Archives for October 2005

‘What I don’t understand is the ongoing infatuation with a sports celebrity who will always be linked to the vicious murder of his wife and her friend.’

‘The Bills have been blitzing all season, but it finally paid dividends last week because they were facing an immobile quarterback. The front seven rattled Vinny Testaverde all game; they should take a similar tack with just-as-immobile Raiders QB Kerry Collins.’

‘Mularkey calls himself a “big believer in body language,” and he can tell his team has never quit during last season’s struggles and again this year. He is constantly evaluating the mood of his club. “Well, I wouldn’t recommend it for anybody,” he said of what it takes to turn around a team. “We’d really planned on having a faster start and didn’t. But we kind of got back on track because guys have not wavered in their belief in what we’re doing. … You know when a team has questions about itself and this team really never has.”‘

‘”I really don’t have a favorite position. I just go out there and play either one depending on what the game plan is,” Peters said. “When they put me in at tackle I feel comfortable, and I feel the same way when I play tight end.”‘

‘Mularkey and his coaching staff will serve their players cheeseburgers for lunch and escort them around San Francisco today. “We take a walk as a team, to get the blood flowing, which I really think is important when you’ve been sitting on the plane that long and your body’s telling you something about the time change,” Mularkey said. “We just get out, find a nice place, a good path to walk as a team. We call it a team stroll. And it’s just a good time for guys to talk, get some fresh air, get your body, your legs active. That just seems to bring back a little bit of energy that you may lose from that flight.”’

‘Cudzik blocked for Cookie Gilchrist, who ran for more than 1,000 yards in 1964, a feat that was a big deal in a 14-game season. The Bills also had kicking pioneer Pete Gogolak, whose soccer style of kicking was a novelty in 1964 but accepted practice today. "We were very much like today’s Patriots, who have won three Super Bowls," Cudzik said. "We never had any great ballplayers but we had esprit de’ corps. We played exciting football."’

‘Meaning he doesn’t care about the Raiders’ supposed strength in stopping the run? “Hey, I’m not worried about what they’re going to do,” McGahee said. “They better worry about what I’m going to do.”‘

‘McGahee said the adversity is part of what drives him to be the best. “Oh, yeah, your character, your heart, and I’ve got a very strong mind, so I’m not going to let anything bring me down,” said the second-year back, who turned 24 on Friday and has posted rushing touchdowns in each of Buffalo’s last four games.’

1-4: Not Mission Impossible (Oakland Tribune)

McGahee: I am the best RB in the NFL (San Francisco Chronicle)

King should be in Pro Football Hall of Fame (San Francisco Chronicle)

Stroll, burgers part of Bills’ regimen (Contra Costa Times)

King was friend, colleague and defender (San Jose Mercury News)

He turned ordinary into extraordinary (San Jose Mercury News)

He said it (San Jose Mercury News)

McGahee earns attention (Sacramento Bee)

Oakland failing on third downs (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

Moss expected to miss Sunday’s game against Buffalo (The Sports Network)

Game Day Activities (Raiders.com)

Raiders Donate Tickets (Raiders.com)

‘McGahee said the Raiders’ defense, full of big names, doesn’t concern him. “I’m not worried what they’re going to do. They better worry about what I’m going to do.”‘

‘How does a unit this good also play this bad?’

‘But ESPN.com has learned that negotiations were ramped up this week when Buffalo proposed a four-year extension that would run through the 2009 season, and include a $4.5 million signing bonus and a total of $16.75 million in so-called "new money."’

‘After giving up only three 100-yard rushing games last season, Buffalo has already allowed three in six games this year.’

‘The Buffalo Bills should earn their first road victory of the year and the Oakland Raiders should fall deeper into the abyss of the NFL’s worst teams.’

‘Raiders 22, Bills 16.’