It's, what, Day 3 of his first training camp, and new Bills coach Doug Marrone has already had enough from those vultures in the western New York media.
Mario Williams missed practice for the second day in a row. Williams has a sore foot, but the Bills have provided reporters with no information about the injury's seriousness or how long he'll be out. At a press conference today, one reporter asked one question about Williams. And that was all it took for Marrone to get defensive.
"I have not had any contact with anyone in regards to Mario," Marrone said. He then suggested more than once that the reporters thought he was lying. The press conference moved on to some talk about another player. That's when another reporter asked another question about Williams. Tim Graham of the Buffalo News wrote that because "Williams has a track record of strange injuries," the questions kept coming. And Marrone kept getting more defensive. Graham wrote up how the entire exchange went down here, with part of it caught on video:
It's not in the video, but during part of that exchange the situation devolved so far that Marrone asked AP reporter John Wawrow if he could call one of the Bills' third-down plays:
That's not my job," Wawrow replied.
"Do you know the play?" Marrone asked.
"I really couldn't tell you because I've not seen your playbook," Wawrow replied with a shrug.
"Right, OK?" Marrone said. "I haven't talked to the doctor. I haven't seen the playbook."
Wawrow then attempted to ask his question.
"I'm done!" Marrone shot at him. "I'm not answering any more questions about Mario Williams until the doctor gives me this."
Wawrow spoke up again to ask if the team had excused Williams's absences. Marrone basically said they did before adding, "That's not a legitimate question." Sheesh. It's not even August. What will Marrone be like in December when the Bills are 4-10?
[Buffalo News, via PFT]
Photo: Associated Press