Heather and Mark Do Buffalo: 3rd of July With the Bisons

With special guest star, Mom B!

(I really want to say that I ended up writing much more about the actual game than I intended but I'm going to assume that if you keep coming here you've pretty much realized that long-winded and meandering is the name of the game. Right?)

Mark and I were reminiscing today and one of our first official dates way back in... uh... let's see... 1997, I believe, was a Bisons game. When we moved back to Buffalo we went to the July 3rd game every year for quite a while but somewhere along the way we got out of the habit. We decided it's been a couple of years since we went to a Bisons game which is pretty sad on our part. We love baseball! Well, I love baseball. Mark deals with it once in a while.

We just bought our tickets a few days ago so we were quite a bit down the right field line but it wasn't a bad view of the field at all. Mark complained here and there that he couldn't see the batter very well but honestly, I think it was usually me leaning forward and blocking him.


We missed the top half of the first because we were running late from dinner but we got there just in time to see Todd Linden - who we called Trevor, originally by accident and then on purpose, all night - tie up the game with a solo HR.

Touch 'em all.

The Bisons have probably been wearing the current uniform for five years without me noticing but I'm in love with the primary logo, the standing buffalo over the baseball. It's very simple but I like that about it. For some reason I also had a lot of affection for the buffalo on the fence where the distance markings are. He's pretty cute.


Morgan Ensberg! Holy smokes, what happened to that guy? After I gave up on the Pirates I had an intense two or three year affair with the Houston Astros. They had a nice mix of veterans I already loved - especially Jeff Bagwell (don't even tell me Baggy isn't a first ballot Hall of Famer because I have a prepared speech and I will not hesitate to give it to you) - and younger guys who I also really loved. Lance Berkman (favorite current Major Leaguer) and Roy Oswalt were at the top of the list but Morgan Ensberg was in there too. It really seemed like the team was going to become his and Berkman's after Baggy and Craig Biggio retired. Man. I couldn't get a good picture because my camera didn't like the score board but in his roster photo Morgan even has a "How did I get here?" look about him.

Between innings we got all kinds of little games and races. I didn't get a picture of it but my favorite was probably the dance contest that paired up various mascots with fans just because the Key Bank mascot's costume is designed so that all he can really do is flap his lower arms around. In this game the fan got one lottery ticket for every ball he got in the target in 60 seconds. First of all, lottery tickets? Lamest prize ever. I'm demanding a free hot dog at the very least. Second of all, they stopped him at ten. Come on, that's even more lame. You can't give away twelve tickets instead?


At the top of the fifth we all decided we really needed some ice-cream and then spent TWO INNINGS in line. Geez louise. I don't know if the lines are always like that at Dunn Tire or if it was just because of the crowd - the poor guy in front of us must've spent a fortune just trying to keep his small children from getting too restless before the fireworks started - but it was painfully slow moving.

While we were waiting, Jennie Finch cut through the line right in front of me. Jennie Finch! (For those of you not in the know, Jennie is one of the best women's fastpitch pitchers of all-time. I'd take Lisa Fernandez in her prime first, maybe Cat Osterman second, but Jennie would probably be third.) Her husband plays for Rochester which I didn't even realize. (I knew he pitched but didn't know where.) I might have gone after her and asked her for a picture but she seemed to be by herself and she had her son with her. I hated to ask, "Could you please put down your small child and take a picture with me, a perfect stranger?" (Her kid's name is Ace. And it's not a nickname. I get that mom and dad are both pitchers but come on. Cheesy.) We missed a great diving catch in left field but I did manage to catch it on the TVs over the ice-cream stand.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a Katebits sighting! I just happened to look over where the BPO was setting up and there she was! Look at her just surveying her people! I'm pretty sure that Kate went and got the HR ball that Matt Macri hit to put Rochester up, 5-2. Careful, Kate! Someone is always watching :P


We got a big kick out of these people who we noticed late in the game. Hey, why buy a ticket when you can sit on the side of the highway for free? By the time the fireworks actually started there was quite a little group of people over there.


In the 8th inning, things were not looking good for our Buffalo Bisons. One runner got held at third when I think he probably could've scored. Another batter fouls out to the left fielder who then throws out the runner on third who tagged on the play. The rally, it is killed. In the top of the ninth, catcher Chris Gimenez makes a bad throw and Rochester takes a 6-2 lead.

(Side note: Earlier in the game when Mark noted that Gimenez had a horrible batting average but hadn't had too many at-bats yet I gave him a brief lecture on Gimenez and how he'd just been called up from the Eastern League because he was hitting so well whereas the Bisons catcher, who was sent down to AA, wasn't and how since the switch was made the former Bisons catcher has been hitting really well and Gimenez has been a train wreck. He looked at me, slightly stunned and said, "... I had no idea you actually followed these guys." I don't, I just read and retain well. Thanks, Mike Harrington for making me look super smart!)

Anyway, things got interesting in the bottom of the ninth when the Bisons managed to load the bases with no outs. Their offense had not been inspiring tonight - or most of the season judging by some of the stats on the big board - but maybe it's a night of miracles. (Mark said, "I see this game ending in true Buffalo fashion - a triple play." Cynic!) At this point there were suddenly beach balls all over the stands and therefore all over the field. I can only assume they came from the Bisons since there were so many of them but dude, what the heck? It's the bottom of the ninth and the bases are loaded. I'm trying to watch a game here!

Bases loaded, no outs. Dare we hope?

Lots of stuff happens - look, I didn't take notes, okay? - and the Bisons tie up the game. Mark and I both think they should have won but the third base coach holds up a runner we thought probably would've scored. I guess I can see why he did that. I think there was still only one out at the time so it wasn't necessary to take the chance. (I still clearly remember Bobby Bonilla making the first out of a big inning in the playoffs at third base and I was pretty grumpy about that because instead of a runner on second with no outs, we had no runners on and one out. From second, he would've scored on the next hit and instead we got no runs that inning. I really think the Pirates tried to kill me on more than one occasion. They were good practice for the Sabres.)

The crowd that was just pumped up and into the game began to get restless as we realized this might take a while. Innings ten, eleven, and twelve pass and everyone kept looking at the clock. One of the girls in the very loud obnoxious group behind us threatened to leave at 11 no matter what and I said a small prayer that she would. These girls were mildly amusing at first - when one of the pitchers was called on a balk, one of them said, "Like a chicken?" and they had a half inning discussion on whether we were sitting in right field or left field. When I learned that one of them has a pink and white Sabres jersey and one of them has a Derek Roy jersey I became more concerned. These are not my people. (I love Derek Roy but he does not seem to attract the brightest fans in the world.) By the time the fireworks started I was pretty close to punching them all in the nose and I'm not a confrontational person. Trying to rush the BPO through a Jungle Book medley and loudly complaining about how long everything is taking and how late it is is one thing but trying to rush them through the Armed Forces tribute is sad. Shut your yap and let the rest of us enjoy the show or you know, leave. I don't think the Bisons locked the doors behind us. Ugh. Hated those girls so much. The small children in front of us were better behaved.

Mark and I were really into the game for the most part but even we were getting a little winded.

Getting... very... sleepy...

Some Rochester guy hit a homerun in the top of the 13th and I admit it, there were quite a few cheers around me. Bring on the BPO and the fireworks!

Before the show started we got a little video recap of some of the past year's events and a tribute to Jimmy Griffith and Tim Russert. The BPO also played O Danny Boy for them. My favorite part of the video was the crowd booing the image of the New England Patriots with 18-0 and then immediately cheering at the next image: the New England Patriots with 18-1. The Stanley Cup hoisting Red Wings got some hearty boos as well while the Ice Bowl and Ryan Miller got a big cheer.

We got a couple of medleys from the BPO including a Star Wars medley. That's what I'm talking about. There were characters on the field and it's kind of cheesy and not very easy to see with the dimmed lights but dude... Star Wars! Even when it's cheesy it's awesome.

After a couple of medleys, we got to my favorite part of the show. I love the Armed Forces tribute where they play all the branches' theme songs and have people in the crowd who served in those branches stand. I always get choked up seeing the older gentlemen stand as straight and proud as they can when their songs start. As each song played, a few soldiers from that branch marched across the field toward a large American flag near the pitcher's mound.

The guy next to me got his hand in my way but since he was standing up as an Air Force vet, I think we can let it slide.

And then Stars and Stripes and the fireworks. The fireworks were lovely as always, far lovelier than the picture below suggests. My batteries were dying by this point so I only got a couple of shots. This, sadly, is the best one.


Just before midnight, the show finally ends. Fittingly, Lady Liberty guides us back to our car (sadly, those pictures were terrible too), another night in Buffalo (finally) over.

Happy Fourth of July!

Mark and his mom wish you a happy 4th!

A Little Bit of Housekeeping

But first! The winners of the very first Top Shelf Playoff Pool!

When reached for comment, Katebits marveled over her victory saying, "I'm an idiot!"

Vanek's Hair initially threatened to file a protest due to "irregularities in the scoring calculations" before finally begrudgingly admitting that Katebits wire-to-wire victory was impressive.

Team Five and Dime thinks it probably would've helped their chances if the GM hadn't forgotten to ice a line-up during the first week of the Stanley Cup Finals. The GM however would simply like to extend her congratulations and thanks to everyone who participated. (Seriously, thanks. There were some rounds where this was the only thing making hockey bearable for me.)

So now that's hockey's over where do we go from here? Darned if I know. I'm sure there will be some hockey stuff. I'm going to the draft in a couple of weeks and free agency starts a couple of weeks after that. There's sure to be much weeping and gnashing of teeth over Ryan Miller, Jason Pominville, and Paul Gaustad and why they haven't been re-signed. I also have a series of posts about why I'm optimistic for next season roughly sketched out.

There will also most likely be some other stuff mixed in to help pass the time though. I have a few sports books on my reading docket so some reviews might pop up here and there. I'll be moving on to baseball so some of that might show up here too. I'm sure I'll also occasionally go off on tangents about movies I've seen and TV I've been watching.

One of the things I'm definitely planning on doing this summer is getting out and about in Buffalo. I know, I'm actually going to leave the house on occasion. It's mind-boggling. Over the last few years Buffalo has really moved from that place I moved to because my husband was from there and hey, I was tired of Birmingham anyway to home sweet home. Despite the ups and downs of the city, I really love it here. I know there's a ton of stuff here however that I've yet to see or do so I'm going to try and get around to some of it. And honestly, I'm hoping you can help me out. If any of you have spots to see, things to do, places to eat around Buffalo that you love, please share them. If you wanted to show someone the best parts of Buffalo, where would you take them? And please don't worry about them being too obvious. You'd probably be surprised at how many popular spots I've never been to. I'd love to hear them all. Feel free to leave them in the comments or drop me an email.

Which brings me to the last bit of housekeeping. My email address has changed. I doubt this will affect most of you since you probably just look here when you need to send me a message but if you happen to have me in your address book, make sure you make the change to topshelfcookies [at] gmail [dot] com. I figure if I go with Gmail it won't matter when my internet provider inevitably changes again. The old Verizon address will work through Friday but after that it's kaput.

Uncluttering My Mind (Keep Reading, There is Hockey Eventually)

A few non-hockey complaints:

- I cannot believe how much Christmas cards cost. I found these awesome Where the Wild Things Are cards but it was $16.95 for ten cards! That's highway robbery! I bought some dinkier cards and they still cost me $17 but atleast I got a lot more of them for my money. Also, they were a pain in the butt to open! What's wrong with a regular ol' box, card manufacturing people?

- I was unpleasantly surprised to discover that the lowest denomination gift card McKinley Mall offers is $20. I'm only supposed to spend $10 on my Secret Santa! I'm a fabulous Secret Santa because I ended up just spending the $20. I was too lazy to even think of somewhere else to go much less actually get in my car and go there. (Enjoy, Ralph!)

- Hollywood, can we please get on with this whole strike thing? Pay the writers already. YOU NEED THEM and I'm not going to be happy if Lost gets pushed back for your crap. I'm enjoying the plethora of pro-writer websites and videos out there. Let's face it, in a P.R. battle between producers and writers, writers definitely have the advantage. Here's my favorite video, "A World Without Writers," which takes a look at how some of our best movies might have fared without real writers. The lines from Gone With the Wind and Citizen Kane are my favorites. Although the Blade Runner one is good too.



- Not shocked about Roger Clemens and not buying his denials, disappointed that Andy Pettitte didn't come clean when his name first came up a year or so ago, relieved that Jeff Bagwell is still clean as far as we know. His name is the only one that would really devastate me. Also, someone please make John Kruk shut up.

And now a little hockey:

- I'm not down with this whole Scott Niedermayer thing. I think Scott is a great player and he's wonderful to watch and I understand that Brian Burke told him to take his time and think about what he wanted to do... but just because Burke gave him that option, it didn't mean Niedermayer had to use it. If he wanted to retire, he should have said, "Thanks, but I really want to move on." If he didn't want to retire, he should have been ready to go when the season started. No one player - no matter how talented he is - should be more important than the other guys on the roster. I suppose his teammates might all be fine with him only playing part of the season and with the team having to shuffle everything around and move players to make room for Niedermayer's return, but I don't know, it strikes me as unfair in a pretty severe way. I hope this doesn't lead to older players regularly playing partial seasons.

Oh, who am I kidding? I drafted Scott Niedermayer in my fantasy draft and he totally screwed me. Unlike his real-life management, I'm not forgiving him any time soon.

- I'm going to the Flyers game Friday night. I have very mixed feelings about this. At first I totally wanted to go because I wanted to be there for Marty Biron's first game back but then Daniel Briere went and muddied everything up by signing with Philly. The family is going though so I got roped into it. I'm not entirely sure how Danny will be greeted and I'm not entirely sure how I want him to be greeted. I don't think I want him to be cheered like a conquering hero. He left and really he wasn't even here that long. I kind of want to feel like everyone's (finally!) moved on. But he did give us a couple of really special years and he was, by all accounts, wonderful in the community so I'm not sure I want him to be booed mercilessly either. If you see a confused looking woman in the 300s who looks like she can't quite decide whether to boo or cheer, that'd be me. I am clear on one thing though: No video tributes. Seriously, can we just stop talking about that?

- Mike Harrington totally stole my Patrick Kane headline! Okay, he beat me by 15 minutes or so. But still! Speaking of Mike Harrington...

- ...Since I'm usually complaining about the Buffalo News, I will throw them a little praise and say that I've been really enjoying Mike Harrington's work. He comes across as both knowledgeable and fair which is a nice change of pace. His Sabres Edge blog is good stuff and he seems to really get blogging more than some old school journalists do. The quality of the conversation in the comments is touch and go since it sometimes brings out the crazies (although it's calmed down considerably since the free agency days), but the writing itself is top-notch and he often includes some interesting links to other sites and papers. I found his link to a recent Rochester Democrat and Chronicle bit about an AHL team ganging up on Patrick Kaleta cool since we don't hear much about the Rochester guys. I may be the only person in Buffalo who doesn't really want to see Kaleta in Buffalo any time soon so I thought it was a particularly good read. (ETA: It was actually John Vogl who linked to the Kaleta piece. My bad! The spirit of the above remains the same however.)

- Thanks to everyone who played along with me on the last post. While I hope it goes without saying, I'll state for the record that I love when fans of other teams pop up over here. I think one of the coolest things about the blogging world is getting to know other fans and teams more. I like knowing how other people are feeling about their teams and I like occasionally seeing that hockey exists beyond the Sabres.

I also love how loyal WNY transplants are to their hometown despite where life may take them. All the stuff I said about Buffalo being the kind of city that grabs you by the heart and never lets go was absolutely sincere. It's not a perfect city and it's certainly a place with its share of problems, but it's my home and I love it. Here's a glove tap to all you Sabres fans spread across the country. Wear that blue and gold with pride! LET'S GO BUFF-A-LO!

PLEASE NOTE: SARCASM AND IMMATURITY AHEAD!

Dear Sabres Nation,

It's recently come to my attention that some of you are invading other team's arenas and quite frankly, acting like jerks. Stepping on posters? Wearing t-shirts that cleverly use the word "puck" in place of another word? Booing the home team? My god, people, what are you, animals? (Warning: There is a link included but for the love of all that is holy, don't follow it! You shouldn't be reading non-Sabres blogs! And if you're here and you're not a Sabres fan, get lost already!)

After some input from outside sources, I've put together the following list of rules for behavior when watching the Sabres outside of Buffalo. Please read and follow.

1. Do not wear any clothing that suggests you're rooting for the Sabres. Certainly do not wear anything that is directly anti-home team. Seriously, you're in someone else's building. Use your manners.

2. Do not make any vocalizations of excitement, happiness, joy etc. when the Sabres do something positive. Goals should not be cheered, great plays should not be admired, and for the love of all that's good and right in the hockey world, do not chant "Let's go Buff-a-lo!" Honestly, trying to drown out the locals? That is so uncouth. Polite applause is acceptable as long as you remain seated and stare straight ahead the entire time. Do not ever cheer louder than the home team's fans. If that requires total silence, so be it.

3. Do not direct any negative vocalizations toward the home team. It's not hard, folks. Home team = always good and right. Does it matter that you're not actually cheering for the home team? Are you slow? Because we've clearly established that no, it does not.

3b. As an addendum to rule number 3, do not, under any circumstances, boo the home team's star player. What, were you raised in a barn? It does not matter that getting booed is part and parcel of being a professional athlete. It does not matter that said athlete is, in this year alone, making what I'll make in 55.79 years. It does not matter that this player is not actually playing for your team and it certainly does not matter whether or not this player was not that long ago involved in a questionable play involving one of your star players.

In fact, Buffalo, star players really shouldn't be booed at all. I know, I know... You're scratching your head right now and thinking, "Well, golly, Heather B, I sometimes criticize my own star players, what do I care if other fans do it? I mean, did you see Thomas Vanek play the first few months of the season?" I know, and yes, I did see him play. I think it's very amusing that you're constantly re-calculating how much he's being paid for every point scored. It turns out however that some people don't like that. And can you blame them? God, show a little respect. Thomas Vanek has feelings too. I'm sure he's cut to the bone every time you call him the "Seven Million Dollar Man" with that biting and sarcastic tone in your voice.

3c. The above rule applies to photographs and written descriptions of said star player as well. Stepping on said player's face? Outrageous! Making fun of his physical appearance? Immature! And also reprehensible! And don't even thinking about busting out a black marker for doodling purposes. That's a one-way ticket to fan hell. You'll spend the rest of your life in a small empty room with Sean Avery and Chris Simon.

Seriously, though, the above rules aside... What the hell are you people doing still cheering for the Sabres anyway? I mean, you left Buffalo! I know the economy here is struggling and the job market is tough, but good lord, man up already. If you want to work in book publishing or entertainment so badly, pool your resources and start up a publishing company or a movie studio right here. It can't be that hard. Not making enough to support your family? Hey, kids are resilient creatures, they can survive on pork and beans. Or even better, make the little brats work for their keep. It builds character. It's about sacrifices, people. If you can't make it work here, get out and don't come back.

Listen, I know that Buffalo is a city that gets under you skin and worms its way into your heart. I know that no matter where you are, chances are you're dreaming about crisp autumn evenings and soft, fluttery snow. I know you'd much rather be knocking back beers in the parking lot at Ralph Wilson on a blustery Sunday morning than watching the Bills in your living room across the country and I know you'd prefer to be walking out of HSBC Arena, surrounded by thousands of honking cars than watching the Sabres in a bar with a small crowd of fellow transplants. I know you're staring at your Christmas tree and thinking the season just isn't complete without sponge candy and fresh snow. I know you wish your kids were growing up in the same neighborhood you did and I know that you're sad that things didn't work out that way. I know that Buffalo is exactly the kind of hard-working, humble, friendly city that grabs your heart and, despite years and miles, never really lets go. I know you'll always tell people you're from Buffalo and you'll always say it proudly. And I know you'll be back here in a heartbeat if you ever get the chance.

Which is why you're an asshole for leaving. God! New plan: When you turn in your New York license plate, you also hand over all your Sabres and Bills memorabilia, Benedict Arnold.

(Don't bother commenting on this post. If you're not a Sabres fan, you shouldn't even be reading this. If you insist on commenting - even if it's thoughtful and reasonable - I'm just going to gather up all my Buffalo homies - those of us who still live here, that is - and say, "Hey, look at the little ENTER TEAM HERE fan. He shouldn't even be here. Am I right or am I right?")

Heather B, breaking all the rules.

(Programming note: I'll try to be back to my usual insightful and mature self later. My deepest apologies to anyone who can't make any sense of this post. Just please come back tomorrow.)

Feel the Buff-a-love

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!

Have you ever had an idea in your head that seemed really good but when you wrote it down you somehow managed to not say anything you were really trying to say? Yeah, that's this post. I'm tired of staring at the screen though so here it is anyway...

A couple of the comments on yesterday's post about Jay McKee (one of us! one of us! one of us!) made me start thinking about Buffalo and its relationship with athletes who used to play here. As I've mentioned before, I wasn't raised in Buffalo or in a city with any pro sports and this is one thing about the city that has always kind of fascinated me. After a lot of thought, I think Buffalo really only asks two things of its athletes.

The first thing is one that I'm not going to focus on too much: We want them to work hard. We're a blue-collar city and we bust our butts to make a living. When we sit down in front of the TV or fork over hard-earned money to attend games, we don't want to see any coasting. We'll complain about a lack of effort like we'll complain about nothing else.

The second thing is the biggie though. When it comes down to it, we really, really want our athletes to fall in love with us. Listen, I'll admit it, Buffalo has a little bit of an inferiority complex. We're not flashy and we're not glamorous. If people outside of Buffalo hear anything about us it generally involves the words "snow" and "cold." When I told people in Birmingham that I was moving to Buffalo they thought I was crazy and Birmingham is no great shakes, people. Those of us in Buffalo love our city desperately - faults and all - and we want everyone else to love it too. I think we know it's not always easy because the best of Buffalo isn't obvious. We know that you really have to spend some time here, get to know people, do some digging to find the stuff that makes the city great. But we know it's there and that's why when visiting athletes who spend 36 hours in the area around HSBC Arena make comments about how boring Buffalo is, it gets our backs up. They don't know what they're talking about.

I don't really know how to nail down what it is that makes us feel like an athlete has really fallen in love with Buffalo - it's not always the words they say when talking about us and it's not always playing their entire careers here - but we know it when we see it. Rob Ray fell in love with Buffalo. So did Matthew Barnaby and Lindy Ruff. Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas fell in love with Buffalo. Even though they're currently playing elsewhere, Marty Biron and Jay McKee fell in love with Buffalo too.

It might sound dumb but for a lot of us, I think it really is that simple. It's why a semi-talented guy like Rob Ray is so beloved even now while a future Hall-of-Famer like Dominik Hasek is, for the most part, really disliked. The Dominator was amazing during his time in Buffalo, but he never really got us. It's why a lot of fans put up with J.P. Losman as long as they did. He spoken very sincerely about loving Buffalo and he's repeatedly backed up those words with actions. It's why we practically ran Willis McGahee out of town and it's why we've been so quick to embrace Marshawn Lynch. He's embraced us with open arms and a full heart and gone out of his way to make Buffalo home.

We're shameless really and sometimes it can be annoying. The period between the end of the NHL season and the beginning of free agency was rife with emotions and the whole city seemed to take on the attitude that if Drury and Briere went somewhere else it was because there was something wrong with us. Our whole self-worth was wrapped up in whether or not two hockey players stayed or left. But I think it's very charming too. In the end we're not very demanding people. For all our tough talk about championships, we've made it this long without one. What we do want is very simple and very human. We want to know our athletes left it all on the playing field and we want them to love us as much as we love them.

Is that really asking too much?

The Kids are Alright

Why I Love Hockey #29 - Seeing Games in Person
I've mentioned a time or two (or three or four) that I grew up in Birmingham, AL. Birmingham, for those not in the know, has no professional sports teams. Atlanta was the closest pro sports city while I was growing up (and still is, I think) but due to my single mother's work schedule and some financial restraints, we only got over there for a game every couple of baseball seasons. So the very fact that I can just get in my car and drive fifteen minutes down the road to watch a pro sports team play still seems very much like a luxury.

Watching this particular sports team in this particular city at this particular time however is even more special. I love everything about going to Sabres games which I did tonight for the first time this season. I love fans milling around in the lobby before the game, laughing and smiling and looking forward to a couple hours of fun no matter how good or bad the previous game was. I love looking over every inch of the mural there, pointing out the different players and the best and worst pictures (best: a toss up between sneering Teppo and bleeding Mair, worst: Timmy with that stupid fu manchu). I love keeping a running tally of all the different jerseys worn - Miller and Afinogenov still way out front with Pominville, Roy, and Vanek gaining - and I love finding one that I don't see often. A little girl in a Kotalik jersey! Someone brave enough to wear a Kalinin jersey! God bless you!

I love settling in our seats and feeling a buzz start to build as the clock winds down. I love the cheesy "I Love This Town" video, especially the shot of a grinning Henrik Tallinder ("say hey!") and the intros of the starting line-ups. I love hearing Doug Allen sing the anthems, complete with finger pointing. I love watching Ryan Miller stare up intently at the flag with the image of a waving American flag superimposed on the ice around him. I love the crowd going nuts when the singing is over and hearing, "And now let's play some hockey!" I love that first spontaneous "LET'S GO BUFF-A-LO!" chant.

I love how engaged the crowd at a hockey game is. I think the speed and constant motion of the game demands it. Baseball is a slower, easy-going sport and because of that, the crowd tends to be laid back as well. There's nothing wrong with that, but there's something special about the up and down excitement of a hockey game. I love 18,000 heads going back and forth and back and forth as the puck moves down the ice. I love how united the crowd's reaction is: Everyone scooting to the edge of their seat and leaning forward when Max gets the puck and starts gaining speed, everyone gasping at the picture perfect pass Timmy fed to Al in front of the net, everyone watching the replay of a big save on the (snazzy new and improved) jumbotron and that one guy responding with, "Holy shit! I can't believe he stopped that!" I loved the crowd giving the kick ass penalty killing standing ovations, cheering every time the puck was sent flying down the ice. I loved the crowd cheering for Jason Pominville's goal and then taking it to another level when the fans put up the "1" next to "Pomminville Population" up in the 300s section. I loved walking around during the first intermission, hearing Harry Neale say, "Atlanta hasn't won yet and it looks like they won't win tonight either," and then hearing more than a few fans yell, "Shut up!"

I love how the whole world feels perfect and light after a win. I love fans whooping and hollering as they pour out of the arena. I love seeing how excited the younger fans are about being up past their regular bedtime and seeing a great game of hockey (Overheard conversation between a young son and his father: "Dad, what a great day to be a Sabres fan! We just kicked their anus holes right back to Atlanta!" "What did you just say?" "Anus holes!" "What?!" "ANUS HOLES!" "Don't say that." "... We just kicked their scrotums!") I love, love, love one car honking "Let's Go Buff-a-lo!" (honk, honk, honkhonkhonk) and cars all across downtown honking back in reply. I love that strange but undeniable camaraderie you feel with the strangers walking alongside of you and I love the overwhelming affection I always feel for the entire city of Buffalo in those moments. It's awesome.

Some quick notes about the game:

I think the Sabres were noticeably more relaxed tonight. They were focused and keyed in but they didn't seem to be pressing nearly as hard as they were in the first couple of games. Lindy clearly got on to them about doing all the little things right because there was less cutesy stuff and more work - chipping the puck into the offensive zone and chasing it down, cycling things down low, using the body a little. Tom mentioned over at Sabre Rattling how some of the current Sabres have struggled at home, often seeming to want to impress the fans with flashy play. Tonight they seemed more committed to playing simple and smart and it was effective.

What to say about the special teams? Geez louise. Three power play goals and perfect on the penalty kill? I'll take that any night. I can't even remember the last time I was actually excited about getting a penalty call. I won't pretend to understand all the different power play set-ups and structures but the puck movement just seemed much quicker than last season and things cycled to everyone and not just back and forth between a couple of players. The unit of Connolly, Gaustad, Kotalik, Campbell, and Spacek was particularly impressive. I've already heard some grumbling that Atlanta isn't a very good test because they're not a good team but a little confidence boost can't be a bad thing especially considering how much we struggled on special teams last season.

Speaking of Connolly, holy crap, Timmy looked great. Even when he didn't have the puck he was going hard, hustling all over the ice. If he stays healthy - and I know that's a pretty big if - I think he's going to be more than a fair trade-off for Briere. He's every bit as good a playmaker as Danny was - if not better - and he'll score his share of goals. He's also a much better two-way player who doesn't leave all the defensive responsibility to his linemates.

I know all the "Do it for Matt Man" stuff comes across as cheesy to some people, but I was really glad to see Ryan get the shut-out, particularly tonight. I'm not sure if the Three Stars were shown on the TV broadcast or not but when Ryan skated out, turned his helmet so the "Matt Man" on the back was facing the crowd, and then lifted it over his head, I admit I got a little misty-eyed. Matt was obviously very special to Ryan and the rest of the Miller family.

That's all I got for tonight. I have a couple of non-game related points to make but they can wait until tomorrow. Gotta get to bed!

Why I Love Hockey Part 8: Because Most People Don't

Why I Love Hockey #8 - Because Most People Don't
That's right, I may go on and on about how I wish everyone loved hockey and how I wish you could find, watch, and play hockey all over the U.S. but I don't mean it. I don't mean any of it. One of my very favorite things about hockey is the beat-down, underdog feeling about the sport. I love that most people look right over it. I love that even sportswriters try to pretend like they're totally above watching it. I love that those of us who have discovered hockey hold a tiny, unappreciated gem in our hands. I love that when you meet a hockey fan you automatically know that person can't be all bad. I love that there are stretches of the country where hockey is practically a foreign word but little pockets of the country where people live, eat, and breathe it. If I'd stayed in Birmingham, I know there's a very good chance that I'd still be living a non-hockey existence and knowing what I know now, that would be a pretty big bummer. But I love the contrast between Birmingham and Buffalo where there's a buzz in the air on game day, there's a pall over the city after a loss, there are kids in the streets with nets and sticks and oversized jerseys, people waving at fellow fans and honking and yelling, "Let's go Buff-a-lo!" It's something that makes Buffalo special and that wouldn't be the case if love of hockey was a universal thing. I love that being a hockey fan feels like being in on one of the biggest, bestest secrets in the world and for all the complaints about Versus and ESPN and people talking hockey down, I know if everyone loved it, I'd love it a little bit less.

Something About Me #7 and #8
I forgot this on the last post so today you get two exciting facts about me! Don't worry, I'll keep them short.

I'm a huge U2 fan. I love them. I adore them. I want to hang out with them and talk to them all day. I love that the band has always consisted of the same four guys. I love that they seem like they really like playing together. I love that they seem smart and interesting in addition to being really talented. I love the way they mix the secular with the sacred. Usually I say Edge is my favorite, but I have a soft spot for Larry. I'm going to stop here because seriously, I could talk about U2 for a very long time.

I hate cell phones. I don't own one, I don't ever plan on owning one. I barely answer our home phone and when I do, I end the conversation as quickly as possible. I'm just not a phone person. If I have to call someone and it's a call I can make without actually talking to anyone, I'll purposely call when I think no one will be home and leave a message on the machine. Mostly I hate how rude people are with their phones. If you ever find yourself in line to buy groceries from me, please for the love of all that is good and right in this world, hang up your phone. And if you don't - if all you can be bothered to do is grunt at me while you carry on your oh so important call about the new shoes you just bought - don't you dare complain to me about anything later. I'm not the one who wasn't paying attention.

Why I Love Hockey - Parts 5 and 6

Well, I got through four whole days of the "post every day" plan before falling down on the job. Honestly, that was way better than I expected so go me. Since I actually have time to write today - I don't have to go to work anywhere! - I'll bless you with a double post.

Why I Love Hockey #5 - Brian Campbell
I'll admit I was first drawn to Brian Campbell for a ridiculous reason - he's a red-head. But over the past few years I've found more defensible reasons to love Brian Campbell although most of them still don't really have much to do with hockey. Don't get me wrong - I do enjoy watching him play. He's quick and creative and there are times I actually mistake him for Maxim Afinogenov of all people before realizing what I thought was a 61 is actually a 51. It's been fun watching him really begin to put things together over the past couple of seaons, just as fans in Buffalo - and probably more than a few people within the organization - were beginning to think he was never going to stick at the NHL level.

But that's all secondary. I really just like Brian Campbell the person. In a league full of humble, down-to-earth guys, Brian still manages to stick out as particularly down-to-earth. I love watching him interviewed because he's very laid-back and really funny. And not funny in the desperate, trying-too-hard, overly prepared kind of way that many pro athletes are - just easily and naturally funny. I love watching him play because he looks like he's having so much fun. I adore Chris Drury and I hope he stays in Buffalo but he's so somber all the time. While it's a little unfair because I know that's just Drury's personality, he often looks like he's working in a coal mine instead of getting paid millions of dollars to play a game. Atleast once a game there's a shot of Brian on the ice or the bench with a huge "I can't believe I'm getting PAID for this" grin on his face. A fantasic, ear-to-ear, face splitting grin. I was thrilled when he made the All-Star game because there was no doubt in my mind that a) he really never did think that he'd be an All-Star starter unlike some guys who say that but don't mean it and b) he would have a blast. Miller, Vanek, Tallinder, and Lydman are on my "Cannot be traded because they're too important" list. Brian is on my "Cannot be traded because I'd miss him too darn much" list.

Something About Me #5
These are really supposed to be non-hockey related but in light of the "I picked Brian Campbell because he was a red-head" confession I'll also admit that when I first started watching the Sabres I decided Jay McKee was my favorite player because he was the same age as me. (He probably still is.) And while that is equally ridiculous as falling in love with someone's hair, it also stuck because as I watched him, I fell in love with Jay. He was absolutely fearless on the ice and I have a lot of admiration for the way he managed to make himself valuabe in the post-lockout season that didn't exactly favor his skills. I can't argue against Buffalo letting him go - he's definitely getting overpaid in St. Louis and between his style of play and his injury history he's due to start breaking down any day now (if he hasn't already) - but I was bummed for days after he officially signed with the Blues and okay, I might've cried one of those days.

Why I Love Hockey #6 -Community
I grew up in - all together now! - Alabama and one of the bad things about that was the total lack of pro sports. The closest Birmingham came to that atmosphere was college football and even that wasn't quite the same. While it was totally crazy - I can't even explain SEC football to people who haven't lived through it - the city was split between Auburn and Alabama and people didn't exactly bond over it. It could pretty ugly actually.

Atlanta was the closest city with big teams and it was close enough that we got there for Braves games every year or so but time and financial constraints made it hard to do that more often. As I've already stated, I was a Pirates fan as a girl and I did my best to follow the team but it was tough from so far away - this was before the days of team and league websites and MLB.TV - and no one else in my neck of the woods loved the same team. Part of me loved being the lone dissenter in a land full of sheep-like Braves fans, but it stunk to get all my Pirates news weeks later when my grandmother had cut out enough articles from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to fill an envelope.

So Buffalo was the first city I've ever lived in with a pro sports team and when we moved I was just starting to get into hockey some so I was kind of excited. I touched on this at the end of the season but hockey has been an amazing community thing here in Buffalo over the past couple of years. I know there's a bit of a lightning in the bottle aspect to it where certain things have met up at just the right time - a talented, likable, hard-working team in a blue collar city that came awfully close to watching its franchise move somewhere else. I know some of the excitement will fade when current players leave and the team isn't quite so successful. I know I need to embrace Buffalo's love affair with the Sabres right now while it's happening because it probably won't be quite like it is now forever.

All that said, man, it's freakin' awesome in this city right now. I wrote not that long ago about how unifying hockey has been in Buffalo so I don't want to repeat myself too much. But I will say, for that kid who would've killed to debate where exactly Andy Van Slyke ranked as a defensive outfielder with someone, it was very cool to be able to talk about the previous night's game with absolutely anyone - students, co-workers, bus drivers, fellow commuters, cashiers, and neighbors. The Sabres helped me fall in love with hockey but maybe more importantly, they helped me fall in love with Buffalo to the point where it's tough to imagine living anywhere else. Now that I've felt the buzz in the air of a great sports team, I don't think I could leave it behind.

Something About Me #6
Since it's Father's Day, I've been thinking a lot about my mom. My dad died very suddenly when I was four and because I was so young, he's only a vague memory at the outskirts of my life. What I remember is almost all Mom.

My mother never really got the whole sports thing. She's not athletically inclined herself and I'm not sure she ever really understood the appeal for me, but that didn't stop her from making an effort. I'll never forget the day she decided she was going to throw me some batting practice. I was around ten and we went to the old softball field at our church. It didn't take very long for us to realize this was a terrible idea. I was practically in tears because I just wanted to hit the ball and she was SO bad and SO far from the plate that I couldn't even get the bat on the ball by taking a couple of steps. I did not understand what was so hard about getting the ball near the plate! She was practically in tears because I was so upset and she was trying so hard. And I think we were probably both thinking about how my dad really should've been there with me which only made things worse. But looking back now, even though the day was a near disaster, saved only by Mr. Bailey seeing us and relieving Mom on the mound, I know the important thing was that she was trying awfully hard to do something she had no interest in because she knew it was important to me and she was sorry there wasn't anyone around to do those kinds of things with me. That's my mom. She was pretty awesome then and she still is. Happy Father's Day, Mom!