Archives for May 2001

‘"With a young team, we need to make sure they get acclimated to how we want to play the game. There will be a few drills with some of our goal line sessions in the middle of training camp where it’s full (speed), except for the quarterbacks. And the fans will really like those situations down around the goal line and those (short-yardage) areas."’

‘The practices on July 30 and Aug. 6 will run from 7:30 p.m. until just after 9 p.m. under the lights and on the artificial turf of Growney Stadium.’

‘According to vice president/business development and marketing Russ Brandon, four of the eight regular-season home games could be virtual sellouts before individual seat tickets go on sale July 14: Pittsburgh…New Orleans…New York…Miami…’.

‘Devlin played 13 seasons for Buffalo, before retiring after the 1989 season. Now 47 and an avid outdoorsman, Devlin made his home in rural Eden during his playing days and stayed there after he retired, rather than returning to his native Pennsylvania.’

‘Word has leaked out at One Bills Drive that Gregg Williams once was a pretty fair baseball player. And that may explain why some of his co-workers are urging the Buffalo Bills rookie head coach not to hold back when he tosses out the ceremonial first pitch before tonight’s Rochester Red Wings-Durham Bulls game at Frontier Field.’

‘Here are the dates and locations for the Bills caravan. Times are from 5 pm to 7 pm. No word on who will be at each location.’

‘State and county leaders ought to…begin working toward a binding long-term lease with the team.’

‘"[John Guy] coached [special teams] at Pittsburgh with us in the early ’90s," said Tom Donahoe, Buffalo’s new president. "I wanted to hire him with the Steelers [in personnel], but I didn’t think he had enough experience scouting. Now I think he’s more prepared to do this job.’

‘Construction is under way on the $400,000 project that will see a 2,000-square-foot store go up on a site between the ticket office and the field house at One Bills Drive in Orchard Park. The store is expected to start its rookie season in time for the Bills first home preseason game on Aug. 12.’

‘"When I started here, all the players that came in to see me all said they felt there was a lack of discipline here. That was without any prompting on my part," Donahoe said. "(Coach) Gregg (Williams) has certainly brought a very disciplined approach. The players have bought into it. No one has come in to me and complained."’

‘Like many vets, Wilson has a difficult time discussing his war experiences. It’s not easy recounting the sweeping devastation, the profound loss. The scenes remain indelible in his 82-year-old mind — perhaps no scene more vivid than that visit to Hiroshima in the summer of 1945.’

‘Tom Donahoe is having a perfect off-season thus far for the Buffalo Bills.’

‘It looks like Buffalo Bills fans will have to wait even longer to see their team win a Super Bowl. Even in Fantasyland. Rob Lieberman, the director of the TNT movie "Second String," was recently told that the airing of the film about a team of Bills’ second-teamers winning the big game probably is going to be delayed again.’

‘Four young backs will be trying to prove their wares on the field, and the battle figures to be one of the more compelling ones in any training camp this summer.’

‘It wasn’t until 1995, a year after being released by the Bills, that he finally came to grips with his problem. He was out of football, alone, a drunk. So he went into therapy for his alcohol addiction and began to pull his life back together.’