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toes backward and forward. You would believe hes an automatic aggressive fighter, but he isnt. He fa
Topic Started: Apr 17 2014, 11:14 AM (7 Views)
ainimeng

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Newly signed Buffalo Bills defensive Mario Williams homecoming in Houston is set. And, as it turns out, former Bills running back Marshawn Lynch will be making his return in Toronto -- not Orchard Park -- this season. Those are among the key games to circle on the Bills regular-season schedule released by the NFL on Tuesday. Williams, who signed a six-year, US$100 million contract with Buffalo last month, will travel to play his former team, the Houston Texans, on Nov. 4. And Lynch will be joining the Seattle Seahawks in a trip north of the border on Dec. 16, for Buffalos annual "home" game in Toronto. Buffalos schedule is bookended by games against AFC East rival New York Jets -- the Bills open at the Meadowlands on Sept. 9, and close at Buffalo on Dec. 30. The Bills home opener will be against Kansas City on Sept. 16, and they are set to play one prime-time outing, hosting Miami on Thursday, Nov. 15. Its a schedule thats particularly heavy on travel in the beginning. Buffalo will be on the road to play seven of its first 11 games. That includes consecutive games out west -- at San Francisco on Oct. 7 and Arizona on Oct. 14. As a result, the Bills will close the season playing four of their final five at home, all in December, including their game in Toronto. This marks the second straight season that a bulk of Buffalos home games will come in the second half. Thats cause for concern because the team has traditionally had difficulty attracting fans to Ralph Wilson Stadium once the weather turns cold. The Bills failed to sell out their final three home games last year, all of them in December. Buffalo is coming off a free-spending off-season in which it added defensive ends Williams and Mark Anderson in free agency, and re-signed receiver Stevie Johnson. The additions have raised expectations for a team thats coming off a 6-10 finish and has missed the playoffs for 12 straight years -- the NFLs longest active drought. Buffalos bye comes on Oct. 28, Week 8 of the NFL season. The game against the Seahawks will mark Lynchs return after Buffalos 2007 first-round draft pick spent his first three-plus seasons with the Bills before being traded to Seattle. The game at Toronto will be the fifth and final of a five-year series the Bills reached with Rogers Communications to play in Canadas largest city and financial capital. The Bills are 1-3 in regular-season games played north of the border after a 23-0 win over Washington last year. The Bills were supposed to play a pre-season game at Toronto this summer, but that game has since been moved back to Orchard Park because of a scheduling conflict. That conflict proved to be a Bruce Springsteen concert announced last week and set for Aug. 24 -- the third week of the pre-season schedule when the Bills were scheduled to play in Toronto. The Bills and Rogers have both expressed optimism that an agreement will be reached to extend the series for another five years, and once again feature five regular-season and three pre-season games. Rogers paid the Bills US$78 million for the first series of games. The results away from Ralph Wilson Stadium have been mixed for the Bills, who have gone 3-3 in Toronto but are just 1-3 in regular season contests. Buffalo beat the Washington Redskins 23-0 in October for its first regular-season victory in Canada. The attendance for that game was 51,579, meaning none of the games have been a sellout. Rogers Centre seats 54,000 for football. -- With files from The Canadian Press. http://www.authenticseahawksshop.com/12th-fan-jersey.html . Curtis Granderson hit his 200th career homer and Soriano shook off getting hit on the side of his right hand by a line drive as the Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 4-2 Sunday. http://www.authenticseahawksshop.com/richard-sherman-jersey.html . Thome, a member of the 600-homer club, had been sidelined with a lower back strain since April 29. Hes just 2 for 18 in limited appearances, mainly as a pinch hitter. http://www.authenticseahawksshop.com/russell-wilson-jersey.html . -- Jorge Villafanas goal in the 69th minute snapped a 600-minute scoreless streak and also dealt a blow to FC Dallas playoff hopes as Chivas USA forged a 1-1 draw Sunday. http://www.authenticseahawksshop.com/ . They might sneak away with a division title if they keep playing like this against the AL West-leading Texas Rangers. http://www.authenticseahawksshop.com/marshawn-lynch-jersey.html . LOUIS -- The St.MONTREAL -- Lucian Bute stepped off the scales at the weigh-in, said hes ready for his fight and left. There wasnt much more for the former International Boxing Federation super-middleweight champion from Montreal to say about his bout against heavy-hitting Russian Denis Grachev on Saturday night at the Bell Centre. After being demolished in five rounds by Carl Froch in May, Bute wants to show the boxing world he is still a top-level fighter, and to show that he wont crumble when hes hit by a solid punch as he did that disastrous night in Sheffield, England. It was a first loss for Bute (30-1) and cost him the IBF belt he had held since 2007. It also cost about half the ticket sales he used to generate, as only about 8,000 are expected to turn out to see the southpaw take on an opponent of limited skill but maximum punching power in Grachev (12-0-1). "Emotionally, people were affected by what happened in May," said Butes promoter, Jean Bedard of InterBox. "Some said they were a little heart-broken, but I still think people will want to see the fight. "They may watch it at home or in a commercial establishment, but I think people still want him to win." They risk missing one of the most important bouts of Butes career. A win would set up a rematch with Froch and a chance to regain the title, assuming the Englishman gets what should be a routine win in two weeks against Yusaf Mack. But mostly, people want to see what will happen if Bute gets hit hard, including fight trainer and broadcaster Russ Anber. "His back is against the wall on this one," Anber said. "It would be great if he gets hit, takes it, fires back and shows hes able to withstand that and shows theres no side effects from the loss. "But for the overall performance, theres not a lot of margin for error in this. He cant afford a second loss in a row." The 12-round bout is for Grachevs minor NABF light-heavyweight title. Since Bute is a super-middleweight, they agreed to a catchweight of 170 pounds. Both easily made weight, with Bute at 169 pounds and Grachev at 168.9. Bute should be considered the favourite duue to his experience, hand speed, devastating left uppercut.dddddddddddd He will also have the hometown crowd on his side. But Grachev is coming off an impressive win in April over highly regarded Ismayl Sillakh, when he got up from the canvas to score an eighth-round TKO. The Russian has shown he can beat anyone if he lands a power shot to the right spot. "He likes to walk in with the left hook and hes got a heavy and long right hand," Butes trainer Stephan Larouche said of Grachev. "Hes got good timing in and out. "Hes pressuring you without jumping at you. He wants you to lose your balance and make you pay for it. Hes got a background in kick-boxing, so hes on his toes backward and forward. You would believe hes an automatic aggressive fighter, but he isnt. He fakes a lot. He makes you think." New York matchmaker Don Majeski called Grachev "a one-dimensional fighter. Hell get knocked out or hell knock you out. This is not going 12 rounds one way or the other." Majeski gave Bute credit for both moving up slightly in weight and in taking on "the hardest puncher in the division" in order to silence his doubters. Butes loss left Canada without a world champion in any division. Jean Pascal of Laval, Que., who fights for rival promoter Groupe Yvon Michel, lost his WBC light heavyweight belt to Bernard Hopkins last year. But Majeski said there are plenty of big bouts to come. There is the chance of a Bute-Froch rematch in March, which may be twinned with a Pascal bout against a top opponent like Chad Dawson or Tavoris Cloud. Pascal is to announce his opponent for a Dec. 12 tune-up bout on Monday. Adonis Stevenson of Longueuil, Que., has become mandatory super-middleweight challenger to Froch and should get a title fight some time in 2013. And welterweight Antonin Decarie has also moved into position for a title bout. "Its going to be stronger next year than its been in the last five because youve got all these great matches sitting out there," Majeski said. "We know that Lucian was a good fighter and now well find out if hes a great fighter." ' ' '
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