Archives for December 18, 2000

‘Instead of addressing why the same group of linemen who have operated under the same assistant coach within the same offensive coordinator’s system for three years can’t peform the most basic functions of their jobs, Phillips took the easy route.’

‘Sunday’s weather was awful, even by Western New York standards. The air was filled with a strange snow-sleet-ice combination that blanketed the field by halftime and made the artificial turf slippery.’

‘Josh Roth, the fullback from the University at Buffalo by way of Conewango Valley, sure looked like he belonged. And, in a conversation with him late last week, Roth believes he does.’

‘A whole lot of it was sloppy, sloppiness that had nothing to do with the weather. And a whole lot of the players that partook in it for the Pats won’t be around next year.’

‘Toward the end of his Bills career, Ritcher took a flight with teammates Joe Ferguson and Justin Cross in Ferguson’s Cessna propeller plane. "I was just hooked from then on," he says.’

‘Mother Nature managed to do what these two struggling rivals probably could not have done on their own, namely make this game a thoroughly entertaining one to watch.’

‘Johnson’s day was indeed something to behold. He muffed two long snaps, including one on a potential winning field goal on the final play of regulation.’

‘Once they entered the red zone, though, things became troublesome. The difference in the game was that it wasn’t quite as troublesome for the Patriots.’

‘It was a scene all too familiar to the Buffalo Bills and their fans. Quarterback Rob Johnson down on the field injured.’

‘Players were standing behind offensive-line coach Carl Mauck to block the wind.’

‘A guy named Mike attempted to propose marriage to his fiancee, Karen, and the moment was captured live on the JumboTron scoreboard. He dropped the ring, and then couldn’t find it for about 30 seconds.’

‘Yes, the weather outside was frightful, but you should have seen the football game.’

‘There has been speculation Flutie may be released to accommodate salary-cap concerns.’

‘Players would scuff the snowy and icy turf with their feet to set up field goal attempts, because, as Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe said, "We couldn’t find a convict to run the snow plow…".

‘It was like one of those no-school days when you see kids playing snow-football on the front lawn.’