Buffalo Rising Online

Dave Staba

The most prestigious amateur boxing tournament returns to Buffalo this weekend for the first time since the early 1960s.

The Capital Management Services Golden Gloves regional tournament opens Friday night at 7:30 at McKinley High School at 1500 Elmwood Avenue and concludes a week later on March 30 at the same time and place.

The tournament had a lengthy run in Buffalo from the 1930s until the ‘60s, with Monsignor Franklin Kelliher – who wrestled professionally as “The Masked Marvel” and coached amateur boxers – running the event, which was sponsored by the Courier-Express.

The local contingent of fighters is led by Buffalo’s Lionell Thompson, who finished second at last weekend’s Northeast Regional Championships in Lake Placid. Buffalo heavyweight Excell Holmes and Johnny Davis of Niagara Falls, a super-he…

Dave Staba

It’s worth noting Ty Conklin’s first start, and first win, since coming to Buffalo at last month’s trade deadline – even if the Sabres desperately hope he doesn’t have to do it too often.

It didn’t come easy. Conklin made 42 saves, keeping the game close until Chris Drury and Drew Stafford scored in the late going to seal a 5-3 road win over the Florida Panthers.

Conklin was acquired from Columbus after Buffalo traded away Martin Biron, giving the Sabres a far less-expensive backup capable of giving Ryan Miller the occasional break, while providing no threat to the starter’s job security or psyche.

Conklin filled that role well on Thursday, even as Buffalo was outskated for much of the night and outshot 45-20. None of Florida’s three goals were softies.

The win came at a particularly vital time, snapping a four-game losing streak, Buffalo’s longest of the ye…

Dave Staba

It’s tough to make the argument that you’re the best team in the National Hockey League when you lose three in a row – at home, no less – and no one is accusing the Buffalo Sabres of such a lofty position in this week’s international power rankings.

Buffalo took the biggest hit on ESPN.com, falling from first to fourth, behind Nashville, Detroit and New Jersey. While noting the trio of losses, though, the anonymous commentator did look on the bright side:

Remember, Buffalo went through a similar slump this time last season, and were able to rebound and push through to the East finals.

The Sabres did remain No. 1 in one ESPN.com poll, though. The site’s user poll, part of the Sports Nation area – an amalgamation…

Dave Staba

When thousands of hungry, thirsty basketball fans pour into the streets outside HSBC Arena on Thursday afternoon with just 90 minutes to find satisfaction, some will walk up Washington Street to Dunn Tire Park, where Pettibone’s is serving a buffet and the concession stands will open for those in search of a simple burger or hot dog.

Volunteers will point the out-of-town fans in the direction of dozens of downtown restaurants, part of an effort designed to avoid the long waits and empty stomachs that resulted the last time the NCAA Tournament was in town.

Some will fill places like The Irish Times across the street from the ballpark, or the Washington Square Grill and Bar a little farther north.

Some will wander over to one of the establishme…

Ed Healy

Buffalo readies for the return of “March Madness”

Following an hour-long orientation session for more than 50 volunteers who will serve as Buffalo ambassadors during NCAA Basketball weekend, officials from Canisius College, Niagara University, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau eagerly awaited the nationally televised “Selection Sunday” process to see what teams would be traveling to Buffalo this week. Sounds of cheers and clapping permeated the scene when the CBS broadcast announced that Duke University, University of Pittsburgh and University of Maryland would be bringing their teams to Buffalo in pursuit of a national title.

Dave Staba

Let’s pretend for a moment that you really don’t follow college basketball for most of the year, but with the NCAA Tournament coming to town on Thursday, you’d like to know something, anything, about the eight teams playing first-round games at HSBC Arena.

Maybe you bought tickets months ago. Or got a pair from your generous boss. Or want to have something to talk about with the horde of visiting fans wandering downtown streets later in the week.

Well, we’re here to help. You can find little capsules on each team at just about any of the big sports sites, but by clicking on the links below, you can learn as much or as little about Butler, Old Dominion, Maryland, Davidson, Duke, Virginia Commonwealth, Pittsburgh and Wright State as you like.

For reasons known only to the NCAA, Buffalo's first-round games are split between two geographic regions: The Midwest (a bit of a …

Dave Staba

In last week’s power-rankings roundup, we slagged TSN.ca for its rather bizarre power rankings, which ranked Buffalo fifth in the National Hockey League, two spots behind the Ottawa Senators, who trailed the Sabres by nine points at the time.

But, giving credit where it’s due, the Canadian site featured a story earlier this week that extolled the depth that kept the Sabres on a 9-1-1 tear in their last 11 games at the time it was written, despite the well-documented string of injuries to key players. The piece, from the Canadian Press, focused on the contributions of Drew Stafford, Clarke MacArthur, Michael Ryan, Patrick Kaleta and Mark Mancari, recent members of the Rochester Americans.

The Sabres may…

Dave Staba

After auditioning possible replacements for running back Willis McGahee earlier in the week, the Buffalo Bills shipped the former first-round draft pick to Baltimore for two choices this year and one next, ESPN.com is reporting.

In return for the two-time 1,000-yard rusher, the Bills received third- and seventh-round picks in next month’s draft, as well as a third-rounder in 2008.

So ends a Buffalo career that had its moments, but not enough of them to justify extending McGahee’s contract, which expires at the end of the 2007 season, or put up with the incessant renegotiation chatter already emanating from agent Drew Rosenhaus.

McGahee’s departure seems like an appropriate time to answer a vital question: Was he more annoying when talking about his performance on the field…