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for May 2010
 (Admitted hot head fan/blogger Joe Pinzone AKA “JoeFromNYC” would like to see five athletes permanently leave the city of Buffalo. Many don’t agree with his views–and many times we don’t either. But hey, we like to spice it up every now and then. )
5) Derek Roy
Honestly, I’ve never understood why so many fans hate Derek Roy. Seriously, the guy plays all 82 games a year. He only costs about $4-million per. He gets you 25-30 goals a season. All I ever hear from fans and media members is that Roy doesn’t play the right way. Whatever the hell that means. I guess the right way is Lindy Ruff’s way. I really think if the fans didn’t like Ruff so much, Roy wouldn’t be such a major punch line when it comes to jokes. Everyone knows the two can’t stand each other.
Now, I do understand the logic of what the “bad” Roy does. He’s a turnover machine. He constantly whines. He has a tendency to dive more so than Greg Louganis. And from what I gathered on the web (they are always right of course) he parties a little too much.
Continue reading ‘My Top Five: Players to get shipped out of Buffalo’
 Despite a report from a Buffalo Bills fan website stating otherwise, the team and Baltimore Ravens have not “agreed in principle” to any trade involving Ravens tackle Jared Gaither, and while a deal could still happen, nothing is imminent.
Everyone I’ve spoken with this weekend, a combination of reporters who cover the team(s) and sources of my own, have said to a man no deal of any kind has already been made, and if a trade happens it’s much more likely to be closer to the start of training camp.
It’s believed right now that Raven’s general manager Ozzie Newsome is asking a king’s ransom in return for Gaither, who has yet to sign his restricted free agent tender. While several credible reports floated around confirming the Bills heavy interest in Gaither, it remains to be seen if a deal can be worked out.
Continue reading ‘No Deal For Gaither Has Been Made’
 The Bisons lost their first four-game series of the season on Sunday when they fell to the Indians, 5-4, from Victory Field. The Herd’s 4-3 victory on Saturday night was the only win the team could collect during their four-game stay in Indianapolis.
The Bisons lost 9-2 on Thursday night and 8-5 on Friday night. The only other series Buffalo has lost in 2010 was from April 12-13 when the club was swept in a two-game set by Syracuse.
The Bisons had their chances to win on Sunday. The team left a season-high 15 men on base and hit just 3-16 with runners in scoring position. Herd had runners on base in every inning. They left the bases loaded in the first inning and two men on in the second, fifth, seventh and ninth frames.
Continue reading ‘Bisons leave 15 on base in loss to Indians’
 On a day featuring 50-mph wind gusts, the Cansius College baseball team used a nine-run sixth inning and hung on for a 23-20 victory over Manhattan at the Demske Sports Complex on Saturday. Canisius improves to 32-16 overall and 14-2 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Senior Ian Choy was 4-for-5 with five runs scored, two home runs and six RBI, recording the first four-hit game of his career. Junior Steve McQuail went 3-for-6 with three runs scored, six RBI and a third-inning grand slam. Sophomore Drew Pettit was 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBI while junior Will Chomicki was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. The Griffs’ top two hitters in the lineup – Perry Silverman and Sean Jamieson – didn’t have a hit on the day, but combined for six walks and five runs scored.
Continue reading ‘McQuail sets MAAC RBI Record for Canisius’
 ESPN’s Adam Schefter got the ball rolling Friday when he reported that the Buffalo Bills were interested in Jared Gaither, the Ravens could trade him before the season and Buffalo were the front runners as the destination.
“NFL sources still expect Ravens OT Jared Gaither to be traded before season and Bills are most likely destination – they want him.” Schefter tweeted.
A mere 24 hours later, Gaither talk has picked up steam. A newer, obscure website “Bills Beat” reported that the sides have already agreed to a deal in principle pending a contract extension for Gaither.
I spoke, via email to Schefter moments ago and he told me the report is not true.
“Not happening now,” Schefter told me. “Maybe one day in future, but not now.”
Schefter reiterated that that Gaither could be moved before the season starts and the Bills are clearly very interested in acquiring him, but it happening is anything but imminent… at least at this time.
That could change.
Continue reading ‘Reports vary regarding Jared Gaither’
 Last season, in a Week 11 loss to Jacksonville, Buffalo Bills rookie guard Eric Wood suffered a catastrophic lower leg injury that left both bones broken and, thanks to the compound nature of the fractures, muscle damaged. It was one of the most gruesome injuries you’ll ever see in the game of football.
Though he’s only roughly six months removed from surgery to repair the breaks, Wood is shooting for a July return to full football activities – and the Bills are counting on that return.
Wood’s leg injury got a vote of confidence from Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey when the team neglected to address their interior line depth issue until the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Though the team has since added four undrafted free agents to their interior line pool, if Wood is unable to return to the lineup in a timely fashion, Buffalo will be left scrambling attempting to fill the void.
Continue reading ‘Wood’s health critical for Bills interior OL’
 University at Buffalo men’s basketball head coach Reggie Witherspoon has been selected to serve as an assistant coach for the 2010 USA Men’s U18 National Team at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship, USA Basketball today announced. The coaching staff was selected by the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.
Witherspoon will work alongside head coach Jeff Capel of Oklahoma and the other assistant Paul Hewitt of Georgia Tech.
“It’s an unbelievable honor to be selected to represent our country and to work alongside Jeff Capel and Paul Hewitt,” said Witherspoon, who returns to USA Basketball after aiding the USA as a court coach at the 2006 USA U18 National Team Trials. “It’s a terrific honor.”
The FIBA Americas U18 Championship, from which the top four finishing teams advance to next summer’s FIBA U19 World Championship, will take place June 26-30 at the Bill Greehey Arena on the campus of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.
Continue reading ‘Witherspoon Tabbed as an Assistant Coach for USA Basketball’s U18 National Team’
 University at Buffalo men’s basketball head coach Reggie Witherspoon has announced the signing of three more players for the 2010-11 season. Auraum Nuiriankh (Baltimore, MD/Arundel/Charis Prep), Jarod Oldham (Decatur, IL/Eisenhower) and Corey Raley-Ross (Charlotte, NC/Harding) will join the Bulls next season along with November signees Cameron Downing (Tulsa, OK/Memorial) and Javon McCrea (Newark, NY/Newark).
Nuiriankh is a 6-5, 195-lb. swingman from Baltimore. He played at Charis Prep in North Carolina last season for head coach Carlos Peralta where he averaged 18 points and eight rebounds per game. He helped lead Charis to a 35-6 record last season. He graduated from Arundel High School in his hometown of Baltimore, MD where he played for Jeff Starr. He averaged 20 points per game his senior season en route to earning Baltimore Sun All-Anne Arundel County First Team honors. He participated in the Charm City Challenge in the Baltimore vs. United States game.
Continue reading ‘UB Adds Three Players During Spring Signing Period’
 Led by a match-high nine blocks from Williamsville native Max Lipsitz, the Penn State men’s volleyball team swept Cal. State- Northridge in the semi-final championship of the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Final Four, 30-21, 30-23, 30-28, on Thursday night.
Lipsitz, a six-foot-seven middle hitter and 2006 Williamsville North graduate, was named a First Team All-American this season and the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Player of the Year.
Tom Comfort, a 2009 Orchard Park graduate, is an opposite hitter for the Nittany Lions. The freshman was a Second Team All-American his senior year at Orchard Park and helped the Quakers to a 34-0 undefeated state championship.
Continue reading ‘Williamsville’s Lipsitz Leads Penn State to NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship’
 St. Bonaventure men’s basketball head coach Mark Schmidt announced on Friday morning that junior Lewis Leonard (Philadelphia, Pa./Frankford) will not return for the 2010-11 season.
“It’s unfortunate that Lewis will not complete his career at St. Bonaventure, but I respect his decision to transfer” said Schmidt. “We wish him the best of luck with his future in basketball, school and in life. He has been a tremendous teammate during his time with our program and I’m proud of the way he’s finished the semester in the classroom.”
A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Leonard saw time in nine games in 2009-10, averaging 0.9 points and 0.7 rebounds in his first year as a Bonnie after transferring from San Bernardino Valley College.
 ESPN’s Adam Schefter, citing NFL sources, is reporting via Twitter that the Baltimore Ravens are still expected to trade OT Jared Gaither prior to the start of the season – and that the Buffalo Bills are the leading suitor.
Schefter’s tweet in full: “NFL sources still expect Ravens OT Jared Gaither to be traded before season and Bills are most likely destination – they want him.”
Schefter’s ESPN cohort, Tim Graham, has embellished the report, claiming that the Bills have been “aggressively pursuing Gaither behind the scenes.”
Buffalo’s roster is currently devoid of top talent at the tackle position, and as it stands right now, Demetrius Bell, Jamon Meredith, Jason Watkins and rookie Ed Wang would all stand at least a small chance of being the opening-day starter at left tackle. Bell, thanks to his eight starts on the left side, is the most experienced option among that group.
Reports circulated prior to the 2010 NFL Draft that the Ravens were seeking a second-round pick for the 6′9″, 330-pound Gaither, whom the team has moved to right tackle to make way for Michael Oher on the blind side. Gaither had been Baltimore’s left tackle for the past two seasons. It’s unclear what sort of compensation they are seeking now.
Gaither, 24, a restricted free agent, was tendered at the first-round level in March. Whichever team acquires him will need to get a contract extension in place for him as well.
Brian Galliford is the leader of Buffalo Rumblings, the best Buffalo Bills’ fan site on the web, period. He’s generously allowed us to run his positional breakdown series. You can see this series as well as countless exclusive news and columns by clicking here)
 Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier announced the Sabres have signed defenseman Nick Crawford to a three-year entry level contract. The Sabres selected Crawford in the sixth round (164th overall) of the 2008 Entry Draft.
Crawford (6’1”, 183 lbs., shoots left, 2/23/1990) led all Ontario Hockey League defensemen in scoring this season, finishing with career highs in points (70), assists (59) and goals (11) in 68 games with the Barrie Colts and Saginaw Spirit. Crawford was named to the OHL’s First All-Star Team, and finished second in voting for the OHL’s Defenseman of the Year. In addition, Crawford was selected as the league’s Best Offensive Defenseman in the annual OHL Coaches Poll.
Continue reading ‘Buffalo Sabres sign Nick Crawford’
 Former Buffalo Sabre player and assistant coach Scott Arniel is becoming a hot commodity in the vacant NHL head coaching market. Arniel recently interviewed for the Columbus Blue Jackets job and according to the Winnipeg Province he’s also in line for a chance at the open Atlanta Thrashers position.
Current Portland Pirates coach Kevin Dineen also interviewed for the Columbus job and is considered the favorite to land the position. If he gets the job Arniel, could be quickly in line to take over in Atlanta.
Arniel played with the Sabres for three seasons from 1987-90. During that time he amassed 53 goals and 60 assists as an important checking line member of a team that went to the playoffs all three seasons he was there.
Continue reading ‘Coaches with Sabres ties are candidates for NHL jobs’
 Well, it didn’t take long for the Sabres to decide that Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff are going to stay in Buffalo next year and until the year 2030. Seriously, do Ruff and Regier have some sort of pornographic photos of Quinn and Golisano? I honestly don’t think these guys will ever get fired. Why should they get fired? Their owner hasn’t been seen since James Woods was his guest of honor. The only time Golisano makes any news is when he’s deciding on which political candidate to endorse or hating NYS taxes.
Speaking of dirty politics, can the Sabres stop putting down other teams? In response to a question about the Sabres needing to get bigger, Larry Quinn, the world renowned opportunist, decided to throw the Devils and Caps under the bus because their teams were big and are now playing on the 18th fairway. Yes, it didn’t sound whiny, but the message was sent. I just would rather have you look at yourself instead of the environment.
Continue reading ‘Wrapping up the Three Amigos’
 Former University at Buffalo defensive lineman Bruno Lapointe was selected by the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League on Sunday, May 2, 2010. LaPointe was selected in the fifth round as the 38th overall pick of the 2010 CFL draft.
A native of Lennoxville, Quebec, LaPointe played three seasons with the Bulls from 2007 to 2009, competing in 27 games. In his career, he compiled 36 total tackles, including 19 solo tackles, 17 assisted tackles and seven tackles for losses. He also added a sack and a pass breakup to his career totals.
LaPointe becomes the fourth Bulls’ player from the 2009 roster to join a professional football roster in the past two weeks including James Starks (Green Bay Packers), Naaman Roosevelt (Buffalo Bills) and Mike Newton (Indianapolis Colts).
Continue reading ‘UB’s LaPointe Looks to Stick in Canadian League’
 Junior Cory Conacher of the hockey team and senior Sylvia Kowalski of the women’s soccer team were honored as the Canisius College Male and Female Athletes of the Year at the athletic department’s annual awards ceremony, held on May 5 in the Montante Cultural Center. The awards were voted on by Canisius student-athletes, coaches, administrators and support staff.
The 2009-10 Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year, Conacher recorded 53 points, 20 goals, 33 assists, seven power-play tallies and five game-winning scores. His 53 points, 33 assists and five game-winning goals are all school-record totals, while his 20 goals rank third in the program’s history.
Conacher finished the season ranked second in the country with 1.51 points per game and was the only player to rank in the top 30 nationally in both goals and assists per game.
Continue reading ‘Conacher and Kowalski Are Canisius Athletes of the Year’
 At the school’s year-end Athletic Department banquet Jeremy Sajdak (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) was named the 2009-10 D’Youville College Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
In men’s volleyball, the six-five outside hitter had his best season as a Spartan earning team MVP honors. Sajdak averaged 4.31 kills per game, good for seventh nationally among NCAA Division III players, and received North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Western Division Second-Team honors. The third-year co-captain also averaged 1.63 digs and 0.50 blocks per game, and was the offensive catalyst for the team’s 18-14 overall record, up from 9-15 a season ago.
It is the eighth time in fourteen years a men’s volleyball player has won the school’s highest athletic award.
Continue reading ‘Sajdak Wins D’Youville College Student-Athlete of the Year’
 Junior Steve McQuail hit a walk-off homer in the 10th inning to give the Canisius College baseball team an 18-17 victory over rival Niagara at the Demske Sports Complex on Wednesday. The Golden Griffins improve to 31-16 overall.
Canisius hit a school-record six homers in the day, with McQuail and senior Shayne Willson each hitting two with Perry Silverman and Brian Burton also hitting a homer. Willson reached base in all six of his plate appearances, to go along with five runs scored. Silverman was 4-for-7 with three runs scored, leading off the game with a homer. Senior Paul Panik was 2-for-5 with four RBI.
Canisius responded to Niagara’s first-inning run with four runs of its own in the bottom of the first. Silverman led off with a homer into the Canisius bullpen in center field. The Griffs then got a two-RBI single from Panik and RBI single from Drew Pettit to take a 4-1 lead.
Continue reading ‘Canisius & Niagara hate good pitching’
 Nick Mendola, former WGR-500 radio personality and a friend to Buffalo Sports Daily, is making his debut this evening on 1230 WECK radio. His show is titled “The Late Nick Mendola”.
It airs from 7-10pm this evening and scheduled guests include Buffalo-born national media personality Luke Russert and University at Buffalo football lineman Peter Bittner among others.
Mendola left WGR in late April after four years with the station. He takes over as an evening sports talk host at WECK on nights that the New York Yankees aren’t playing. One of the things that most intrigued Mendola about switching positions is the University at Buffalo graduate will be part of WECK broadcasts of UB football and UB women’s basketball.
Continue reading ‘Mendola makes on-air debut for WECK tonight’
 The name Tim Kennedy is certainly a familiar one to hockey fans in Western New York. A graduate of Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School, Kennedy became a left wing mainstay for the Buffalo Sabres this past season. He was also a member of the Western Region hockey team that won the gold medal in 2002 and 2003. During the games he scored a total of six goals and assisted on eight others.
Tim played several years of his youth hockey career with the Buffalo Regals, where he led his team with a future teammate at Michigan State, Chris Mueller. He turned down a contract with the OHL because he wanted to play NCAA hockey.
Continue reading ‘Tim Kennedy fondly remembers ESG experience’
 One of the chief reasons that new Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey hired George Edwards as his defensive coordinator was because of his experience working in both 4-3 and 3-4 defensive alignments. We’ve known for about three months now that Buffalo would be switching its base alignment from a zone-based 4-3 to the 3-4, but given the sheer magnitude of that undertaking, we’ve also assumed that the team would be sprinkling in 4-3 looks as well.
GM Buddy Nix has focused on quantity this off-season, building competition across virtually every position on his young roster, throwing the proverbial noodles against the wall to see what sticks. As a result, Buffalo has numbers and options defensively, particularly along the defensive line and in the secondary, that should allow them to run 3-4 and 4-3 looks with ease.
Continue reading ‘Bills have personnel to run hybrid defensive looks’
 Triple-A, meet triple digits. The Aroldis Chapman radar show made its latest stop this week as the much-discussed defector of Cuba dazzled fans with his cannon left arm en route to earning his second victory of the season when the Louisville Bats knocked off the Buffalo Bisons, 20-7 in an absolute hit-fest this past Monday night.
Despite the hometown Bisons being in first place, the 6,132 fans at Coca-Cola Field watched the lengthy lefty heave his first four pitches 97, 98, 99 and finally 100 mph before giving him an ovation nearly as warm as the heat he delivered to elicit such.
Continue reading ‘Chapman recovers to impress in Buffalo’
 It’s not easy to see at first glance, but Jessica Grogan is a fiercely competitive athlete. The Canisius College sophomore and 2008 Orchard Park graduate is among the most dedicated athletes in collegiate synchronized swimming.
In her second year on the Canisius College synchronized swimming team, Grogan continues to demonstrate the devotion and perseverance required to compete among the top athletes in the sport.
Synchronized swimming is true act of athleticism that challenges the body and mind. Competitors painstakingly practice routines to ensure the precision of their actions, because even the most minute misstep will result in a reduction of points. It is for that reason the synchronized swimmers spend 20 hours a week in the pool and countless hours outside the water practicing their techniques and creating masterful routines that exhibit their skills.
Continue reading ‘Grogan earns reputation as fierce synchro competitor’
 Buffalo Sports Daily is searching for a few aspiring writers and/or columnists looking to build a portfolio and pad their resume by writing about some of the best local athletes and teams that Western New York has to offer.
We’re looking for writers willing to cover college, high school, golf and amateur sports as well as human interest topics. Our goal is to continue expanding and provide our regular visitors with interesting stories and profiles that go far beyond just the Buffalo Bills and Sabres.
We’re also searching for a gifted columnist or two to pen their own running blog about anything Buffalo sports.
Experience isn’t necessary, but talent is. If you’d like to get your work published and raise your profile on a website that’s seeing its readership grow on a daily basis, then this is the right gig for you.
If you’re interested in becoming part of the Buffalo Sports Daily team, send an email letter of interest and qualifications to info@buffalosportsdaily.com
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