Ghost of Dwight Drane

There you go......Like was said 6 years ago........and correct. Everything is great now because Uncle Terry takes a few prospects for a joyride on his private plane.

Oh, that's good......

See....that's the problem..... Because snarky remarks like that in the past were made by many of the same posters doing so when some of us said Larry Quinn was doing just that. Yet now in hindsight "Oh Darcy was handcuffed and needs time....Oh Golisano just wanted to make money, now we have a real owner.....Oh Lindy can only do so much with what he is allowed"....yada..yada..yada...... A few of us were right about the sham and took tons of crap from shills and others........and when we see junior high stuff like Jersey Shuffle......and some of the other stuff.....while at the same time the team's performance is still putrid and the same excuses are being made by people.......then...well......we have flashbacks. And by pointing out the entire corporate structure of the Sabres remains the same, you aren't doing them any favors. Ted Black has done some cute stuff. Can't fault them for it. But forgive a few of us for not giving a crap what the team is wearing, as long as their monthly discharge doesn't bleed through said jerseys.

Would you like my 73 sets of unused playoff tickets from the past 5 years.....or should I just put them on Ebay? I'll even throw in the 6 sets of ticket stubs from the games they actually played.

I know....those 7.5's tend to hide on you...... :P

Don't forget the lawyers......they get to stay on over the years......and make hundreds of thousands.....and defend the coaching.......

I don't see anyone that is angry.....I just see a few people gafawing at "Yeah, free coffee and donuts from the Salvation Army!", while the house is burning. My reaction if this was a good team would be more of a "aww, that's nice".....as opposed to the "whatever" I currently view the once every 18 month announcement as.

I wonder if she wore the tiara when she b### him?

I understand the bread and circuses aspect......for those of us that would like to see a real team fielded....we couldn't care less about jersey gimmicks. In reality this go around is probably just Ted telling Terry....SUPER!...SPACTACULOUS! On the heels of a land development deal, it just smacks of same old though. I'm a little worried that the 3rd jersey may just be a crest of Lindy Ruff's head, with 2 little Joe Pa's on the shoulders.

Awesome!

Correct. Which is why the only thing that has changed at the arena is Pegula/Black/Benson..............and 99.7% of the people that ran things with Quinn are still there........ Hence: Jerseys...and land deals.....and real estate development....and 12% ticket increases.....and ###### hockey with no grit and intrinsic leadership.....and excuses........ This week really is deja vu. Ted Black's little gimmicks are sweet and all, but it's like the mortician deciding what pair of earings to put on the corpse.

I thought he WAS him!

Ooff... I can't pull the trigger. If Doan is here, I will. I agree, the seat selection is great. I like aisle seats so you can pick and choose. I put together a package of games vs. teams I respect, like the Rangers, Winnipeg, Boston and Philly and could get decent seats. When I saw the total on the screen, I figure just as well pay some vet bills. I have one plan up my sleeve if the lockout looks to come into play. Buy tickets to the first 5 home games, figuring they will be cancelled and I will get a refund, yet I would keep the option to buy playoff tickets if the team actually managed to pull it together.

I love how all the regulars who bash certain posters for being negative about the team are already offering up excuses as to why Doan wouldn't want to come here because the team is nowhere near winning a Cup. Looks like some people have some 'splainin to do......................

I'll be honest, the regular season is so watered down that I almost hope they don't start until January. Football is more than enough to keep my attention, and maybe we will see some real effort if there are only 50 games.

Just cut to the chase.....we know how the story ends. He flash drives all your files from your work computer at 2am, takes a few prototypes when you bring him into work for father/son day, and brings them back to the homeland for his govt. ;)

I'm not saying you don't. We will find out soon.

First of all....just trying to add some spice. I just figured you'd love to get the chance to shut me up for good. If your opinion from 20 days ago has changed so much that you think there's better than a 50% chance he is a Sabre after these quotes....then by all means....join the team and don't worry about a wager. I just love how people like to jump on certain posters for being negative, then when someone like myself has said from day 1 the Sabres would be all over this and Doan when forced to leave Phoenix would have to put us at the top of the list of possibilities.......everyone goes "Oh woe is us!" This little soap opera has very identifiable personalities in it. If it wasn't for Jamison being a Bettman cronie, this would have been dead long ago. He still may squeak out a way to get the team...but Bross is a foxy MF'r and all signs say out of Phoenix. Doan wanted to stay, but it looks to be time.

Haha! And I don't want Chz to leave......I don't want to leave...... I'm just trying to lure her into some sort of wager seeing as she said he isn't coming here, and I have firmly believed from day #1 that Pegula would do whatever it took to get him, and that Doan when pressed to look elsewhere, could easily find this area to his liking. More for fun to add some spice to the difference of opinion. No...it's easy to say this or that......but if you have some skin in the game, then you believe in your opinion and are willing to back it up. I have been told I'm FOS more than once here....so I say "OK...really?......put your $$ where your mouth is!" I just think that the entire sports media missed the dance that was happening here.That tax referendum and the Sep 15th CBA ultimatum don't jive for Doan staying in Phoenix. The timing of Bross' statement is the clincher for me. If anything, my faith in Pegula behind the scenes is increasing......but I don't doubt people being pessimistic given the sales job needed on the organization itself. Darcy: "Ah...um....see Shane.....we have a nice fireplace here.....and a chef with turrets syndrome that can make you a fresh eggwhite omlet with some okra in it....at least that's how Millsie likes it.....and oh.....here is Lindy's state of the art multimedia system where he can point out how much you suck, from 12 different angles......and...oh....here's Ted Black's office......you like Liza Minelli?....he's got all her CD's if you need to borrow them for a while......." Sather/Schoenfeld/Torts: "Here's 22 for 5......let's go win a F'n Cup."

I'll be honest.....without Doan I think the Sabres have little chance of doing anything and since they are already the highest salaried team in the league and wouldn't be able to land anyone of consequence, even by overpaying.....it just sets up for same-old same-old. I offered Chz a wager......I say Doan is a Sabre. How is that me setting up for a Regier bashing? She says no way he comes.....others say 1%....Harrington says no way....blah blah blah.....to me that is already excusing away more Sabres failure. I know this situation...I know guys like Doan......I know guys like Pegula........if Phoenix is off the table, I have said from day 1 the Sabres will be the biggest player. I said it before free agency and all throughout. If you have 1 honest actor in the Sabres front office that has a clue how to relate to Shane Doan....he is a Sabre. I am giving the Sabres too much credit maybe by saying they can get it done. If he has no intention of ever coming to Buffalo, then you really do have a cesspool of an organization...even worse than I have portrayed. There is nothing about this city and it's outskirts that wouldn't appeal to Doan and his family. You are offering him 40% more money than anyone else at this point. If that doesn't do it, then he views the team and management as a laughingstock. But he didn't say that......he said point blank that once Phoenix was off the table, he would look seriously into Buffalo as a landing spot. Chz.....you get 29 teams........I get 1 team for Doan. I'm willing to leave the board for good and never say an inuendic word towards you again if Doan isn't a Sabre. Are you willing to deal in a similar magnitude reward?

Ain't it? Which is why everyone getting their panties in a bunch about rankings, lists, rumor mills, etc........use your eyes and use your heads and make your own lists and conclusions.

The interview is out there. There is a reason Shane Doan hasn't talked to Regier lately. He said it himself.....he wants to be in Phoenix.....he was giving them every chance to get their act together.....he had an idea of a few teams he would want to go to if that fell through, and yet there was someone who jumped into the equation he hadn't figured, but got him looking. He said point blank, not to waste each other's time right now with trying to impress......if the Phoenix thing fell through, he would then sit down and seriously scout out the situation. He was as sincere as possible in his statement. Bross put the Sep 15 deadline out there hours before the arena tax ruling. He knew what he was doing. Buffalo was not near #1 on Doan's list, but now you will see him doing his DD in full over the next 2 weeks. The people that are saying there is no way he is coming here.........get a clue. People will give Montreal more credit because Carey Price is his freaking 8th cousin, 3 times removed.....yet they forget the fact Doan caused a HUGE firestorm with nasty comments about the Frenchies when he was on the national team. You think he wants to put up with THAT media? And guess what happens if he signs with Phoenix? He probably ends up in Quebec within 2 years......and has to move his family across the continent anyway into hostile territory. The only thing that can screw this up is if they let Darcy do too much talking. I don't know if there is a front office person that can have an honest discussion with Doan face to face that isn't a bit of a weenie. We have no Bob Boughners or Mike Folignos up there....guys who take their word as their bond and are no BS. Who can get his juices flowing with an honest portrait of the team and the city? To an honest guy.....money wasn't an object when he could still have a good chance of staying in Phoenix for a reasonable rate. If the Sabres can't get him here by offering close to 40% more than any other team when already having the highest cash outlay on a roster in the NHL.......then they are in deep doo-doo when it comes to Hockey Heaven. There is no middle ground here. It's public. You either land the biggest culture-changer out there and give your team the first reasonable shot in 5 years to win in the playoffs......or you get laughed off as an also-ran whose history of performance speaks for itself. The is NO reason Shane Doan can't or shouldn't be a Buffalo Sabre in 3 weeks.

You don't think the NFL knows where their bread is buttered? Without gambling, cut franchise values in half. The point being.....someone making $3K a game with an employment outlook of weeks, can be gotten to much easier that regular refs. Who cares about $3K when someone comes to you with a few envelopes with $50K in it to make sure Pitt covers?

They need to get the refs back. Just for the gambling integrity. When you have someone knowing they are fired in a matter of weeks.....and tens of millions are wagered.......shennanigans ensue. The most impressive thing this preseason for me is that I am no longer worried about WR. Donald Jones looks likes he has made strides in needing where he needs to be, and he is such a physical specimen. Graham is also looking like a keeper. He is built sturdy for a speed guy. I think there is depth on this team this year. The biggest question is CB. I still don't understand why Florence was let go, unless he has a questionable work ethic behind the scenes or something. Gilmore is not afraid to take chances, but there will be times he will whiff. Williams just doesn't feel like a good starter. Poor McGee is getting torched tonight...hopefully he is just full of rust. Other than that position, I am happy with depth, even at LB.

I'm sorry....he was ranked #1 by the Hockey News given the scores for front office and draft success. The franchise overall was ranked #3. http://www.wivb.com/dpp/sports/hockey-news-ranks-sabres-%233-nhl-franchise