Month: September 2008

Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars

Hello all 1,796 NYC Bills Fans!

How great was that game? The offense was exciting, the defense was solid, the special teams were…well…special! 42nd and 2nd regained its title as Little Buffalo for the next couple months on Sunday as we had a HUGE crowd at both bars. I went around and talked to several folks after the game and everybody was fired up and had a great time!

The Bills and Marcus “Talkin’ Stroud” travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars team that traded him away this Sunday at 1pm, and he’s looking for revenge. 3 starters from the Jaguars offensive line are out this week, which has Stroud licking his chops. Can the Bills survive the 90 degree heat and go 2-0 against a solid Jaguars team? Come find out with us at McFadden’s and Calico Jack’s!

We would love to hear any feedback you have from week 1. How about those Bills/NYCBBB cups???

Avon Walk for Breast Cancer
This Sunday, two of our fellow Bills-faithfuls will be on the OTHER side of the bar as guest bartenders. Katy and Amanda will be raising funds for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in October. All tips they receive will support the Avon Foundation which works to advance access to care and promote Breast Cancer research. So drink up and tip generously – because a Bills win isn’t the only great cause worth pulling for.

Phil’s View from Calico Jack’s
Here is this week’s installment of Phil’s Mann’s column:
https://nycbbb.com/columns/090808.shtml

Pictures from Seahawks Game
Check out the pictures from last weekend’s game, courtesy of Mike Coniaris:
https://nycbbb.com/pics/seahawks08.shtml

Patriots*
If you haven’t seen it, check out this GREAT article ridiculing whiny Patriots fans over the loss of GQ Model Tom “Marsha” Brady for the season:

GO BILLS!!!

Matt “talkin’ Stroud and loving our Special Teams!” Kabel

A View from Calico Jack’s – 9/8/2008

By the numbers:

1: The number of AFC East teams entering next week with the same starting QB they had for game 16 last year – that would be Buffalo

3: The number of seasons since the Bills had won their opener

6: TE Robert Royal’s new personal best for receptions in a single game

10: How I’d rank Calico Jack’s opening week performance, on a 1-10 scale. I thought they did a great job

27: The total of Buffalo’s 34 points involving special teams

30: Yards covered by Trent Edwards’ “go for the jugular” TD pass immediately after the Bills recovered a fumbled Seahawks kick off return

102: WR Lee Evans’ total reception yards; for the sake of comparison, he didn’t get his 100th reception yard last year until game three

120: Roscoe Parrish’s total punt-return yards in game one, a new team record

You get the idea; it was a great opener, a great home opener, and a great way to start the season. I haven’t been this excited by a first game since the Bills beat the Pats 31-0.

Speaking of the Pats…if Brett Favre had accepted the Packers’ offer to sit at home for $2 million a year, would he have been the Pats’ first call once Tom Brady went down? I mean, on paper he’d be a weird fit but, still…he’s Brett Favre. I suspect the Pats would not have called him, nor am I sure that Favre would have accepted being a caretaker. But, it would have been some media circus.

Back to the Bills…should we be excited? Yep. Do we need the offense to contribute a higher percentage of our points? Definitely. But, special teams look solid and the defense seems improved. If offense can gain some consistency, the Bills should be a force to reckon with in a suddenly transformed division. The offense’s decision to take a shot at the end zone after a Seahawks turnover was a welcome respite to the typical two-yard push up the middle.

Hope to see everyone next week.

Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills

Hello all 1,776 NYC Bills fans!

“We’re going to make the playoffs, I’m not backing down from that guarantee. I feel even stronger about it now than when I made it.”—-Donte Whitner

Here we go. Will Trent Edwards make the 2nd year leap in ability? Will the Bills be able to win without Jason Peters? Will Marcus Stroud, Kawika Mitchell and the return of Paul Posluszny shore up and create a dominant defense? Will the Bills fans in NYC be able to descend upon 42nd and 2nd in the winter to finally witness a playoff game at McFadden’s and Calico Jack’s?

The Seattle Seahawks come to Orchard Park this Sunday to take on the Buffalo Bills at 1pm. We need all of you to to pray, keep your fingers crossed, meditate, sacrifice some chicken wings, do whatever you can to ensure that weather.com is right and that the remnants of Hurricane Hannah (which will hopefully not cause much damage) will be over us on Saturday, and not Sunday wreaking havoc with the satellite dishes in the NYC area. Just a reminder that unless you have a reservation at Calico Jack’s, you better get there a couple hours before kickoff if you want a seat. Again, be sure to read our FAQ if you haven’t already:
https://nycbbb.com/features/faqs.shtml

UB Bulls Football
Eric Katzman, President of the University at Buffalo Alumni Association NYC Chapter, reached out and notified us that UB will be holding several events in the city this fall. The first is at McFadden’s this Saturday, September 6th, at 6pm where UB takes on Pitt. They will be in the back room, $10 domestic draft specials, food is at each person’s expense. Please contact Eric for more details at:
eric.katzman@gmail.com.

New York Magazine
A recent article on relocating to Buffalo from NYC appeared in New York Magazine, check it out!
https://nymag.com/realestate/features/49491/

Bills Daily
Check out the game preview at:
http://billsdaily.com/gameday/2008/sea/preview.shtml

Away we go, getting fired up….

GO BILLS!!!

Matt “talkin’ proud and fired up for Sunday!” Kabel

A View from Calico Jack’s – 9/2/2008

Three signs I’m old(er):

1. For a while when I was a kid in Niagara Falls, we shared a phone line with our next door neighbor. It was called a “party line.”
2. I vividly remember having to get up to change channels – and how lucky we felt to actually have access to Canadian television, giving us a total of seven channels instead of four (assuming you counted the UHF channel, 29, as a station).
3. I was an adult the last time the Bills made the playoffs.

Don’t scoff at that last point. Last year marked our eighth consecutive playoff-less season. Based on the crowds I see at McFadden’s and Calico Jack’s on football Sundays, I’m guessing the vast majority of our crew hasn’t seen a Bills playoff game since they were teens.

The overarching question, then, is whether or not this is the year – finally – that the Bills find a way to play a 17th meaningful game (at least).

Of course, that’s the question pretty much every year. But, optimism seems higher this year than perhaps any time since the early Bledsoe era. That was a pretty exciting six quarters, wasn’t it?

My very unscientific research indicates more of a cautious optimism than an aggressive sense that this team is destined for a high seed. Maybe that’s because of the team’s propensity for injury. Maybe it’s Jason Peters’ ridiculous hold out. Or, could it be concerns about the largely untested Trent Edwards?

It’s probably all of that – along with a healthy dose of cynicism that prevents Bills fans from getting overly optimistic or carried away. Of course, Red Sox fans used to be the same way, and just look at them now.

Personally, I’m excited about the team in a way I haven’t been in a while. I’m not prepared to say the “P” word, but barring injury the defense should be far better, the special teams should still be good to very good, and Marshawn should continue to prove a better runner than driver. If – if – Edwards can find his receivers (including, I hope, a rebounded Lee Evans, a talented newbie in James Hardy, and a speedy, perpetually-on-the-verge-of-being-incorporated-into-the-game-plan Roscoe Parrish), this team could put something fun together.

All of which could still mean .500 in a tough division. But, I believe that would be a bad break. So, forget what I said a moment ago about the “P” word: for the first time perhaps since the Super Bowl years, I am predicting a wild card birth for my beloved Bills.

If I prove right, give me credit. If I’m wrong…well, it wouldn’t be the first time. What do you expect from someone who remembers party line phones?

2008 Season Info at McFadden’s and Calico’s

Hello all 1,776 NYC Buffalo Bills fans,

It’s here. The 2008 Buffalo Bills season kicks off this Sunday at 1pm in Orchard Park and NYCBBB will be celebrating its 6th season watching games on 42nd and 2nd in Manhattan. I actually have two tickets for the opener on the lower level I’m looking to unload for face value if anybody wants to head up there, just shoot me an email.

Every year around this time we like to send out an email updating folks on how Sundays go down at McFadden’s and Calico Jack’s. The biggest piece of advice we can give is to GET THERE EARLY. This is especially true for the first couple games as hundreds of Bills fans descend into Midtown and many start lining up at 9am.

We’ve updated the FAQ section on our website which includes how to reserve tables, what the difference is between Calico’s and McFadden’s, what the specials are, etc. Please check it out. Oh yeah, Calico’s started accepting reservations at noon today for this week:
https://nycbbb.com/features/faqs.shtml

As I said at the start of this email, we are expecting HUGE crowds the first few weeks, so we just want to remind folks of a couple things.

1) TIPS – Please take care of your waitresses/bartenders! They’re coming in on a Sunday morning and pushing their way through hundreds of Bills fans. Last year they said tips were great, so let’s keep that going. If you have issues with ANY staff, please alert us and we will discuss with the bar/restaurant management.

2) WE’RE ALL FANS – When its crowded and somebody accidentally bumps into you, just remember that we are all Bills fans and there to have a good time. If somebody is acting inappropriately, please notify a McFadden’s/Calico’s staff member and they will address it. Again, last year we had no issues so just throwing it out there as a reminder.

3) SPECIALS – McFadden’s/Calico’s have offered the same specials as last year and have never raised prices on our members. As a result, we have no tolerance for folks abusing the specials by sneaking drinks or wings for themselves or friends. If you are caught stealing, you will be asked to leave and not permitted to return for the remainder of the season.

Kelly’s Pub
In addition, any folks in Brooklyn/Lower Manhattan or fans that want to avoid the crowds on 42nd and 2nd can head to Kelly’s Pub (kellysnyc.com) at 12 Avenue A in the East Village. The bar is co-owned by a former Buffalonian who, as a fellow fan, always has all the Bills games on with sound. They will be offering Buckets of Molson/Blue for $23 and although they don’t serve food, you can bring your own! They have also worked out a deal with Atomic Wings where you can get 10% off your order.

View From Calico Jack’s
Phil Mann continues his weekly column, kicking off his look at the upcoming season. Check it out!
https://nycbbb.com/columns/090208.shtml

Bills News
As always, check out www.billsdaily.com for all the latest Bills news!

GO BILLS, GO SABRES!!!

Matt “Talkin’ proud and fired up for kickoff!” Kabel