That Aud Smell

I witnessed May Day in a packed bar on Comm Ave in Boston (Brighton?), Mass. That was amazing, of course. But there was something about 2006 that made the whole proposition seem like it was leading somewhere. The sweep of the Bruins, to me, almost immediately felt like a stand-alone accomplishment.

And yet that view of “bend don’t break” isn’t quite consistent with how the Bills have limited their opponents’ yardage.

As it should.

After sleeping on it, I will say: If Reinhart were to make a career of being a Peak Pominville Plus Player, I would be more than happy. That's a PPPP, for those scoring at home.

^ My favourite moment in franchise history. I'd bet it's the same for many.

Thanks - although I'm just processing information as I hear it, really. I have no real independent football acumen, I don't think. I think Sal on WGR works awfully hard at his job and I find him knowledgeable. He was explaining how Buffalo schemes, how McDermott schemes, and I started to get a picture of how that defense looks like a "bend don't break" unit. There was talk about getting high and even a bit wide over top with your DBs, funneling things into the middle of the field toward your LBs' territory, and then getting to work once a ball is caught. It made sense.

I think there may be a definitional disconnect on what that approach means. There certainly was for me, as an initial matter. I think "bend don't break" implies to most people that the team is basically willing to give up huge chunks of yards with the plan of buckling down when the opponent gets inside their 35. I certainly inferred as much from Eleven's original post on the topic, which observed that Carolina had been inside the Bills' 20 X number of times or whatever, but never scored a TD. But I don't think that's what the approach means to foobaw people. Based on the breakdown I heard this morning, the approach of "bend don't break" places a huge premium on getting pressure on the QB with 4 linemen rushing (a la the Giants when they succeeded against the Patriots). It also sounds like it's dependent on fast quick to the ball, sound tackling as soon as an opposing player catches the ball. Hence the emphasis we were hearing about how McDermott needs DBs who can tackle. I don't think the philosophy is intended or designed to concede yardage. I think it's an approach that intends to limit the damage that an opponent can do to you, and to capitalize on mistakes when they are made.

Hat tip to Eleven: I heard Sal C on WGR saying the Bills’ approach on D has been “bend don’t break.”

A fair concern. I agree with the idea of ROR on the wing. I'm suffering from recency bias, I guess. This seems ... like not enough. Then again -- peak Pominville was as a very good winger on a SC contending team. I think the memory of Pominville is stained by virtue of the rotten core years. And also influenced by that dumb, clueless look he gave me circa 2010 as he was eating his lunch while he walked along Delaware Avenue with a woman who was presumably his gf/wife, but who also looked to be 17 years old.

Based on the portions of the game I saw, I liked what he was doing. Such a smart, smart player. He made probably half a dozen plays that I really liked, but none of them went anywhere because his line mates didn't continue to carry the play.

Smallish player from a relatively obscure hockey country (the Russian affiliation notwithstanding) -- a lot to cheer for with that guy.

The rookie CB, Tre White, was named the NFL's defensive rookie of the month. It remains to be seen how much regret will be felt, if any, for the team's passing on the QBs that were selected in round 1. But credit to the franchise for getting a good one late in round 1.

He just has not struck me as a regular NHLer on a good team. Not yet anyway.

There's tons of good, often great, content out there on Twitter from all sorts of everyday people. And there's tons of terrible, even soul-crushing, content out there on Twitter from several types of everyday people. It's a bit of a trick sifting the wheat from the chaff (sp?).

No doubt: Falcons are a huge test. And I gotta say: I’m cautiously optimistic.

Weak

I drank.

There’s the D Lo we know and ... know.

Acrosst!

So weird to see Josefson in 10.

D Lo is the greatest ever.

I have come to believe quite firmly that engaging with POTUS on these matters only serves to feed into what POTUS is trying to accomplish.

I can understand having an issue with signing a guy who's arguably a total plug. Defending D-Lo, though? That is madness. Holy moly - that is exactly it. Exactly.

Per CBS: Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino was placed on unpaid leave by the university on Wednesday in a move that means the Hall-of-Fame coach has been "effectively fired" his attorney told the Louisville Courier-Journal. .... A source told CBS Sports' Gary Parrish that Louisville has no intention of ever allowing Pitino to coach the Cardinals again.

I haven't seen much preseason action, but I've followed along on Twitter with people like Kris Baker and similar pundit types. On two occasions, maybe even in different games, I can recall a Tweet and subsequent replies about how D-Lo's play was a mystery right now. Basically, Baker's content indicated that D-Lo was exhibiting neither the energy nor physicality that he needed to show in order to be useful to an NHL team.