And You Thought Election Season Was Over

So one of my favorite blogs, First Time Caller, Long Time Listener, has been doing a Buffalo Media showdown for the last couple of weeks. They started with a bracket of 16 of Buffalo's sports media personalities - newspaper writers, radio personalities, TV talking heads - and are slowly moving toward crowning their official blog media personality. Readers cast their votes via a poll, leaving a comment in support of their candidate if they so desire and the winner lives to fight another day. So far Dennis Williams, Stu Boyer, John Vogl, Mike Schopp, Bulldog, Paul Hamilton, Jerry Sullivan, Jeremy White, Ed Kilgore, Howard Simon, Jeff Russo and Bucky Gleason have all been cast aside. Still standing are Nick Mendola and Mike Harrington in one bracket, John Murphy and Brad Riter in the other bracket.

I've been meaning to plug this since it started because it's been pretty entertaining so far and some of the comments on the polls have been fun to read. It hasn't taken long to suss out that certain bloggers/readers have their favorites and I guess my pick must be pretty obvious because Tedd, one of the proprietors of FTLT, emailed me this weekend to ask me if I would write a little campaign speech for the Buffalo News' Mike Harrington. Mike is up against Nick Mendola and it seems that Tedd and Nick have been friends for a few years and Tedd was having a hard time writing an objective post. Evidently he's not aware that bloggers are in no way required to be objective. Either that or he's just a nice guy who's trying to be fair.

Either way, it was kind of fun since while I would definitely call myself a Mike Harrington fan I hadn't ever really thought about why. If you're interested - and I don't know why you wouldn't be - you can find that post at FTLT at some point today. I can't link you there directly because it hasn't been posted as of this writing Sunday night but come on, I think you can handle some of these things yourself.

I'm sure Tedd will write an interesting, funny intro for Nick Mendola because that's what he does. But if you're smart, love blogs and want to remain my friend, you'll vote for Harrington.

(Just kidding.)

My name is Mike Harrington and I've approved this message.*

* - Not entirely true.

Odds and Ends

Odds and ends while waiting for 2:00:

- One of the coolest things to come out of the Heather and Kate story in TBN last week is that I've gotten a couple of emails from Buffalo fans currently living in Alabama. And that's in addition to the Buffalo fan I already knew of living in Alabama. I don't know why but knowing you guys are out there totally tickles me. So which one of you is having me and Mark over on game nights between 12/22 and 12/27 when we're visiting the family for Christmas? :P

- I just want to give a little shout-out to Mike Harrington because I know he's responsible for my name being passed along to the right people for last week's story. In a recent post on Sabres Edge he officially came out as a blog reader and I can tell you from conversations with him over the past year or so that, unlike a lot of sportswriters, he totally gets and appreciates fan blogs. In addition to that, I think he clearly loves what he does and genuinely appreciates and respects the people who read what he writes. I've been very critical of a lot of TBN's coverage and writers in the past but Mike's a good egg.

- A quick baseball aside: During Game Three of the Boston-Tampa Bay series, the announcers shared that Red Sox manager Terry Francona has a bucket of Dubble Bubble in the dugout and he goes through an absurd amount in a game. I'm fully cheering for the Rays but I can't even tell you how much this tidbit of info made me love Francona. My mom used to buy the same bucket back in my softball days and I blew through those things. The announcers marveled at how many pieces Francona chewed an inning but it makes sense. While it tastes really good at first, Dubble Bubble loses its taste in about 45 seconds. It also gets really hard really fast. The best way to combat both of those issues is to keep adding new pieces. The only thing that could've made me love Francona more is if he'd pulled a pack of Big League Chew out of his back pocket.

- While being interviewed by a real reporter was weird enough, being photographed for the newspaper was totally bizarre. Kate and I spent a good half hour or so debating what exactly one wears for a blogging photo shoot. Should we wear Sabres gear or go logo-less? Was a t-shirt adequate or should I go whole hog and wear the jersey? Should we stay casual since that's how we usually blog or get a little more dressed up since a lot of people were going to see this? We had finally decided Kate would wear her prom dress and I would wear my wedding dress and then we remembered that Kate didn't actually go to her prom and my wedding dress is in Alabama. Alas. John Hickey, the TBN photographer, was very good-natured and extremely patient with us while we struggled not to crack up. He even let Kate's friend Robin document the moment for us.

Kate and I do our best Stephen Colbert fake typing.

- There's a car commercial out now that uses a couple of lines from David Bowie's Space Oddity and while the lines they use are harmless ("Ground control to Major Tom...") it really bothers me that they used this song. Major Tom floats off into space never to return! That is not a positive connotation, car company I can't remember!

- It'd be really nice to score a power play goal today.

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.

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!

Odds and Ends

Odds and ends ahoy!

As much as I love Darcy Regier, I really hate his tendency to respond to building hysteria by calling press gatherings where he gives some variance on "EVERYTHING IS UNDER CONTROL! PLEASE REMAIN CALM!" They don't work. It just feeds into the panic. It's like poking a sleepy but awakening bear with a really pointy stick. I suppose I can understand responding to the masses, but I don't know, I think he'd be better off just leaving it alone. Pick up the phone when the newspaper calls and leave it at that especially since, last I saw, Brian Campbell is still here. I understand fans getting nervous, but geez, nothing has even happened yet. (Note: I actually do NOT understand getting nervous because Brian Campbell is not Chris Drury or Daniel Briere.)

More than a few people have pointed out to me that, regardless of how I feel about Brian Campbell, the market is the market and the Sabres can't expect to pay an offensive defensman less than everyone else is. To them I say... you're right! Ha! Wasn't expecting that, were you? I'll admit that part of my problem on this issue is an overall frustration with how quickly the GM's and owners have let the market spiral out of control post-lockout. Brian Campbell shouldn't be within spitting distance of making what Nicklas Lidstrom makes and he might be when all is said and done. I'm amazed that a group of people with so much knowledge can - time after time - shoot themselves in the collective foot. I give Darcy a lot of credit in this area. He may be cautious, sometimes overly so, but atleast he's attempting to use his brain. Too often I think that puts him in the minority.

For the record, however, I'm not changing my tune on Soupy. Six million plus is too much of the team's cap to sink into a player like him. So there! I am not, however, looking forward to the sure-to-come city-wide freak-out if Soupy moves on.

Quick injury update. I had my first post-op appointment a week or so ago. The doctor said everything looks okay - which was mildly amusing because my foot looked pretty disgusting - but I still can't put any weight on it until the next appointment which is at the beginning of February and that's only if everything still looks good. The staples were taken out and I got a shiny new plaster cast (white - I was so disappointed that I didn't get to choose a color) and I'm getting a little better on the crutches but it's still pretty darn boring sitting around all day which is why I've posted something almost every single day. Apologies in advance if you get tired of me. This isn't my personal x-ray but this is the surgery I had done and pretty much what mine looks like:


Pretty snazzy, eh?

And finally, a few days ago I wondered about Paul Hamilton generally being the only person who speaks in the media scrums after Sabres games. Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News happened to see that and he emailed and elaborated on it a little more. A few of you commented when I mentioned it so I thought you might like to read what Mike had to say because it's pretty interesting. (This is fully with Mike's permission, just in case you're wondering.) I cut out a few sections just so it wasn't quite as long so if it seems to flows funny, that's all on me.

He is very knowledgeable (played in college at Iowa State FYI) and well-respected in the media. When you see a gaggle of microphones around a guy after the game, Paul is usually the only REPORTER there. The local TVs, in what I think is just a ridiculous decision, often do NOT send a reporter into the locker room after a game and just have a cameraman so that guy isn't a journalist and for the most part couldn't ask a question if his life depended on it.

Furthermore, the print guys very rarely go to the same guy Hamilton and the cameras go to. I don't mind Paul using one of my questions but when a station just sends a camera, they're sponging off me and I don't like that. So if Paul goes to say Pommer, the cameras tend to follow and I'll go to maybe Kotalik. Then switch off, etc. So you'll almost NEVER see or hear us on those interviews.

On the road, it might be a little different cuz there's usually no one in the locker room except Paul, me or John Vogl and maybe a local AP guy. You might hear us once in a while there.

At the end of an interview, you'll hear Paul say, "That's Jason Pominville on the postgame show, back up to you." But that's not the end of the interview. Paul is off to the next guy but after that, the player usually talks for another few minutes to us ink-stained print wretches.

Something else to consider: Paul is a rights-holder collecting comments for a live postgame show on the station that broadcasts the game. Professional courtesy dictates you try not to step over his questions too much, especially since his stuff has to get to air within 10 minutes or so. You let him get the first 2-3 questions before you jump in if you're with the same player.

And on the road, Paul is in a major time jam. He flies home on the team charter (because he's on the flagship station). We do not. He has to be on the plane within an hour after the final horn so he has to email his MP3s to the station for air. You gotta let him get done and go.

So as you can see, there are a lot more dynamics to the situation than just people letting Paul ask all the questions.

I had no idea Paul Hamilton played in college. That's totally awesome. Also, I'm really surprised that the TV stations don't send reporters into the dressing room if for no other reason than to build some kind of relationship with the players. Crazy.

(Thanks, Mike! Tell Bucky I said hi!)

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!