Archives for June 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.’

‘Under their proposal, a section of the highway that runs in front of the stadium — home to Russert’s beloved Buffalo Bills — would bear the late newsman’s name. They didn’t specify exactly what the new name would be or how long a stretch of the highway would be renamed.’

‘A three-time NCAA Division II 400-meter champion, Moorman challenged his special-teams unit when he agreed to participate in the triathlon – a 300-yard swim, 15-kilometer bike race and 5-kilometer run – after the organizer said he’d partner up with Moorman’s PUNT Foundation.’

‘”It’s not as minor as it has been reported,” O’Connell told The Buffalo News. “She’s under the active care of several different physicians for injuries to several different parts of her body. She’s still under medical care.”‘

‘The more Lynch embarrasses the Bills and the NFL, the more likely Commissioner Roger Goodell would consider some sort of punishment, maybe a suspension. Since any sort of conviction could result in the player being banned from entrance into Canada, thereby missing the December game against Miami in Toronto as well as any future games, not only would his income be affected but his value to the Bills diminished. The puddle of trouble could have been cleaned up long ago with a liberal dose of common sense.’

‘”I always have fun when I’m out here with the kids,” said Lynch, a University of California product who finished 11th in the league in rushing with 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns in his rookie year last season.’

‘"We were the 30th-ranked offense the past two years,” Schonert said. "I think the players are excited about the change.”’

‘The source had said that when the detectives went to the stadium Thursday, they saw Wilson talking to at least one of the players who has been subpoenaed. “So they believe he and other [team officials] may have some information about the situation,” the source said.’

‘”The one thing with these guys coming in this year is we’ll have more depth,” Schobel said. “Last year when guys went down, you had guys that hadn’t played before. Now some of those second string guys understand the game and that’s definitely going to help. Depth was needed. If a guy goes down we’ve got somebody who can fill in.”‘

‘"I like the NFL, I like it better," he said. "And so do most people in Toronto – like the NFL better."’

‘Over the next five years, the NFL’s Buffalo Bills will be playing eight games at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Given that Buffalo increasingly stands out as a small, impoverished market amid the NFL’s juggernauts, many observers see this foray as a prelude to a full-fledged relocation of the franchise to Canada’s largest and wealthiest city.’

‘Toronto is simply too big, too rich and too capable a market for the National Football League to ignore much longer, which is why the city will land its own team within the next five years.’