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GRID IRON..what a kick ass show Bob McCowan of The Fan had during yesterday’s drive home time-slot. Buddy Nix, new GM of the Buffalo Bills, was the guest and he did his best to explain the decision to hire Chain Gailey (ripped by Troy Aikman as a “dinosaur” in 1998), as the Bills Head Coach. The interview is available on the stations website and it makes for unintentionally hilarious listening. Nicks is like a character from the Dukes of Hazard, a dude you wouldn’t want running your high school football team, let alone an NFL squad. As a matter of fact, the seventy year old Nix has never served as a GM. During the course of the interview the rambling good ole boy must have frozen the blood of any Bills fan that had hopes of an improved squad in 2010. A clip of the crusty, ill-tempered owner Ralph Wilson seems to make it clear that Nix, initially hired in January as a scout, likely made an overwhelming impression on the owner and was rewarded with an impromptu, and cheap, promotion. The Buffalo Bills have turned into high comedy…when asked by Mc Cowan if he was going to get a quarterback, a desperate Bills need, Nix gleefully replied, “We got three of them!”…I’d be cautious about downgrading the New York’s Jets weekend chances on the basis of their purported similarities to the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore played a shockingly conservative game against the Indy Colts, a strategy further undermined by turnovers and penalties.  The Jets don’t necessarily have to fall into those traps. My concern with New York centers around the implausibility of Peyton Manning being outplayed, at home, by a rookie pivot - just seems unlikely…I thought Minnesota made a strong visual impression defeating Dallas, while New Orleans simply assisted as Arizona imploded. Doesn’t really mean allot as the teams prepare to engage on Sunday, but it certainly indicates the Vikings have managed to overcome injuries to players reputed to be team leaders. The game, at a minimum, should be pick ‘em, so getting four is quite the inducement…little is funnier than the “great” game supposedly enjoyed by Reggie Bush on Sunday. Now that’s ridiculous. Bush benefited from wide open holes and an Arizona defence unable to tackle. He really did little other than run up and down the field, unmolested…

ICE..Jarome Iginla is crippling his Calgary Flames with indifferent play.  The Captain has one goal in the past thirteen games, and a mere point in their last eight contests. Iginla will be counted on for both leadership and goals when Canada hits the ice at the Olympics…the Vancouver Canucks, 8-2-2 in their past 12, face Edmonton tonight, losers of 14 of their past 15. The Canucks are doing an interesting imitation of a legitimate contender, something unlikely to be destabilized this season by the addition of a certain floating Swede…wow, Michael Peca’s retirement hit like a ton of bricks..no, seriously, Peca played last year? Can someone Google that to confirm? Peca should have announced his retirement at the family dinner table; amongst the only people who could possibly care…you can only let the puckheads go so far; Patrice Cormier should face criminal sanctions for an assault on Mikael Tam that had nothing to do with hockey. No, I don’t need Nick Kypreos explaining the “code”, but I do need that young man to serve some time in jail…