After dropping the game-winning TD in yesterday's OT loss to Pittsburgh, Bills wideout Steve Johnson blamed his Lord and Savior on Twitter according to the Daily News.
It wasn't his own hands or the Pittsburgh secondary Sunday that foiled Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson from hauling in what should have been the game-winning TD catch in the end zone.
It was God.
"I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!!" the 24-year-old tweeted from his iPad at around 5:15 Sunday after the Steelers' 19-16 overtime victory. "AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."
Frankly, I think it's refreshing and genuine that Johnson exhibits his faith in both good times and bad. It's easy for athletes to profess their thanks and acknowledgment towards the Lord when things are easy.
There's a special place in Heaven for ballers like him.
*Warning, this post contains lame football metaphors in honor of Jay’s campaign commercials*
The political career of former NFL tight end Jay Riemersma came short of the endzone last week. Riemersma lost by an extra point, a slim margin of 1 percent of the vote.
Jay or J.R., which he preferred to be called as people fumbled saying and spelling his last name, came into the race as a flashy new rookie ready to show the old veterans that he was the answer that the people yearned for.
With the fans primed for an outsider to take the state and country to the promise land, he had the wind at his back. However, when the game was on the line, his attempt missed just wide.
Riemersma came out of the tunnel aggressive looking to fight in the trenches. He hired a campaign agent notorious for negative politics, and he got what he paid for (personally too as he dumped a signing bonus in the race).
In the end, the decision to go negative in fan base that is more Kurt Warner than Dick Butkus very well could have been the deciding factor.
Jay’s campaign relentlessly attacked his opponents by pounding the ball against their legislative records. However, when his opponents finally threw a flag in the waning minutes by suing him for defamation and filing a complaint with the FEC for illegally coordinating attack ads, the negative attention was squarely placed on Jay’s shoulders.
Finally, in the last debate, one of his opponents threw a tight spiral right between Jay’s numbers, and Riemersma couldn’t handle it.
Asked whether his campaign illegally coordinated the negative ads against his opponents, he tried to juke, jive and explode through the hole with political rhetoric but ended up with big negative yardage. Enough so, that the crowd turned on him and he had to ask to repeat the question.
After another failed attempt to reach the line of scrimmage, a scrawny DB came from the backfield and sacked Riemersma by yelling out, “Man up!”
When election night came, it went deep into overtime with the final victor being declared around 4 a.m. Riemersma went to the showers 658 votes shy of being a star.
Jay has time on his hands, and with term limits cycling legislators in and out like Broncos running backs, he could soon put on the shoulder pads and give it the old college try again. We will wait to see if the practice paid off and he tries a different playbook.
In the wake of Brian Cushing testing positive to performance enhancers and tainting his NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honor, the NFL Players Association (as Florio at PFT put it) issued a "subtle but strong statement" on the Texan's suspension
NFLPA Executive Director De Smith said, "Sport is at its best when fans can witness great achievements under the rules of fair play. Players who break those rules cheat the game, cheat the fans and cheat themselves. The Players want a clean game as well as a clean process for enforcing those rules. We intend to address both in the collective bargaining process to make the system better."
One former player who seemingly doesn't mind a superstar taking shortcuts is Hall of Fame Bills' RB Thurman Thomas. The day after De Smith's statement on Cushing, the pillar of the non-Super Bowl winning Buffalo teams of the 90's and I had the following exchange regarding another busted cheater.
Admittedly, I was goading him a bit, but his initial "say that to his face" comment made me think "Why? Is he going to roid rage on me?"
But really, I think it says something about the blind eye we turn with football players compared to PEDs users in other sports. I was also surprised by the fact that a distinguished league alum wouldn't feel more disdain (at least publicly) for a guy who, as the NFLPA puts it, broke the rules, cheated the game, cheated the fans and cheated himself.
Riemersma is a former tight end from the University of Michigan that played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills who is probably best known as an available tight end on the waiver wire during your tight end's bye week in fantasy football.
After retirement from the NFL, Riemersma came back to coach his former high school team. However, his return to the roots story won't be seen anytime soon on E:60 as word is he quit the fledging team over a dispute to become the school's Athletic Director trying to force out the long-time, near retirement AD.
Riemersma is touting his "outsider" credentials; however, he has already shown shrewd inside the Beltway tactics in his quest for the congressional seat. He has inflated his fundraising numbers by giving a personal loan to the campaign and proclaiming it as grassroots support. He has hired the seediest campaign consultants in the state of Michigan. Also, he penned a letter to the editor in the local paper asking how any Christian could have voted for Barack Obama.
Former University of Michigan Head Football Coach and Russell Crowe BFF Lloyd Carr is schedule to do appearances for his candidacy. Also rumored to appear down the line is Ben Roethlisberger who currently is busy running his own PR campaign.
His NFL experience will be a mainstay talking point during the chicken dinner circuit. As well it should be as plenty of former and current players know the importance of community service.
Riemersma faces a tough primary battle going against experienced candidates in a state that is desperate for someone to make an immediate impact. He may see that celebrity status only goes so far.
However, we appreciate it when a sports-related figure jumps into the political seen here at HHR. It is one of our bread and butter topics. So, to keep his flame alive, we would appreciate hearing your stories about Riemersma on how he touched people's lives so that he can use those thoughtful memories on the campaign trail and also to get the racier locker room stuff out in the open now before he takes down his Republican teammates while in Congress.
We will be sure to follow his candidacy closely as the opportunity to use tight end jokes for the next year makes us giggle.
On the series premier of VH1's The T.O. Show, a frustrated Owens re-depicted (on a bed sheet) for bodyguard and confidant Pablo the alleged diagram that Cowboy's owner Jerry Jones outlined in the meeting in which the wide receiver was told of his release from the team.
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the greatest Bababooey call in history. Oh yeah, and a former Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Football Hall of Famer, OJ Simpson of Nordberg fame, went on the lam in LA in a white Bronco.
You thought we had heard the last of ex-Buffalo Bill and Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas? Not so. Courtesy of the folks at Thisiswhyyourefat.com comes this amazing sandwich of the same name. "What does the Thurmanator contain?" you ask.
Two 3/4 pound beef patties under a half a pound of ham, covered in mozzarella, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, mushrooms, sauteed onions, pickles, jalapeno peppers and mayo.
Sounds like you'll be huddling in the bathroom for all four quarters after this one.
Also if you have a free hour, cruise the rest of this website as some of the concoctions are amazing.
Thurman Cafe 183 Thurman Ave (German Village) 614.443.1570 Web site
After his none-to-shocking party switch, Pennsylvania US Sen. Arlen Specter was hounded by just about every Sunday news source this past weekend. Amidst the hullabaloo, you may or may not have heard of the passing (no pun intended) of former Congressman, VP candidate, HUD Secretary and Buffalo Bill quarterback Jack Kemp.
Said Specter to CBS' Bob Schieffer: "If we had pursued what President Nixon declared in 1970 as the war on cancer, we would have cured many strains. I think Jack Kemp would be alive today. And that research has saved or prolonged many lives, including mine."
As you may or may not follow, SI.com has dispatched "10 writers to report on the 32 NFL training camps across the country" and is featuring their reports throughout August in their Training Camp Postcard segment.
Here at HHR, we prefer to look at actual postcards sent by players to their loved ones, as opposed to Peter King drivel.
Today, we take a look at what's going on in Florham Park, NJ/Hempstead, NY (Jets), Davie, FL (Dolphins), Foxboro, MA (Pats) and Rochester, NY (Bills) from a player's perspective. To See the Complete Parts 1-8, Click Here.
Sens. Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, and Rep. Brian Higgins are sponsoring legislation "to rename the stretch of road that runs near Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills and Russert’s favorite sports team, as the "Timothy J. Russert Highway.""
Said Schumer, "Though he redefined Washington for generations to come, Tim Russert was always—to his very core—Mr. Buffalo. By naming this portion of Route 20a in his honor, we hope that Tim Russert will never be far from the home he loved so dearly."
Below is information on House Resolution 1275 from Thomas.gov.
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H.RES.1275
Title: Honoring the life of Timothy John Russert, Jr., public servant, political analyst, and author. Sponsor: Rep Higgins, Brian [NY-27] (introduced 6/17/2008) Cosponsors (89) Latest Major Action: 6/17/2008 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 395 - 0 (Roll no. 416).
SUMMARY:
***NONE*** MAJOR ACTIONS:
6/17/2008 Introduced in House 6/17/2008 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 395 - 0 (Roll no. 416).
TITLE(S): (italics indicate a title for a portion of a bill)
* OFFICIAL TITLE AS INTRODUCED: Honoring the life of Timothy John Russert, Jr., public servant, political analyst, and author.
COMMITTEE(S):
Committee/Subcommittee: Activity: House Oversight and Government Reform Referral
Jim Kelly has already followed Jack Kemp in taking helm as the Buffalo Bills' signal caller. It looks like now he may follow the former Congressman and Vice Presidential candidate to DC.
Party bosses have tried to tap Jim Kelly, before. In 2005 it was rumored he would run for Congress, perhaps against Fairport’s Louise Slaughter who’s 28th District includes Buffalo and Rochester.
Two years ago, Kelly told 13 WHAM News that Republicans had approached him to run for Erie County Executive. But he said, County politics was not for him. ‘Nah, I ain’t going small, I’m going to go right to the top,” Kelly said. “No, if I’m going to do anything it’s either Senator or Congressman.” Turns out he didn’t run for either, at that time.
With Rep. Tom Reynolds’ decision not to seek a 6th term, Kelly's name has again been put forth as a possible candidate, though he has yet to comment on the possiblity.
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Buffalo Bills receiver Roscoe Parrish was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence, police said.
Parrish was stopped at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, said Miami Beach Police Department spokesman Juan Sanchez. Parrish was driving a 2005 Bentley westbound on MacArthur Causeway, which connects Miami Beach to the mainland.
Sanchez said Parrish was taken into custody on a DUI charge. A Miami-Dade County jail spokeswoman said he was released later Saturday on $1,000 bond.
Parrish, 25, went to high school and college in Miami. He was a second-round pick of the Bills in 2005.
It was not immediately known whether he had a lawyer. Calls and e-mail messages sent to KCB Sports Marketing, which represents Parrish, were not immediately returned.
It's bad enough he's DUIing, but he's DUIing in a Bentley. Why does Roscoe Parrish have a Bentley? Why can't these dude bring themselves to call a cab? Or rent a driver? He can afford a Bentley but not a driver.
Clearly, Parrish was simply initiating himself into the prestigious Miami Hurricane Incarceration Club. It is a real brotherhood down there in South Florida.
