Game Day Web Rumblings: Buffalo Bills News, 8/9

Game Preview - Bills vs. Redskins - BuffaloBills.com
"One of the more anticipated Bills seasons will officially get underway Thursday night as Buffalo plays host to the Washington Redskins at Ralph Wilson Stadium for a 7 pm kickoff."

Five players to watch - BuffaloBills.com
Cordy Glenn, Derek Hagan, Shawne Merriman, Arthur Moats, and Da'Norris Searcy get the special eyeballs tonight.

Bills Focus: Buffalo-Washington Preview - BuffaloBills.com
"Lead journalist Chris Brown and play-by-play man John Murphy sit down to preview the first preseason game of the year for the Bills as they prepare to host the Redskins."

Inside The Bills | Wannstedt to be upstairs on game day
"I will be in the coach’s box," said Wannstedt. "That’s where I was all of the years at the University of Miami, Oklahoma State, Dallas and some of the other places. There is not a call happening that you are not on top of or involved with. I am kind of excited about it; We have great assistant coaches and a nice formula set on how we will communicate and get the information back and forth, which will work smooth."

Inside The Bills | RGIII already thinking about Dareus
"To be honest, if I don’t get hit in the preseason, I would be very OK with that," Griffin III told the DC Examiner. "It’s football, you play it and hits are going to hurt. Sometimes guys are going to unload on you. You just have to be ready for that. I am not going to go in the game saying, ‘I hope Marcell Dareus hits me as hard as he possibly can.’ That’s not going to come out of my mouth. I look forward to going out there and playing. If I get hit, I get hit. If I don’t, thank God."

Bills ready to go against RG3 - The Buffalo News
This reads more like a preview of RG3 than anything else.

Bills eager to welcome RG3 to the NFL - The Buffalo News
"He's probably going to move around and be put in position to get out on bootlegs," Kyle Williams said. "But if he's a rookie who wants to stand back there and throw, then we should be able to make things hard for him."

WGR 550 - 5 Things To Watch For During Bills-Redskins
Joe B's going to watch the backup quarterbacks, the defensive line depth, left tackle, Stephon Gilmore and the wide receivers. See why, and what else he'll be taking a gander at.

WGR 550 - The Time Has Finally Come To See The Rookies
"Of course it will be fun to see the new Redskins prized quarterback Robert Griffin III on Thursday, but I can’t wait to get a look at the Bills kids."

Battles to Watch | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
"This game will hold my interest for about 30 real-time minutes while the first units for both teams are out there. I am excited to see Griffin, because we won’t be seeing him live again for about three years, the next time the Bills and Redskins are scheduled to meet in the regular season. And I’ll be watching Mario Williams, of course."

Hogs Haven Round Table - Areas of Interest Heading Into the Bills Game - Hogs Haven
Find out what the folks over at Hogs Heaven are watching for tonight.

5 Questions With Buffalo Rumblings on Redskins vs Bills - Hogs Haven
"SB Nation Bills' Editor, Brian Galliford, provides matchups to look from the Buffalo perspective."

Redskins Vs. Bills: Game Time, TV Schedule And More - SBNation.com
"Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins will make their 2012 NFL debut with a preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night."

Robert Griffin III, Mario Williams set to make their preseason debuts - BostonHerald.com
"It’s almost like me being a rookie all over again and I kind of have to make sure I don’t get too excited," said Williams, who has 53 career sacks in six seasons. "All out, just not for myself but for everybody on our D-line. It’s just all out."

Bills eager to open (pre) season - MPNnow
"We are excited, we are tired of playing each other every day," Jones said after Tuesday’s practice at St. John Fisher. "I got hurt late last season, so I am just excited to get back onto that game field."

Bills anxious for preseason games to start - Olean Times Herald
"Preseason is one of those things where you go out there (and) finally get real hits," [Mario Williams] said. "They don’t count as far as going toward the record or stats and things like that, but you get (everybody) moving around, basically. It’s kind of like going out there and driving a car and breaking it in. That’s what we want to do ... go out there and move around against other people, see what’s going on and see how we play off one another."

Schumer Wants NFL Changes
Schumer proposes changes to NFL stadium loan program - BuffaloBills.com
"I spoke to Mr. Wilson this afternoon about Senator Schumer’s recommendations, and clearly the proposed amendments would be very helpful to our franchise," said Brandon. "Obviously, Senator Schumer has made productive recommendations in the past and has certainly been an advocate for small-market franchises like ourselves."

Goodell emphasizes importance of new Bills lease - The Buffalo News
"The fans need to do everything they can to support the Bills, and we're going to work hard to make sure they continue to be successful here," Goodell said. "There's no reason why they can't be. We have a new collective-bargaining agreement. We have revenue sharing. All those will be beneficial to making sure the team continues to be successful for years right here in Western New York, and that's where we want to see them."

Goodell wants Bills in WNY, but no guarantees - The Buffalo News
"I encourage them to negotiate to make sure that their stadium is in the best possible condition," Goodell said. "We don't make determinations about what needs to get done to the stadium. Based on what they think the project size is and the scope of it and the funding, then the policy fits in."

Schumer wants NFL to tweak G-4 program for Bills - The Buffalo News
"Making some basic, common-sense changes to this key NFL loan program is something that can generate significant resources for much-needed stadium renovations and could do so in a way that provides significant incentive for any future owner to keep the team in Western New York." - Gotta check out this photo.

Sen. Charles Schumer's letter to Roger Goodell - The Buffalo News
"This is a monster memo, and it made my head hurt at points. But here is Sen. Charles Schumer's letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, unedited and in its entirety ..."

Russ Brandon comments on Schumer speech - The Buffalo News
"Brandon declined to answer whether the Bills are interested in the NFL's G-4 loan program for stadium construction and renovations. Brandon didn't want to discuss any particulars that could hinder ongoing stadium-lease negotiations between the Bills and Erie County."

Legal slugger will advise Cuomo on Bills status - The Buffalo News
"Irwin Raij, a partner with Foley and Lardner LLP in Washington D.C., has an impressive Major League Baseball resume that shows he knows sports leagues and stadiums. He will advise Cuomo's office on efforts to keep the Bills in Western New York."

WGR 550 - Schumer Calls On NFL To Amend Loan Program To Help Bills Future
"Additionally, I have asked the Commissioner to keep an ironclad hold on the G4 loan Program’s provision that requires a team to pay back the loan if a new owner relocates to a different city, which essentially penalizes any future Bills owner from taking the team from its loyal fan base here in Western New York during the life of the loan. This plan is a touchdown for the community’s football fans and taxpayers alike, and will hopefully usher in a significant NFL loan for the renovation of the Ralph Wilson Stadium, and help ensure that the Bills are in Buffalo to stay," said Schumer.

Poloncarz on board with Schumer on stadium issue - Buffalo - Business First
"Poloncarz and Schumer said they are both waiting to hear back from the NFL about the request. The NFL’s owners Stadium Committee is scheduled to meet in September and the 32 league owners are slated to meet in October. Otherwise, no league meetings are set until after next February’s Super Bowl."

Cuomo, Schumer move to keep Bills in town - The Globe and Mail
"The state has a large stake in keeping the Bills, because the team is estimated to generate between $15 million and $20 million in state taxes."

Goodell backing Bills’ efforts to remain in WNY - Dunkirk | The Observer
"One thing was clear Wednesday morning at the Chautauqua Institute - National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell sees no reason why the Buffalo Bills can't continue to be successful in Western New York."

Commish Comes Home - Jamestown | Post-Journal
"The succession plan, Mr. Wilson has made it clear that he is not going to sell the franchise while he's alive," he said. "Once he passes on the franchise will be sold."

Goodell calls Bills lease 'a very high priority' | GoErie.com/Erie Times-News
- On whether the NFL would ever revisit Erie's designation as a Bills television market over protests from Browns and Steelers fans whose teams are often pre-empted by their broadcasts: "First off, there are fans of the Bills in Erie, Pennsylvania, and there are fans of Cleveland, but you can't show every one of those games. Sometimes they are going to play up against each other. So it's a balancing act that we have what we call 'fan friendly' broadcast policies."

More Bills Links
Under Review: Derek Hagan - BuffaloBills.com
"On this edition of Under Review, Hannah Buehler talks with Bills wide receiver Derek Hagan about camp, and the latest pranks he's been pulling in the locker room."

Inside The Bills | The Bills hybrid weapon
"The real bonus guy in this thing is Bryan Scott, in our minds he is a starter," said Wannstedt. "If we play it out this year he will have more reps at the nickel linebacker than Moats or Morrison will have at the Sam linebacker."

Six to be inducted into UW Athletic Department Hall of Fame - UWBadgers.com - The Official Web Site of the Wisconsin Badgers
"Lawrence Johnson starred for the football and men’s track and field teams from 1976-78. He was a first-team All-American defensive back in 1978 and won four Big Ten titles on the track in 1976. Johnson was drafted in the second round of the 1979 NFL Draft, playing nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills."

Occidental to induct inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame class - San Bernardino County Sun
Former Occidental quarterback Jack Kemp will be among those inducted into the schools's first athletic Hall of Fame class.

Byrd’s word: Be ‘safety’ net for young DBs - Wellsville Daily Reporter
Safety George Wilson is the unquestioned heart and soul of the Bills’ defense and its vocal leader. Wilson will play that role as long as he with the Bills, but little by little Byrd may be counted to be Wilson "heir apparent."

Battle for Bills' back-up QB heating up - Livingston County News
"Obviously, there is a competition right now between me and Vince," said Thigpen. "I think Vince and I understand the way the business works and every year they are going to bring somebody in to compete with you. At the end of the day, I have to worry about myself. If you are out there worrying about somebody else, you aren’t working on the task at hand."