Category: Buffalo Bills (Page 5 of 12)

Happy Retirement, Gibran Hamdan

6 June, 2010 / Kat

Photo: BuffaloBills.com

A quick note to wish the only recent Buffalo Bills quarterback not to give the fan base heartburn a good retirement. Late last week, Gibran Hamdan, former Bills third string quarterback, announced his retirement from football at the grand ol’ age of 29. Hamdan had been released by the Bills midway through last season, having taken only two NFL snaps. He had signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in March, and had been competing against Cleo Lemon and Ken Dorsey – two quarterbacks with NFL experience – in training camp.

I wish Hamdan had been given a chance to take a few snaps with the Bills (his two NFL snaps were with Washington). He had shown his worth in NFL Europe (where he was a league MVP in 2006), and had a few inches on Ryan Fitzpatrick and a bit more sturdiness than Trent Edwards. All things considered, Hamdan was the only Bills quarterback of the past two years not to evoke any ire in the fanbase (because he didn’t play, but still.)

WGR 550 reports that Hamdan aspires towards a broadcasting career – not surprising, given that ESPN football writer Tim Graham once remarked that Hamdan was one of the “more passionate and insightful interviews” he had done on the beat. Happy trails, Gibran Hamdan. Best of luck in your future endevors.

Five Questions With…Matt Johnson of TwoEightNine

22 March, 2010 / Kat

twoeightnine's "Franchise Quarterbacks - Buffalo Bills" shirt. (Photo: TwoEIghtNine)

Featured several times on Yahoo Sports’ Puck Daddy (the pantheon of hockey blogs, if you will), twoeightnine Design’s t-shirts have become a hot commodity for hockey fans all over. With shirts featuring those always present allegations of diving towards Sidney Crosby, and an Shepard Fairey-esque salute to the single man who turned around Washington (hockey, that is), the online shirt shop struck a chord with fans that wanted witty and intelligent fan t-shirts.

Of course, once I found out Matt Johnson, the founder of twoeightnine, was running his business out of Western New York, and that he features the following “Franchise Quarterbacks – Buffalo Bills” shirt in his store, I had to feature him on the blog. Besides talking t-shirts, I of course had to ask Matt’s thoughts on the always depressing state of the Buffalo Bills. Continue reading

The Steve Tasker of the BU Hockey Team

9 February, 2010 / Kat

Luke Popko in the 2009 Hockey East Championship Game (InsideHockey.com)

While livetweeting the Beanpot for BU Today last week, I remarked how much I enjoyed watching BU senior forward Luke Popko on the penalty kill. He may be diminutive, but he is one of the most effective penalty killers I have ever seen. He is especially effective when BU is two men down. He also doesn’t shy away from blocking a shot, and stays out there and gets peppered, often barely limping off the ice after taking several shots to his body. He truly plays like a second goalie, just without the extra padding.

During the Beanpot championship game this Monday (which BU lost 4-3), I was watching Popko on the penalty kill for the seemingly millionth time in the past four years when it finally hit me. Popko is a short, extremely effective, and fearless special teamer.

He is, by analogy, the Steve Tasker of the Boston University Terriers.

Thank You Penn Quarter Sports Tavern, the Amerks and as always, Rian Lindell: What I’m Thankful for This Thanksgiving

26 November, 2009 / Kat

Last year’s “What I’m Thankful for This Thanksgiving” post came a day after my blog reached all time readership highs due to my live “Oh my gosh, John Curry is playing in an NHL game” blog. If I had only knew what would follow for my little ol’ blog…

So given all that has happened to me sports-wise in the past year, I have nearly too much fodder for a “What I’m Thankful” for post. I’ve whittled it down to some of the most amusing or important points – I apologize if I’ve left out anything or anyone.

Thank you, Rian Lindell (#9). (Photo: BuffaloBills.com)

– Like last year, I am thankful for Rian Lindell. He is the only consistent part of the Buffalo Bills. I still do not understand why more baby boys born in the Western New York area are not named Rian. He’s made 90% of his field goals this season, and is a perfect 100% on point after touchdowns. He’s trick play savvy, and may actually be a better quarterback than any other quarterback currently on the Bills roster (just kidding…I think.)

– I am thankful for the Penn Quarter Sports Tavern, located in Washington, DC. This tavern became our home base while in DC for the Frozen Four. The bartenders were accommodating, hysterical, and can handle large crowds of somewhat rowdy college hockey fans extremely well. When I was back in DC for some work travel in August, I went inside and the bartender – who is known to wear either a UNH hockey jersey or a Normar green Red Sox jersey when he tends bar – remembered me and got excited because another New Englander was at the bar. Penn Quarter, hands down, is my favorite sports bar of all time. Thank you for taking good care of us college hockey fans. Continue reading

Uneasy Moments in Dunkin’ Donuts

20 September, 2009 / Kat

Not an iced coffee, but an example of how much both my cat and I run on Dunkin'. And why it's weird to go in their as a Bills fan.

Not an iced coffee, but an example of how much both my cat and I run on Dunkin'. And why it's weird to go in there as a Bills fan.

Sunday morning, I woke up earlier than usual, and decided to take advantage of this extra time and do laundry. I got ready, threw on my Buffalo Bills sweatshirt, Bills earrings and jeans, and beat the crowd to my local Allston laundromat by all of five minutes. I snapped up my three washers, started my laundry, and headed over to the Dunkin’ Donuts across the street. This is the DD’s where one of the employee’s routinely refers to me as “Ms. Cinna-mina-mon”, after the morning I was more dead to the world than usual and couldn’t say cinnamon to save my life. (Because I live on a small cinnamon iced coffee with cream and sugar. If this is not drank in the morning, than my day will be largely unsuccessful.)

Being 8am on a Sunday morning in Allston, Massachusetts (aka college party central of America), my usual swamped Dunkin’ Donuts was dead. One person in front of me getting a Coolata, one person at the doggie window getting something equally as complicated, so my Bills clad self waiting patiently in line, ready to order my iced cinnamon when it was my turn.

Someone else entered the Dunkin’ Donuts and got in line next to me. He cleared his throat and then stifled a laugh. I snuck a glance. This young man was wearing a new but fashionably antique-y looking Pat-the-Patriot-sporting New England Patriots sweatshirt.