Mixed Martial Arts on CBS

Mixed martial arts makes its network TV debut on Saturday. It airs on CBS from 9-11pm. I'll admit that I don't know much about the sport. I do know its popular, some say now more than boxing. What is the appeal? Is it just for the young male demographic, or is it more widespread?

Give me some feedback on the sport, and why you like it. Based on what we hear, we'll make a decision whether to show it on our sportscast. Does Kimbo Slice (left) deserve some of our valuable time? Let me hear from you, MMA fans.

Hardy's Not the Only Big WR

Under a beautiful blue sky in Orchard Park today, everything seemed upbeat around the Bills OTA. We've had some fans ask about 8th round draft pick Steve Johnson in recent blogs, so I kept an eye on him during some of today's workout.
There's a lot to like about Johnson, starting with his size. Although not as big as James Hardy, Johnson already is one of the bigger receivers on the Bills roster (6-2, 202lbs.). He seems to have a knack for making plays, also. Today, working with the third unit offense against the third team defense, Johnson made an outstanding play in the red zone, catching a pass for a touchdown before falling to the ground. He's coming off a very productive senior season at Kentucky, after struggling in his first year with the Wildcats. Johnson caught 60-passes for UK last year, 13 of them for touchdowns. It's still very early, but it's not hard to project Johnson on the roster as the Bills 5th WR. I know some Bills coaches and scouts are already impressed with him.
What's more, Johnson shows talent as a freestyle rapper. Check out this You Tube clip of Johnson inspring his teammates in the Kentucky locker room last year:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzQMT5BWXlU

OTA Plus Extra Work

It was very encouraging today, at the end of the Bills Organized Team Activity, to watch QB Trent Edwards get in some extra work with WR James Hardy. While the rest of their teammates headed off to the locker room, Edwards and Hardy (above) spent an extra 15-20 minuites at the far end of the practice field. They worked on fade patterns in the end zone, with Hardy going up high to bring down Edwards throws.
Even better news--it was Hardy's idea. "The funny thing is that James actually came to me, as a rookie who wants to get better, " Edwards told us. "He wants to get better as fast as he can. That says alot about a guy who has a lot of talent, a lot of skill. He obviously has the work ethic."
As I said around draft day, the prospect of Hardy snaring end zone fade passes from Edwards is the most exciting thing he can bring to the Bills offense right away. You have to throw some credit Edwards' way also. In just his second year, staying after a voluntary practice to work on timing and chemistry with a rookie shows a great deal of leadership on the quarterback's part.

Does anyone care about the NBA Playoffs?

The defending world champion, San Antonio Spurs are about to be eliminated from the Western Conference finals, and the Lakers are on the verge of heading back to the NBA finals for the first time since 2004. Does anyone even care? LA leads their best of seven series 3 games to 1, while the Celtics lead Detroit 3 games to 2 in the Eastern Conference finals.

Is anyone in Buffalo Watching these games? Who's paying attention and who would you like to see win it all?

"The Kid's" Growing Up`

Home ice makes a huge difference, doesn't it? The Pittsburgh Penguins tapped into the energy at the Mellon Center tonight to get the jump on Detroit, a 2-0 lead. They had to sweat it out until the final horn, but the Pens have managed to make the Stanley Cup Finals relevant again, after looking lifeless and lost in the first two games. The most impressive thing about Game Three was Sidney Crosby's play. Not only did he score the game's first two goals, he virtually carried the team on his back. Crosby, still only 20-years old, is growing up right before our eyes.
"No doubt you're looking for your best player to bring his "A" game, and Sid did that tonight," said Coach Michel Therrien after the game. Whether it was the prime time US spotlight, or the encouragement of the home fans, or maybe just the need to play desperate hockey, Crosby responded. I can't wait until game four Saturday to see if Crosby can pick up where he left off tonight.

Whaddaya think? Can the Penguins square this series with a win Saturday?

Griffin Park Has a Nice Ring

Count me among those who think re-naming Dunn Tire Park to Griffin Park is a fitting and proper memorial to Buffalo's late mayor. There was no greater supporter of baseball in Buffalo than Jimmy Griffin. He played a key role in bringing professional baseball back to Buffalo in 1979, after a long drought when the original Buffalo Bisons left in the early 1970s. Griffin, of course, was a major force behind the downtown ballpark push in the 1980s. Long time observers reminded me today that Griffin originally wanted a grandiose downtown domed stadium to impress Major League Baseball, back when expansion was on baseball's front burner. He eventually agreed to push for a scaled back model with 19,500 seats, a stadium that had the capacity for installation of an upper deck, should Buffalo ever get a big league franchise. As mayor, Griffin pushed constantly for stadium construction and was the greatest booster the remarkable ballpark ever had.
I count April 14th, 1988, as one of the great days in Buffalo sports history. It was opening day at the downtown ballpark and Griffin threw out the first pitch. Back then, I broadcast Bison baseball for WBEN Radio with Pete Weber, and Mayor Griffin was as loyal a fan as the team ever had. He would sit in his first row seats in the upper deck, just to the right of the broadcast booth, and take his turn fielding the foul pop ups that came back his way. Jimmy Griffin found a home in the ballpark and understood the pace and nuances of the game.
I know there are financial considerations involved in forgoing the naming rights fee currently collected from Dunn Tire. Perhaps the rent charged to the Bisons should be adjusted to account for the shortfall, since the city and county take care of all maintenance and upkeep at the stadium.
But without much delay, the ballpark should be named for Mayor Griffin, in recognition of his leadership role in bringing professional baseball back to Buffalo, and enhancing the baseball experience in Western New York for generations.

Let us know what you think--should Dunn Tire Park be re-named Griffin Park?

Uncapped Chaos?

There's been a lot of talk about the 2010 season being uncapped, in light of the recent decision by the owners to opt out of the current CBA with the NFL Players Association. I know Bills fans think this will be a disaster, with most of the teams going on wild spending sprees and scooping up all the good players. Some teams, like the Redskins and Cowboys, may take advantage by spending over the current limits. But there are some real reasons why an uncapped year isn't a great benefit to most of the players and the teams.

In an uncapped season in 2010, there are also some restrictions that limit the amount of free spending.

1. Players will now need 6 seasons, not 4, to become unrestricted free agents. That will severely limit the available players, and make those free agents much older and less appealing for big-money contracts.

2. The top eight playoff finishers from the 2009 season will only be allowed to sign free agents at the rate they lose them. So, the Patriots couldn's spend big unless they lose players.

3. Teams will now be allowed 2 franchise tags, instead of the current one.

So, you can see how these rules will restrict many teams from going on wild shopping sprees. Keep in mind, many teams in the league (like the Bills) don't spend to the cap anyway. So an uncapped year won't change their fiscal approach.

I'm going to look at some Bills contracts, and see who might be affected by these 2010 rules, if it ever gets to that. I'll include that in a later post.