Archives for May 2008

‘"I’m just real excited. It took me about seven years, but I’m just happy to finish and I’m just happy to have a college degree," said DiGiorgio who will be one of 904 Saginaw Valley State graduates this weekend.’

‘This obviously isn’t to say Hardy has no chance to turn into a dynamic target for the Bills; rather, the point is that unrealistic, Plaxico Burress-like expectations shouldn’t be heaped on him. Including Hardy, there were a whopping 10 receivers selected in the second round of April’s draft. At least one or two of them will likely enjoy fine careers, but the rest probably won’t. Whether Hardy falls into the “good pick” category in a few years remains to be seen, but the Bills certainly had the right idea when they chose him. It’s up to Hardy now.’

‘The top-priced general seats are along the sideline from the 20-yard line into the end zone. They will cost $295 a game in the three-game package or $270 for the eight-game package. Those same seats cost $60 a game in Ralph Wilson Stadium.’

‘There’s another benefit from the high costs: If the games sell out, as expected, it will immediately catch the attention of NFL power brokers which will add to the attractiveness of future games here.’

‘How much will the most desirable pews set you back? Well, make sure you have plenty of maximum spending room on your credit card.’

‘Seating capacity at Rogers Centre for the two games is expected to be around 54,000. But the sources said between 30,000 and 40,000 seats will be made available to Toronto Argonauts and Bills season-ticket holders as well as lucky lottery applicants. The rest of the 54,000 seats will be allotted for luxury boxes and various hospitality packages, which command much higher prices because there’s more to those tickets than just game-day admission.’

‘"Learning the offense was crazy, very sophisticated" said Drone "It was overwhelming as quarterback because you have to know what everybody is doing. Learning the lingo and terminology was what I was doing pretty much all weekend."’

‘”This is a premium event and the first time in the history of Canada you can take the subway to a regular-season NFL game,” said Adrian Montgomery, general manager of the Bills in Toronto series. “Having said that, we know the NFL is fuelled by the fans and it was important for us to have a price point available to every one.”‘

‘Tickets will range in price from $55 to $295, inclusive of all taxes and ticket service charges. Additional blocks of tickets will be offered to more randomly selected registrants starting May 29. For more information on Bills in Toronto tickets visit the ticket registration website.’

‘"Football fans from across the country have formally expressed their interest in watching live NFL football in Toronto," said Phil Lind, vice chairman, Rogers Communications Inc., which is marketing the games. "We are overwhelmed by this response, and we are now working hard to ensure that the NFL experience in Toronto will be unforgettable."’

‘The prices are in Canadian money, currently near par with the U.S. dollar, and do not include a large chunk of VIP and hospitality suite seats. The Bills will become the first NFL team to play annual games outside the United States starting this season when they host Pittsburgh for a preseason game Aug. 14, followed by a regular-season game against Miami on Dec. 7.’

‘Joe Brockington’s dream of playing on Sundays took a hit yesterday.’

‘Choosing players who address particular weaknesses yet are still fairly sensible options at that point in the draft is the best legacy ex-general manager Marv Levy left the Bills after they employed him for the second time. In a sport where players generally enjoy notoriously short careers, Buffalo has wised up as it attempts to get the most exceptional participants on the field at literally the earliest opportunity.’

‘With four months left until the Sept. 7 home opener against Seattle, the Bills already have surpassed last year’s season-ticket total of 48,236. The current total already is around 49,000.’