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Home , Brandon Beane, Christian Wade, Davis Webb, Devin Singletary, Jake Fromm, Matt Barkley

Hamlin captures sixth win of season Driver takes lead with nine laps left for victory at Dover. | PAGE B2

SPORTS SECTION B

The Buffalo News Sunday, August 23, 2020

Mike Harrington

INSIDE BASEBALL Memories come alive for Anderson

he Tampa Bay Rays were in T Sahlen Field last weekend to meet the Toronto Blue Jays and Brian Anderson had a job to do, just like he does every night as the color analyst for Fox Sports Sun. Of course, in 2020 he was working remotely from Tropicana Field like he does for every road game. But this series was different. This was a new look at Anderson’s old haunt from 1996 and 1997, a stadium then known as North AmeriCare Park that cleared the path for his trip to play for his “That ’97 hometown team, team in the Cleveland Buffalo was Indians. absolutely “It was strange loaded and for sure. But also it brought just got better back a ton of and better as memories from ’96 the year went and ’97,” Anderson James P. McCoy/Buffalo News on.” — Brian said by phone Bills owner and CEO Terry Pegula watches practice with Brandon Beane on Tuesday. Beane and head coach Sean Anderson Friday on his way McDermott will have some tough decisions to make after bringing quality players, especially at receiver and defensive line, to camp. to the Trop for the Jays’ return to . “They had me on our pregame show to talk about my experiences playing in Buffalo. That just kicked up the dust of all those memories. I went back to the Baseball Projecting the roster Cube website and looked up those teams, reminding myself of all the guys we had. “We were so well supported. It After a week of padded practices, here is an educated guess at who really stood out that we had a great following in Buffalo. It was so much the Bills will keep, who they won’t, and who are the candidates fun to go to that ballpark and play in Triple-A. You’d go on the weekend Tough decisions are coming for the . series in the summer and we’d have General Manager Brandon Beane has built a deep roster, which will lead to 18-, 19-, 20,000 people there on those some hard discussions when it comes time to set the team’s 53-man roster. If is Friday nights. It was absolutely Particularly at and along the defensive line, NFL-caliber players lost for a month, incredible for a Triple-A experience. won’t make the team. Most players didn’t have that. That With a week of padded practices in the books, it’s a good time to take a who gives the was a main point I made, ‘You guys Jay Skurski shot at projecting what that roster will look like: team the best don’t understand. It was a fun place to (3): Josh Allen, Matt Barkley, . chance of going play because we had such good teams, INSIDE THE BILLS Cut (1): . 2-2 and thus but the fan support was phenomenal. Analysis: Here’s the question when it comes to quarterbacks: If Josh That place was always buzzing.’ ” Allen is lost for a month (any longer than that and the season is sunk), who gives the team the best chance keeping its head The broadcast used Anderson’s of going 2-2 and thus keeping its head above water? Barkley is my answer, which is why he makes it. above water? inside knowledge of the ballpark to Exposing Fromm to waivers as a rookie doesn’t seem smart, so he makes it, too. Provided Webb makes it (Matt) Barkley describe the Jays’ six-homer barrage through, he should be on the practice squad. This is the year to keep four quarterbacks in the system, and is my answer, and 12-4 win. the Bills are set up well to do that. which is why he “A definite side benefit of playing Running backs/fullbacks (5): , , T.J. Yeldon, , Patrick DiMarco. there,” he said. “I knew it can get cozy Cuts (2): , . makes it. in the gaps in the summer months Analysis: The lack of a preseason is a tough break for Wade, who impressed last year during the when it’s muggy and warm. The ball exhibition season. He’s eligible for another exempt season on the practice squad, though, so he should at least has a tendency to fly and there’s no See Bills on Page B5 See Harrington on Page B7

Taking care of athletes’ mental health

coaches, campus administrators or from family members and friends. College administrators, conference leaders, but through the Athletes who participate in fall swift nature of social media. sports at UB, Canisius, Niagara and coaches focus on players “We’re alerting our counseling St. Bonaventure now must learn how services on campus,” said Leipold, to live without competitive college By Rachel Lenzi UB’s football coach. “Finding out sports. Mental health is paramount something on is not the way at a time when 18- to 22-year-olds NEWS SPORTS REPORTER you want to find out what’s happen- have to deal with grief, a sudden loss Hours after the Mid-American ing, hours in. Where our players are, and an unknown future, and have to Conference announced it had post- we spend a lot of time on the mental answer questions about their own poned fall sports, one of the first text part of it, that’s probably where our identities that often are tied to play- messages Lance Leipold said he re- next days will be. We’ll probably fo- ing their sport. ceived was from Brian Bratta, the cus on that.” “A lot of these athletes have been University at Buffalo’s associate ath- UB’s athletes already had been competing since a very early age,” letic director for sports medicine and coping with the long-reaching and said Chris Siuta, the clinical direc- wellness services. continuing impact of the Covid-19 tor of SportsMind Counseling in Or- Bratta’s primary concern was the pandemic, which had cut their chard Park and the director of coun- Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News mental state of UB’s football pro- spring practices, hampered their in- seling and health and wellness at UB football coach Lance Leipold, speaking, and athletic director Mark gram, as many players learned of the teractions with classmates and team- Alnutt are working with counseling services to help their athletes. MAC’s Aug. 8 decision not through mates, and isolated many of them See Colleges on Page B3 BU-1584476