Author: Chris Ostrander

Field Goals: Linebackers shaping up

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Now that Bills training camp is truly up and running – it is closer to the end than the beginning, actually – it seems like a safe time to look into a few more position battles.

One of the most intriguing positions on the roster is linebacker. While the Bills re-vamped defensive line has fans and media drooling over the potential they may hold this season, the linebacking corps leave something to be desired.

Entering camp, the Bills base defense would start Kelvin Sheppard at mike with Nick Barnett on the weakside and Kirk Morrison on the strong side. However, as Joe Buscaglia reported today, it seems as if Arthur Moats has the inside track on the starting strong side position.

Moats, who also received some complimentary press last week, appears to have finally settled into a position that suits his skillset as a somewhat undersized pass rusher. After originally being slated as an inside backer in the 3-4 after his draft year, Moats floated to the outside and gained instant fandom for his hit on Brett Favre. However, he still struggled to see playing time since his 6’0” frame is not ideal for and outside linebacker position in a 3-4.

For than matter, his size isn’t ideal as a defensive end in a 4-3 either. Although he does have the pass rushing skillset that is desired from a rush linebacker in an even set.

However, Moats’ promotion shouldn’t be welcomed with sunshine and lollypops. It is not much different than if a late round pick or undrafted free agent managed to earn regular playing time. Simply put, it isn’t necessarily an ideal situation. Continue reading →

The Instigator Podcast 1.17 – Waiting on Webster

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Eric and I are back with another episode of The Instigator Podcast. We chat a little bit about the Webster Block, what could be next for the arena district and play plus/minus.

Helium adds a new wrinkle to Cobblestone

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What was supposed to be a post about the arrival of a new comedy club down in the Cobblestone District morphed into something totally different. Instead of talking about Helium Comedy Club taking over in the space that formerly housed Morrisey’s and Benchwarmers became thoughts on the need for more people in the area around First Niagara Center.

However, I still wanted to explore what could come of Cobblestone’s newest tenant.

The fact that there is going to be a full-fledged comedy club down in the heart of the arena district is huge. The only drawback is the lack of your traditional bar/restaurant with the departure of Morriseys and Benchwarmers. However, this has the potential to be self-sustaining to a degree.

While Morrisey’s and Benchwarmers likely ebbed and flowed with hockey season, Helium has the ability to become a destination all by itself. The key will be booking solid acts on a regular occasion while also providing a solid regular lineup.

I’m no expert on the comedy scene, so I’m not sure how big of a room Helium will have as compared to the type of club which land relatively solid acts. Regardless, I think it will be key to ensure the long-term success of the club. It will be particularly important in the early going as the casino, Webster Block and Donovan Buildings are built out. Continue reading →

Changes in Cobblestone indicate need for progress

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No matter how many pretty drawings have been rolled out, nothing can duplicate the real action taking place around First Niagara Center.

There is actual construction taking place at Canalside, as the faux replica canals are being built on the Aud site. The Donovan Building has been stripped and is well on the way towards completion in 2013 and, across the street, there are a pair of bids on the Webster Block that are set to be decided upon.

The Cobblestone District also made some news today as it was announced that a brand new comedy club will be opening on Mississippi. Helium Comedy will be opening in the space that was formerly occupied by Benchwarmers and Morrissey’s.

Getting a new, unique spot down in that area is a great addition to that entire area. However, the loss of Benchwarmers and Morrisey’s will not be conducive to the overall district, particularly when hockey season begins.

This is something that was pointed out by Eric at 3rd Man In earlier when I was still soaking in the news of a new comedy club getting plopped down in a neighborhood desperate for additional attractions.

Eric’s tweets indicate the need for construction in Canalside to ramp up to ensure that there are still locations for Sabres fans to patronize both prior to and after games. The Donovan and Webster block projects will each have a restaurant on the ground floor, but the soonest a restaurant will be in either of those buildings is late 2013. Continue reading →

Tape delayed coverage a necessary evil

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The choice made by NBC to run most elite events from the 2012 London Games in primetime on tape delay has caused an uproar with just about everyone.

However, the choice that NBC has made is a necessary one based on the time difference between London and the United States. Not offering any sort of tape delay coverage would be more infuriating to American fans than showing our athletes participate in events that had been decided hours previously.

It is simple math. London is six hours ahead of the US, most US citizens are at work between 11 am and 4 pm when the vast majority of Olympic events will be taking place. Once US primetime rolls around, it is 1 am in London. This is not a good recipe for live television. Of course, sports are always better enjoyed live, rather than in a microwave.

The problem that NBC has run into is two-fold. The obvious spoiler card is in play every day of the Olympics as major events are being decided while most American sports fans are surfing the net or trolling Twitter as opposed to working. Secondly, their coverage has begun to run over events that have yet to be fully televised at times.

The most cardinal of all NBC’s sins was running the Missy Franklin Today Show promo minutes prior to her first gold medal race. In case you missed it, the promo was all about Franklin’s first gold medal and celebrating with her family. This is the same medal most were sitting down to watch her win once the commercial break ended.

Of course that is a major gaffe, but something that surely won’t be repeated. What I think has hurt NBC’s coverage is the fact that they aren’t showing many of the premier events live. Continue reading →

Peace Bridge remains in neutral

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I am by no means an old person, and that isn’t meant as a slight to people who are older than me. However, I was in seventh grade when serious talks about the Peace Bridge caught fire. Fifteen years later, I have graduated from college, have a job and still trek across the three lane bridge opened in 1927.

Well, probably not.

Fifteen years of some form of conversation on the Peace Bridge dominating most conversation throughout Buffalo. There have been talks of a signature span, a twin span, the common tern, LED lights and even a bit of obstruction. After all, what would any failed project in Buffalo be without some form of obstruction masquerading as preservation?

Perhaps the most realistic plan for the Peace Bridge expansion was scuttled after it was determined that birds would not be capable of flying around an object. Any dreams of a signature span were a little too big for a city like Buffalo that is built on simplicity and little forward thinking. Now, as a city and region, we have devolved to simply expanding the American plaza while keeping the three lane bridge.

Aside from the obvious failure that was letting birds derail an entire bridge, it is sad to think that what once could have been a signature bridge welcoming all to the region has become plans for a re-configured inspection plaza. Things like this perpetuate Buffalo’s defeatist attitude. What is more pathetic is that the agenda of a select few will impact the entire region.

As of right now, the plaza expansion is being held up by a handful of obstructionists who are attempting to save a handful of old houses along Busti Avenue. Note, I did not use preservationist or historic in that last sentence. These people aren’t preserving shit, they’re obstructing progress. In addition, old doesn’t necessarily mean historic. Just cuz Jedadiah sneezed on the corner of the house in 1893 doesn’t make it historic. At some point Buffalo needs to get past saving every brick laid before the Great Depression.

By providing the American plaza additional space for car and truck inspections, traffic on the bridge will flow much better, as will the traffic heading to the I-190. Providing a Duty Free Store is just part of the program. You have a major border crossing and you capitalize on those looking for last minute items. Capitalism works. Continue reading →

Room for links along Route 5

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Back when Joel Giambra was in office, he mentioned that the former Bethlehem Steel site and the Outer Harbor could serve as a grand links-style golf course. If only that could be the case.

Clearly there is enough space for a golf course, but plenty of work needed on the former Bethlehem Steel site.

The Bethlehem Steel property sits along a massive stretch of waterfront land along Route 5 and has been sitting fallow for a number of years. A bit of green development has recently dotted the property, as the Steel Winds wind farm has sprouted 13 wind turbines along the property. Its not exactly brownfield remediation, but it is better than the few pieces of the blast furnaces and coke ovens that still stand.

Just like almost everything else in Buffalo and Western New York, the golf community is in somewhat of a vacuum. There are few premier courses in the area, with the handful that do exist charging a truly premium rate in greens fees. The rest of the courses in Western New York range anywhere from average to terrible with greens fees typically heading in the opposite direction.

Buffalo, by no means, is a haven that golfers from across the nation flock to. There are some gems to play, however. Glen Oak is probably the most impressive course of the bunch as a Robert Trent Jones design. In a few more years, Seneca Hickory Stick (Robert Trent Jones Jr. design) will be equal to the task. Ivy Ridge is a phenomenal track and even Diamond Hawk and Harvest Hill fall into the premium category for courses in the area.

All of the best courses, however, are located in outer suburbs. In fact, some of the best golf within 30 minutes of Buffalo is played in Canada (Thundering Waters, Legends on the Niagara). Diamond Hawk is the closest premium course to the city of Buffalo and that is located across the street from the airport.

Not only does the Bethlehem Steel site provide the necessary land for a golf course, it has a great location. The course is minutes from downtown and would provide vistas that would rival another links course that resides along the shores of a Great Lake, Whistling Straits. Maybe the opposite side of Route 5 isn’t exactly picturesque, but the drive leading up to where the old Bethlehem Steel administration building sits is rather scenic. Continue reading →

It is time for action at Canalside

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At some point in the future Canalside will be a gleaming beacon for the city of Buffalo. A multi-use district rooted in the rich history of the Erie Canal and it’s impact on the city. When that day will come will remain TBD.

A glut of renderings, plans, hopes and dreams have one by the wayside over the past 15 years as a singular direction has tried to be found at Canalside. Every progressive plan has been met by opposition from obstructionists masquerading as preservationists, newspaper columnists with a personal agenda akin to a 16-year old girl and grassroots complaints from NIMBYsand history buffs.

It is time to find concrete activities for these people at Canalside.

The most recent victory for those who oppose was when Bass Pro was officially wiped from the table as an option for Canalside. What replaced the shopping mecca? A hole in the ground, grass and lawn chairs.

Now, Bass Pro was a foolhardy mission. No matter what kind of shopping numbers were used as an example of it’s purpose in Canalside, it was ridiculous to think an outdoor supply store would be a proper anchor for what was to be a regional destination. Losing Bass Pro was indeed a victory for the city and Canalside as it provided space to explore other, more realistic options.

However, it shouldn’t have served as a catalyst for a crowdsourced lawn complete with different colored chairs and a hot dog stand. Depending on your point of view, ditching Bass Pro and rolling out the sod was real progress towards the “waterfront we deserve”. Tell me, does Buffalo not deserve a waterfront with, you know, things to do?

Lately The Buffalo News has deteriorated to little more than a propaganda machine to endorse alternatives to failed projects. Typically it is Donn Esmonde filling his weekly quota of Tim Tielman quotes – no matter how pointless – and Bass Pro potshots – no matter how outdated. For example, a few articles have run covering the plan to convert Ohio Street into a parkway that connects downtown and the Outer Harbor. In fact, Brian Higgins himself penned a piece about the benefits. It was interesting because it always seemed that Higgins’ passion project was the harbor bridge that received minor coverage in the News.

The Ohio street plan isn’t a bad one. In fact, the work being done along that corridor is impressive. It is simply pathetic that the superior plan has been abandoned for one that is so obviously a second or third option. If the funding for the Harbor Bridge is truly dead, then so be it; the Ohio street option will serve the city just fine. Just don’t act as if Ohio street was the first and best option all along. The best option is for both, whether or not that is realistic is a different story.

A harbor bridge would not only provide a direct connection to downtown from the Outer Harbor (keyword: direct), it would funnel people directly into the arena district and Canalside. Of course, there would need to actually be buildings in and around the arena and Canalside to keep people there. Continue reading →

Webster Block proposals on the table

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Both Carl Paladino and the Buffalo Sabres bid for the Webster Block are now open to the public. Both on the City of Buffalo website and The Buffalo News.

Courtesy: The Buffalo News

Paladino released renderings of his plans early in the process in what was likely a play for some positive PR from anyone keeping track of the project. The Sabres proposal, called the Harbor Center, was expected to be impressive and upon a cursory reading of their proposal, it is.

According to documents attached to the news story, Harbor Center will combine a pair of ice rinks on the lower roof of the building and a 200 room hotel facing the lake which looks to take up somewhere north of seven or eight floors.

The rink layout is staggered along the length of the building, as is the hotel. Other details that stood out is the apparent layout of where the restaurant and retail locations would be located. The Harbor Center has a very Torontonian feel to it for some reason. When everything is finished between the Donovan Building and Webster Block, the density and design concepts in that neighborhood will be very impressive. Continue reading →

Field Goals: Going camping

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After Mario Watch, OTAs, mini camps and plenty of water cooler chatter, the Bills are finally at camp. For the first time in a number of years, it is a camp that is opening with quite a bit of promise.

Mario Williams is going to garner most of the attention this summer as fans will be salivating at what he is expected to bring to the Bills defense this season. In addition to Williams, the improvements that have been made to the Bills defense are expected to bring drastic change to a unit that has been largely ineffective the past few years. That change has also turned the spotlight to the offense in some respects.

Ryan Fitzpatrick’s up-and-down 2011 season has left some questioning his long-term effectiveness as a starting quarterback. Buffalo’s hodgepodge of free agents, late picks and undrafted wide receivers is also a talking point for many fans as the team heads to Rochester.

Training camp is all about evaluation and preparation. Every player is under a microscope as the coaches are tasked with turning 80+ names into 53. Even players who are expected to fill starting roles are in a position where they need to perform while also setting themselves up for success for the upcoming season. Just ask Peerless Price what happens when you alligator arm your way through camp.

While I have and will continue to run through the various position and individual battles in this space, I want to take the opportunity to run through a few of the marquee topics at this year’s camp. The fight for the starting left tackle position, corner back and the number two wide receiver role are all things I’ll cover at length. Today I’ll just stick to the big names and expected strengths that should continue to grow during camp. Continue reading →