That Aud Smell

FGMTM seemed to be of a mind to turn things around in very short order based on taking some big swings. JBOT seems more focused on building organizational depth and creating competition. The latter approach seems more apt to produce a winning team.

Not sure about the question. I'll note that Easter moves around based on lunar happenings. For the life of me, I can never keep in mind what precisely that is. Something about how Easter Sunday is set on the first Sunday following the first full moon of spring. I think that's close.

^ Your hypothetical depends on a lot of things -- factors not accounted for in the situation you've imagined (e.g., the standards associated with a "public figure," what the newspaper knew or investigated regarding what Swift said). But the basic rule holds: If you're publishing something that is potentially libelous, you don't generally avoid exposure just because you're accurately quoting something that someone else said.

Not necessarily. If the guy is just a monster who, through sheer force of his physical tools, can gobble up minutes -- then he's apt to get those minutes, especially on a bad team.

Your double negative is confusing me - I'm not sure what you're saying. I remember being taught this concept with reference to the scripture passage about how the "tale bearer is as much to blame as the tale teller." There's no privilege associated with republication of a damaging falsehood, even if you attribute it to an original publisher.

I agree that something is likely to give in the coming years. Remember that Delaware North funded "think" project from a few years ago? Among other things, it envisioned fans' participating in spectator sports in virtual ways, etc.

I'm a devoted LFC fan, and understand your feeling that you'd rather see Pulisic with a team in blue. Should we rank where In England we, as fans of USA Soccer, would prefer to see Pulisic? My ranking 1. Liverpool: Biased, of course, but can you imagine what he'd do under Klopp's system? 2. Spurs: Their traditionally adventuresome game would be a good place to grow, and he'd have a chance to be featured. 3. City: Hard to argue with him playing with one of the top clubs in the world, and with a coach who knows how to manage a beautiful game. 4. Chelsea: Sort of hard to stomach this one, but it could work as well. 5. Arsenal: I just don't trust that club right now. 6-19: Any other EPL club. 20. United: Jesus Christ - keep that young man as far away as possible from Mourinho and the soulless nonsense he orchestrates.

^ FFS, was there ever really any doubt? What a buffoon that guy has become. Everton can and will do so much better than him.

This is being talked about more and more -- Hamilton on WGR has shared a couple of specific stories about it. And I've credited them, for my own part. That tendency would play into another concern with his game: That, in hockey terms, he's really not that smart. Low hockey IQ. So you could have a guy who thinks he knows better than the coach, often plays outside the system, but doesn't have a good mind for the game. He's a physical freak with great tools. But if he wants to be a valuable top-4 guy, he needs to do a lot more listening and learning.

That's not quite how defamation law works -- a few narrow exceptions aside.

FWIW: A Googling of the terms bobby hull hitler indicates that he promptly denied having made the comments -- using language that sounded as though it were scripted by a PR agency. He also said that he'd sue the publication(s) that printed the stories claiming he'd said those things. I see no indication that he ever took such steps.

^ This is largely consistent with part of what I've heard. That it came out that he was running around on his wife with someone who works for PSE, that this affair was far from the first he'd had within the Bills organization, the Pegulas said knock it off, he said he would do so, they later discovered he had not stopped, and then he baldly lied about having complied with the initial command. Brandon's philandering was so pervasive that it became a running (bad) joke around town. Looks as though the Pegulas decided, in no small part, that he was tarnishing their brand.

What in the holy living fresh hell is this? I always love the Hitler takes that are like, "yeah, bad guy, obviously - no one denies that. BUT, ... ." Here's what was written about and quoted from Bobby Hull in 1998, btw (from the linked article): Former NHL star Bobby Hull told a Russian newspaper that Nazis were not without merit, that the black population of the United States was growing too fast and that genetic breeding was a worthy idea. "Hitler, for example, had some good ideas. He just went a little bit too far," the Hall of Fame player told the English-language Moscow Times. Asked if it would be fair to describe him as a racist, Hull reportedly replied: "I don't give a damn. I'm not running for any political office." That does not sound like the ramblings of a drunk guy. That sounds like the words of a virulent racist and xenophobe. Speaking for myself as an objective observer: Bobby Hull up the rear with a broken champagne bottle.

Got it. Hearing some of Graham's thoughts on how Brandon ingratiated himself to the Pegulas. It sounds about right. I don't think I've heard reference to how Brandon schooled Rex on how to shmooze Terry (to include the red wine talk). That, to me, is *classic* Wormtongue sh1t.

I happened upon an old friend who was part of a group-share STH we had, back in the day (including some Aud time), when I stopped over at a mutual friend's house to watch 30 minutes of the Jets/Knights game. It was a pleasant surprise. This dude is famously laconic -- and was given to saying pretty abstract stuff. So much so that we sometimes called him "Buddha" (I think he actually posted here for a while). Anyway. When the camera cut to Bobby Hull during that one segment, I didn't know who the hell it even was. The mutual friend eventually blurted out: "BOBBY HULL!" Muttered Buddha: "What a fu**ing embarrassment he is. Why do they keep trotting his ass out?" And nothing more was said on the subject. So, it's good to have some context.

^ I have my issues with the guy, but there is no doubting that Tim Graham is a very smart, sharp guy. I'm listening to it now (?) -- is this the show where Graham called in while he was driving and someone else hosted (Bucky)? Graham's takes are very sensible.

Bread and Circuses were his bread and butter. The Owens signing was quintessential Brandon era.

TBN’s business reporters doing work for Brandon in today’s paper: “I think Russ was a key figure in retaining the Buffalo Bills organization for Western New York,” said Colleen DiPirro, former president and CEO of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, who has known Brandon personally and professionally for years. “And to making them a competitive team from a marketing and ticket sales standpoint, against much larger markets. And he added a level of dynamics to the team that kept pace with the NFL vision and mission.” “Nobody was more dedicated to the Buffalo Bills organization than Russ Brandon,” DiPirro said. +++ “The Toronto proposition may have had some negativity in the Western New York community. I thought it was a very creative, outside-the-box thought on how to expand the fan base,” Northtown’s Schreiber said. In fact, business leaders marveled at Brandon’s ability to keep fans buying tickets and to keep businesses tied to the Bills during a period when the team couldn’t sell a winning product. “He was able to tap into the culture around Buffalo, the passion for the team, and able to keep it sustainable from a marketing standpoint,” said Robert Clark, managing director of retail operations for Dunn Tire, the official tire dealer of the Bills.

Good stuff. Sorry for my wonky syntax. Small phone, and I need readers (glasses). IIRC, Eno produced several U2 albums — including Joshua Tree. (Think of that trademark soundwash before Where the Streets Have No Name).

*fits = started (?) One of my favourite nerd-outs, days gone by, was reading album liner notes from the 80s/90s and trying to figure out ”Enossification” was/is.

What is? Letting it play in the background. Descended from Brian Eno?

I think that series will be fun to watch.

I wish I could find it, but I seem to recall an article where the writer interviewed the all-time greats about the selections for an all-time great team and, IIRC, there was some solid (funny) give and take between and among the top 3 forwards -- maybe Gretzky, Lemieux, and Crosby? -- about who gets to play center on that top line. The idea being: They'd stay on the top line rather than drop down to center a 2nd line. Just amusing.

Fair. I’ve taken to calling beer, beer.

One thing I don't like to mix with my beer is pedantry.