Welcome to town Mario!

The Bills pulled off a feat on Thursday that I never thought they would. They signed a top-flight free agent in Mario Williams. The plan was simple for Buffalo, get Mario Williams to visit and make sure he didn’t leave town. Yes they had to spend a lot to get him (A six-year contract worth $100 million with over $50 million in guarantees). However, if the Bills failed to sign him, it would have been a devastating blow not only to this year’s team but also the future of the Buffalo Bills.

By signing Williams they sent a message. First, the Bills are making a strong push to end their 13-year playoff drought. They will now field one of the best defensive lines in the league with Williams, Marcell Dareus and a healthy Kyle Williams. Second, they can sign a big name in Buffalo. By signing one of the highest touted free agents on the market, Buffalo may have put the league, its players and fans on notice that they don’t want to be that small market team that no one wants to play for.

Buffalo’s defense was ranked No. 26 last year. So there is still a long way to go. But Williams will improve the pass rush and sets the edge against the run. If the Bills make additional improvements at linebacker and corner and everyone stays healthy, they have the potential to be a top-10 defense next season.

This should make Bills fans feel better about the future of the franchise. Yes, the Bills still have some needs. They still need to find a shutdown cornerback, a left tackle to protect quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and another receiver to complement Steve Johnson. The best part is that the Bills still have the 10th pick in this year’s draft and the remainder of free agency to fill these needs.

The march has begun….

March Madness has begun! The stretch from the middle of March until the end April stands alone as the most exciting time in sports. It has everything that you want as a sports fan. Not only do you have the NCAA tournament, but the baseball season starts, the NFL draft, the Masters, and the NBA and NHL playoffs. Seriously, what more could you want?

March Madness captivates me like few other sporting events. It even appeals to non-sports fans. Is there anyone in America who doesn’t fill out a bracket?

I filled out my bracket(s) this week and after tons of research (not on work time), submitted my picks for this year’s tournament.

I have been excited about my Syracuse Orange all season and was pumped to see them cruise in the NCAA tournament. However, The loss of Fab Melo is going to kill them (eventually). I definitely was not impressed on Thursday when the Orange almost made NCAA tournament history by allowing a No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed. They were trailing UNC-Asheville with 6 minutes to play, but escaped with a 72-65 win.

I do think that they’ll beat Kansas State before facing a tough Vanderbilt (or Wisconsin) team in the Sweet Sixteen.

I usually take a day or two off from work during the tournament to watch the games, but with a baby on the way (2 weeks!) and vacation days at a premium, that won’t be happening this year. Instead, again this year, I will resort to watching the buzzer-beater highlights I missed during work on Sports Center when I arrive home.

My Final Four is: Missouri, UNC, Kentucky and Florida State.

Comments

comments