That Aud Smell

I mean, I guess? Yeah. arguably, for not coming forward earlier.

Okay - I hear you, I think. I was already seeing a lot of bemoaning of the Bills' fortunes on Twitter. Heard your post in the same way. My bad.

I'm not jumping to conclusions. Why don't you want it to be true? I missed Flagg's "ugh" until now. It's so over the top - and the guy's been ... "clean" for so long (I mean, I guess?) - that some restraint seems appropriate.

Yes you do, or reasonably readily could - don't be obtuse. Also, this strikes me as objectively unreasonable. (I'm not saying there's no reason to worry about Eichel. Maybe there is. But this number stuff isn't among the reasons.)

Man, oh man. If true, the guy oughta be in jail ASAP. /Cringes in anticipation of the first OJ Simpson reference. God dammit, what? The initial and only concern here is whether the charges are true.

I go back and forth on this. Is he really crafty? Or mostly just stumbling around from thing to thing? Also, this article is a bit of a frickin' mind f**k. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/07/trump-putin-russia-collusion.html

fwiw - i've taken my part of this discussion over to the Politics Club.

My guess: They should divide athletic competitions based on the "natal" sex of the individuals. I think that's the term - "natal."

I stuck around in the Housley thread on the main board for too long with this stuff, so I'm coming over here. For starters, here's the list of individuals from the states of NY, FL, and TN who've contributed to Karin Housley's US Senate campaign. JENSEN, GORDON HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL RETIRED 03/31/2018 $2,700.00 SCHENIAN, DALE HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL RETIRED 03/31/2018 $1,000.00 VUKELIC, E P HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY TRY-IT DISTRIBUTING 03/31/2018 $500.00 FREY, LAUNE HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY FREY ELECTRIC 03/28/2018 $1,000.00 MCQUINN, ALVIN HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL SELF EMPLOYED 03/28/2018 $2,700.00 TALLON, DALE HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL FLORIDA PANTHERS HOCKEY CLUB 03/28/2018 $1,000.00 NEWMYER, ARTHUR HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL SELF EMPLOYED 03/26/2018 $250.00 IPPOLITO, FREDERICK HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY 03/20/2018 $2,500.00 ZUCKERMAN, IVAN HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL 03/15/2018 $500.00 NAEGELE, ROBERT HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL SELF EMPLOYED 03/12/2018 $1,000.00 NAEGELE, ELLIS HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL HOMEMAKER 03/12/2018 $1,000.00 TRAISER, MARGARET HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL 03/12/2018 $1,000.00 PELTZ, MATTHEW HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY TRIAN FUND MANAGEMENT 01/03/2018 $600.00 BRANDON, RUSSELL HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY BUFFALO BILLS 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 BRANDON, RUSSELL HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY BUFFALO BILLS 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 HOFFMAN, FREDERIK HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY HEALTH CATALYST 12/31/2017 $300.00 SARAFOLEAN, MICHAEL HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL RETIRED 12/31/2017 $500.00 BRANDON, AMY HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY HOMEMAKER 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 BRANDON, AMY HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY HOMEMAKER 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 BOTTERILL, JASON HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY BUFFALO SABRES 12/31/2017 $2,500.00 PEGULA, TERRY HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL BUFFALO SABRES 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 PEGULA, KIM HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL BUFFALO SABRES 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 PEGULA, KIM HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL BUFFALO SABRES 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 POWERS, TOMMY HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL FLORIDA PANTHERS 12/31/2017 $1,000.00 PEGULA, TERRY HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL BUFFALO SABRES 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 PEGULA, KIM HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL BUFFALO SABRES 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 BRANDON, RUSSELL HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY BUFFALO BILLS 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 BRANDON, AMY HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY HOMEMAKER 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 BRANDON, AMY HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY HOMEMAKER 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 BOTTERILL, JASON HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY BUFFALO SABRES 12/31/2017 $2,500.00 HOFFMAN, FREDERICK HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY HEALTH CATALYST 12/31/2017 $300.00 SARAFOLEAN, MICHAEL HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL RETIRED 12/31/2017 $500.00 BRANDON, RUSSELL HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE NY BUFFALO BILLS 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 POWERS, TOMMY HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL FLORIDA PANTHERS 12/31/2017 $1,000.00 PEGULA, TERRY HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL BUFFALO SABRES 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 PEGULA, TERRY HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL BUFFALO SABRES 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 PEGULA, KIM HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE FL BUFFALO SABRES 12/31/2017 $2,700.00 FRITCH, BARBARA HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE TN RETIRED 12/27/2017 $2,700.00 FRITCH, BARBARA HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE TN RETIRED 12/27/2017 $2,700.00 FRITCH, HERBERT HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE TN RETIRED 12/27/2017 $2,700.00 FRITCH, HERBERT HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE TN RETIRED 12/27/2017 $2,700.00 FRITCH, HERBERT HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE TN RETIRED 12/27/2017 $2,700.00 FRITCH, HERBERT HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE TN RETIRED 12/27/2017 $2,700.00 FRITCH, BARBARA HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE TN RETIRED 12/27/2017 $2,700.00 FRITCH, BARBARA HOUSLEY FOR SENATE COMMITTEE TN RETIRED 12/27/2017 $2,700.00

I thought it was the family's piggy-bank personal use of money from the cable company that brought the whole thing down? Also, how would the Pegulas mix up their political money and team money? Are you suggesting that the Pegulas would personally piggy-bank out of a PSE entity in order to contribute money to a political candidate? Fwiw, the Pegulas donated $21,600 to Karin Housley's campaign - as individuals. It's interesting, actually. Dale Tallon and others from the Panthers organization donated as well. As did the owner of the Preds (through his wife).

Ah, gotcha. Yeah - I don't see that. Yet, as you say. Seems far more likely that the Pegulas give lots of money to politicians, and all of a sudden they had a potentially prominent one (with whose politics they agree, imo) connected to their organization. So they held a fairly lavish fundraiser. If Phil stinks it up as a HC, I can't see them hesitating to fire him for a fresh second because they admire and want to support Karin's politics. If that sort of thing were to come to pass, it would be end days, man.

I think I understand where you're going with that. I think. OTOH, you *were* the lone voice here raising a distant early warning of Pegula having latent political aspirations of some kind -- likely not as a candidate (which would require him to speak), but perhaps as a kingmaker.

Sweethearts. They used to be known as nanny dogs in England.

I don't see how Karin Housley's career in politics would be a conflict of interest for Housley as a coach. An ethical conflict is generally understood as having some sort of interest in two different people, ventures, businesses, or whatever that are adverse to one another. So, say Housley's wife was taking a minority interest as an owner of the Wild, maybe. The fact that Housley's wife has a busy and active career might present a competing demand on his time and attention (which I sorta tend to doubt, tbh), but it's not a conflict.

Because the nickname Enzo is irresistible.

This seems overboard. The Sabres haven't hosted anything. The Pegulas have. This, OTOH, seems to get to part of what I don't like about this. Will an affiliation with lightning rod political candidates help or hurt the franchise win games? I'm damn certain it won't help. And there's a chance it could hurt.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/transgender-teens-outrun-track-field-competitors-critics-close/story?id=55856294 Athletic conference rules allow high school athletes to compete based on the genders with which they identify. Critics say the rules give male-to-female transgender people a competitive edge over cisgender women -- whose biological sex matches their gender identity -- because some have higher testosterone levels than non-trans females. “I think it’s unfair to the girls who work really hard to do well and qualify for Opens and New Englands [competitions],” sophomore sprinter Selina Soule, who finished sixth in the 100-meter State Open Finals, told the Hartford Courant. “These girls, they’re just coming in and beating everyone. I have no problem with them wanting to be a girl.”

This called to mind a very recent story about a HS or college athlete who's biologically male competing against other biological females because she identifies as female. And she's crushing the competition. Like I said upthread: The gay rights movement was/is so intuitive. So straightforward. There are no externalities associated with it. The trans movement is way more complicated, even for many who are inclined to sympathize.

I appreciate that contribution @LTS. Here's an excerpt from an essay in ... The Economist, maybe. In my experience even people who declare themselves trans allies and committed to social justice, non-discrimination and inclusion, may hesitate if asked whether they think natal males who have been through male puberty before declaring themselves women should be allowed to compete in women’s sporting events, or whether natal males who have been convicted of violent or sexual offences against women should be eligible for transfer to a women’s prison if they switch gender identity during their sentences. Many people are also surprised to discover that natal males who retain male genitalia but identify as women are, if they are sexually attracted to women, regarded in activist circles as lesbians. If any of this makes you bristle—whether because you take all these propositions as self-evident or because you think they are ludicrous—I urge you to test them on people of various ages and political leanings.

Pulisic to Spurs would be a positive development for him, I think. Please just keep him away from Man U. Not so much that I don't like Man U (I don't), but it's moreso wanting Pulisic to be kept away from Mourinho.

Any discussion of the political spectrum is well-informed by the words of the inimitable Utah Phillips. Here's a good one: Sloth and Indolence Party! The Do-Nothings! I can assimilate that.

Unions are imperfect, obviously. But Lord help us if they didn't exist.

I'm not sure how big a concern it truly is - but I do know that I'm uncomfortable with the fact that the team's HC is married to an elected official who's running for a US Senate seat and has hitched her star to a divisive political figure like our current POTUS. Just ... it seems likely to complicate rather than simplify matters, as I think you're inferring.