Bills hire first full-time female assistant coach in NFL history

Rex Ryan took a big step towards to bringing more women into the NFL after the Buffalo Bills announced Wednesday that they hired Kathryn Smith as a "special teams quality control coach." 

While the title sounds very specific — but at the same time vague — the hire does make Smith the first-ever full-time female NFL assistant coach in the league and turns feet-loving Ryan into a special footnote in sports history.

“Kathryn Smith has done an outstanding job in the seven years that she has worked with our staff,” Ryan said in a statement released by the team. “She certainly deserves this promotion based on her knowledge and strong commitment, just to name a couple of her outstanding qualities, and I just know she’s going to do a great job serving in the role of Quality Control-Special Teams.”

.@buffalobills HC Rex Ryan on naming Kathryn Smith the first female full-time coach in @NFL history pic.twitter.com/w95ph4DOXo

— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) January 21, 2016

Smith started her career with the Jets, joining the organization in 2003 as a game day and special events intern. She became a college scouting intern in 2005, a player personnel assistant in 2007 and assistant to the head coach in 2014. She followed Ryan to Buffalo in 2015 after the Jets fired him.

The NFL has already seen women break down gender barriers after the Cardinals hired Jen Welter as an assistant coaching intern for training camp last year. Welter was believed to be the first female coach in NFL history, but Smith will become the first full-time NFL coach.

“I consulted with Bruce Arians on this since he was really the first NFL head coach to make this kind of move when he hired a female linebackers coach through the summer,” Ryan said in the statement. “You can see the success some of these young ladies are having in the coaching profession, such as the young lady that is an assistant to Coach (Gregg) Popovich at the San Antonio Spurs, and realize how exciting this is for women like Kathryn Smith as well as the Bills organization.”

Ryan was referring to Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon.

“Kathryn has been working in a football administrative role and assisted the assistant coaches for years,” Ryan added. “She has proven that she’s ready for the next step, so I’m excited and proud for her with this opportunity. She will work with Danny Crossman and Eric Smith involving a number of responsibilities.”

One big step for women and one new pair of tiny feet for Rex.

Plenty of painful and embarrassing mishaps at Jets-Bills game (VIDEO)

Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills may have destroyed the New York Jets playoff dreams on Sunday, but it didn't come without a couple of painful and embarrassing mishaps on the Bills side.

After missing yet another extra-point attempt this season, Bills kicker Dan Carpenter took out his frustration on his helmet and the brain bucket responded in like:

#Bills kicker Dan Carpenter gets attacked by his own helmet: https://t.co/QOfqqPNOh3

— Adam Ritz (@AdamRitz) January 4, 2016

That embarrassing sequence of events was only part of The Rise of the Inanimate Objects. Earlier in the day, this Bills fan got tough with a table but didn't realize the four-legged fireball would also exact revenge:

Think you're having a bad Monday, imagine the state this lad is in https://t.co/G9n8XYutK2 https://t.co/IFPZg5yCkF

— The42.ie (@The42_ie) January 4, 2016

NFL will run colorblindness analysis on new ‘Color Rush’ uniforms

The NFL will be taking a second look at the "Color Rush" uniforms that caused problems for fans who had difficulty distinguishing between the all-red Buffalo Bills and all-green New York Jets on Thursday night.

And especially for the color-challenged ones.

League spokesman Brian McCarthy said the NFL intends to incorporate a colorblindness test when designing its "Color Rush" alternate jerseys for next season.

"The standard television test did not account for colorblindness for fans at home that became apparent last night," McCarthy wrote in an email to The Associated Press. "We will enhance our testing to include a colorblindness analysis to better address this issue in the future."

McCarthy was responding to concerns raised by colorblind fans who couldn't tell which team was which during Buffalo's 22-17 win over the Jets — not to mention the ridicule the uniforms took via social media.

Here's what tonight's NFL game looks like to people with red-green colorblindness: https://t.co/xjGrDXiXI5 pic.twitter.com/2IRSKpqCGf

— Deadspin (@Deadspin) November 13, 2015

Coincidentally, various studies have found that red-green color blindness is the most prevalent and affects 10 million to 13 million Americans, most of them males.

The game was the first of four on Thursday night this season in which teams will wear the alternate uniforms.

Next week, the Tennessee Titans will wear all blue in facing the bold-gold-colored Jacksonville Jaguars. The other games will feature Carolina (Panthers blue) at Dallas (white) on Nov. 26; and Tampa Bay (red) at St. Louis (yellow gold) on Dec. 17.

The promotion will expand next season, when every team will wear the alternate uniforms on Thursday nights.

Let the Week 11 comparisons begin:

Rex Ryan compares Bills win over Jets to moving on from 'some girl you had the hots for' (VIDEO)

Rex Ryan’s bittersweet return to MetLife Stadium on Thursday night, the place he called home for six years as coach of the New York Jets, ended in victory after Ryan and his Buffalo Bills edged his former team 22-17.

After the game, where the Bills almost blew a 22-3 third quarter lead, Ryan was asked what emotions he felt after the triumphant return to the Meadowlands. 

“It’s kinda like being dumped by some girl that you had the hots for,” Ryan said in front of a standing-room-only postgame crowd. “Hey, you move on, and every now and then they call you back – they can’t get you back.”

Rex Ryan's Press Conference Game 💯 pic.twitter.com/1MZ4bUE7XK

— Justin Hardie (@OrangeHardie) November 13, 2015

Ryan's humorless tone indicated that Ryan had, in fact, been dumped by the girl he had the hots for and his infatuation with the Jets way more serious than anyone knew.

Quite a change from the dance moves he showed on the sidelines.

Don't worry coach. I don't think that girl is ever calling you back now.

Jets, Bills will wear one-color uniforms Thursday as part of NFL's 'Color Rush' (PHOTOS)

As if hanging holiday displays in stores the day after Halloween wasn't enough, it looks Christmas decorations will come way too early for fans at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 12 when the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets meet on Thursday Night Football in Week 10 in the Meadowlands.

That's because the NFL is promoting its color-on-color campaign titled “Color Rush” which will have the Bills wearing all red and the Jets wearing all green — in what should look like life-sized Christmas bulbs blinking all over the field.

The Jets tweeted out this image of the new uni before the Internet memes took over.

BOOM. #ColorRush pic.twitter.com/qa5E30LNG6

— New York Jets (@nyjets) November 6, 2015

Meanwhile, the the Bills' head-to-toe scarlet red didn't escape the trolling either:

Your first look at @usnikefootball uniforms @buffalobills will wear next week: https://t.co/XpEkABsdp7 #ColorRush pic.twitter.com/qlsqLzTrIS

— NFL (@NFL) November 6, 2015

I guess re-gifting Rex Ryan to Jets fans wasn't a good enough present from the NFL.

Merry Christmas.

Victor Cruz insists he'll make season debut Week 4 against Bills

It was nice enough that the New York Giants celebrated a joyous victory over the Washington Redskins Thursday night, but now the team has found another good reason to work on their dance steps.

While indicating over the past three weeks that his strained left calf was getting better, Victor Cruz has finally made the declaration that he's ready to bring back his salsa.

In a video Cruz posted an online video Sunday, the receiver announced that he definitely will play next Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, despite the fact that he hasn't practiced since Aug. 17.

“I'm extremely excited to start my next game, to play my first game in this young 2015 season," Cruz said in the video. "I'm excited to team up with Odell (Beckham,) man. It's gonna be fun."

Cruz was working his way back from a torn patella tendon suffered in a game at Philadelphia in 2014, which ended his season.

So far this season, Cruz has been sidelined for roughly six weeks because of a left calf strain. Last week he was running at the Giants' practice facility and ran inside MetLife Stadium Thursday before the team's win over Washington. But to declare he will play Sunday despite not yet testing out the calf in a full practice is pretty ballsy.

"I just wanted to make sure that I'm 100% before I go back out there," Cruz says in the video. "I want to be clicking on all cylinders. I want everything to be full force just to prevent another injury, you know what I mean? So I'm excited, man. I'm excited for our team. We've got a lot of talent, a lot of young kids that are ready to play and that are playing very well, as well as some veterans that are playing well and really doing their thing. And now we're coming around; everybody's getting healthy again.

“So we're excited to make this push. We know that it's a long season and we have to stay consistent throughout the season, but I'm excited to come back individually and join my team and join my teammates and be that explosive player that I once was and be that again, and be confident that I can be that again."

Cruz ended the video with an emphatic: "The return is here."

IK Enemkpali once punched a ‘man he thought was a woman’: Report

Two weeks after Ikemefuna Enemkpali was released by the New York Jets for punching out  his then-quarterback Geno Smith in a locker room incident, the outside linebacker's fists are in the news again — this time because of a catfishing incident first reported by ESPN.

According to an "Outside the Lines" report, Enemkpali missed Louisiana Tech's season opener in 2011 because he had injured his hand after punching "a man he thought was a woman with whom he had arranged to have sex."

ESPN cited an obtained copy of a police report which said Enemkpali began exchanging Facebook messages with a "Missy Lee" on Sept. 1, 2011. But after meeting "Missy Lee" in person, he realized the individual — who had been "covered head-to-toe in a blanket" — also had "facial hair."

According to ESPN, the police report states that Enemkpali "felt that he was being 'set up' for a robbery of some type. Enemkpali stated that fearing for his safety, he then struck the subject in the blanket. Enemkpali stated that after he struck this person, their voice changed to that of a male. Enemkpali stated that he then left the residence through the window."

He also reportedly told police that he began receiving texts in which "Missy Lee" accused him of "punching her and knocking out her teeth" and also threatened "U are going to jail." Enemkpali reportedly offered $500, but "'Missy Lee' demanded $1,000 or the police would be called."

Police later traced the phone number to a man named Ketryn Anderson, who, according to his Facebook page, is a "senior pastor and founder of Life Community Church" in Shreveport, Louisiana,  according to ESPN.

Enemkpali off-the-field issues kept NFL teams away during the 2014 draft process and, before the start of the 2011 season, he reportedly was suspended after he hit an off-duty officer. He was charged with disturbing the peace and battery of a police officer, but was reinstated by the team and played in the 2011 season.

The Jets still decided to take a gamble and former Jets general manager John Idzik drafted the Louisiana Tech product in the sixth round.

After Smith suffered a broken jaw in the altercation with Enemkpali,  the 24-year-old linebacker was claimed off waivers by former Jets coach Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Wednesday that "the matter remains under review."

First look at swollen-faced Geno Smith after sucker-punch surgery (PHOTOS)

Jets quarterback Geno Smith is already out-and-about following surgery on his jaw after getting sucker-punched by ex-teammate  IK Enemkpali last week.

His cheeks swollen, Smith was spotted at his apartment complex in Whippany N.J. where New York Post photographers found him playing catch outside with a "buddy."

The Post managed to snap off a couple of photos of Smith's puffed face, and to get a couple of quotes from him:

"I feel great. You see me throwin', right?" he said, his speech slightly slurred by the swelling.

Smith was shirtless and strangely wearing eye-black tape during the casual toss and had a message to Jets fans regarding his six to 10-week layoff: "Get ready for me to come back." 

But head coach Todd Bowles may have wished they did wire Smith's jaw shut. Bowles said Smith's job as the Jets' starting quarterback will not be guaranteed upon his return. 

Or will his teammates' respect.

After Enemkpali, a sixth-round draft pick last year punched out Smith, he was immediately released and later signed by the Bills. And while keeping virtually silent about their signal caller, Jets players have reportedly been phoning linebacker Enemkpali with support.

Buffalo fan combines two favorite things in pizza-themed Bills tattoo (PHOTO)

It was only a matter of time before food and sports — the two things many men love most in life — were worked in together for one of the oddest tattoos ever.

A pizza-themed Buffalo Bills ink job, to be more precise.

I love pizza and I love buffalo so here new tattoo 😁😁😁😁 @buffalobills pic.twitter.com/ZOSOLujXnI

— GeraltofRivia (@wasteyfacejesus) July 11, 2015

That fan's dedication got the seal of approval from the Bills themselves:

We admire your dedication.🍕 #GoBills https://t.co/G74KzyQTk3

— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) August 12, 2015

And you can bet the local pizza parlor box gives it an okay too.

LeSean McCoy wants Donald Trump to DJ his dry party, bars Hulk Hogan

LeSean McCoy wanted to throw a bash this weekend but, after catching a lot of flack from the media and Internet — and the NFL because he violated the copyright of the Buffalo Bills logo — his planned ladies-only pre-training camp party plans got squashed.

So McCoy decided he wanted to throw a more wholesome party and posted another invite to Instagram. A dry party. With smoothies. And he wanted Donald Trump to DJ. Oprah, President Obama, The First Lady, Drake and even that waitress he stiffed out of a tip last fall.

Since the media and Internet took my before camp party outta context , I had to switch up my party strategy .  So tonight I'll be inviting everyone to my back to business party . Featuring DJ @DonaldTrump on the 1's and 2's . Special invited guests @RexRyan , @chipKelly ,@Rogergodell , my man Barack .oprah, Carli Llyod , and even that terrible waiter with the awful service from the burger joint is invited. Don't bring your Id because there won't be any alcohol anyway.  Open smoothie bar all night tho . Don't worry bout the confidentiality agreement. No only are ladies invited but everyone is invited , except hulk hogan he can't come . Maybe even @meekmill and @drake will hit the stage together . Turn up time party time !!!! #shadyinvite #djdonald #donaldplaylist  #billsmafia #smoothiebar #byebyeoffseason

A photo posted by Lesean Mccoy (@25_mccoy) on Jul 26, 2015 at 7:21pm PDT

Seems Shady made it a point to invite everyone but Hulk Hogan.

Rex Ryan gets new Buffalo Bills-themed pick-up truck (PHOTO)

Ex-Jets coach Rex Ryan is really taking this Buffalo Bills thing pretty seriously.

First Ryan changed the colors of his famous Mark Sanchez tattoo, from Jets green to Bills blue.

And now, a photo of a Bills-themed design for Ryan's pick-up truck is making the rounds:

Rex Ryan has a new truck in Buffalo; It is decked out Buffalo style (LOOK) - http://t.co/z8YlWgFrvI pic.twitter.com/m8rifW9C9s
— NFL Draft Diamonds (@DraftDiamonds) February 26, 2015

At least Rex will be stylin' when he picks up those frosted pizza pies.

Rex Ryan attends Sabres game alongside former Jets assistants (PHOTO)

Rex Ryan, the Buffalo Bills' new coach, attended Tuesday night's Red Wings-Sabres game at First Niagara Center, alongside four Jets assistant coaches who are likely to join him with the Bills.

There's secondary coach Tim McDonald, defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman, linebackers coach Bobby April III and offensive assistant Tony Sparano Jr., the son of former Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano all taking in the game from a luxury suite.

Bills coach Rex Ryan watches the 3rd period of the Sabres & Wings game from a suite. @TheBuffaloNews @BNHarrington pic.twitter.com/cwjVfcGG7m
— Harry Scull Jr (@hsjrphoto) January 14, 2015

You can bet the Bills' owner, Terry Pegula, who also owns the Sabres, hooked old Rex up with those fancy seats. And the Sabres gear was nice welcoming gift. Too bad it won't make up for this nasty-looking pizza the team greeted Ryan with.

We'll have one cheese pizza with extra Rex, please. #WelcomeRex Huge thanks to our friends at La Nova! pic.twitter.com/K1XAdEVZ6Q
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) January 13, 2015

It's hard to know probably upset Rex more, the Sabres losing to the Red Wings 3-1 or that disgusting pizza covered with frosting.

But, before the lap-band surgery, I would bet on the food.

Doug Marrone’s Wikipedia page gets 'edited' by angry Bills fan

When it comes to having a case of the Mondays, Doug Marrone had one yesterday that he'd really like to forget.

Not only was the former Bills coach ripped by one of his old assistants at Syracuse after it came out that Marrone’s job interview with the Jets did not go very well, even his Wikipedia page got the treatment by an angry Bills fan.

It seems some pissed off Bills fan went as far as to edit Marrone's Wikipedia page to take out his rage on the runaway coach.

The information site, which can be edited by any of its users, displayed Marrone’s bio — at least temporarily — with a few snide remarks on Monday, presumably made by the anonymous fan or fans.

The coach’s bio called him Douglas “walks out on his team” Marrone, referencing the coach opting out of his contract with the Bills.

It also read that he “walked out on the Buffalo Bills after their defense brought them to the first winning season in a decade. He has no offensive skills, so he won’t be hired by another team, unless the Jets want to suck again in 2015.”

After some untouched, factual biographical information, the final line of the Wiki bio says “he also cleaned toilets at Walmart, and doubled as a greeter.”

Marrone’s birthplace was also changed to read “A toilet in bronx, ny.”

Wikipedia corrected the page. But it was later re-edited by either another or the same user, which included changing his name to "Douglas Moron."

Either way, Marrone's chances with the Jets probably got flushed too.

Buffalo Bills fan honors team with extravagant Christmas light display (VIDEO)

This Buffalo homeowner might have gone a little overboard with the blue and red Christmas lights when decorating his house.

But when you're a Bills fan, who's to say what's too many.

Top it off with The Isley Brothers classic, "Shout," and you have one of the best sports-themed Christmas displays ever.



I'm betting the neighbors won't be Isleys or Bills fans by Dec. 25.

Johnny 'Football' Manziel stars as Johnny Bravo in cartoon spoof (VIDEO)

Johnny Manziel has always come off as some sort of Saturday cartoon character — whether it was Superman on the field or Jughead in the nightclubs. So it was only natural for Johnny Football to be immortalized in toon form as none other than self-absorbed lunkhead Johnny Bravo.

Manziel took over the quarterback job from Cleveland Browns starter Brian Hoyer on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills and scored his first career NFL touchdown before doing his self-promoting money celebration.

Now here's No. 2 is doing his Money Dance in glorious Cartoon Network colors.

Here's the original Johnny Bravo opening theme song:



[Bleacher Report]

Bills' Scott Chandler celebrates TD by pretending to shovel snow (VIDEO)

Buffalo residents had a rough week due to the snow storm in New York state, with many of them having to dig out of up to seven feet of the white stuff just to get outside of their homes.

Luckily, the Buffalo Bill were able to escape the white hell and play the New York Jets in Detroit Monday night.

So how did Bills tight end Scott Chandler celebrate scoring a touchdown in the first half? By pretending to shovel snow of course.

And if he got flagged for an excessive celebration penalty doing his 'shovel dance,' he could always blame it on muscle memory.

Detroit radio station organizing Jets rally to spite ex-Lions coach: Report

The NFL announced Friday tickets for the transplanted Jets-Bills game on Monday night in Detroit will be free to the general public and all seating will be general admission.

Since the two teams really have much of a fan base in Motown,  one Detroit radio station — WMGC-FM — which still holds a grudge against former Lions coach and now Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, urged the locals to support the Jets.

Schwartz, who had coached Detroit the previous five seasons, was sarcastically carried off the field when the Bills beat the Lions back in Week 5 this season.

So expect to see a lot of green and white at the Jets' "home" game.

This Monday, #Detroit wears green to Ford Field to turn Jim Schwartz' "home" game into a road game. #GreenMonday pic.twitter.com/IW0vPROUVx
— Detroit Sports 1051 (@DSports1051) November 21, 2014

Tickets were made available to season-ticket holders on Friday and will be available to the public beginning Saturday (10 a.m.) at Detroitlions.com Gang Green fans.

Jets fans start "Fire John Idzik" website: Report

After years of quarterback letdowns, underachieving players and lousy coaches, one group of Jets fans have had their fill and are directing their frustration at one single person, the current head of the whole mess — general manager John Idzik.

Four fans' disappointment with the 1-and-7 team came to a head after listening to Idzik’s rambling news conference on Monday and they decided to take matters into their own hands — or more precisely, their fingertips.

They created a website titled: “firejohnidzik.com”

“We were so disgusted after the game on Sunday, that the last thing we wanted to hear was that ridiculous press conference,” said Jason Koeppel, one of the site’s creators.

Koeppel, along with his brother Jared and friends Matthew Wolferman and Greg Kohler called each other after Idzik’s rambling comments Monday and decided to put this site together with the goal of putting a "Fire John Idzik" billboard in the Meadowlands.

"Join other long suffering Jets fans in our quest to rid the organization of our CLOWN GM. Our goal is to raise enough money to purchase a billboard in the vicinity of MetLife Stadium and let the Jets know that their most loyal fans are demanding change. 

"Show Woody that we paid our PSL's. We put up with the massive rip-off that is MetLife Stadium and the absurd price of tickets & concessions. But we will no longer put up with John Idzik running the show." 

According to Koeppel, a 35-year-old season-ticket holder from Hackensack, fans who donate a certain amount get a T-shirt with a logo. He said it will cost around $10,000 to buy the billboard. The site had raised around $500 in the first 24 hours.

The site also has a slideshow labeled the "Idzik Hall of Shame" which highlights his biggest blunders as general manager. And, although Idzik didn't make the call, it includes a photo of T.J. Graham lying down in the end zone on the bumbled "Hidden Player" trick play during last Sunday's blowout loss to the Bills.

Koeppel is hoping the site gets contributions from other angry Jets fans before they send their specific gripes to team owner Woody Johnson.

Jets' Jeff Cumberland in a lot of pain while getting finger popped back into place (VIDEO)

That snap, crackle and pop you heard on the sideline of MetLife Stadium Sunday wasn't just the whole Jets team falling apart against the Bills, it was also the sound of their tight end, Jeff Cumberland, having his dislocated finger twisted back into place.

Cumberland had his finger popped back in by a member of the Jets' medical staff after an incomplete pass from Michael Vick. The moment was captured by CBS cameras as Cumberland winced in pain:

Still not as painful as watching the Jets.

'Reporter' Rex Ryan pranks Sammy Watkins with question on conference call (AUDIO)

Rex Ryan continues to show he isn't above having a little fun even while his 1-6 Jets team sings the blues. Ryan, who has already played "reporter" as a gag a couple of times, turned the tables once again.

On Wednesday, with a little help from the New York media, Ryan duped an unwitting Sammy Watkins of the Bills with his Clark Kent routine during a conference call.

Watkins, the Bills' outstanding rookie receiver who will be facing the Jets Sunday, was doing the phone interview with Jets reporters just as Ryan came walking past the room where the call took place. Ryan was en route to his daily press conference.

A reporter motioned to Ryan that Watkins was on the call. Ryan, whose son, Seth, was a teammate of the NFL's No. 4 overall pick at Clemson University last year, gladly entered the room to begin the ruse.

"Sammy, I got a question," Ryan began. "How did you help Seth Ryan out? How'd he do out there? And if you could really help him, you wouldn't play this game. This sounds like Rex Ryan—I know it does—but this is a reporter."

There was a pause.

"How you doing, Sammy? You all right?" Ryan asked.

Suddenly there was stifled laughter from the reporters.

"Hey, how you doing?" a confused Watkins responded.

And that's how the interview ended.

You can hear Ryan "interviewing" Watkins below. Ryan jumps in at the 5:03 mark.