(If you haven't read Saturday's post regarding my feelings about shaking up the team by firing Lindy Ruff yet, you might want to read that first. But then come back here.)
I was delighted to pull up TBN's website today and see the headline Rather than replacing Ruff, kick players to the curb. "Oh, goody!" I thought to myself. "Someone agrees with me. It's... Bucky."
I sighed and shook my head for a few minutes but you know what? I'm just gonna say it. I agree with everything Bucky says. And I don't even feel conflicted about it. This might be one of the signs of the apocalypse.
There have been a lot of comments lately complaining about the system and how Lindy should just let the players go and play their offense-first style of hockey. I certainly understand the inclination because clearly these guys are, for whatever reason, not buying into the system even though it has worked for them more often that it hasn't when they actually do it. But Bucky is right when he says that Lindy isn't letting them play that style because it doesn't work in today's league. It doesn't. It doesn't work. It's not 2005-2006 anymore, guys. You can't make passes from one end of the ice to the other, you can't speed past five bodies in the neutral zone, you can't stick handle your way to the goalie's doorstep. We missed our chance to win a Cup playing that kind of hockey when the defensive corp blew up in the 2006 playoffs. The Sabres are victims of their own success. The run-and-gun teams were blowing opponents off the ice so teams that didn't have the personnel to play that kind of hockey compensated by playing a completely different style, one that has now overtaken the league. Lindy understands that and he's trying desperately to make his players, who seem to be stuck in 2005-2006 mode, understand that. If they can't wrap their brains around that, they're not going to win, at least not enough for it to matter.
I could say more on this subject - and probably will - but it's late and I have a loooong week ahead of me at work so I need to get to bed. But please discuss. I'm curious to see what everyone thinks. I'll chip in more later.
Showing posts with label bucky gleason. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bucky gleason. Show all posts
Monday, December 8, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Thoughts On Jason Pominville
So it's been a couple of hours now since I first heard the news about Jason Pominville's 5 year/$26.5 million extension. I have, quite frankly, been reeling ever since. I'm totally bummed. I'm devastated. Nay, I'm really and truly heart-broken. Pommers and Pommers' agent, how could you do this to me? HOW?! All I asked for in this whole negotiation was one thing, one small, simple thing and you went and screwed me.
We were THIS close to the Bucky Gleason Special, you guys! THIS close to 5/25 being bandied about in real stories about official contracts. I'm sure that was the hold up all along. I know Darcy Regier was pushing for it, dreaming of seeing 5/25 in bold, black newspaper print and blog type but no, Pommers and his agent went and got all greedy on us, DEMANDING that extra $1.5 million. Really, you HAD to have an extra $1.5? For what, Pommers? FOR WHAT?!
Will no one think of the bloggers?
(Please carefully read the labels before commenting.)
We were THIS close to the Bucky Gleason Special, you guys! THIS close to 5/25 being bandied about in real stories about official contracts. I'm sure that was the hold up all along. I know Darcy Regier was pushing for it, dreaming of seeing 5/25 in bold, black newspaper print and blog type but no, Pommers and his agent went and got all greedy on us, DEMANDING that extra $1.5 million. Really, you HAD to have an extra $1.5? For what, Pommers? FOR WHAT?!
Will no one think of the bloggers?
(Please carefully read the labels before commenting.)
Monday, July 28, 2008
I'm Confuzled
Annnnd we're back to the Sabres being mediocre. What happened to the "That's how you build" and "Things are looking better" that we were hearing last week? I didn't really expect the happy optimism to last but jeez. Did I miss something between the July 19th and now?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Bucky Gleason Has Been Abducted By Aliens
(This is my second post in the last 12 or so hours so make sure you read both of them. Please?)
Ummm, Bucky? Is that you? That's your name above the column and that's your deceivingly cheery head shot next to the opening paragraph, but this column sounds... happy? Dare I say, optimistic? Do we need to locate Mulder and Scully?
I do have a few tiny nitpicks to get out of the way. Come on, this is Bucky and me. This is what we do. (Mark, this morning, The Dark Knight still on his mind: "Bucky's your Joker and you're his Batman. You complete each other.")
1. I still think it's a mistake to lump Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, and Brian Campbell into one pile. The Sabres totally screwed up the Drury negotiations, but they made a decision to let Briere walk and they never agreed with Campbell and his agent on what Campbell's worth was. Every single one of the above situations is different.
2. "Jason Pominville is more likely to remain on board rather than join the others who were forced to jump ship." Forced to jump ship? Really, Bucky? Maybe you could make that argument for Briere who definitely got a "Thanks for your time here" offer, but the Sabres wanted to match every offer Drury got including the one he signed with the Rangers and the team negotiated with Campbell all season. FREE agents are FREE to go wherever they want. That's why they're called FREE agents. No one put a gun to anyone's head and forced them to sign elsewhere. Was Drury turned off by the negotiations? I don't know, maybe. That's not the same thing as being chased out of town with torches and pitchforks.
3. "Pommer the Bomber" has to stop. Has there ever been a worse nickname thrown around than that one? It doesn't even make sense for the kind of player Pominville is. Seeing that in print drives me bonkers.
4. The things that Bucky is suddenly excited about - New AHL affiliation! Young core of talent! Long-term contracts! Really good drafting and promising prospects! - are all things that existed a month ago. This is pretty close to the same team we had at the end of the season. A few columns ago the whole organization was happy with mediocrity and now they've suddenly figured out the best way to build a team?
But, even with the above complaints, I do get it. I get that Ryan Miller has become the face of the franchise and is therefore considered a little more important. I get that it was important to get a guy who's come up through the system and gone out of his way to ingrain himself in the community into the fold for a long while. I get that people think the Sabres were forced into signing Thomas Vanek long-term and that Jochen Hecht, as much as I love him, is a (great) complementary piece. I get that it was important for the Sabres to sit down with a player that the national media and national fan base see as a star player and come away with a long-term contract. I get that as important as Vanek and Derek Roy are to the future of the team, it's Ryan Miller's signing who really finally puts some distance between this team and the Drury/Briere team. I get people feeling like Ryan Miller is the big piece in the middle that connects all the preexisting pieces to each other. I really do.
For months, people have been complaining on Sabres Edge that Ryan Miller didn't want to be here and saying they'd believe management was serious about winning when they convinced him to stay. I couldn't believe it when I wandered over there yesterday and found people complaining: it's too many years, it's too much money, he had a terrible season, he never steals games, he's not as good as Lundqvist, he's too old to get better. I should no longer be surprised at people's capacity to move immediately from one complaint to another, but come on. How hard is it to be happy about the one thing you've been demanding for months now even for a few moments? I just don't understand fans who never seem to find any joy in the teams they watch. I usually enjoy a good debate over there - I know, I'm demented - but I had to walk away. I just wanted to be happy.
So I do give Bucky huge props for saying, "This is what will make me happy," and then actually being happy when it happened. If it took signing Ryan Miller to clear the clouds blocking Bucky from seeing all that other good stuff he talked about, hey, whatever. I wasn't sure the ol' Buckster had it in him.
See how easy it can work, Bucky?
Bucky and Heather B. in a moment of uneasy agreement.
Ummm, Bucky? Is that you? That's your name above the column and that's your deceivingly cheery head shot next to the opening paragraph, but this column sounds... happy? Dare I say, optimistic? Do we need to locate Mulder and Scully?
I do have a few tiny nitpicks to get out of the way. Come on, this is Bucky and me. This is what we do. (Mark, this morning, The Dark Knight still on his mind: "Bucky's your Joker and you're his Batman. You complete each other.")
1. I still think it's a mistake to lump Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, and Brian Campbell into one pile. The Sabres totally screwed up the Drury negotiations, but they made a decision to let Briere walk and they never agreed with Campbell and his agent on what Campbell's worth was. Every single one of the above situations is different.
2. "Jason Pominville is more likely to remain on board rather than join the others who were forced to jump ship." Forced to jump ship? Really, Bucky? Maybe you could make that argument for Briere who definitely got a "Thanks for your time here" offer, but the Sabres wanted to match every offer Drury got including the one he signed with the Rangers and the team negotiated with Campbell all season. FREE agents are FREE to go wherever they want. That's why they're called FREE agents. No one put a gun to anyone's head and forced them to sign elsewhere. Was Drury turned off by the negotiations? I don't know, maybe. That's not the same thing as being chased out of town with torches and pitchforks.
3. "Pommer the Bomber" has to stop. Has there ever been a worse nickname thrown around than that one? It doesn't even make sense for the kind of player Pominville is. Seeing that in print drives me bonkers.
4. The things that Bucky is suddenly excited about - New AHL affiliation! Young core of talent! Long-term contracts! Really good drafting and promising prospects! - are all things that existed a month ago. This is pretty close to the same team we had at the end of the season. A few columns ago the whole organization was happy with mediocrity and now they've suddenly figured out the best way to build a team?
But, even with the above complaints, I do get it. I get that Ryan Miller has become the face of the franchise and is therefore considered a little more important. I get that it was important to get a guy who's come up through the system and gone out of his way to ingrain himself in the community into the fold for a long while. I get that people think the Sabres were forced into signing Thomas Vanek long-term and that Jochen Hecht, as much as I love him, is a (great) complementary piece. I get that it was important for the Sabres to sit down with a player that the national media and national fan base see as a star player and come away with a long-term contract. I get that as important as Vanek and Derek Roy are to the future of the team, it's Ryan Miller's signing who really finally puts some distance between this team and the Drury/Briere team. I get people feeling like Ryan Miller is the big piece in the middle that connects all the preexisting pieces to each other. I really do.
For months, people have been complaining on Sabres Edge that Ryan Miller didn't want to be here and saying they'd believe management was serious about winning when they convinced him to stay. I couldn't believe it when I wandered over there yesterday and found people complaining: it's too many years, it's too much money, he had a terrible season, he never steals games, he's not as good as Lundqvist, he's too old to get better. I should no longer be surprised at people's capacity to move immediately from one complaint to another, but come on. How hard is it to be happy about the one thing you've been demanding for months now even for a few moments? I just don't understand fans who never seem to find any joy in the teams they watch. I usually enjoy a good debate over there - I know, I'm demented - but I had to walk away. I just wanted to be happy.
So I do give Bucky huge props for saying, "This is what will make me happy," and then actually being happy when it happened. If it took signing Ryan Miller to clear the clouds blocking Bucky from seeing all that other good stuff he talked about, hey, whatever. I wasn't sure the ol' Buckster had it in him.
See how easy it can work, Bucky?
Bucky and Heather B. in a moment of uneasy agreement.Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Lazy Blogging
I'll admit up front that this post is totally half-assed. I haven't had a ton of time to think this week - summer school started up and I'm pretty sure my new class is trying to kill me - but I'm in a blogging mood. I'm not even going to make the effort to actually organize these thoughts in any way. The column quoted below is from our favorite fella, Bucky Gleason.
Rivet isn’t an elite player, but he’s an upgrade. He’s a tough, solid defenseman who can move the puck. He’ll score the odd goal, be dependable in his own zone and win a few scraps. He’s locked up at $3.5 million for each of the next three years, making him the Sabres’ highest-paid defenseman at a reasonable salary... He’s a quality player, a character guy, one this town will appreciate. Good for the Sabres, good for their fans, good work by Regier... They didn’t even bother to offer hometown defenseman Brooks Orpik a contract. He returned to Pittsburgh with a six-year deal for $22.5 million, hardly a budget-buster. He’s making $250,000 per year more than Rivet, 33, who is better offensively but six years older. The message received there was that mediocrity remains acceptable.
I just... I don't understand. Bucky lists all the reasons that Craig Rivet was a good pick-up and a good fit for the Sabres and then concludes that management is happy with mediocrity because they didn't make an offer to Brooks Orpik. Craig Rivet is older which means he has experience being a leader on his team, something the Sabres needed that Brooks Orpik would not provide. He's also right-handed, something that the Sabres needed desperately and something that Brooks Orpik is not. (I admit I only know we need this because of Meg. She always brings it up when we discuss the defense.) He has a track record of good play that's longer than 2 months during the postseason, something that Brooks Orpik does not have. He eats minutes, something the Sabres are missing without Brian Campbell and something that Brooks Orpik does not do. He also plays on the powerplay and the penalty kill, both things that - guess what! - Brooks Orpik does not do very often. (I can't tell you how shocked I was when I saw how little special teams time Orpik gets. What the heck good is a stay-at-home defenseman who doesn't kill penalties?) But passing on the player who doesn't do as much and hasn't done what he does do well for that long and instead going with the player who's proven he can consistently play at the same level over the course of an entire season and meets a lot of the team's needs is settling for mediocrity?
News alert: The Sabres have a poor reputation among players. It has become increasingly evident that the only way to get quality veterans into Buffalo is to force them here through trades. It’s an unpleasant way to survive.
News alert: This is not actually a news alert since we hear it every off-season.
I'm willing to accept that some of the team's trouble is based on its history for watching its money closely. They don't spend a lot of money and players want to get paid, yo. But I don't think you can underestimate the fact that people think Buffalo blows. Seriously. No one I know in Alabama has ever set foot in Buffalo but when they found out I was moving there I got all kinds of strangely critical, disbelieving comments unlike I've ever heard about anywhere else. Patrick Lalime said straight out that he wasn't sure about Buffalo because there doesn't seem to be much to it and to opposing players there isn't. If all you ever saw was the area around HSBC would you be impressed with Buffalo? Buffalo is one of those places you have to live in and let the city settle around you so it doesn't surprise me that free agents aren't inspired by it whereas guys who come up in the system or get traded here usually end up loving it, sometimes enough to move back when their playing careers are done. I find it very encouraging that all of the Rochester kids who came up together seem to want to stay put. And all the former players who Lalime spoke to (Marty Biron, JP Dumont, and some guy I'm forgetting) said Buffalo was a good place to live and play. Wow, our reputation rears its ugly head once again!
Also didn't we just say that the Sabres didn't even make an offer to Brooks Orpik? Did they make any competitive offers to any free agents? Is it rejection if you're not actually asking the other party to join you in the first place?
GM Dale Tallon admitted he overpaid Campbell at $56.8 million over eight years, but he also delivered a strong message that the Blackhawks were headed in the right direction.
Fundamental difference of a opinion. I'm not impressed by GMs who overpay a player much less publicly admit that they overpaid a player. What message does that send exactly? Maybe when I see hard proof that high payrolls equal winning teams I'll be impressed by a move like that but since the Red Wings had the 18th ranked payroll last season while the Maple Leafs had the 9th, I'll go on believing you can't buy a winning record and you can't buy a Stanley Cup.
Thing is, it’s difficult to see where the Sabres are going.
Well. Let me see if I can help you out, Buck. See, last season the Sabres had a really, really good offense. Their numbers were thrown off some by the fact that they tended to score in bunches but they did score and there's some reason to believe that those scorers will improve since most of them are still pretty young. They struggled more on the defensive side of things and the whole team seemed to skate around like a chicken with its head cut off when things weren't going well which suggested they were lacking in leadership and heart. Last but not least, the goalie started a lot more games than he ever had before and more than someone of his body type can probably handle so he was pretty wiped out by the end of the season.
To solve some of those problems, the Sabres signed a new back-up goalie - one who started in the neighborhood of 30 games last season and won a little more than half - and they also signed a veteran defenseman who isn't afraid to drop the gloves. I like to call that "progress." In addition, they've started talks with their starting goalie, one of their best young wings, and a pretty valuable UFA. Again, "progress."
Yet since the lockout the Red Wings have won three straight division titles and one Stanley Cup, seven straight division titles and four Cups in the last 11 years. Players practically climb over one another to play in Motown.
Yeah, Detroit is amazing. I whole-heartedly agree. Let's ignore the fact that they mostly built their team the the same way the Sabres did - drafting good talent and trying to keep them around - though definitely more successfully and just say, way to tilt the argument to your side by comparing Buffalo to one of the very best run franchises in all of pro sports. Just about everyone in every sport fails in that comparison. I think not living up to the Red Wings still puts Buffalo in pretty decent company.
All right. I'm going to bed.
Rivet isn’t an elite player, but he’s an upgrade. He’s a tough, solid defenseman who can move the puck. He’ll score the odd goal, be dependable in his own zone and win a few scraps. He’s locked up at $3.5 million for each of the next three years, making him the Sabres’ highest-paid defenseman at a reasonable salary... He’s a quality player, a character guy, one this town will appreciate. Good for the Sabres, good for their fans, good work by Regier... They didn’t even bother to offer hometown defenseman Brooks Orpik a contract. He returned to Pittsburgh with a six-year deal for $22.5 million, hardly a budget-buster. He’s making $250,000 per year more than Rivet, 33, who is better offensively but six years older. The message received there was that mediocrity remains acceptable.
I just... I don't understand. Bucky lists all the reasons that Craig Rivet was a good pick-up and a good fit for the Sabres and then concludes that management is happy with mediocrity because they didn't make an offer to Brooks Orpik. Craig Rivet is older which means he has experience being a leader on his team, something the Sabres needed that Brooks Orpik would not provide. He's also right-handed, something that the Sabres needed desperately and something that Brooks Orpik is not. (I admit I only know we need this because of Meg. She always brings it up when we discuss the defense.) He has a track record of good play that's longer than 2 months during the postseason, something that Brooks Orpik does not have. He eats minutes, something the Sabres are missing without Brian Campbell and something that Brooks Orpik does not do. He also plays on the powerplay and the penalty kill, both things that - guess what! - Brooks Orpik does not do very often. (I can't tell you how shocked I was when I saw how little special teams time Orpik gets. What the heck good is a stay-at-home defenseman who doesn't kill penalties?) But passing on the player who doesn't do as much and hasn't done what he does do well for that long and instead going with the player who's proven he can consistently play at the same level over the course of an entire season and meets a lot of the team's needs is settling for mediocrity?
News alert: The Sabres have a poor reputation among players. It has become increasingly evident that the only way to get quality veterans into Buffalo is to force them here through trades. It’s an unpleasant way to survive.
News alert: This is not actually a news alert since we hear it every off-season.
I'm willing to accept that some of the team's trouble is based on its history for watching its money closely. They don't spend a lot of money and players want to get paid, yo. But I don't think you can underestimate the fact that people think Buffalo blows. Seriously. No one I know in Alabama has ever set foot in Buffalo but when they found out I was moving there I got all kinds of strangely critical, disbelieving comments unlike I've ever heard about anywhere else. Patrick Lalime said straight out that he wasn't sure about Buffalo because there doesn't seem to be much to it and to opposing players there isn't. If all you ever saw was the area around HSBC would you be impressed with Buffalo? Buffalo is one of those places you have to live in and let the city settle around you so it doesn't surprise me that free agents aren't inspired by it whereas guys who come up in the system or get traded here usually end up loving it, sometimes enough to move back when their playing careers are done. I find it very encouraging that all of the Rochester kids who came up together seem to want to stay put. And all the former players who Lalime spoke to (Marty Biron, JP Dumont, and some guy I'm forgetting) said Buffalo was a good place to live and play. Wow, our reputation rears its ugly head once again!
Also didn't we just say that the Sabres didn't even make an offer to Brooks Orpik? Did they make any competitive offers to any free agents? Is it rejection if you're not actually asking the other party to join you in the first place?
GM Dale Tallon admitted he overpaid Campbell at $56.8 million over eight years, but he also delivered a strong message that the Blackhawks were headed in the right direction.
Fundamental difference of a opinion. I'm not impressed by GMs who overpay a player much less publicly admit that they overpaid a player. What message does that send exactly? Maybe when I see hard proof that high payrolls equal winning teams I'll be impressed by a move like that but since the Red Wings had the 18th ranked payroll last season while the Maple Leafs had the 9th, I'll go on believing you can't buy a winning record and you can't buy a Stanley Cup.
Thing is, it’s difficult to see where the Sabres are going.
Well. Let me see if I can help you out, Buck. See, last season the Sabres had a really, really good offense. Their numbers were thrown off some by the fact that they tended to score in bunches but they did score and there's some reason to believe that those scorers will improve since most of them are still pretty young. They struggled more on the defensive side of things and the whole team seemed to skate around like a chicken with its head cut off when things weren't going well which suggested they were lacking in leadership and heart. Last but not least, the goalie started a lot more games than he ever had before and more than someone of his body type can probably handle so he was pretty wiped out by the end of the season.
To solve some of those problems, the Sabres signed a new back-up goalie - one who started in the neighborhood of 30 games last season and won a little more than half - and they also signed a veteran defenseman who isn't afraid to drop the gloves. I like to call that "progress." In addition, they've started talks with their starting goalie, one of their best young wings, and a pretty valuable UFA. Again, "progress."
Yet since the lockout the Red Wings have won three straight division titles and one Stanley Cup, seven straight division titles and four Cups in the last 11 years. Players practically climb over one another to play in Motown.
Yeah, Detroit is amazing. I whole-heartedly agree. Let's ignore the fact that they mostly built their team the the same way the Sabres did - drafting good talent and trying to keep them around - though definitely more successfully and just say, way to tilt the argument to your side by comparing Buffalo to one of the very best run franchises in all of pro sports. Just about everyone in every sport fails in that comparison. I think not living up to the Red Wings still puts Buffalo in pretty decent company.
All right. I'm going to bed.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Ha!
I knew Bucky's numbers for Goose were too low! I'm telling you, I'm a genius!
If you're out and about, give a honk for the Goose by clicking here.
ETA: My comments on Sabres Edge are suddenly being flagged and blocked as spam. Someone must've left you-know-who in charge for the night.
ETA: I'm a little disappointed to discover that one of my favorite sites, NHLSCAP.com, has joined forces with HockeyBuzz. HockeyBuzz is evil, yo. But if you're curious, Eklund's sources are reporting that the Sabres are in talks with Ryan Miller. Hey, Eklund! Would your sources be named "John Vogl" and "TSN" by any chance?
ETA: I'm bored. But my last comment on Sabres Edge went through. Because I know you were dying to know.
If you're out and about, give a honk for the Goose by clicking here.
ETA: My comments on Sabres Edge are suddenly being flagged and blocked as spam. Someone must've left you-know-who in charge for the night.
ETA: I'm a little disappointed to discover that one of my favorite sites, NHLSCAP.com, has joined forces with HockeyBuzz. HockeyBuzz is evil, yo. But if you're curious, Eklund's sources are reporting that the Sabres are in talks with Ryan Miller. Hey, Eklund! Would your sources be named "John Vogl" and "TSN" by any chance?
ETA: I'm bored. But my last comment on Sabres Edge went through. Because I know you were dying to know.
Monday, March 31, 2008
I'm Making This Up as I Go
So I've been trying to avoid certain spots on the internet because I know things are going to get ugly right about now. People are certainly allowed to have their opinions but those opinions often don't mesh with mine and I'm not really in the mood to be brought down even more by weeping and gnashing of teeth. I mean, geez, the team has been depressing enough as it is.
But I did wander over to Sabres Edge today and when I saw it was about Derek Roy I started to read. Something about the headline made me think it was Mike Harrington who is, as we've discussed before, pretty safe. I should have known better because the Indians opened today so Harrington has been hanging at Inside Pitch but by the time my brain started sending Bucky Gleason related "RED ALERT! CEASE AND DESIST" messages it was too late.
I'm not going to go into details about what I did and didn't like about the post - parts of it were not bad by Bucky standards and he did kind of admit that maybe he was wrong about Derek Roy peaking at 23, parts of it were his typical Drury/Briere ramblings still served with huge dollops of hindsight - but one of the responses left in the comment section, written by Don F, cracked me up:
Bucky, weren't you the guy who, just before the Bills vs Giants Super Bowl, suggested that Scott Norwood should aim a little more to the left than usual on any late-in-the-game attempts over 45 yards?
Anyway, I don't really have much of interest to say - like the Sabres I'm simply playing out the string and hoping that some other team saves me - so I thought I'd respond to some comments. It still probably won't be interesting but it'll fill space and kill time.
twoeightnine (check out his cool shirts), had this to say:
Here's something for you to do, I'm too busy/lazy to do it. Since we're such a cheap organization, figure out how much more money the Rangers and Flyers (two of the biggest markets) spent than us this off season to barely make the playoffs (or not make it.)
289, I've done some research and by my estimation the Flyers spent 15 billion dollars while the Rangers, not to be outdone, spent 16.3 billion. (On centers. They spent $48.23 on defense and kind of forgot about their goalie.) The Sabres on the other hand spent $7.18 but billed Marty Biron for the rolls of tape he stole when he left town, therefore actually making a profit of $32.74. You might want to double-check those numbers though.
Whatever the Rangers spent, it was ALL WORTH IT for the GAME WINNING GOAL Chris Drury scored last night. DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE GAME WINNING GOAL? In case you didn't, let me tell you about it: Last night the Rangers played and CHRIS DRURY SCORED THE GAME WINNING GOAL. IN OVERTIME. (In case, you're wondering, we paid approximately 37 cents for our game winning overtime goal on Sunday so I think we might have gotten a better bargain. Too close to call.)
(Also, my husband really wants one of the Kaleta missile shirts but I've been holding off on ordering it until you have a Hank shirt available for me. That's in the works, right? Surely the masses are demanding it.)
Matt (bowlofpork) chimed in with this:
Wait a second... Kate still doesn't have a jersey?!? I'm shocked and appalled.
Aren't we all? Seriously, Kate, buy a friggin' jersey already. I know that in this, your first full season as a hockey fan, the Sabres have treated you like an abusive boyfriend ("They don't mean it! They're better than this! You don't know them the way I do! They can be so sweet and good at hockey!") but if you've survived this season, I have a good feeling about you. Take a deep breath, pick a player, and go for it. I'll even pretend that I don't mind that you're buying a slug.
Amanda threw this out there:
How about taking a quick look at the draft rankings to see who you like? Should the Sabres trade their two 1st round picks to get into the top 5? Buffalo Sabre Steven Stamkos has a nice ring to it...
Amanda, that is a great idea and something a good blogger would probably tackle. Unfortunately I know nothing about anyone who's in the draft and would more or less be parroting other people's opinions. If I'm going to ramble on endlessly, I want to know what I'm talking about. At least a little bit. I keep referring to "Steve Stamkos" as "John Stamkos" and honestly, I'm not sure if I'm mixing him up with John Taveras, next year's sure thing draftee, or John Stamos, former star of Full House.
However, you guys will be getting top notch coverage of the draft because I will be there LIVE and IN PERSON! That's right, a few friends and I are piling into my car and driving to Ottawa. Why am I going to the draft when I've just revealed that I don't know anything about what's going on there? I dunno. Sounded like fun. Oh, I'm taking a collection to help the Sabres pay for Jason Pominville's extension so if you want to chip in, let me know. I'll write a check and slip it to Darcy while I'm there.
Amy said:
I'm wondering which of the players is going to be on the first plane out of Western New York once the lockers have been cleaned out and final autographs signed.
I would've put my money on Tim Connolly but since he's already out of town (and possibly dead since we haven't gotten the usual "the surgery went fine" update even though it's been a week), I'm going to go with Maxim Afinogenov.
And finally, Sam added this to the discussion:
Weber's picture is classic. He looks like he was surprised by the camera or something. poor guy.
Seriously, you guys, check out these pictures.
Maybe after he gets in a long nap in the off-season, Ryan Miller can give Mike some lessons on how to use what God gave you and take a good roster photo.
Thanks for your contributions, everyone! And while this was a totally half-assed, mostly ridiculous post, I do actually mean that in all seriousness. I've really enjoyed all the conversation going on here for the last couple of weeks.
But I did wander over to Sabres Edge today and when I saw it was about Derek Roy I started to read. Something about the headline made me think it was Mike Harrington who is, as we've discussed before, pretty safe. I should have known better because the Indians opened today so Harrington has been hanging at Inside Pitch but by the time my brain started sending Bucky Gleason related "RED ALERT! CEASE AND DESIST" messages it was too late.
I'm not going to go into details about what I did and didn't like about the post - parts of it were not bad by Bucky standards and he did kind of admit that maybe he was wrong about Derek Roy peaking at 23, parts of it were his typical Drury/Briere ramblings still served with huge dollops of hindsight - but one of the responses left in the comment section, written by Don F, cracked me up:
Bucky, weren't you the guy who, just before the Bills vs Giants Super Bowl, suggested that Scott Norwood should aim a little more to the left than usual on any late-in-the-game attempts over 45 yards?
Anyway, I don't really have much of interest to say - like the Sabres I'm simply playing out the string and hoping that some other team saves me - so I thought I'd respond to some comments. It still probably won't be interesting but it'll fill space and kill time.
twoeightnine (check out his cool shirts), had this to say:
Here's something for you to do, I'm too busy/lazy to do it. Since we're such a cheap organization, figure out how much more money the Rangers and Flyers (two of the biggest markets) spent than us this off season to barely make the playoffs (or not make it.)
289, I've done some research and by my estimation the Flyers spent 15 billion dollars while the Rangers, not to be outdone, spent 16.3 billion. (On centers. They spent $48.23 on defense and kind of forgot about their goalie.) The Sabres on the other hand spent $7.18 but billed Marty Biron for the rolls of tape he stole when he left town, therefore actually making a profit of $32.74. You might want to double-check those numbers though.
Whatever the Rangers spent, it was ALL WORTH IT for the GAME WINNING GOAL Chris Drury scored last night. DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE GAME WINNING GOAL? In case you didn't, let me tell you about it: Last night the Rangers played and CHRIS DRURY SCORED THE GAME WINNING GOAL. IN OVERTIME. (In case, you're wondering, we paid approximately 37 cents for our game winning overtime goal on Sunday so I think we might have gotten a better bargain. Too close to call.)
(Also, my husband really wants one of the Kaleta missile shirts but I've been holding off on ordering it until you have a Hank shirt available for me. That's in the works, right? Surely the masses are demanding it.)
Matt (bowlofpork) chimed in with this:
Wait a second... Kate still doesn't have a jersey?!? I'm shocked and appalled.
Aren't we all? Seriously, Kate, buy a friggin' jersey already. I know that in this, your first full season as a hockey fan, the Sabres have treated you like an abusive boyfriend ("They don't mean it! They're better than this! You don't know them the way I do! They can be so sweet and good at hockey!") but if you've survived this season, I have a good feeling about you. Take a deep breath, pick a player, and go for it. I'll even pretend that I don't mind that you're buying a slug.
Amanda threw this out there:
How about taking a quick look at the draft rankings to see who you like? Should the Sabres trade their two 1st round picks to get into the top 5? Buffalo Sabre Steven Stamkos has a nice ring to it...
Amanda, that is a great idea and something a good blogger would probably tackle. Unfortunately I know nothing about anyone who's in the draft and would more or less be parroting other people's opinions. If I'm going to ramble on endlessly, I want to know what I'm talking about. At least a little bit. I keep referring to "Steve Stamkos" as "John Stamkos" and honestly, I'm not sure if I'm mixing him up with John Taveras, next year's sure thing draftee, or John Stamos, former star of Full House.
However, you guys will be getting top notch coverage of the draft because I will be there LIVE and IN PERSON! That's right, a few friends and I are piling into my car and driving to Ottawa. Why am I going to the draft when I've just revealed that I don't know anything about what's going on there? I dunno. Sounded like fun. Oh, I'm taking a collection to help the Sabres pay for Jason Pominville's extension so if you want to chip in, let me know. I'll write a check and slip it to Darcy while I'm there.
Amy said:
I'm wondering which of the players is going to be on the first plane out of Western New York once the lockers have been cleaned out and final autographs signed.
I would've put my money on Tim Connolly but since he's already out of town (and possibly dead since we haven't gotten the usual "the surgery went fine" update even though it's been a week), I'm going to go with Maxim Afinogenov.
And finally, Sam added this to the discussion:
Weber's picture is classic. He looks like he was surprised by the camera or something. poor guy.
Seriously, you guys, check out these pictures.
Maybe after he gets in a long nap in the off-season, Ryan Miller can give Mike some lessons on how to use what God gave you and take a good roster photo.
Thanks for your contributions, everyone! And while this was a totally half-assed, mostly ridiculous post, I do actually mean that in all seriousness. I've really enjoyed all the conversation going on here for the last couple of weeks.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
I'm Baaaa-aaaaack...
Hank, you've looked pretty good the last couple of games but is it weird knowing that Heather isn't watching?
I hear she's back in Buffalo now.
Yeah.
Hank, is it true that the Sabres could have had you for 25 million over 5 years?!
Five years!
25 million!
Maybe I know something you don't know!
What? Nah, I can't stand that chick. She's mean.
Hank, her blog does say she's back in Buffalo. In fact, a source close to the situation says she's actually going to be at the arena tonight.
Yep.
How does that make you feel going into the game?
That's right! Not only am I back in Buffalo, I will soon be making my TRIUMPHANT return to HSBC Arena! Jochen will score his 20th goal and Hank will get a hat trick! Place your bets now, people!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The End of the Road
Starting tomorrow, Top Shelf is a Buffalo News-free zone, excluding Sabres Edge as long as I can read it while avoiding Bucky Gleason and Jerry Sullivan. I did this once before and it was so nice that I'm not sure why I went back to reading TBN in the first place. I've completely had my fill. But let's go out with a bang, shall we?
Today we were treated to the Chris Drury column that was so effin' predictable that Kevin at Bfloblog called it last night. I'm going to do this the Fire Joe Morgan way because there's a whole lot of stupid in this column.
Drury received a mix between cheers and jeers when he was introduced before the Rangers’ 4-3 victory, confirming certain fans comprehended the impact Drury had in Buffalo while many others didn’t have a clue. Then again, the same divide exists between the dressing room and the owner’s suite.
One group gets it, and the other never will.
First of all, enough with the "fans who boo don't understand what Chris Drury meant" garbage. We get it, Bucky, and you are such a condescending little prick to suggest that we, the fans of Buffalo, do not get or appreciate Chris Drury. We cheered for him every single night he wore a Buffalo uniform. We loved him and embraced him and wanted desperately for him to be the guy to bring a Stanley Cup to Buffalo. We made his jersey one of the best-selling jerseys in the NHL. We appreciated all the little things he did on the ice to contribute to wins. We understand how he influenced the players who are still here. We know he's a nice guy. But we also understand that he was here for three years and that he now plays for another team. Fans are not obligated to cheer for players on the other side. Fans are not obligated to think logically and objectively. Fans can cheer or boo as they see fit and for many, many fans it really only comes down to, "What jersey is he wearing? Oh, right, not ours."
Second of all, enough with the "managment doesn't get it" garbage. Larry Quinn said it was a mistake to let Chris Drury go. Darcy Regier said it was a mistake to let Chris Drury go, looked devastated when it happened, and admitted that the team wouldn't be as competitive without him. Management signed Jochen Hecht to a long-term deal during the season. Management started negotiating with Brian Campbell when they could and did so right up until he brought a halt to talks and have since started negotiating with him again. I'm not even going to touch how stupid it is to put Brian Campbell's ridiculous contract demands in the same grouping as Drury and Daniel Briere.
But because he didn’t bow to management after they mishandled his contract last season, a good many fans roasted him every time he touched the puck.
That is probably why some people booed him. And you know what? That's their right as a fan. That is not however why everyone booed him. Some people booed him because he's not a Sabre. Some people booed him because he's a Ranger. Some people booed him because he's overpaid and - whether you like it or not - underachieving. Some people booed him because they think he didn't appreciate how much his teammates in Buffalo contributed to his game. Some people booed because they felt like he didn't love us the way we loved him. Some people booed him because they like to boo. I feel pretty safe in suggesting that most people's booing did not have anything to do with player vs. management.
To review, again, Drury agreed to a four-year contract worth $21.5 million, splitting the difference between the Sabres’ offer and his proposal. He grew tired of waiting for management to finalize the deal, the market changed and he decided to hit the road. Basically, the Sabres could have had him at a discount and let him get away.
To review, we don't really need the review because you haven't let us forget this yet. To review, everyone agrees that it was a mistake to let Chris Drury go. What's your point?
If fans wanted to boo someone, they should have started with owner Tom Golisano and managing partner Larry Quinn. They created the Drury mess, and they spent months manipulating the truth. It’w amazing how people continue swallowing the company line.
It's not swallowing the company line. It's moving on. It's realizing that no matter how many times you write this article, Chris Drury is not going to magically reappear in a Sabres uniform. It's choosing to cheer for the team on the ice in front of us even though it lost important pieces. It's waiting to see if management handles the next important piece - that would be Ryan Miller, not Brian Campbell - differently.
Golisano confirmed his ignorance on the radio recently when he referenced Drury’s plus-minus rating this season, a subtle hint the center was struggling. If he had a shred of hockey knowledge, he have known Drury spent half the year shuffling between lines, switching positions and trying to appease high-maintenance winger Jaromir Jagr.
I cannot believe this. I cannot believe that the columnist who has refused to make any excuses for the Sabres - age, new roles, different responsibilities, line changes, injuries - is making excuses for a guy who is not even on the team anymore. Are you fucking kidding me? Bucky, let me break this down for you. CHRIS DRURY HAS STRUGGLED! CHRIS DRURY HAS NOT LIVED UP TO A 7 MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT! Jaromir Jagr being high-maintenance is not exactly news. This is not a surprise. I'm pretty sure Drury should have factored this into his decision to play for the Rangers. I'm pretty sure that's not a good excuse. If Derek Roy said, "It's tough to play with Max because he's hard to predict and all over the place," what would you say?
I also cannot believe that Bucky Gleason - who last year said that Derek Roy had maxed out at age 23 and wouldn't be worth his contract and had him being re-signed for under a million dollars in his "How I Would Handle the Team" article (real good understanding of the NHL market, Buckster) - is calling into question the hockey knowledge of someone who has admitted time and time again that he doesn't really know that much about hockey. I don't know about you guys, but I'm reeeeally impressed.
Drury is a minus-9. Funny, it never bothered Golisano when he was minus-11 two years ago while leading the Sabres into the conference finals and filling the owner’s pockets.
Right. Because then he was a Sabre. Now he's not. Owner likes player better when he's making him money! Whoa, somebody alert the media because that is some breaking news right there!
Drury and Campbell had dinner Friday night at Tempo, an upscale restaurant in Allentown. They didn’t discuss how Campbell’s persistent contract problems, but you can bet Campbell learned a thing or two while watching Drury’s situation unfold last season.
Hopefully he learned that it's really hard to live up to an insane contract. That sometimes your teammates make you as much as you make them. That the love of a city is fickle and not based on things like logic and objectivity. That big market teams with lots of big names are not necessarily more competitive than smaller market teams with a bunch of complementary pieces. That there is some value in playing with guys you know inside and out on the ice and off.
Probably he just learned that MANAGEMENT IS EVIL FOR NOT MEETING HIS DEMANDS.
We’ll see what happens. Don’t be surprised if you see Campbell follow his former captain one more time, right out the door.
Great. Because Campbell is not worth a penny over five million dollars and the Sabres defense will probably be okay without him in the end. We could use that money to insure that Miller, Jason Pominville, and Paul Gaustad stick around for a while. What? That wasn't your point? Oh, right. THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE STUPID!
P.S. to Bucky: Jay Pandolfo, Selke nominee and one of the most important interchangeable parts of the New Jersey Devils, is a UFA at the end of this season and currently unsigned - along with three other guys - so maybe you should do a quick internet search before you make loud declarations like THE DEVILS HAVE SIGNED EVERYONE EVER.
Today we were treated to the Chris Drury column that was so effin' predictable that Kevin at Bfloblog called it last night. I'm going to do this the Fire Joe Morgan way because there's a whole lot of stupid in this column.
Drury received a mix between cheers and jeers when he was introduced before the Rangers’ 4-3 victory, confirming certain fans comprehended the impact Drury had in Buffalo while many others didn’t have a clue. Then again, the same divide exists between the dressing room and the owner’s suite.
One group gets it, and the other never will.
First of all, enough with the "fans who boo don't understand what Chris Drury meant" garbage. We get it, Bucky, and you are such a condescending little prick to suggest that we, the fans of Buffalo, do not get or appreciate Chris Drury. We cheered for him every single night he wore a Buffalo uniform. We loved him and embraced him and wanted desperately for him to be the guy to bring a Stanley Cup to Buffalo. We made his jersey one of the best-selling jerseys in the NHL. We appreciated all the little things he did on the ice to contribute to wins. We understand how he influenced the players who are still here. We know he's a nice guy. But we also understand that he was here for three years and that he now plays for another team. Fans are not obligated to cheer for players on the other side. Fans are not obligated to think logically and objectively. Fans can cheer or boo as they see fit and for many, many fans it really only comes down to, "What jersey is he wearing? Oh, right, not ours."
Second of all, enough with the "managment doesn't get it" garbage. Larry Quinn said it was a mistake to let Chris Drury go. Darcy Regier said it was a mistake to let Chris Drury go, looked devastated when it happened, and admitted that the team wouldn't be as competitive without him. Management signed Jochen Hecht to a long-term deal during the season. Management started negotiating with Brian Campbell when they could and did so right up until he brought a halt to talks and have since started negotiating with him again. I'm not even going to touch how stupid it is to put Brian Campbell's ridiculous contract demands in the same grouping as Drury and Daniel Briere.
But because he didn’t bow to management after they mishandled his contract last season, a good many fans roasted him every time he touched the puck.
That is probably why some people booed him. And you know what? That's their right as a fan. That is not however why everyone booed him. Some people booed him because he's not a Sabre. Some people booed him because he's a Ranger. Some people booed him because he's overpaid and - whether you like it or not - underachieving. Some people booed him because they think he didn't appreciate how much his teammates in Buffalo contributed to his game. Some people booed because they felt like he didn't love us the way we loved him. Some people booed him because they like to boo. I feel pretty safe in suggesting that most people's booing did not have anything to do with player vs. management.
To review, again, Drury agreed to a four-year contract worth $21.5 million, splitting the difference between the Sabres’ offer and his proposal. He grew tired of waiting for management to finalize the deal, the market changed and he decided to hit the road. Basically, the Sabres could have had him at a discount and let him get away.
To review, we don't really need the review because you haven't let us forget this yet. To review, everyone agrees that it was a mistake to let Chris Drury go. What's your point?
If fans wanted to boo someone, they should have started with owner Tom Golisano and managing partner Larry Quinn. They created the Drury mess, and they spent months manipulating the truth. It’w amazing how people continue swallowing the company line.
It's not swallowing the company line. It's moving on. It's realizing that no matter how many times you write this article, Chris Drury is not going to magically reappear in a Sabres uniform. It's choosing to cheer for the team on the ice in front of us even though it lost important pieces. It's waiting to see if management handles the next important piece - that would be Ryan Miller, not Brian Campbell - differently.
Golisano confirmed his ignorance on the radio recently when he referenced Drury’s plus-minus rating this season, a subtle hint the center was struggling. If he had a shred of hockey knowledge, he have known Drury spent half the year shuffling between lines, switching positions and trying to appease high-maintenance winger Jaromir Jagr.
I cannot believe this. I cannot believe that the columnist who has refused to make any excuses for the Sabres - age, new roles, different responsibilities, line changes, injuries - is making excuses for a guy who is not even on the team anymore. Are you fucking kidding me? Bucky, let me break this down for you. CHRIS DRURY HAS STRUGGLED! CHRIS DRURY HAS NOT LIVED UP TO A 7 MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT! Jaromir Jagr being high-maintenance is not exactly news. This is not a surprise. I'm pretty sure Drury should have factored this into his decision to play for the Rangers. I'm pretty sure that's not a good excuse. If Derek Roy said, "It's tough to play with Max because he's hard to predict and all over the place," what would you say?
I also cannot believe that Bucky Gleason - who last year said that Derek Roy had maxed out at age 23 and wouldn't be worth his contract and had him being re-signed for under a million dollars in his "How I Would Handle the Team" article (real good understanding of the NHL market, Buckster) - is calling into question the hockey knowledge of someone who has admitted time and time again that he doesn't really know that much about hockey. I don't know about you guys, but I'm reeeeally impressed.
Drury is a minus-9. Funny, it never bothered Golisano when he was minus-11 two years ago while leading the Sabres into the conference finals and filling the owner’s pockets.
Right. Because then he was a Sabre. Now he's not. Owner likes player better when he's making him money! Whoa, somebody alert the media because that is some breaking news right there!
Drury and Campbell had dinner Friday night at Tempo, an upscale restaurant in Allentown. They didn’t discuss how Campbell’s persistent contract problems, but you can bet Campbell learned a thing or two while watching Drury’s situation unfold last season.
Hopefully he learned that it's really hard to live up to an insane contract. That sometimes your teammates make you as much as you make them. That the love of a city is fickle and not based on things like logic and objectivity. That big market teams with lots of big names are not necessarily more competitive than smaller market teams with a bunch of complementary pieces. That there is some value in playing with guys you know inside and out on the ice and off.
Probably he just learned that MANAGEMENT IS EVIL FOR NOT MEETING HIS DEMANDS.
We’ll see what happens. Don’t be surprised if you see Campbell follow his former captain one more time, right out the door.
Great. Because Campbell is not worth a penny over five million dollars and the Sabres defense will probably be okay without him in the end. We could use that money to insure that Miller, Jason Pominville, and Paul Gaustad stick around for a while. What? That wasn't your point? Oh, right. THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE STUPID!
P.S. to Bucky: Jay Pandolfo, Selke nominee and one of the most important interchangeable parts of the New Jersey Devils, is a UFA at the end of this season and currently unsigned - along with three other guys - so maybe you should do a quick internet search before you make loud declarations like THE DEVILS HAVE SIGNED EVERYONE EVER.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
A Little Levity
When I pulled up the Buffalo News website this morning, I was intrigued by Bucky Gleason's headline, Sabres have the chips to retool. That seemed somewhat promising since "retool" suggests that the team has some talent and just needs a little tweaking which is much better than the usual, "This team blows without Chris and Danny!" chatter. And then I got to this:
The Sabres would like to keep Campbell. He’s their best player.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!
:::deep breaths, wiping tears streaming from my eyes:::
I don't even know what to say other than that might be one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read in the paper. And I've read quite a few ridiculous things there. I can think of three guys off the top of my head who should be offended by that statement.
Oh, Bucky... I needed a good laugh this morning. Thanks, man.
The Sabres would like to keep Campbell. He’s their best player.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!
:::deep breaths, wiping tears streaming from my eyes:::
I don't even know what to say other than that might be one of the most ridiculous things I've ever read in the paper. And I've read quite a few ridiculous things there. I can think of three guys off the top of my head who should be offended by that statement.
Oh, Bucky... I needed a good laugh this morning. Thanks, man.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Get Your Game On, Go Play
So that All-Star game was pretty entertaining for the last five minutes or so, eh? Good job, NHL! A few - very few - random thoughts:
- Those uniforms were terrible. Seriously, what is so hard about designing a good-looking uniform? The Eastern Conference looked particularly putrid with the white paneling along the sides of the jerseys and down the pants. Also, we know these are All-Star jerseys, okay? You really don't have to cover the entire thing in stars.
- I don't think mic'd up Manny was quite up there with mic'd up Marty Turco but he came close with this exchange with Gary Bettman about the NHL "picking on goalies."
Manny: You've got to stop taking away inches!
Gary: You've got to stop being so big!
Manny: I'm 5'9"!
Next year I'm voting for Marty Biron no matter how his season is going because I need to hear him mic'd up for a game. Doc Emrick mentioned a couple of times that it was tough for the mic'd up players to hear him because of the noise level. Marty B. would not care! He would just keep talking about whatever popped into his head and it would all be worth listening to. Heck, we could just give Doc and Edzo the night off. They could put that game on pay-per-view and I'd order it without hesitation.
- The one thing I do like about the All-Star weekend is that there are always a few players who I either don't see or haven't paid much attention to who I find myself really noticing and liking. This usually happens in the playoffs too. Here's this year's list:
Zdeno Chara - He actually seems really smart and maybe kind of interesting to talk to. According to Sherry (of the wonderful Scarlett Ice), he was working toward a business degree during his time in Ottawa. I like that.
Rick Nash - Rick Nash looks a lot like my little brother Lee, right down to the sloppy, patchy beard which I adore. Also, thinking about how he was considered a pretty big disappointment last year gives me hope for Thomas Vanek.
Ilya Kovalchuk - I loved him playfully falling over in disbelief after whichever goalie was in at the time (Nabokov, I think) robbed him and then skating over and hugging him. I loved how much fun he seemed to be having all weekend. (I also loved Edzo confusing him with Alexander Ovechkin even though they look nothing alike because enjoying hockey is Ovechkin's shtick. No one else should be doing that!) I loved him pretty much admitting that his division is not very good. And he has a great head of hair.
Jarome Iginla - I hardly ever see him play so I always forget how much I love watching him on the ice. He also seems so personable and smiley off the ice. Why isn't the NHL marketing him more?
- I was not happy about Versus wasting time during intermission interviewing Chris Pronger. Ugh. I can think of five guys off the top of my head in that dressing room who would've been a more fun, entertaining interview.
- I've always assumed that Tomas Kaberle is Canadian, I guess because he plays for the Maple Leafs. I was shocked - shocked - when he started talking in an accent that was clearly not French-Canadian. He's Czech! How have I watched a billion Sabres-Leafs games and not realized this? I feel pretty dumb.
- Last week I finally saw the commercial with the new dad banging on the glass at the hospital nursery. I emailed a link to Mark because I thought he'd get a kick out of it and was disappointed that he didn't seem that impressed with it. It came on tonight, I started laughing hysterically as always, and he suddenly burst out with, "OHHHHHHHH! He's banging on the glass! Like a hockey fan! I GET IT! Hey, that is funny!" Next time I send him a link I'll be sure to carefully explain the joke. (I'm writing this was loving affection, dear.)
- Still not enough Joe Thornton! Seriously, people! He's talented, he's funny and oh so jolly, and he's cute as a (very large) button. What's the problem here?
More Joe, plz!
On a total side-note, who let Bucky Gleason write on Sabres Edge? My safe haven is ruined! I don't know if it was John Vogl or Mike Harrington who gave him the keys, but I am not happy. I am not happy at all. I actually left a comment which I swore I would never ever do again after this summer when some ass-wipe kept accusing me of being a 16-year-old puckbunny who loves Jason Pominville and doesn't understand anything about hockey while addressing nothing that I was actually saying. I hate myself right now! Oh, and Bucky, you left out the fact that Brian Campbell is now the FASTEST SKATER IN THE ENTIRE EASTERN CONFERENCE. Surely, that's worth another half million or so?
Gee, maybe the Sabres should have accepted his five-year, $25 million offer.
Gee, maybe some of us don't agree with you. Gee, maybe that would've been really stupid and short-sighted. Gee, maybe the fact that someone is going to give Campbell that much money doesn't make it a good deal. Gee, maybe the Sabres feel like Campbell isn't a good investment of five million a year in light of other contracts coming up. Gee, maybe I'm going to KICK SOMEONE'S TEETH IN if I EVER hear the numbers "5" and "25" again in my ENTIRE LIFE. Those numbers are RUINED FOREVER!
- Those uniforms were terrible. Seriously, what is so hard about designing a good-looking uniform? The Eastern Conference looked particularly putrid with the white paneling along the sides of the jerseys and down the pants. Also, we know these are All-Star jerseys, okay? You really don't have to cover the entire thing in stars.
- I don't think mic'd up Manny was quite up there with mic'd up Marty Turco but he came close with this exchange with Gary Bettman about the NHL "picking on goalies."
Manny: You've got to stop taking away inches!
Gary: You've got to stop being so big!
Manny: I'm 5'9"!
Next year I'm voting for Marty Biron no matter how his season is going because I need to hear him mic'd up for a game. Doc Emrick mentioned a couple of times that it was tough for the mic'd up players to hear him because of the noise level. Marty B. would not care! He would just keep talking about whatever popped into his head and it would all be worth listening to. Heck, we could just give Doc and Edzo the night off. They could put that game on pay-per-view and I'd order it without hesitation.
- The one thing I do like about the All-Star weekend is that there are always a few players who I either don't see or haven't paid much attention to who I find myself really noticing and liking. This usually happens in the playoffs too. Here's this year's list:
Zdeno Chara - He actually seems really smart and maybe kind of interesting to talk to. According to Sherry (of the wonderful Scarlett Ice), he was working toward a business degree during his time in Ottawa. I like that.
Rick Nash - Rick Nash looks a lot like my little brother Lee, right down to the sloppy, patchy beard which I adore. Also, thinking about how he was considered a pretty big disappointment last year gives me hope for Thomas Vanek.
Ilya Kovalchuk - I loved him playfully falling over in disbelief after whichever goalie was in at the time (Nabokov, I think) robbed him and then skating over and hugging him. I loved how much fun he seemed to be having all weekend. (I also loved Edzo confusing him with Alexander Ovechkin even though they look nothing alike because enjoying hockey is Ovechkin's shtick. No one else should be doing that!) I loved him pretty much admitting that his division is not very good. And he has a great head of hair.
Jarome Iginla - I hardly ever see him play so I always forget how much I love watching him on the ice. He also seems so personable and smiley off the ice. Why isn't the NHL marketing him more?
- I was not happy about Versus wasting time during intermission interviewing Chris Pronger. Ugh. I can think of five guys off the top of my head in that dressing room who would've been a more fun, entertaining interview.
- I've always assumed that Tomas Kaberle is Canadian, I guess because he plays for the Maple Leafs. I was shocked - shocked - when he started talking in an accent that was clearly not French-Canadian. He's Czech! How have I watched a billion Sabres-Leafs games and not realized this? I feel pretty dumb.
- Last week I finally saw the commercial with the new dad banging on the glass at the hospital nursery. I emailed a link to Mark because I thought he'd get a kick out of it and was disappointed that he didn't seem that impressed with it. It came on tonight, I started laughing hysterically as always, and he suddenly burst out with, "OHHHHHHHH! He's banging on the glass! Like a hockey fan! I GET IT! Hey, that is funny!" Next time I send him a link I'll be sure to carefully explain the joke. (I'm writing this was loving affection, dear.)
- Still not enough Joe Thornton! Seriously, people! He's talented, he's funny and oh so jolly, and he's cute as a (very large) button. What's the problem here?
On a total side-note, who let Bucky Gleason write on Sabres Edge? My safe haven is ruined! I don't know if it was John Vogl or Mike Harrington who gave him the keys, but I am not happy. I am not happy at all. I actually left a comment which I swore I would never ever do again after this summer when some ass-wipe kept accusing me of being a 16-year-old puckbunny who loves Jason Pominville and doesn't understand anything about hockey while addressing nothing that I was actually saying. I hate myself right now! Oh, and Bucky, you left out the fact that Brian Campbell is now the FASTEST SKATER IN THE ENTIRE EASTERN CONFERENCE. Surely, that's worth another half million or so?
Gee, maybe the Sabres should have accepted his five-year, $25 million offer.
Gee, maybe some of us don't agree with you. Gee, maybe that would've been really stupid and short-sighted. Gee, maybe the fact that someone is going to give Campbell that much money doesn't make it a good deal. Gee, maybe the Sabres feel like Campbell isn't a good investment of five million a year in light of other contracts coming up. Gee, maybe I'm going to KICK SOMEONE'S TEETH IN if I EVER hear the numbers "5" and "25" again in my ENTIRE LIFE. Those numbers are RUINED FOREVER!
Monday, January 14, 2008
On Brian Campbell
In a post written in the wee hours of Saturday night/Sunday morning, I said this:
And yes, I am partly complaining about this because I know fans and some media are going to use the All-Star selection as ammo in the on-going "WE MUST SIGN CAMPBELL NOW!" arguments and that's ridiculous. Yes, it's very nice that he was selected by the players (Note: I know now that he was actually selected by a committee of GM's etc. and not players - sorry!) and I'm glad everyone knows who he is but that said, All-Star games mean nothing and don't belong in a discussion about how valuable a player is or isn't.
In his column Sunday morning, Bucky Gleason said this:
And that brings us to Campbell, who is one of several players who personified the Sabres’ direction in the post-lockout NHL. His price tag increased again Friday when he was named an All-Star for the second straight season.
It's so cute how predictable he is, isn't it?
Seriously, maybe it does drive Campbell's asking price up, I don't know. But it shouldn't. All-Star games are popularity contests. They're based on name recognition and reputation. They have very little to do with how a player is currently playing, what he's bringing to his team, or how much money he's worth. When you start a selection process with "We have to pick atleast one player from every team" it seems you could immediately deduce that this isn't entirely based on merit.
That said, I do agree with Bucky's main point: By now the Sabres should have a good idea of whether they can/want to re-sign Campbell and if they can't/won't, they need to try and get something for him in a trade. I'll cut management some slack on the Grier/McKee/Dumont off-season because that was a tough off-season. Most of the roster was up for negotiation/arbitration. I don't think anyone predicted McKee going for so much money and I know no one predicted the absurd arbitration awards. (I know Daniel Briere's $5 million award looks good now but let's try and keep some perspective and remember that at the time, it was frakkin' ridiculous.) But here and now, Darcy Regier and company should know where they stand and do whatever they need to do to get something out of the deal.
I'm so tired of the Brian Campbell saga and I really hate that if he's not a Sabre next season, he's going to get lumped in with Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. From what I've heard, the Sabres have handled this pretty well. They have been talking to him and his agent and they just haven't been able to come to an agreement. Let me remind everyone once again that negotiating a contract is not as simple as handing a guy a piece of paper and asking him to sign on the dotted line. In my opinion, five million plus per year for Campbell is too much money. He's a good offensive defenseman but not an elite one and he's an average defensive defenseman at best. I have no doubt that he'll do very well on the open market if it comes to that, but I also firmly believe that if he does sign a large contract he's going to get weighed down by the expectations that come along with it and his new team and fanbase are going to be in for a disappointment. I like Brian Campbell just fine, but I would much rather the big money go to Ryan Miller or Jason Pominville or Paul Gaustad and I'm glad that, unlike most GMs, Darcy is using his brain and not just doing the splashy or popular thing.
I personally think that out of this year's free agent class - Brian Campbell, Jochen Hecht, Dmitri Kalinin - the Sabres have already re-signed the player they absolutely could not afford to let go.
Also, doesn't Brian Campbell bringing negotiations to a halt because he wants to focus on the team support management's long-held assertion that negotiating during the season is a distraction? How come no one's laughing at Campbell for saying that but management got crucified for it? Am I the only fan in the world who repeatedly takes the side of management over players? Probably. Up with The Man!
And yes, I am partly complaining about this because I know fans and some media are going to use the All-Star selection as ammo in the on-going "WE MUST SIGN CAMPBELL NOW!" arguments and that's ridiculous. Yes, it's very nice that he was selected by the players (Note: I know now that he was actually selected by a committee of GM's etc. and not players - sorry!) and I'm glad everyone knows who he is but that said, All-Star games mean nothing and don't belong in a discussion about how valuable a player is or isn't.
In his column Sunday morning, Bucky Gleason said this:
And that brings us to Campbell, who is one of several players who personified the Sabres’ direction in the post-lockout NHL. His price tag increased again Friday when he was named an All-Star for the second straight season.
It's so cute how predictable he is, isn't it?
Seriously, maybe it does drive Campbell's asking price up, I don't know. But it shouldn't. All-Star games are popularity contests. They're based on name recognition and reputation. They have very little to do with how a player is currently playing, what he's bringing to his team, or how much money he's worth. When you start a selection process with "We have to pick atleast one player from every team" it seems you could immediately deduce that this isn't entirely based on merit.
That said, I do agree with Bucky's main point: By now the Sabres should have a good idea of whether they can/want to re-sign Campbell and if they can't/won't, they need to try and get something for him in a trade. I'll cut management some slack on the Grier/McKee/Dumont off-season because that was a tough off-season. Most of the roster was up for negotiation/arbitration. I don't think anyone predicted McKee going for so much money and I know no one predicted the absurd arbitration awards. (I know Daniel Briere's $5 million award looks good now but let's try and keep some perspective and remember that at the time, it was frakkin' ridiculous.) But here and now, Darcy Regier and company should know where they stand and do whatever they need to do to get something out of the deal.
I'm so tired of the Brian Campbell saga and I really hate that if he's not a Sabre next season, he's going to get lumped in with Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. From what I've heard, the Sabres have handled this pretty well. They have been talking to him and his agent and they just haven't been able to come to an agreement. Let me remind everyone once again that negotiating a contract is not as simple as handing a guy a piece of paper and asking him to sign on the dotted line. In my opinion, five million plus per year for Campbell is too much money. He's a good offensive defenseman but not an elite one and he's an average defensive defenseman at best. I have no doubt that he'll do very well on the open market if it comes to that, but I also firmly believe that if he does sign a large contract he's going to get weighed down by the expectations that come along with it and his new team and fanbase are going to be in for a disappointment. I like Brian Campbell just fine, but I would much rather the big money go to Ryan Miller or Jason Pominville or Paul Gaustad and I'm glad that, unlike most GMs, Darcy is using his brain and not just doing the splashy or popular thing.
I personally think that out of this year's free agent class - Brian Campbell, Jochen Hecht, Dmitri Kalinin - the Sabres have already re-signed the player they absolutely could not afford to let go.
Also, doesn't Brian Campbell bringing negotiations to a halt because he wants to focus on the team support management's long-held assertion that negotiating during the season is a distraction? How come no one's laughing at Campbell for saying that but management got crucified for it? Am I the only fan in the world who repeatedly takes the side of management over players? Probably. Up with The Man!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
They're Eating Ice-Cream in Hell Today
I was slowly awaking late this morning - okay, it might have been after noon - when Mark sat down on the end of the bed. "Psssst," he said, "You awake?" I thought I was until I heard what he said next. "You should read Bucky Gleason today. He said nice things about Darcy Regier." Surely I was still dreaming! My brain couldn't compute this! Had hell frozen over? Were pigs flying outside my bedroom window? How to explain his miraculous turn of events? Mark hasn't made a habit of lying to me but surely he was yanking my chain!
But no, he was was right. Bucky Gleason said nice things about Darcy Regier. Don't get me wrong, Bucky does manage to pass the blame along to someone else (Tom Golisano), but in the process he says Darcy is intelligent, professional, liked and respected around the league, and a good guy who more often than not, makes the right call when it comes to players. Well-done, Bucky. I'm proud of you!
One smallish criticism:
Bucky does, once again, harp on the Brian Campbell situation. He says that Campbell's agent made a pitch for 5 million for 5 years before the season that was rejected and still never touches the idea that maybe the Sabres just don't see that as a good deal. I understand what he's saying about Campbell's value on the open market. I have no doubt that if it gets to that point someone will offer him between 6 and 7 million dollars but I also know that team is going to be overpaying for what they'll get. Even 5 makes me nervous because while Soupy is very good at certain aspects of the game - carrying the puck, getting involved in the offense - he's not a good defensive player. He's not a terrible defensive player (usually) but he's not a good one and I don't know, I think that should come into play since he is a defenseman. Bucky also continues to ignore the fact that there's a salary cap in play here. If the Sabres give Campbell between 5 and 6 million, they have a lot of money wrapped up in three players (Vanek, Roy, and Campbell) and that's before Ryan Miller - who does deserve a big, fat deal - is re-signed. Again, you don't have to agree that Campbell is the one who should be tossed over to make room for everyone else, but maybe we could atleast address all the issues surrounding a large contract.
But all that said, it was nice to see something a little different from Bucky.
Also - and this isn't directed at Bucky so much as a general statment - I think it's time we started blaming the players atleast a little bit for how this season is going. I'm not going to argue that there aren't pieces missing or pieces that don't fit, but this team still has plenty of talent. They may not be a clear Cup contender but they should be in the playoff easy and they should be able to make some noise once they get there. Instead they're just floundering and a lot of nights it's because of a lack of effort over sixty minutes. If this team was busting its ass and still losing, maybe I could get more behind the idea of blaming management for putting together an over matched team but right now, I think the players deserve more blame. Darcy and Lindy can't make Thomas Vanek shoot the puck, Brian Campbell clear the crease, or Derek Roy hang on to the puck. They can't make guys crash the net or hustle after rebounds. The Bills were hardly a Super Bowl caliber team this season but they played hard, almost always leaving it all on the field, and that made them fun (if occasionally frustrating) to watch. Get it together, Sabres. Quit talking about what you need to do and do it. You're exhausting me.
But no, he was was right. Bucky Gleason said nice things about Darcy Regier. Don't get me wrong, Bucky does manage to pass the blame along to someone else (Tom Golisano), but in the process he says Darcy is intelligent, professional, liked and respected around the league, and a good guy who more often than not, makes the right call when it comes to players. Well-done, Bucky. I'm proud of you!
One smallish criticism:
Bucky does, once again, harp on the Brian Campbell situation. He says that Campbell's agent made a pitch for 5 million for 5 years before the season that was rejected and still never touches the idea that maybe the Sabres just don't see that as a good deal. I understand what he's saying about Campbell's value on the open market. I have no doubt that if it gets to that point someone will offer him between 6 and 7 million dollars but I also know that team is going to be overpaying for what they'll get. Even 5 makes me nervous because while Soupy is very good at certain aspects of the game - carrying the puck, getting involved in the offense - he's not a good defensive player. He's not a terrible defensive player (usually) but he's not a good one and I don't know, I think that should come into play since he is a defenseman. Bucky also continues to ignore the fact that there's a salary cap in play here. If the Sabres give Campbell between 5 and 6 million, they have a lot of money wrapped up in three players (Vanek, Roy, and Campbell) and that's before Ryan Miller - who does deserve a big, fat deal - is re-signed. Again, you don't have to agree that Campbell is the one who should be tossed over to make room for everyone else, but maybe we could atleast address all the issues surrounding a large contract.
But all that said, it was nice to see something a little different from Bucky.
Also - and this isn't directed at Bucky so much as a general statment - I think it's time we started blaming the players atleast a little bit for how this season is going. I'm not going to argue that there aren't pieces missing or pieces that don't fit, but this team still has plenty of talent. They may not be a clear Cup contender but they should be in the playoff easy and they should be able to make some noise once they get there. Instead they're just floundering and a lot of nights it's because of a lack of effort over sixty minutes. If this team was busting its ass and still losing, maybe I could get more behind the idea of blaming management for putting together an over matched team but right now, I think the players deserve more blame. Darcy and Lindy can't make Thomas Vanek shoot the puck, Brian Campbell clear the crease, or Derek Roy hang on to the puck. They can't make guys crash the net or hustle after rebounds. The Bills were hardly a Super Bowl caliber team this season but they played hard, almost always leaving it all on the field, and that made them fun (if occasionally frustrating) to watch. Get it together, Sabres. Quit talking about what you need to do and do it. You're exhausting me.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
On Being a Fan
In honor of NaBloPoMO, I'll be attempting to post something every day in November. If you're not checking in every day, make sure you're catching all the posts! Today, Bucky Gleason strikes again (I know, I know...)
Once upon a time, I, Heather B, wanted to grow up to be a sports journalist. It's true. I loved to write and I loved sports, particularly baseball. Seemed like a perfect mix, no? I wrote for my high school paper and went off to college, jumping into journalism with both feet. But a funny thing happened on the way to the press box. I started meeting sports writers and they were the most miserable people on the face of the earth. I can understand the desire to let wide-eyed aspiring journalists in on the realities of their desired careers - the pay is usually not good, the traveling is tiring, athletes are often not what their reputations suggest - but people in sports were hands down the most negative journalists I came in contact with and they were often almost gleeful in that negativity. They didn't seem to enjoy what they were doing at all.
Which brings me to Bucky Gleason. Listen, fellow bloggers, I'm trying really hard to avoid Bucky but you all keep writing really entertaining and insightful entries about his columns, almost forcing me to read his stuff. I'm going to ignore a lot of the content that has already been addressed - check out Bfloblog, The Goose's Roost, and Getting Caught from Behind for some good responses - but I do want to say something about being a fan. Because I really think Bucky, like many sports journalists, has gotten so focused on being a professional (i.e. NOT a fan) that he's forgotten why he became a sports writer in the first place. That is assuming that at some point young Bucky actually liked sports. So here goes:
Should we be grateful that we have pro sports franchises? Yes, damn straight we should. There are roughly 18,000 cities, towns, and villages in the United States. There are 122 franchises in the 4 major sports. Two of those franchises are in Buffalo. I've mentioned before that I grew up in a state - Alabama - with no pro sports presence. Trust me, for a sports fan, that stinks. Living in Buffalo is like a different world. Those of you who have been fortunate enough to live in a city like Buffalo all your lives (Bucky), may not realize this but you have a gift. It's a gift to be able to drive 10-20 minutes down the road to watch an NHL and NFL level team play week after week. It's a gift to have teams that represent your city. Not the city on the other side of the state, not the next state over, your city, the one you work in and live in and love. It's awesome that 8 weeks out of the year, football fans can hang out together in the parking lot of a football stadium tucked in a little local suburb like Orchard Park, crack open the beverages of their choice, and forget about the real world for a few hours. It's awesome that hockey fans can take over restaurants and bars downtown and do the same thing. And the fact that some of us still choose to do that even when the teams are struggling doesn't make us losers, it makes us fans. Because that's what fans do, they find things to cheer for. If you're only going to cheer for the Bills or the Sabres when they're winning, hey, whatever, more room in the parking lot for the rest of us. But to say there's something wrong with those of us who show up to watch losing teams is ignorant.
I personally think there's something sweet and charming about this year's Bills team and I'm not even really that into football. They've been given every reason to give up - they watched a still and silent teammate get carted off the field in week one, their defense has been decimated by injuries, they lost a couple of last second heart-breakers, they've gone back and forth (and back and forth) between two quarterbacks, they're playing .500 ball. But even in the middle of all that, there's plenty for a fan to root for: This is a team full of heart and scrap, a team that seems to genuinely like each other. It's a team that's at .500 even though it lost three of its first four games. It's a team with good young talent on both sides of the ball, particularly in Marshawn Lynch and Paul Posluszny. You can argue that management hasn't provided all the pieces needed to really be competitive and maybe that's true. But the guys on the field don't have any control over that stuff and it doesn't make them any less worthy of my applause and support. It may sound dumb, but I was so proud to be a Buffalonian during the Bills Monday Night Football game. Watching a beat-down, average team fight tooth and nail against a team that was supposed to blow them out and seeing and hearing that crazed, full-capacity crowd urge them on, no matter how much they'd lost up to that point? That's the good stuff right there. Is it as much fun as watching the Patriots march toward an undefeated season? No, probably not. Would I rather watch the Bills win a Super Bowl than just barely lose a regular season game? Of course. But that loss was beautiful in its own way.
Bucky treats fans who talk about "thick and thin" a little snidely in his column, but being there through thick and thin makes a fan a fan. Being there for the bad is what makes the good so good. Watching Ryan Miller drag his team through the playoffs last year was more special for those of us who remember the kid who cried during a post-game interview a few years ago. Watching Brian Campbell tear up the NHL in the first half of last season (and for the haters, Brian did have a great first half) was even more enjoyable for those of us who remember him struggling to stick at the NHL level. And if the Bills or Sabres ever do win a championship, it's going to be that much sweeter for those of us who can say we were watching the Bills during that emotional topsy-turvy season back when Marshawn and Poz were rookies or pulling for that young Sabres team that was struggling to find a new identity after losing Briere and Drury.
I'm a fan and I hope I'm always a fan. I want a Stanley Cup or a Super Bowl as much as the next person, but I also know those things are tough to accomplish and that sometimes, the joy is in the journey. A sports fan who lives and dies only for a championship is probably going to be a pretty unhappy sports fan. I don't ever want to lose that little piece of my heart that's whispering, "Who says the Bills can't beat the Patriots? Stranger things have happened" or "When all is said and done, the Sabres are going to be just fine." Because I think it's that little piece of your heart that always believes that makes sports beautiful.
Once upon a time, I, Heather B, wanted to grow up to be a sports journalist. It's true. I loved to write and I loved sports, particularly baseball. Seemed like a perfect mix, no? I wrote for my high school paper and went off to college, jumping into journalism with both feet. But a funny thing happened on the way to the press box. I started meeting sports writers and they were the most miserable people on the face of the earth. I can understand the desire to let wide-eyed aspiring journalists in on the realities of their desired careers - the pay is usually not good, the traveling is tiring, athletes are often not what their reputations suggest - but people in sports were hands down the most negative journalists I came in contact with and they were often almost gleeful in that negativity. They didn't seem to enjoy what they were doing at all.
Which brings me to Bucky Gleason. Listen, fellow bloggers, I'm trying really hard to avoid Bucky but you all keep writing really entertaining and insightful entries about his columns, almost forcing me to read his stuff. I'm going to ignore a lot of the content that has already been addressed - check out Bfloblog, The Goose's Roost, and Getting Caught from Behind for some good responses - but I do want to say something about being a fan. Because I really think Bucky, like many sports journalists, has gotten so focused on being a professional (i.e. NOT a fan) that he's forgotten why he became a sports writer in the first place. That is assuming that at some point young Bucky actually liked sports. So here goes:
Should we be grateful that we have pro sports franchises? Yes, damn straight we should. There are roughly 18,000 cities, towns, and villages in the United States. There are 122 franchises in the 4 major sports. Two of those franchises are in Buffalo. I've mentioned before that I grew up in a state - Alabama - with no pro sports presence. Trust me, for a sports fan, that stinks. Living in Buffalo is like a different world. Those of you who have been fortunate enough to live in a city like Buffalo all your lives (Bucky), may not realize this but you have a gift. It's a gift to be able to drive 10-20 minutes down the road to watch an NHL and NFL level team play week after week. It's a gift to have teams that represent your city. Not the city on the other side of the state, not the next state over, your city, the one you work in and live in and love. It's awesome that 8 weeks out of the year, football fans can hang out together in the parking lot of a football stadium tucked in a little local suburb like Orchard Park, crack open the beverages of their choice, and forget about the real world for a few hours. It's awesome that hockey fans can take over restaurants and bars downtown and do the same thing. And the fact that some of us still choose to do that even when the teams are struggling doesn't make us losers, it makes us fans. Because that's what fans do, they find things to cheer for. If you're only going to cheer for the Bills or the Sabres when they're winning, hey, whatever, more room in the parking lot for the rest of us. But to say there's something wrong with those of us who show up to watch losing teams is ignorant.
I personally think there's something sweet and charming about this year's Bills team and I'm not even really that into football. They've been given every reason to give up - they watched a still and silent teammate get carted off the field in week one, their defense has been decimated by injuries, they lost a couple of last second heart-breakers, they've gone back and forth (and back and forth) between two quarterbacks, they're playing .500 ball. But even in the middle of all that, there's plenty for a fan to root for: This is a team full of heart and scrap, a team that seems to genuinely like each other. It's a team that's at .500 even though it lost three of its first four games. It's a team with good young talent on both sides of the ball, particularly in Marshawn Lynch and Paul Posluszny. You can argue that management hasn't provided all the pieces needed to really be competitive and maybe that's true. But the guys on the field don't have any control over that stuff and it doesn't make them any less worthy of my applause and support. It may sound dumb, but I was so proud to be a Buffalonian during the Bills Monday Night Football game. Watching a beat-down, average team fight tooth and nail against a team that was supposed to blow them out and seeing and hearing that crazed, full-capacity crowd urge them on, no matter how much they'd lost up to that point? That's the good stuff right there. Is it as much fun as watching the Patriots march toward an undefeated season? No, probably not. Would I rather watch the Bills win a Super Bowl than just barely lose a regular season game? Of course. But that loss was beautiful in its own way.
Bucky treats fans who talk about "thick and thin" a little snidely in his column, but being there through thick and thin makes a fan a fan. Being there for the bad is what makes the good so good. Watching Ryan Miller drag his team through the playoffs last year was more special for those of us who remember the kid who cried during a post-game interview a few years ago. Watching Brian Campbell tear up the NHL in the first half of last season (and for the haters, Brian did have a great first half) was even more enjoyable for those of us who remember him struggling to stick at the NHL level. And if the Bills or Sabres ever do win a championship, it's going to be that much sweeter for those of us who can say we were watching the Bills during that emotional topsy-turvy season back when Marshawn and Poz were rookies or pulling for that young Sabres team that was struggling to find a new identity after losing Briere and Drury.
I'm a fan and I hope I'm always a fan. I want a Stanley Cup or a Super Bowl as much as the next person, but I also know those things are tough to accomplish and that sometimes, the joy is in the journey. A sports fan who lives and dies only for a championship is probably going to be a pretty unhappy sports fan. I don't ever want to lose that little piece of my heart that's whispering, "Who says the Bills can't beat the Patriots? Stranger things have happened" or "When all is said and done, the Sabres are going to be just fine." Because I think it's that little piece of your heart that always believes that makes sports beautiful.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Bucky Gleason? Still Pretty Stupid.
I've been living a happy, Bucky Gleason-free life but Gambler went and blew that out of the water by commenting on his weekend column over at Desperation Hockey. There were many, many things to be annoyed about: Is Jochen Hecht someone who commands respect in the dressing room? I don't know, why don't we ask the teammates who voted him captain? The defense sucks but Brian Campbell should be re-signed right away? The Rangers' slow start isn't indicative of trouble but our slow start means disaster? Dmitri Kalinin has been mediocre? Bucky, do you even watch hockey?
Here's the part that really got me though:
The Oilers gave Ryan Smyth a video tribute when he returned last week with Colorado in his first game back since Edmonton traded him. They did the same for Jason Smith when he returned with Philadelphia. It was a classy move in both cases. Just wondering if the Sabres have anything similar planned for Drury and Briere.
Now I already mentioned in my last post that I thought what the Oilers did was stupid. If you want to give Smyth a tribute when he retires, fine, great, have at it. But while he's still an active player and he's on the other team, treat him like every other opposing player. If the fans want to give him a standing ovation or acknowledge him in some way, let them do it. Otherwise let it be.
But atleast Smyth and Smith played in Edmonton for a long time, eleven and seven years respectively, I believe. Chris Drury and Daniel Briere played in Buffalo for seven years combined and both chose to play somewhere else. Why should they get a video tribute that other players didn't receive? Jay McKee played here for almost a decade and was as valuable - I'd argue he was even more valuable - as Briere or Drury. No video tribute for him? Everybody loves Marty Biron and he also played here for close to ten years. Not worthy? Heck, Stu Barnes played here longer than Briere and Drury, wore the C, and played in a Stanley Cup Final. Dominik Hasek was the team for many, many years and while he was a prick at times he was also arguably the best hockey player to ever put on a Sabres uniform. How was he welcomed back to Buffalo? We booed his ass. Which is exactly how it should be. Let the fans welcome back returning players in the way they see fit. The organization needs to stay out of it. How are Tim Connolly and Ryan Miller and Jason Pominville supposed to feel, sitting on the bench before a game, watching a tribute to a player who left Buffalo of his own free will and is about to step out on the ice in a different colored jersey, especially after an entire off-season of hearing, "Geez, this team is really going to suck without that guy!" No, I don't think so. Let it go. Move on. I enjoyed watching Drury and Briere and I wish there had been some way to keep them and everyone else around. But if there's a video tribute welcoming them back, I'm throwing stuff at the jumbotron. Let it go, Bucky. Good lord.
Here's the part that really got me though:
The Oilers gave Ryan Smyth a video tribute when he returned last week with Colorado in his first game back since Edmonton traded him. They did the same for Jason Smith when he returned with Philadelphia. It was a classy move in both cases. Just wondering if the Sabres have anything similar planned for Drury and Briere.
Now I already mentioned in my last post that I thought what the Oilers did was stupid. If you want to give Smyth a tribute when he retires, fine, great, have at it. But while he's still an active player and he's on the other team, treat him like every other opposing player. If the fans want to give him a standing ovation or acknowledge him in some way, let them do it. Otherwise let it be.
But atleast Smyth and Smith played in Edmonton for a long time, eleven and seven years respectively, I believe. Chris Drury and Daniel Briere played in Buffalo for seven years combined and both chose to play somewhere else. Why should they get a video tribute that other players didn't receive? Jay McKee played here for almost a decade and was as valuable - I'd argue he was even more valuable - as Briere or Drury. No video tribute for him? Everybody loves Marty Biron and he also played here for close to ten years. Not worthy? Heck, Stu Barnes played here longer than Briere and Drury, wore the C, and played in a Stanley Cup Final. Dominik Hasek was the team for many, many years and while he was a prick at times he was also arguably the best hockey player to ever put on a Sabres uniform. How was he welcomed back to Buffalo? We booed his ass. Which is exactly how it should be. Let the fans welcome back returning players in the way they see fit. The organization needs to stay out of it. How are Tim Connolly and Ryan Miller and Jason Pominville supposed to feel, sitting on the bench before a game, watching a tribute to a player who left Buffalo of his own free will and is about to step out on the ice in a different colored jersey, especially after an entire off-season of hearing, "Geez, this team is really going to suck without that guy!" No, I don't think so. Let it go. Move on. I enjoyed watching Drury and Briere and I wish there had been some way to keep them and everyone else around. But if there's a video tribute welcoming them back, I'm throwing stuff at the jumbotron. Let it go, Bucky. Good lord.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Bucky Gleason Sucks: A Letter to Bucky
(Blogger doesn't want to let me put in a title for some reason so just pretend the title area says BUCKY GLEASON SUCKS.)
Other blogs (Desperation Hockey and Bfloblog, just to name a couple) have already addressed this, probably better than I will. But I have to get this off my chest and hey, that's what blogs are for, right?
Bucky Gleason sucks. I mean, he really, really sucks.
It's bad enough that his columns are one-note. No matter what's happened, no matter how it came to be, it must be Darcy Regier's fault. No matter how good the team is, Regier could've made it better. No matter how much money a team threw at a player, Regier should've either thrown more or gotten him to agree to less. No matter why a player chose to leave Buffalo, Regier could have and should have stopped him. Bucky's been beating his anti-Sabres management drum loudly and repeatedly as long as I've been in Buffalo. Only he could take the lovely story of local boy Todd Marchant's day with the Stanley Cup and turn it into a lesson on how "real" organizations do things and why no Sabres player will ever, ever, ever get his day with the Cup, not in a million billion years.
But Gleason's behavior at the Sabres press conferences over the past week have solidified the fact that he's an idiot of the highest order. His "Is it possible I know something you don't?" was snotty and immature. His domination of the discussion coupled with him taking Regier to task for having the gall to interrupt him was unprofessional. Bucky, I hate to break it to you, but the press conference was not called so we could all listen to you talk. We don't care how you think Darcy Regier should run his team and we certainly don't care how you would do it if you were in charge.
And that leads to my biggest problem with Bucky Gleason. Maybe this would be somewhat acceptable behavior - somewhat - if it seemed like he had the slightest idea what he was talking about but he repeatedly shows that he's lacking in that area.
Bucky, negotiations are not just a GM making an offer. You don't just pick up the phone and say, "I've got a contract here for you, I'll send it right over." The player has to be open to negotiations, and guess what? Sometimes he's not. Sometimes, like Vanek, he knows there are other offers coming down the pike and he wants to see what they are. Sometimes he knows he's close to UFA status and he wants to see what other teams are willing to offer. Sometimes he knows he's just blossoming and doesn't want to commit to a long-term contract at a lower price. Players know what they're worth and what they're going to be worth and if they don't, their agents sure as heck do. There are many, many details that go into a negotiation and I don't know, something tells me Regier has more experience here than you.
Bucky, just because a guy tells you later that he would've signed back then for less money, doesn't make it so. I have no doubt that some players are sincere - or think they're sincere - when they say that, but it's awful easy for a guy to say, after he's signed a shiny, new contract somewhere else, that he would've taken less from his old team. Come on. Stop acting like players are sentimental and unselfish. They are, more often than not, looking out for number one.
Bucky, big names are not necessarily the best signings and I'm not sure you understand the players you're harping about. You can throw Sheldon Souray's physical stats around all you want, that's not going to make him something he's not. Despite his size, he's not a physical, gritty defenseman and you seem to be under the impression that he is. Heck, Bucky, some nights he's barely a defenseman. His shot is all over the place. He turns over the puck a lot. He doesn't carry the puck well. Maybe his willingness to shoot from the point helps the powerplay, but Souray doesn't bring much to the table that we don't already have. Bucky, if you were a GM your team would be the New York Rangers. "Oooh, I've heard of that guy. He MUST be good. Sign him up! The more expensive the better, right?"
Sekera deserves a spot on the Sabres over Teppo Numminen? Give me a break. Teppo's old, I get it. Why would you bring in a veteran player (which you seem insistent that we do since Drury and Briere evidently experienced the last two years all by themselves) who might not produce and might not mesh with the team when you have Numminen who you know will produce to a certain level and who the kids on the team respect if not flat out adore? I mean, have you listened to Brian Campbell talk about Teppo? It's adorable. And I don't know if you've been paying attention, but salaries have gone a little crazy over the past week or so. Two point six million for a little veteran presence, some continuity in the room, and a very dependable, if unspectacular, defenseman seems like a pretty a-okay deal to me.
Bucky, at some point the players have to play. Darcy Regier put an awesome team together last season, one that absolutely could've won the Stanley Cup. I don't know what happened in the postseason, but I do know one thing - Regier can't be blamed for the debacle that was Game 3 of the ECF, the worst of a string of lackluster efforts. But I suppose the players on your team would always, always play to the very best of their abilities.
Bucky, Darcy Regier has been the GM of the Sabres for ten years now. Despite the fact that he's in a small market and despite the fact that he works with a bunch of idiot GMs who are constantly shooting themselves in the feet and doing more harm to the market than good, he's put good team after good team on the ice. Larry Quinn said it today - there's only one team in the NHL that's made it to the conference finals more in that time period than the Sabres. In a market that's all over the place with players moving here and there, that's pretty impressive. Doesn't there come a point where even you have to admit Regier might have SOME idea what he's doing? The fact that you refuse to do so is the ultimate example of how little about hockey you really know.
In closing, Bucky Gleason sucks.
Other blogs (Desperation Hockey and Bfloblog, just to name a couple) have already addressed this, probably better than I will. But I have to get this off my chest and hey, that's what blogs are for, right?
Bucky Gleason sucks. I mean, he really, really sucks.
It's bad enough that his columns are one-note. No matter what's happened, no matter how it came to be, it must be Darcy Regier's fault. No matter how good the team is, Regier could've made it better. No matter how much money a team threw at a player, Regier should've either thrown more or gotten him to agree to less. No matter why a player chose to leave Buffalo, Regier could have and should have stopped him. Bucky's been beating his anti-Sabres management drum loudly and repeatedly as long as I've been in Buffalo. Only he could take the lovely story of local boy Todd Marchant's day with the Stanley Cup and turn it into a lesson on how "real" organizations do things and why no Sabres player will ever, ever, ever get his day with the Cup, not in a million billion years.
But Gleason's behavior at the Sabres press conferences over the past week have solidified the fact that he's an idiot of the highest order. His "Is it possible I know something you don't?" was snotty and immature. His domination of the discussion coupled with him taking Regier to task for having the gall to interrupt him was unprofessional. Bucky, I hate to break it to you, but the press conference was not called so we could all listen to you talk. We don't care how you think Darcy Regier should run his team and we certainly don't care how you would do it if you were in charge.
And that leads to my biggest problem with Bucky Gleason. Maybe this would be somewhat acceptable behavior - somewhat - if it seemed like he had the slightest idea what he was talking about but he repeatedly shows that he's lacking in that area.
Bucky, negotiations are not just a GM making an offer. You don't just pick up the phone and say, "I've got a contract here for you, I'll send it right over." The player has to be open to negotiations, and guess what? Sometimes he's not. Sometimes, like Vanek, he knows there are other offers coming down the pike and he wants to see what they are. Sometimes he knows he's close to UFA status and he wants to see what other teams are willing to offer. Sometimes he knows he's just blossoming and doesn't want to commit to a long-term contract at a lower price. Players know what they're worth and what they're going to be worth and if they don't, their agents sure as heck do. There are many, many details that go into a negotiation and I don't know, something tells me Regier has more experience here than you.
Bucky, just because a guy tells you later that he would've signed back then for less money, doesn't make it so. I have no doubt that some players are sincere - or think they're sincere - when they say that, but it's awful easy for a guy to say, after he's signed a shiny, new contract somewhere else, that he would've taken less from his old team. Come on. Stop acting like players are sentimental and unselfish. They are, more often than not, looking out for number one.
Bucky, big names are not necessarily the best signings and I'm not sure you understand the players you're harping about. You can throw Sheldon Souray's physical stats around all you want, that's not going to make him something he's not. Despite his size, he's not a physical, gritty defenseman and you seem to be under the impression that he is. Heck, Bucky, some nights he's barely a defenseman. His shot is all over the place. He turns over the puck a lot. He doesn't carry the puck well. Maybe his willingness to shoot from the point helps the powerplay, but Souray doesn't bring much to the table that we don't already have. Bucky, if you were a GM your team would be the New York Rangers. "Oooh, I've heard of that guy. He MUST be good. Sign him up! The more expensive the better, right?"
Sekera deserves a spot on the Sabres over Teppo Numminen? Give me a break. Teppo's old, I get it. Why would you bring in a veteran player (which you seem insistent that we do since Drury and Briere evidently experienced the last two years all by themselves) who might not produce and might not mesh with the team when you have Numminen who you know will produce to a certain level and who the kids on the team respect if not flat out adore? I mean, have you listened to Brian Campbell talk about Teppo? It's adorable. And I don't know if you've been paying attention, but salaries have gone a little crazy over the past week or so. Two point six million for a little veteran presence, some continuity in the room, and a very dependable, if unspectacular, defenseman seems like a pretty a-okay deal to me.
Bucky, at some point the players have to play. Darcy Regier put an awesome team together last season, one that absolutely could've won the Stanley Cup. I don't know what happened in the postseason, but I do know one thing - Regier can't be blamed for the debacle that was Game 3 of the ECF, the worst of a string of lackluster efforts. But I suppose the players on your team would always, always play to the very best of their abilities.
Bucky, Darcy Regier has been the GM of the Sabres for ten years now. Despite the fact that he's in a small market and despite the fact that he works with a bunch of idiot GMs who are constantly shooting themselves in the feet and doing more harm to the market than good, he's put good team after good team on the ice. Larry Quinn said it today - there's only one team in the NHL that's made it to the conference finals more in that time period than the Sabres. In a market that's all over the place with players moving here and there, that's pretty impressive. Doesn't there come a point where even you have to admit Regier might have SOME idea what he's doing? The fact that you refuse to do so is the ultimate example of how little about hockey you really know.
In closing, Bucky Gleason sucks.
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