Bills vs Jaguars Preview

Tonight the Bills play at Ralph Wilson Stadium for the first time in 9 months. The Bills are gonna look to put on a show for the home crowd, despite the non-sellout and blackout on local TV. Here are a few things to watch during the game tonight.

Players to Watch:

Shawne Merriman-With Merriman scheduled to play for the first time since Week 1 of the preseason he should be hyped up and ready for the game. As long as he can stay healthy he will dramatically improve the Bills pass rush.

Andy Levitre-The Bills are testing Levitre out all over the left side of the offensive line. He is in contention for the starting position at LT and LG while they also tested him out at Center in case starter Eric Wood goes down.

Michael Jasper-The one player I will be watching in the 4th quarter is big man Michael Jasper. Can he make the 53 man roster as the last defensive tackle? His play tonight will impact that decision. I really hope he can latch on with the team and make strides as a backup this year.

Matchup to Watch:

Jaguars Pass Rush vs. Bills Offensive Line-The Bills OL has looked atrocious the first two games. They have to improve for this team to have a chance to compete during the regular season. Hopefully they can improve today and make strides towards a good line.

My Prediction:

Bills 20 Jaguars 17

I see the Bills starting offense starting to gel with more practice under their belts. I think Fitzpatrick will start to play better despite poor play from the offensive line. The starters will probably play into the third quarter to let them get more time as a unit.

Irwin Tools Night Race Preview

The Irwin Tools Night Race is one of those races that should be watched tomorrow at 7:30 PM on ABC. The race is held at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Bristol is celebrating its 50th anniversary,and those 50 years have not disappointed Nascar fans. Bristol is a track where tempers will be settled on and off the track after the 500 lap event around the "Worlds Fastest Half Mile". Bristol is also known as "Thunder Valley". This race is one of the final races before the Chase begins, with only Atlanta and Richmond remaining. Qualifying was held yesterday afternoon, here is how they will line up for tonight's race:
Starting Line Up.

Row 1: 1. #39 Ryan Newman Chevy* 2. #99 Carl Edwards Ford*

Row 2: 3. #17 Matt Kenseth Ford* 4. #24 Jeff Gordon Chevy*

Row 3: 5. #5 Mark Martin Chevy 6. #1 Jamie McMurray Chevy

Row 4: 7. #27 Paul Menard Chevy 8. #2 Brad Keslowski Dodge

Row 5: 9. #20 Joey Logano Toyota 10. #22 Kurt Busch Dodge

Row 6: 11. #9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 12. #78 Regan Smith Chevy

Row 7: 13. #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevy* 14. # 16 Greg Biffle Ford

Row 8: 15. #29 Kevin Harvick Chevy* 16. #33 Clint Bowyer Chevy

Row 9: 17. #34 David Gilliland Ford 18. #43 AJ Allmendinger Ford
Row 10: 19. # 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chevy 20. #11 Denny Hamlin Toyota
Row 11: 21. #31 Jeff Burton Chevy 22. # 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevy*
Row 12: 23. #18 Kyle Busch Toyota* 24. #6 David Ragan Ford
Row 13: 25. #4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 26. #84 Brian Vickers Toyota
Row 14: 27. # 56 Martin Turex Jr. Toyota 28. #87 Joe Nemechek Toyota
Row 15: 29. # 13 Casey Mears Toyota 30. #47 Bobby Labonte Toyota
Row 16: 31. #30 David Stremme Chevy 32. #66 Micheal McDowell Toyota
Row 17: 33 #38 Travis Kvapil Ford 34. #00 David Reutimann Toyota
Row 18: 35. #36 Dave Blaney Chevy 36. #46 Scott Speed Ford
Row 19: 37. #95 David Starr Ford 38. # 71 Andy Lally Ford
Row 20: 39. #7 Robby Gordon Dodge 40. # 51 Mike Bliss Chevy
Row 21: 41. #32 Terry Labonte Ford 42. #14 Tony Stewart Chevy*
Row 22: 43. #60 Mike Skinner Toyota

*Drivers in the Top Ten
Kyle Busch was the first driver to clinch a playoff berth last week at Michigan, but who else can clinch a spot after this event? According to Jayski.com, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordan, Ryan Newman, and Kurt Busch could be in contention to clinch a playoff berth. Dale Earnhardt Jr. could be a driver to watch for in this race. Jr., has done well at Bristol in the past, and a victory here would help give him a spot in the playoffs. Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, AJ Allmendinger are also in need of a win to be a part of the Wild Card spots. Currently Brad Keslowski, and Denny Hamlin are the Wild Card drivers. The two drivers to look for to win this event would be Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. Harvick has been doing very well in the late stages of races, as he has been nicknamed "The Closer". Kyle Busch, as much as I hate to say this, has won at this track multiple times in the past. In fact, last year Kyle Busch won the Camping World Truck Series race, the Nationwide Series race, and the Sprint Cup Series. race on the same weekend. That was the first time ever someone has done that in the history of Nascar. If Kyle uses his abilities the wrong way, you can expect him in the wall. This is going to be a exciting race, and you can expect the points to be shaken up a bit after this event.
In the end, anyone who watches this race will be entertained.

HSBC Arena to be renamed

WGRZ and The Buffalo News are reporting a change to the naming rights at the Home of the Buffalo Sabres. The rumored change is to First Niagara Center.

This name should not come as a surprise after First Niagara purchased all of the HSBC Bank locations in Western New York earlier this summer.

This change is said to be a brand new, long-term deal with First Niagara Financial Group which may mean more money for Pegula and Co.

The Sabres and FNFG have organized a 2pm Press Conference to formally announce the change.

Bills sign Morrison

Chan Gailey and Buddy Nix were not satisfied with the look of their Inside Linebackers during camp so they decided to add another body; they signed Kirk Morrison to a 1 year, $2 Million deal.

Morrison, formerly of the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars was one of the league leaders in tackles in his first 6 years in the NFL. He averaged 120 tackles while starting every game in his 6 NFL campaigns.

Before being traded to Jacksonville last year he was a stud in Oakland. He didn't have a season under 115 tackles and had 7 interceptions in the 5 seasons which is solid for an ILB. However, his performance dropped last year in Jacksonville's 4-3 defense. He only had 89 tackles and not a single sack, interception or forced fumble.

This is a great signing for the Bills who are weak at ILB other than Nick Barnett. Without this signing it was looking like Reggie Torbor, Kelvin Sheppard or Andra Davis were going start alongside Barnett. Only Davis looked serviceable in the preseason while Sheppard and Torbor were disappointments. Sheppard should be a solid starter in the future but as a third round pick, he needs time to acclimate himself to the NFL game.

The Bills starting linebackers now look to be Shawne Merriman, Nick Barnett, Kirk Morrison and Chris Kelsay.

If Merriman can stay healthy and regain his San Diego form and Morrison can play like he did in Oakland the Linebackers can match the potential as the Defensive Line with Kyle Williams, Dareus and Dwan Edwards.

Another benefit of this move it the possibility to move Arthur Moats back to Outside Linebacker, where he succeeded in 2010. Before Training Camp Head Coach Chan Gailey decided to move Moats to ILB as a depth move and Moats has not been able to grasp the position. I believe he is better off as a pass rusher on the outside and this signing should allow him to move back to his natural position.

No Birdies, No Match Play for Katz; Uihlien in Good Shape

Jake Katz made his first appearance in the United States Amateur this week but unfortunately will not be making an appearance in the match play portion of the event.

Katz entered his second round at one over par and needed an even par round or better to make it to match play but with a four hour delay, five holes, darkness suspension, fog delay, and 13 holes, he could just never get it going.

He shot a three over 39 on the front (back nine) and followed that with a two over 38 for a five over 77. He finished with a two day total of six over par (148). Katz had no birdies at the much longer Erin Hills Golf Course so it was very tough to score, especially on a course that doesn't yield many birdies at all in the first place.

Even though Katz will leave this championship empty handed, he will have his hands full over the next year as he will be turning pro and moving on to qualifying.

Gregor Main leads the tournament will back to back five under par rounds. Blake Biddle has control of second place at eight under par. Top amateurs including Russell Henley is tied for third at seven under par. Defending champion Peter Uihlein and Jordan Spieth are both at five under which puts them in a tie for eighth. Number one amateur in the world Patrick Cantlay sits at two under for the tournament, well on his way to match play.

For more scores and information, visit the US Amateur's website and check out a full leader board.

http://www.usga.org/ChampEventSite.aspx?id=17179869326

Terrelle Pryor to Oakland

Once rumored to be a possibility for the Bills, former Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor is heading to Oakland. It's no surprise that the troubled athletic QB is on his way to the Black and Silver. Al Davis loves players like this and it's no surprise he used a higher pick than anybody else to take him in today's supplemental draft. The rules of the Supplemental Draft stipulate that Al Davis's Raiders must give up their 3rd round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft for the rights to Pryor.

Pryor won't have any impact on the team this year. He won't even be allowed to practice with the team until after Week 5 because of a suspension handed down by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Oakland is known for taking speedy "athletic" skill position players who end up flopping. The most notable of these are JaMarcus Russell with the first overall pick in 2007 and taking Darius Heyward-Bay over the arguably more talented Michael Crabtree in 2009 because of this 40 yard dash time.

The Raiders will now have a very slow draft next season. They no longer have a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th round pick. They traded the 2nd to New England for two picks last year. The 3rd rounder will be taken away for Pyror and the 4th rounder was traded to Washington for QB Jason Campbell.

Jake Katz live U.S.Amateur Updates

Jake Katz finished his round with three bogeys on the back side to shoot 38 for a +1 (71) for the day. He currently sits in a tie for 86th, just outside the cut for match-play. Luckily, Katz will have another day to try and improve his score and get into that match-play bracket.

The day started off with a birdie at the first and followed that up with birdies on four and five. He then started to falter as he bogeyed number eight and followed up with three on the back with no birdies. Katz said after his roind on twitter.

"71 today, couldn't hold it together on the back. Had no good looks at birdie. Need to go low tomorrow #usam #hotputter"

There are still players on the course now so his position on the leaderboard could go up or down come tonight. When I asked Katz what were the causes of his struggles on the back he said "the back is a lot harder, I was driving it great all day, difference was I had much shorter birdie putts on the front."

Check back tonight for an updated leaderboard and round one recap.

Pure Michigan 400 Review

Kyle "Rowdy" Busch has won the Pure Michigan 400, and as a result of it, has clinched the first playoff spot. Jimmie Johnson finished second, and in third was my one of my pre race favorites Brad Keslowski. Finishing in fourth and fifth were Mark Martin and Ryan Newman. The points after this race have changed a bit, as Carl Edwards fell from a tie for first in the standings, to a tie with 3rd placed Kevin Harvick. Edwards had electrical problems at the begining of the 200 lap race; he finished 36th. Kurt Busch has also dropped 6th to 8th after a brush with the wall near the end of the day and finished 34th. Here are the points standings as of 8/22/11.

1. Kyle Busch 799 points*

2. Jimmie Johnson 789 points

3. Kevin Harvick 760 points

3. Carl Edwards 760 points

5. Matt Kenseth 759 points

6. Jeff Gordon 739 points

7. Ryan Newman 725 points

8. Kurt Busch 722 points

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr 700 points

10. Tony Stewart 694 points

* Clinched playoff spot

The Wild Card Spots are still the same, but with a 12th place finish, David Ragan is in the top 20.

11. Brad Keslowski 2 wins

12. Denny Hamlin 1 win

13. Paul Menard 1 win

14. David Ragan 1 win.

If the Wild Card Spots didnt play into effect in the standings, the two drivers that would be in the final two spots would be Clint Bowyer and Brad Keslowski. Bowyer is in need of a win, and with a win, he would be in the 2nd and final wild card spot because he is ahead of Hamlin in the standings.

The next race is this Saturday night in Bristol, Tennessee.

Fantasy Football Preview

With the NFL season starting up in less than 3 weeks, many fantasy football leagues will be having their annual drafts within the next few weeks. With the lockout this summer many fans were more focused on if there will even be a season and not focused on scouting for their fantasy teams. There are some players that I believe that you should draft above others and some I wouldn’t touch at all.

Take 'em

-Josh Freeman-QB-Tampa Bay- In most leagues you can get Freeman as your backup QB in or around the 10^th round. Freeman should excel in his second full year of starting. Last year he was 7^th in ESPN fantasy points as a first year starter. Look out for Freeman in the later rounds.

-Matthew Stafford-QB-Detroit- If Stafford can stay healthy he is a top 10 QB in fantasy. He has the weapons, led by Pro Bowl WR Calvin Johnson and second year TE Brandon Pettigrew. It’s risky to take Stafford seeing as how he has only played in 13 games in his first two seasons but there is also a high reward. Take him as your backup if he is there in the 8^th-10^th rounds.

-Adrian Peterson-RB-Minnesota- He should be the #1 overall pick in every league in my mind. He is the most consistent back and should get a larger role this year without Sidney Rice in the mix and Donovan McNabb getting set up in the new system. If he is there for you at any pick, take him.

-Beanie Wells-RB-Arizona- With the loss of rookie Ryan Williams to a season ending injury Wells will have an increased role in the Arizona offense. The Cardinals offense should also be relying on him to take the majority of plays to get Kolb acclimated to the new offense.

-Percy Harvin-WR-Minnesota- As you can tell I like Minnesota skill players. With Rice leaving and a new experienced QB coming in with Donovan McNabb look for Harvin to live up to his hype.

Leave ‘em

-Peyton Manning-QB-Indianapolis- Manning is still one of the top QB’s in the league but his neck injury may force him to miss the start of the season and who knows how long he may be out. I wouldn’t take him as one of the Top 5 QB’s, but if he is there in the 3^rd round jump on it.

-Kevin Kolb-QB-Arizona- It took an injury in week 1 to knock Kolb out of the starter role in Philadelphia last year but there is no way he should be your starting QB in fantasy. Take him as a mid-round backup but it will take him time to get accustomed to the new offense in Arizona and their OL is terrible.

-Brandon Lloyd-WR-Denver- Lloyd is still a good 2^nd to 3^rd WR, but I would not want him as my #1. He was one of the top receivers in the game last year but I don’t believe that he will match these numbers this year.

-Miles Austin-WR-Dallas- Like Lloyd, Austin is a good WR, but he will have receptions and valuable fantasy points taken away by 2^nd year Cowboy Dez Bryant. I’d take him as a #3 or a #2 if you have good RB’s on your team.

-DeAngelo Williams-RB-Carolina-Not only he is going to be splitting carries with Jonathan Stewart, but he has lingering injury concerns. I wouldn’t take him in the first three rounds.

These are just my opinions on these ten players but I believe that they will be accurate come the end of the season. And just remember if you aren’t happy with your draft day you can still contend with good trades and waiver pick-ups like Michael Vick and Arian Foster were last year.

Katz Poised for Deep run at U.S. Amateur

As I stated in an article written yesterday, August 20th, local golfer Jake Katz will be playing in the United States Amateur Championship starting on August 22nd in Erin, Wisconsin. The two courses being played for the opening stroke play rounds are Erin Hills Country Club and Blue Mound Golf and Country Club. Erin Hills will be set up at 7,760 yards, a new tournament record, while Blue Mound will be set up at a much shorter 6,622 yards.

Katz will start his tournament at Blue Mound at 8:30am CDT. He will be playing with Garren Poirier of Killington, Vt. and Harold Varner of Gastonia, N.C. Even though these courses look different on paper due to their length, Katz believes that both suit his game very well. When asked what he thought of the courses, Katz said that both courses suit his game well. "They both require accurate tee shots and most holes allow me to hit driver, which is one of my strengths." Driver is not only a strong part in his game but it is literally his strongest. Katz is a long hitter and he can put himself in great position off the tee to make birdies with short irons in to greens. During the second round of the Porter Cup, on a hole that measured over 330 yards in length, Katz flew the green and caromed off a fence 30 yards backwards. Crazy stuff!

Jake says that he is playing well coming into the championship and is definitely not setting low expectations. He said that his goal is to be in the top 64 after to stroke play rounds and put himself in a good position come match play. The match play bracket consists of the top 64 players after the two stroke play rounds. Katz is optimistic about his chances once he can get into match play saying that "once you're in match play, anything can happen." That couldn't be more true as we have seen many pro's in WGC (World Golf Championship) events and the Ryder Cup be upset in all different matches. The most recent would be the number one seed Tiger Woods losing in this years' WGC Match Play Championship in the first round to Thomas Bjorn.

Katz hopes to have a great week as once again he told me that this will be his last amateur event as he will be turning pro soon after. Katz has a great opportunity to do something special this week in Erin Hills and take advantage of an opportunity that he has earned with hard work and commitment.

Check back starting tomorrow for updates on first round action of Jake Katz from Blue Mound Golf Club in the first round of the U.S. Amateur.

For information on the U.S. Amateur or either of the two courses being played, visit the sites listed below.

http://www.usga.org/ChampEventSite.aspx?id=17179869326

http://www.bluemoundgcc.com/index.cfm?ID=81

http://www.erinhills.com/default.aspx

Team Struggles in bad Loss to Broncos; Injuries not Serious

To say the first-team offense struggled Saturday night in Denver could be an understatement. Ryan Fitzpatrick and the entire offense had a hard time getting any drive started as he only completed six of his attempted 16 passes for a mere 44 yards and an interception. Steve Johnson had a poor game as well as he only had one catch for 11 yards in the 24-10 loss.

But let's wait a minute; It is only preseason and these guys have only been together practicing with coaches for a few weeks. With that being said, the Broncos offense looked fresh and firing on all cylinders as both Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn preformed well, both throwing for a touchdown and over 130 yards. That would go without saying that the Bills pass defense had a rough game allowing over 300 yards through the air. Chan Gailey did say after the game that "a good pass defense starts with a good pass rush." That would be pointing the finger at the pass rush for not getting after the quarterback. Rookie Marcel Dareus did record another sack in this game as he looks very good and comfortable on the defensive line.

This loss drops the Bills to 0-2 on the preseason but the more important note in this game was the multiple players that went down with injuries throughout. The first was wide receiver Donald Jones who took a vicious hit from Denver safety Rahim Moore. Jones, after a few minutes of little movement on the field, was eventually able to get to the sideline and was later evaluated in the locker room.

Maybe the scariest injury that happened was to running back Johnny White who was thrown to the ground on the first play in the 3rd quarter. White's head slammed off the ground and he immediately laid motionless. He was carefully evaluated on the field with players from both teams kneeling around him. He was strapped in on a stretcher and taken to the hospital for further evaluation. Chan Gailey later said that it was precautionary and that White would be fine to fly home with the team.

Other injuries that occurred but do not seem to be serious were to Arthur Moats (Leg) and Naaman Roosevelt (Ankle). After the game Gailey did say that no injuries were serious and that as some players may miss time, he expects all to make full recoveries and be on the field in the near future.

The Bills next play Saturday August 27th at Ralph Wilson Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bills vs Broncos Review

On Saturday night the Bills were roughed up by the Broncos. The final score was 24-10 but the Bills starters on offense only put 3 points on the board while the defense gave up 14.

The first team offense looked rusty again as they only put 3 points on the board in 3 drives. CJ Spiller was used more but he could only find a hole on one carry. He totaled 6 carries for 10 yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick's only interception was on a tipped ball off a dropped pass by Marcus Easley. However, for a second straight week the Bills starters could not find the end-zone.

The starting defense looked lost without Shawne Merriman, as he did not play. The main bright point in the starting eleven on defense was, once again, Marcell Dareus. It looked as though no Broncos lineman could stop him. He only had one sack but pressured Orton a few more times and was clogging up holes against the run. His lone sack came on a double team where he pushed the two linemen back into Orton and got the sack. If he keeps up this performance in the Regular Season the Bills may have their best defensive lineman since Bruce Smith.

Willis McGahee scored the first two Broncos touchdowns against his former team; one rushing and one receiving.

There were two brutal injuries that may cost the Bills for a few weeks. Donald Jones was down on the field for a few minutes after a scary hit on a defenseless receiver briefly knocked him out. Jones had to be helped off the field.

Johnny White also was the victim of a hard hit. White was injured on a take down where his head bounced off the ground. He was down on the field for about 10 minutes from what seemed to be a neck injury. He was carted off the field to a waiting ambulance that took him to a Denver area hospital.

EDIT: Bills Head Coach Chan Gailey has stated that there were "no serious injuries" in the game and that both Jones and White will travel home with the team.

Player of the Game:

Marcell Dareus-Dareus could become a perennial Pro Bowler if he performs this well in the

Regular Season.

Next Week:

The Bills play at Ralph Wilson Stadium for the first time in almost 9 months on Saturday night when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars at 7pm.

Pure Michigan 400 preview

The Pure Michigan 400 is one of the final races before the Chase begins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The regular season ends September 10th at Richmond. Greg Biffle has won the Pole for this Sunday's race; starting along side Biffle is his teammate Matt Kenseth.

At the end of the regular season the top ten drivers, along with two Wild Card teams will make it into the ten race Chase for the Cup. The two Wild Card spots are rewarded to the teams with the most race wins who are also ranked 11-20th in the points standings. As of August 20th, the top ten looks like this

1.) Kyle Busch 752
1) Carl Edwards 752
3) Jimmie Johnson 746
4) Kevin Harvick 738
5) Matt Kenseth 724
6) Kurt Busch 712
7) Jeff Gordon 700
8) Ryan Newman 686
9) Dale Earnhardt Jr 670
10) Tony Stewart 659

The Wild Card Standings look like this
11) Brad Keselowski 2 wins
12) Denny Hamlin 1 win
13) Paul Menard 1 win

Drivers in the top 20 that can get a win to propel them into the Chase are Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, A.J. Allmendinger, Joey Logano, Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne, and Juan Pablo Montoya.

There are also drivers outside the Top 20 who, with a win, can jump into the top 20 include David Ragan, Regan Smith, and last weeks winner at The Glen; Marcos Ambrose. These drivers have four races to have a chance at the Chase. Tomorrow's race at Michigan, next Saturday at Bristol, Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, and the regular season finale in Richmond September 10th.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in need of a win to secure his spot in the Chase. A win would also break his 100 plus race winless streak. Jr. does have a shot this weekend, his last win was in Spring 2008 at Michigan.

Although I would like to predict Jr. to win tomorrow; I don't think he can end the streak. My favorites to win the Pure Michigan are AJ Allemdinger and Brad Keselowski. Allmendinger has shown he is a very consistent driver and he is proving that he can contend with the rest of the pack.

Keselowski has been driving very well the past few weeks despite breaking his ankle while testing at Road Atlanta a few weeks ago.

Fuel milage could come into play at the end of what should be a very close 200 lap race.

Local Katz on Top of Game Heading into US Am.

After seven attempts, recent Binghamton University graduate and Williamsville native Jake Katz finally earned his spot in the United States Amateur Championship.

This years tournament is being played at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisconsin. It was just a few weeks ago that this course was also selected to host the 2017 United States Open Championship. This year's amateur championship is being played at a record setting length of 7,760 yards. The par 72 course exceeded the old record length of 7,742 yards set at last year's championship at Chambers Bay.

Katz qualified for the tournament in Webster, NY at Webster Golf Club. He shot rounds of 73 and 71 for a two round total of 144 (E). Katz has had one of the best amateur careers in Western New York History. He is a two time Porter Cup participant where in 2010 he finished in the top 10. He was tied for the lead and in the final pairing on the final day before a round of 74 bumped him down a few spots. He still managed a top ten, besting some of the top amateurs in the world. While at Binghamton University, Katz excelled and broke the school's all time scoring record with a 73.6 average. He also set the school's lowest single round score of 66 (-6). During his junior year he finished second individually in all of the three school wins (Cornell T-2 of 79, Hal Sutton 2nd of 36, Lafayette T-2nd of 150). Katz is also a two time runner up in the New York State Men's Amateur Championship. Katz won the prestigious Lonnie Nielson Invitational at Crag Burn CC in 2009. He is a former Buffalo District Individual Champion as well as the men's match play champion.

Jake Katz, regarded here to some as the "next big thing" to come out of Buffalo in the sports world has a hard task ahead of him at the US Amatauer and things won't get any easier after that. Katz plans on turning pro after the US Am. Few in the past from Buffalo have tried to turn pro including Jamie Miller and David Patronik but neither have had the success that they would have hoped for. The odds stacked against someone to make it to the PGA Tour are next to zero and there is a reason why they call golf the most frustrating game alive. In one of my favorite pieces ever written in the Buffalo News by Bob DiCesare, he states a harsh reality about the odds of going pro.

"There are no roundabout ways to make it on tour. You don't get a job because you're 7-foot-1 and someone needs a backup center. You can't force your way to a card on kick coverage. There are no once-a-week putting specialists to come out of the bullpen and sink that 12-foot double-breaker with the tournament on the line." (DiCesare, 2011)"

Jake Katz will enjoy this week competing with the best amateur players in the world. He is in that category of the best amateurs in the world, and he has had to earn everything that he has achieved thus far. He is ranked no. 228 in the latest Scratch Amateur World Rankings and has climbed some 650 spots since the 2010 playing of the Porter Cup. This will not be the last time Katz competes against these guys, as these will be the same players he will be competing with to achieve his dream and goal of playing on the PGA Tour.

Captain Clutch Hangs 'em Up

Unable to find health and a destination; after 12 NHL seasons former Buffalo Sabres captain Chris Drury has decided to retire.

Everywhere he went he seemed to bring a winning attitude. He brought his Little League team to the Championship Game in Williamsport in 1989. He won the Hobey Baker Award (MVP of D-I Hockey) while at Boston University and won the NCAA Division I Championship in 1995.

In his 1998-99 NHL rookie season he won the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year). This made him the first and only player to win both the Hobey Baker Award and Calder Trophy. He won the 2001 Stanley Cup with the Avalanche while gaining an admirer in Avalanche Captain and future Hall of Famer Joe Sakic. Sakic once said of Drury, "You want a goal, you're in overtime, you want him."

In 2002 he was traded to Calgary where for the first time in his career he missed the playoffs. The following offseason he was traded to Buffalo, where his career would flourish. In two of his three season with the Sabres he co-captained them within just a few games of the Stanley Cup Finals.

July 1st, 2007 is thought of as one of the worst days in Sabres history; the day Chris Drury and fellow co-captain Daniel Briere left Buffalo for huge pay-raises the Sabres couldn't afford. Drury signed a 5-year $35.25 Million deal with the New York Rangers, while Briere left for Philadelphia.

In his four years with the "Blue-shirts" he only managed to lead them to one playoff series win in three appearances before having his career cut short by a knee injury. He was bought out in July by the Rangers and could not pass a physical to sign on with another team.

Drury also won two Olympic silver medals in his three Olympic Games (Salt Lake '02, Torino '06 and Vancouver '10). However he could not lead the Americans past rival Canada in the Gold Medal Games of 2002 and 2010.

In Buffalo Drury will be remembered as one of the best captains in team history despite only playing with the "Blue and Gold" for 3 seasons. His biggest moment with the Sabres is undoubtedly his game-tying goal in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. With 7.7 seconds left in the game. Drury netted a rebound of a Tim Connolly shot in the final seconds of a crucial game. Maxim Afinogenov would end up winning the game in overtime, helping the Sabres reach their second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. (Video Below)

I hope Drury can catch on somewhere as a coach or in a front office role. Drury is one of hockey's "good-guys" and I believe he would make a great coach.

Could Bills be Interested in Pryor?

ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news early Thursday morning that former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor would be eligible for the upcoming NFL supplemental draft. The only downfall would be that Pryor would have to honor his college suspension handed down to him after allegations of accepting gifts and money while in school. There were also allegations of Pryor selling his signed memorabilia for upwards to $40,000.00. He will have to sit the first five games of the regular season and not be able to play or practice with the team he signs with until after that.

With Pryor now in the supplemental draft field, it poses the question of who will take a chance on him? There are few teams that make sense and even fewer who really would take a legitimate chance on a guy who's skill set really doesn't translate to the NFL. Pryor does possess some skills that are unique and that not many people can ever think of having. He is 6'6" tall and 233 pounds and can find holes in the defense with not only his arm but his legs as well. He has questions about his accuracy and his ability to be a pocket passer and whether he can change his style in the professional ranks.

Schefter, on ESPN's SportsCenter offered his opinion on possible destinations for Pryor but said he had no prior knowledge that these teams are interested. He said that these would seem like the most "logical" destinations, in this order.

1.) Buffalo Bills

2.) Indianapolis Colts

3.) Cincinnati Bengals

4.) Miami Dolphins

5.) Oakland Raiders

With Buffalo heading the list of teams, fans may love this or hate it. As much as it would be electrifying to bring in a player of Pryor's talent level, it really does not make the most sense. I'm not sure that the position Pryor would play on the Bills would be quarterback. They just signed former Jets quarterback and wide out Brad Smith to a multi-year deal so drafting Pryor may be just adding another of the same. Either way, the possibility of having Pryor on the Bills and taking a chance on him seems risky, but highly rewarding.

Bills vs. Broncos Preview

On Saturday night the Bills will face the Denver Broncos in their second exhibition matchup of the season. Their first game ended with a loss but they did show some great signs on defense. The defensive side of the ball racked up 9 sacks and held the Chicago Offense to only 10 points, but Ryan Fitzpatrick and company could not muster enough points to win the game. The Bills will be looking to improve on their offensive shortcomings against the Bears and continue to improve their defense that ranked 30th in the NFL in 2010.

Players to Watch:

Shawne Merriman-Merriman was one of the NFL's most feared defenders until injuries kept him out just a few years ago. His first action since his calf and Achilles injuries he recorded 2.5 sacks in just three series on the field. Will he continue this domination against Kyle Orton and Knowshon Moreno?

Marcell Dareus-The #3 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft impressed Bills fans in his first start with the team last week. He had 1 sack and seemed to dominate a rather weak Bears offensive line. Dareus was quoted as saying; "I'm going to make it hell for them (Denver and Carolina) every time I play against them" after being asked how it felt being passed up by the Panthers and Broncos in last April's Draft. Will he be able to "make it hell" for Denver's Offense?

Ryan Fitzpatrick-The success of any NFL Offense rests mostly on the shoulder of the starting QB. This is the case in Buffalo as Ryan Fitzpatrick is the main question mark in a young offense. Fitzpatrick has only started 36 career NFL games and last year was his first season as the clear #1 on the depth chart. He produced a solid season racking up 3,000 yards passing and 23 TD's in just 13 starts. If he produces as well as he did in 2010 the Bills offense will surprise some people. Look out Fitzpatrick today in his 3 or so drives and how he gels with his very young and in-experienced offensive line and wide receivers.

Matchup to Watch:

Bills Pass Rush vs. Broncos Offensive Line

The Bills DL will look to prove that last week was not a one time thing and that with the additions of Merriman and Dareus the Bills pass rush will be able to improve on their 27 sacks from 2010, which ranked 27th in the league. The Broncos OL is not one of the better ones in the league but LT Ryan Clady is a perennial Pro Bowler and will be a great test for Dareus if he lines up on the right side of the Bills defensive line.

My Prediction:

Bills 27 Broncos 17

I see the Bills starting Offense producing more against the Broncos than they did against the Bears and put up 10 points in 3 drives. The Bills starting Defense will not be as efficient as they were versus Chicago but will have a solid performance allowing just 7 points in 3 series including a sack or two from the pass rush.

Today's outcome does not matter like it will when the September 11th opener comes around but it would be nice for this young bunch to get a win under the belts even though nobody will remember this game in a few months.

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