ZERO CHAMPIONSHIPS

 

~Mike Wolcott

 

     It was October of 2006 and I was in attendance for a Bills game vs. the Patriots. Dick Jauron was the coach of the Bills that year and J.P. Loss-man, I mean Losman, was the quarterback. It was only week 7, but even the most optimistic Bills fans were beginning to recognize that the team sucked and was going nowhere. Buffalo fans were completely despondent over their local football team. On the flip side, the same fans couldn’t be happier about their local hockey team. The Buffalo Sabres were sitting atop the Eastern Conference and off to an 8-0 start.

     The game was approaching halftime with the Bills down 14-3. Fans were visibly disgruntled. Watching Losman was painful, and the drunken buzz most onlookers obtained during tailgating was wearing off. A Canadian man wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs Jersey was walking down the stairs next to my section, presumably on his way to get a snack or to go to the bathroom. For those of you who don’t remember, the rival Leafs were not a playoff caliber team in 06’. Here was a chance for the beleaguered Buffalo fans to affirm a sense of superiority over a member of another team’s fan base. The Buffalo fans started yelling at the Canadian, "Fuck you Maple Leafs suck!!" and "Go Sabres wooo!!!’. This was not a fair fight because it was basically 100+ Bills/Sabres fans vs. this one guy. The Canadian turned to look at my section with a smile on his face.

     "How many champyunchips do the Sabres have?" asked the Canadian in a thick accent. When no one responded, he proceeded to answer his own question, "ZERO CHAMPYUNCHIPS!!!" He paused for a moment and then posed another question, "How many champyunchips do the Bills have?" Still there was no response. "ZZZEEERRROOO!" He declared. The once bold and brash Buffalo fans (including myself) were now silenced, all staring blankly at this one man in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. There was really no good comeback for this guy. The Sabres were having a successful season to that point, but that was no reason to get cocky, especially considering the franchise had never won a Stanley Cup. Finally a Buffalo fan piped up, a feeble "Fuck you" was all he could muster. The Canadian just laughed, "Hahaha. FUCK YOU!! ZERO CHAMPYUNCHIPS!!! ZEROOOO!!!!" He started to walk away now but was still yelling ‘Zero". His voice felt like it was echoing through the entire stadium, "ZERO CHAMYUNCHIPS. ZERO!!!! FUCK YOUU!!!! ZEROOOO!!!!! HAHAHA!!!"

     I thought I’d share this fun anecdote because it looks as though 2013 will be yet another year without a championship for Buffalo sports teams. The Sabres are more than halfway through their strike out shortened season and enter tonight’s game in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. The franchise has existed for 40+ years and is still waiting to hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time.  Similarly, the Buffalo Bills have been a part of the NFL for 50+ years and have never won a Super Bowl. Both teams are in what’s called "rebuilding" mode yet again (the Bills have been "rebuilding" for 14 years). To that end, there is little reason to think either team will get the monkey off their back anytime soon. Until they do, Ralph Wilson stadium will echo with the haunting words of a Canadian man in a Maple Leafs jersey: "ZERO CHAMPIONSHIPS."
 
FUN FACT: The Tampa Bay Lightning have won exactly one more Stanley Cup than the Buffalo Sabres.

 

 

 

Looking For A Reason To Billieve

~Anthony Constantino

Winds of change are blowing at 1 Bills Drive as a new coaching staff is settling in, looking to turn this team around for the 2013 season. It is hard to determine where this staff should begin as they turn over this roster while attempting to cultivate a winning attitude in the locker room.

The acquisitions of Mario Williams and Mark Anderson in free agency last off-season did not have the impact that many expected to see in the 2012 season. Williams finished with a deceptive 10.5 sacks to go with a paltry 37 tackles. Anderson had his season cut short due to injury while tallying only 1 sack in 6 games played. These men were a part of a defense that fell short of expectations and crumbled in the clutch during the season, while sometimes never showing up at all.

The play of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick left Bills fans unsatisfied, as he took a great deal of blame for the 6-10 campaign in 2012. With 24 TD passes against 16 Interceptions Fitzpatrick managed the game as best he could. Fitz also threw for 3400 yards and completed over 60 percent of his passes, which does not look all that bad on paper. However, his turnovers in key moments of games do not show up in any stat column.

Looking ahead to 2013, let me set aside the disappointment in hiring this new regime charged with coaching up this roster next year. Let me ignore the tremendous lack of significant NFL experience at all three major coaching positions for the moment as well. If you are an optimist, let's just pretend this staff is more of a solution than a problem in 2013. Let's say Doug Marrone and Nathaniel Hackett decide to utilize CJ Spiller 40 snaps per game in running and passing situations. We can also assume they find a better option than Fitzpatrick at quarterback by way of free agency or the draft. For the optimist I'll even say Mike Pettine works with the defense and gets the most out of the unit. His hybrid scheme figures to look like the Jets or Ravens defense when they line up. If Pettine keeps opposing offense guessing, the Bills might be able to get some stops and hold opposing teams to less than 25 points per game. They haven't done that since 2009. Even if all these things come to fruition, the Bills are still a team with many needs to address. Buddy Nix has done an average job through all avenues in building a team that can produce on the field.

The Buffalo Bills are still quite far away from breaking the 13 year playoff drought. There are multiple factors that help me arrive at this stance. Even with great coaching this team isn't capable of much more than an 8-8 campaign with a roster like they have. Let me be clear in saying I do not expect great coaching from this staff, at least not right out of the blocks. Even still, the roster has gaping holes badly in need of plugging.  There needs to be more than the plugging in some of those holes as well. I look at the wide receivers, linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties and wonder if some of them would start on any other team in the NFL.

We cannot debate how good Jairus Byrd and Stevie Johnson are. There is no debate; these guys are very good. Byrd is a top 10 safety and Johnson would be the best second wide-out in the league if he had another wide receiver opposite him that made defenses worry. Stephen Gilmore should be a solid corner in a handful of seasons. Gilmore might even grade out to be the next Antoine Winfield which would be more than accepted by the Bills faithful. Time will reveal just what Gilmore becomes. Beyond those three guys I cannot see much promise at these positions. Does anybody really think Donald Jones, David Nelson, and Brad Smith can be dependable week to week? Can you honestly say Nick Barnett, Kelvin Sheppard, and Bryan Scott are skillful and consistent linebackers at the NFL level?  The Bills were so lacking at linebacker last season that Bryan Scott came down from his natural Safety position to play linebacker. It is also fair to say George Wilson could stand to replaced for a difference-maker at his position.

Although the team is in a much better place than it was 3 years ago, I would like the optimist to look at the two teams playing in Super Bowl XLVII. The San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens both have a consistent gameplan with a clear direction. These teams primarily build through the draft, while adding some key pieces via free agency to round out their teams. Both teams have great players at the skill positions (RB,WR,TE,CB,S). The 49ers and Ravens play exceptional defense that can at times suffocate opposing offenses. They have vocal leaders that set a positive example for the younger players in the locker room (look no further than Ray Lewis and Patrick Willis). These teams are built for success in any environment, even if their quarterbacks play an average game. Now how many of those qualities apply to the Bills roster?

www.bleacherreport.com 

The Greatest Active Wide Receiver You Never Think Of

~Anthony Constantino

I have talked to quite a few people about this player I'm about to describe to you. The conversation almost always follows the same script. It starts talking about the news and notes of the NFL: the top team, unlikely contenders, how bad the Bills are and so on. Somehow great players enter the fold. The topic of best active wide receiver comes up. Those I speak with always take the standard Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, or Larry Fitzgerald route. When pressed to think of a Top 5, people often go with AJ Green, Julio Jones, Roddy White, or even Greg Jennings to help round out their lists.

My guy has lived in the shadow of giants for the majority of his career. It has been made clear to me that his low profile has rendered him nearly invisible in the eyes of many NFL fans. I return to my conversation. I have set the table to toss his name out and here it goes: "Do you think _____ is a Hall of Famer?" Most say no without hesitation, others think about it and still reach that same conclusion. Only one out of every 4 or 5 will say yes. Let me tell you why this baffles me.

This player is currently 10th in career receptions with 956*. He has nearly 13,000 receiving yards in his career, which is good enough for 14th and the all-time list*. This man is also tied for 24th in career touchdown receptions with 77*. Sounds like quite a career to me.

Consider his two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl ring the icing on the cake. He has made the trip to Hawaii as a Pro Bowl player 5 times in his 11 seasons, and he is going again this year.

Reggie Wayne is a flat out stud. Those are his numbers and some of his achievements. Wayne has lived in the shadows of Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison throughout his entire career. This is the first year he hasn't had them around, which would mean the shadow is gone. Surely Wayne has the public eye now, right? Wrong.

The Colts "Suck for Luck" campaign paid off last season and the rookie QB looks like he could be something very special in the future for Indy. Once again Wayne is relegated to the shadows, behind a new face in the same place he began his career. The fans of the Horseshoe no doubt recognize his greatness as the second best receiver in Colts history. I'm here to say that before it's over, Reggie Wayne might move past Harrison on that list. Statistically speaking, he has no chance to pass Harrison in touchdown catches unless he plays at least 4 more seasons. However total receptions and receiving yards are not out of the question for Wayne; he could eclipse Marvin Harrison's numbers in those categories as early as next season.

Reggie Wayne embodies everything you can ask for in a productive, consistent, and professional all pro receiver. While most glance over his name nobody can deny his game. He has all the accolades as a player and is a model citizen off the field. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be in Canton someday, no longer in the shadow of giants; he is a giant all on his own.

*NOTE: These numbers reflect Wayne's career through Week 14 of the 2012 NFL season.

Thanksgiving Blog Entry

~Mike Wolcott

          

          Every year since I can remember, my parents have hosted Thanksgiving at our house. My mother ALWAYS delivers with an absolutely delicious meal. I personally like to cover everything on my plate with an overwhelming amount of cranberry sauce and gravy. Last year I used so much gravy and cranberry that I couldn’t even see what I was eating anymore. After dinner I usually grab a slice of my favorite dessert, pumpkin pie, and then pass out on the couch. There is something about a 5,000 calorie meal that just completely wipes me out.

          The days that bracket Thanksgiving are interesting. As everyone knows, the Wednesday before is the biggest party night of the year. Like most others, I usually end up at a local bar wasted beyond sensibility. I refuse to let that happen this year. I will not ruin another one of mother’s delicious Thanksgiving meals with a ridiculous hangover. As far as Black Friday goes, I’m not a shopper, but I find it fun to watch the news that day. Usually Channel 2 will show some poor bastard being trampled by an obese woman racing toward a discounted item (what could be funnier?). One year, my father and Uncle Pat got up at 5:00am to go shopping on Black Friday. Curiously, my Uncle only ended up buying a bottle of shampoo, and it wasn’t even on sale.

          The football games on Thanksgiving are always boring as hell. The Detroit Lions, who are usually terrible, traditionally play in the early game. The 4:00pm game slot is occupied by the Dallas Cowboys, a team I absolutely despise. A funny incident occurred a few years back while we were watching a football game on Thanksgiving. While sitting in the living room, My Uncle Rich, who was leaning too far back in his chair, tipped backward. His mammoth bald head slammed against the wall and his neck bent upward in an unnatural position. He could not get up from this position on his own because he was trapped on his back between the chair and the wall. He could barely speak (because of his awkwardly bent neck), but he called out for my cousin: "Matthew….. help… me…." My cousin Matt, who was sitting next to me on the couch, got up and pulled my Uncle back into the normal position. With all four chair legs planted back on the floor, we resumed watching football as if nothing had happened. No one spoke of it again that night.

          In regards to food (the most important part of Thanksgiving), I look forward most to the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, and the pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie is like the exclamation point at the end of the day for me. I don’t feel like Thanksgiving would be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. Family is also kind of important, and when I’m not stuffing my face I try and remember to be thankful for the great family I have. Anyway, before I get too sentimental here I’d like to wrap up by saying "Happy Thanksgiving" to all you A&M readers out there. Enjoy the greatest holiday ever created. Remember to eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we diet.

NHL Lockout 2012: A Season On Ice

~Anthony Constantino

So here we are, in the midst of the third lockout for the NHL in the last 20 years. The main issue that needs to be worked out is the division of total revenue between the players and owners. However the main information the population receives from either side is some form of political stance or platform that urges you to support their side. I didn't know we were electing a winning side in order to get the NHL back in action. Anyway here are some ideas that shape my stance, which is not so hard to see as you read on.

The most important fact to be aware of is that the league never fully recovered from the last lockout, which occurred in 2004-2005. The last thing this league needed is another lockout to destroy all momentum and headway made over the last seven years. Popularity has been a major issue, which stemmed from the blunder the Gary Bettman made when striking a long term television contract. Instead of being broadcast on ESPN (and their family of networks as they call it), the NHL opted for a deal with Versus. We all know how well that turned out, as hockey is virtually invisible in almost every city below the Mason-Dixon Line. We can also go on and on about how the NHL has been unable to market their superstars successfully. Consequently, the NHL has the least sponsorship opportunities among the four major sports. So this is much of the reason why the NHL is least popular of the four major sports in the U.S. The equation ends with the National Hockey League having the least amount of total revenue coming in.

Despite all the information above that can be proven true with some simple research, we are sitting here in October without hockey. The icing on the cake? Commissioner Bettman came out and said that we are "rapidly approaching" the day that the January 1st Winter Classic game will have to be cancelled. I'm not sure how Bettman jumps from starting the season on November 2nd, to cancelling all games through January 1st. What we do know for certain is that this season is in jeopardy of being played at all.

So who is at fault here (not that pointing fingers makes the situation any better)? Although I can't relate to the money these men quibble over, I can relate to the owner and worker dynamic. Most business owners don't exactly share half their profits with the employees they preside over. Regardless of how important players are to the NHL's existence, these are still owners. They own their team and don't have to share anything more than a guaranteed contract with the players. For the players to expect more than 50% of total revenue is preposterous. This is especially true for the league with the smallest revenue of the four major sports. Let's not forget that these owners became wealthy in some other business and they could easily stick to that. Many of these owners have an NHL team for their own personal entertainment.

The NHL cannot mimic the NBA or NFL revenue model because there isn't that kind of money to throw around. There isn't a lucrative TV deal to draw from. Unfortunately, there are still some teams struggling to stay afloat in the league. Even though I cannot stand the greed both sides are exhibiting, I must side with the owners and their right as owners.

The NFL Has A Black Eye

~Anthony Constantino

Most of those who follow the NFL or are somehow involved with the league, knew there would be growing pains for the replacement officials. The evidence has been mounting for three weeks now that this is indeed the case. However the Packers/Seahawks Monday Night Football game showed something worse than growing pains, it showed that the current officials are hopelessly incompetent.

There have been countless examples throughout the first three weeks of regular season play that illustrate the fact that these officials are unable to control these games and lack the proper knowledge of NFL rules and proceedings.

First, let's look at the lack of control. Regardless of the experience or overall knowledge these referees have, they all know at any level that referees must maintain control and order during the game and all of its proceedings. Think of this like the Judge in the courtroom. It doesn't matter what level of football you officiate; referees know that they are the peacekeeper/mediator and must act accordingly. All seven officials must work as one organized group to control all the action in between and outside the whistles.

The Falcons/Broncos Monday Night Football game is a prime example of re-placement officials being unable to control teams and players. Play after play groups of players were congregated near the sidelines, the only problem being that they weren't exchanging pleasantries. Shoves and slaps on the helmet were exchanged between the players when disagreements arose. The officials were nowhere to be found as they were fumbling around with their penalty flags and rulebooks, pleading with the heavens to help them out. By the time this game hit the third quarter it looked more like hockey than football. All the while I am watching this game unravel thinking to myself, "Surely there will be an ejection here, things have gotten way out of hand." Much to my surprise no flags were thrown by the referees to regain control. Bad call after missed penalty after procedural error piled up on the referees, leaving the Broncos coaching staff irate. This happened in prime time for all the casual and die-hard football fans to see. Tuesday morning after Week 2 concluded, we were left thinking that it couldn't possibly get worse. The came the Packers/Seahawks game on Monday Night Football.

Before we get to that let's also look at how these replacement officials are simply unfamiliar with NFL rules. In the San Francisco 49ers/Minnesota Vikings game, the 49ers used all three of their timeouts in the second half. However, after using those timeouts the 49ers were allowed to challenge two close plays. Since the 49ers had no timeouts at the time of those challenges, by rule a challenge could not take place. Or should I say, should not take place. The referees in that game proceeded with both challenges, making a mockery of the game. The lone bright spot in this situation is that it did not effect the result of the game.

For those who are Bills' fans, you've experienced an injustice as well. NFL rules state that when under two minutes in the 4th quarter, the only player on offense who can advance the ball is the player who fumbles. Running back Shonn Greene fumbled into the end zone and linemen D'Brickashaw Ferguson recovered it. Since the fumble occurred outside of the end zone, Ferguson could not legally recover the fumble. By rule all scoring plays are reviewed, and yet these referees still arrived at the incorrect ruling.

During the Sunday Night Football game between the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots, the final scoring play was not reviewed, as the rules dictate. This led to Head Coach Bill Belichick making contact with an official to demand an explanation. We should never get to this point, and it is directly the fault of replacement referees not knowing the rulebook and losing control in nearly every tightly contested game in prime time.

Now we arrive at the Packers/Seahawks debacle. Let's ignore the amount of bad calls and blown penalties. Let's ignore the penalty that happened on the game's final play, which was the clearest form of Offensive Pass Interference (OPI) as described by NFL rules you could ever imagine. Hell, the NFL could use the play to teach future officials what OPI looks like! Let's ignore the terrible initial call of a touchdown on that Hail Mary too (If you have not seen the play click here). The fact of the matter is that all scoring plays are reviewed. This rule means that even if a touchdown happens via an atrocious decision by an official, that crew has a chance to fix their egregious error before making a terrible mistake that could decide the game. So the ref goes under the hood, with the game hanging in the balance. The evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of a turnover and not the simultaneous possession rule. Yet the official upholds the call and awards the game to the Seahawks. This is THE nightmare that the NFL was praying would never happen: replacement referees making a terrible call that awards the game to the wrong team.

So what have we learned? The replacement referees are in over their head. The speed of professional football, especially the NFL is much too fast for these officials. Keep in my mind, most of these replacements are turned down by Division II college football, as well as Division I. This means we have Division III college or even high school officials struggling to keep up with the game. They have never worked a game in front of more than 20,000 fans. They also seem to have no idea how to control what happens during the process of an NFL game.

These referees are not fit for the NFL game and it shows. However, the NFL Owners and Commissioner Roger Goodell continue to operate with their head in the sand. They pretend these officials are getting better and improving each game. This insults our intelligence as fans and undermines Goodell's push to "maintain the integrity of the NFL". The ball is in the court of the NFL. The fans have been cheated for three weeks now, and they do not deserve it. Pay the regular officials their small percentage of the multi-billion dollar bottom line and stop dictating how the world should turn and what fans should think.

K-Mart: A Blue Light Special of My Own

 

 

 

  

                            

 

~Mike Wolcott

 

 

 

          I attended the Buffalo Bills home opener last weekend. My friend Heather had an extra ticket to the game and was nice enough to invite me to come along with her. Prior to the game, the two of us met up with a few friends in the parking lot for some tailgating (drinking). While tailgating, a man approached us to see if we were interested in purchasing Buffalo Bills t-shirts. When I asked if he had size large, his reply was "Yea man I gotta size large for you and I gotta size SEXY for the young lady!" Heather was not interested in a size sexy, but I purchased a large and the man was on his way.

          When I tried on the shirt the next day, I was disappointed to find that it was too small (maybe I should’ve gotten a size sexy, it probably would’ve fit perfectly ha). The shirt was useless to me, so I figured that I might as well give it to someone who could use it. Later that day, I brought the shirt with me to the gym to give to my friend Dan, who is slightly smaller than me. It was a perfect fit for Dan. Unfortunately, he forgot to take it with him when we left.

          As we were leaving the gym, I told Dan that I was on my way to the next door K-Mart. "What are you going there for?" asked Dan. "I need to buy some things" I replied, "Deodorant, razors, and bread (I needed bread for my sandwich the next day)." Dan looked at me with a puzzled look on his face, "They sell bread at K-Mart?"

          When I stepped through the doors of the "Big K," I realized it had been a long time since I was last there. I chuckled to myself because the employees looked like they were out of the 1950s, and I was the only non-employee in the store. At first I struggled to find what I was looking for because the layout of things made little sense. Eventually, I came upon the only bread sold in the store. The bread was labeled as "King Sized White Bread." I didn’t want white bread, nor did I want "King Sized" bread, but I really didn’t have a choice.

          I didn’t have my choice of breads, but I did have my choice of checkouts. As I said before, there was no one in the store other than a handful of employees. I handed my purchases to one of the cashiers, and noticed some really nice Buffalo Bills shirts hanging on the wall. "Maybe I’ll start doing more clothes shopping at K-Mart" I thought. I took a large blue Bills shirt down from the wall as a replacement for the one that didn’t fit from the previous day. I handed the shirt to the cashier who put it in my bag.  When I got home, I realized that she had forgotten to scan it.  It was my lucky day, a free shirt to make up for the one that I got screwed out of the day before.  I learned two things that day: everything evens out in the end, and they DO sell bread at K-Mart.