Archives for July 29, 2014

‘But as rich as Bon Jovi is-his band ranks 13th on Forbes’ “Celebrity 100,” and his personal estimated net worth approaches $300 ­million-NFL ownership is reserved only for the wealthiest: The Bills are the NFL’s third-least-valuable ­franchise, ahead of only Jacksonville and Oakland, but are still expected to sell for more than $1 billion. Bon Jovi couldn’t buy the team on his own, so he has teamed up with a group of businessmen in Toronto who own the Maple Leafs, the Raptors, and the Air Canada Centre, where he has played 19 concerts since 2000.’

‘”Mike is going to be a huge asset for us out wide,” Manuel said. “He’s a guy who, in the red zone, teams will know we’re going to him, and even though they’ll know I’m throwing to him, he’ll still be able to come down with some balls. Sammy (Watkins) is showing it too. He can go up high and get the ball, and as a quarterback, that’s awesome. It gives me a lot more room for error as far as when I throw the ball up to a guy, just wanting to give him an opportunity to make a play.”‘

‘Manuel has not looked great the first week of training camp. He has looked good at times. He has made some sharp, impressive throws. His arm strength is excellent. But there are enough times in every practice in which he doesn’t get the ball out of his hands quickly to make one pause. Should he look more sure of himself?’

‘A sign the Bills aren’t in crisis mode at left tackle is their reluctance to acquire veteran help such as free-agent Eric Winston. Rookie tackle Seantrel Henderson, a wild card with a checkered past that caused him to plummet into the seventh round, has held down the fort quite well so far.’

‘WR Chris Hogan caught everything in sight. The starting defensive line was stellar. Ron Brooks had a great interception. EJ Manuel hit a pretty bomb to Marquise Goodwin.’

‘Expected to submit notifications are Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula; the Toronto-based group with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment executive Larry Tanenbaum and rock star Jon Bon Jovi; former Sabres owner Tom Golisano; and billionaire developer Donald Trump. Other possibilities include bond investor Jeffrey Gundlach of Amherst and Pabst Brewing Company owner C. Dean Metropoulos.’

‘He is the starter at strong safety as training camp rolls into its second week at St. John Fisher College, and while he’s being pushed by second-year player Duke Williams, Searcy is confident that it’s his job to lose.’

‘”That’s just two guys playing football,” MacPherson said after practice. “That happens.”‘

‘”I like buying things, so we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “I’ll put a bid in and we’ll see. I would be good. The team is Buffalo, as you know. We’ll see what happens.”‘

‘That’s when Marrone got into an animated exchange with defensive line coach Pepper Johnson and then called the offensive and defensive lines together for a huddle while special teams drills were going on. Laughs were exchanged, and players didn’t have any hard feelings after practice.’

‘Nigel Bradham is listed as the starter at weakside linebacker in place of the injured Kiko Alonso. Bradham has been getting most of the first-team reps in practice, so that’s not a huge surprise. Meanwhile, Stevenson Sylvester, who has been with the team for just over a week, is listed as Bradham’s primary backup. Preston Brown is listed as the second-team middle linebacker.’

‘Glenn is expected to play in at least one preseason game for the Bills and start the season opener at left tackle, according to a report in the Buffalo News.’

‘Until then, here’s a look at how the rookies are performing in the order in which they were drafted.’

‘”We’ll see what happens. Everyone knows I’m bidding,” he said in an interview Monday with Fox News. “But many other people will be bidding. I would say the chances are very, very unlikely because I’m not going to do something totally stupid — maybe a little bit stupid, but not totally stupid.”‘

‘”It’s a big threat,” Pellien said of Bon Jovi’s possible bid. “He’s aligned with guys from Toronto. They’ve got more money than everybody else. We don’t believe they will keep the Bills in Buffalo. Why would they?”‘