Archives for April 21, 2009

‘”He’s very athletic,” said offensive line coach Sean Kugler. “He’s kind of proven it in practice. We’re confident that he’s going to continue to grow.”‘

‘The days are winding down to the NFL draft and final decisions have or will be made as to whether certain prospects are fits for the Bills. Some of those decisions involve where a player projects in Buffalo’s scheme, whether a player can handle a jump from the lower college divisions to the NFL and whether a player is versatile enough to play more than one position.’

‘Whether you’re interviewing for a job or purchasing a new home, the negotiating phase is where you wield the most power. Once you sign on the dotted line, there’s no more opportunity to increase your take in the deal. A Buffalo interest looking to acquire the Bills must realize that the time to act is now, not when Ralph Wilson is gone. He can sell the team to whomever he pleases — thereby preventing it from landing on the open market. His wife can assume the team while he’s alive and let whomever she desires run the operations. Once Ralph passes, so, too, do those options.’

‘Owens will be paired with model Joanna Krupa when the competition gets under way in the Bahamas on June 23 (8 p.m. ABC). The eight teams will compete weekly in events including swimming, biking, running and kayaking. One team will be eliminated each week in the six-week series, leading up to the finals.’

‘The passion for the Bills and Sabres is no weaker, but the landscape has changed. Buffalo fans have lowered their standards and settled for mediocrity. I don’t remember a time quite like this, when fans simultaneously were as disgusted with both teams as they are now. But their dissatisfaction, their misery, doesn’t show up at the gate. Has my hometown grown soft?’

‘As of the moment, the projected Buffalo OL is Walker at LT, Kirk Chambers at LG, Geoff Hangartner at center, and a combination of Brad Butler, Larry, Moe and Curly on the right side.’

‘"The way I always look at it is when I get in the game I try to give them a reason not to take me out and a reason to put me back in," he said. "The first three games is definitely a plus. Anything after that, with practicing hard and playing hard and showing them what I can do, hopefully things will be pretty good from there."’

‘”I was a little bitter, then I started to understand,” Rhodes said of his most recent departure. “It is a business and that’s kind of how it goes. It was a frustrating time for me.”‘