Archives for July 10, 2000

‘Buffalo Bills defensive end Marcellus Wiley, considered Bruce Smith’s successor on the right side, will miss all of training camp while he recovers from back surgery. Doctors repaired a bulging disc in his lower back last weekend, and he will be sidelined four to six weeks. Wiley hurt his back while working out on his own two weeks ago. He was expected to be released from hospital Monday and begin rehabilitation next week.’

‘The 8th castaway has been voted off Buffalo Bills Island. This former Bill was a steady player who showed up to play every week. His career spanned 7 years with the Bills and 3 more with the Denver Broncos.’

‘These are quotes from off-season conversations with Peerless Price. They don’t include Mike Doser’s questions, rather, it is just pure, uninterrupted comment from Price about his off-season and preparing for his second year with the team.’

‘The novelty of training camp in Fredonia had long worn off and attendance there waned in recent years. Estimated figures say about 10,000 spectators watched the team during the course of the approximately three-week training camp period. The Bills are optimistic that 10 or 15 times that number will sample training camp this summer.’

‘Those interests already are being boosted: The Wegmans-Bills pairing has attracted attention across the NFL. While almost every NFL team has some sort of relationship with a local supermarket, said Chris Widmaire, a league spokesman, the Bills-Wegmans matchup is "unique to the entire NFL." "When we have league meetings and the Bills make presentations about their relationship with Wegmans," said Widmaire, "people are blown away by the breadth and depth of it."’

‘Starting right end Marcellus Wiley will undergo surgery today [Saturday] to correct a bulging disk in his lower back and will be sidelined between four to six weeks, according to media reports. It comes as a shock because Wiley showed no signs of problems in any of the mini-camps.’

‘The Buffalo Bills defensive lineman is one of the most generous players in a league that seems to get more attention nowadays for the ones who commit crimes. With his own charitable foundation he established in 1998, Washington has made it his mission to give. He hands out thousands of pairs of shoes annually, plays Santa every Christmas to donate toys, and offers advice and hope to all. He also has organized a football camp for hundreds of children at the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center near Twentynine Palms, Calif., in the Mojave Desert.’