Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills News, 8/19

Merriman case is closed, before it was even opened | ProFootballTalk
"The problem is that possession of steroids is illegal, absent a valid medical prescription. (Indeed, if Raiders receiver Louis Murphy can be busted for possessing Viagra without a prescription, Merriman can be busted for having steroids without a prescription.)"

Merriman hit a block at the border - The Buffalo News
"No problem," Merriman said. "I came across as I normally do. I go there to get some massage therapy work done. They just questioned me about some bags and stuff I had. I was stopped and that was it. I was coming to camp. I had suitcases and stuff like that. They just wanted to go through all my stuff."

About The Merriman Story : Buffalo Sports Daily
Pat Moran is sticking by his published story on Merriman.

Editorial: It’s not just a football team, it’s a common bond - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
"On one level, it’s just a game, just a football team. On another level, it’s something very real, tying a region together in a time of otherwise sharp divisions, politically, economically and socially. We can use a few more of those common bonds."

Brandon optimistic of return to St. John Fisher - The Buffalo News
"St. John Fisher makes it work," Brandon said Thursday at the conclusion of training camp. "The staff and everything about this campus and everything about this camp make this one of the best places to prepare in the National Football League. ... [There are] no doubts we are going to be back here."

Buffalo Bills expect to return to St. John Fisher next year | Democrat and Chronicle
"The proximity we have to everything we have here, the food service, the dormitory life, the fields, the weight rooms, how the community embraces us. Rochester is incredibly important to our regionalization process and I have no doubt we’ll be back here."

Bills Training Camp
Practice Notes - Day 15 - BuffaloBills.com
"The Bills wrapped up preseason practices at training camp at St. John Fisher Thursday, but their offense didn’t really end camp on a high note. Ryan Fitzpatrick and the offense were out of sync in the passing game for the past couple of days as new material was being installed."

Bills 2011 Training Camp awards - BuffaloBills.com
"Though training camp has come to a close the preparations will continue at One Bills Drive over the next couple of weeks leading up to the season opener at Kansas City on Sept. 11th. The close of camp however, marks the presentation of the sixth annual Training Camp Awards."

Bills Roundup: Camp Breaks, Thursday Highlights - BuffaloBills.com
"Bills CEO Russ Brandon talks about the future of training camp at St. John Fisher College, coach Gailey talks about having a long way to go, and check out Thursday's top plays from camp."

Chan Gailey Thursday Press Conference - BuffaloBills.com
"The Bills head coach talks about wrapping up training camp at St. John Fisher College, where he thinks the offense is at the end of camp, and playing time for the starters in this weekends preseason game against Denver. "

Bills adjust to new training camp rules - YNN
"Just because we haven’t practiced twice a day, we’ve still had a lot of meetings, and it gives you a little bit more time to meet and go over things in a classroom setting compared to on the field," said offensive lineman Geoff Hangartner. "Everyone’s playing with the same rules, so I don’t necessarily think it’s a benefit or a deterrent either way."

Things I learned at Bills camp on Wednesday, Aug. 17 - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow
"I was back at Buffalo Bills training camp at St. John Fisher College Wednesday night. It was the final night practice of the summer for the fans. Here are a few things I noticed from the team:"

Inside The Bills | Non-participants
"Here is the list of non-participants at practice Thursday." Four rookies.

Inside The Bills | Bills release rookie kicker
"The Bills announced that they have released rookie kicker Chris Hazley. The undrafted rookie kicker out of Virginia Tech was a long shot to begin with going up against veteran Rian Lindell."

Inside The Bills | Merriman, Parrish ruled out for Sat.
"No, it’s precautionary," said Gailey. "I think if it was a game week he could play."

Offense has rough go - The Buffalo News
"When you have the OTAs and the minicamps, a lot of the time you're kind of working through the kinks and the struggles," Fitzpatrick said. "Then when you get to training camp you're kind of geared up and ready to go. We've put in some new stuff the last few days and we're just not there yet. We'll get there."

Buffalo Bills face long road as team breaks camp | Democrat and Chronicle
"Year No. 12 of training camp at St. John Fisher College concluded Thursday afternoon, and the Buffalo Bills are heading back to Orchard Park with a whole lot of questions that still need to be answered."

Bills Break Camp; Merriman To Miss Denver Game - WGR 550
Gailey plans on leaving his starters in the game a little longer in Denver. The 2nd string will also play longer than in the preseason opening loss to the Bears. "Trying to start to build a little bit with some conditioning and trying to create some continuity of plays and series out there."

Michael Vick
Leitch on Vick’s statement: "I wouldn’t disagree with a word of it" | ProFootballTalk
"The story never claims that Goodell ‘steered’ him into signing with Philly, or that he was ‘forbidden’ from signing with Buffalo or Cincinnati. That came from the Deadspin piece last night, which everyone ran with."

NFL says Vick wasn’t steered to Philadelphia | ProFootballTalk
"NBC’s Tony Dungy, who served as a league-appointed advisor for Vick, expressed doubt earlier today on The Dan Patrick Show that Goodell would have advised Vick to play for the Eagles. Dungy added, however, that Vick received a lot of advice (including from Dungy) that Philadelphia was the best place to go."

CANOE -- SLAM! Sports - NFL - Vick steps into dog poo again
"Vick stepped back into a pile of dog-poo as in a yet to be published article in GQ magazine he claimed that upon his release from prison he initially wanted to sign up with either Buffalo or Cincinnati but was steered away by the powers that be in the NFL to sign with the Eagles."

Vick's Side Of Story, NFL Statement - WGR 550 SportsRadio
"Michael Vick and the NFL have both issued statements regarding his interview in GQ. Details released today have revealed that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell "steered" him toward Philadelphia despite interest from the Bills and Bengals. Here's the latest from Vick and the league."

Thurman: "Slap In The Face" - WGR 550 SportsRadio
"Hall of Fame Running Back Thurman Thomas made an impromptu call to the WGR Morning Show today to talk about Roger Goodell "steering" Michael Vick to the Eagles. Not surprisingly, Thurman is fired up."

Thanks Mr. Commissioner, May I Have Another? - WGR 550
"The NFL Commissioner being involved in any way in steering Vick away from the Bills or Bengals, destinations Vick suggests looked quite appealing to him during his decision making process, smells bad. Rancid cheese bad."

NFL wrong to work against Bills - The Buffalo News
"One problem: It does hurt. It hurts not because the statement came from Vick's lips or because he wound up elsewhere or because he might have solved problems that have been with the Bills for a decade. What stings is Vick confirming what many long suspected, that the NFL is partial toward large markets."

Vick denies Goodell told him to pick Eagles - The Buffalo News
"I did speak with many people, but the decision to sign in Philadelphia was based on my discussions with my agent, my family and with Coach [Andy] Reid. And after those discussions, it became clear to me that this was the place I wanted to play and resume my NFL career. The commissioner never told me to sign or not sign with particular teams."

More Bills News
ProFootballWeekly.com - New 'Lights Out' expects to shine in 2011
"There's only so much stock you can put in a preseason game, especially the first preseason game following a lockout that kept teams from having minicamps and OTAs. But in his first on-field action since October 2010, Merriman looked like his old self."

Maybin on his weight - The Buffalo News
"On whether was sick before training camp: "It was a sickness I had before camp, I lost 10, 11 pounds or so. I do feel a lot better now. In the first couple weeks of training camp up in Buffalo, I was able to put a little bit of that weight back on. I’m holding pretty steady at 240 right now, but I still got a few pounds to go get back to where I feel comfortable playing at during the season."

Review video chat with Graham, Skurski - The Buffalo News
The News' Tim Graham and Jay Skurski answered your questions directly into the camera.

After 11 years, the Bills should be due - Welland Tribune - Ontario, CA
A look all the way back to 1988 when the Bills were good.