Another Day...

Sad day today at Ralphie's. Just heard news that one of our oldest friends has been injured. Prognosis for recovery sounds good, but injuries were serious, so he's in our prayers.

So, it seems a bit irreverent to go on with our usual banter, but since we don't have much else to do... Good news out of Buffalo - GM or president of football operations or Commander Tom as some have called him, or even the czar of ... well, he was a bit obnoxious, but Tom Donahoe has been canned. Yippee.

Don't know about this Marv Levy business replacing him... Marv is like 80-years old. Literally.

Mark Weiler, one of my favorite Bills' analysts, is calling for a Phil Savage (GM) and Kirk Ferentz (head coach) combo. But it appears the Browns have gotten smart (for a change) and held onto Savage. Ferentz would still make an interesting addition, as he has Erie ties through his buddy and assistant coach Ken O'Keefe, who used to coach (and I believe won a Div. III national championship) at Allegheny.

Quick O'Keefe story: Back when I'm working as the sports editor of the Greenville Record-Argus, a kid from Greenville is playing (Mike Kuder I think it was)line for Allegheny. So I go up there to get some pictures and chat with O'Keefe after the game. Wouldn't you know it's pouring rain out and pretty cold, and the press box is probably full or something. So I spend the whole game on the sidelines snapping photos and getting soaked. All the press is sititng around the locker room after the game, and O'Keefe comes in for his interviews. He zeroes in on me and says (something to the effect of) "That's the way you should look when your covering a football game," and proceds to give me enthusiastic answers to all my quesitons about this lineman (I mean I don't think the kid was an All-American or anything, but O'Keefe hung in there with me). My impression was that he's a great football guy, and I'd be more than happy to have any friend of his coaching the Bills.

Final note: had a conversation with a Rams fan the other day who asked me what I thought of Gregg Williams as a head coach. What could I say? He sucked in Buffalo. I tried to soft sell it by comparing him to Belechick in Cleveland, but...

- Cheers.
Ralph

Ralph