Many "experts" are already projecting that the 2006 NFL Draft will prove
to be one of the best ever, and the Bills have a big part in it.
So, we are looking to gather for this year’s draft at our
regular season site, Hard Times Café and Cue at Four-Mile Fork, in Fredericksburg.
The draft is scheduled to being at noon Saturday, April 29. It will be on a
large-screen television at Hard Times live from Radio City Music Hall.
The Bills currently hold the eighth overall pick in the draft, but no one can
tell what will happen on Draft Day. In the first round, each team has 15 minutes to make a decision. Assuming most teams and
figuring the Bills stick with eighth pick, that means the Bills will make their first pick somewhere between 1:15 and 2 p.m.
But, again, there is no telling what will happen.
Having
already brought in a new general manager and coaching staff, the Bills’ offseason has been quite a rollercoaster ride
in its first couple of months. Here's to hoping the draft is a good one for the Bills.
The Bills
have three first-day draft picks, including that eighth pick overall. Rounds one through three will be held April 29.
Membership
update: We now have well more than 60 people registered with the International Bills Backers. We had between 60-70
different people come out last year at one point or another, and we averaged 20 people per week, which I think is pretty good
considering how poorly the Bills finished the season.
Here is
a little bit about last year’s meeting place. It is located at 5099D Jeff
Davis Highway, Fredericksburg, VA 22408. The phone number there is (540) 710-6771. For those of you who have never
been there before, the location is less than two years old. One half of it is a restaurant; the other half is a large sports
bar. All last year we met on the sports bar side, which is to the right as you enter. Typically, the Bills game is shown with
sound on the large projection screen television at the back of the place well past all the pool tables. This place has at
least 50 TVs and will show every other game going on, as well as auto racing.
The food
at Hard Times is pretty good. They have cheap wings (30 cents a piece), which aren't exactly Anchor Bar caliber, but they
are decent for this region. Their Buffalo Chicken salad is excellent. But the place is really known for its chili. They have
four varieties of chili -- Texas, Cincinnati,
Terlingua Red and a vegetarian chili. You can see the whole menu by clicking on the link near the bottom of this page. The
atmosphere at this Hard Times is a pretty mellow. A good number of teams are represented by fans, but there is no other group
like ours there.
The chapter
will send out e-mails during the season. If you'd like to receive those e-mails, please go just let us know by e-mailing me
at jchenelly <at> gmail <dot> com.
If you
have any questions or concerns about Hard Times or anything else, please don't hesitate to ask at the same e-mail address
or visit our "Contact Us" Web page.
GO BILLS!
