‘"Ralph gave me some great opportunities that furthered my career. We won a lot of games there so I’m proud of what we did there and I think we will see each other at league meetings. "I know he feels like I did a good job for him."’
Chargers hire another ex-Bill
‘Bills owner Ralph Wilson initially denied the Chargers permission to talk to Smith, but Donahoe apparently saw no need to drag things out, since it was understood Smith was going to join Butler once his contract expired.’
The Last Word
‘Tom Donahoe said he’s ready to make the tough decisions that will take the Buffalo Bills to a level they haven’t seen before. We believe him.’
‘WE WANT TO WIN’ DONAHOE TAKES REINS WITH VOW TO PUT BILLS BACK IN PLAYOFF BUSINESS
‘"These people are used to winning. This is a football team that should have been in the playoffs this year. And we want to get it back on track and into the playoffs next year."’
Cottrell ‘thrilled’ to be in running for head job
‘"I do intend to interview Ted Cottrell," Donahoe said. "We’ll probably reach him this weekend and set something up for the first part of next week."’
Donahoe got Bills’ faithful plenty excited
‘It wasn’t that he gave some fiery speech, but rather the way he made his case.’
Bills are short on answers
‘But through all the rampant optimism, there was a message of caution from owner Ralph Wilson. "We have a serious salary-cap problem," Wilson ventured. "I read where we had the fourth-highest total of signing bonuses handed out, $198.6 million (U.S.)."’
Butler brings Smith on board
‘"It’s a done deal, and I’m thrilled," Smith said last night from his home in Hamburg, N.Y. He grew up in Rhode Island and lived here when he was first married. "It’s been a wonderful 14 years in Buffalo, but it was time to move on."’
Jets Add Buffalo’s Cottrell to List
‘He’s popular in Buffalo, where many of the defensive players have lobbied on his behalf for the head-coaching vacancy. But that appears to be a longshot.’
Donahoe takes charge
‘"My job is to make it work," Donahoe, the Bills’ new president and general manager, said yesterday at his introductory news conference at Ralph Wilson Stadium. "People will know I’m here."’
Donna Who? Bills welcome GM
‘The good news for the Bills is that Donahoe, however you pronounce his name, doesn’t just talk a good game. He has a track record of delivering, having rebuilt the Pittsburgh Steelers into a Super Bowl contender.’
Donahoe and Flutie
‘Better start worrying Flutie fans. Those who thought that Tom Donahoe’s hiring as president and general manager of the Bills meant Flutie would return as Buffalo’s unequivocal starter, well, not necessarily.’
Former Bills coach interviews with Texans
‘Phillips, fired Monday by the Bills, will follow Bills defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, who interviewed with the Texans on Thursday.’
It’s O.k. to Cheat
This Bills Fan will be rooting for the Raiders this weekend.
Donahoe introduced today in press conference
Tom Donahoe said all the right things today. The reaction from the public is overwhelmingly positive after his 1st press conference. Donahoe touched on a number of subjects, including the search for a new coach, the salary cap, and the future of Eric Moulds. Here is one quote: "When you do as well as Buffalo does, you’re going to have salary cap problems. I don’t know how you get around it … We have to find a way to deal with the cap, to handle it, to make sure we don’t tear our team apart. We may have to make some tough decisions this year. I’m not going to stand up and say it’s going to be easy or be popular, but we cannot be over the cap. That is a rule in the National Football League, so we have to look at the avenues at our disposal to deal with the cap."