The Buffalo Sports Guy

Lynch to Meet With Goodell Today

2009-03-17T09:24:00.000-04:00

Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch is making the trip to New York City today to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding his recent run in with the law.

According to Clark Judge of CBSSports.com, “Lynch is likely to be suspended for one but no more than two regular-season games.”

This comes after Lynch pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge stemming from a Feb. 11 arrest in Culver City, Calif.

At the time of the arrest, Lynch was charged with possession of a concealed firearm. The felony gun charge later was reduced to three misdemeanors though (two of them were eventually dropped). Lynch was sentenced to three years of probation and 80 hours of community service (Lynch has a really good lawyer).

One game would be great for Marshawn and the Bills and would be a very small punishment. I thought Marshawn would be looking at four games at the least.

It all comes down to how much Goodell puts into his hit-and-run incident last year, and that marijuana was found in the vehicle that Lynch was pulled over in a couple months ago. The commish’s views on those two things will determine the severity of the suspension (whether Lynch is considered a repeat offender, or falls into the league’s substance abuse policy).

Goodell is known for his strict ruling though, which is why one game still doesn’t seem like an option to me.

More to come…

Agent Bus Cook in Buffalo, Possible Trade on the Way?

2009-03-16T20:36:00.003-04:00

Here is the latest from ProFootballTalk.com:

"Former Bills offensive lineman Ruben Brown disclosed during his WECK radio show on Monday that agent Bus Cook was in Buffalo.

Apparently, former Bills receiver Eric Moulds, who was represented by Cook during his playing career, mentioned to Brown that Cook was in town.

According to NFLPA records, Cook represents no players currently under contract with the Bills. Thus, speculations is centering on a possible trade of Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler or tight end Tony Scheffler, both of whom are Cook clients.

Our buddy Brad Riter of WECK thinks that Scheffler is the more likely trade target."

I would have to agree with Riter on this one (although I haven't listened to him since his days on WGR when he was a complete ass).

Scheffler stands at 6-foot-5 and 250 lbs. In comparison that is an inch and 10 lbs less than prospect Brandon Pettigrew, a player that many people around the league think the team is going after.

The difference between the two is that Scheffler has experience. He is a tall target who hauled in 40 catches, 645 yards and three touchdowns last season, his third year in the league.

It would be interesting to see Cutler leading the Bills next season though. I for one would be for it. No offense to Trent, but Cutler is much better.

Here's just a quick comment from PFT that I agree with 100%. It really makes you start to think.

Why would the agent come into town by himself if it was just for Tony Sheffler. That type of deal could get done over the phone. Something smells fishy here!!

More to come!

Could LB Angelo Crowell Return to Buffalo?

2009-03-16T09:37:00.003-04:00

Here is the latest from Tyler Dunne of BuffaloFootballReport.com:

" Angelo Crowell is visiting with Buffalo Monday to discuss a possible return, but look for him to head to Tampa Bay. According to NFL.com’s Steve Wyche, Crowell has already begun preliminary contract talks with the Buccaneers."

Bringing in Crowell is a big step though, seeing as the Bills and Crowell went through a rocky patch last season, when the Bills put the linebacker on IR after it was revealed that Crowell had a knee injury. He wasn't expected to miss the entire season though, only a few weeks of action.

Crowell isn't a star playmaker, but he is a guy who has been very reliable in his 6 seasons with Buffalo. He is a tackling machine, and would fill a whole the Bills need. I am all for Crowell returning to Buffalo.

It will be interesting to see if the Bills go hard after Crowell. If the Bills want a guy bad, they go after them hard in their visit and seeing that Crowell already has started discussions with the Bucs, it makes sense to me that the Bills would offer him a deal if they really want him back.

The deal on the table with the Bucs is believed to be for only one year.

More to come throughout the day. Stay tuned.

T.O. to Wear No. 81, What is the Big Deal?

2009-03-16T09:34:00.000-04:00

I knew that the Bills signing of Terrell Owens would bring national media attention to the Buffalo Bills but I didn’t realize in an effort to break a story, media members from all over the country (even you Jim Rome) will now have knee jerk reactions to anything with the star wide receiver’s name in it.

The latest news surrounding T.O. is about him “taking” the number 81 from fellow wide receiver James Hardy and that it is just the first of many problems to come in the future for the Bills.

I hate to break it to everyone out there but that is certainly not the case.

When Owens met with Bills management in his visit at One Bills Drive, a number 81 jersey with his name on it was hanging up in a locker. Of course T.O. was getting that number. Who in their right mind thought that T.O. was coming to Buffalo and picking up No. 84 or 88?

The Bills were looking at this deal to help them out on the field but also to bring money in too. Not having the future wide out wearing the number he is known for would not sell as many jerseys as they have now.

This is just a story that the media is taking way out of proportion and James Hardy’s comment during an interview on Sirius NFL Radio proves this.

“(Terrell Owens) is over a 10-year veteran and usually the organization, really they can just take the number from you and give it to him if they wanted to,” said Hardy. “But with the respect the general manager has for me, he came to me and I was willing to give him the number. He’s a Hall of Fame receiver and it was really an honor for me to give him the number.”

Just so everyone knows, Hardy has no connection to the No. 81 at all anyways, it is just a number that was available. My guess would be that he would like to put on No. 82, the number he wore in college, but that currently belongs to Josh Reed.

We can all thank the media for taking a story and blowing it way out of proportion.

A tip to the fans out there, make sure you research a topic about T.O. before you form an opinion on it. The national media certainly isn’t doing it for you.

Donte Whitner on His Newest Teammate and More

2009-03-07T21:18:00.006-05:00

Link filled post tonight!

ESPN had Bills safety Donte Whitner on Sportscenter today, and like most fans, he is excited that Terrell Owens is coming to the Buffalo Bills.

Here's the link: sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/clip?id=3960890">the link.

Here is Owens addressing the media at One Bills Drive today for the first time.

Here's the rest of it.

Chris Brown covers T.O. one-on-one which you can see here.

More Thoughts on T.O. Coming to Buffalo

2009-03-07T20:49:00.000-05:00

Buffalo was impatiently waiting. Fans, journalists and talk show hosts were waiting for the Bills to make a move in free agency to improve the hometown team.

The city wants head Coach Dick Jauron out, and is sick of missing the playoffs year in and year out. Three straight 7-9 seasons to go with a nine year playoff drought will do that to a football town.

I can not tell you right now if Buffalo will be able to make the post season this year, but what I can tell you is that the front office is trying and it looks like the Bills should start the slogan; “Playoffs or Bust” for this upcoming season.

What I can tell you though is that the team is much better today than they were yesterday. Signing play making wide receiver Terrell Owens will do that to you.

T.O. is coming to Buffalo after signing a one year deal this afternoon at Ralph Wilson Stadium that will pay him $6.5 million for this up-coming season ($0.5 million less than Laveranues Coles, another veteran wide receiver that the Bills were interested in).

It is a great move by the Bills both on and off the field.

They went out and got a NFL star (whether it is for good or bad reasons) that can still perform at a high level between the hash marks.

Nine out of the past eleven seasons, Owens has eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark (including 3 straight in which he was between the ages of 33-35). It is also the 3rd straight year that he has hauled in double digit touchdowns.

Even at 35 years old, the guy can still play.

With Owens being teamed up with Lee Evans, the Bills finally have the receiving threat they have been looking for since the days of Eric Moulds and Peerless Price.

Owens will take the pressure off of Evans, and help turn him into the deep threat that he really is. Add in slot man Josh Reed, who can always find a hole in a zone defense, and speedster Roscoe Parrish, the Bills have players that they can stretch the field with.

Having running backs Marshawn Lynch (after his suspension) and Fred Jackson to help out as well might even turn this offense into one of the best in the AFC. The running game will help take pressure off of the passing game and vice-versa.

Defenses will be scratching their heads every week.

It all comes down to young Trent Edwards, who is entering his third season as a NFL quarterback, the year that QB’s blossom. With all of these targets around him, it would be hard for Edwards not to succeed.

If the defense sends a blitz, Edwards will have two playmakers with man-to-man coverage who can go up and get the ball. If they drop back into a zone and focusing on Evans and Owens, Reed will be able to settle into zones and pick up first downs.

You can say what you want about his attitude and all of the drama that he might bring, but he is entering a city that won’t be following him, 24/7 like he experienced in his previous jobs.

Not to mention the fact that T.O. usually splits a locker room during his second season with a team and seeing as he is only signed for one year, I doubt he will do much damage to team chemistry.

Even limp wristed Wade Phillips kept him in check during his first season with the Cowboys and seeing as T.O. will be looking for the big contract at the end of this season, he has to perform on the field while also behaving. The interest wasn’t very high for him this off-season (with teams even making statements that they were not going to sign him) and there will be even less if Owens rips apart another team.

Marketing will sky rocket for the Bills too. With a team that is possibly expected to move in the near future, bringing in a NFL star like T.O. will sell tons of tickets and merchandise to generate revenue for the team. Plus, it gives a team that receives little to no national attention, a little bit of the limelight.

It is definitely a gamble on the part of the Bills, but it is one that is very low risk. They pick up one of the best wide outs in the game for the right price, while also limiting any damages to the team by T.O. with any of the problems he might bring.

Income, talent and wins are what all organizations are looking for. The Bills took the right direction with the signing today.

They also did something important too, showing the fans and the city that they are committed to winning, something they have not done for a long time.

While it might not bring a championship ring or even a playoff berth, it will make football in Buffalo interesting to say the least.

Get your popcorn ready!

T.O. Signs with Bills!

2009-03-07T18:24:00.003-05:00

It's official, the Buffalo Bills are feeling the heat from fans and are going to try to do whatever it takes to make the playoffs this season, and it starts with the signing of WR Terrell Owens.

The 1 year deal is expected to make Owens $6.5 million this season ($0.5 million less than it would've took to sign Coles).

I'll be honest, I am pumped for the deal. For the price and for the one year deal it will limit the impact that T.O. has on the locker room (it takes T.O. to rip apart a team). Plus it gives the Bills two wide receivers that are true number one threats.

Say what you want about his attitude, but the guy is a playmaker. Can't wait to watch him in a Bills uni this season.

It is certainly a gamble, but seeing as that it is only for one season and T.O. will be looking for the money next season, he has to perform and behave if he wants another big deal. Is it a risk? Yes but for all the Tim Connolly haters, I would have to say that the T.O. risk is actually smaller than Connolly's.

More to come.

Buffalo Bills Interested in Terrell Owens?

2009-03-07T12:14:00.002-05:00

Have the Bills lost their minds, or do they realize how important it is to make the playoffs this season?

Either way, the Bills are looking at a ton of free agents to fill holes in their teams, and the latest is Terrell Owens.

From ProFootballTalk.com:
"Per Capaccio, coach Dick Jauron initiated the process, lobbying the front office to consider Owens."

First off, I doubt that this would happen. For starters, T.O. wants to go to a team with a good QB who will get him the ball. That puts the Bills out unless they sign him to a huge contract, something that they are no going to do. They are not going to throw millions of dollars to make a 35 year old wide receiver the highest paid player on the team.

As for by some miracle they do pull it off, half of me is excited at the possibility but the other side would be extremely upset.

Why would I be excited? Well the guy can still play. He is a big presence at 6-foot-3, 218 pound. Even with his starting quarterback out for a stretch last year, T.O. still had over 1,000 yards and 10 TDs.

That makes it 9 out of the past 11 seasons that TO has eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark (including 3 straight in which he was between the ages of 33-35). It is also the 3rd straight year that he has hauled in double digit touchdowns.

He is of course, locker room cancer though.

Talent wise, it would be a great pick up but the Bills are filled with young players and I don't know if it is a good idea to bring in T.O. as a guy they would look up to.

Boy, T.O. could certainly take the pressure off of Lee Evans and as a marketing strategy, a T.O. signing would bring in season tickets and merchandise sales through the roof.

It will certainly be interesting to see what happens, stay tuned.

Bucky Gleason and the Tim Connolly Situation

2009-03-06T17:52:00.001-05:00

One of these days I would like to become a sports journalist one day, like some of the other bloggers out there.

At least I have a few columnists that I read that show me how not to write (thank you Buffalo News).

The most recent is Bucky Gleason, and how he handled the whole Tim Connolly situation (along with some of his points on the trade deadline).

His first Tim Connolly editorial came out and praised the center for being a game changer and that he needs to remain on the team. A few days latter, he flip flops and says that the Sabres should be open to trade the center. Then he goes bananas about Connolly being signed to a long term deal.

Here are just some of the quotes from his articles that have just really rubbed me the wrong way.

Talking about the Sabres goal at the trade deadline: “The objective going into the deadline was to push the Sabres closer to the postseason this year while improving their long-term future.”

Funny because with Connolly being as young as he is (only 27) the Connolly signing actually does both, keeping them in the race for the playoffs this season while also giving them two more years of a highly gifted athlete.

“Nobody would deny Connolly’s talent, but Roy is a better center and will make $1.5 million less in the next two years.”

I will say that Gleason is good at making his arguments just by the way he words things. What he doesn’t mention though is that Connolly is the forth best player on the team (behind Roy, Thomas Vanek and Ryan Miller) and will make $0.5 million less than Jason Pominville.

As much as Pommers is loved in Buffalo, Connolly is better overall. Tim plays both play the power play and penalty kill too, just like Pominville. I’m not saying chose between the two of course (because Pominville rarely misses a game) but you have to take the contract into context. Connoly is the 4th best player on the team. Vanek, Roy and Miller all have pretty sizeable contracts seeing as they are the stars. Connolly will be joining them.

“Heck, you wondered Wednesday if Connolly would blow out an eardrum while answering the call from his agent.”

This isn’t really a Gleason only thing, but come on now. I get it, Connolly gets hurt a lot. Can we stop trying to make creative jokes of it.

“No team would pay that much over five years for a soft finesse player who lacked leadership if it knew he would miss a third of the games or more.”

Wow, kind of harsh for a player which Gleason had this to say a few days before:

“The only thing we know now is what the Sabres always knew, that Connolly is one of the most gifted players in the world when his body and mind are right. He makes the impossible look effortless, converts plays that most only conjure up in fantasy.”

“He’s a rare talent, one not exactly floating around for pennies on the open market.”

He goes from one of the most gifted players in the world to soft. Although I will cut Gleason some slack, I’m pretty sure you have to use the word soft in any article written about the Sabres in the Buffalo News.

I personally don’t see Connolly as that soft of a player though. Does he hit? No but he doesn’t shy away from contact either. With a guy with his injury history, you would think that he would be scared to get touched, but he isn’t. He goes into the boards and has taken some hits since he return from injury. He isn’t gritty by any means and is a player based around skill but he is certainly not soft.

Also I’m pretty sure Darcy doesn’t have a crystal ball he can look into it to see who is and who isn’t going to be injured. I’m pretty sure Bucky was a guy who wanted the Sabres to go out and give Daniel Briere but he has missed a good amount of time due to injury too. Funny how he doesn’t bring that up at all. But that would show him that you can’t tell when the injury bug will strike. Connolly might go down tonight or he might play injury free for the rest of his career.

” Buffalo is still stuck with Maxim Afinogenov after failing to find a taker.”

I’m sorry but someone who covers hockey should know that no one in the entire NHL was going to give the Sabres anything for Afinogenov. Sure people might have liked a late round pick but let’s be honest the NHL draft is a crapshoot that late. Why not keep him around and see if he can give the team a spark to help them stay in the playoff race?

Like most Buffalo sports bloggers, I am feed up reading constant knee-jerk reactions in the local paper. It’s not like I have another choice though. I love Buffalo sports and the USA Today or NY Times is certainly not going to spend any time on Buffalo teams. I would say that 95% of the editorials are negative too. I get it the Bills suck, Dick Jauron is terrible and both teams have bad managements. Saying it everyday in a different way is not a good read.

While we are on the subject too, writers don’t know more than the normal sports fan sometimes. It seems like writers and radio hosts here think they know everything and that everyone else is a idiot. While I will say that some people are indeed morons, they don’t need to be screamed at or made feel stupid. There are ways to get a point across without yelling. Just because you write, doesn’t mean you’re right.

I just can’t stand listening to some people in the area, just going on and on about people. I hate to break it to them but the writers and listeners are the people who put you were you are today. Without them, you would be, well, writing a blog no one reads.

Hey at least I don't flip flop.

I'm open to suggestions too. Love an article? Hate it? Think I am an idiot? Respond in a comment below or send over an e-mail to buffbillsfan517@yahoo.com.

Lynch Pleads Guilty, Will Serve No Jail Time

2009-03-05T14:05:00.001-05:00

Whoever has been Marshawn Lynch’s attorney will be getting calls from many more clients very soon (as long as they can afford it of course).

For the second year in a row, Lynch has escaped any real punishment from the law, from last years hit and run (resulted in a traffic ticket and suspended license) and now the gun charge from this off-season.

ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio received a statement from Lynch through an e-mail:

“Today I pled guilty to a misdemeanor violation of having a firearm in a vehicle,” Lynch said in a statement e-mailed to PFT. “I am embarrassed by my recent arrest and conviction. I deeply regret that I placed myself in this situation.

“I have made mistakes in the past. Although I have learned many lessons over recent years, I obviously have not learned enough.

“I apologize to my family, the Buffalo Bills organization, my teammates, the Buffalo community, and Commissioner Goodell. I have already learned from this recent mistake and am sincerely committed to being a more responsible citizen and better representative of the NFL.”

There is still no word about any discipline action from the NFL, but it will be coming. I expect a 4-game suspension but in the same article, Florio thinks that he “wouldn’t be surprised by a four-game suspension, reduced on appeal to two.”

Lynch has to turn it around now though, seeing as one more slip up could result in him being kicked out of the league for a whole season. He already has two strikes against him now.

The Bills might be waiting for word from the league, seeing that if Lynch does not get suspended maybe they won’t go after another running back (although the Bills are probably thinking like me, that he will get at least a few games for his actions).

Lynch will receive no jail time.

Ales Kotalik Traded for 2nd Rounder

2009-03-04T16:22:00.004-05:00

The Buffalo Sabres have traded away the king of the shootout.

Ales Kotalik will now be suiting up for the Edmonton Oilers as the Sabres trade him away for a 2nd round draft pick.

The winger had 13 goals and 19 assists for a total of 32 points.

The 6' 1", 227 lbs. right winger has a game changing shot and is amazing in the shootout however he didn't play up to his size and avoided contact a good amount of the time.

One Western Conference executive summed it up nicely, stating that “He leaves you longing for more.” He’s great in shootouts. Unfortunately, most teams know it’s the only time he’s within 5 feet of the net."

Coles to Cincinnati More Than Close, It's Official

2009-03-04T16:04:00.003-05:00

Free agent wide receiver Laveranues Coles has signed with a team for the up-coming season. That team is not the Buffalo Bills.

According to Adam Schefter of NFL.com, the Bengals signed the wideout to a four-year, $28 million contract.

No real surprise here. He didn't want to play for Buffalo.

On the plus note, this will be the last Coles article you will have to see from me.

Sabres Trade Picks for Forward Dominic Moore and Goalie Mikael Tellqvist

2009-03-04T15:25:00.003-05:00

The Buffalo Sabres were active on deadline day, trading for a forward, goalie and resigning one of their own.

First off, how could I not start with Tim Connolly.

The center signed a 2 year deal for $9 million ($4.5 million per season) and it has completly split the Sabres fan base.

Lets be honest here, no matter what Darcy did with Connolly, somebody would have been pissed.

Say he is traded. Well then their are outcries that the Sabres are giving up on the season.

Say he stays but isn't resigned at the end of the year. People will be pissed that he is gone or when he has a good season with little to no injuries people would be complaining that they should've kept him.

Re-signing Connolly is a great decision, as long as he remains healthy. Sure you can say he is a wimp or all ways gets hurt, but if Connolly stays healthy for most of the next two years, fans will be loving the new deal. Connolly is most likely the third best forward on the team, and keeping him was the right choice.

As for the money, it was expected. He is a high skilled guy who is a difference maker in the lineup. Even if he only plays 60-70 games a year over the next two seasons, it will still make the Sabres a better team on the ice.

Hey, playing games might be overrated, seeing as Jason Pomminville has played in every game this season and has been a disaster. His $5 million next season is also more than Connolly is going to make and when Connolly is on the ice he is better than Pomminville, no doubt about it.

Lets just pray he stays in the lineup.

I am left scrathing my head over the pick up of Mikael Tellqvist though.

The Sabres didn't need a goalie, unless they are just not comfortable with an unproven 20 year old backing up Lalime or if Miller is out for almost the entire season.

Lalime has been playing outstanding since Miller went down, and the team in front of him hasn't done anything to help him out at all.

Tellqvist is a respectable 7-5-1 with a .907 S% and 2.86 GAA.

His contract is up after the end of this season thoguh.

He is expected to fill the backup role, the same spot he was in with Phoenix this season.

He will give the Sabres fans and players a little more confidience with him between the pipes as the backup over young Enroth. With roster space being unlimited now (as long as the team is under the cap) it will be interesting to see if Enroth goes back to Portland or remains to pratice to with pro squad.

The move to get Dominic Moore from the Maple Leafs was a good one as it brings grit with a scoring ability to the lineup.

The 28-year-old center has 41 points in 63 games this season (12 goals, 29 assists).

Just like Tellqvist though, he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season and some reports I saw say that he wants more than $3.5 million per season. That will be hard to do for Buffalo with Connolly's new deal and goalie Ryan Miller's extension kicking in for next season. Moore might just be a rental player to provide some grit to help the Sabres make the playoffs.

(I'm sorry but I had to include this video of Moore because it is one of the cooler things I have seen in sports in a while):

Coles to Cincy Close

2009-03-04T15:16:00.005-05:00

Well so much for that rumor we saw earlier in the day, it looks like wide out Laveranues Coles is close to signing with a team, but it isn't the Buffalo Bills.

It is being reported by Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com that the free agent wide receiver is close to signing a deal with the team. Here's the latest:

"As the Bengals offense begins a massive transformation that head coach Marvin Lewis hopes continues with the signing of veteran wide receiver Laveranues Coles, running back Cedric Benson officially began his reincarnation as one of the team leaders.

All signs were pointing to a deal with Coles getting closer and closer, a move that would bring quarterback Carson Palmer two receivers with more than 600 career catches"

Doesn't look good for Buffalo now in terms of signing Coles with free agents visiting like crazy now (including RB DeShaun Foster today). It seems to me that the Bills are moving on.

I don't want speculate too much, but it seems to me that the offer made to Coles is off the table no and the Bills are moving on.

Tim Connolly Re-Signs (Two Year Deal)

2009-03-04T11:35:00.000-05:00

Per TSN.ca:

"Tim Connolly is officially off the market as the Buffalo Sabres have re-signed the oft-injured centre to a new two-year contract extension worth $4.5 million per season.

The 27-year old began his career with the New York Islanders before being traded to the Sabres for Michael Peca in the summer of 2001. He has been productive while healthy, but he has suffered through a series of concussion related issues. Connolly missed the majority of two full seasons (2003-04, 2006-07) with serious head injuries, and this season, he has played in only 29 games while dealing with back and rib ailments.

He has 11 goals and 15 assists this season for the Sabres.

The Syracuse, New York native is earning $3.5 million this season and was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Connolly was selected in the first round, 8th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1999 NHL Entry draft."

If he stays healthy, he is certainly worth the money. It seems with Connolly that the IFis pretty big though.

More to come.

WR Laveranues Coles Signed with the Buffalo Bills?

2009-03-04T10:26:00.002-05:00

Who cares about the NHL trade deadline and the Buffalo Sabres right now?

“BillsInsider.com has received a tip from a reliable source that Coles to the Bills is a done deal.”

This is the latest internet rumor to be floating around the web. The rumored deal was for 3 years and $18 million (average of $6 million per season, right in the range Coles was looking for.

As much as Bills fans would love to believe it, it is just a rumor, so you have to take it for what it is.

Brian Galliford of BuffaloRumblings.com had this to say on the matter:

“We'll let you formulate your own opinions on the validity of the rumor, but as much as we love the folks at Bills Insider, we're going to take the route of the skeptic on this one. As we mentioned last night, the fact that the Bills have signed CB Drayton Florence and are meeting with four more free agents in the coming days is indicative, to us at least, that the team has moved on from the Coles portion of their free agency plans. At a minimum, it means that the deadline on Buffalo's offer to Coles is rapidly approaching (if not passed). As one faithful reader pointed out to us off-blog, the team has not yet done anything financially to prevent the team from agreeing to a deal with Coles.

So we're taking the "wait and see" approach. One thing is clear - no free agent currently available would have a bigger impact on the field in 2009 than Coles would. Keep your fingers crossed, but understand that a rumor is a rumor.”

I have to agree with Brain on this one. As much as I would love to believe that it is true, you have to take a wait and see approach with it. Brain hit it right on the head, there is no free agent signing that would have such an impact that Coles would have.

I have sent over an e-mail to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, and if there is anyone that can get to the bottom of it, it is him. The only thing to do is wait and see what happens. Keep checking sites like ProFootballTalk.com, Rotoworld.com, etc. for any breaking news.

If I find anything, I will post it right here on buffsportsguy.blogspot.com.

Stay tuned.

In-Depth Look at Newest Bill, Corner Drayton Florence

2009-03-04T10:06:00.001-05:00

In case you missed the news yesterday, corner back Drayton Florence, who was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars this off-season, signed a two year, $6.6 million contract with the Buffalo Bills (another $700,000 is available through incentives).

The deal ultimately means that the Bills will not be resigning Jabari Greer who is expected to sign a big deal with another team after two good years in Buffalo.

Florence ended his brief time with Jacksonville as an overpaid corner. He signed a six year, $36 million deal (with about $12 million guaranteed) last offseason, and then went on to lose his job in Jacksonville.

The former second round pick does have talent though, as he was a three year starter for the San Diego Chargers before he moved on to Jacksonville. He made more than 120 tackles and had five interceptions combined in the 2006 and 2007 seasons. He also picked-off two more passes in the 2007 playoffs.

The signing of Florence gives the Bills depth at corner, becoming the fifth corner on the roster to go with Terrence McGee, Leodis McKelvin, Ashton Youboty and Reggie Corner.

Florence gives the Bills another corner to play the nickel role, where he is best suited for. He did not excel well in Jacksonville’s zone defensive scheme (getting burned deep and losing his starting job) so a move to the outside is something that the Bills do not want, seeing as they play the Cover 2. He will be protected in the slot role though, with McKelvin and McGee on the outside.

The signing shows that the Bills are looking for solid players to address their needs, but that they won’t overpay for them.

Florence is a player who has the skills. Bills fans are hoping that he returns to top form to help cover some of the top slot wide outs in the game, like Wes Welker and Lance Moore, who the Bills play this season.

Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News also thinks that the signing could help out free safety Donte Whitner:

“But if Florence works out, he also could give the Bills the option of playing a true four-cornerback dime defense, with he and Youboty on the inside and Terrence McGee and Leodis McKelvin on the outisde. That would allow Whitner to play deep and, maybe, make more plays. Whitner often last year got pulled into underneath coverage because of his versatility in covering tight ends or slot men man to man or in underneath zones. It would be good to see him play more centerfield and perhaps see if he can make more plays on the ball.”

In review, it is defiantly a good pick up by the Bills.

Bills Sign CB Drayton Florence, Linebackers to Visit Tonight and Weds

2009-03-03T20:36:00.004-05:00

According to ProFootballTalk.com the Buffalo Bills agreed to terms with free agent cornerback Drayton Florence, striking a two-year deal worth $6.6 million that can grow to as much as $7.3 million with incentives.

Florence was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars following last season, after he played in 15 games (8 starts) and recorded 36 tackles with three passes defended. Florence has 10 career interceptions and 41 passes defended to go with 273 tackles in his six year career.

The signing pretty much says that Jabari Greer will not be returning to Buffalo (unless they resign Greer and let current No. 1 Terrence McGee leave after next season).

Quick rundown of the Linebackers to visit One Bills Drive in the near future (from ProFootballTalk.com):

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Cato June, a recent salary-cap casualty, is visiting the Buffalo Bills tonight and Wednesday. For his career, the 6-foot, 227-pounder has registered 498 career tackles and a dozen interceptions.
A league source tells us that Chiefs free-agent linebacker Pat Thomas will travel to bucolic Buffalo on Tuesday. Thomas, a five-year veteran who spent the last two years in Kansas City, appeared in twelve games and started nine in 2008.

More to come on the newest Bills signing to go along with any more news on the Bills tomorrow. Stay tuned for any updates.

COLES UPDAE: Coles Leaves Cincinnati without a Deal, Jones to Visit Bills

2009-03-03T17:53:00.005-05:00

The Laveranues Coles saga will continue, at least for a little while longer.

The veteran wide receiver left Cincinnati today without signing a deal with the Bengals.

Along with the Bengals, the Buffalo Bills are the only team that is known to have expressed interested in Coles services for this season.

It was reported that the Bills wouldn't leave their contract offer on the table for very long, and with the Bills the only taker offering him money in the $6 million range, the ball in now in his court.

I have been saying for the last few days that I don't believe Coles wants to play ball in Buffalo, or at least wants a huge contract like T.J. Houshmandzadeh received yesterday. The fact of the matter is though that T.J. is a much better WR than Coles, so it is expected he will recieve less money.

Hopefully, I am proved wrong though. We should have an answer within the next day or two if Coles wants to come to Buffalo. If he still doesn't respond back by then, I expect the Bills to pull their offer off the table and move on.

The real question is, what the hell was Coles thinking when he left the Jets this off-season? The free agent market hasn't been kind to him so far, and if Buffalo pulls their offer, I expect Coles to be waiting for a contract offer for quite some time.

In other Bills news, it is being reported by Profootballtalk.com that running back Kevin Jones will be visiting One Bills Drive.

The former first round pick is expected to be brought in as an issurance policy in case Marshawn Lynch gets disipline action from the NFL (he should), just like Fred Taylor was.

Jones rushed for 109 yards on 34 carries last season as a Chicago Bear.

The skill is there, but injury problems have de-railed Jone's career. Maybe he can get back on track with Buffalo in a reduced role.

More to come on Coles and the Bills. Stay tuned to buffsportsguy.blogspot.com for all the updates.

Fan Question: Do you think Coles will eventually sign with the Bills? If not then who? Get your opintions heard by commenting on this article or sending over an e-mail to buffbillsfan517@yahoo.com . Comments/Questions/Emails will be discussed in a future article.

Houshmandzadeh to Seahawks, Coles to Visit Bengals

2009-03-02T18:13:00.005-05:00

Reports are popping up all over the internet that free agent wide reciever T.J. Houshmandzadeh is back in Seattle, his second time being there since free agency began.

Housh already visited Seattle once so him returning again makes it seem like the Seahawks are the winners in the T.J. sweepstakes.

UPDATE: Seahawks signed WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh to a five-year, $40 million contract. The deal includes $15 million in guarantees.

This spells bad news for Buffalo though.

I have been very optimistic over the last few days about the Bills chances to land the former New York Jet however, with TJ heading to Seattle, the losers are going to come hard after Coles to fill there wide receiver holes.

Like I have stated many times recently, I do not believe Coles wants to be in Buffalo. Now with teams with huge cap room like Minnesota and Cincinnati looking for a WR, it looks like another team will jump in on Coles and the Bills are not going to get in a bidding war for the wide outs services. It was reported that teams like the Bengals and Vikings were offering $2 million less than the Seahawks for TJ, and that $6 million falls right into the range that Coles is looking for.

The only way Coles joins the Bills this season is if he visits the other teams that have shown interest in him and he gets far below what he has determined to be his value.

Other than that I expect that Coles will be playing in a uniform that isn't blue and red in the up coming season.

There is still a small chance, but as the hours pass by, I think Coles is landing someplace other than Buffalo.

UPDATE: Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports that "A league source said that the Bengals have reached out to Coles but they couldn't get him into Cincinnati Monday because of the bad weather back East but he's expected Tuesday."

The Bills might already be out of the race. I wouldn't be surprised if he signed with the Bengals tomorrow unless he is really weighing his options. Cincinnati now has the need at WR and the cap room to give Coles the $6 million he wants.

Stay tuned.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh to Choose a Team Today (What it Means for Bills and Coles)

2009-03-02T14:25:00.003-05:00

Here's the latest from Rotoworld.com:

"An NFL front office executive tells the St. Paul Pioneer Press that the Bengals have "jumped ahead" of Minnesota in the bidding for T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Meanwhile, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that Houshmandzadeh is still expected to pick a team by Monday."

The Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Viking and the Bengals are in a bidding war right now with T.J.

I highly expect the player I have been covering all weekend, Laveranues Coles, will make a decision after TJ is signed as he sets the market for over 30 wide outs.

The teams that do not land T.J. will be looking to fill their needs at wide receiver. I am wondering if they will turn to a guy like Coles to fill that hole.

As for the Seahawks, I highly doubt they even consider Coles. He is looking for around $6 million in his new deal and seeing as the Seahawks have the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, why pay for a guy like Coles in his 30’s when you will have to open up the checkbook for a guy like Michael Crabtree who is in his early 20’s (and has much higher upside). Seattle already has enough 30 year old, No. two wide receivers, they don’t need anymore.

Minnesota could take a run at Coles easily; they certainly have the money to do it. They are an estimated $32 million under the salary cap (not taking into account any free agents they have already signed) right now and have room to make moves. Coles to the Vikings is a good possibility.

The Bengals too have plenty of cap room to give Coles the money he wants, with an estimated $28 million under the cap (again, before any free agents were signed). They would like to have a wide receiver to complement Chad Johnson and give another target for Carson Palmer.

In my eyes, it will turn into a three team race with Buffalo, Minnesota and Cincinnati. Buffalo’s offer is already out there and seeing as Coles hasn’t signed it yet, I have a strong feeling he doesn’t have any interest in coming to Buffalo (although I would love to be proved wrong). Buffalo is expected to pull their offer soon, if Coles doesn’t sign in the next couple days. The Bills will certainly not get in a bidding war with other teams.

I highly doubt that Coles will be coming to Buffalo anymore. I will wait out today though for any breaking news on the Bills and Coles.

Stay tuned.

Coles Update, If Coles Signs is Roscoe Parrish Gone?

2009-03-02T10:30:00.002-05:00

Pat Moran of Scout.com has the latest on the possible Bills signing of Laveranues Coles:

“The Buffalo Bills are attempting to bolster their sagging passing game by signing Laveranues Coles. Buffalo along with Miami were destinations Coles was supposed decide on, but reports out of Miami indicate the Dolphins are no longer interested.

However, Cincinnati, anticipating losing T.J. Houshmandzadeh, is emerging as a player for Coles’ services. A report from nfldraftbible.com states the Bengals are now interested.

The Bills have formally made Coles an offer. The terms are not yet know. Coles is expected to make his decision by Monday.”

The Bengals are offering T.J. in the $6-7 million range, and certainly have the money to go after Coles if they can not bring back Houshmanzadeh. Coles is looking for a contract in the $6 million range as well and if T.J. signs with another club, the Bengals might go after Coles to complement Chad Johnson and give Carson Palmer another target.

I have a feeling that Coles is waiting for Houshmanzadeh to sign before he makes a decision. The Bills offered him the money he wanted, however he still remains unsigned.

My guess is that Coles doesn’t want to come to Buffalo very much, unless they are the only team that is offering him the money he wants. With no interest in him and the Bills offering him the money he wants, why else would he not sign already? We will have to wait for Housh to sign before we here anything else on Coles.

If the Bills do end up signing Coles, Moran speculates that a Bills wide receiver might be on the move.

“Parrish could become a prime candidate to get traded, due to his added value as a punt returner. He’s due to count about $2.7 million against the cap in 2009, a number the team may find too high for a fourth or fifth receiver.”

I actually would not mind Parrish being moved. Honestly, the only reason he is on the team is for return abilities. We have been hearing for years how the Bills want to get him more involved with the offense and yet he has not eclipsed 35 receptions in one season in his entire career.

His numbers can be replaced by another player on the roster (Parrish has averaged only 24 receptions, for 263 yards and has a career total of five touchdowns in four seasons). I would personally like to see Steven Johnson get a bigger role in the offense, leapfrogging over James Hardy and Parrish in the depth chart.

The Bills have players they can put back there to return too, so there shouldn’t be too big of a drop-off in terms of return yardage on punts. Bills corner Leodis McKelvin could pick up the punt return duties. He had seven touchdown returns on punts in college as he is starting to turn into the Bills special team ace. Fred Jackson could also move back to catching punts, something he has done sparely during his time with the Bills. He did average 16.6 yards a return and had a long of 35 yards. He can certainly step in too.

With Coles signed and a deal with left tackle Jason Peters in the near future, the Bills salary figure is going to rise considerably. With the Bills interested in resigning corner Jabari Greer too, trading Parrish and his $2.7 million cap hit only makes sense.

More to come throughout the day on Coles and everything Bills at buffsportsguy.blogspot.com.

Dolphins Tell Coles "Not Interested"

2009-03-01T22:31:00.002-05:00

This story just keeps getting more and more interesting as the days go on.

The latest comes from Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald:

"...Well, ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting the Dolphins have no interest in Coles at $6 million. Or at $5 million. Or at $3 million. Or at $1.85 and a box of popcorn. Citing a team source, Mortensen is reporting the Dolphins called Coles' agent -- a call that no doubt excited the agent when he first saw the number on his caller ID -- only to say they weren't interested..."

As Salguero put it, "Not only did the Dolphins not call as is usually the case; they actually called to say they had no interest. It's like a girl calling you before the prom and telling you she doesn't want to go with you even before you ask her."

It was also speculated that maybe this is a way to drive the asking price down before the Dolphins suddenly get interested again. That will mostly depend on what happens with T.J. though and what his new contract looks like (he should decide on a team tomorrow after he "sleeps on it").

This news comes after an earlier update by Dave Hutchinson of the Star-Ledger (I'll just make it easy and just include the parts about Coles):

"On another front, I talked to the Laveranues Coles camp Sunday and the Bills want him badly. They want to team him with the speedy Lee Evans. Coles would be the intermediate receiver while Evans would be the deep threat. Makes sense.

Coles isn't in a hurry to make a decision, however, and will see what else develops. Surprisingly, I was told that the Dolphins and Browns are not in the running, as many have speculated. Both teams are pretty much set at receiver."

So with very little interest, what team exactly will land Coles? With everything that I have heard today, Buffalo is the front runner. More to come on Coles tomorrow.

Coles to Buffalo Close?

2009-03-01T19:03:00.001-05:00

I have been reporting all day about the possible Buffalo Bills signing of wide reciever Laveranues Coles and more and more news has come out throughout the day on the free agent.

Here is the latest from PhinPhanatic.com:

"The Phins are not likely to pursue Laveranues Coles and it appears likely that he will sign with Buffalo. He wants around 5 to 6 million a year and the Phins won’t and shouldn’t pay that."

It has been reported by multiple sources that the Bills have offered more money to the Coles than the Dolphins did.

I am guessing that the deal has not be done yet with Buffalo because Coles is unsure of coming to play for the Bills, and honestly, I wouldn't blame him.

It was reported earlier today that the Dolphins and Bills were the top two teams for the wide out's services. My guess is that Coles is trying to get more money from Miami to be reunited with former quaterback Chad Pennington and the chance to go to the AFC East winners.

Oviously, the 'Phins are not bitting.

I am starting to wonder if the Bills were even considered by Coles as a legit team to go to. Maybe he was just trying to get a high offer so he could see if he could get the Dolphins to match it so he could go join a winning team with one of his friends at QB while also getting his money.

With Miami not letting in, Coles to Buffalo might be realistic now.

Teams are not really looking into free agency for wide outs, especially ones that are in their 30's (like Coles and former Bengals WR TJ Houshmandzadeh). With Buffalo reported to be offering the money, Coles might now choose to go to a Bills team, a place where he won't be expected to put up huge numbers, just take a little pressure off of Lee Evans.

I was doubtful in the beginning but over the last few days, Coles to the Bills looks like a possibilty that might actually happen.

With teams around the AFC East upgrading their rosters, a Bills signing involving Coles would help them keep up with the other teams. Not to even mention the fact that is also feels a pretty big hole in the Bills roster.

Coles a Better Fit in Buffalo than Miami?

2009-03-01T17:16:00.000-05:00

I'm kind of busy right now so I won't give my two cents on things yet (I will in a little bit, as more news is expected to break on this) but I know all Bills fans would like to take a look at the article on http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/thedailydolphin/ by Brian Biggane.

Here are some quotes from the article about the Bills and free agent wide out Laveranues Coles:

"...As much as Chad Pennington would love to have former Jets teammate Laveranues Coles in Miami, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.

According to an NFL source, the Dolphins don’t perceive Coles as the No. 1 receiver they’ve been seeking and aren’t likely to pursue him in free agency..."

"...Buffalo seems to be a better fit for Coles, where he would complement a true No. 1 guy in Lee Evans. Coles visited Buffalo Friday but there has been no more talk of visits since then. Calls to his agent, Roosevelt Barnes, on Sunday went to voice mail and were not returned..."

"...Miami already has a No. 2 receiver in Ted Ginn Jr., not to mention a couple of quality complementary guys in Greg Camarillo and Devone Bess.

Money is almost undoubtedly an issue. Coles gave up the final year of his contract with the Jets, amounting to $6 million, to become a free agent, and there’s no doubt he’d like to recoup a large percentage of that amount with his next team..."

The Bills have the cap room and need another big target on offense. Coles is certainly that guy. Just sign him already!

Coles to Choose Between Dolphins and Bills Today

2009-03-01T09:37:00.001-05:00

Here's the latest from ProFootballTalk.com:

"...Per Cimini, Coles is ready to make a decision and will choose between the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins as soon as today. He places the “smart money” on the Dolphins landing the former Jets starter who played collegiately at Florida State.

Coles caught 70 passes for 850 yards and seven touchdowns last season for the Jets. For his career, Coles has caught 631 career passes for 8,095 yards and 44 touchdowns..."

I am praying that Coles choses Buffalo but seeing how Coles played college ball at Florida State and he can be reunited with former quaterback Chad Pennington (remember how pissed Coles was when he close friend was traded?).

He would be a great addition, and give the Bills a No. 2 wide out that they have been looking for. If Coles is signed, then Josh Reed can move to his rightful place in the slot and it would give Edwards a good group of wide outs to throw too. The Bills would also have very good depth at the position too (Lee Evans, Coles, Reed, Roscoe Parrish, James Hardy and Steven Johnson). It would certainly let the Bills spread the field a lot more and would give them a guy that can actually get some seperation from the defense and take the pressure off of Lee Evans, and turn him into the deep threat he really is.

All we can hope for is that the Bills offered some good money and Coles would rather play in the cold than the warm Florida weather (Yeah right).

Stay tuned for more information on Coles throughout the Day. Also be sure to check the Twitter bar on the side of the page to get any quick updates on the Bills throughout Free Agency.

Bills Sign G/C Geoff Hangartner

2009-02-28T17:05:00.000-05:00

The Buffalo Bills have made it two signings in two days as they announce the acquisition of guard/center Geoff Hangartner.

Hangartner played in all 16 games last season (eight starts) for the Carolina Panathers. He made appearances at both guard and center for the number three rushing attack in the NFL (152.3 rushing yards per game).

Hangartner also brings some experience with him to the Bills line, playing in 54 games (27 starts) during his first four NFL season.

WalterFootball.com has him ranked as the fifth best center availble, ahead of both Duke Preston and Melvin Fowler.

The only bad thing about the signing is the Bills might have one of the biggest lines in the league still, seeing as Hangartner is listed at 6'-5" and 301 lbs. It might not be bad on the field of course, it is bad for the fans who have to listen to the TV announcers say the Bills have the biggest offensive line in the league every single game.

On a more serious note, Hangartner brings good size and experience. He is known as a very smart player, who uses his body and hand posistions to stop defenders. Using more posistioning than power, he should excell in the Bills zone blocking scheme.

The possibility to play either center (where he is penciled in right now to play) or guard will give the Bills some leeway for the rest of free agency and the draft in terms of their plans for the offensive line.

Hangartner has some pretty bigs challenges in front of him though, taking on the 3-4 defenses of the AFC East. He seemed up for the challenge though; “We’ve got some great noseguards in this division, but it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to. I like playing against Pro Bowlers and I know Kris [Jenkins of the New York Jets] having been a teammate of his for three years in Carolina. He’s a heck of a player and I know the other guys are too. It’ll be a fun challenge.”

It was a good pick up for the Bills in my opintion. This is just pure speculation, but I have a feeling that the deal is pretty small compared to what other free agent centers have gotten from their new teams. Harngartner is still young, and from what I have been able to dig up on him, a very smart and fundmentally sound player.

It might have been slow Bills fans, but the front office is going after their needs, one piece at a time.

Keep it locked to buffsportsguy.blogspot.com for more Bills free agency news.
E-mail: buffbillsfan517@yahoo.com

Bills Off-season Checklist
Back Up Quarterback: CHECK
Center: CHECK
Guard:
DE:
Tight End;
Wide Receiver:
Linebacker:
Running Back?:

Settle Down Bills Fans, The Bills Didn't Drop the Ball with Dockery

2009-02-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

Can we just think about this logically for a second please before we just go off and bash the Bills completely?

The Washington Post and ESPN have both come out with reports of a failed trade between the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions that included now Redskins guard Derrick Dockery.

What was the reason for the failed trade?

Paperwork that wasn't filled.

Here is the report from ESPN's John Clayton, who broke the news:

"Dockery flew to Detroit Friday for a visit and a physical. The Bills didn't get the paperwork in on a trade, so he was officially released Friday. That's when things heated up.

The Redskins called and tried to bring him back. The Lions offered him a richer contract to stay, but Dockery decided he couldn't pass up the chance to return to the Redskins."

I have a feeling there is much more to the story and that the Lions might have almost pulled one over on the Bills. Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News agrees:

"The Bills planned to release Dockery on Thursday. About two hours before the 4 p.m. deadline to make cuts, the Bills heard from Detroit, which was interested in acquiring Dockery. Talks ensued. Dockery was due a roster bonus at 12:01 a.m. Friday of $1.75 million.

If the Bills were going to make a trade, Dockery would have to agree to push back the bonus and he would have to get a physical in Detroit and agree to the deal before it could be official. So the Bills would have to file paperwork to push back the roster bonus to the fifth day of the league year. That paperwork would have to be filed by 4 p.m. Talks between the Bills and Lions ensued and there was no deal as of 3:30 p.m.

By the time the Bills and Lions finally came to an agreement on what they would deal in return for Dockery - it was a seventh-round pick in 2010 - it was within minutes of the 4 p.m. deadline, and the Bills determined that there was no way they could get all the paperwork required done in time to make it happen. The Bills filed the paperwork to release Dockery."

Teams around the league knew that the Bills were going to release Dockery, so why the heck would any team give up anything for a guy that would be a free agent in just a few hours?

The only thing I can think of is if the Lions wanted to make sure they could get Dockery before he hit the open market so they didn't have to try to outbid other teams (they offered Dockery more money than his new team, the Redskins, but he chose to take less to play in Washington).

ProFootballTalk.com had this to say on the matter:

"...That said, the account provided by Jason La Canfora of the [Washington] Post is a bit confusing. He writes that the paperwork didn't make it to the Management Council before 4:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 26. But since no trades can happen until the first day of the league year (this year, February 27), nothing could have been done on the 26th..."

Confused yet? Me too but can we please stop with the yelling?

So what if the Bills would've gotten a 7th round pick? What would they have done with it? Anyone that is taken that late in the draft is a crap shoot anyways and it really isn't that big of a deal. I mean really, other than Steven Johnson last year, name me a 7th round pick the Bills took that was a player that could provide some impact on the field.

There is a lot to yell at in Buffalo and of course to be mad about, however, this is not one of those things.

Bills fans, just settle down.

BREAKING NEWS: Bills Sign QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

2009-02-27T22:16:00.000-05:00

Well it certainly wasn't a huge day in terms of deals for the Buffalo Bills, but they did address one of their needs today with the signing of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Fitz (can I call him that already or is it too soon) was the first free agent to arrive at One Bills Drive today and eventually was the first free agent to sign.

The former Bengal has good size (6' 2", 225 pounds) but lacks a big time arm. He hasn't been very productive in his first four years in the league either.

One plus though, is that he is only 26 years of age and as Chris Brown puts it, Fitz is "considered a superior student of the game with good character marks all the way around" (I personally don't value character too high anymore, I just want the Bills to end the drought! And of course the Bills are trying to feed the high character line again on their offical site. Chris Brown is employed by the team so of course they want the high character line put it there. Lets be honest here, I don't care and the Bills don't care about character. They just want the best players on the field).

After Cincinnati Bengal's starting quarterback Carson Palmer suffered injury after injury last season, Fitzpatrick came in and started 12 games. On the year, Fitz threw for 1,905 yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions.

In the last three games of the season, Fitzpatrick started to get it together, throwing two touchdowns and no interceptions, helping lead the 4-11-1 team to three straight wins.

I was personally rooting for Kyle Boller to sign with the Bills, but they showed no interest in him and either way, we won't be seeing the backup on the field anyways, unless Trent gets hurt.

The terms of the contract were undisclosed.

The Bills now have four quaterbacks on the roster; Edwards, Fitzpatrick, Matt Baker, and Gibran Hamdan. Expect Baker to be cut or put on the pratice squad as Hamdan is better and is of course a huge fan favorite!

Hey, look on the bright side, Ryan Fitzpatrick does not have the name J.P. Losman.

THOMAS VANEK INJURY UPDATE: Back in One Week?

2009-02-26T19:11:00.000-05:00

Maybe it is a sign of things to come for the Buffalo Sabres in the near future.

First, they get news today that veteran Patrick Lalime will be able to play between the pipes in the huge match up with Carolina tonight.

Then news surfaces that the Sabres leading goal scorer might not be too far behind Lalime in returning to the lineup.

Lindy Ruff said at pratice today that, ""I expect Thomas to return to the line-up next week"

O.K. Buffalo, all at once now, lets have a sign of relief.

Vanek no longer has his jaw wired shut and he feels in surprisingly good shape despite the time he has missed. It even susprised Vanek himself a little bit; ""I'm in better condition than I initially thought after no activity in the beginning."

As for his return, an exact date has not yet been circled yet on the calender. The Sabres still have to see how Vanek does this weekend before a game is chosen for his return.

When he does come back, Vanek will be sporting a specially constructed, fully shielded helmet instead of the normal cage he was wearing during his first practice drills at the beginning of the week with the team. The new helmet will feature a full face shield made of a regular, clear plastic (my guess is it will look something like this).

Vanek, of course, is not pain free though which is certainly expected with the severity of the injury.

"Obviously, when I try to open my mouth a lot it hurts, or when I try to eat something harder it hurts. But overall I feel great."

Now if only Vanek can share his secrets with injured goalie Ryan Miller to get him back on the ice quickly too.

Derrick Dockery and Robert Royal Both Cut by Buffalo!

2009-02-26T15:57:00.000-05:00

The Buffalo Bills have finally parted ways with tight end Robert Royal! Joy should spread across Buffalo now that the Bills might have a tight end who could actually catch and run with the football next season!

In all seriousness though, it did finally happen. He wasn't the only one to go though.

The Buffalo Bills cut both Royal and Derrick Dockery today as they clear some cap space for free agency, which begins tonight at midnight.

The 6-foot-6, 335-pounder, Dockerey was one of the Bills big free-agent signings in 2007, signing a 7 year, $49 million deal.

The relationship only lasted two sub-par seasons.

Royal was in Buffalo for three straight years but it won't be a forth one this year.

Royal hauled in 33 passes for 351 yards, both career highs. He was not very effective in the passing game though, despite being a very good run blocker.

The Bills will look to upgrade at the position and try to find Trent Edwards a reliable target. The tight end position hasn't been a plus for the Bills in recent years. Buffalo has not had a tight end catch 50 passes in a season since 2001.

What the deal does the most though is free up some cap room for future free agents.

Below is the quick breakdown:

$24 million (estimated amount the Bills are under the cap)
+ $4 million (amount of money that the cap will increase this year)
+ $1.23 million (amount saved from cutting Robert Royal)
+$0.4 million (amount saved from cutting Dockery)

TOTAL: $29.63 million (estimated)

The real shocking thing about the move is seeing how little cutting Dockery actually saves the team. Despite the small figure, it really showed that the Bills just didn't want him anymore (and that he wasn't very good).

I expect some news to come very early tomorrow morning about free agents that the Bills signed. It seems like they have a plan in place and they are getting to work fast on it.

SABRES NOTE: PATRICK LALIME WILL START IN GOAL TONIGHT

Buffalo Sabres @ Carolina Hurricanes Preview

2009-02-26T10:38:00.000-05:00

Admit it; despite you wanting to pull your hair out from all of the injuries to the Sabres recently, you probably think that watching rookie Jhonas Enroth making his first start is very interesting.

I just wish it didn’t come at a time when the Sabres are set to play one of the biggest games of the season to this point, when they take to the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at 7:00 PM at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC.

The No. 9 Hurricanes are sitting just one point back of the Sabres coming into this game. The Sabres do have a game at hand though.

I personally don’t see what the big deal is with Patrick Lalime possibly being out with the flu for this one. I know he makes you feel a little better with a vet in net but let’s get a look at the rookie tonight!

It’s not like Lalime is playing lights out or anything. He's gone 0-4-0 with a 3.25 goals-against average in six games (four starts) since his last win December 13^th. He is 2-8-1 overall on the season and yet everyone is panicking that he is out. I just don’t see what the big concern is. Lalime will only miss one game, two at the most if the illness is serious, and it’s not like Enroth can do much worse.

Kevin of BfloBlog.com also brought up a good point today, informing us that “17 of the 30 teams in the NHL have had a third goalie play for them this season. The Sabres are one of five teams in the East that haven’t had a third goalie play yet.”

Can we just settle down for a minute Sabres fans? It really isn’t that big of a deal if the young Swede plays a game or two.

As for the match up itself, this is the third meeting between the teams this year, which each team earning a win in the first two meeting.

The Sabres won 3-1 on January 17^th and we can all remember when some guys in Sabres jersey showed up and half-assed it while dropping 3-0 to the ‘Canes on February 15^th.

If Sabres fans are looking for some good streaks, here’s one as Hurricane goalie Cam Ward has struggled in his career against Buffalo (not including playoffs), going 3-4-1 with a 3.45 GAA in eight career games against the Sabres.

Enroth though is of course the big deal coming into this game. He has played pretty well in the AHL this season, posting a record of 18-17-5 this year at Portland with a 2.71 goals-against average and .915 save percentage. He is 0-6-3 in this last night though which has caused some Sabres fans to scream to the hockey gods.

As for me though, let’s see what the rookie has. I’m going to have to say he lets in a weak goal or two at the beginning, but hopefully he settles down and plays a solid game. I would say that three goal against is a good performance from the 20-year old. It should be enough to at least get the Sabres 1 point if the rest of the team shows up.

He is excited for the chance to play though, that is for sure.

“It’s exciting. If I play tomorrow, I’ll try to play my best,” said Enroth, “It’s very exciting to get up here and see Patrick practice and play. . . . It’s going to be even more exciting, a dream come true if I play.”

The game will air on MSG and WGR500 AM.

UPDATED STANDINGS:

Games of Note Tonight (points ahead/behind of Buffalo in (), all times Eastern):

Florida (+0) at New York Rangers (-2), 7:00 PM

Thoughts on Buffalo Sabres Loss to Ducks, Lalime, Standings

2009-02-25T14:31:00.000-05:00

Well, the Sabres didn’t have such a good night, dropping 3-2 to the visiting Anaheim Ducks.

The only good news is that other teams in the heated playoff race didn’t either.

Both the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes lost their games.

As for the Sabres game though, I personally didn’t think they were that bad and were killed on dumb mistakes.

Some minor things that bothered me were of course the defensive give-a-ways and just the lack of finishing.

The Sabres outshot the Ducks by a wide margin and played the physical game we were all looking for. It was just the finishing part that they were missing. With better execution, they could have easily won that game.

As for Patrick Lalime, he didn’t play too bad of a game. He looked like a goalie that hasn’t been playing in a while. His handling of rebounds (or lack there of) is one area of concern, but with more playing time that should fix itself out. Like I stated earlier, Lalime will do just fine in the time Miller is gone and the Sabres should expect to be around .500.

Now for those standings and games to watch tonight:

Games of Interest Tonight (points Sabres are ahead/behind in (), all times Eastern):

Los Angeles at Philadelphia (+5), 7:00 PM
NY Islanders at Pittsburgh (-4), 7:30 PM
NY Rangers (-1) at Toronto, 7:30 PM

Sabres vs. Ducks: A Hard Hitting, Low Scoring Affair?

2009-02-24T16:25:00.001-05:00

They have been called soft all week by writers and bloggers alike (including myself). You think the last thing the Sabres want to do is get pushed around tonight in HSBC Arena against a phyiscal Anahiem team?

I hate trying to make game predictions because I am usually well off, but tonight I really do think it will be a very physical, low scoring game.

The Ducks are a very phyiscal team and the both them and Buffalo had a spirited affair a little while ago. I expect that to continue again tonight.

Now I have a feeling the game will go two ways in the scoreboard. It will either be the Ducks big or a low scoring battle, with the winner just getting by.

I have to give Patrick Lalime the benefit of the doubt though in his first game starting since the Ryan Miller injury. With the Ducks very defensive in their own right, and the Sabres most likely playing a very defensive minded game in front of their backup in net, it will be a close battle from start to finish.

I'm hoping I am wrong though, and the Sabres just blow them out of the water so us fans don't have to sweat it.

We all know the Sabres need the two points.

Updated NHL Standings

2009-02-24T10:04:00.000-05:00

Here is what the standings look like today. Just taking a peek at the schedule tonight, this is a big game for the Sabres to go and get a “W” in.

I will also try to update this standings everyday (I made it myself so it shouldn’t be too hard to do).

Here’s a look at the NHL action to keep an eye on tonight:

Sabres Game Tonight: 7:00 PM, vs. Anaheim Ducks at HSBC Arena
TV: Versus Radio: WGR550 AM

Other Games of Interest (Points ahead/behind in ( ), all times Eastern)

Florida (+0) at Boston, 7:00 PM
Philadelphia (+3) at Washington, 7:00 PM
Vancouver at Montreal (+1), 7:30 PM
Carolina (-1) at Ottawa, 7:30 PM

Buffalo Bills 50th Anniversary Logo

2009-02-23T21:26:00.000-05:00

Here it is, the Buffalo Bills 50th Anniversary logo (remember this is the logo that is suppose to stick in our minds to remember the 50 years in Buffalo):

Well what can you really say?

You can go either with "I really like it", the "It is butt ugly" or "I don't give a damn about the logo! Win some GAMES"!

The last thought should be the one that sticks with most fans.

I'm not too big of a fan of it myself, but lets be honest here, what more could they possibly do to make it better?

I know that a end to a certain playoff drought will make it look like a masterpiece.

Anything short of that, well, it's just a dumb cheesy logo in my eyes.

The Sabres are a Soft Team, No Doubt About It

2009-02-23T14:39:00.001-05:00

There really is no question as to whether or not there should have been retaliation on the part of Buffalo on Rangers forward Scott Gomez after he ran into All-Star goalie Ryan Miller (there should have been).

Miller, as we all know, is out indefinitely and has no timetable for his return from a high ankle sprain. He could be out from anywhere from a week to the rest of the regular season based on how his ankle heals.

The Sabres though showed what they really were, a soft team.

It is not secret and no matter how you feel on this certain incident (whether to go after Gomez or not) you can not deny the fact that the Sabres are indeed soft.

They get pushed around some nights and they don’t stick up for one another.

Only a handful of players on the team (Kaleta, Mair, Ellis, Gaustad) want anything to do with physical contact. The others wish it wasn’t part of the game.

It shouldn’t matter if Gomez intentionally knocked down Miller or not. Your goalie and arguably your best player is laying on the ice after getting hit by a player on the opposing team. It shouldn’t matter that it is not the type of guy who hits dirty, or that Gomez is a nice guy, he did it.

I just don’t understand how players can not be angry with their goalie leaving the game limping right by them. It seemed that the fans and members of the media were angrier about the incident than the players themselves.

It wasn’t expected that they do anything though. They are a soft team and people expect nothing from them. It may hurt a little, but it is the truth. Skill can only take you so far in this game. You need some grit to get you over the edge.

It hasn’t been brought up at all (and I haven’t watched him much this year) but maybe the Sabres really miss a guy like Steve Bernier. A big body, gritty player, who has a scoring touch.

Even though he isn’t a huge scoring threat (12 goals, 15 assists with Vancouver), his 27 points would put him ahead of Clarke MacArthur, Jochen Hecht, Paul Gaustad and Dan Paille.

We talk all about the core of the team when really; a guy like Bernier, who would throw his body around, stick up for teammates, while also setting up a few plays, would have fit in quite nicely, seeing as he turns only 24 at the end of March.

The Sabres need a guy like him, one who will go into the corners for you, defend teammates, with a little bit of a scoring touch.

Would it turn them into a hard hitting team that is feared by the league?

Of course not.

But it would add a little bit of toughness and grit onto a very soft hockey team.

Thoughts on Miller Injury and What it Means for the Sabres (They Will be Fine)

2009-02-22T19:58:00.000-05:00

Well after taking a day to think things over, I am in a much better mood over the Miller injury than before.

Don't get me wrong, it is a huge blow to the Sabres, but one that shouldn't hurt them too badly (maybe it is just all the skiing I did today that is messing with my head though).

The Sabres lost their best player, but Patrick Lalime should step in just fine. He might not be able to move the Sabres up in the standings at all, but he can hold them in the playoff race for a little bit. Other teams have gone through goalie injuries and are doing just fine (New Jersey Devils anyone?).

Being the starter and the back up are too completely different roles too. Now Lalime should be able to finally get into a groove.

Will he be Miller? Certainly not but he will hold down the fort for a little bit and will keep his team in the game.

By the time Miller returns, the Sabres will be sitting in a similar spot in the playoff race.

No better but no worse.

Miller Injuried

2009-02-21T23:32:00.000-05:00

Buffalo Sabres netminder Ryan Miller will be out for a little bit. How long is unknown.

In the 3rd period of the game between the Rangers and Sabres, Miller was playing the puck behind the net when he was run into by Scott Gomez.

The injury is a high ankle sprain. Miller will miss the Tuesday game against the Ducks for certain, the full severity of the injury will be know in the next day or two when the swelling goes down. The only positive thing is that the x-rays were negative.

I know I know. You are thinking where's the voice/opinions.

If I sit here any longer my fist will go through the computer screen so I'll wait for my opinion until tomorrow when I cool down a little bit.

Hopefully Miller can bounce back soon. He has dealt with injuries like this before and if memory serves me correctly he had this injury recently (in the last year or two) and only missed a game or two. I will look into that more too though.

Corner Jabari Greer Expected to Leave Buffalo

2009-02-21T20:49:00.000-05:00

It is being reported by ProFootballTalk.com that the Buffalo Bills and corner back Jabari Greer "aren’t seeing eye to eye in ongoing contract negotiations."

"Bills team officials and Greer’s agent are far apart in their financial expectations for Greer. The Bills are reportedly offering a five-year, $20 million package and Greer is seeking an average of $7 million to $8 million annually."

Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden just recently signed a five-year, $43 million deal that is going to be a bench mark for the new contract. It is very similar to the extension that New York Giants corner, Corey Webster, signed earlier this season for 5 years and $43.5 million.

As good as Greer is and as much as I like him as a player, maybe him moving on is not that big of a deal.

Greer is the cornerback that you don't see much of on T.V. The reason for that is because he has his man covered almost all of the time.

He wasn't going against slouches either, and shut down some of the top wide receivers in the game, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss just to name a few. Even with his smaller frame, he has great positioning and can jump with the best of them.

In the past two seasons (26 games played), Greer had 82 total tackles, four interceptions and two defensive touchdowns (both this season).

Don't get me wrong, he is an outstanding talent (and one of my favorites on the team) to have on your team (not to mention a high character guy too) but the Bills are set at the cornerback position.

They have to worry about their No. 1 corner, Terrence McGee, who is only signed for this season. He will certianly be looking for a pay raise compared to his last deal that was for 4 years and $18 million ($4.5 million a year).

Slot corner, Ashton Youboty, who also stepped up his game as he starts to play to his potential, is also a free agent after the 2009 season.

First round pick Leodis McKelvin is signed through 2013,. He took strides each week he was out on the field, and will step into a starting role next season. The Bills didn't take him with the 11th overall pick for nothing.

In that same draft class, promising rookie Reggie Corner is on the squad until after the 2011 season.

With McGee, McKelvin, Youboty, and Corner all under contract for at least one more season, the Bills defiantly have depth at the corner position.

As much as I would like Greer to stick around, losing him would not be the end of the world for the Bills. It would get them some money to try to fill some of their bigger needs like linebacker, center, wide receiver, tight end and backup quarterback.

Greer is excited about becoming a free agent too.

“I’m excited about the opportunity of my life,” Greer said. “I’m in position to have the opportunity to evaluate what I’m worth. It’ll be fun. I’m interested to see what other teams are going to do.

“It’s kind of like being recruited in college all over again. I’ll be visiting teams. They’ll be interviewing me. I feel fortunate to be in this situation. It makes me feel young again.”

NHL Back on ESPN?!?!

2009-02-20T14:22:00.000-05:00

I was just surfing the web and came across interesting news about ESPN and the NHL on hockeybuzz.com.

While I do know that hockeybuzz is just a rumored filled site (where most of the rumors don't come true) but I couldn't help being sucked in by one of Ek's updates.

"I am hearing from multiple sources that ESPN is prepared to take the NHL big games next season, including the Stanley Cup Finals."

Again, I know this probably doesn't have much truth to it at all, but if it is it would make my day.

While I am of course a die-hard Sabres fan, I love the NHL in general too and want it to be put back into the national spotlight.

The Winter Classic was great and the All-Star shootout got spots on ESPN shows in the states (even though it was not real hockey).

If ESPN does take up some NHL games next year, it will show that the sport is becoming relevant again.

I hate Versus. Everything about it. And seeing as it reaches such a low number of houses, a move to ESPN would be great! I have been going on and on about the stupid Versus deal for some time now. Maybe there is hope.

Again this is just a rumor so don't get your hope too high on it, but a return of hockey to ESPN would be an upgrade for the league!

Who knows, maybe even the ratings of ESPN too.

THOMAS VANEK INJURY UPDATE: Could be Longer (5-6 Weeks)

2009-02-19T11:29:00.000-05:00

Thomas Vanek took to the web, reporting on his site's dairy at thomasvanek26.com that his injury might be take longer than expected to heal.

Vanek is doing some light exercising, but he says that returning in 3-4 weeks from his fractured jaw might be a optimistic timetable.

Vanek is still not able to eat any solid food yet though.

Vanek says that "Next week the jaw-braces will be loosened a bit so that I can start eating again. Once that’s done I’ll get back on the ice again. Of course I won’t be able to skate with the team right from the beginning but it’ll be great to just be back on the ice again."

On the injury, Vanek had this to say: "I haven’t set myself a deadline when I want to play again. The doctors said that I would miss at least 4 weeks altogether. But it could also be 5 to 6 weeks. We’ll just have to wait and see."

The Sabres leading goal scorer (32 goals, 20 assists) is certainly missed on the ice, but with his long term health in general is most important to the team. If taking an extra week or two now is better long term, then the Sabres shouldn't even think twice about it.

As for his return to the ice, Vanek also stated that he will have to wear a full face shield to prevent any more injury to the jaw.

I wonder if this injury will affect his willingness to stand in front of the net. This is a guy who in practice would have his teammates fire pucks at him so he could work on his "tips". I wonder if the first few games while he is back, if that injury is in the back of his head. It will be for certain the first game or two with the shield off his helmet. It is only human though.

On the "best" part of the injury, Vanek said "If there was one positive thing about the injury it was that I got to spend some quality time with my family."

He also had kind words about the tragic plane crash near the Buffalo area, "It was a shock for all of us living in that area – it could have struck anybody. My compassion and condolences go out to everybody who has lost a loved one in that terrible crash."

LYNCH UPDATE: Drugs in the Car

2009-02-18T14:06:00.000-05:00

And to think I gave him the benefit of the doubt a few days ago. What the hell was I thinking? You can not trust pro athletes anymore (well at least not most of them).

It is being reported byWGRZ that drugs were found in the vehicle with Marshawn Lynch during the incident in which a concealed gun was determined to belong to Lynch. From Channel 2's report:

"Captain Dave Tankenson tells 2 On Your Side's Adam Benigni police approached the black Mercedes Lynch and two others were sitting in it was parked suspiciously with the engine running, and that the car didn't have proper license plates.

'They (officers) knocked on the window of the car. Someone unrolled the window. They saw three people in the car and they could smell a strong odor - marijuana coming from the car. They had the occupants exit so they could further investigate to see if there was any marajuana in the car. What they found were four, not marajuana cigarettes - what they call blunts or swisher sweets that appeared to contain marijuana in them,' says Tankenson."

Time to move on from Lynch. Too bad too as he is a fan favorite and great young football player.

Enough is enough.

Time to give Fred Jackson that contract extension and just move on. The Bills will do fine without him. There is always a trade market too for a good talent with legal issues, especially with one as young as Lynch with good years ahead of him.

Anyone want Lynch and Jason Peters? Anyone?

Gerbe Gone as Gaustad Returns

2009-02-18T13:47:00.000-05:00

Sabres grinder Paul Gaustad is returning from injury so that means that young forward Nathan Gerbe is getting sent back down to Portland.

The young winger has shown some promise of being a future star for the Sabres, but his performances in the AHL are not translating to the NHL.

In 32 games with the Portland Pirates, Gerbe has 20 goals, 17 assists for a total of 37 points. In his time with the Sabres though, Gerbe has just one assist in 10 games despite playing with the Sabres top line (with Drew Stafford and Derek Roy) and on the power play unit.

Paul Gaustad is returning from a shoulder separation and takes Gerbe's spot on the left wing with Roy and Stafford.

Gaustad is an important part of the Sabres power play and penalty kill units. I expect him to return to the second power play unit to return to the front of the net. His toughness and grit has been missed in his time out of the lineup.

Also is Sabres news, Paul Hamilton of WGR550.com is reporting that "Maxim Afinogenov and Henrik Tallinder are very close to returning. Both are practicing fully. Afinogenov alternated on the Jochen Hecht line".

I personally don't want to see Afinogenov on the ice in a Sabres uniform again. He is way too streaky for my liking. I do understand why he is probably going to play soon though, so it proves to other teams that he is indeed heathly so the Sabres can ship him off by the deadline. Too bad for a player with that much skill but he has never been consistent.

The Sabres are now tied for 5th in the standings after last nights 4-1 win against the Maple Leafs. They can thank Ryan Miller and poor goaltending by Toronto for the win. They still didn't look very good and scored 3 goals in a 5 minute span in the 1st period. They just held on to the lead for the rest of the game to pick up the win.

Sabres are going to have to come out strong against the Flyers, who they play tommorrow night at 7:00 PM (eastern). You can watch the game on MSG or listen live on WGR550 AM.

SHOW ME THE MONEY! Bills Should Give Fred Jackson the Contract he Deserves

2009-02-17T19:02:00.000-05:00

Buffalo Bills Marshawn Lynch is now in legal trouble for the second off-season in a row. With his Pro Bowl debut and his second straight, 1,000 yard season, people have forgotten that back up Fred Jackson is a free agent this off-season.

Profootballtalk.com is reporting that Jackson “is looking for a multi-year deal, and the money that goes along with it.”

The Bills should give it to him.

For starters, Jackson is a high character guy who has paid his dues. He is a person who represents the city of Buffalo well in his humble ways. He is a guy you don’t have to worry about having a guy or running over a women, he has worked he way up the ladder and isn’t going to do anything stupid to take it away.

Now what matters most to fans and the Bills front office, the guy can play.

This season he rushed for 571 yards and three touchdowns which comes after a 2007 campaign in which he rushed for 300 yards in just eight games. Jackson averages 4.6 yards a carry and also rushed for 136 yards against the New England Patriots in the season finale.

Jackson is not only a running threat but is also a receiving threat out of the backfield.

Jackson hauled in 37 catches this season alone for 317 yards and in his career has 59 receptions for 507 yards (8.6 yard per catch).

He also is a special teamer that cannot be forgotten.

He returns punts when Roscoe Parrish is hurt and is also the player who returns the ball when teams try to kick it away from rookie Leodis McKelvin (and did a pretty good job of it averaging 15.1 yards per kickoff return, which is great considering that most are high and short or squib kicks to him).

With Lynch’s feature in doubt, why not get a high class, good player in Jackson.

Hopefully the Bills don’t take the cheap way out of this. With all of the money tied up in players who don’t deserve it, why not give a pay raise to a guy who does?

Make the easy discussion and give Jackson the multi-year deal that he will not only like but also one that will help the team out too.

When Will A-Rod Finally Strike Out?

2009-02-17T18:06:00.000-05:00

After watching thirty-five minutes of a press conference you would expect to learn some new information about the subject it is on. Especially when that press conference is to save the integrity of one of the best baseball players of our era.

After watching the Alex Rodriguez press conference today though, I came away unimpressed and even more skeptical about the All-Star slugger.

The biggest confession from A-rod was his use of “Boli” with his cousin during the 2001-2003 seasons with the Texas Rangers and the fact that he was also using “Rip Fuel” during his early days with the Seattle Mariners.

Despite Rodriguez saying that he didn’t really know what he was putting into his body, I find that hard to believe. Pro athletes know what they put into their bodies at all times. There is no question that the highest rated baseball prospect in the last 15 or so years would just leave something like this to chance.

His admission of using Ripped Fuel earlier in his career shows that he had some idea what he was looking for with the substances he took; an energy boost.

Ripped Fuel is a substance that is taken in a capsule form. It is suppose to bring the user a “huge” energy boast, fat lose, the ability to gain more lean muscle, increase the metabolic rate of the user and reduces appetite (helping out with weight loss). It is now banned by Major League Baseball for being a stimulant.

The ironic thing is that Primobolan (“Boli” is the street name) is taken for a very similar reason as Boli, that being of course the energy boost it brings. Not to mention that Primobolan also has very few downsides. It doesn’t cause the many unwanted side effects of most steroids, like enlarged breasts, shrunken testicles, or a higher voice because it does not convert to estrogen after it is taken.

Terry Todd, a former Champion Power lifter, told the NY Times in an article about Primobolan recently (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/sports/baseball/10steroids.html) that “It’s a drug that you take when you don’t want all of the behavior changes that may go along with other steroids. But still, you would also have to feel that you wouldn’t be tested, or that there would be no consequences to you getting caught.”

Primobolan is a substance that is made up of things that are not produced in the body. Therefore, it would send off red lights like crazy to any drug test. How ironic that when A-rod was using the substance, there was no consequences for taking it, seeing as there was no steroid policy in place at the time.

Primobolan is also a drug that the FDA banned back in July 1989. It was one of forty anabolic steroids that were banned to prevent them for being used as performance enhancers in the United States. It is a drug that is illegal to sell and/or market in the US, so when A-rod said that he got them from the Dominican Republic, you should believe him.

I just find it so hard to believe that after using Ripped Fuel and then just happening to switch over to a drug that he supposedly knew nothing about that had the same result in providing energy while also having little side effects and no consequences.

Another thing I found ironic was the fact that A-rod used the substance for three years, saying he only used it “twice a month” during that time period. The thing about Primobolan is that in is ineffective in small doses and needs to be taken over a longer period of time to see the results than some of the stronger steroids.

I don’t know about you, but three years is certainly enough time to be taking it to get the best results.

A-rod dodged questions about why he would continue to take a substance that he wasn’t sure it was doing anything for him about 36 times (2 times a month over 3 years). He didn’t give any reason other than he was “young and curious”.

Really there is only one thing I took from the press conference today, and A-rod even admitted it too; Kids go to college because if you do not apparently your brain just rots away.

That is all I heard when a question was trying to get details out of him. “Well, I was young, stupid, dumb, curious, or ignorant” . That is all he would say. To be honest, he really didn’t answer any of the questions with a real answer.

He was showing some great dance moves, dodging questions left and right. Maybe he was auditioning to be the next sports star to go on Dancing with the Stars. Thank goodness that the Yankees P.R. man only took questions from people who focused on the Yankees the most. I have a feeling that if A-rod sat at the microphone for a little longer, we would have gotten to see a lot more great dance moves.

I mean you have got to be kidding me. Most people would research what they were putting into their body at 24, 25, 26 or 27 years of age. To use young age as an excuse for his actions is ridiculous.

Also something that people might not realize is that when A-Rod failed the drug test five years ago, he also had testerone in his system. He didn't address this at all either.

His baseball numbers certainly don’t lie either.

Sure A-rod is a Hall of Fame talent but it is quite easy to see that his numbers went up when he was taking these supplements.

During his five full seasons with the Mariners or the “Ripped Fuel Years” (I will throw the first two years out when A-rod hit five home runs and 21 RBI’s in just 65 combined games), Rodriguez had an average of 37 home runs, 115 RBI’s, 184 hits and a .314 batting average.

In the press conference, A-rod said that the best year of his career came at age 20 in which he had 36 homers, 123 RBI’s, 215 hits, and a .358 average. How do we know that the Ripped Fuel didn’t have anything to do with it.

During his three seasons in Texas, the “Boli Years“, A-rod averaged 52 home runs, 132 RBI’s, 190 hits and a .305 batting average. His power numbers went up by a pretty considerable margin (+15 home runs, 17+ RBI’s, and 6+ hits).

Now let’s move on to his “clean” years. In his five seasons with the Yankees, A-rod averaged 42 home runs (-10 HR’s,), 123 RBI’s (- 9), 174 hits (-16) and a .303 batting average (-.002).

Funny how his numbers dropped with New York even though they came during the years in which a player is considered to be in his prime.

Let’s be honest here with each other, A-rod did not tell the whole truth today. Like most athletes caught red handed, he told some of the truth that will let some people forgive him, but he didn’t tell all of it. We will figure that out for sure in a few years when even more news comes out about him.

And please, let’s remember that he is only doing this because he was caught. If no one knew it was him, A-Rod would still have his secrets to himself. He would not have come out just for the good of the game or anything like that. He was caught and was forced to restore some credibility to himself, seeing as he is the first big time active player to be caught while still playing in the league.

At least he has a good team of agents and lawyers behind him to help him try to get some future Hall of Fame votes and to try to prove to people that he should be forgiven now. It might actually work.

While A-rod thinks he is off the hook and can focus on baseball, the fans out there should not be. He still hasn’t told the public the whole truth.

He has two strikes with me (and should with you too for first cheating and now not coming out with the whole truth).

How much longer can A-Rod stay in the batters box without striking out?

A year? Two years? Ten years?

It doesn’t really matter how long A-Rod is able to protect the plate, he will strike out come eventually.

Too bad he couldn't help out his chances to stay alive today.

Lynch Arrested

2009-02-16T10:51:00.000-05:00

Well there goes the 2009 season...

It was confirmed by multiple website and sources (ESPN, Profootballtalk.com, the Bills) that Marshawn Lynch was arrested by the Culver City (California) Police Department on the night of Wednesday, February 11 for possession of a concealed firearm.

Here is some quotes from about the incident:

From the Bills:
"We can confirm that Marshawn was arrested in California and has retained an attorney. We are in the process of trying to gather the facts and will not offer a comment while that process is ongoing."

From WGR550.com:
"This is the second run-in with the law for Lynch within the last 10 months. Last May he was involved in a hit-and-run incident in the Chippewa area. Lynch plead guilty to a lesser charge of failure to exercise due care to avoid striking a pedestrian, a traffic violation. As part the deal his driver's license and car registration were revoked and Lynch was assesed a $100 fine."

From an update on Profootballtalk.com:
"Lynch’s lawyer, M. Gerald Schwartzbach, told the Associated Press that Lynch was visiting friends in California and said there wasn’t a traffic accident."

So how exactly did this happen?

Well, it is being reported by everyone that Culver City police officers were patrolling the Fox Hills area of Culver City when they came into contact with three adult males in a 2006 Mercedes Benz. After speaking with the people inside the car, they determined that one of the men in the car was Lynch. A field investigation led to the “discovery of a loaded firearm.”

My question is why the hell were they stopped in the first place?

Sure Marshawn was in the wrong carrying the gun BUT why was he stopped. Was it because it was a really nice car with three African Americans in the vehicle? Could this possible have been a race issue?

I don't want to speculate too much but basically the cops talked to the people in the car, figured out one was famous and then searched the car in which they found the weapon.

Something fishy might be going on here. I doubt Lynch will face any punishment from law enforcement if this is the case.

Was he in the wrong? Yes. But I have a feeling a good lawyer can get this thrown out before it goes to trail.

The question now for Bills fans (and management) is Lynch worth the trouble?

This is his second run in with the law and he is showing some real character issues. Even though he is a great young running back (2 straight 1000 yard seasons, one Pro Bowl) he is replaceable, especially with Fred Jackson ready to take over in the back field.

He is a fan favorite also, so we will have to wait and see what actions the Bills take.

The real problem here is why are players carrying guns they are not licensed to.

This article in ESPN could shed some light on the subject: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3711336.

We are quick to bash athletes but we don't know what they are going through. It is really showing something though with how many music and sports stars are carrying weapons.

If anything, something needs to be done to get to the problem of carrying guns.

Sabres Shootout Win

2009-02-14T11:28:00.000-05:00

Here's the highlights of the Sabres Shootout in full in case you missed it.

Sabres Try to Erase Some Pain (At Least for a Few Hours)

2009-02-13T23:31:00.000-05:00

All the people in the Buffalo area needed tonight was something to distract them for a little while. They got that and more.

While people should not forget the tragic plane crash in Clearance, New York, a crash that claimed fifty lives late last evening, at least they have something to talk about for a little while.

The Buffalo Sabres took to the ice to a sold-out HSBC Arena tonight, looking to give the fans something to watch for a few hours to forget the pain.

They took them on an emotional roller coaster ride, that ended with a 6-5 shootout victory over the best team in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks.

The two points were important in this game, seeing as the Sabres are in a tight race for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. This one was for the entire community though.

With the NHL inquiring to cancel this game, they ultimately decided to do the right thing and play it while also showing their respect to the lost lives by having a moment of silence before the game got underway.

Sports is a weird thing in our lives. The game tonight in HSBC Arena brought people from all over the community together as one. When people needed to get together and release some of that raw emotion inside of them the most, the Sabres were there for their hometown.

Even though the Sabres might not be from the area originally, the players currently call this their home. Head Coach Lindy Ruff, Patrick Lalime, Jason Pomminville, Teppo Numminem and Jaroslav Spacek all live close to the Clearance location in which the plane went down.

They certainly know what people are going through here.

What most people forget is that these athletes are human too.

So even with the heavy hearts, the Sabres played one of their hardest games of the season.

Adam Mair, Spacek, and Drew Stafford all scored goals within the first 15 minutes of the game to put the Sabres up 3-0.

A goal by Patrick Marleau for San Jose made the score 3-1 heading into the first intermission.

A blast from the point from Ales Kotalik put the Sabres back up by three again on the power play during period No. 2. The goal was the Sabres third power play goal of the night. This came after Buffalo went 1-for-12 with the man advantage against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night. They finished converting 3-of-6 power play opportunities.

San Jose would battle back though, showing why they are they best team in the NHL. Four unanswered goals by Marleau (his second), Dan Boyle, Devin Setoguchi and Joe Pavelski gave the Sharks a 5-4 lead.

It looked as if the game would end that way and the fans would be sent home with their sorrows. Not on this night though.

A shot from the point by Buffalo Captain, Craig Rivet, was tipped home by Jason Pominville with 3.9 seconds left to play to send it to overtime. It was Pominville’s first goal in 17 games.

After the first three shooters for each team were stopped, Pomminville and Marleau exchanged goals in the shootout.

A backhand by Derek Roy and then a save by Ryan Miller’s glove sealed the win for Buffalo.

It wasn’t your normal game though. When the Sabres looked down and out they battled back to win the game and put some smiles on the faces of their fans.

The people of Buffalo were hurting and so were the players that represents the hometown. Their hard work was greatly appreciated, as they received a standing ovation from the crowd after tying the game at five.

It was the second time in recent memory that the Sabres were there for there hometown.

Not to the same extent, but the “October Storm” a couple of years ago affected the citizens and players of Buffalo too. They happened to be on a road trip when the storm itself occurred and with the power outages in the area, they were worried about their families.

Generators were sent to their homes by the team to help take care of their troubles but may people in the Buffalo area were not so lucky. People were out of power for days and in some places even a week or longer.

The first home game in HSBC Arena though was huge. It brought the entire community together as one. People were showering in the dark with ice cold water (or even not at all) to make the game to spend some time with their 18,000+ closet friends.

Ones that could not gathered around battery powered radios or even missed the game entirely.

The Sabres knew what they had to do then to pull out a win and they did the same thing tonight.

When the City needed them most, the Sabres came through and provided three hours of entertainment for the fans at the arena and watching on TV.

In hindsight, it was just a meaningless hockey game, but to the city of Buffalo it was so much more.

It was an escape.

Hockey Not on the Minds of Sabres

2009-02-13T14:34:00.000-05:00

At the end of the day, the Sabres will still have to play their game tonight against the San Jose Sharks. It isn't at the top of the list for most of the players though.

Paul Hamilton had a great article on WGR550.com that really caught my eye. For those of you people out there who think athletes only care about the money, well you are flat out wrong. They are people too. Here are some of the quotes from the Sabres.

"... Lindy Ruff was visably upset speaking after the morning skate. Ruff said, "It's an incredibly sad day for our city. We've talked about it and it's going to reach a lot of people. You've got to get through it, it's an area where a lot of us live, everybody is going to know somebody that is going to be touched by this. It's a tough day for Buffalo." Ruff added, "It's all about the people we lost, the families that were touched and all our feelings go out towards them first then we'll worry about playing a game after that."..."

"... Patrick Lalime's brother in law actually saw the plane..."

"... Teppo Numminen lives a block or two away and said, "I heard the plane coming while I was in bed and it sounded really weird, it sounded really close to us then I heard a little poof afterwards. I was thinking that doesn't sound good so I looked out of my window to see the red skies." Numminen lives on the approach to Buffalo/Niagara International Airport and has thought about it. "We hear lots of planes every night coming in, and I don't know if you always wonder, but you're used to it and we know how save it is to fly so we're comfortable with it."..."

"...Jaroslav Spacek lives a street away. He said "I saw the smoke, but decided to stay home. I got many text messages from home (Czech Republic) because my parents and my wife's parents wanted to make sure we're OK because they know Clarence Center." As far as tonight's game goes Spacek said, "Everybody's mind is somewhere else and then we have to play the game, but we have to come hard and do something for the city of Buffalo."..."

The people of Buffalo will be looking for the Sabres to take their minds off of things for a little while. That is what happens with sports. Tragedies happen and people look for the sports team to get their minds off of the sad times. It happened most recently here with the October Storm wiping out power to thousands of people in the Buffalo area.

The snow storm might have affected more people personally, but a plane crash in our own backyard hurts even more.

Just remember if you are going to the game, the players are going through the same things too.

God Bless.

UPDATE: I was able to come across a video on Sabres.com that has the players sharing some of the stories. Here it is:

Tragedy Strikes in Buffalo Area, Plane Crash Kills 50

2009-02-13T09:43:00.000-05:00

In case you might have missed it last night or early this morning, a plane crash in Clearance, NY, a suburb of Buffalo, killed 50 people.

All 49 people on board (45 passengers, 4 crew members) were killed as the plane crashed into a home. One casualty occurred when the plane struck the home. Two others in the house have been treated and released from the hospital with minor injuries.

It was the first fatal crash of a commercial airliner in the United States in 2 1/2 years.

The plane had 74 seats in total. Only 45 people filled those seats. Ice on the wings and heavy fog are believed to be the cause of the crash.

In the blink of an eye, the game tonight at HSBC Arena between the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks is now in the back of people’s minds.

It really hits home when it happens right in your own backyard. My prayers go out to the families and friends who lost loved ones in the accident.

You can see a more in-depth look at things at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29173163/.

I would also like to note that relatives and friends of those on Flight 3407 who wanted to give or receive information about those on board could telephone a special family assistance number, 1-800-621-3263.

Thoughts on "A-Fraud" and Steroids in Major League Baseball

2009-02-13T06:39:00.000-05:00

The light at the end of the tunnel is almost closed, at least for now.

One of the best players in baseball, one that was supposed to clean up the sport, was found guilty of using steroids during the 2001-03 seasons.

Alex Rodriguez is just the latest ball player to fall.

After superstars like Roger Clemens (354 career wins), Rafael Palmeiro (569 career homeruns), Mark McGwire (583 homeruns) and the MLB homerun leader, Barry Bonds (762 homeruns) were all accused of using steroids, Rodriguez joins the group of what would have been a list of future Hall of Famers. Now there is doubt in the air.

McGwire has been shot down in the last few years of his eligibility while Bonds, Clemens, and Palmerio are all long shots to some day make the hall. Some of the most dominant players in the game turned out to have one thing in common, they were cheaters.

Jason Giambi and Andy Petite also were All-Star talents accused of using steroids. Both came out publicly and apologized and were able to keep their jobs and avoid any discipline from the MLB.

Anyone that thinks A-rod is just coming out to get "the monkey off his back" is just plain nuts.

The only reason A-rod is coming out is to try to get forgiveness from the nation of fans and to save his own butt. He knows what he did was wrong and that the doubts cast over him would ruin his career. He saw that Giambi and Petite were just given a slap on the wrist when they admitted steroid use and is hoping he will receive the same treatment.

What he did though, was bring even more doubt into the game of baseball. The fans cannot trust anyone anymore.

He was the golden boy, the player that was supposed to bring back some truth to baseball. We were all watching the future homerun king, advancing on snatching the crown away from the cheater currently sitting on top. We can kiss that away now.

A-rod turns into A-Fraud

It is really an embarrasment to the game more than anything. Baseball players are being caught left and right and now A-rod becomes the biggest player to fall.

Every ball player now is labeled as a user. They are guilty until proven innocent and that is not right.

The players have to be furious though. Steroids help players recover from injury quicker, keeps them at their peak performance longer and helps string along their careers for much longer than they should be playing for.

While some players have their few good years and are lucky to play in the league for a few years before their play drops off, players using steroids are staying on the field longer.

Bonds, for example, averaged 45 homeruns a year during his last eight years of his career in which he played at least 126 games (in 2005, Bonds only played in 14 games due to injury). That span started when Bonds was 35 years old, the age most players are on their last legs. Not Bonds though. He put 73 balls over the fence at the age of 36.

Roger Clemens also benefited from steroids, prolonging his career. Need an example? At the age of 41, Roger Clemens won the N.L. Cy Young Award, for being the best pitcher in the National League.

Steroids are helping players cheat. For pitchers it reduces recovery time from pitching, improving endurance and reducing injury. For the position player, it helps reduce the wear and tear from playing everyday and of course puts a lot more power into their swing.

There are, of course, side effects also. Things like blowing out muscles from overworking, and unchangeable side effects to the human body (I don't think anyone needs examples, we all know them).

Not only is it ruining a sport, it is also sending the wrong message to kids. Sure the side effects might be bad but setting records and making millions of dollars can sure out-weigh the negatives.

Major League Baseball has a huge problem on its hands. It can not ignore it like it has for years. They have to step up their testing policies and enforce major suspensions to try to scare people away from using.

While that won't scare all, it will stop some from taking them. As for the big fish in the game, it will eventually be revealed someday. Just ask Bonds, Clemens, or A-rod about that.

While Major League Baseball can not suspend A-rod or put any punishment in place, (The test in 2003 to prove A-rod was using also included 103 other players who all remain confidential. The test was a way for the MLB to see exactly how many players were using steroids. It was supposed to be confidential and no punishment was to be given to anyone. There was no set of rules in place and it was agreed upon by both Major League Baseball and the Players Union. Major League Baseball should step up its testing and also try to get the message across to younger players in high school and college that steroid use will not be tolerated.

For now, question marks are put on every player. We put all our eggs in the basket with A-rod and he burned us. Let's pray that players like Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas were clean. As fans, that is all we can really do.

Hopefully someday, a player will come through and clear all of the garbage blocking that light and put some integrity back in Major League Baseball.

For now though, all we have is black clouds overhead.

Ellis to the Power Play?

2009-02-12T14:06:00.000-05:00

After going 1-for-12 on power play chances last night in a 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff is going to make some changes.

The biggest will be grinder Matt Ellis being moved to one of the power play units.

Ellis has only four goals and three assists on the season (for a grand total of seven points), so of course he is not being moved for his offensive performance. So what does Lindy Ruff see in the guy?

Heart. Determination. A player who goes all out every time he touches the ice. And that is just to name a few.

Last evening, the Sabres were soft. They were playing too much on the perimeter. No one was going towards the net and they were all trying to make the pretty play too. Shots that came from the point were no trouble for rookie goalie Brian Elliott, who got a clear view of them with no Sabre anywhere near the front of the net.

Ellis will be that player who will take cross checks in front of the net to hold his ground in the crease and hopefully tip some pucks into the back of the net for his team.

It is being reported on WGR550.com that “both Ellis and [Drew] Stafford got advice from Patrick Lalime on what to do to bother a goalie”, also.

With a power play that is anything but powerful, a player like Ellis will bring some much needed grit to a unit that lacks it.

You won’t see any pretty plays from him, but as long as the puck hits the back of the net, it doesn’t really matter too much.

All goals look the same in the box score.

Gerbe to Stay in Buffalo

2009-02-12T09:33:00.000-05:00

It was being reported by WGR550.com and the Buffalo News that Buffalo Sabres prospect Nathan Gerbe remained in Buffalo after last night’s AHL Game at HSBC Arena.

The Portland Pirates took on the Albany River Rats last night, in front of over 11,000 fans in Buffalo. Instead of traveling back with the AHL team, Gerbe stayed and looks to be playing on the NHL squad.

After watching Gerbe for a short amount of time last night (he received a game misconduct for his role in an on-ice brawl) it dawned on me that he should receive the call to play with the Sabres for a little while, at least until Thomas Vanek returns to the lineup (in 3-4 weeks).

It looks as if head coach Lindy Ruff agrees with me.

Before he was booted, Gerbe did score a goal on a one-timer from Tim Kennedy in the 1st period. It was his 20th goal of the season, and his 37th point overall in only 32 AHL games.

Gerbe has already has one stint in the NHL this season (6 games in which he registered 1 assist, but was also a plus 3) and he is ready to have a shot at another one.

Last night alone, Gerbe who stands at only 5’ 5”, showed that he had the toughest to defend himself, something that Lindy Ruff loves.

On two occasions, Gerbe stuck up for himself when getting pushed around by bigger players.

One occasion occurred when Gerbe was going to the front of the net after the play and was met by two Albany players who shoved him around. Gerbe went right at them though, eventually hauling one of the opposing players to the ice while the linesman was breaking them up.

Gerbe also took some swings at the Albany bench after the play, but not until he was getting swung at first. He stuck up for himself though, and showed that he will not take anyone’s crap in the NHL because of his size.

With the Sabres leading goal scorer, Thomas Vanek, estimated to miss 12 games to injury, Gerbe is a smart choice to get recalled to try to bring some offense to the Buffalo squad.

While you cannot replace 32 goals and 52 points overall, Gerbe will take his best shot at it.

I don’t expect him to play with just the bottom lines either. Look for Gerbe to get his chance with some of the best skill players the Sabres have and to get some time on the powerplay too, to try to put the puck in the net for Buffalo.

The Sabres saved travel expenses with keeping Gerbe in Buffalo. Lets see if he will return the favor and help save the Sabres playoff chances.