Archives for January 2016

'Now, though, the real labors begin. Getting these kinds of gigs is relatively (note the italicized letters and bold-faced type) easy. Keeping them is another matter. And on this, 99 percent of all coaches, hired to be fired, will agree.'

'“I understand where it’s coming from, because my brother, twelve years he’s been a co-ordinator. But we brought my brother in just to add to what we have and to have other eyes in it.”'

'“The biggest advantage I had with those guys was the street credibility having played,” Welter told USA Today. “That might be the most difficult part for her.”'

'“It doesn’t shock me, but at the same time it’s shocking to see her face associated with this,” said St. John’s assistant coach Matt Abdelmassih, who worked with Smith as a team manager. “We knew back then with her affiliation to the Jets and working with the Fan Fest stuff, she was really geared towards working in the NFL. Following her career since we graduated in 2007, it’s amazing how everything has come full circle [with her" target="_blank"> as the first woman’s NFL coach.”'

'If the Bills' elevation of Smith suggests an enlightened mindset when it comes to women in the workplace, the lawsuit their former cheerleaders filed against the team, which a New York state judge earlier this month allowed to proceed, leaves an utterly different impression.'

'"She goes, 'I believe this is the play you were referring to,'" Ryan said Friday. "And I'm like, 'Oh, my goodness. And it was.'"'

'"But I have known her professionally for seven years and the reason that I think she is going to do a tremendous job here, it starts with everything else just like any profession, you have got to have a work ethic, you got to have a passion for it, and I just like the way she is.'

'“Absolutely,” Ryan responded when asked if Thurman will keep the title. “And I understand where it’s coming from, because my brother, twelve years he’s been a coordinator. But we brought my brother in just to add to what we have, and to have other eyes in it.”'

'After Ohio State’s Joey Bosa, the best pass rushing prospect available in the 2016 NFL Draft is Clemson’s Shaq Lawson.'

'"If you can help a player that is all they are interested in," Ryan said when asked about the remarks. "Also that you care about them and you want them to do well, I think those are traits players will look up too and respect regardless of how the person looks."'

'“She’s going to be grinding through hours of film. The quality control guys are the guys who know exactly who is playing well, who is not playing well, what they can do and what they can’t do.”'

'“A lot of that goes with the tough things. Doing all the computer stuff, doing all the drawings, all that type of stuff,” Ryan said. “Working mainly with scout teams. … She’s done things like this in the past. “With the knowledge and commitment she has – very committed young lady – I think she’ll do a great job.”'

'Here are the Bills’ seven restricted free agents, in our priority order, along with what we’d do in each situation.'

'I’m pretty sure Linda Bogdan never met Kathryn Smith, but I’m guessing that somewhere, she is smiling at the way the team is carrying on a tradition of sorts.'

The Bills could still have a representative in Hawaii, as left guard Richie Incognito, center Eric Wood, quarterback Tyrod Taylor and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus are alternates. The roster will be finalized after the AFC and NFC championship games Sunday. Players from teams that advance to the Super Bowl are not eligible for the game, so some alternates will get into the game.