Archives for June 2015

'Allentown City Council voted last year to rename the street and park in honor of the former Buffalo Bills receiver who played locally for Dieruff and Kutztown University. Reed retired after the 2000 season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2014.'

'“We can stretch the field. We have a lot of fast guys out there,” Watkins told reporters recently. “You have (Charles) Clay now. You have (Robert) Woods. You have me and Marquise (Goodwin). You have (Chris) Hogan so it’s so many guys that you have to pay attention to. Not just one guy. You can have me and (Percy Harvin) on the same side and create a matchup so I can’t wait to get started with these guys.”'

'Here, I break down how he used these in the 49ers week one game at Dallas last season, using two different formations after seeing how the first was blocked.'

'G John Miller – The rookie has done everything right since being drafted by the Bills in the third round. Miller has the intelligence for the position, and both the size and strength that the Bills covet for their guard positions. Even though he is just a first-year player, he'll be viewed as a favorite to start when the Bills get to St. John Fisher College.'

'“I think two years ago I was playing multiple positions and had multiple roles and so you really couldn’t focus on exactly where 91 was and you didn’t know if I was rushing or I was dropping,” said Lawson. “Last year I had someone on me all the time. With a different scheme and different roles opportunities present themselves.”'

'Cheerleader pay can seem a trivial issue when fast-food workers are fighting for pay they can live on and nail salon workers are exploited with unsafe conditions. They shouldn’t need their own law to ensure worker rights already written into existing labor law. It’s even sadder that this issue has been around for years.'

'“I think two years ago I was playing multiple positions and had multiple roles and so you really couldn’t focus on exactly where 91 was and you didn’t know if I was rushing or I was dropping,” said Lawson. “Last year I had someone on me all the time. With a different scheme and different roles opportunities present themselves.”'

'“I don’t short-change his athletic talent or speed or any of that,” Lal said. “We have all these competitions when they do weight-lifting and Hogan always seems to be top three, if not one. He’s one of the best athletes on the team, so I think he gets short-changed perception-wise that way.'

'And if the Bills’ season comes remotely close to the optimistic projections of Ryan and others, there won’t be a high enough draft pick to maybe find one that way, either.'

'It only takes a few minutes to realize how fired up tight ends coach Tony Sparano is about the players he's working with. In addition to newly signed Charles Clay, rookie Nick O'Leary and MarQueis Gray have been quick to pick up the offense. The Bills want their tight ends to be able to move around the offensive formation, and Sparano feels like every one of his tight ends is capable of doing it.'

'So clearly he is lashing out, sort of the way a child would when he doesn’t get his way. Instead of facing the music, McCoy has taken the child’s way out. The questions won’t stop, though, because of one angry media session in Buffalo.'

'The former Bills star explained he got his start in parks. "I wouldn't have become a Hall of Fame football player or even a football player if I didn't have those kind of (positive) people behind me," Reed, who grew up in Allentown, Pa., told the crowd. "Just to see this, I can see what this nation is all about. It's about coming together and doing the right thing. There are so many different things that are bad. This is something good that can turn into something great, so thanks for having me."'

'When asked why he stayed in the Buffalo area after his football career ended in 1970, Bemiller had a quick reply. “The one main thing was the great people here. I met up with some great people,” he said. “Another thing, we didn’t make enough money to move.”'

'From what I’ve seen so far in OTA practices, the Bills don’t have a true difference-maker at quarterback and aren’t likely to have one emerge between now and the start of the season. EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor – the three vying for the starting job – have had, at best, decent stretches. But there have been too many times when their throws have been off target or they have simply been unable to find open receivers.'

'Before long, we could see quarterbacks making more money in a season than Kelly made in his career. It’s mind-boggling. Times have changed, indeed.'