Edwards, Bills have been offensive - as in putrid - so far

The most alarming development in the Bills four practice games this summer is the regression of Trent Edwards, who seems to get worse with each start. In Saturday's 17-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the struggling quarterback was six-for-13 for 31 yards. He did, however, throw his first touchdown pass. Unfortunately it was to Pittsburgh's James Farrior.

I've said repeatedly that I don't put much stock in exhibition games, but you can glean a few things, and it doesn't bode well that Edwards and the Bills first-string offense has mustered only three points in 15 possessions. I'm sorry, but I don't care if you have the Steel Curtain as your defense, you aren't going to win many games with that kind of production.

Against the Steelers, that starting unit accumulated a total of just 56 yards, despite playing one series into the third quarter. The fact Edwards and Co. have gone against very vanilla schemes makes those numbers even more disconcerting. What's going to happen when the games are for real and the Bills are exposed to the flurry of complicated blitz packages opponents will be throwing at them.

Of course, it doesn't help when you are depending on an entirely revamped offensive line, featuring two rookies, a new center and a guy at left tackle who was barely adequate at right tackle.

Perhaps Terrell Owens' return from his toe injury will give the Bills anemic offense a shot of adrenaline, but it's asking an awful lot of a receiver - even one as as talented as TO - to compensate for major inadequacies at the all-important QB position and along the offensive line.

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Speaking of Buffalo's O-Line, Tim Graham, a former Buffalo News reporter now working for ESPN.com, reports that the Bills would like to replace left tackle Langston Walker with Demetrius Bell. Bell is the son of NBA great Karl Malone and is an extremely athletic big man who has limited experience. The move has been delayed by Bell's nagging back problems during camp.

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One of the few positives from the Steelers game was the play of rookie Aaron Maybin, who had a sack, a hurry and a tackle for a loss on a running play. That's the kind of production the turnover-starved Bills defense could use every game from the former Penn State star.

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Don't expect any updates about Tom Brady's shoulder injury from New England's secretive coach Bill Belichick. He's always treated the NFL's injury report as a farce. He listed Brady as probable for every game during the Patriots Super Bowl years, and often included half his roster on the weekly report submitted to the league.

A better source might be Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals prolific pass-catcher and Tweeter. He spoke to Brady after the quarterback took a hard hit the other night and reported on Twitter that the Patriots superstar is sore, but OK. I wonder if control-freak Belichick is going to ask the league to place a gag order on Ochocinco.

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Speaking of Ochocinco, he was fined $5,000 for wearing an orange chin strap in a recent Cincinnati exhibition game. He was ticked off and deservedly so. The chin strap actually matched nicely the Bengals orange helmets. I know there has to be uniformity, but sometimes common sense needs to prevail. The NFL does get full of itself at times.

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I'm happy to report that my good friend and 19th century base ball teammate, Max Robertson, is out of the hospital and home recuperating from a staph infection in his leg. I think Max may be concerned that he has surpassed me as the slowest runner on the team. When he recovers, we'll have to get out the sun dial and have the guys time us from home to first.

A political football: Kennedy was courted by the Packers

He undoubtedly still would have wound up in politics because that was Ted Kennedy's destiny from birth, given his family's history.

Still, it's interesting to wonder what might have been had the senator accepted the Green Bay Packers invitation to try out back in 1956. Apparently, Kennedy had caught the Packers' eye after catching a touchdown pass in a 21-7 loss to Yale in The Game during his senior year. Packers coach Liz Blackbourn saw the film. He liked Kennedy's size - 6-foot-2, 210-pounds - and athleticism enough to send the Crimson receiver a personal letter.

Kennedy reportedly was flattered, but not enough to take the coach up on his offer. He eschewed the tryout in order to attend law school and pursue politics, which he wittily and accurately described as "another contact sport.''

Upon learning of the senator's death earlier this week, the Harvard football team hung a lone jersey - Kennedy's No. 88 - in the locker room.

After graduating from Harvard, Kennedy's grid-iron activity would be restricted to those highly competitive touch football games at the family's compound in Hyannis. His life-long sporting activity wound up being sailing, but his favorite sport to follow was baseball. He was a die-hard Red Sox fan, and said one of the greatest thrills of his life was throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a game at Fenway Park early this year. It was an honor also bestowed upon his grandfather, former Boston mayor Honey Fitzgerald, many decades earlier.

Kennedy also followed the New England Patriots closely, and had a running correspondence with coach Bill Belichick. He would send Belichick congratulatory letters following significant victories and spirit-boosting notes on those rare occasions the Patriots lost. The normally stoic coach opened his Wednesday press conference thanking the late senator for his loyal support.

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That was great news that the LPGA will return to Rochester for a 34th time next summer. As I stated on numerous occasions, the women's golf organization needs us more than we need them. To have snubbed one of your best supported venues and most generous sponsors (Wegmans) would have been a terrible business move, and fortunately the players realized that and rid themselves of commissioner Carolyn Bevins before it happened.

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Look, I've signed off on giving a Michael Vick a second chance despite his heinous acts, but I believe the standing ovation he received from Eagles fans the other night was a little much. True redemption takes time.

Memories of fine China

So much has happened in my life that it seems much longer than a year ago that I was covering the Olympics in China. Today actually marks the one-year anniversary of my return from Beijing, and to celebrate the occasion, I looked at some of the photographs I took over there. What a marvelous trip it was - from twice climbing the architectural marvel that is The Great Wall of China to writing about swimmer Michael Phelps and sprinter Usain Bolt to interacting with the Chinese people to being overwhelmed by the tour de force that was the Opening Ceremonies. (It took more than 12,500 performing artists to pull it off. By contrast, there were 10,000 athletes competing in the Games.) It was the fifth Olympics I've worked, and I'd love to cover a few more. Next time, though, I want to take my lovely bride with me. Three weeks is just too long a time to be apart.

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Any one else beginning to wonder if there is more than meets the eye (or should that be toe?) with T.O.'s injury? I know it's only preseason and veterans normally don't need a lot of reps. But Owens is new to the team and quarterback Trent Edwards needs to develop some on-field chemistry with his star receiver. Timing in the passing game only comes with repetition.

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According to the Wall Street Journal, it takes the average American roughly four years to earn $100,000. Meanwhile, it takes basketball superstar LeBron James just 21.2 minutes of playing time, slugger A-Rod just six pitches and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger just 3.6 snaps. Poor Tiger Woods has to sweat through 11.2 holes to pocket his six figures. Obviously, these figures don't take into account Woods' endorsement money. If the beancounters had, they'd discover that Tiger cashed his first 100 G's shortly after pushing his tee into the ground at hole No. 1.

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Here's another reason why 35-year-old Derek Jeter should be strongly considered for AL MVP: The Yankees superstar has an opportunity to become only the second shortstop in baseball history to hit .330 or higher at his age. The only guy to do it was Honus Wagner, who hit .339 in 1909 and .334 in 1911.

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Since 2003 - post-season games included - the Yankees and Red Sox have played 141 times, with the Bronx Bombers holding a 71-70 edge. Now, that's what I call a rivalry.

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I was thrilled to see the Pro Football Hall of Fame veterans committee nominate Floyd Little as one of its two candidates for induction next year. Little's statistics are very good, but not great. Still, the former three-time Syracuse All-American running back is deserving of induction because he played an integral role in filling Denver's Mile High Stadium and helping the Broncos become the most popular sports option in Colorado. It wasn't that way before they drafted Little. In fact, the stadium was usually just half-full until the Orange legend donned Broncos' orange. Little was the face of the franchise long before John Elway received sainted status in Denver. I hope the voters do their homework and look beyond mere numbers.

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In all the discussion over Brett Favre has anyone thought that maybe Father Time has caught up with him the way He does with everyone? Athletes have been known to lose it quickly, just like that. Who's to say Favre will continue to defy time?

AL MVP? How about Derek Jeter

I know there will be a lot of clamoring for Joe Mauer and Mark Texeira, and it will be justified because they are both deserving candidates for the American League Most Valuable Player award.

But I'm rooting for Derek Jeter to finally win one. The classy Yankees' star is having a superb year at the plate and in the field where he supposedly no longer had the range to play shortstop. He remains the heart and soul and leader of a team that's currently the best in baseball.

I don't believe in using the MVP as a lifetime achievement award. I think it should be based on what you've done that particular season, and if you look at Jeter's stats (.332 batting average, 86 runs scored, 16 homers, 21 stolen bases), you realize he has earned it on performance rather than sentiment.

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When a punt boinked off the scoreboard high above the Dallas Cowboys' new billion dollar playpen the other night, referees whistled the play dead and ordered a re-kick. I think it would be kind of cool if you had ground rules saying you have to play the ball off the scoreboard. It would be like the rules we made up when we were kids when trees, telephone poles and even parked cars were in play. You have to admit, it would make things interesting.

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You would think for a billion dollars the architects and Cowboy and NFL officials might have taken into account a punter's ability to boot a football really, really high. Then, again, when I sat in the second deck in right field at the new Yankee Stadium - another billion-dollar edifice - I foolishly expected to be able to see rightfielder Nick Swisher when he took his position. Little did I know they would design the place with obstructed view seats.

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Help me here, folks. The Bills play in a division in which each of their opponents have played 3-4 defenses for several seasons, and they're still acting like this defense is a complicated mystery. Not a good sign.

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So Beth takes Sassy the Cat to the vets recently and runs into a farret who's name is - I'm not making this up - Farret Fawcett.

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I can't recall a team more snake-bitten than the 2009 Mets. The injury-bug is so bad that their pitching ace Johan Santana and newcomer Jeff Francoeur might soon join David Wright, Carlos Beltran and 9 others already on the disabled list. The team is cursed.

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Congratulations to Jenna Cacciatori and Warren Frame on their marriage, and get-well wishes to my good friend and fellow baseballist, Max "Country Mile'' Robertson, who's battling an infection on his leg.