Archives for November 2013

‘Foketi entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos following the 2013 NFL Draft and was released prior to the regular season. The 6-5, 310-pound offensive lineman spent one year at West Texas A&M (2012) after two seasons at Kansas State (2010-11) and one year at Mt. San Antonio (CA) College. He played left tackle as a senior at West Texas A&M and earned the Gene Upshaw Division II Offensive Lineman of the Year award. Foketi will wear No. 63.’

‘We’re looking forward to going up to Toronto and playing. It’s a great city, great place; we’ve got to learn to win. We’ve got to learn to win at home in Buffalo, we’ve got to learn to win in Toronto, we’ve got to learn to win on the road. I think those are the most important things. That’s what we’re doing, we’re getting ready to go play and we’re excited.’

‘We’ve got to do our part. They can do whatever other teams do; they can do whatever they want to. At the end of the day, the Bills have to get the win and that’s it. Not worry about anything else.’

‘”Of course, absolutely, open minded, absolutely. Definitely,” said Byrd. “I’m not going to close my mind on anything. I’m open to whatever might come. I’m leaving that to my agent and those guys. I’m out of it. I’m just going to play the best football I can for the team and try to win games and then that stuff will get handled eventually.”‘

‘It felt good. Felt good to be back out there with the guys at practice and get back in to the swing of things. Just feels good to be back out there.’

‘”Coming back, I don’t see it as much now,” Marrone said. “I think practices have changed. The last time I was in the league, we had a couple rookies starting for us in New Orleans and we went to the playoffs. We really made a conscious effort to make sure those guys didn’t do that,” referring to the team’s young players running out of steam in the season’s final month.’

‘But the report also notes that league sources say Rogers Communications, a media conglomerate worth billions, is the “prime suitor” for the franchise.’

‘You mean a sober, rational-thinking adult would be expected to conclude that risking a near-three story backwards fall from a stadium railing on a cold windy afternoon wasn’t the most cerebral choice?’

‘The main competition for Bon Jovi, of course, is Canadian communications giant Rogers Communications, which has formed a profitable relationship with Wilson that has resulted in the Bills playing one regular season game at Rogers Centre.’

‘Even if the Bon Jovi/MLSE group were to purchase the Bills after Wilson’s death, they’d almost certainly keep the club based in Buffalo through this decade, because of the lease deal.’

‘”Jon and I are very good friends,” Leiweke said Sunday. “We talk weekly about his NFL ambitions. And so we’re actively engaged, but I think it’s still a work in progress.”‘

‘The Rogers family’s net worth is estimated at $6.41-billion, which dwarfs even Tanenbaum and makes Bon Jovi a small player. Some insiders see Edward Rogers, 44, emerging as the majority owner in a bid with Tanenbaum and Bon Jovi, who is certainly handy as a front man for now, taking minority stakes. Indeed, there are already whispers of friction among the trio over just who will be the major player.’

‘Mr. Bon Jovi, whose ambitions to own an NFL team are well known in the industry, is reportedly a friend to both Mr. Leiweke and Mr. Tanenbaum – he was seen sitting between the two men at a Toronto Raptors game in October. As of late, the rock star has been steadily gaining a profile in Toronto, including an induction into the Air Canada Centre Hall of Fame earlier this month after playing his 17th concert at the venue.’

‘Rock star Jon Bon Jovi is consumed with purchasing an NFL team, according to numerous sources with knowledge of the situation, and is among the parties positioning to purchase the Buffalo Bills when the team comes up for sale.’

‘”Marquise is a guy you want to get him the ball, but not just deep routes,” said EJ Manuel. “He can also run great routes across the middle. He’s a very good, versatile receiver. He just happens to have a lot of speed and people only think you can throw deep balls to him, but he can run great routes across the middle too.”‘