Archives for September 2, 2008

‘Kevin Gibbons, the neurosurgeon who performed Everett’s surgery with Cappuccino and oversaw his care at Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital in Buffalo, downplayed the role of hypothermia in his recovery. "Cold [saltwater] didn’t hurt Everett," he says, "but it was certainly not the only reason he got better." According to Gibbons, the initial hypothermia treatment did not lower Everett’s body temperature: His temperature was 98 degrees Fahrenheit (36.7 degrees Celsius), just barely lower than normal, when he arrived at the hospital. It was only post-surgery when Everett received another cooling treatment that his temperature decreased significantly to 92 degrees Fahrenheit. By that time, his neck had been realigned and he had already regained some mobility in his legs and ankles. One important factor may be that, although severe, Everett’s injury was incomplete. Cappuccino recognized that Everett still had some sensation remaining in his lower extremities after sustaining the injury. In trauma cases such as these, Gibbons says, patients actually have a 50 to 75 percent chance of recovering.’

‘An undrafted rookie free agent out of Arizona State, Rodd originally signed with Oakland in May before being released by the Raiders last week. Rodd, who is from Hawaii and listed at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, had 36 starts in 37 career games at college.’

‘The Bills today announced that the team has added offensive lineman Brandon Rodd to the practice squad.’

‘”I’m excited and I’m ready for the year and it gives you some confidence to know that the coaching staff has confidence in you and your ability to play football,” said Williams.’

‘More than anything else, there’s the sense that the Bills are obeying a trend that’s unspectacular yet agreeable; while they haven’t been gulping up headlines or lead slots on sports highlight programs, they have progressed steadily in terms of offensive style and player quality.’

‘”I’m really pleased with my foot, the way it’s come back after my second surgery,” Denney said. “I have been able to be 100 percent and not have any issues with it. Being able to look forward to this regular season is real exciting.”‘

‘”Last year taught me patience,” he said. “It’s a long season. You’re going to have ups and downs. Someone is going to have to be strong through those down times. It taught me to respect everybody, but fear nobody. I feel like I’ve been there. I know what I’m doing at this point and I feel I can help other people feel the same way.”‘

‘”Any little storm would do just enough damage to hold us up,” he said. “The levee systems and everything we have right now is not sufficient for any kind of flooding. So we definitely have to monitor that and be ready. But again, the most important thing is a lot of people got out. You can always replace material stuff.”‘

‘"Well, I think we did a lot of good things this preseason," said Evans, who caught eight passes for 99 yards in brief duty. "Just from an execution standpoint, we got better week to week. I think that some of the things we have going on offensively are very promising. I’m looking forward to it and I’m excited about it."’

‘Former Milton High School standout and rookie free agent Bruce Hall has signed to the practice squad of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.’

‘The good news for Stupar is that Buffalo’s tight end situation is anything but stable heading into Sunday’s regular season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. With both back-up tight ends – second-year man Derek Schouman and rookie Derek Fine – on the mend from injuries suffered this preseason, Stupar’s promotion to the 53-man roster might not be far off.’