Archives for August 13, 2014

‘”They have to prove to me that the Bills can’t be viable in Ralph Wilson Stadium,” said Poloncarz, a participant in the negotiations for the 10-year lease that resulted in $130 million in renovations being completed this year at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park. “If we’re going to have to build a new stadium, I want so see something that really proves we need a new stadium.”‘

‘”There is no reason for the FCC to be in the sports blackout business,” Pai said. “We should be on the side of sports fans instead.”‘

‘”Yeah, it couldn’t come at a better time knowing that we’re about to go out there and it’s going to be pretty physical down there,” said running back Fred Jackson. “They’re a team that prides themselves on being physical and we’re going to go out there and match that. When you’re at training camp and you get these unexpected days off, you like it. But it’s on us now to take advantage of it when we come back on the field. We’ve had a couple of days off and then we get right back to work.”‘

‘Odds are Watkins will find himself matched up against William Gay at some point in the joint practices, and that should be a nice way to gauge how far the rookie has come. Can he handle the physical play at the line of scrimmage?’

‘Meanwhile, the Bills have sold more than 46,000 season tickets, according to Honan, which is the most since 2009. Games against the Chiefs, Jets and Browns currently have the most tickets still available, while games against the Dolphins, Chargers, Patriots, Vikings and Packers have been selling well to this point.’

‘The Syracuse television market does not receive Buffalo Bills broadcasts that are blacked out by the NFL because a tiny portion of Yates County receives the signal of Syracuse television station WTVH-5. Yates County is within 75 miles of Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY.’

‘”They’re a good dance partner for us because they do things a little bit differently than we do,” Tomlin said. “It will be great to get in a practice situation and hone our skills. I’m sure they feel the same way.”‘

‘”For a Hall of Famer to come down to my level, if you will, just meant so much,” Roethlisberger says. “He’s a guy I can call when things aren’t going well. I’ll get notes from him after games, good and bad: ‘Keep your head up.’ ‘Great job.’ To have someone like that I can call a friend? That’s first and foremost. And I think he’d say the same thing: He looks at me as a friend.”‘

‘”It’s going to be weird. I’ve never done it before. I’m curious to see what it’s going to be like,” said Steelers guard David DeCastro. “I think it will be just as, if not more, intense than a game. Guys want to make a statement and want to embarrass you and want to win. And then you have to go play them at the end of the week. It will be a lot of good fun.”‘

‘”We’re looking forward to going in against an organization that is a physical team, that is a tough team, a team that has won in the past,” Bills coach Doug Marrone said. “I think we’re excited about being able to compete with them.”‘

‘There’s been a lot of talk and debate lately about QBs staring down receivers. Of course, here in Buffalo, specifically about how often EJ Manuel is doing or not doing it. Almost every time he drops back, completion, incompletion, or interception, I read analysis that says he stared down his receiver and rebuttals that say he didn’t. What’s true and what’s not? Well, as with most armchair analysis in sports, the truth lies somewhere in between.’

‘On gamedays last year Marrone for me was a frequent disappointment. Every year it’s the same point: The small-market Bills are an inherent underdog in the NFL, against big-city rivals, against teams that are made at quarterback, or both (New England). So do they avail themselves to advantages suggested by data and game probabilities? Of course not.’

‘”It’s going to be physical I feel like, going against another team. Don’t know each other, trying to prove a point. We’ve just got to be prepared for everything,” said Bills wide receiver Robert Woods. “Just going out there and compete and work hard. New look, new defense.”‘

‘”It’ll be a good test for us,” said Eric Wood. “They have a lot of tradition and we have a lot of respect for their franchise. It’ll be a good measuring stick. Anytime you go against the Steelers I don’t care how tough you are or how fundamentally sound you are because under Dick LeBeau they’ve traditionally been really sound defensively.”‘