PASabreFan

Good question. Terry seemed to become a Pens fan after moving from Buffalo to the Pittsburgh area. (Link? Not really, but I can link to a pic of Terry with Sidney, and he did name his dog Sidney — no, the kids didn't.) Terry's buddy Cliff Benson of Deloitte did accounting work for the Pens. Terry credits Cliff with encouraging him to buy the Sabres, and Cliff was a principal player in the process. "He's the first guy I told I wanted to buy the Sabres who didn't laugh at me." Cliff then joined the Sabres' front office, and not surprising Ted Black and Ken Sawyer of the Pens came along. That's the genesis of tanking: Terry's love of Sid and all the Pittsburgh people he brought along (with a measure of "win a Cup, then win another one" mentality). Now, of course, the Pens didn't tank for Sid, as there was no season before that draft; the Sabres had the same shot at Sid based on their crummy seasons before that draft. And Sid arrived on a decent Pittsburgh that plausibly could have success as he grew into his game. Hence a Cup four-ish years later. Still, they tanked.

I don't blame the poster for not getting the HOLY FYCK!!! reactions. It's not like Jeff is gone.

I know. The start of the thread...

I'll point out again how weird it is to separate Jack and the team.

Men and their rockets...

I watched The Shawshank Redemption for about the 40th time the other day. The ending is sublime. Freeman voiceover: "I hope..." The wind blowing Red's hat off on the beach was perfect and probably not anticipated. Others?

Of course... ...you don't... ....say that. Then again.

I'm pretty sure everyone is satisfied with and appreciative of the service (the message board and how it works). It's the moderation that will never satisfy everyone. And, ya know, other peoples' opinions.

Where's his brilliant hire of the great Don Granato?

I like it. SDS is probably in with Bezos and Branson.

Doug Favell should be part of the bat release ceremony at Canalside.

Does Dahlin still profile out to James Norris?

For the unaware, in the last regular season game of the 71-72 season, the Flyers needed a mere point against the Sabres at the Aud. Gerry Meehan broke a tie with four seconds left in the third period, scoring on an 80-foot shot. The Flyers were done, thanks to a twerpy little newbie Hockey God. The others never forgot. The Godlet knows his place, Favell makes an easy save and we have four Cups as a franchise. Book it.

It's a stretch to say that winning a Cup as a player is a qualification for being a GM. Sabres GM Miro Satan anyone?

See also: the lure of the dynasty and the looking down the nose at "just making the playoffs." The lure ("Pegvorka") raised expectations and, failing to work, lowered the entertainment value of Sabres hockey to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Good post. It's a simple but necessary 30,000-foot-view question while most of us are poking around in the British Open rough for our balls. Pimlach stole all my thunder. I'd add that Terry's mistake wasn't limited to thinking that his money would make the difference for a historically budget-conscious franchise, but that his leadership, involvement and hockey acumen would, too.

Tuttle is real, alive and spectacular.

Always seeing the negative.

Is that for me? If so, you're trying too hard. I think they both sound/sounded positive. Maybe we should play a little, "Who said that?"

Well that settles that.

Put on your journalist hat.

Only Owen knows where he prefers to be drafted and maybe where he prefers to eventually play. We have no evidence it's Buffalo.

He's not Italian.

I don't see much difference between the way RaKru and Don talk.