A View from Calico Jack’s
By Phil Mann
“Trent Edwards deserves to be this team’s quarterback,”
Bruce Caulfield said – kind of growled, actually – immediately
after the heart-stopping win over Washington. “Put that in your
column!”
Here it is, Bruce. I sanitized your language a bit. Family column, etc.
For those of you who don’t know, Bruce is the owner of the
wonderful Tracks Raw Bar & Grill at Penn Station – and, more
important as it relates to this column, a Bills Backers fixture. In fact,
Bruce is one of the few who were around when I started going to Name This
Joint in 1991.
I happen to agree with Bruce – as well as NYCBBB co-founder Matt
Soreco, who between his call on Edwards and ability to impregnate his wife
had him fairly strutting around Calico Jack’s after the Skins game
(to be truthful, he was just standing there. But, whatever. It gives me a
chance to mention his name in this column again, and we won the last time
I did that.)
Let’s not go crazy…Trent won’t make anyone forget Tom
Brady anytime soon. He has played five games, more or less, and
didn’t lead the team to a touchdown today.
But…while I’m not forgetting Brady…am I remembering
Doug Flutie?
Again, let’s not go crazy. Trent’s game is nothing like
Flutie’s. After a handful of games, I can’t even be positive
what Trent’s game is. But, he’s showing an early knack for
keeping us in games without doing anything spectacular. The stats
aren’t necessarily glossy. But, the wins are nice, and he did
complete the big-gainer to Josh Reed that set up the game winning field
goal.
More important in the overall scheme of things, I believe Trent is
demonstrating far more pocket presence, poise and intelligence than JP
Losman typically does. He’s a rookie, and I have no doubt he will do
something before the season is out that makes me say, “huh?”
But, I really think he’s less erratic than JP.
And how about that Fred Jackson?! Marshawn’s the man, but now we
don’t have to rush him back if today’s an indicator.
Also, a tip of the cap to Rian Lindell, who really won the game for us
today. I think he would have hit the second 51-yarder, had he needed to.
Thanks to Coach Gibbs, he didn’t need to.
Finally, a comment on coverage of this game.
I’m writing this on Sunday night, early. I have no idea how the
nature of ESPN’s reporting might change by tomorrow or even later
tonight. But, for now, I’m shocked by the degree to which they
sanitized the coverage of this game.
Look, I know that Bills/Skins isn’t the second-coming of the
Packers/Cowboys from last week. But, it was an exciting game in its own
right, even before the tragic Sean Taylor story is taken into
consideration. Yet, ESPN is essentially reporting it as a game in which
the Bills won on a last-second field goal – without any of the
context, including (especially) Gibbs’ gaffe. I even heard them
reference that the Skins “clearly didn’t have their heads in
the game.”
What? I thought the Skins were revved up all day. How about giving the
Bills some credit for winning the game?! It wasn’t handed to them at
all.
When they showed Gibbs’ press conference, Gibbs manned up to his
error as I knew he would, and said that he believes he cost them the game.
I don’t know if I necessarily agree with that, but the point is
that, based on ESPN’s coverage, the vast majority of viewers had no
idea what Gibbs meant. And the ESPN folks didn’t refer back to it
after Gibbs’ press conference.
Were they “protecting” Gibbs in the aftermath of
Taylor’s death? Were they just sloppy? I don’t know. But, it
was bad reporting. For me, it almost harkens back to the inane commentary
of the “Teddy Bruschi Returns” game a couple of years ago.
No, I’m not suggesting an anti-Bills conspiracy. I’m sure
they do all kinds of things I don’t like involving other teams;
I’m just more aware of Bills-related coverage.
Anyway, the main takeaway today is that the Bills are, against logical
odds, 6-6. If they can beat the Fish next week – and, please,
don’t let them lose to the Fish – they will be above .500
after game 13. Who would have thought?
E-mail feedback and comments to Phil Mann at
pjmann at nyc.rr.com
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