Thoughts of a Common Man

Okay, let’s have a go at it. Last time I accurately picked the Super Bowl Champs was the year Brady led the Patriots to the title. So, I have some work to do. Let’s go with the NFC first: Division winners include: Eagles, Packers, Bucs and Rams.  Other playoff teams: Dallas, 49ers and Vikings. I often fall into the trap of believing that Rodgers can win a big game. I know Tommy can, but his o-line isn’t great, and Gronk didn’t come back - yet. The obvious pick might be the right pick here; Packers. In the AFC there will be a whole lot of competition: Bills, Ravens, Titans and Chargers will win their divisions. Chiefs, Bengals, Dolphins will be playoff teams. And the trendy pick is, of course, the hometown Bills. They have the most talent. Yet I’m always weary of teams who come into a season with this much love. (If you read the baseball previews you’d have been absolutely convinced that no one was beating the Blue Jays - they haven’t been the world beaters everyone believed). But t...

Okay, it’s actually called the ‘Militi-Raulli Open’. I inserted the ‘Fazzolari’. I’ve played in the 2-round event every year since 1997. Look at the beauty of the course behind us.  That’s Conklin Player’s Club in Binghamton and it’s one of my very favorite places to play. Things have changed a lot since ‘97. Back then, as a 30-something man I went for food and drink more than golf. We would stay out late and have a lot of beer. I had one beer this time out. Joe Militi passed away about ten years ago, but we do a toast to him and tell a few stories. Joe was a great guy who was so funny.  He must love that we are still singing his praises as we play. The golf was golf! Good shots, bad shots, missed putts, made putts, lost balls and found balls. I looked around a lot. At the scenery and my buddies. “I don’t know how many years we have left to do this,” I thought, on the way home. That’s 25 years for me. There is certainly not 25 more years left. But, hopefully, the younger guys ...

So, the Bills are looking for a punter. Won’t be me. I couldn’t kick a football out the room I’m sitting in. I have zero clue how anyone ever kicks one! As a matter-of-fact, back in 1997, I worked with about 700 other guys at the rehab of the Bills Stadium and towards the end of the job the Bills let all the workers go to the field and attempt to kick a 35-yard field goal.  A couple of hundred of us lined up to take one kick at it. I was about tenth in line. To the never-ending joy of some of the guys I worked with, my attempt was a little short. The ball stopped spinning somewhere near the 25-yard line. One guy. One! Made it through the uprights! But this isn’t a kicking story. It’s a sad, tragic, horrific story. The Bills are searching for a punter because the guy they drafted to do the job was let go on Saturday because there are very credible stories out there about the rape of a minor. A gang rape. That is sad enough, but you know what’s worse? Bills fans actually defending th...

Plenty of things to comment on, huh? The Bills cut their punter last night after a horrific story broke about ‘Punt God’. An alleged felony rape of a minor, and while the Bills eventually did the right thing, they didn’t exactly come totally clean.  There’s zero chance that they didn’t know about it when they drafted him. They just hoped that the public outcry didn’t get him. Speaking of public outcry: Where is the national condemnation of what certainly appears to be treason. Go get that Russian spy! Today!! Sadly, we will suffer his time for years and years. A whole bunch of people are going to have to do a lot of digging to save this Democracy based on the actions of one man (and dozens and dozens of co-conspirators). There is way too much information and the longer it drags on the worse it will be. Lock Him Up! Despite the daily misery brought to us by the news of the day it’s been one hell of a summer here in Buffalo! So much sunshine and I’ve been out in it constantly. Whethe...

This memory actually begins at around 11 p.m. on August 25, 1985. My college roommate, Fluffy and me were hosting a small party at the house that we had rented prior to the start of our senior year at college. We were at school a full week before classes were set to begin because we wanted to get a jump on drinking beer. Hence, the party and then an announcement on the local radio station as ‘Dancing in the Dark’ played. “Springsteen and the E-Street Band will be at the CNE in Toronto tomorrow entertaining about 80,000 people. Are you one of the lucky fans who will be going?” “We’re going!” Fluffy announced. I laughed. “Seriously, let’s go!” Now, we were both feeling pretty good around then and we began talking about how great it would be to make the 4 hour drive to see the show.” Couple of problems. We would need to be up and out of bed by 8 a.m. and we were broke college students who didn’t have tickets! “You have your tuition money,” Fluffy reasoned. “We use that. By the end of Sept...

I woke up a little down yesterday. You see, I had a dream that was pretty vivid and in it we were at a concert (probably Bruce) just me and Kathy, and she had a beer in her hand, was about 35 years old, and was standing and singing. Just a beautiful vision, and I probably should’ve woken up happy, but I felt a little down, because those carefree days seem behind us. Life has intervened a little, and while the days gone past sometimes feel like one long day, there is always a price to pay. But I’m alive and I’m feeling all right, and through this summer, I’ve grown aware of the limited time that we have left to make our mark in this single print of time. We’ve lost friends and family. We’ve battled health problems and I was a little down because in that dream I saw the beauty of the summer days and the smile in her eyes as she sang along with whoever was on stage (it was Bruce). And I drove a long way yesterday morning to reflect on that dream, and I kept thinking about the idea that wi...

 Society appears doomed. Look at that photo. I assume that is a father and a son and that the photo is real. Sometimes that’s tricky as all sorts of things can be messed with on the internet. I’ve personally seen my head on Kobe’s body, at a strip joint, in all sorts of drunken situations. Let’s presume it is true because it most likely is. There are all sorts of messages written at every protest and gathering. What sort of respect for women is he teaching that boy? And I spent the afternoon listening to people rail about the student loan forgiveness. My God! They’re wiping away rabid interests on loans that were basically loan shark rates. For people making less than $75 grand! I talked about this before. I paid my student loans back but it was possible to do so then! I also wasn’t charged $35 grand a semester. College was affordable in the 80’s. Loan repayment was possible! Since I repaid my loans am I mad about those who were forgiven some of their debt? No! I am happy for them....