Western New Yorkers love Buffalo sports. While other areas of the country may ignore this great city, many locals are infatuated with its regional teams. So here it is: The BV’s take on all things Buffalo sports.
Bills
The NFL Combine is underway, but the Bills made other headlines as they cut veteran linebacker Keith Rivers. A starting linebacker at the beginning of last season, Rivers’ role on the team virtually disappeared by the end of the year. In the release, the Bills will save $1.7 million on payroll.
Rookie Preston Brown took over Rivers’ vacated role last season, so Buffalo’s defense will not see a drastic change come September. Let’s just hope that one highly-regarded prospect does not follow the path of another.
Sabres
Yep, the Sabres are still the worst team in the NHL—by eight points to be exact. They lost to a struggling New Jersey Devils team and will try to retain their status as a NHL franchise when they take on the New York Rangers today at 7 p.m. at the First Niagara Center. The Rangers sit at a 34-16-5 record in the Metropolitan Division and only trail the first place New York Islanders by four points. The Sabres are ranked last in the NHL in all major categories. With a new losing streak in the works, it’s safe to say the Sabres’ point has become painfully dull.
Former Sabres defenseman Steve Montador on Sunday at the age of 35. The cause of Montador’s death in unknown, according to ESPN. The locker room favorite will be missed by all Buffalo sports fans.
UB Men’s Basketball
The Bull’s once-promising season has taken a sour turn. UB beat Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, 78-63, but had lost three straight games prior. Their overall record of 16-9 reamains solid, but their 7-6 Mid-American Conference record leaves much to be desired.
With five games left on their regular season schedule, the Bulls can still salvage their conference record, but not before going through 18-8 (9-4) Kent State and 17-7 (9-4) Bowling Green. The Falcons and the Golden Flashes place first and second in the MAC respectively, so if the Bulls want to make amends for a recent dip in play, their opportunity lies in the coming weeks.
The Bulls are in fourth place in the MAC Eastern division, two games behind Bowling Green.
