Buffalo Bills Ready For Training Camp 2012

Sal Maiorana - Kyle Williams has been doing this long enough, so the Buffalo Bills defensive tackle knows the drill.
You pull up to Keough Hall on the campus of St. John Fisher College, unpack your belongings, then put on a happy face and exude excitement about the coming season on the eve of the opening of training camp.
“First day here, there’s reason to be excited, everyone’s starting on the same foot,” Williams said Tuesday afternoon when he arrived for his eighth summer stint in Pittsford.
There’s a different vibe to that lip service this year, however. In past years the excitement of a new season has sometimes been quelled by the reality of the Bills’ impending situation; they just weren’t very good, and though they’d never publicly admit it, deep down they knew they were going to have a tough time competing in the rugged AFC in general, and in the Patriot-dominated AFC East in particular. That's not the case in 2012.
“I don't think anything has changed as far as the way we look at things and our attitude about things,” general manager Buddy Nix said. “But I do think we’re realistic enough to know that the first year or two we didn’t have enough depth and enough playmakers to make a difference and contend all the way through the year. The feeling is different now; I think we do.”
Year three of the Nix/Chan Gailey Era has gotten off to a tremendous start with the offseason acquisition of mega free agent Mario Williams, the re-signing of several key veteran players such as Stevie Johnson and Fred Jackson, and a draft class led by first-rounder Stephon Gilmore that appears to be very strong.
Further, the players who have been here since Nix and Gailey came to Buffalo — starters as well as reserves — have the experience of two years with basically the same coaching staff and playbook and the important familiarity and confidence that breeds.
“I feel like we’re a few steps ahead than in the past coming here, with guys that we’ve added, some experience that we have that’s been here, so that's a lot of the reason for the excitement,” Williams said. “We've just added some really good players who will obviously help to win football games.”But now the time has come to push toward becoming a relevant team in the NFL which they haven't been for quite some time, 12 years if your standard is playoff appearances.“The hype machine can only go so far,” said CEO Russ Brandon. “We’re excited about everything we were able to achieve in the offseason, but that’s in the past and the only thing that matters is tomorrow and Thursday when we start going.
“Buddy has a plan and his personnel staff has a plan and we feel very good about where we are today as we stand here right now.”
Nix went so far as to say that even if the Bills hadn't shocked the NFL by reeling in Williams, the biggest free agent not named Peyton Manning, the expectations for his team would be no different.
“It would have been time to start winning some games,” he said. “We've done some things right, we've made mistakes along the way, but it’s time to close it out and win some games and until we do it’s not complete. Winning solves all the evils, at least most of them, and fixes the flaws. There’s no question about it. I believe losing, and not being in contention throughout the year, will be a huge disappointment for all of us.”
It’s a refreshing attitude for the Bills who have not always been known for that.
“You want expectations to rise,” said Gailey. “When I came in here I said, ‘We want to expect to win, not hope to win.’ I want expectations to be high not only from the outside but from within and they are. I think that we understand it.
“I think we have a mature enough team to understand where we are. Yes there are expectations and yes everybody’s excited. But we haven’t proven anything yet and we’ve got to get out on the field and prove it then. We’ve got a long way until we get to that point.”
David Nelson sees the transformation happening. The third-year wide receiver played his college ball at Florida where Tim Tebow was the quarterback and Urban Meyer was the coach. Not only was winning expected, anything less than a national championship was a down year.
“When I was at Florida we had (pressure to win) every week and when you expect to win, you come in with confidence,” he said. “That's where we are here. There’s a difference between confidence and cocky. We have to make sure we stay humble and hungry and remember what it felt like to go 4-12 (in 2010), and 6-10 (2011) the past couple years. We have to use that to drive us.”

2011 NBA Playoffs: Will The Celtics Win Game 3?

Celtics Life - The hype is over. We've seen how Miami handled themselves in the first two games and protected their home floor. We can't continue to blame poor or fixed officiating as that's almost a staple every time the Celtics play (more so when they play the Stern-groomed Heat).

Dwayne Wade and LeBron James are definitely a dangerous combination and both had moments when they made even Garnett look like a shell of himself.

Chris Bosh, though still an ostrich, is slowly figuring out his role in this series and making an impact without burying his head in the ground.

We're in a mini-ditch. Not just because of the way Spoelstra's squad has been playing, but how Boston has been executing on both ends of the floor. Who's the veteran team again here?

Don't get me wrong, I'm still optimistic on the whole series but from the way we've been playing and judging the trends ... it's going to take more than a Shaq sighting and a homecooking at Beantown to turn the tables around in our favor.

Everyone has to do their role. Yes Big Baby, starting with you. We gotta get you back to "Ticket Stub" status. But by in large - everyone. Doc Rivers mentioned their offense is not built for one-on-one plays with the exception of Paul Pierce. Their offense is more geared around each other, setting screens, passing the ball and finding the open man for that easy deuce or uncontested three. We can't blame everything on Doc though. He obviously had a hard time in Game 2 on who's willing and able to score due to the ailing injuries of Pierce, Allen and Rondo on the court. KG played big time, but at this point, he can't do it alone.

Boston has been known for its defense but in this series against the Heat, I think they're going to need more on the offensive end. Both teams have proven they can defend well but from this point, if every succeeding game is a close one when it hits the final period, someone has to deliver for the Celtics. Wade and James no question are going to attack the rim again and rack up points or earn it in the charity stripe. Someone has to do the same for the Cs.

It's time to turn the tide. Three days of rest, time to think things over but not think too much. The Heat looks to have exploited our weaknesses and one side of the coin may prove it so. But there's also the other side which is more of the Celtics' own doing. That side they can stop and reverse. That's the part that's completely in their hands.

I'm just happy that we're going home. Not like one team I know who blew their homecourt advantage against that other team in Texas.

Celtics Rip Knicks 96-93

Kevin Garnett made the go-ahead hook shot with 13.3 seconds remaining to lift the Boston Celtics over the New York Knicks, 96-93, in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at TD Garden.

After Jared Jeffries put the Knicks up by one, 93-92, Garnett made a hook shot over Jeffries to put Boston in front.

"I wasn't really in a nice rhythm to be honest. I was just taking what [Jeffries] was giving me," Garnett said. "I just remained calm, went to a shot that I knew I could make."

The Celtics then doubled team Carmelo Anthony, who passed down low to Jeffries. Garnett stole the ball and called a timeout with 4.1 seconds left.

Delonte West made two free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining to ensure Boston emerged with a 2-0 series lead.

Rajon Rondo scored a playoff career-high 30 points to go with seven assists for the third-seeded Celtics, who won 87-85 in Game 1 on Sunday. Paul Pierce added 20 points.

Ray Allen, who buried a three-pointer with 11.6 seconds remaining on Sunday, made four three-pointers en route to 18 points. Garnett ended with 12 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Anthony put New York on his back, tying a playoff career-high with 42 points. He also had 17 boards and six assists for the Knicks, who were without guard Chauncey Billups (knee).

To make matters worse, Amare Stoudemire left the game with back spasms in the second quarter and did not return. He said after the game he suffered the injury during warmups but was "pretty sure [he'll] be ready to go by [Game 3 on] Friday."

Toney Douglas, starting in place of Billups, had 14 points and seven rebounds for New York, which hasn't won a playoff game since 2001.

"Going down the stretch, just looking at it, I probably [have] never been more proud of a team and how they battled the circumstances, how hard they played and how tough they played," Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni said. "[They were] mentally tough. [We] gave ourselves a chance to win. We just didn't quite do it."

The series shifts to New York and Madison Square Garden on Friday for Game 3.

Anthony made a three-pointer over Pierce with 2:37 remaining to give New York a 91-88 margin. Pierce responded with two free throws at the other end to cut the gap to one.

The Celtics had control of the ball again following Rondo's steal from Douglas. Pierce drove to the hoop and found an open Garnett under the basket, who completed the play with a slam for a 92-91 Boston lead with 1:14 to go.

Jeffries grabbed a big offensive rebound off Roger Mason's missed three- pointer. Following a timeout, Mason missed a driving layup before pulling down his own rebound. Jeffries then drove to the hoop and made his way around Garnett for a layup.

Down by one, 93-92, Garnett called for the ball in the post and made the go- ahead basket with 13.3 seconds left.

The Knicks trailed by 10, 23-13, late in the first quarter, but closed the period out on an 8-0 run. Anthony's three-point play cut New York's deficit to 23-21 after 12 minutes.

A tight second frame featured five lead changes and six ties. The Knicks took a 45-44 edge into the locker room.

New York remained optimistic that Stoudemire could return in the second half. But Shawne Williams started for the injured forward to start the third. The Knicks were able to keep it close until late in the frame, when the team announced that Stoudemire would not return.

Holding a 62-61 edge with under five minutes to go, Boston went on a 12-2 surge. Allen made a three-pointer to spark the burst, which Pierce capped with a pair of jumpers for a 74-63 margin.

Anthony then showed why New York traded for him. He made a jumper and connected on a pair of free throws to get his team within 74-67 heading to the fourth.

New York's first seven points of the fourth were scored by Anthony. Ronny Turiaf's layup and Anthony's jumper gave the Knicks a 78-76 lead with 7:54 to play.

Rondo, who was the star for the Celtics, stopped the bleeding with a pair of layups to set up the wild finish.

Celtics Crush Kincks 87-85 On Ray Allen's 3-Pointer

BOSTON (AP) — Ray Allen hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 12 seconds left, Paul Pierce shut down Carmelo Anthony and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the New York Knicks 87-85 in their playoff opener on Sunday night.

New York led 85-84 before Anthony was called for an offensive foul for pushing Pierce with 21 seconds remaining. Allen, who led the Celtics with 24 points, sank the decisive basket from beyond the left arc.

The Knicks then rushed downcourt and Anthony missed a long 3-point attempt with 2 seconds left. The superstar forward went 1 for 11 from the field in the second half.

Amare Stoudemire had 28 points and 11 rebounds for New York, and Anthony finished with 15.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is set for Tuesday night in Boston.

Pierce scored 18 points and Kevin Garnett added 15 points and 13 rebounds for Boston.

After Anthony's critical offensive foul, Rajon Rondo lined up to inbound the ball but called timeout. The next time, Allen inbounded from just in front of the half-court line on the right side. He threw the ball to Pierce, then circled to the other side of the court, caught Pierce's pass and fired up the deciding basket.

And when Anthony missed and the final seconds ticked away, Celtics coach Doc Rivers high-fived fans as he headed to the locker room.

Third-seeded Boston got a tough challenge from the Knicks, who allowed 105.7 points per game during the regular season, third-most in the league. Pierce was the defensive star for the Celtics, forcing Anthony to shoot with a hand in his face for much of the game.

With the score tied at 82, Toney Douglas hit a 3-pointer to put the Knicks in front with 38 seconds to go. The Celtics called timeout and immediately scored when Rondo tossed an alley-oop to Garnett on the inbounds pass.

The Celtics, who won their NBA-high 17th championship in 2008, are aiming to return to the finals after losing in seven games last year to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Knicks, in the playoffs for the first time in seven years, have lost their last three postseason series and have gone 10 years without a win in a playoff game.

Boston trailed 51-39 at halftime but rallied to take a 66-64 lead early in the fourth. Stoudemire then scored 12 of the Knicks' next 18 points to power them to an 82-78 lead with 2:46 remaining.

Pierce followed with a 15-foot fallaway and Jermaine O'Neal scored on a putback, tying it with 1:12 to play.

It was a rough night for Anthony from the start. He picked up two quick fouls and went scoreless in the first quarter, but ended the half with 12 points.

New York put together a strong defensive effort in the second quarter, outscoring Boston 28-15. The Knicks scored the last six points of the first half on two free throws by Anthony, a powerful dunk by Stoudemire and two foul shots from Chauncey Billups.

Boston cut the deficit to five after three and opened the fourth with a 7-0 run. Allen hit a 3-pointer and Delonte West and Jeff Green followed with 15-footers.

The Celtics played without center Shaquille O'Neal, who also is expected to miss Game 2 with a sore right calf. O'Neal, a key to their interior defense, missed 27 games with a sore right leg. He returned on April 4 against Detroit, but quickly left again with the calf problem. He sat out the remaining six games of the regular season.

NOTES: During a timeout late in the second quarter, the crowd cheered when New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was shown on the video scoreboard. He laughed and tipped his cap. But when the camera shifted to a spectator wearing a No. 1 Knicks jersey in the row behind him, the fans booed. ... The Knicks have lost their last three playoff series since beating the Miami Heat in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2000.