Sunday thoughts—the Bills, the Bandits and the NLL, and home buying

Trust the Process…that’s the phrase that head coach Sean McDermott got trending in Buffalo last season and it paid off for the most part when we made the playoffs for the 1st time this century. So far this offseason, there have been a flurry of moves, most of which would be silly to question. That being said, I don’t blindly trust anyone or anything. Two moves concerned me when they happened. Our DB corps was totally brand-new last season but performed like a unit that had been together for years…firing the DB coach to bring in someone else seems risky to say the least. Trading away Tyrod was also a risky move but it seems less so now with the addition of AJ McCarron.
I had seasons for 22 years but 2018 won’t see me in Orchard Park more than a few times…the cost being the primary reason…the return on spending about 10% of my take-home isn’t worth it to me. Game days are more work than fun and I’m exhausted for an entire day afterwards. Funny thing is, when I was actually doing work on gamedays, it didn’t feel like work. Since 2012, the gameday experience just hasn’t been as enjoyable to me…and took an even bigger downturn in 2014. The product on the field is a positive…in 2017, it was the best part of the gameday experience…but without the blackout rule, I’m not worried I won’t be able to see the game if I don’t go. I’ll try to make a few games but all ten…not happening.
When I dropped my Bandits seasons 2 years ago, I didn’t lose interest in the team and kept watching games on the NLLTV app last season…but between the terrible job NLLTV did and the realization that the Bandits organization, not a rogue security guard, is the reason I had to drop my seasons, I haven’t watched any this season since the opener.
Another reason I haven’t been paying attention to the Bandits and have distanced myself from talking about the Bills so much is the fact I’m trying to buy a home. Between my landlord not doing much in regards to repairs and the desire to not have to deal with the issues of renting…neighbors who let their dogs unload anywhere and a more controlled, and hopefully smaller, expense, I’ve been focused on that a lot…just a case of getting to see a few homes before someone else snatches them up. I already missed out on one because my last realtor decided to ignore my emails while another realtor sold a house I wanted to see.

Sunday thoughts...affairs, tariffs, North Korea, Parkland, and Tyrod

Trump’s affair with a porn star…shouldn’t be surprising to anyone…though her standards must have been pretty low at the time. The fact that he’s a serial adulterer is well-known…but “conservatives” like to think of themselves as moral. Sorry, but supporting someone like Trump is immoral but that’s not a conservative vs liberal thing. When people make it about political parties or ideologies instead of simply about the people involved, they keep things from improving.

Trump’s tariffs…I honestly don’t have an issue with tariffs being imposed…but to the rates of 25 and 50% are beyond insane. Tariffs should be in the single digits so as to help make it more financially sound to utilize American suppliers but without crippling companies that don’t.

The meeting with North Korea…I’ve always been more for diplomacy than violence. That being said, I don’t know if Trump is the right man for the job. He's not known for his diplomacy.

This week, Wednesday, marks the 1-month anniversary of the Parkland shooting and as such, it’s been chosen as a date for protest to improve gun laws. Some have pointed out that people like Cruz could’ve been stopped had he felt more included among his peers and that students should work to end bullying and make others feel more welcome in social circles. That may very well be true and I’d be surprised if that’s not something that many student groups around the country will address as well. One of Parkland’s most famous alums, actress Cassie Scerbo, is the Vice-President of Boo2Bullying and she plans to visit her alma mater next week. The walkout is far more than just a protest, though…it’s also a way of honoring the victims of the Parkland shooting…which is why it’s to be 17 minutes along.

Trading away Tyrod…I’ve never been convinced he was the answer at QB but outside of the salary cap benefits, it seems risky to have traded him already. Could we get someone a lot better? Definitely…but there are no guarantees. Hopefully this gamble works out but as the saying goes, a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.