Two Bills Drive

‘Those who question Erie County’s unemployment figures would have done well to check the stadium parking lots on Wednesday. What other reason would there be for nearly 2,000 otherwise able-bodied folks to be out tailgating at “The Ralph” on a sunny weekday afternoon? There were even vendors hawking food, drinks and Bills’ merchandise.’

As Western New York welcomed Drew Bledsoe to the Bills family the newly acquired quarterback expressed his admiration for the Buffalo franchise. He said he always considered the Bills a high caliber organization. But what made him hold the team in such high regard, even as an opponent, was his respect for the team’s quarterback at that time, "It means a lot to me to follow in the steps of one of my heroes, Jim Kelly, who was a guy that I admired greatly."

‘Only a few laws in the NFL are inviolable — unless you’re Al Davis, I mean. One of them is: Don’t eat the yellow snow in Green Bay. And another is: Never trade a starting quarterback to a team in your own division.’

BUFFALO: April 26-28 (rookies); May 20-23; June 4-7.

‘Bledsoe looked like a rock star – a conservatively dressed rock star.’

‘Drew Bledsoe’s arrival has created very high expectations for the Buffalo Bills. Anything less than a winning season and the playoffs would be a disappointment. That’s fine with Bledsoe because he feels the same way.’

‘"Any time something like this happens, they seem to rally around the team, and it’s really nice to see. It was a carnival atmosphere out there. You have to laugh to a certain point, but then you think about what it means for everybody here. It means on Mondays when they wake up to go to work they might be smiling again."’

‘It’s a rare town that will hold a rally for a football player and treat him like some head of state. But it’s good that Buffalo can still turn on the small-town charm at times like these.’

A VERY BIG THANK YOU to Mr. Wilson, Mr. Donahoe, and Mr. Williams for bringing Drew Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bills! What an incredible stroke of luck and brilliance! I am so proud to be part of this community and to be a Buffalo Bills fan!

‘In his first trip to One Bills Drive nine years ago, Drew Bledsoe was knocked to the turf and out of the game by Buffalo linebacker Cornelius Bennett. On a return visit Wednesday, Bledsoe was floored again. In a happier, less painful way.’

‘For the Bills, it was the dawn of a Drew Era.’

‘Dunn and Donahoe said there are no present plans to re-work Bledsoe’s 10-year, $103 million contract of which he’s guaranteed $16.5 million over the next three seasons. The cap hits are manageable for Buffalo.’

‘"This is a great acquisition for the Bills. I’ve known Drew for a long time. He’s a leader and that’s something they need here. He hasn’t thrown a pass yet, and he already has people excited. This is going to be good for the Bills and good for the city. Even I’m excited. I wish the season was starting tomorrow."’

‘Then the fun began. In a white limo big enough to house a family of six, Bledsoe was brought to Bills headquarters shortly after 3 p.m. where an estimated crowd of 1,500 fans were waiting. Some were sporting Bills sweaters with Bledsoe’s No. 11 — and tape over Rob Johnson’s name. Others bought T-shirts and hotdogs. And yes, the ticket office was open. The band even played the fight song of Bledsoe’s alma mater, Washington State.’

‘He won’t say it, but Bledsoe also sees something else. He sees a time coming in November and December when he’ll get the opportunity to make two games a bad situation for the Patriots. It is a time he will look forward to, although he’ll never admit it.’