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for March 2011
 According to a report by a website called “Victory Bell Rings”, new Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula is allegedly interested in buying the Buffalo Bills and according to the author, has already started the ball rolling.
The site, which frankly I’ve never heard of and seems to be geared towards Penn State athletics, says that no timetable could be released at this time, but cites a source as saying Pegula is interested in the Bills.
While I’m not going to shoot down the credibility of a report when I don’t know the publication nor it’s author, who goes by the name of “Ben”, I was at the Pegula press conference last month when he took over the Sabres and was asked point-blank if he’d be interested in becoming the owner of the Bills if they either go up for sale or after Ralph Wilson passes on. Pegula clearly seemed to know little about the situation and said without hesitation that it’s not something he’s even thought about it.
Continue reading ‘Is Terry Pegula Interested In Buying The Bills?’
 The National Lacrosse League today announced that Buffalo Bandits forward John Tavares and defenseman Chris Corbeil each earned Player of the Week honors for Week 10 of the 2011 NLL Season.
Tavares was named NLL Offensive Player of the Week after his six-point performance in Saturday’s 12-10 win vs. Boston. Tavares scored four times in the victory, including the game-winning goal. Tavares has a team-high 48 points (21+27) on the season.
Corbeil earned NLL Defensive Player of the Week honors for a strong defensive performance vs. Boston. Corbeil recovered five loose balls and forced one turnover in the win, and also scored his fourth goal of the season. Corbeil has a team-high 80 loose balls this season, which ranks him second among all NLL defensemen.
Continue reading ‘Two Bandits Get Player Of Week Honors’
 With television ratings on MSG up 20% since February 22, the Buffalo Sabres today announced they will begin airing a 30-minute pre-game show for every home and away telecast starting this Saturday when Buffalo hosts the Atlanta Thrashers in a 7 p.m. faceoff. In addition, Rob Ray will now be a part of all home and away broadcasts, including the pre- and post-game shows.
Kevin Sylvester will host “Degree Game Night,” a 30-minute pre-game show that previews each night’s opponent, player and coach interviews, and news from around the NHL, including a detailed look at the playoff races in each conference. Rick Jeanneret and Harry Neale will stop by with their thoughts on the game, and Mike Robitaille will continue to provide his unique insight and analysis for all home games, along with a special video segment. Rob Ray will provide video analysis for all road games.
Buffalo’s TV ratings on MSG have averaged 7.9 since February 22, peaking with an 8.9 on March 6 in Minnesota. This was the fourth game of 8.0 or higher since February 22, and the team’s best rating since a 9.0 on opening night in Ottawa on October 8. Among all US markets, Buffalo’s numbers trail only Pittsburgh for local viewership ratings.
 ( Since we’re growing tired of talking about who the Buffalo Bills may take with the third overall pick, this is the third in a 10-part series about who the Bills are most likely to target with their second round draft pick. The Bills hold the second pick of round two, 34th overall)
Mason Foster, Washington (OLB)
An extremely productive member of the Huskies defense in his four years at Washington, Foster brings an impressive number of accolades to the table. The 6-foot-2, 245 pound linebacker became a starter midway through his freshman year and proceeded to earn team defensive MVP in his sophomore and senior seasons.
In 2010, he led the PAC-10 with 163 tackles – 58 more than the runner-up in that category – and also tallied a career-high seven sacks.
Although Washington’s defense ranked 80th in the NCAA after yielding an average of 29.3 yards-per-game, Foster still managed to emerge as a legitimate NFL prospect. Initially projected as a third or fourth-round pick, he saw his stock rise after helping his team win their final four remaining games, including a 19-7 upset over #18 Nebraska in the Holiday bowl. Primarily an outside linebacker in the 4-3 scheme run by Washington, Foster is thought to have the versatility to play inside linebacker in a 3-4 look as well.
Continue reading ‘Bills Second Round Prospects: Mason Foster’
 The NYS DEC has announced it will revise the present law regarding baitfish and the ability to transport purchased or collected bait.
Presently an angler is not permitted to transport any baitfish collected on their own to any other body of water even if the bait was collected on the same body of water he or she is fishing. For example; if I went to Blue Water Marine on Grand Island and dipped my net for a scoop of minnows then put them in my truck and drove over to the foot of Ontario Street and fished from shore there I would be in violation of this regulation.
For baitfish to be used one must purchase the bait where the fish have been tested and deemed disease free and cleared for use among fisherman. In addition to the purchase a receipt with the angler’s name, species specificity and date must accompany the bait and the receipt voids after ten days.
Continue reading ‘Proposed Change To Baitfish Regulation’
 Canisius College will host the synchronized swimming 2011 U.S. Collegiate National Championships this weekend scheduled for March 17-19. The event will take place at the Town of Tonawanda Aquatic and Fitness Center. The three-day event will see 21 teams take to the pool featuring last year’s champion Ohio State along with Stanford who finished 10-points ahead of the Griffs with 82 points in 2010. The Griffs look to improve upon last year’s third-place-finish in Palo Alto Calif.
The Griffs head into the weekend fresh of their 14th-straight ECAC Championship two weeks ago, sweeping every event the team competed in, which has been a theme all year for the Blue and Gold. Freshman Svetlana Ponkratova has been a first-year sensation for Canisius taking first-place in every solo meet she’s participated in while helping to contribute to a clean sweep of duet, trio and team events this season. The Himki, Russia native even took first in the A Figures routine during the ECAC Championships, which is the most difficult figures routine in synchronized swimming. Sophomore Victoria Mintz and senior Laurie Wakelam figure to be a big part of the Griffs surge for a national championship as Mintz will team with Ponkratova during the duet event and Wakelam will join that duo during the trio event.
Continue reading ‘Canisius Hosts Synchronized Swimming National Championships’
 We don’t know exactly when it’s going to happen, with multiple reports surfacing it could commence in as little as two to four weeks. We also don’t know what the rule will be in regards to seasons accrued, whether it’s fourth, fifth of sixth year players meeting minimum requirements. But even with the NFLPA decertifying and the owners locking the players out, there is going to be NFL free agency.
Without heavily delving into the legal aspects of how free agency will work (we’ll save that for someone more in the know) we’re going to focus on the Buffalo Bills and what approach they make take in the open market.
It’ s no secret the Bills could use a number of roster upgrades. When you’re coming off a 4-12 season and haven’t sniffed the playoffs in over a decade, finding quality veterans to blend in with incoming rookies is a necessity to improve your football team– especially in a division stacked with New York, New England and Miami.
Continue reading ‘Bills Free Agency Preview: Wide Receivers’
 Buffalo State sophomore guard Jake Simmons was named All-East Region first team by D3hoops.com after helping the Bengals to a 23-7 season and an appearance in the “Sweet 16” of the NCAA Tournament.
Simmons led the Bengals and the SUNYAC in scoring, averaging 19.5 points-per-game and became just the 19th player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points, tallying 1,007 in just two seasons. The philosophy major also set a school record hitting 92 3-pointers, and his 159 in two season also broke the school’s career mark. Simmons was a contributor on defense as well, leading the league in steals with 77 and ranked 25th in the nation in that category.
Simmons, who also garnered first team All-SUNYAC honors, will now advance to the All-America ballot. Those honorees will be announced this Saturday during the D3hoops.com championship game broadcast.
 Are you a winner like Charlie Sheen, at least when it comes to picking NCAA Tournament brackets? Want your opportunity to prove that just like Chris Jericho, you’re the best in the world at what you do? Well, with March Madness in full bloom, now is your chance to show what you got.
We’re holding a contest here at Buffalo Sports Daily via Yahoo Sports. Enter your name in the hat and pick the winners for the NCAA Tournament. It’s completely free and there’s plenty of bragging rights on the line.
To enter, simply click this link right here. The league name is Buffalo Sports Daily and the password, of course is winning. It should take you less than 10 minutes to register and fill your bracket out, unless you’re actually planning on putting heavy thought into it. See the details on the site for a complete list of rules and scoring.
We’ll be publishing a list of leaders daily throughout the tournament. Hurry, the deadline is fast approaching.
Our friends at the Feather & Fur Bait Shop in conjunction with OutdoorsNiagara.com are at it again with another fabulous fishing tournament.
Friday April 1, is the spring ’11 Bullhead Contest open to any Niagara County waters from 6pm on the 1st until noon on April 2nd. Winner is the best weight of two fish and the entry fee is $10 per angler or $15 for two. The contest is limited to brown and yellow bullhead, no catfish. Further contest details and on-loin registration available at www.outdoorsniagara.com via PayPal or Feather and Fur Bait Shop at 3627 Wilson Cambria Road, Wilson, NY.
 For the third consecutive year, the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team has earned a berth in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) and will host Lehigh in opening-round action Thursday at 7 p.m.
The Bonnies (20-11) advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Championship before falling to Temple, which received a 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Lehigh (21-10) earned the auto bid into the WNIT out of the Patriot League despite dropping a 69-64 decision in the conference semifinals to American.
St. Bonaventure received an at-large selection in the 64-team field announced following the NCAA Selection Show Monday evening. The field includes 31 teams that earned an automatic berth by virtue of winning their respective conference’s regular-season championship, and 33 at-large bids.
Continue reading ‘Women Bonnies To Host Lehigh In WNIT Opening Round Thursday’
 A pair of key LSU defenders will be visiting Orchard Park over the next few days as the Buffalo Bills continue their due diligence on all draft weekend possibilities.
Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reported that top prospect Patrick Peterson will be visiting with the team soon. The consensus top rated cornerback entering the draft has several visits lined up, including all six teams holding the top picks in the draft (Carolina, Denver, Cincinnati, Arizona and Cleveland).
Most don’t consider Peterson a need with the third overall pick, but he’s top end talent and the bottom line is Buffalo lacks players with elite skills. Leodis McKelvin seems entrenched at cornerback but Terrence McGee has durability concerns, not to mention he’s getting up in age while Drayton Florence is a pending free agent who may or may not be back, though I’m told the organization would like him to return.
Continue reading ‘Report: Pair of LSU Defenders To Visit Bills’
 We don’t know exactly when it’s going to happen, with multiple reports surfacing it could commence in as little as two to four weeks. We also don’t know what the rule will be in regards to seasons accrued, whether it’s fourth, fifth of sixth year players meeting minimum requirements. But even with the NFLPA decertifying and the owners locking the players out, there is going to be NFL free agency.
Without heavily delving into the legal aspects of how free agency will work (we’ll save that for someone more in the know) we’re going to focus on the Buffalo Bills and what approach they make take in the open market.
It’ s no secret the Bills could use a number of roster upgrades. When you’re coming off a 4-12 season and haven’t sniffed the playoffs in over a decade, finding quality veterans to blend in with incoming rookies is a necessity to improve your football team– especially in a division stacked with New York, New England and Miami.
Continue reading ‘Bills Free Agency Preview: Running Backs’
 The University at Buffalo men’s basketball team got scoring from seven different players as it defeated Quinnipiac, 75-68, in the first round of the Collegeinsider.com Postseason Tournament. The win is UB’s second ever postseason victory and it’s first on the road.
Neither team shot the ball particularly well in the first half as the game was tied on 11 different occasions in the opening 20 minutes with neither team ever leading by more than three points until the halftime buzzer. The game was tied at 29-29 with 1:16 left when junior Mitchell Watt broke the tie with two free throws. After a missed layup by the Bobcats, UB was able to further its lead as freshman Jarod Oldham beat the halftime buzzer, giving the Bulls a 33-29 lead at the break.
The Bulls began the second half on a 17-9 run over the first seven minutes, which was capped off by what possibly may be the play of the game. The Bobcats had a 4-on-1 break on the offensive end when senior Byron Mulkey was able to steal the ball and begin a break for the Bulls. He found a wide open Zach Filzen on the wing for a three pointer, which gave the Bulls their largest lead of the game.
Continue reading ‘UB Gets First Ever Postseason Road Win’
 We don’t know exactly when it’s going to happen, with multiple reports surfacing it could commence in as little as two to four weeks. We also don’t know what the rule will be in regards to seasons accrued, whether it’s fourth, fifth of sixth year players meeting minimum requirements. But even with the NFLPA decertifying and the owners locking the players out, there is going to be NFL free agency.
Without heavily delving into the legal aspects of how free agency will work (we’ll save that for someone more in the know) we’re going to focus on the Buffalo Bills and what approach they make take in the open market.
It’ s no secret the Bills could use a number of roster upgrades. When you’re coming off a 4-12 season and haven’t sniffed the playoffs in over a decade, finding quality veterans to blend in with incoming rookies is a necessity to improve your football team– especially in a division stacked with New York, New England and Miami.
Continue reading ‘Bills Free Agency Preview: Quarterbacks’
 ( Since we’re growing tired of talking about who the Buffalo Bills may take with the third overall pick, this is the second in a 10-part series about who the Bills are most likely to target with their second round draft pick. The Bills hold the second pick of round two, 34th overall)
Martez Wilson, Illinois (ILB)
One of the nation’s top football recruits out of a Chicago-area high school, Wilson spurned offers from powerhouses such as Miami (Fl.), USC, and Notre Dame to play for his local Illini. The 22-year-old’s calling cards are his physicality and knack for disrupting plays in the backfield. With 112 tackles (11.5 behind the line of scrimmage) and four sacks last season, the 6-foot-4, 250 pounder flashed the play-making ability to be a tempting option to many NFL teams come April.
After missing virtually all of the 2009 season with a herniated disc, Wilson returned to anchor Illinois’ front seven in his final campaign. Primarily used as an inside linebacker, he also found success towards the end of the 2010 season in rushing off the edge.
Continue reading ‘Bills Second Round Prospects: Martez Wilson’
 This Saturday evening was Roller Derby night in North Tonawanda, with the Queen City Roller Girls hosting both an inter-league bout between the Nickle City Knockouts and the Suicidal Saucies as well as the QCRG’s first WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) home bout between the Lake Effect Furies and the Hudson Valley Horrors.
It was truly a treat to watch the first contest between Nickle City and the Saucies as it boasted some of the smartest skating I’ve seen to date from the QCRG. Strategy was the word of the night starting in Jam 1, Period 1 with Dr. Dementer-#00 of the Saucies putting an obvious target on jammer and fan favorite Addy Rawl of the Knockouts.
Dementer’s mission allowed jammer B’kini Wacks to score four points for the Saucies at the onset. The rest of the first period followed the same formula with Addy Rawl getting the brunt of the bruising and both teams creeping up the score board slowly but surely.
Continue reading ‘Roller Derby Takes Center Stage In North Tonawanda’
 It only seemed fitting on a day that one of the all-time great Buffalo Sabres snipers tragically passed away that two budding scoring stars of their own backboned a Sabres victory.
Mourning the loss of Rick Martin, who died in a car accident Sunday morning, youngsters Tyler Ennis scored two goals and Nathan Gerbe added another as Buffalo scored an emotional 6-4 win over Ottawa at the HSBC Arena Sunday.
Another part of the Sabres youth movement, Mike Weber had three assists.
Thomas Vanek, Paul Gaustad and Brad Boyes also scored for Buffalo as Jhonas Enroth got the start in place of a resting Ryan Miller and made 34 saves.
Continue reading ‘Sabres Earn Emotional Win Over Ottawa On Somber Day’
 The Longwood Lancers earned a four-game weekend sweep of Buffalo after taking two games Sunday afternoon, 8-2 in game one and 5-4 in game two.
In game one, the two teams were embroiled in a defensive battle, with junior pitcher Cameron Copping holding the Lancers to just one run in the first four innings. In that time, the Bulls built a 2-1 lead going in to the bottom of the fifth due to an RBI double by Tom Murphy that drove home Matt Pollock. Another run was added in the top of the fifth thanks to a solo home run by Daniel Scahill to lead off. The team managed only three more hits for the rest of the game, though, while Longwood scored four in the fifth, two more in the sixth and one more run in the seventh.
Copping pitched 5.1 innings, allowing seven runs (four earned) while striking out four and walking none. Senior Jesse Reinstein gave up one run in 1.2 innings of relief and Kevin Hughes pitched a scoreless inning with a strikeout and no hits allowed.
Continue reading ‘UB Baseball Struggles In Getting Swept’
 Sometimes reporting the news sucks. Former Buffalo Sabres legend Rick Martin has passed away following a car crash, according to the New York State Police. Reports indicate Martin suffered a heart attack while driving on Main Street in Clarence.
Martin was 59 years old.
Martin was back in Buffalo on the HSBC Arena recently after Terry Pegula took over the team. In Pegula’s first game as owner, he brought out Martin along with Rene Robert and Gilbert Perrault to reunite the “French Connection.”
One of the greatest Sabres to ever put on a uniform, Martin scored 382 goals as a Buffalo Sabre. He had back-to-back 52 goal seasons in 1973-74 and 1974-75 and scored at least 44 goals three other times.
Martin is second all-time in franchise history with goals and third in points (695).
This is obviously a horrible tragedy and we’ll have more details as they become available.
 The University at Buffalo men’s basketball team has learned its season will continue as it has been selected to play in the CollegeInsiders.com Tournament. The Bulls will play at Quinnipiac on Monday night in the first round of the 24-team postseason tournament.
Buffalo will be playing postseason basketball for the third time as a Division I program. The Bulls played in the National Invitation Tournament in 2005 and the College Basketball Invitational in 2009.
“To be invited to play in this event is big for us. It’s a reward for the year and we’re looking forward to it,” head coach Reggie Witherspoon said. “It’s a big time challenge. But there have been some very good programs in it.”
Continue reading ‘Bulls to Play Quinnipiac in CollegeInsider.com Tournament’
 I spoke with a source connected with the Buffalo Bills and learned the team will be bringing in linebacker Von Miller for a private workout. I’ve yet to find out the details exactly when the workout is happening, but Miller is coming to visit Orchard Park and the Bills coaching staff.
Bills head coach Chan Gailey has already spent time with Miller, working with him at the Senior Bowl in January.
The 6-foot-2, 237-pound Texas A&M pass rusher had 10.5 sacks last season after leading the nation with 17 the year before. He also led the Aggies with 17.5 tackles for losses. Miller played in a 3-4 defense after playing in a 4-3 as a junior, proving he can productive in either scheme.
“Von Miller would fit in any defense really well,” Gailey said during the Senior Bowl. “He looks like he’s a very explosive player. He’s one of the few guys I happened to see a little bit during the course of the season, and he’s an explosive football player. I think he’s going to be a good get for whoever gets him. He’d help us, just like he’d help a lot of teams.”
Continue reading ‘Source: Von Miller To Work Out For Bills’
 The Canisius College hockey team faced a two-goal third-period deficit in an elimination game on Saturday night but the Griffs rallied for a 3-2 overtime victory to force a deciding game on Sunday. Freshman Kyle Gibbons led the rally for the Griffs, scoring an extra-attacker goal with 3.5 seconds remaining in regulation and netting the game-winning overtime goal. With the win, Canisius improves to 13-18-6 on the season and ends the nation’s longest unbeaten streak as the Crusaders fall to 16-15-5
In the extra session, freshman Ryan Bohrer found Gibbons open in the low slot from the behind the net. Gibbons then fired the shot in with 4:22 left in the overtime to give Canisius the victory. Sophomore Torrey Lindsay also recorded an assist on the game-winning score.
“I saw Torrey Lindsay pass the puck to Ryan Bohrer.,” Gibbons said. “I’ve been playing with him all year and we have had great chemistry. I saw his skate around the net and I moved into a good position. I didn’t even have to call for it, he just gave it to me on the tape and I ripped it over the goaltenders shoulder. It is one of the best feelings I had playing hockey in awhile.”
Continue reading ‘Canisius Hockey Forces Deciding Game’
 I-Prep at Grover and Jamestown will get a shot at winning state titles in boy’s high school basketball as Section VI went two-for-five in Far West Regional games at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester on Saturday.
Jamestown advanced in the Class-AA division with a thrilling 60-58 overtime win over Irondequoit in the last game of the day. Jaysean Paige, who finished with 24 points and senior Joey Campion hit huge three-pointers consecutively as Jamestown took a six point lead with just over two minutes left before holding off Irondequoit in the final sections. It’s the farthest Jamestown has ever gotten and they’ll be making their first trip ever to Glenn Falls to play in the state semifinals.
Grover (19-3) advanced to Glen Falls in Class-C with a 62-50 victory over East Rochester. Chris Holland led a balanced Grover attach with 16 points while Percy Pringle added 15 points and Maurice Cheatom had 14. Grover will try to follow in the footsteps of OTC Middle College, who captured the state Class-C crown last year in Glen Falls.
Continue reading ‘Grover, Jamestown Advance To State Finals In Hoops’
 The Buffalo Sabres entered the final regulation period of their seven-game road trip feeling good with a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Unfortunately, they proceeded to play arguably their worst 20 minutes of their two week journey and it would cost them valuable points in the standings.
Mikhail Grabovski and Phil Kessel scored in a span of 2:33 early in the third period as the Leafs turned a one goal deficit into a 4-3 victory over Buffalo Saturday night.
The trip was still a success for the Sabres, who went 4-2-1 and for the time being remain tied for seventh place in the Eastern Conference with the New York Rangers. Both teams have 74 points (with New York playing at San Jose at the time of this publishing). Carolina is two points behind both teams while Toronto moved to a tie with Atlanta and just four points behind the clubs. New Jersey isn’t out of it either; just four points out of eighth place.
Continue reading ‘Sabres Conclude Road Trip With Loss At Toronto’
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