Football

The Buffalo Bills have a 50+ year history. One of the things I do from time to time is search for unique Bills memorabilia using the internet and in person. Here's the best from eBay this week: Gregg Williams Bobblehead You know you want to plop down $30 for Gregg Williams nodding his head in agreement with you. Light switch plates Looking for a finishing touch for your man cave? Seller " bpensnhl6uya" has light switch plates featuring O.J. Simpson, Bruce Smith, and more. Checkbook cover If you're an M&T bank customer, you can take the Bills with you on your debit card. If you're not near an M&T Bank, this checkbook cover is the next best thing. Super Bowl XXVI ice scraper With the Super Bowl in Minneapolis, this ice scraper souvenir makes sense. Rich Stadium turf Want to own a piece of the old stadium? You can. Three ring binder It's pretty expensive, but this 1970s three ring binder is pretty neat with the classic standing buffalo logo. O.J. Simpson Sports Illustrated issue This is one I might add to my collection. It's Simpson's first cover as a Buffalo Bill and he's wearing 36. He switched back to 32 a few weeks later when Gary McDermott was released. Cufflinks If you wear cufflinks and want to show off your fandom, these are up your alley.

As it stands, the Panthers are currently carrying 12 wide receivers. In 2012, the Panthers retained 6 wide receivers (Kealoha Pilares went to Injured/Reserve while David Gettis stepped onto the active roster after being on the Physically Unable to Perform list for most of the year). We should expect more of the same from 2013, and those last few spots could see some intense competition between the remaining young receivers on the current roster. The Panthers also retained Lamont Bryant from the Practice Squad, so we may not see some of the receivers cut outright. Let's take a look at where some of these guys will fit in. Steve Smith Steve Smith is an instant lock to make the final roster. We have seen a resurgence from Smith, after two down years marred by injury prior to the "Cam Newton era". Now, Smith is heading in with 2,568 yards and 11 touchdowns, accounting for a whopping 32.4% of Cam Newton's career passing yard totals and over a quarter of his passing touchdowns. Not much really needs to be said here. If Steve Smith is cut, you should probably kiss your wife and children and hold them tight, because the sky is probably falling outside. Probability to start: 150% Brandon LaFell The next obvious lock to make the roster is Brandon LaFell. LaFell started 12 of 14 games last season (he missed Washington and the second Atlanta game due to injury). LaFell's season can be described as hit and miss at times. He started the season well for a number two, logging 9 receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown. He then faded away, only catching one ball for 27 yards against New York and Atlanta. LaFell would go on to average about 3.7 catches per game for 56 yards per game, logging four receiving touchdowns. The story of the wide receivers from 2012 was the noticeable drop off in touchdowns. Steve Smith only caught 4 after 7 the previous year, all of which came towards the second half of the year after Smith was blanked for 8 games from the red zone. LaFell scored 4 as well, though he had opportunity to score many more. DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON LOUIS MURPHY. Regardless, LaFell has the second spot all but locked down. Barring a rise from players like David Gettis or Domenik Hixon, I would bet that LaFell lines up across from Smith week 1. Probability to start: 95% Domenik Hixon Domenik Hixon is the latest addition in the revolving door of slot/number 3 receivers for the Carolina Panthers. Hixon played in 13 games logging 3 starts in 2012, following two seasons where he'd make his way to IR. Hixon was a nice option for the New York Giants who needed to find a replacement for Hakeem Nicks during his injury period. Nicks started two straight games in place of Nicks, logging 11 receptions for 169 yards. Hixon would close out the season with 39 receptions for 567 yards and two touchdowns, his best season since 2008. Many people remember Hixon's kick and punt return talents, but most likely with Joe Adams, Armanti Edwards, Kealoha Pilares, and the recent addition of Ted Ginn would indicate that Hixon will step in as strictly a receiver for the Carolina Panthers. His chances of being the number 3 for us are high, but there will be plenty of other receivers fighting for playing time. Probability to start: 15% Probability to make roster: 75% Ted Ginn Ginn has made his mark as a return ace after a disappointing three seasons in Miami. The former first round pick never really panned out to be the receiver that warrants a high selection. However, one team's trash is another one's treasure. Ginn's scored 6 times over his career as a returner, and possesses ideal speed and quickness for an offensive weapon, when used wisely. Ginn's made a few catches and scored here and there, but was purely a situational receiver at best. Still, a quarterback can never have too many weapons. Ginn is the most proven returner on the roster, and that may very well secure his spot. But he will need to fight it out with Adams, Pilares, and Edwards, wh

The ex-Viking is content watching his brother play.

No more dog breakfasts for you, mate NT Parks and Wildlife ranger John Burke said the 4.58m saltie put up a fight when he was trapped on Tuesday. "It was a good-sized lizard," he said.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports Welcome to the second round of #BucsBracket, the unofficial competition held here at the Pewter Plank to determine the most popular and most beloved Buccaneers of all time. The first round is in the books, and our second round matchups will be a bit closer, and that means every vote is important. Be sure to cast your vote in each matchup, because every vote counts! Sound off in the comments and let us know why you made the picks you made, because we will use comments on the blog as tiebreakers, in case of a tie. There are four matchups today, so we’ll keep the descriptions short and to the point so you can make your choices and get all the information you need. The bracket can be found below. You can click on the image to load a bigger version of the bracket. 1 seed: Derrick Brooks, Linebacker, 1995-2008 Brooks easily advanced to the second round, leaving Ryan Nece behind. The 9-time All-Pro and former Walter PaytonMan of the Year, NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and Pro Bowl MVP was one of the key figures in the Buccaneers’ dominant defense in the early 2000?s and late 1990?s. Brooks was dominant at his position and was also very active in the community in his charitable efforts. 9 seed: Mike Washington, Cornerback, 1976-1984 Mike Washington bested Scot Brantley in a slight upset to earn his place in the second round. In seven seasons (from 1977-1983) Washington intercepted 28 passes, returning 3 for touchdowns. His career would be ended early due to a spinal injury, but he was certainly one of the better players in the Buccaneers’ earliest days. So will it be an original Buccaneer, or a career Buccaneer with a Super Bowl ring? Make your pick below. Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. 5 seed: Doug Williams, Quarterback, 1978-1982 Doug Williams advanced to the second round by defeating Jeff Garcia. Williams is well-known for his performances in Washington with the Redskins, but Williams also donned the orange and white in Tampa Bay for a few seasons, and led the team to an improbable appearance in the NFC Title Game in 1979 against the St. Louis Rams. His numbers were poor, but he led the team to wins before departing after the 1982 season. 4 seed: Jimmie Giles, Tight End, 1978-1986 Jimmie Giles advanced to the second round by moving past Keyshawn Johnson. GIles is a member of the Buccaneers’ Ring of Honor and a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He was a very prolific receiving tight end who once caught four touchdowns in one game, and finished his Buccaneers’ career with 34 touchdowns. So which of these early Bucs that helped bring the team from worst to first is your pick to move on? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. 6 seed: Donald Penn, Tackle, 2006-Present Donald Penn moves on to the second round after getting the best of Chris Hovan. The one-time Pro Bowl selection is a sturdy but never spectacular left tackle who the Bucs developed after signing him as an undrafted rookie out of Utah State. Penn is a big, strong tackle who lacks elite skill, but performs consistently and helped pave the way for Doug Martin‘s fantastic 2012 season. 3 seed: Warrick Dunn, Running Back, 1997-2001, 2008 Warrick Dunn made the second round by defeating Kevin House. Dunn was a hard-working, unique running back who rose to fame with the Buccaneers in the Tony Dungy era. The small but surprisingly tough runner made two Pro Bowl appearances as a Buccaneer, and was frequently recognized for his off-the-field efforts to help those less fortunate. Dunn finished with 28 touchdowns as a Buccaneer. So which of these two popular figures in recent Bucs’ history moves on to the Sweet 16? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. 10 seed: Karl Williams, Wide Receiver/Returner, 1996-2003 Ka

The Star Ledger- USA Today Sports When you are great, you are entitled to even have a greater opinion, right? The New York Jets quarterback competition between Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith has gotten so much attention that Jets legends Joe Namath and Curtis Martin are starting to speak about the situation. Namath who is considered to be the greatest Jet quarterback of all time is staying committed to Sanchez. According to Namath, “I don’t think [the Jets] needed a quarterback… I am pulling for [Mark Sanchez]. I know that he can do better than he’s done.” Having Namath pulling for Sanchez must be a great feeling for the quarterback. As far as Smith is concerned, Namath said, Geno Smith is a “sensational athlete” with “good size.” He is so convinced that Sanchez is the guy, that he believed the Jets should have used their NFL draft picks on other positions, “They needed the other positions filled. Possibly offensive line. They got some defensive line. The safeties are still questionable. The outside linebackers are still questionable.”… via Ebenezer Samuel of NYDailyNews.com Martin seems to just like the fact that competition is going to take place for the quarterback position. Being the very polished guy that he is, Martin said, via Seth Walder of NYDailyNews.com “Either Mark will outperform Geno or Geno will outperform Mark.” If that’s not straight to the point, then I don’t know what is. When legends speak people listen right? Alfred Epps is a New York Jets  writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @mralfredepps or add him to your network on Google

Cowboys first and then everything else!dallas cowboys | dez bryant | tony romo | demarcus ware | jerry jones

The Steelers announced the signings of third-round pick Markus Wheaton and fifth-round selection Terry Hawthorne on Thursday. A wide receiver from Oregon State, Wheaton will compete to be one of the Steelers’ top receivers beyond starters Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. The Steelers have been willing to play young receivers right off the... Source: ProFootballTalk » Pittsburgh Steelers The post Steelers sign Markus Wheaton, Terry Hawthorne appeared first on Pittsburgh Steelers Blog - NFL - PlanetSteelers.com.

When the news first broke that Michael Crabtree had sustained a tear to his achilles tendon a general panic set in. I had just woken up for a days work here in Australia and glanced at the site on my way out the door. BAM! A kick to the junk forcing me to spit cereal all over my laptop. Crabtree possibly done for the year. So many questions arise. So much confusion. Are we still the favorites? Are we doomed? Is this some sort of a post-apocolyptical nightmare world that I just woke up in where zombies rule the Earth and Pete Carroll is the emperor? Am I dreaming? While this obviously hurts, it's not the end of the world. These things happen and we have to move on. We were among the favorites to win it all last year with Crabtree as an 800 yard, 4 TD receiver (his 2011 stats) and we can expect Anquan Boldin to at least match that. The depth is better this year, but there are so many question marks. Most of those questions surround the wide receiver position. We've got tons of weapons in the passing game outside of WR, two of the most creative minds in football running the offense and more than three months to prepare. They're going to make it work. The one thing that may be hard to replace is Crabtree's clutchness. He seemed to catch 90% of our third down plays and all the big conversions. He was just there whenever we needed him most. Someone will need to fill that void. Hopefully Boldin is the 3rd down go-to guy while others like Vernon Davis, LaMichael James and Vance McDonald make up for the yardage and touchdowns. Let's not forget that we have a No. 2 tight end who can catch the ball. What a weapon! Crabtree Injury - That Hurts! Fooch took a quick look at what the injury means to the team and who will benefit from it (if that's the right word). Ricardo Lockette, a guy who might have woken up on the wrong side of the bubble come late August, now has a very good chance of making the team, especially if Mario Manningham's recovery doesn't speed up. | Michael Crabtree injury: Anquan Boldin, A.J. Jenkins and more for the 49ers (Fooch) Tre tempers the panic with a bit of optimism. I appreciate the optimism and all...but ARGH!!!!!!! There really is nothing but question marks behind Anquan Boldin. Tre cites Colin Kaepernick's emergence when his name was called. We really had no idea he was instantly going to be a high-level quarterback. He showed us, all right. | Why the 49ers' season isn't doomed by reported Crabtree injury (Tre9er) Steph discusses the mental aspect of recovering from such an injury. She discounts Terrell Suggs' record recovery time, noting that there's really no way to compare two injuries, even if it's to the same body part. Confidence, something Crabs has never lacked, will serve him well. | Michael Crabtree injury: The real Achilles is the mental injury (SoCaliSteph) Tre proposes that Kyle Williams is the man to step up. I have to be honest, I'm doubtful. Recovering from injury and having never put forth any real production, it's hard to predict that kind of move from him. Someone has to, and someone will get a lot of balls thrown their way. I hope someone can handle it. | While the world sleeps, I believe Kyle Williams can have big role in 2013 (Tre9er) I'm going to include this old post of mine because I'm the boss. It's pretty self explanatory. It details the percentages of certain key statistics in the passing game that Michael Crabtree accounted for in 2012. Only Brandon Marshall and A.J. Green accounted for a larger portion of their teams' passing attack. | Michael Crabtree: A statistical analysis of his importance to the 49ers passing game (Malone) 90-in-90 Series Joe Looney slid in the 2012 draft after injury kept him from participating in a lot of the combine activity and questions about the lingering effects were, well, still lingering. He worked at both guard and center but never sniffed the field last season. Is he our next guard in the rotation? Has Adam Snyder's signing bumped him dow

Once again we have another work week (for most of us) in the books. That mean's its time for the Victory Of The Week post. This is of course where you come and tell us what your victory/accomplishment/ect. of the week is. It can b