Stoner

Is tonight Rick's last call?

I can't put my finger on where my head is. I keep coming back to denial. It feels a little like when my mom and dad were dying. They had hours to days left. I was close by, but the full impact of it wasn't hitting me. It didn't make sense. How can this be? They both came back for a very brief moment to give me one final gift. I think that's how it'll be tonight. Down the tunnel, Rick will see the light. It'll probably be flashing red. (All that said, see the poll I'm about to create. I'm really curious what y'all feel about life after death.)

I've always bristled a bit when the praise heaped on Rick focuses on his wild goal calls and fight calls. His passion. His energy. You know what everyone says. All valid, of course. But the top line praise should be his ability to bring a game to life during the mundane moments, the 99.9% of what comprises a hockey game. Rick's baseline temperature was always high, sure, say about 99.8. We got used to icings and offsides sounding exciting (which, of course, to a real fan, they were, and are). What we all really learned, of course, was to listen for the feverish spikes. 100.5 vs. flat out 105.1. You listened and you had the same command of the flow of the game as those in the arena or watching on TV. Remarkable. Jim told Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald: “What always amazed me was he could turn an ordinary game and turn it into a very exciting game, and to me, that’s a real gift of a broadcaster.... People tend to gravitate toward all the great calls, and there’s so many of them, but for me, I look at the full body of work, and it was just superb, night after night of excellence." I hope tonight they play two and a half minutes of the back and forth of a Sabres-Bruins playoff game from 1993. No goals, no fights. Just the to and fro and pushes and pulls and, yes, the dump ins and still not outs.

Boy — Ret. Girl — Jeanne. Do it. (I'll allow Rhett, of course, or Jenna.)

Is that Mixhalo techie thing going to be reliable? Are they ready for heavier traffic? How is there no delay? I'm bringing the boom box and big padded headphones as a backup.

" I didn't graduate from high school for Christ's sake." Good old Rick.

There aren't any good Hot Take gif thingies.

Rick instinctively looked up from his phone as the faceoff took place. Decades of experience!

They remain mysteries...

Dan did the little segment at the start of the pregame show. That's your PBP guy I'd say. Kind of like first goalie off.

Thanks @thewookie1!

Springtime distraction Young girls on Boston Common Turn your head, Ramsey

You can't be

If my theory is right about Rick's first game, it would have been apropos.

I got a better source. Cupcake's on the Twitter.

Click on the arrow in the previous post.

In an odd twist of fate, the Sabres farm team went on to win the Calder Cup in 1973 at the Aud.

Playing loose with no pressure does wonders. My automated response to all of these threads: see me in November.

sabres.com says to expect some kind of final tribute to Rick after the game. I'd like to see this happen while he rapels to the ice a la Sabretooth.

How do you feel about being hypnotized?

A story about Rick on sabres.com leading up to RJ Night said he called his first Sabres game on October 10, 1971, as the Sabres hosted the Pens to start the franchise's second season. But the Sabres' media guide for that season says Ted Darling, the voice of the Sabres, would do all games on the radio unless they were televised, and then Rick would take over on the radio. The home opener was not televised. If the media guide is right, Rick's first call was in Boston on October 14, and his first game at the Aud was against the Leafs on November 21. Another mystery is whether Rick has, indeed, called a hockey championship in Buffalo. He did Bisons road games in 1969-1970. The Calder Cup was won on the road that season. I know some of our posters go back that far. @PromoTheRobot? Then there's this question that exists only in my head. Did Rick ever call a game from home? I know Ted did, during the Blizzard of 77. But I swear there was a night I got the distinct impression Rick wasn't at the Aud. It was never talked about as far as I can remember. I wouldn't be surprised if he did it but didn't want it advertised because of his respect for and deference to Ted, which exists to this day. Have at it. Any others?

"I'm gonna get killed out there."

Lindy's not wrong. He's railing against the misuse of technology. You put your gizmos down when dinner is served.