In Buffalo, Vic Carucci writes the Bills in Toronto Series was "hardly a shining moment" for late team Owner Ralph Wilson Jr., but "thankfully, for his legacy and for pretty much everyone else involved in this six-year fiasco, it was terminated." The Bills "made plenty of money and did see a bump in season-ticket holders from Southern Ontario," but the crowds at Rogers Centre "declined, going from a series high" 52,134 for the first game in '08 to a low of 38,969 last year. Bills RB Fred Jackson said, “It’s something that’s been on a lot of people’s mind for a long time. ... People around town can breathe a lot easier" (BUFFALO NEWS, 12/4).
A REAL BUZZ KILL? ESPN.com's Michael Wallace noted just a month into the NBA season, the Hornets' early struggles "have doused much of the enthusiasm, hype" generated by the franchise's offseason rebranding. Team Owner Michael Jordan has "been at the forefront of that process and has had a hand in every decision from carpet patterns in the locker rooms to the lighting of logos in the rafters." Jordan's associates said that he has been "more visible over the last 12 months in the community and around the arena to help the franchise capitalize on the transition" (ESPN.com, 12/3).
THE BLACK HOLE: In S.F., Ann Killion notes there will be "a 'substantial increase' in uniformed officers, undercover officers and private security staff" at O.co Coliseum for Sunday's 49ers-Raiders game. The last time these two teams played each other -- an '11 preseason game at Candlestick Park -- "two men were shot, another was beaten unconscious and there were dozens of fights." There also "were 90 calls for medical service and 70 ejections." Killion: "It was a frightening free-for-all, and an example of all that can be wrong in sports" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 12/4).
