Archives for June 16, 2008

‘Buffalo’s professional sports teams have long held a firm grip on the region’s collective psyche and Russert was the most visible member of the most tortured sports fans in the nation. There is no Curse of the Bambino for Buffalo, no folksy lore surrounding the city’s losing ways, no "lovable losers" tag like the Cubs have. There is just losing. But Russert never wavered, much like the people in this tough-minded and proud city. He often ended his Meet The Press program on NBC with a simple refrain that is Buffalo’s collective motto: "Go Bills."’

‘In a field where wallowing in cynicism seems almost inevitable, Russert never succumbed, as his famous level of preparation and fair-minded toughness were characteristics that were almost as renowned as his keenness and warmly natural approachability. He was a celebrity who before a game would have been more comfortable holding a beer can and a Sahlen’s hot dog in the parking lot than sitting around an airless suite.’

‘”I was frightened to death,” he said when asked how he felt when the injury happened. “The trainers came to me and said they thought he had a neck injury. I hear that 10 times a season, but the Bills’ medical staff practices for neck injuries, so we went out there and Kevin said he couldn’t feel anything below his neck. At first, I felt shock and fear and second I felt a jolt of electricity to do my job and draw upon my knowledge.”‘

‘Generations have fled the decay in Buffalo, halving the population and making entire city blocks appear as movie sets for post-Apocalyptic urban nightmares. Almost a third of the residents who remain survive on the wrong side of the poverty line, living in the shadow of rusted relics, and under the ceaseless threat of losing their final tie to the national stage – the Buffalo Bills.’