Stoner

It's a strained analogy because the hockey department isn't a business, and the owner isn't its boss. I'll die on this hill, dreaming, looking into the sky and seeing Rick's suspenders and Spacek in that fur coat in the clouds.

That's a real stretch. The actual quote was that the extent of the rebuild would be determined by the owner. There was going to be a rebuild. Darcy might have agreed with the necessity of doing so. But he was telling us in the spring of 2013 that he wasn't going to make the decision on what kind of rebuild it was going to be, Terry was.

That's what I wanna know.

@LGR4GM lives rent-free in my head. I want paid.

No, but what does it matter? I've said time and again the business analogy doesn't work. You've got a chef here trying to rework the menu of a failing world class restaurant and the owner who doesn't know a spatula from a hole in the ground wants in on food sourcing decisions. I mean, sure, he owns the place. Who cares? Creative people don't want the interference. Go tell Spielberg to not hold the shot too long on Lincoln's tortured face.

Darcy told us that he would be instructed by Terry re: the rebuild. You can call Regier a liar, but don't tell me that's not evidence of meddling. You don't like me and begrudge me a "my bad, you were right." That's all this is. Envy that you didn't think of it first. Here's your chance to stop being lazy. Prove that every owner does what Terry has done. Links, please. You can do it Dudacek-style, franchise by franchise. Too busy? It'll be far less work than I've put into exposing TRPWRTE.

Funny. I just happened onto some clips of docs talking about unsedated colonoscopy. Apparently it should be a pain-free procedure. So what's up with the sedative, pain med and amnesiac?

It's a strained analogy. Would you like to present strategy to an owner who won the lottery and bought your business and has demonstrated for a decade he doesn't know what he is doing and has actually run the business into the ground?

So... based on literally nothing you present a case to make Terry look innocent against charges painstakingly put together over the course of years. Some is direct evidence, some is circumstantial. The conclusion is almost unavoidable. Smoking guns? On Ehrhoff: there's a video of Terry's kids talking about how much Dad liked Ehrhoff. On Leino and Ehrhoff: there's Terry calling into WGR and defending himself against other owners, saying the signings were his decision. On the tank there's Darcy on WGR saying he liked the Wild rebuild and the extent of the rebuild would be Terry's call. On his relationship with GMJB, one of the two said they spoke three times a day. You have Terry in the war room, Terry at the draft table, Terry on a plane to woo Regehr, Terry sitting up top next to Bales, Terry going to the GM side when he and Kim got to the arena offices. Honestly I think sometimes I'm the one being trolled.

I'm not sure I did. You'd also make your managers travel to Florida at a time when clearly they have better ways to spend their time at home.

Coming this summer on SabreSpace, a classic re-airing of The Trial of Terry Pegula*. (Spoiler alert: he's found guilty of meddling this time, too.) *Due to unfortunate circumstances*, the role of Terry Pegula this time will be played by PromoTheRobot. *Woody cannot be located. Watch for it following Ken Burns' 11-part series, Tank.

So you wouldn't trust the people you hire? And you wouldn't be smart enough to know that as the person with the hammer over the heads of your managers, that your jib-jab (I like gritty players! He's a fine young man! That kid can really skate!) wouldn't be a thumb on the scale? Also — you really haven't paid much attention to Pegula as owner, have you? He's not a "keep me in the loop, that sounds fine, go ahead" kind of guy. He coached his son in Olean, not sure if you heard.

Hope you have a good mask.

Correct. First we need to find out what's really wrong with Dad.

Who wouldn't make that trade (besides Edmonton). I'd trade Eichel AND Dahlin and three 1sts.

A reasonable position is that A. The pandemic is not over. New daily cases are at first-wave peak levels, when there was great concern, and about 600 people a day are still dying. B. Long-term protection from the vaccine is an unknown, and the first people vaccinated are coming up on five months since getting jabbed. C. There's still a lot we don't know about vaccinated people transmitting the virus. D. We haven't reached national vaccination levels necessary for herd immunity. And even if we do, don't local levels mean more? I live in a county with far too many people who won't get the vaccine. E. 95% isn't 100%. For maybe a little while longer, keep masking up and do the other easy, common sense things. It does feel a little like the victory formation in football. There's always Joe Pisarcik to think about.

Thanks. I misinterpreted your response to NS. It's good to think about this kind of stuff. There are fans, huge fans, who probably give the Sabres very little thought except when they're playing, go to every game, cheer like hell, are happy when they win, don't get too angry if they lose (though are disappointed), and think of the playoffs as a treat, not a necessity — bonus hockey. They are out there. I cannot say my approach is better or they are lesser fans than I am. In a way, I envy them. (They might even be the majority of fans.) When you think about it, it's kind of how you start out as a fan (if you start as a kid, anyway).

That's a good theory.

Winning's a priority, just not in the playoffs? I'd think a more principled stand would be, "Winning's not important. I just want to be entertained."

I was just curious why it was so nice. I can't relate. Wearing a mask was a turdburger for me. I'd have no issue continuing to wear one. If anything I think I'd feel weird at first.

Why?

What Canadian province were you in?

I remember Nicklaus winning the Masters in 1986 at 46. 46! He was a very old man to me at the time.

It's unfathomable to me that a professional athlete would pass up the vaccine.

Is that allowed? I can't think of many Sabres goals in recent years where the player seemed to give two shits.