HORRIBLE NEWS: Buffalo bills key player cut off his contract Which Was To be….
Bills coach Sean McDermott cited 9/11 hijackers as an example of teamwork. Now he regrets it
Bills coach Sean McDermott before a game against the Eagles.
Bills coach Sean McDermott said Friday his current players were supportive when he addressed his recently resurfaced comments about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. (Chris Szagola / Associated Press)
BY CHUCK SCHILKENSTAFF WRITER
DEC. 8, 2023 3:45 PM PT
Show more sharing options
A day after meeting with his players, Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott told reporters Friday that their “support was clear” after he apologized for referencing the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks during training camp four years ago.
The comments — in which McDermott is said to have used the hijackers as an example of individuals who were able to work together and successfully carry out a plan — were revealed for the first time Thursday by Go Long.
ADVERTISEMENT
Later on Thursday, McDermott told reporters that his intention at the time was “to discuss the importance of communication and being on the same page with the team,” but he “regretted mentioning 9/11 in my message that day and I immediately apologized to the team.”
McDermott also said Thursday that he intended to address his current players about the situation later in the day. On Friday morning, he was asked how that meeting went.
“I thought it went as good as one could expect, as I could expect,” he said. “It was important for me to address the players that are new to us since 2019 and may not have been around that day, so that they understood that situation and how it unfolded. And that based on who I am and what they’ve seen, my hope in how I try to do things and how I handled that situation. So it went well. Their support was clear. And much appreciated.”
ADVERTISEMENT
FILE – New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu shows his receipt after placing the first legal sports wagering bet on his mobile phone in Manchester, N.H., Dec. 30, 2019. New York state’s gaming commission announced Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, that four of the nine mobile sports wagering operators, including Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Rush Street Interactive, have been approved to accept bets starting this Saturday. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)
SPORTS
A 9/11 sports bet on New York teams? DraftKings apologizes for ‘Never Forget’ parlay
Sept. 11, 2023
The article that featured McDermott’s 9/11 comments was included in a series on Go Long titled “The McDermott Problem,” by writer Tyler Dunne, who makes no secret of the point he’s trying to get across.
MORE TO READ
Buffalo Bills punter Matt Araiza (19) prior to a preseason NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Punter Matt Araiza signs with Chiefs two months after rape accuser drops civil lawsuit
Feb. 22, 2024
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 22: Fans cheer as snow falls during the first half in the AFC Divisional Playoff game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
Bills-Steelers wild-card playoff game postponed until Monday because of weather
Jan. 13, 2024
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Easton Stick (2) is pressured by Buffalo Bills.
Chargers’ valiant effort as spoilers is ruined by Bills’ field goal in waning seconds
Dec. 23, 2023
“If the goal is to win a Super Bowl,” Dunne writes early in the first of the three lengthy articles, “the Bills have one option: Fire the head coach before [it’s] too late.”
Dunne spoke with 25 former coaches, players and other Bills personnel from the McDermott era for the series. Most of the sources were granted anonymity and quite a few negative opinions were shared of McDermott, who has compiled a 72-46 record but has yet to lead the Bills to a Super Bowl appearance even with superstar Josh Allen at quarterback.
ADVERTISEMENT
McDermott spent nearly half of his 16-minute session with reporters Friday discussing the articles, calling them “hurtful” but saying that the support he’s received since they were published has been “affirming.”
FILE – Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) looks to pass during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023, in Orchard Park, N.Y. The three-time AFC East champion Buffalo Bills are suddenly paying for the price of success in entering the NFL draft with several needs, but few selections. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File)
SPORTS
Josh Allen beat the competition for ‘Madden NFL 24’ cover. Can he beat Madden Curse?
June 7, 2023
“You know, it was clearly, to me, an attack on my character, and that’s important to me, very important, as much if not more, very clearly more, than wins and losses,” McDermott said. “Wins and losses are important, but what’s more important to me from Day 1 is how you handle yourself. And, again, doesn’t mean that I’ve been perfect, no one’s perfect. Doesn’t mean I’ve been without flaw. But to me it’s most important that for myself and my family and my kids, that I handle this job the right way.”
He added: “In any of our lives if this came up for any of us, something like this, it definitely gets your mind spinning, right? Just being real, it’s been disappointing. It’s been hurtful, right? At the end of the day, I know who I am. At the end of the day, I know how I handle myself. As I’ve said, humbly, I’m not without flaws, right? I wake up every morning trying to do the best job that I can to win games for the fans of the Buffalo Bills and do it the right way. And that’s my main goal every day.”
SPORTSWORLD & NATION
Newsletter
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
Enter email address
Enter email address
SIGN ME UP
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
Chuck Schilken
Chuck Schilken is a sports reporter on the Fast Break team. He spent more than 18 years with the Los Angeles Times’ Sports Department in a variety of roles. Before joining The Times, he worked for more than a decade as a sports reporter and editor at newspapers in Virginia and Maryland.
MORE FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi guard Violeta Verano (24) defends against Southern California.
USC SPORTS
Plaschke: JuJu Watkins proves she’s capable of leading USC women to the Final Four
16 minutes ago
Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga (99) runs during an MLS soccer match.
GALAXY
Dénis Bouanga scores twice to help LAFC snap three-game losing streak
March 23, 2024
Los Angeles Kings players celebrate an overtime goal by Vladislav Gavrikov.
KINGS
Vladislav Gavrikov scores in overtime to lift Kings to homestand sweep
March 23, 2024
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Dejan Joveljic celebrates his goal against the Houston Dynamo.
GALAXY
Dejan Joveljic ties an MLS record in Galaxy’s comeback win over Kansas City
March 23, 2024
SUBSCRIBERS ARE READING
FOR SUBSCRIBERS
GoPros, gummies, reckless abandon: Why ski slopes are getting more dangerous
FOR SUBSCRIBERS
Almost everyone in Hollywood wants to get back to work. What’s taking so long?
Is Shohei Ohtani a theft victim? Is he in trouble? Legal experts say probes underway
Hernández: Shohei Ohtani needs to grow up in the wake of Ippei Mizuhara revelations
L.A. Affairs: I slept with a married man with kids. But don’t call me a home-wrecker
LATEST SPORTS
UCLA SPORTS
Kiki Rice and UCLA go into takeover mode and defeat Cal Baptist in NCAA tournament
March 23, 2024
LPGA: Jiyai Shin takes unlikely share of lead at Palos Verdes
March 23, 2024
UC Irvine women fall to Gonzaga in first round of NCAA tournament
March 23, 2024
JuJu Watkins breaks another record, powering USC to victory in NCAA tournament opener
March 23, 2024
Peter Angelos, longtime Baltimore Orioles owner, dies at 94
March 23, 2024
A California Times publication
Subscribe for unlimited access
Site Map
