few years since defensive ends tend to start slow, but I'm comfortable saying that he might lose an IQ test battle for his life against a cucumber. Twice this year he has been offsides in terrible situations, and this one was the worst.
I didn't see the after-play, but I'd imagine Maybin was celebrating like he made a huge difference on that play. I'd bet the first-round pick of a project defensive end was gesticulating wildly like he's the Lion King. Well, seriously, this is our team this decade, and they passed on three sure-thing USC linebackers and a possible defensive rookie of the year defensive end from Texas for a project who tried to give himself a nickname by shaving "Mayhem" into the side of his head. Hey! Maybe he turns out to be a stud.
-- How did Josh Reed come down with the stink disease for a play? That fourth-quarter-fourth-down drop, too, was emblematic of the Bills struggles. He has made so many solid catches while being labeled since he was labeled "Drops" Reed for a period of time. Then again, in theory, shouldn't every play?
-- This isn't going to be a long post. I'm far-too-sour.
-- And to you, Donte Whitner? What happened, man? He's been absolutely brutal.
-- Another brutally-hard-to-swallow fact about this team in our area is the celebrations after every opposition mistake in which you played very little part.
-- Right when I was convincing myself Alex Van Pelt wasn't to blame all that much for the Bills woes, he spends another week ignoring the fact that his running backs were gashing the opposition. I feel like Fred Jackson's stat line sat at 11 carries for 73 yards for almost a full quarter.
-- Dan Dierdorf is rarely good, but he was at his worst during this one. "Good teams have good players that make better plays more often" was a close-first place in front of "This has been one of the better Bill Belichick coaching jobs of his career" and calling Josh Reed "Josh Evans." Horse-garbage sundae, Dan!
-- You could convince me it'll be another 13 losses to New England after the Bills blew two prime chances to take advantage of a down Pats team, let alone a down Pats division.
-- Another sad fact: Ryan Fitzpatrick -- as poor as he played at times -- had a much better game than Tom Brady.
-- How in the world does a defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach or head coach not know to cover Wes Welker on a 3rd-and-long with the game on the line?
-- It's sadistic, but I can appreciate that the main three critiques of Trent Edwards -- checks down too quickly, freezes in the face of a rush and is too physically fragile -- all happened during what should be his last series of plays as a Buffalo Bill. And to think, I was imagining how to react when he lead the Bills to a 14-point comeback win. Silly me.
Stat line I enjoyed:
Tom Brady, 11-for-23, 115 yards, touchdown, interception
-- I'm excited to watch them not win in the playoffs.
Stat line I didn't enjoy:
New England defense, six sacks
-- Tully "I Heart Losman" Banta-Cain had three sacks. Nice. Banta-Cain has beaten the Bills as a Pat, left for Oakland, re-signed with the Pats and beat Buffalo again. Tully bleeping Banta-Cain.
Game ball:
Paul Posluszny, nine tackles, interception, tackle-for-loss
-- I had a typo of "tackle-for-lass," but that's Tiger Woods territory. Hey-o!
Lastly...
I've watched close to 98 percent of the televised Bills games since I was seven years old. I'll watch the last two of the season as well, but please let Brian Brohm, Stevie Johnson and James Hardy play. Sign some guys you think have potential. Bench some underperforming guys, or players who need an attitude adjustment.
Next Week:
Atlanta 735, Buffalo -4.
Email: nick@wgr550.com
Fool me once, shame on me.
Fool me every year since 1999, shame on... me. More shame on me. Giant giraffe-height wheelbarrows full of shame on me.
I hate sports right now...
-- The Howard Simon Show spent an hour or two this week talking about the face of the Bills for this decade. There might not be a better one than Aaron Maybin, who was offsides on a play where the Bills successfully recovered an onside kick. Now, that sentence may read like jumping the gun in a few years since defensive ends tend to start slow, but I'm comfortable saying that he might lose an IQ test battle for his life against a cucumber. Twice this year he has been offsides in terrible situations, and this one was the worst.
I didn't see the after-play, but I'd imagine Maybin was celebrating like he made a huge difference on that play. I'd bet the first-round pick of a project defensive end was gesticulating wildly like he's the Lion King. Well, seriously, this is our team this decade, and they passed on three sure-thing USC linebackers and a possible defensive rookie of the year defensive end from Texas for a project who tried to give himself a nickname by shaving "Mayhem" into the side of his head. Hey! Maybe he turns out to be a stud.
-- How did Josh Reed come down with the stink disease for a play? That fourth-quarter-fourth-down drop, too, was emblematic of the Bills struggles. He has made so many solid catches while being labeled since he was labeled "Drops" Reed for a period of time. Then again, in theory, shouldn't every play?
-- This isn't going to be a long post. I'm far-too-sour.
-- And to you, Donte Whitner? What happened, man? He's been absolutely brutal.
-- Another brutally-hard-to-swallow fact about this team in our area is the celebrations after every opposition mistake in which you played very little part.
-- Right when I was convincing myself Alex Van Pelt wasn't to blame all that much for the Bills woes, he spends another week ignoring the fact that his running backs were gashing the opposition. I feel like Fred Jackson's stat line sat at 11 carries for 73 yards for almost a full quarter.
-- Dan Dierdorf is rarely good, but he was at his worst during this one. "Good teams have good players that make better plays more often" was a close-first place in front of "This has been one of the better Bill Belichick coaching jobs of his career" and calling Josh Reed "Josh Evans." Horse-garbage sundae, Dan!
-- You could convince me it'll be another 13 losses to New England after the Bills blew two prime chances to take advantage of a down Pats team, let alone a down Pats division.
-- Another sad fact: Ryan Fitzpatrick -- as poor as he played at times -- had a much better game than Tom Brady.
-- How in the world does a defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach or head coach not know to cover Wes Welker on a 3rd-and-long with the game on the line?
-- It's sadistic, but I can appreciate that the main three critiques of Trent Edwards -- checks down too quickly, freezes in the face of a rush and is too physically fragile -- all happened during what should be his last series of plays as a Buffalo Bill. And to think, I was imagining how to react when he lead the Bills to a 14-point comeback win. Silly me.
Stat line I enjoyed:
Tom Brady, 11-for-23, 115 yards, touchdown, interception
-- I'm excited to watch them not win in the playoffs.
Stat line I didn't enjoy:
New England defense, six sacks
-- Tully "I Heart Losman" Banta-Cain had three sacks. Nice. Banta-Cain has beaten the Bills as a Pat, left for Oakland, re-signed with the Pats and beat Buffalo again. Tully bleeping Banta-Cain.
Game ball:
Paul Posluszny, nine tackles, interception, tackle-for-loss
-- I had a typo of "tackle-for-lass," but that's Tiger Woods territory. Hey-o!
Lastly...
I've watched close to 98 percent of the televised Bills games since I was seven years old. I'll watch the last two of the season as well, but please let Brian Brohm, Stevie Johnson and James Hardy play. Sign some guys you think have potential. Bench some underperforming guys, or players who need an attitude adjustment.
Next Week:
Atlanta 735, Buffalo -4.
Email: nick@wgr550.com
Friday, December 18, 2009
The 2000s so far: Moment No. 9
9. Bills announce Toronto Series with Press Conference in Toronto -- February 7, 2008
I felt like some sort of dark Paul Revere, relaying a miserable story of a moribund franchise to a beaten-down fanbase. Everyone has days they hate their job, but the worst day of my professional career was spent listening to two old, rich men shoot down the notion that anything mattered other than money. The date was Thursday, February 7, 2008, and I’ve never been angrier while covering a story.
I felt like some sort of dark Paul Revere, relaying a miserable story of a moribund franchise to a beaten-down fanbase. Everyone has days they hate their job, but the worst day of my professional career was spent listening to two old, rich men shoot down the notion that anything mattered other than money. The date was Thursday, February 7, 2008, and I’ve never been angrier while covering a story.
The day was a relatively bright one for winter in Toronto, and the drive should’ve been fine. We had known for about a week that the announcement of the Buffalo Bills playing five regular season and three preseason games in Toronto over the course of five years was coming, but there is no way we could’ve imagined it would be announced in such a horrid fashion.
The conference was held in a massive hotel ballroom – high ceilings, chandeliers and picture windows set the scene for one of our area’s greater sports upheavals – and it was attended by hundreds of media members.
A few minutes late, in came Bills owner Ralph Wilson along with "Bills in Toronto" cohorts Ted Rogers and Larry Tanenbaum. They strolled down the aisle as well as two elderly men could, passing by me on the right with the pomp and circumstance normally reserved for royalty ages ago.
Sitting in front of a backdrop dotted with Bills logos and crossed American and Canadian flags, the trio repeatedly slapped the "poor and unworthy" small markets that Wilson so cherished right in the face, laughing at the prospect of setting prices as high as they could and patronizing the sad-sack Buffalo Bills fans.
Toronto has construction and economy! Toronto has progress! Buffalo is a dying town with dead people who don’t spend enough money. Be happy you have a team! An area your size doesn’t deserve one!
No one would argue that Wilson spoke some truth, maybe a lot of it, but what his peers and his words did was pull back the curtain on sentiments that had been whispered for a long time. Ralph Wilson is not your grandfather – He’s your friend’s grandfather. He’s happy to give you a Werther’s Original provided he and his grandson have a handful of them and a fridge fully-stocked with gold bricks (to keep them cold, of course).
The coup de grace came when Wilson had the chance to reassure Bills fans that this was just to help save the team’s future in Buffalo. Three seconds of his time and a well-placed phrase might ease the pain of an area that keeps breathing through the deep bruises in its guts and ribs.
"Don't worry," he said. "Don't worry, right now."
And with those words, it seemed a countdown clock started ticking in the minds and hearts of Buffalo Bills fans. Moral victories became nothing and minor losses became Doomsday. If you want to point to the moment Bills fans starting leaving hope on the shelf of The Bills Store, February 7, 2008, is the best place to start.
Of course, the results have been poor for all parties involved, save perhaps Mr. Wilson and the Bills, who made $78 million on the deal. The first two events at the Rogers Centre, a preseason game and a regular season one were miserable failures. The 2009 game against the Jets was whispered to be on the same track, though it sold-out week-of-game, and appeared to be well-attended. So where do the signs point? Here's WGR program director Andy Roth, who listed this moment in his Top Five.
"The scariest thought to have is to think the Bills will move, but I still believe the end game is to share the franchise with our friends up North," Roth said.
Moment No. 8 comes Monday morning.
Email: nick@wgr550.com
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The 2000s so far: Moment No. 10
We here at WGR Sports Radio 550 have asked each of our staff members to submit their opinions on their five most memorable events or moments in this decade of Buffalo sports history. The hope was to create a Top Ten. Actually, hope is a terrible choice of word. The probability of getting it done is 100 percent. So, the votes were weighted (No. 1 vote worth five points, No. 2 worth four, etc.) and the number of individual mentions were used as tiebreakers. We hope you enjoy this trip down (mostly) Broken Heart Lane.
10. Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes, Eastern Conference Finals, Game Seven, June 1, 2006
– Seriously, bleepity-bleep the first of any month for Buffalo sports. The Hasek trade, Drury/Briere-Gate and the Day of the Depleted Defenseman all took place on the date celebrated by Bone Thugs ‘N Harmony. I remember getting this text on the drive into work early that morning and thinking it was a joke.
“McKee in hospital. Might not play tonight.”
Honestly, with three regular blue liners already missing from the Eastern Conference Finals line-up, I laughed and continued my drive. Arrival at the station brought the truth: It wasn’t a rumour. It was a staph infection. A leg demon of some sorts had attached itself to Jay McKee’s old, trusty shin pad, later working its way into a cut on his leg. Already missing Henrik Tallinder, Teppo Numminen and Dmitri Kalinin, the Sabres would be without the veteran shot-absorber.
Can you name the six defensemen the Sabres suited up for Game Seven of the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals? Maybe you can now, but this question will be a prize-winner come the “Best of 2010-2019” survey. Brian Campbell, Toni Lydman, Rory Fitzpatrick, Nathan Paetsch, Jeff Jillson and Doug Janik. With all due respect to those players, if those guys were your Top Six, you might not win seven games in a year.
In retrospect it’s amazing that Sabres fans didn’t feel doomed entering that game, especially given the attitude toward Buffalo sports in 2009, but this team felt different. A colleague of mine at the station and I would have discussions about what we’re going to do when the Sabres win the Cup; where we wanted to be and who we wanted to be with… POOF. This was before medallions and waiting lists. This team was like the first month of a whirlwind romance, and it was between a city, team and fans spurned by plenty of potential lovers. We were a collection of underdogs right out of "Born To Run."
Ronald McDonald, er, Mike Commodore’s second goal of the playoffs made it 1-0 in a first period that featured just 16 total shots, and life didn’t feel all that good. Those valiant Sabres fought back however with a brilliant second period, with two goals against Carolina netminder in 4:05. First, Janik – seriously, Doug Janik – netted a shot from the right point with help from Ales Kotalik and Jochen Hecht. Then, with five seconds left in the period, Western New York leapt to the ceiling. Hecht had beaten Ward – with guys named Drury and Campbell with helpers -- and the Sabres were 20 minutes from the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Canes were not to be deterred from re-establishing the lead on their home ice, striking twice on tallies by Doug Weight and Rod Brind’Amour. One goal came when Fitzpatrick lost the puck between his feet and a screen shot beat Ryan Miller.
Surely, these Sabres wouldn’t go out on a weak goal like that!
Surely, these Sabres would muster the gumption to reclaim the lead!
Yet like “Casey at the Bat,” Sabres fans were left wanting with under a minute to play as Justin Williams’ fifth goal of the playoffs punched destiny right in the gut. Dan Hager, producer of The Howard Simon Show, remembers the night as such:
"This is the closest we had been to a championship since 'Wide Right' and I still can't believe this one didn't happen," Hager said. "When this series came to an end I knew this was our chance and we were foiled again. That team fought through injuries throughout the line-up all year long and it finally caught up to them in the end, a Game Seven loss to the Hurricanes. But I can also say that I have never had a better time in this city than during that playoff run."
There was no joy in Mudville that night, but there was an awful lot of pride.
Log-on Friday for The No. 9 Buffalo Sports Moment of the 2000s so far.
Email: nick@wgr550.com
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Immediate Reactions, Wk14
It was a very active day in the extra-immediate reactions world known as my Twitter page. Head there for in-game posts.
The Bills may be bad, but they aren't Chiefs bad. Yeesh. Kansas City deserves a better pick than Buffalo.
And "Operation 7-9" commences...
-- I know this is a single game article, but I think a lot of folks would be open to talking about with Perry Fewell as head coach if they knew, absolutely and certainly, that the rest of the front office was overthrown.
-- The Bills are now tied with the Packers for the most interceptions in the National Football League. Who would've thought rookie safety Jairus Byrd would be leading the league in interceptions and former wide receiver George Wilson would have collected four interceptions while leading the team in tackles? Seriously, this is Buffalo football now. I'm not even complaining, but Bryan Scott and Wilson were 450th-string safeties, and now they are making pivotal plays. Coach 'em up, Per.
-- After those nice words about Wilson, the Bills definitely could've been whistled for a brutally-obvious pass interference call on the last play of the game.
-- I've got some interest in discussing Paul Posluszny as a football player. He's not the fastest dude on Earth, and he's been hurt several times, but is there a chance he's been the victim of a garbage set of linebackers? He's put up 83 tackles, a sack and two interceptions, and maybe if he was working with a ballhawk like Brian Cushing or Clay Matthews, Jr., Bills fans would feel a lot better about Pos.
-- I'm still having trouble believing Alex "Madden Playcalling" Van Pelt showed as much allegiance to the run as he should've for once, and I wonder what he would do with an actual line and quarterback. I still want Bill Cowher in here -- yeah, right -- or someone of his ilk, but if the ownership goes status quo, who knows?
-- The 2009 Buffalo Bills have reinforced what should be a universal truth: players can win without coaches, but coaches can't win without players. Perry Fewell didn't make any decisions I truly questions in Buffalo's 16-10 win in Kansas City, and the team still didn't win. Now, would Dick Jauron have made a decision to change the flow of this game? Sure. He probably would've let Bobby April fake that final Chiefs punt with just over a minute to play. Fewell's 2-2, and I believe this team would've been 7-9 with him at the helm, not that that means anything for next year. The question to ask yourself: If the Fewell-led Bills beat the Pats and either the Falcons or Colts, wouldn't you consider him at least as good an option as some other also-ran in the league?
-- Nice, big day for Marshawn Lynch and Freddy Jackson. Lynch would've had a 100-yard day in the easiest of ways if he would've just headed back to the "run people over" approach instead of trying to be an actual running back. There's something to be said for the idea of "Beast Mode," that Lynch has to play like a bull rather than do the Ickey Shuffle behind the line of scrimmage. Jackson, of course, had his standard super-steady-but-unspectacular game.
-- I've said it all year, and it may be the only true universal truth I have in stone about these Bills. They are two NFL-caliber linebackers away from being a very good defense. As much as folks talk about nose tackles being a big part of a run defense, it's usually the Brian Urlachers, A.J. Hawks and Ray Lewises that make things happen in the "gaps."
-- I want to know how Eric Wood is doing, because it'll do a lot to shape where I think the Bills need to go in the offseason. I know Fewell said he doesn't believe the leg injury to be career-threating.
-- Ryan Fitzpatrick... yeesh. I want to see Brian Brohm right now. Let's find out if there's a glimmer in ol' Bromulus and Remus. Let's see if he can be the Atomic Brohm. I'd love to know if he's a star like Brohminik Hasek. I need to know if the Bills web site should be BuffaloBIlls-dot-Brohm. Or perhaps he'll be another Bills quarterback conundrum, much like VietBrohm. Please Bills, give my awful sense of humor three weeks here.
-- By the way, Bills fans could think about welcoming Owens back next year, but I bet he sees Brandon Marshall break his record with Kyle Orton as quarterback and thinks, "What the &*^&!"
-- I kinda feel bad for Matt Cassel until I remember he's rich. With Dwayne Bowe suspended, he has almost nothing going for him.
-- Aaron Schobel is up to eight sacks, and Chris Kelsay's up to five. With a healthy Stroud and Williams, these guys are getting a bum rap from their linebackers.
-- There must be something in the water, because we can welcome Fitzpatrick to the "Hey, Lee Evans is on the team" club.
Stat line I enjoyed:
Bryan Scott, nine tackles, one sack
-- For a safety playing linebacker severely underweight, his performance has been admirable.
Stat line I didn't enjoy:
Ryan Fitzpatrick, 12-of-20, 86 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
-- That interception was one of the worst in recent history, and think about what that means.
Game ball:
The offensive line
-- This much-maligned unit only allowed two sacks, and pushed the Chiefs around for 5.7 yards-per-carry on 35 attempts. Seriously, give those hogs a hand (but then wash it. Swine flu and whatnot).
Lastly...
I've said enough. Seriously. Who even watched this one?
Next Week:
You should stop reading my predictions. I had the Chiefs winning, 20-10. In my defense, I didn't know they were clearly worse than the Bills. Honestly, would you put it past the Bills to unload on the Pats? I bet you would. New England 27, Buffalo 16.
Email: nick@wgr550.com
The Bills may be bad, but they aren't Chiefs bad. Yeesh. Kansas City deserves a better pick than Buffalo.
And "Operation 7-9" commences...
-- I know this is a single game article, but I think a lot of folks would be open to talking about with Perry Fewell as head coach if they knew, absolutely and certainly, that the rest of the front office was overthrown.
-- The Bills are now tied with the Packers for the most interceptions in the National Football League. Who would've thought rookie safety Jairus Byrd would be leading the league in interceptions and former wide receiver George Wilson would have collected four interceptions while leading the team in tackles? Seriously, this is Buffalo football now. I'm not even complaining, but Bryan Scott and Wilson were 450th-string safeties, and now they are making pivotal plays. Coach 'em up, Per.
-- After those nice words about Wilson, the Bills definitely could've been whistled for a brutally-obvious pass interference call on the last play of the game.
-- I've got some interest in discussing Paul Posluszny as a football player. He's not the fastest dude on Earth, and he's been hurt several times, but is there a chance he's been the victim of a garbage set of linebackers? He's put up 83 tackles, a sack and two interceptions, and maybe if he was working with a ballhawk like Brian Cushing or Clay Matthews, Jr., Bills fans would feel a lot better about Pos.
-- I'm still having trouble believing Alex "Madden Playcalling" Van Pelt showed as much allegiance to the run as he should've for once, and I wonder what he would do with an actual line and quarterback. I still want Bill Cowher in here -- yeah, right -- or someone of his ilk, but if the ownership goes status quo, who knows?
-- The 2009 Buffalo Bills have reinforced what should be a universal truth: players can win without coaches, but coaches can't win without players. Perry Fewell didn't make any decisions I truly questions in Buffalo's 16-10 win in Kansas City, and the team still didn't win. Now, would Dick Jauron have made a decision to change the flow of this game? Sure. He probably would've let Bobby April fake that final Chiefs punt with just over a minute to play. Fewell's 2-2, and I believe this team would've been 7-9 with him at the helm, not that that means anything for next year. The question to ask yourself: If the Fewell-led Bills beat the Pats and either the Falcons or Colts, wouldn't you consider him at least as good an option as some other also-ran in the league?
-- Nice, big day for Marshawn Lynch and Freddy Jackson. Lynch would've had a 100-yard day in the easiest of ways if he would've just headed back to the "run people over" approach instead of trying to be an actual running back. There's something to be said for the idea of "Beast Mode," that Lynch has to play like a bull rather than do the Ickey Shuffle behind the line of scrimmage. Jackson, of course, had his standard super-steady-but-unspectacular game.
-- I've said it all year, and it may be the only true universal truth I have in stone about these Bills. They are two NFL-caliber linebackers away from being a very good defense. As much as folks talk about nose tackles being a big part of a run defense, it's usually the Brian Urlachers, A.J. Hawks and Ray Lewises that make things happen in the "gaps."
-- I want to know how Eric Wood is doing, because it'll do a lot to shape where I think the Bills need to go in the offseason. I know Fewell said he doesn't believe the leg injury to be career-threating.
-- Ryan Fitzpatrick... yeesh. I want to see Brian Brohm right now. Let's find out if there's a glimmer in ol' Bromulus and Remus. Let's see if he can be the Atomic Brohm. I'd love to know if he's a star like Brohminik Hasek. I need to know if the Bills web site should be BuffaloBIlls-dot-Brohm. Or perhaps he'll be another Bills quarterback conundrum, much like VietBrohm. Please Bills, give my awful sense of humor three weeks here.
-- By the way, Bills fans could think about welcoming Owens back next year, but I bet he sees Brandon Marshall break his record with Kyle Orton as quarterback and thinks, "What the &*^&!"
-- I kinda feel bad for Matt Cassel until I remember he's rich. With Dwayne Bowe suspended, he has almost nothing going for him.
-- Aaron Schobel is up to eight sacks, and Chris Kelsay's up to five. With a healthy Stroud and Williams, these guys are getting a bum rap from their linebackers.
-- There must be something in the water, because we can welcome Fitzpatrick to the "Hey, Lee Evans is on the team" club.
Stat line I enjoyed:
Bryan Scott, nine tackles, one sack
-- For a safety playing linebacker severely underweight, his performance has been admirable.
Stat line I didn't enjoy:
Ryan Fitzpatrick, 12-of-20, 86 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
-- That interception was one of the worst in recent history, and think about what that means.
Game ball:
The offensive line
-- This much-maligned unit only allowed two sacks, and pushed the Chiefs around for 5.7 yards-per-carry on 35 attempts. Seriously, give those hogs a hand (but then wash it. Swine flu and whatnot).
Lastly...
I've said enough. Seriously. Who even watched this one?
Next Week:
You should stop reading my predictions. I had the Chiefs winning, 20-10. In my defense, I didn't know they were clearly worse than the Bills. Honestly, would you put it past the Bills to unload on the Pats? I bet you would. New England 27, Buffalo 16.
Email: nick@wgr550.com
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