Archives for May 2016

'On Wednesday, Whaley and the Bills were in full damage-control mode.'

'It doesn't work that way in the real world. You credential reporters to watch practice, we're going to report what we watch. We're going to provide opinions on what we see. It's all part of a process that leads to the same thing being done when we're sitting in the press box on game day. And pointing out which players are starting and which are not is also relevant and will continue to be done, just as it will when training camp begins and the stands are filled with people who will make conclusions based on what they see. By the way, the original policy included training camp in the practice-coverage rules, but Berchtold later said that was amended "because of all the fans who are there."'

'If all had gone according to plan, the Bills wouldn’t be in this mess, but Kouandjio has been a colossal disappointment. He found himself in former coach Doug Marrone’s dog house almost immediately, and never escaped. He lost out to Henderson that first year and did not play a single snap on offense.'

'"The game has more protection for players now than ever, thanks largely to the safety advancements and numerous rule changes made by our league and promoted to all levels of football. I believe our game continues to have a bright future and I hope that this statement provides clarity as to the intent of my earlier comment."'

'Schefter later went on to say all sides need to show some professionalism, and a media relations department should treat reporters professionally. He wasn't the only ESPN employee critical of the media policy. Scott Van Pelt dedicated an entire segment to ripping it.'

'"To say that line, I was dumbfounded, just dumbfounded," Golic said. "There's one thing to talk about injury prone and all the other stuff he said I get, how each person comes back individually. But humans weren't meant to play football, where the NFL and football is now in the larger scope of all levels? For that to come out of a general manager's mouth, I was stunned. Stunned."'

'What is so scandalous about that? Why is it so radical to suggest that huge men, running into each other at frightening speeds with painful intent while wearing hard shells on their heads amounts to a fairly unhealthy endeavor? Where is the sacrilege in Whaley's statement?'

'"I believe our game continues to have a bright future and I hope that this statement provides clarity as to the intent of my earlier comment."'

'It was a nine-day, what-could-go-wrong-next stretch that began May 16, when the Bills revealed rookie first-round draft pick linebacker Shaq Lawson and starting receiver Sammy Watkins had surgery. It continued Wednesday when general manager Doug Whaley acknowledged he used "a poor choice of words" when referring to football being a violent game that he didn't think was intended to be played by humans.'

'Whaley's clarification was issued in a statement the Bills posted on their public relations Twitter account Wednesday. A day earlier, in an interview with Buffalo's WGR Radio, the GM wondered whether football was meant for "humans" when answering a question whether receiver Sammy Watkins was injury prone.'

'"Clearly I used a poor choice of words in my comment yesterday morning," Whaley said in the statement. "As a former player who has the utmost respect and love for the game, the point that I was trying to make is that football is a physical game and injuries are a part of it."'

'"Playing football no doubt is very physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging, and that is all part of what makes the game so compelling to play and watch," he said in the statement. "The game has more protection for players now than ever, thanks largely to the safety advancements and numerous rule changes made by our league and promoted to all levels of football.'

'Whaley took a lot of heat for that claim on Tuesday, so he and the Bills issued a statement saying he used a poor choice of words.'

'Predictably, there was a bit of an outcry over the comments, and now Whaley has issued a statement on those comments.'

'The Bills will continue Offseason Training Activities this week. Whaley’s statement comes on the heels of another round of national criticism, after the team issued a stricter media policy than in previous years.'