That Aud Smell

Jerry Hughes on Kelly's statement(s): "I was very disappointed in him," Hughes said. "I was very disappointed in how he approached the whole situation. Our team came together and we united as a front, as an organization with how we were going to approach the national anthem. If Jim was going to do what he did, then he should have come to the team and let us know his feelings. He should have let us know how he was going to do the national anthem. We didn't know he was going to be there from a team perspective. For him to carry on in this manner, I'm really confused and I'm really upset, because if this is something how he felt and if this is truly what he felt was on his heart, he should have came to the team instead of making this a public matter and doing that on his social page. It was not cool. Very unacceptable. If he has things to say about us as a team, come talk to us." "That doesn't sit well with me," Hughes said. "I won't speak for everybody in our locker room. But that doesn't sit well with me at all. Because we came together as a team and we discussed exactly how we were going to approach the national anthem. For him to walk on the sideline and do exactly what he did was unacceptable. If he felt a certain way about a player on this team, come to the team and let's address it." "Half the time I don't even realize he's there until it was pointed out yesterday after the display of actions that he did, it was pointed out and brought to my attention," Hughes said. "I'm not sure I understand it. We are the 2017 Buffalo Bills. We're focused on the future. We're focused on winning games. If he wants to offer anything of encouragement to our team, to our quarterbacks, to our offense, please provide all of that. We could use all of the encouragement we need to figure out how they won those games and be successful as they were. But we're trying to bring a team together, trying to bring a community together and try to bring a nation together. By dividing us, dividing the team, that doesn't work."

Ahhh. Quite so.

The politics of it aside, I just can't get my head wrapped around the simultaneous embrace of: Hey! Freedom isn't free! People DIED for your freedom! FREEEEEEEEEEEDOM! Wooooooooooooooo! USA! USA! USA! and Hey, man! Sit down and shut up. Or, I mean, stand up, and put your hand over your heart. DO AS YOU ARE TOLD!

I'm just using his chirping of McCoy -- which, really, just don't -- as a platform to take a fairly gratuitous potshot at Kelly's born-again-ism. Which isn't really fair, since his conversion may have saved his life before he lost it to drugs and alcohol. Anyway. Kelly's daughters have a blog on which they have discussed at length their (family's) belief that the theory of evolution is a huge hoax. So, there's that.

McDermott also said that Kelly is a "hallmark" of the franchise and that that isn't changing anytime soon. Maybe Kelly will get on record as not believing in evolution, too. Because, really, if human beings evolved from the apes, then why are apes still on the planet? #makesyouthink

Indeedily it is.

I was mostly having a lulz that the word "hysterical" had been used in that particular connection, since it is a word that has come under fire for its ... etymology. True story: My oldest child advised me of that development in a calm and neutral manner when I used the word "hysterical" to describe something that was super funny. Kid: "Daddy. Do you know where the word hysterical comes from? It comes from the Latin hystericus. It's the same root of hysterectomy. So, it's referring to a woman's womb. It's basically a term that was used to talk about how women tended to be unstable or crazy, and men tended to be more rational." [pause] Me: "Well, that's just lunacy." [pause] [kid gets the joke] Kid: "Okay. THAT is enough out of you."

The PC police would be so triggered by this.

Small sample size, but I am eating a bit of crow (wtf does that mean, btw?) over some of the potshots I took at McDermott and his world view, etc. Because I am who I am and think the way I think, some of the stuff I heard out of McDermott produced eye rolls and groans. I've detailed that stuff here, and won't repeat it. But you know what? I may have failed to account for the fact that, while that stuff doesn't play with me ("puhleeeez" I could hear myself saying at times), it may play (shoot - probably DOES play) very well in an NFL locker room and among an NFL organization generally. Also? The thing about McDermott is that, above all else, he seems genuine and sincere with everything he is and does. I get the sense there's no BS about him. Again, this is a small sample size, but I am fookin' impressed with how the team is playing for him.

God bless you, sir.

Wooooooooooo!

Heeeeyyyyyyy.

Gotta dig this bad boy out.

The more I've come to learn about advanced stats, the more I've come to realize that I don't really understand them. I also know enough to know that looking at a player's Corsi or Fenwick, in isolation, is not useful.

Same. I'll add my 2 to make that 4 -- everything there is everything I think on the subject. Days gone by, my beloved wife got me a home white Perreault while the current team was wearing ... either the goat head or the slug. The only place you could get the home whites was from the Players Alumni Association. I don't think the jersey is truly authentic, but it was created under license, etc. and designed to be very much identical to the originals. My wife reported to me later that the guy she had dealt with in buying it -- "Larry" (Playfair) -- was a very nice man.

Which makes what he's doing that much more impressive, insofar as the coach is concerned. Is he the guy who made Kirk Cousins look like a good NFL starter? That LAR owner is a repugnant goblin, but I think he may have made a smart, inventive choice in settling on that 31 year-old, whose name I should learn. McVay? McVeigh? I seem to recall reading an interview with Kroenke in which he specifically said that the guy impressed him.

Like Eichel said earlier this week: "We don't like them. They don't like us." Git some!

Color me impressed with the offences the 2 young coaches have put together, especially perhaps the guy from the LAR. We’ll see if they can keep it up (remember when Chip Kelly was a genius?), but, for now, I’d feel pretty good being an LAR fan, assuming they exist.

Love our guy.

Thanks kindly - good stuff. Are they really vegans? Huh. I'll tell ya, I have serious doubts over whether professional athletes could get the nutrition they need based on a vegan diet.

Close frickin' call.

Newton's an amazing talent, but he's not what I would consider a fantasy stud. He's been erratic over the past several seasons -- last year was a stinker (he might have finished outside the top-20 of FFB QBs), whereas the year before that he was amazing (he may have been #1). If I'd drafted Newton, I'd be playing him based on match-ups. Rivers is a better play this weekend.

This is all very encouraging. He's a player who's been a bit of a late bloomer. If he keeps growing and getting better -- as he has in this camp -- that portends very well for the Sabres.

Chrome.

Hahahaha - so good. Fookin' Stew. For sure. Every damn time. Every time.