Think about a baseball game. Imagine that when two major-league teams moved into extra innings, the squads had to play eight players each. If teams didn't settle matters in 12 innings, a home-run hitting contest decided the game. And, a loss wasn't really a loss, but rather a partial win.
Welcome to the wacky world of the National Hockey League, which more or less does something like that.
Some years ago, it was determined that new fans to the NHL didn't like ties. They wanted to have an outcome to their games. Ties had been an acceptable results in non-playoff games for decades, but the NHL was all about growing the fanbase. Understood.
It still surprises me what was done. First, a five-minute overtime was adopted with each team short a man so it was four-on-four for skaters. That opened up the play quite a bit, as you could imagine. Then, if there was no winner after overtime, the teams took part in a shootout to determine a winner.
For all games, the team that scored in overtime or won the shootout earned two points. The team that lost in overtime or the shootout picked up one point. In other words, teams could play conservatively through the final minutes of regulation, make sure to get a point, and then play like heck in overtime in order to grab the extra point. It also makes the standings really ugly looking. Right now, an unlikely 10-5-6 record looks like a fine season when it really is the story of a sub-.500 team.
It's easy to sit back and say, does this make any sense?
It's particularly true right now because teams are only playing within their conference. If a team (let's use the Sabres as a really far-fetched example) is trying to gain ground in the standings, they have to watch other teams ahead of them play each other. Somebody is getting two points, and the loser is possibly getting one. That means the points keep accumulating throughout the league, making it more difficult to climb up the ladder. The Sabres not only have to win games, but they have to win them in 60 minutes to avoid giving points to their opponents.
I've got two options for the powers that be here. The easy one would be to call a win a win and a loss a loss. But it's not really fair to have a team make it to a shootout and not get some sort of reward.
Fine .Let's make every game worth three points. Win in regulation, and you get three points. Win in overtime or a shootout, you get two points. Lose in extra time, and you go home with one point. Lose in regulation, and you get no parting gifts.
I'm not completely sure what this would do to the flow of games, but it at least would make more sense than the current system.
Be notified of new posts via Twitter @WDX2BB.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Friday, March 01, 2013
Family lore
It's the first of the month. That often makes think of an incident from my childhood. I don't think I can't verify it because of a lack of witnesses - the main one probably doesn't remember it fully - but I believe it to be true.
My sister had heard a silly little tale that when you woke up on the first day of the month, you had to say the words "rabbit, rabbit" aloud the first thing in the morning. It was supposed to bring you good luck. That meant first thing. If you stepped on the floor before saying the words, it was too late.
Naturally, it was easier in concept than execution. My sister and I would try to remember, but we'd always stagger out of bed, slap our heads (or the equivalent), and move on to the rest of an unlucky month.
One first of the month, though, I remember that I asked my sister if she had remembered this time around and she said yes.
Later that day, Jane felt a sharp pain in her side that wouldn't go away. That resulted in a trip to the hospital, which resulted in her appendix coming out. She later told me that, just to add to the hurt, she wasn't covered my health insurance at the time. So our parents had to pay for it, and then she paid them back ... at $10 a week. I think she's still sending checks to the estate.
You think I've said "rabbit, rabbit" on the first of the month since then? Not a chance. I prefer to keep my appendix right where it is, thank you. I never paid tribute to rabbits since that day.
Be notified of new posts through Twitter @WDX2BB.
My sister had heard a silly little tale that when you woke up on the first day of the month, you had to say the words "rabbit, rabbit" aloud the first thing in the morning. It was supposed to bring you good luck. That meant first thing. If you stepped on the floor before saying the words, it was too late.
Naturally, it was easier in concept than execution. My sister and I would try to remember, but we'd always stagger out of bed, slap our heads (or the equivalent), and move on to the rest of an unlucky month.
One first of the month, though, I remember that I asked my sister if she had remembered this time around and she said yes.
Later that day, Jane felt a sharp pain in her side that wouldn't go away. That resulted in a trip to the hospital, which resulted in her appendix coming out. She later told me that, just to add to the hurt, she wasn't covered my health insurance at the time. So our parents had to pay for it, and then she paid them back ... at $10 a week. I think she's still sending checks to the estate.
You think I've said "rabbit, rabbit" on the first of the month since then? Not a chance. I prefer to keep my appendix right where it is, thank you. I never paid tribute to rabbits since that day.
Be notified of new posts through Twitter @WDX2BB.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
No longer-lucky Lindy
In hindsight, this seems simple to figure out.
Darcy Regier received some of his first lessons in the administrative portions of the hockey business for the New York Islanders. That team had a rather simple formula.
General manager Bill Torrey made Al Arbour his coach in 1973. The Islanders were still one of the worst teams in the league, but made considerable strides in Arbour's first season. At some point shortly into Arbour's tenure, Torrey must have decided that Arbour was a good coach and worth keeping.
So Arbour stayed. And stayed. And stayed. They had some disappointments in the late 1970's that no doubt had many wondering if Arbour was the man to put the Islanders over the hump. Torrey wasn't one of them. The team was rewarded when the Islanders won four straight Stanley Cups. Arbour stayed on the job until 1994. They never regained a spot of the top. Still, New York at least made the playoffs in all but three of those seasons.
When Regier arrived in Buffalo in 1997, his coaching situation was unsettled. Ted Nolan's contract was up, and Regier had no idea as a general manager if he could work with his coach. He offered Nolan a one-year contract. When it was turned down, Regier was free to look for a coach. He wanted someone for the long term. After a search, Lindy Ruff turned out to be that coach.
The Sabres reached the semifinals in 1998 and the Stanley Cup finals in 1999. Yes, Dominik Hasek had something to do with that, but so did the coach. If that didn't convince Regier that he had his coach, then coming within two minutes of another trip to the conference finals (losing on a freak bounce) put the GM over the top. Darcy had his man, someone that he felt would do as good a job as possible under almost any set of circumstances.
When the Sabres had talent, they won. Buffalo probably should have won the Stanley Cup in 2006; a rash of injuries to defensemen ended its hopes. It could have in 2007, a President's Trophy season. When the team had terrible financial reversals, it didn't make the playoffs. When the team cut back on scouting costs some years ago, it probably had an effect on the caliber of draft choices that should be ready to contribute today. There are few miracle workers in coaching over the long term; the good ones make sure teams play up to their potential. Ruff wasn't perfect - there were a lot of complaints over the years on communication issues - but it's tough to know exactly what was going on behind the scenes there.
This year's team has turned out to be a mess. Some young players haven't developed as quickly as expected, and free agent signings haven't worked out for whatever reason. A roster move or two, even of the cosmetic nature, was never made.
There was an expectation of much better days once Terry Pegula took over as owner, and people (fans, players, members of the organizations, etc.) have become frustrated. Sabres fans tend to look for scapegoats when things go badly - ask Phil Housley, Dave Andreychuk, Derek Roy, etc. - and there was no obvious player to blame this season. The remaining choices were Ruff and Regier, and Regier's departure probably meant a full housecleaning over the summer by a replacement. Ruff's firing was the logical step for now.
But that didn't mean it was easy. I'd bet Wednesday was the toughest day of Regier's professional career. I'd also be interested in finding how just how the decision was made, because clearly Regier had his man as coach and didn't think firing him was an answer for most of the season. Perhaps the front office and ownership all thought that a dramatic move was needed to keep the fan base interested, and this was the one that qualified. It no doubt hurt on a personal level too, because Regier has said that one of the best parts of the job was working with good people like Ruff.
In the meantime, it was easy to notice the end of Jerry Sullivan's column in The Buffalo News today. When Regier was doing a 1998 search for a coach, Scotty Bowman told him that Ruff was Arbour with a sense of humor. Maybe Regier is thinking to himself that he let his good friend down, and that the Sabres just fired someone who eventually will go down as one of the all-time great coaches.
Be notified of new posts via Twitter @WDX2BB.
Darcy Regier received some of his first lessons in the administrative portions of the hockey business for the New York Islanders. That team had a rather simple formula.
General manager Bill Torrey made Al Arbour his coach in 1973. The Islanders were still one of the worst teams in the league, but made considerable strides in Arbour's first season. At some point shortly into Arbour's tenure, Torrey must have decided that Arbour was a good coach and worth keeping.
So Arbour stayed. And stayed. And stayed. They had some disappointments in the late 1970's that no doubt had many wondering if Arbour was the man to put the Islanders over the hump. Torrey wasn't one of them. The team was rewarded when the Islanders won four straight Stanley Cups. Arbour stayed on the job until 1994. They never regained a spot of the top. Still, New York at least made the playoffs in all but three of those seasons.
When Regier arrived in Buffalo in 1997, his coaching situation was unsettled. Ted Nolan's contract was up, and Regier had no idea as a general manager if he could work with his coach. He offered Nolan a one-year contract. When it was turned down, Regier was free to look for a coach. He wanted someone for the long term. After a search, Lindy Ruff turned out to be that coach.
The Sabres reached the semifinals in 1998 and the Stanley Cup finals in 1999. Yes, Dominik Hasek had something to do with that, but so did the coach. If that didn't convince Regier that he had his coach, then coming within two minutes of another trip to the conference finals (losing on a freak bounce) put the GM over the top. Darcy had his man, someone that he felt would do as good a job as possible under almost any set of circumstances.
When the Sabres had talent, they won. Buffalo probably should have won the Stanley Cup in 2006; a rash of injuries to defensemen ended its hopes. It could have in 2007, a President's Trophy season. When the team had terrible financial reversals, it didn't make the playoffs. When the team cut back on scouting costs some years ago, it probably had an effect on the caliber of draft choices that should be ready to contribute today. There are few miracle workers in coaching over the long term; the good ones make sure teams play up to their potential. Ruff wasn't perfect - there were a lot of complaints over the years on communication issues - but it's tough to know exactly what was going on behind the scenes there.
This year's team has turned out to be a mess. Some young players haven't developed as quickly as expected, and free agent signings haven't worked out for whatever reason. A roster move or two, even of the cosmetic nature, was never made.
There was an expectation of much better days once Terry Pegula took over as owner, and people (fans, players, members of the organizations, etc.) have become frustrated. Sabres fans tend to look for scapegoats when things go badly - ask Phil Housley, Dave Andreychuk, Derek Roy, etc. - and there was no obvious player to blame this season. The remaining choices were Ruff and Regier, and Regier's departure probably meant a full housecleaning over the summer by a replacement. Ruff's firing was the logical step for now.
But that didn't mean it was easy. I'd bet Wednesday was the toughest day of Regier's professional career. I'd also be interested in finding how just how the decision was made, because clearly Regier had his man as coach and didn't think firing him was an answer for most of the season. Perhaps the front office and ownership all thought that a dramatic move was needed to keep the fan base interested, and this was the one that qualified. It no doubt hurt on a personal level too, because Regier has said that one of the best parts of the job was working with good people like Ruff.
In the meantime, it was easy to notice the end of Jerry Sullivan's column in The Buffalo News today. When Regier was doing a 1998 search for a coach, Scotty Bowman told him that Ruff was Arbour with a sense of humor. Maybe Regier is thinking to himself that he let his good friend down, and that the Sabres just fired someone who eventually will go down as one of the all-time great coaches.
Be notified of new posts via Twitter @WDX2BB.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Out of control
I'm the first to admit that the entire gun control debate leaves me puzzled. But, I'm the first to say I'm happy we're finally having it.
The wording of the Second Amendment has always left me in a bit of a quandary. Yes, we have the right to bear arms ... but there are some practical limits that are included in the working of the amendment itself. Certain registration laws and restrictions have been ruled constitutional. The Founding Fathers didn't want mob rule, even if there is serious disagreement about what they were thinking when the amendment was written. In other words, no one is suggesting that I have the right to have a nuclear cannon on my porch.
On the other side, very few people argue that people don't have the right to defend their lives or property in certain situations. Throw in the fact responsible sportsmen should maintain the right to hunt.
Fine. But where exactly is the line between the two?
I can't tell you. But I know we've been doing a bad job of guessing where it is.
Take a look around the world, and America is at the bottom of all of the statistical categories when it comes to deaths and injuries connected to guns. The fatalities usually take place one at a time and thus only receive a little publicity in a specific area. But there are said to be 30 such incidents a day across the country. And then there's some dreadful incident, in which a high-profile person or an entire group of people gets shot. Then we think about the issue for a while, bring it up to politicians who write the laws, and then watch those attempts at new regulations die in committee.
I was surprised that the shooting spree at Columbine High School or in the Aurora, Colo., movie theater didn't spark some sort of national conversation. After all, the idea of having the right to attend school or a film safely seems pretty basic. But it's very hard to legislate against all disturbed people, let alone cover every possible violation of the law centering on a weapon.
Then came along Sandy Hook Elementary School. Would a mass shooting of very young children in a school start that conversation? Indeed it has. President Obama, safely reelected and in possession of some political capital, has taken the lead at examining what we as a nation need to do to prevent such incidents.
Such a discussion is good for us all ... if it's a reasonable one. For whatever reason, though, groups such as the National Rifle Association have come off as somewhat tone-deaf in the weeks since Sandy Hook. Do we really want to have elementary school teachers carry guns on their person, since you don't exactly want those guns sitting in the drawer where 7-year-olds can grab them? Pro-gun rights rally seem to attract many hard-core advocates, who seem to think the government is ready to go house to house any minute now in order to take away their hunting rifle. They probably aren't representative of that segment of the population as a whole, and are quoted in the media because they are provocative, but they are out there.
The NRA and its supporters do have political clout, though. In a world in which Republican Presidential candidates used gun ownership as a tool to rally support last year, it's a little unrealistic to think very much will get done on this issue. We're too divided, too lacking in trust in the other side on most issues including this one.
Some sort of legislation, even it's a small step or three, seems likely because of Sandy Hook. A majority of citizens - in some cases, a large majority - want something done, such as better registration laws or restrictions against certain types of weapons. Here's a suggestion to the gun rights advocates - you are better off being inside the room, where negotiations are taking place, than outside the room. I'd like to think both sides could talk this out rather than just shout at each other from a distance.
A little sanity in the public discourse might create a little more sanity in our society if we do it right.
Be notified of new posts via Twitter @WDX2BB.
The wording of the Second Amendment has always left me in a bit of a quandary. Yes, we have the right to bear arms ... but there are some practical limits that are included in the working of the amendment itself. Certain registration laws and restrictions have been ruled constitutional. The Founding Fathers didn't want mob rule, even if there is serious disagreement about what they were thinking when the amendment was written. In other words, no one is suggesting that I have the right to have a nuclear cannon on my porch.
On the other side, very few people argue that people don't have the right to defend their lives or property in certain situations. Throw in the fact responsible sportsmen should maintain the right to hunt.
Fine. But where exactly is the line between the two?
I can't tell you. But I know we've been doing a bad job of guessing where it is.
Take a look around the world, and America is at the bottom of all of the statistical categories when it comes to deaths and injuries connected to guns. The fatalities usually take place one at a time and thus only receive a little publicity in a specific area. But there are said to be 30 such incidents a day across the country. And then there's some dreadful incident, in which a high-profile person or an entire group of people gets shot. Then we think about the issue for a while, bring it up to politicians who write the laws, and then watch those attempts at new regulations die in committee.
I was surprised that the shooting spree at Columbine High School or in the Aurora, Colo., movie theater didn't spark some sort of national conversation. After all, the idea of having the right to attend school or a film safely seems pretty basic. But it's very hard to legislate against all disturbed people, let alone cover every possible violation of the law centering on a weapon.
Then came along Sandy Hook Elementary School. Would a mass shooting of very young children in a school start that conversation? Indeed it has. President Obama, safely reelected and in possession of some political capital, has taken the lead at examining what we as a nation need to do to prevent such incidents.
Such a discussion is good for us all ... if it's a reasonable one. For whatever reason, though, groups such as the National Rifle Association have come off as somewhat tone-deaf in the weeks since Sandy Hook. Do we really want to have elementary school teachers carry guns on their person, since you don't exactly want those guns sitting in the drawer where 7-year-olds can grab them? Pro-gun rights rally seem to attract many hard-core advocates, who seem to think the government is ready to go house to house any minute now in order to take away their hunting rifle. They probably aren't representative of that segment of the population as a whole, and are quoted in the media because they are provocative, but they are out there.
The NRA and its supporters do have political clout, though. In a world in which Republican Presidential candidates used gun ownership as a tool to rally support last year, it's a little unrealistic to think very much will get done on this issue. We're too divided, too lacking in trust in the other side on most issues including this one.
Some sort of legislation, even it's a small step or three, seems likely because of Sandy Hook. A majority of citizens - in some cases, a large majority - want something done, such as better registration laws or restrictions against certain types of weapons. Here's a suggestion to the gun rights advocates - you are better off being inside the room, where negotiations are taking place, than outside the room. I'd like to think both sides could talk this out rather than just shout at each other from a distance.
A little sanity in the public discourse might create a little more sanity in our society if we do it right.
Be notified of new posts via Twitter @WDX2BB.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Happy ending
The machine that is in charge of reunions for my high school class is getting cranked up again. I've done some work over the years finding people as well as writing up such documents as invitation letters to former teachers. This year I added another job to my list of talents. I guess I'm now in charge of social media.
Here's the translation: Julie Kreher Porter asked if anyone knew how to set up a Facebook page for a group in anticipation of an October reunion. I've done that, and so I set up the basic page in about 10 minutes. It's not hard with a little experience, which I have.
I've posted a few items from my scrapbook and other sources - a couple of pages from the school newspaper, some pictures from past reunions, a link to my blog on the Abdul Rahman award. But there's a story I've never told anyone, and this isn't a bad format for it.
I graduated from high school back in the stone age, in a world of eight-tracks, in 1973. The ceremony was at Villa Maria College in Cheektowaga, and in the 40 years since then I think I might have been in the parking lot once.
The proceedings were in the afternoon. We had a class of close to 350 people. As I recall, there were instructions before the graduation event that applause was discouraged for each individual graduate, as it might drag the ceremony from Sunday into Wednesday or so. Naturally, I tried to make a few trades with other members of my class along the lines of "I'll clap for you if you'll clap for me." But I didn't really expect anyone to do it.
We went through the ceremony, which was pretty typical, and headed up to the stage by row. As I recall, I had planned while walking across the stage to smile at my two friends and classmates who were on the stage, Jane and Brenda. My name was announced over the public address system, and I started to walk.
And lots of people began to clap. I'm not saying it was a thunderous ovation, and nobody stood up. But it was certainly much more applause than anyone else had received so far, a warm sound that caught me completely off-guard. As I walked across the stage, I did the logical thing for a 17-year-old - froze emotionally - and completely forgot about smiling at anyone on the stage.
When I walked down the steps to return to my seat, I can still picture Mike Coppola sitting in the first row on the aisle. Our class president seemed as surprised as I was, and just shook his head and smiled at me.
After the ceremony was over, I saw my parents pretty quickly. My mother came out with this: "Oh my God, everyone in the place was clapping but your mother. I didn't think we were supposed to clap, so I didn't." She added that one of her friends had just come up to her and said, "Budd got more applause than Dr. Moomaw," the superintendent of the school system.
It turned out that my last moment as a high school student might have been my best moment. So, almost 40 years later, my fellow classmates, I finally thank you for that.
Be notified of new posts via Twitter @WDX2BB
Here's the translation: Julie Kreher Porter asked if anyone knew how to set up a Facebook page for a group in anticipation of an October reunion. I've done that, and so I set up the basic page in about 10 minutes. It's not hard with a little experience, which I have.
I've posted a few items from my scrapbook and other sources - a couple of pages from the school newspaper, some pictures from past reunions, a link to my blog on the Abdul Rahman award. But there's a story I've never told anyone, and this isn't a bad format for it.
I graduated from high school back in the stone age, in a world of eight-tracks, in 1973. The ceremony was at Villa Maria College in Cheektowaga, and in the 40 years since then I think I might have been in the parking lot once.
The proceedings were in the afternoon. We had a class of close to 350 people. As I recall, there were instructions before the graduation event that applause was discouraged for each individual graduate, as it might drag the ceremony from Sunday into Wednesday or so. Naturally, I tried to make a few trades with other members of my class along the lines of "I'll clap for you if you'll clap for me." But I didn't really expect anyone to do it.
We went through the ceremony, which was pretty typical, and headed up to the stage by row. As I recall, I had planned while walking across the stage to smile at my two friends and classmates who were on the stage, Jane and Brenda. My name was announced over the public address system, and I started to walk.
And lots of people began to clap. I'm not saying it was a thunderous ovation, and nobody stood up. But it was certainly much more applause than anyone else had received so far, a warm sound that caught me completely off-guard. As I walked across the stage, I did the logical thing for a 17-year-old - froze emotionally - and completely forgot about smiling at anyone on the stage.
When I walked down the steps to return to my seat, I can still picture Mike Coppola sitting in the first row on the aisle. Our class president seemed as surprised as I was, and just shook his head and smiled at me.
After the ceremony was over, I saw my parents pretty quickly. My mother came out with this: "Oh my God, everyone in the place was clapping but your mother. I didn't think we were supposed to clap, so I didn't." She added that one of her friends had just come up to her and said, "Budd got more applause than Dr. Moomaw," the superintendent of the school system.
It turned out that my last moment as a high school student might have been my best moment. So, almost 40 years later, my fellow classmates, I finally thank you for that.
Be notified of new posts via Twitter @WDX2BB
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
A second act
I didn't realize it at the time, but I first visited the house of my eventual friend of the past 40 years, Glenn Locke, right about the time when his mother probably was going through the worst part of her life.
Glenna, who passed away on Saturday and who was the focus of a nice remembrance "ceremony" today, no doubt had thought her life was going to be nice and orderly when she approached the 50-year mark. She had grown up in a nice family, gotten married, had two smart kids and was living a very comfortable lifestyle in a fine home in suburban Buffalo. What was there not to like?
I must have showed up in the house for the first time at some point around 1972. Glenn and I stopped by to play bumper pool. (Note: I got clobbered.) I had heard at some point that Glenn's parents had split up. That hadn't happened to many of my friends at this point - an innocent age - and it wasn't something that I'd bring up first in conversation.
However, I did notice that the big house was pretty empty. Glenn's sister Beth was off at college, so it was just Glenn and his mom there. The building felt quiet and empty. I'm not saying that the house resembled the "castle" that was shown at the end of "Citizen Kane," but there was a little sadness involved in moving about it. Too many things, not enough people.
I can't imagine what the experience was like for Glenna. While she wasn't hurting for money, the sudden change in lifestyle must have been enormous and rather depressing. And there was the whole matter of dating again. That's a scary enough process when you're in your 20's. It must have been worse for someone approaching their 50's, knowing the statistical odds of finding another partner were long.
What do you do? The best you can. Glenna soon moved into an apartment a few miles away, bringing the college-aged Glenn along, and found a job. In other words, she adapted. I remember how much Glenna tried to make Glenn's friends welcome during visits, although talking with parents was never our top priority when we came home for a week or two for Christmas.
Glenn and I still can joke about the fact that his mom would come home from the grocery store during those times and the years that followed, having bought beer for the refrigerator for us. However, it was usually the cheapest beer in the place - Simon Pure or some other off brand. Most parents never quite fit in during those years with their kids, and at the worldly age of 21 or 22 we probably acted a little like "beer snobs" about that. However ... we probably would have confessed under interrogation that we appreciated the gesture more than we let on.
After several years of this had gone by - and the years must have been lonely and difficult for Glenna at times - Glenn passed along the exciting news that his mother had found someone new to share life's experiences. When I asked who was the lucky man, Glenn laughed and said it was Ralph Wilson. Football fans in Western New York know that name, of course. So when I chuckled and said, "Ralph Wilson?" Glenn replied, "Ralph Wilson of Bells (the supermarket chain), and not Bills." I commented that I couldn't believe she would marry the "wrong" Ralph Wilson. By the way, when something happened to the Bills in later years, the phone of Lancaster's Ralph Wilson often would ring as angry fans would call.
And so Glenna Locke turned into Glenna Wilson, picking up an all-new family along the way. Widower Ralph had children from his first marriage, and Glenna seemed more than thrilled to treat them like her own kids. There was always lots of food around when I'd visit, and always some laughter.
Glenna watched the stepchildren turn into adults, get married and have children. Eventually Ralph died, but Glenna stayed close to the "other" family (her own children lived out of town) and enjoyed musicals and mysteries if her DVD collection was any indication.
I didn't speak at today's ceremony. But if I had, I would have said just how happy I was that this nice lady really did have a nice second act to her life after the considerable drama that entered it right before intermission.
(Donations can be sent to www.jdrf.org/westernny)
Be notified of new posts via Twitter @WDX2BB.
Glenna, who passed away on Saturday and who was the focus of a nice remembrance "ceremony" today, no doubt had thought her life was going to be nice and orderly when she approached the 50-year mark. She had grown up in a nice family, gotten married, had two smart kids and was living a very comfortable lifestyle in a fine home in suburban Buffalo. What was there not to like?
I must have showed up in the house for the first time at some point around 1972. Glenn and I stopped by to play bumper pool. (Note: I got clobbered.) I had heard at some point that Glenn's parents had split up. That hadn't happened to many of my friends at this point - an innocent age - and it wasn't something that I'd bring up first in conversation.
However, I did notice that the big house was pretty empty. Glenn's sister Beth was off at college, so it was just Glenn and his mom there. The building felt quiet and empty. I'm not saying that the house resembled the "castle" that was shown at the end of "Citizen Kane," but there was a little sadness involved in moving about it. Too many things, not enough people.
I can't imagine what the experience was like for Glenna. While she wasn't hurting for money, the sudden change in lifestyle must have been enormous and rather depressing. And there was the whole matter of dating again. That's a scary enough process when you're in your 20's. It must have been worse for someone approaching their 50's, knowing the statistical odds of finding another partner were long.
What do you do? The best you can. Glenna soon moved into an apartment a few miles away, bringing the college-aged Glenn along, and found a job. In other words, she adapted. I remember how much Glenna tried to make Glenn's friends welcome during visits, although talking with parents was never our top priority when we came home for a week or two for Christmas.
Glenn and I still can joke about the fact that his mom would come home from the grocery store during those times and the years that followed, having bought beer for the refrigerator for us. However, it was usually the cheapest beer in the place - Simon Pure or some other off brand. Most parents never quite fit in during those years with their kids, and at the worldly age of 21 or 22 we probably acted a little like "beer snobs" about that. However ... we probably would have confessed under interrogation that we appreciated the gesture more than we let on.
After several years of this had gone by - and the years must have been lonely and difficult for Glenna at times - Glenn passed along the exciting news that his mother had found someone new to share life's experiences. When I asked who was the lucky man, Glenn laughed and said it was Ralph Wilson. Football fans in Western New York know that name, of course. So when I chuckled and said, "Ralph Wilson?" Glenn replied, "Ralph Wilson of Bells (the supermarket chain), and not Bills." I commented that I couldn't believe she would marry the "wrong" Ralph Wilson. By the way, when something happened to the Bills in later years, the phone of Lancaster's Ralph Wilson often would ring as angry fans would call.
And so Glenna Locke turned into Glenna Wilson, picking up an all-new family along the way. Widower Ralph had children from his first marriage, and Glenna seemed more than thrilled to treat them like her own kids. There was always lots of food around when I'd visit, and always some laughter.
Glenna watched the stepchildren turn into adults, get married and have children. Eventually Ralph died, but Glenna stayed close to the "other" family (her own children lived out of town) and enjoyed musicals and mysteries if her DVD collection was any indication.
I didn't speak at today's ceremony. But if I had, I would have said just how happy I was that this nice lady really did have a nice second act to her life after the considerable drama that entered it right before intermission.
(Donations can be sent to www.jdrf.org/westernny)
Be notified of new posts via Twitter @WDX2BB.
New man in charge
It's been a busy few days at One Bills Drive in Orchard Park.
On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills defeated the New York Jets to close out a disappointing regular season. Fans came in with high expectations thanks to some high-profile roster moves, but they didn't quite work out. The offense was inconsistent, and the defense was worse than that - allowing points in bunches in too many games.
That all made Monday feel inevitable. Head coach Chan Gailey and his entire coaching staff were dismissed. Gailey had three years to try to turn the Bills around, and couldn't do it. Buffalo was under .500 each time, and that was about as much patience as any team in the NFL has these days. If Gailey had come back, he might have been greeted by some serious numbers of empty seats on opening day.
Was that it for trips to Orchard Park? Nope. The media made the drive back to Ralph Wilson Stadium on Tuesday as well. The Bills held a news conference to announce that Russ Brandon had been promoted to team president. Owner Ralph Wilson was "passing the torch" after being in charge since 1960.
Brandon said many of the right things at the news conference. The team's record clearly has been unacceptable for more than a decade (not a single playoff appearance in that time), and the Bills have frequently been less than relevant in any discussions about the NFL. (In other words, they are the Columbus Blue Jackets of pro football.) Brandon wants to get to work to change that, and supposedly he and other executives are off on a interview tour at this writing.
There's no way at this point of knowing what will happen with this change completed. I had heard that Wilson had taken a major step back from day-to-day operations some time ago, and that the Bills were more or less telling him what they planned to do - and having Wilson essentially rubber-stamp it - as opposed to having Wilson make all of the decisions himself. Is this much of a difference?
I'm the opposite of an insider when it comes to the Bills' organization, but I'll be looking for one immediate clue for a possible change of philosophy. Wilson was never a fan of coaches who were big names and thus on the expensive side. I'm not sure why; maybe Chuck Knox's time here was a bad experience somehow. Three years ago there were a lot of good-sized names out there, and the Bills hired none of them to take Gailey. If someone like Lovie Smith shows up for a news conference at One Bills Drive soon, that would be a pretty clear signal that times had changed.
Then again, it's easy to wonder just how much of a different a coach can matter, even at the NFL level. There are all sorts of good people out there that more or less know what they are doing. The ones who succeed for the most part seem to be the ones who have a very good quarterback.
Let's think about that. The Bills have never really replaced Jim Kelly. Doug Flutie and Drew Bledsoe had some moments but their good days didn't last long enough. You can go through Todd Collins, J.P. Losman, Trent Edwards, Alex Van Pelt and now Ryan Fitzpatrick, and you won't find anyone that has been even average statistically. Come to think of it, the Bills went through the quarterback wilderness between the end of the Joe Ferguson Era and the start of Kelly's time here.
Around the league, teams like New England, Green Bay, Denver and Atlanta have top-notch quarterbacks and are in the playoffs. A few teams have won Super Bowls without someone very good at the position, but not many.
The problem is that you never know where the next good quarterback is coming from. That means Brandon and the rest of the Bills front office could use some luck in the upcoming season to identify a new face at that spot who can make a difference. Otherwise, we may be having more news conferences in a relatively short time.
Be notified of new posts via Twitter @WDX2BB.
On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills defeated the New York Jets to close out a disappointing regular season. Fans came in with high expectations thanks to some high-profile roster moves, but they didn't quite work out. The offense was inconsistent, and the defense was worse than that - allowing points in bunches in too many games.
That all made Monday feel inevitable. Head coach Chan Gailey and his entire coaching staff were dismissed. Gailey had three years to try to turn the Bills around, and couldn't do it. Buffalo was under .500 each time, and that was about as much patience as any team in the NFL has these days. If Gailey had come back, he might have been greeted by some serious numbers of empty seats on opening day.
Was that it for trips to Orchard Park? Nope. The media made the drive back to Ralph Wilson Stadium on Tuesday as well. The Bills held a news conference to announce that Russ Brandon had been promoted to team president. Owner Ralph Wilson was "passing the torch" after being in charge since 1960.
Brandon said many of the right things at the news conference. The team's record clearly has been unacceptable for more than a decade (not a single playoff appearance in that time), and the Bills have frequently been less than relevant in any discussions about the NFL. (In other words, they are the Columbus Blue Jackets of pro football.) Brandon wants to get to work to change that, and supposedly he and other executives are off on a interview tour at this writing.
There's no way at this point of knowing what will happen with this change completed. I had heard that Wilson had taken a major step back from day-to-day operations some time ago, and that the Bills were more or less telling him what they planned to do - and having Wilson essentially rubber-stamp it - as opposed to having Wilson make all of the decisions himself. Is this much of a difference?
I'm the opposite of an insider when it comes to the Bills' organization, but I'll be looking for one immediate clue for a possible change of philosophy. Wilson was never a fan of coaches who were big names and thus on the expensive side. I'm not sure why; maybe Chuck Knox's time here was a bad experience somehow. Three years ago there were a lot of good-sized names out there, and the Bills hired none of them to take Gailey. If someone like Lovie Smith shows up for a news conference at One Bills Drive soon, that would be a pretty clear signal that times had changed.
Then again, it's easy to wonder just how much of a different a coach can matter, even at the NFL level. There are all sorts of good people out there that more or less know what they are doing. The ones who succeed for the most part seem to be the ones who have a very good quarterback.
Let's think about that. The Bills have never really replaced Jim Kelly. Doug Flutie and Drew Bledsoe had some moments but their good days didn't last long enough. You can go through Todd Collins, J.P. Losman, Trent Edwards, Alex Van Pelt and now Ryan Fitzpatrick, and you won't find anyone that has been even average statistically. Come to think of it, the Bills went through the quarterback wilderness between the end of the Joe Ferguson Era and the start of Kelly's time here.
Around the league, teams like New England, Green Bay, Denver and Atlanta have top-notch quarterbacks and are in the playoffs. A few teams have won Super Bowls without someone very good at the position, but not many.
The problem is that you never know where the next good quarterback is coming from. That means Brandon and the rest of the Bills front office could use some luck in the upcoming season to identify a new face at that spot who can make a difference. Otherwise, we may be having more news conferences in a relatively short time.
Be notified of new posts via Twitter @WDX2BB.
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