Buffalo News

Asprilla Visiting Canisius

Wny Bbq Champs Head South to Do Battle

Mike and Angela Cartechine of Boston, half of a competitive barbecue team dubbed Mr Bobo's Traveling BBQ Allstars, are in Nashville this morning, ready to advance the last few miles to their battleground. The Cartechines have invaded the south to represent New York State barbecue at the Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational. The event, held in Lynchburg, Tenn., is one of the nation's top barbecue contests, its field limited to 53 teams drawn from state and regional champions.

Halfway to I-95 Series: Phillies in, Yankees Got Next in Alcs

The Phillies are back in the World Series, going back-to-back for the first time in their history by bouncing the Dodgers from the NLCS with Wednesday's 10-4 victory. They're just the fifth NL club in the divisional era to repeat and they'll be trying to match the Big Red Machine of the 70s with back-to-back World Series titles. (At left, the cover of the Philly Daily News shows Brad Lidge and Carlos Ruiz after the final out)

Gaultier to Design for Target

Another celebrity designer has signed on to create a collection for discount department store Target. Jean Paul Gaultier, most famous for outfitting Madonna in cone bra corsets during the 1990s, will design a collection "for the American woman" which will grace racks at 250 Target stores and online at Target.com this spring.

Editorials: Today's Editorial Board (10/22)

Good morning, all: Two more days of candidates, then the debates begin!

Where We Stand On the 'Stans.

The lead editorial on today's Buffalo News Opinion page determines that the move by the Pakistani army against Taliban and al-Qaida forces in that nation amounts to a mixed blessing for the Obama administration: - Pakistan takes action

More On Monserrate

Two of New York City's big newsprint players have pitched in on the Monserrate mess, each with a useful bigger-picture angle: - New York State Senate should police its own - Newsday

Playing Politics with Nt Walmart

Week Eight Walkthrough

Here we go: Playoff time. Section VI kicks off its postseason this weekend while there are some other key clashes in the Harvard Cup and the Monsignor Martin Association.

Raining Points

Hello again from Florida, where three days of nearly nonstop sun have given way to a mix of rain and sun with the Sabres off today. Oh well. Now that I'm at a spot where the Internet doesn't crash every time I push "Publish" on the blog (thanks you wonderful, tech-savvy people at the BankAtlantic Center!), here are few things from the Sabres' 5-2 win over the Panthers on Wednesday:

Get Personal

If you're looking for a gift for a baby or young child, check out www.iseeme.com (I See Me! Inc.), which offers adorable personalized storybooks. Visit the Web site for a virtual tour of the books, including "My Very Own Name," $29.95, in which animals bring letters one by one to create the child's first and last names.

Thursday Update: Edwards Not at Practice

Trent Edwards was again absent from practice Thursday as the Bills continue their preparation for Sunday's game in Carolina. That makes it even more likely that Ryan Fitzpatrick will make his first start with the Bills.

An Elephant Could Paint That

It's a big week for the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, which today announced the appointment of Leslie Zemsky as the first female board president in the institution's history. To the surprise and relief of many an art-lover, the gallery also announced today that it would extend its hours to be open six days a week as opposed to a paltry four, starting Nov. 3. The gallery also opened its exhibition of recent work by North Tonawanda-born artist Robert Mangold (look for a preview of the show in tomo...

L.A. Bills?

California governor/former Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill for construction of a 75,000-seat stadium in Los Angeles, which is the first major step towards luring a team to the nation's second largest media market. According the Associated Press, the Bills are among seven teams being targeted by Majestic Realty Co., which is heading the stadium project. It is the same company that helped develop Staples Center, home of the NBA's Lakers and Clippers and NHL's Kings.

Williams Wants to Play Sunday

If it were up to defensive tackle Kyle Williams, he'd suit up Sunday when the Bills visit the Panthers. It's not, of course, as that decision will be made by the team's trainers, but the fact Williams was even talking about the possibility Thursday can be viewed as a positive sign.

Time for Yankees to Seal the Deal

It's Game Five of the ALCS tonight in Anaheim and the Yankees need one win to wrap up their I-95 World Series matchup with the Phillies. Better they do it tonight than prolong things to Saturday night back in the Bronx. As Mike Vaccaro's column in today's New York Post points out, the Yankees were a combined 9-0 in 1996, 1998 and 1999 in games where they had a chance to clinch a series en route to winning the World Series (they were 2-1 in 2000). They need to finish this series now. A big rea...

Torey's Time to Talk in Cleveland

The Indians' managerial search continues and Buffalo Baseball Hall of Famer Torey Lovullo, left, has his interview Friday. The Tribe has already talked to ex-Washington skipper Manny Acta and former Mets manager Bobby Valentine was in Cleveland Thursday. Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly is still on the docket. No secret to longtime readers that I'm a huge Lovullo booster. But the fact is I can't see how the Indians could possibly hire him at this time. It seems more like a token interview ...

Alcs Game Five Quick Hits

The Angels pulled out a wild 7-6 win Thursday in Game Five of the ALCS as both managers took turns having braincramps in the late going. So it's back to New York for Game Six on Saturday night. Uncluttering my brain: ---Think plate ump Fieldin Culbreth was a little relieved the Angels rallied? Dude would have been banned from Disneyland for life after that ball-four call on Jorge Posada set up the six-run seventh.

Friday Night Live: Week Eight

Are you ready for some playoff football? Of the 20 Section VI quarterfinals this weekend, 13 will be held tonight (here's the full schedule).

Track Talk: Fort Erie Awards

Chocolateforlunch, a 5-year-old mare who won five of six starts at Fort Erie Race Track this season, was named the track's 2009 Horse of the Year at Thursday's (Oct. 22) annual awards banquet at Leisureplex. Chocolateforlunch, trained by Lyle Morden and ridden by Rui Pimentel, was also named the year's top female sprinter.