Archives for June 2011

‘Yes, it’s true. The Buffalo Bills have scrapped their scuba suits / Halloween costumes / Arena League outfits / whatever the hell they were — easily the NFL’s worst look for the past decade or so — and have replaced them with an honest-to-Pete Rozelle football uniform. Imagine that.’

‘”Being a former player, my thing is all about winning,” Thomas said. “The uniforms would look a lot better if they start winning, but I think Chan Gailey and Buddy Nix are on the right track of turning this around.”‘

‘”He’s older and should be smarter and he knows the offense and he’s just got to go out there and apply it,” said Hixon. “Hopefully now his time is here. I think he’s mature enough to know it’s a setback that he can bounce back from and get better.”‘

‘"I prefer to consider my style more of Kanye West," said Johnson, who had 82 receptions for 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. "I’m a person who isn’t just in the suburbs. I’m out in the streets and seeing the fashion of kids today."’

‘Buffalo is the early-line favorite in four games and the underdog in 11 games. The other is a pick-em (even odds) game.’

‘”We talked about his production,” Hixon told Buffalobills.com. “Obviously it was very good production, but we also think there are something that he needs to work on. From a coach’s point of view both in the running game and passing game he can be a lot more consistent. He made some plays now, but as a coach my job is to be very critical to help him out.”‘

‘It boggles the mind that all this lost time not used to assess the new and semi-new players could affect the Bills’ ability to determine what they will need in the 2012 draft. Assuming they will not qualify for the No. 1 pick as the worst team in the league, they will not end up with a franchise quarterback. The only collegian currently deserving that title is Stanford’s Andrew Luck, semi-assured to be the No. 1 pick in the next draft.’

‘Russ Brandon, the Bills’ chief executive officer, noted on the team website that the former players had a major role in getting the servicemen to take part in the ceremony. “The (alumni’s) top cause is the Wounded Warrior Program and we’re tied in with that as well, so I think it was great treat for not only the military but also our great fans.””

‘"He could have worked a camp and charged kids $50, $30," said Williamson football coach Bobby Parrish, who assisted Coleman on Friday. "He could have done it over at the high school, at Ladd Stadium. He could have done it anywhere he wanted to, but to come here to the youth center and put it on for these kids, I think, is very special.’

‘ "It felt 10 times better, even though I didn’t get to play, than at any high school game," said Smith, a 2008 graduate of Maple Grove High School, where he played football. "Everybody was cheering for you. I was really excited. To have all the different services there, it was an honor to stand up there with everybody."’

‘The white colour of the helmet has also been enhanced with what’s termed a “metallic flake” to give the white a sparkling quality, which will really pop in the sunlight or under the lights for a night game.’

‘”We never had nothing like this,” Spiller said as he looked around a packed gymnasium. “It was something I always wanted to do. This might be a first for this city and county.”‘

‘”One of the things we heard consistently was there was really no identifying mark on our jersey,” said Bills Senior Vice President of Marketing and Broadcasting Marc Honan. “We feel that the charging buffalo is perhaps one of the strongest marks in the league and why not incorporate it into the look and we think it looks great on the jersey.”‘

‘"We’ve got a lot of family-oriented activities for young people," said Russ Brandon, the Bills’ chief executive officer. "And we’ve got pyrotechnics, a great stage, and we’re going to have a lot of fun with it."’

‘"We take a lot of feedback from our fans and fan forums and focus groups," said Bills Chief Executive Officer Russ Brandon. "One of the things we heard loud and clear over the last few years is that fans did not really care for our previous uniforms. We felt the uniform served us well over the past decade. But we felt it was time to make a change."’