Archives for March 24, 2009

‘”I think every year, you’re trying to change some things, trying to get better,” said Edwards. “The guy that I’m hoping to get in touch with, that I spent a little bit of time this offseason with, that I felt like has really improved his physique, and as he gets older, he gets better is Drew Brees.”‘

‘The point of the Ontario Experiment is to allegedly draw more Canadian fans to the Bills, not draw the Bills to Canada. If this team wants to display any integrity to its true home fans, it’ll limit the number of games stolen from Orchard Park per season to one. That’s at best enough and at worst too many already.’

‘”Absolutely we’re going to go for that game, if it happens,” he said. “We’re going to look for that one and maybe another one.”‘

‘Center Geoff Hangartner, at 6- foot-5 and 315 pounds, is the largest new player on the Bills from a size standpoint. No, he is not close to being a household name like the Bills’ new free agent receiver, Terrell Owens. Hangartner joked about being in Owens’ shadow. “I’m pretty angry about it, really,” Hangartner chuckled. “I figured all along that I’d be a big-name free agent signing.”‘

‘”It will be a great way to kick off the 50th anniversary of the AFL and a great way to kick off another season,” Bills head coach Dick Jauron said after leaving a meeting at the St. Regis Resort Hotel. “I was an AFL fan growing up near Boston. I remember those years and I remember those games. I’m very excited to be part of the game.”‘

‘”I don’t know anybody who likes to be disciplined,” Goodell said. “I don’t like issuing discipline. I would rather not be doing it. The reality is very clear that there are consequences for your actions, and when those actions reflect negatively on the NFL we’re going to make sure there are negative consequences in hopes they don’t happen again.’

‘What other sport encourages its players to commit themselves virtually year-round to the mind-numbing rigors of preparation while promising in return a scant 16 games spaced over fourth months?’

‘"He has a very good history of being in shape and ready to go, so we’re not anticipating anything different this year," Allaire said. "He’s a physical specimen. He’ll be fun to work with."’

‘Since Hardy won’t be able to practice until mid-August at the earliest, he’ll likely find himself slotted behind Owens, Evans, Reed, Parrish and the emerging Steve Johnson on the depth chart upon his return. “I just have to be consistent, knowing everything that the offense is trying to do, especially at the inside and outside receiver,” Hardy said. “Since we have T.O., whenever I can get in to play, that’s where I’m coming into it mentally. So whatever I need to do to get on this field to help us win, that’s my goal.”‘

‘How does 11 games — adding three with supposedly lower ticket prices — make any sense economically now?’

‘The game, which will be played at the Patriots home in Foxborough, Mass., is the latest stroke of marketing brilliance by the NFL, which knows that wherever Owens appears, he makes big news. The game will also likely mark the return of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who was injured in the opening week in 2008 and his go-to receiver, the equally flamboyant Randy Moss.’

‘”Our deal is for eight games over five years, and that’s it. This was a purely hypothetical conversation, and even if we one day got to the point where more games were added to the schedule, that would have to meet a host of internal and external approvals first.”

‘Corporately, it is about marketing and increasing the profile of the stadium and the like – Rogers can’t and won’t be involved in an ownership role with a potential Toronto NFL franchise. But corporately, it would love to have an NFL team as a stadium tenant, would love to work in partnership with someone else – Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment chairman Larry Tanenbaum, perhaps – if a team were to become available full-time. That’s a fact.’

‘”We have done a lot of customer research after the December 7th [2008 Bills game in Toronto], with an eye to making the Bills’ Toronto Series better,” said Adrian Montgomery, a Rogers executive and the general manager of the series. “This is the third iteration of that research, which we sent to the general public and some of the folks that already purchased tickets in 2008, and asked them a number of questions. And one of the questions was a hypothetical question about additional games being played here. That’s just what it is: a hypothetical question.”‘

Patriots to open on a Monday night (Boston Globe)

Patriots, Bills air it out in Monday Night Football opener (Boston Herald)

Pats to kick things off on MNF (Attleboro Sun Chronicle)

Pats to kick off 2009 regular season at home in a Monday night date with T.O. (Brockton Enterprise)

Patriots to open 2009 season against Bills (Patriots.com)