Archives for April 2008

‘"I didn’t play corner until I got to college," said Corner. "I was a wide receiver my whole life."’

‘”These are two significant national brands that have found value in partnering with our organization,” said Pete Guelli. Buffalo Bills Sr. Vice President of Business Ventures. “Gulf Oil is looking to increase brand awareness in the market and will be developing some promotional initiatives involving our team. As a major employer in Buffalo, GEICO is continuing to invest locally with a property that can also meet their regional and national marketing objectives”.’

‘While on the surface the day one draftees will pay immediate dividends for the team, the day two picks may need some extra time to develop as is the case with all teams. Third round pick Chris Ellis has the best chance of having an impact this year. He is considered a solid pass rusher who can be used in a rotation to get to the quarterback. As the Giants proved last year it is a benefit to have waves of defensive ends relentlessly going after the passer. Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay wore down last year after having to play way too many snaps. A fresher Schobel and Kelsay should help them improve on their down year numbers. A fresh Ellis along with Ryan Denney off the bench can cause havoc for NFL quarterbacks.’

‘If the Bills were absolutely fixated on drafting a corner first, they could have traded down in the round and still been able to choose from a decent buffet of secondary prospects; doing so would have allowed them to stockpile an extra pick or two while still giving them a chance to obtain a player appropriate for their style. The nature of this defense is based on the secondary leaning on the buddy system, and they could have even waited until Sunday to acquire a less glamorous but nonetheless sturdy coverage man. Cornerback was a need for the Bills, but they didn’t need one this badly.’

‘The figure, which was disclosed on one of Rogers’ quarterly financial statements, works out to nearly $10 million a game, a cost that dwarfs estimated per-game revenues from tickets and concessions in Ralph Wilson Stadium of about $6 million (U.S.).’

‘”A lot of guys are getting deployed to Kuwait and Iraq,” Viti, who would have been a field artillery officer, said Tuesday during a national conference call. “That’s where I’d be if I didn’t have football. We’re just fortunate enough to have the opportunity to be a big influence, and that opportunity becomes a driving force.”‘

‘The gross revenue is roughly double what the Bills garner in gross revenues for a home game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park.’

‘Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron has stressed that this has to be the year that the Bills break their playoff drought. It looks like the Bills took another step in the right direction last weekend in the 2008 NFL Draft.’

‘"It’s the losses that we learn from," Kelly said at a Statehouse news conference in Topeka. "No loss compares with that of losing a child."’

‘"The more we sit back and let this go by us, the more these kids are going to suffer," said Kelly, who promotes newborn screening through Hunter’s Hope Foundation, named after his son who died of Krabbe leukodystrophy, an inherited nervous system disease, in 2005.’

‘The payment to the Bills was disclosed for the first time in Rogers Communications’ 2008 first-quarter report released Tuesday. The Toronto-based company is part of a consortium that negotiated a deal with the Bills to have them play five regular-season and three preseason games, starting this year, at the downtown Rogers Centre.’

‘The three cornerbacks taken – rounded out by the aptly named Reggie Corner (114th) out of Akron, and Pittsburgh’s Kennard Cox (251st) – allowed the Bills to restock a unit after the team cut Kiwaukee Thomas and elected not to re-sign Jason Webster this offseason. It was also an indication that the Bills aren’t convinced Ashton Youboty will develop into an NFL-caliber player.’

‘Kelly, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Sen. Vicki Schmidt today touted the state’s expansion this summer of the number of diseases for which newborns will be screened from four to 29. Funding by the 2007 Legislature made the expansion possible, at a cost of $56 per child.’

‘After taking cornerback Leodis McKelvin 11th overall in the first round, the team sat pat at 41st overall in the second round and took Indiana’s 6-foot-6 James Hardy, one of the most highly productive receivers in Big Ten history. "We were thrilled he was there, but we stayed consistent with what we were trying to do," chief operating officer Russ Brandon said. "Obviously adding a big receiver was something we’ve talked about for a long time so to bring James into our system, we’re very excited about it."’

‘Each move changed the landscape of Losman’s future. His best option now may be to play out the final year of his contract as Edwards’ backup and if he gets a chance to start, make the most of it, and improve his value as a free agent.’