Archives for August 12, 2008

‘"The coaches said that they’re going to make a final decision tonight on what they’re going to do for the game on Thursday," said Butler. "A lot is still dependent upon whether Estes will be able to dress. I’m just going to work here for the next two days before the game and get some tackle sets and definitely go out there and perform well."’

‘In Niagara – Fort Erie, there are four border crossings in close proximity: Queenston – Lewiston Bridge, Rainbow, Whirlpool and Peace Bridges. So check the CBSA Web site at www.cbsa.gc.ca or call 1-800-715-6722 to determine which bridge is the least busy. The Whirlpool is a NEXUS only Bridge so you must be a NEXUS member to use this bridge. Consider getting your NEXUS card as the Whirlpool Bridge never has any backups. It is important to note that the NEXUS card is also an accepted alternative document to the passport under the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).’

‘So as the NFL moves closer to Toronto with Thursday’s game, it’s not worth getting bent out of shape. It’s just a game, a meaningless one at that, but for historical purposes some people are viewing this as a trickle that could develop into a flood. Only when 89-year-old Bills owner Ralph Wilson dies and his team is sold to the highest bidder as part of his plan to lessen inheritance taxes on his family will it truly be known whether the Buffalo team becomes Toronto’s team on a permanent basis.’

‘In addition to entertaining their Canadian fans, the Bills will be seeking to look much sharper than they did in last Saturday’s 17-14 loss at the Redskins.’

‘”Day by day I’m getting prepared for the season. I feel pretty good,” McKelvin said. “I felt like I played pretty good (against Washington). There were a few little things that I did wrong that I will not do again.”‘

‘”He’s smart, that’s one of the best attributes that he has,” Schonert says of Edwards. “He picks things up quick, he can visualize. The quicker you can visualize something, the easier it is to pick up, and he’s got a lot of poise too. We saw that last year.”‘

‘”I feel great, and I feel even better about the team,” Moorman, 32, said after last Thursday’s practice at St. John Fisher College. “The optimism the community shows is shared by the team. We are excited about what we have put on the field. It’s not like any other year that I have been here.”‘

‘”James has the talent, he’s got the size, and he’s got the ability,” said Bills quarterback Trent Edwards. “It’s just a matter of him becoming accustomed to our offense and my style of play and my leadership and making sure he’s on board and going out and making plays.”‘

‘The staff should use this time to practice the quirky methods that might be utilized starting next month, as Schonert can add spice by letting Edwards sometimes throw on first down during the rest of the preseason. If nothing else, Schonert’s slight trickery will prove that there’s more to choosing plays than a mathematical formula whose solution is usually a punt after three downs.’

‘”We recognize the majority of fans will be returning to the United States sometime after midnight and have adjusted our staffing levels commensurate with the expected traffic,” said Joseph Wilson, Buffalo port director.’

‘”All my life I’ve been an offensive guy,” Jenkins said. “I was a quarterback in high school, a wide receiver in college. You don’t think special teams are important until you’re put in that position to play them. It’s been a big thing in Buffalo for a long time. . . . You have to know your role. When I get on the field on special teams, I’m loving it.”‘

‘”There’s not much depth right now,” coach Dick Jauron said of the tackle position. “We’d like to be real deep. It seems like it works that way at times where you just get hit in a spot. We’ll keep working through it and see what happens.”‘

‘”Some of the guys tease me, but I just say, ‘Y’all would like to be like this,'” he says with a smile that could light up the darkest, dankest winter night in western New York.’

‘Murphy was in obvious pain with what coach Dick Jauron said after practice was a shoulder injury. Just before the Bills came off the field, he left St. John Fisher College and headed to a local hospital for more tests. Estes suffered a leg injury. “It was a disappointing night in that regard,” Jauron said of the injuries.’

‘On Thursday, a small group of Canadian football activists plans to march on Rogers Centre as a demonstration against the National Football League and the Buffalo Bills, who open their unprecedented eight-game series in Toronto that night. And Mace, the only Buffalo player born in Canada, is not surprised. “I know CFL fans are really loyal, so I could see that happening,” the Vancouver-born defensive lineman said yesterday.’