Archives for July 2015

'But, the thing is, he made it so simple and easy to just sit and talk – and laugh – with him. I got a chance to see him a few more times in the press box after that over the past few years, and even though his health was deteriorating, you would never know it by his spirit and enthusiasm. Van cared about you having a good time and took pride in making you smile when he spoke. And how could anyone not do that? His love of life and football was infectious, even at 87.'

'"That's what I remember most was his friendship, positive attitude. No matter how well or poorly we played, we'd get on the plane after a road game and he'd have a one liner or a joke for everybody and a pat on the back."'

'Another area that Watkins can improve is in his route running abilities. Watkins has been a diligent worker when it's come to route running since his days as a Clemson Tiger, but his exposure to the NFL game has demanded a lot more. Bills wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal thinks that he can become an elite wide receiver and that he wouldn’t “put any limits on him.”'

'“To be honest with you, this is the final year of my contract,” he said. “So I’m going up with everything I’ve got. I’m going to try to solidify myself in Buffalo – for at least a little while longer. If not Buffalo, somewhere else. And just try to go out and showcase myself. Show what I can do.”'

'“There are a handful of broadcasters who are so distinctive when you hear their voice you immediately think of their teams,” said Steve Sabol, the president of NFL Films who died in 2012. “Van is associated with the Bills the way Ray Scott was with the Packers and Chuck Thompson was with the Colts. I could be blindfolded and hear that voice and in my mind I’m in Buffalo and it is Jim Kelly or Bruce Smith. Like all the great radio broadcasters, his delivery and the timbre of his voice approximates the rhythms and the shifts of the game. He has a certain energy to his voice that added to the pictures.”'

'Diagnosed with the eye disease macular degeneration, Miller couldn’t drive anymore. He needed a walker to get around his neighborhood at times. He had recently fallen a few times while adjusting to the walker, landing in the hospital for a few weeks earlier in the year.'

'My husband, Darryl Talley, was very fortunate to have been included in this effort and was evaluated by The Massachusetts General Hospital Brain and Body Clinic for the NFLPA Trust. While we were thrilled that our concerns for Darryl’s health were going to become a priority, we were anxious about what any potential diagnoses could hold for Darryl’s future.'

'Miller augmented his time in the 1960s broadcasting Niagara University basketball, and when Buffalo was awarded an NBA expansion team in 1970, the Braves, Miller became its play-by-play man, a job he held throughout the team's eight-year tenure in Buffalo.'

'"When Van flew home with the team from the west coast he would always point out Dunkirk as his hometown to whoever he was talking to," continued Pulvino. "He was one of Dunkirk's own, one of Dunkirk's finest."'

'Miller began his broadcasting career in 1955 calling high school sports for WBEN radio and television. He became the Bills' play-by-play man during the team's first season with the AFL in 1960.'

'Miller called 605 games, including the Bills' four straight Super Bowl appearances from 1990 through 1993.'

'"Beyond being just a great announcer, he was the heart and soul of the Buffalo Bills," former Bills coach Marv Levy told ESPN by phone Saturday afternoon. "He was a lot of fun to be with. He had a very good sense of humor. I'm very saddened to hear about his passing away."'

'Whether it was learning about the business or asking him to share his amazing stories about Buffalo sports, Van would always have time for me. But that's who Van was, he would have time for everyone. I called him broadcasting royalty but there were no airs about him.'

'Michael Buchanan: Signed in early June after he was released by New England, Buchanan has the body type to play with his hand on the ground in a 3-4 scheme. His long, angular 6-6 frame is similar to Manny Lawson. Buchanan is more comfortable up on the line than off the ball, but if he flashes enough he could push for the last job on the defensive line./

'“We will all dearly miss ‘Uncle Van,’ but his legacy will remain deeply embedded in our franchise's history and in the hearts of his countless fans in Western New York and throughout the NFL community. Our deepest sympathies, along with our thoughts and prayers, go out to his wife Gloria and all of Van's family during this difficult time."'