It was a teaching moment.
Eric Striker, ever naive, peered over the lectern at Bills rookie minicamp Friday and took an introductory quiz on his knowledge of Buffalo, the place he'll call home for summertime at least. First, he stereotyped the city's inclement climate and confessed to knowing little of the franchise's four consecutive Super Bowl trips in the early 1990s — unfortunate but forgivable offenses.
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Then came the bombshell.
Bills rookie linebacker Eric Striker serves up a 🔥🔥🔥 take about chicken wings pic.twitter.com/taxqJwVViX
— Jonah Javad (@JonahJavad) May 6, 2016
"I guess the Buffalo wings (are what the city is known for)," offered the undrafted linebacker from Oklahoma, via The Buffalo News . "But in my mind, I'm like, 'I've tasted a great chicken wing.' How much better can it be here?"
Did he?
Oh, no. He did.
"You know what I'm saying? I feel like I've had some great chicken wings," he went on. "What else can you do to a chicken wing? That's all I'm saying."
Credit to reporters in the room, many of whom are born-and-raised Buffalonians, for recognizing the uproar such comments would elicit from native Bills fans. Their groans alerted Striker to his grave mistake, saving him from digging a deeper hole.
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Suggestions were made on the best places in Buffalo to try authentic chicken wings (that's a debate for another time), and Striker vowed to experience it for himself before commenting further.
"Maybe I'm wrong," he ceded, smartly. "We'll see. We may go try it today."
Fortunately Striker, who's from Florida, seems to have the proper support system in place to overcome this low moment.
In a separate interview, Bills coach Rex Ryan offered sage advice: "Don't be ordering boneless wings. Not here in Buffalo. Trust me, I never do that. But yeah, we got to break him in better than that." Even new teammate Richie Incognito, of all people, is displaying admirable veteran leadership qualities .
Ohhhh lawd 😳. This is funny. #BillsMafia please forgive our rookie. I will be taking him out for wings shortly 😂 https://t.co/AWblrVMyKI
— Richie Incognito (@68INCOGNITO) May 8, 2016
Hell hath no fury like Buffalo scorned, especially when it comes to the chicken wing, a regional original turned American bar food staple that's garnered international acclaim . Just look at the responses to Incognito's tweet. In essence, if you want the best barbecue, go south. The best meatballs? Visit Rome. Pastrami? New York City.
"What's so much better about chicken wings from Buffalo?" epitomizes the out-of-towner who's never tried one.
To denounce Buffalo's zesty delicacy publicly is the ultimate outsider's insult, but let's put Striker's remarks in perspective here.
In the grand pantheon of pro athletes who have bad-mouthed Buffalo, this rates as relatively mild.
Lest we forget Reggie Bush's poor taste in women ; Tom Brady's hotel accommodations , which Joffrey Lupul must have shared ; Emerson Etem's boredom . Where are they now? Bush doesn't have a team. How'd Super Bowl XLVI work out for Brady? Lupul never scored 20 goals again. Etem? Have fun in the AHL.
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Rookies, especially undrafted ones, arrive in the NFL with much to learn — teammates' names, playbooks, where to live, eat and play like the locals — and are prone to mistakes.
Undersized but talented, Striker has drawn anecdotal comparisons to former Bills Pro Bowl linebacker London Fletcher. He has a chip on his shoulder and seems to be brimming with character — attributes personified by the city of Buffalo and its residents. There's plenty of room for him to recover here.
Striker should return an enlightened man when the Bills reconvene May 23 for organized team activities. He'll be expected to redeem himself and wax poetic about his first true chicken wing experience. No matter where he decided to go, surely it was better than any he's had outside city limits.
Lesson learned, rookie.
