Ghost of Dwight Drane

Cool. The only church organ I played on cost 2 thousand! I don't think you have to worry about bursting into flames. It's what's in your heart, not what anyone else thinks.

Nice stuff. And you guys have a great organ there. Man! I read about the fire and all....but that's a fine result. Do you guys ever use that in your combo or is it just too powerful?

Merry Christmas everyone. And Happy Hanukkah to those of you who own club seats to the Sabres. :D And I guess happy Eid as well, although that is usually a month after July 1st....so it's sort of fitting for Sabre fans to sacrifice around then. :D What the heck...Happy Kwanzaa to Thurman and the 3 of you other hockey fans who lurk. :D May everyone forget their stresses and focus on the common good and hope we all share. Yes....somewhere deep down I posses hope as well. You may need a hydrofracker and a miner's helmet to find it at times :D ....but it's there, wrapped in a swaddling ball of glory. Have a cup of cheer and fire up the yule log.

So some of us are putting a hot dog filled with savory sauce into a tight wrapped bun....... and some of us are accepting a hotdog into their bowl filled with ribbed tubes and savory sauce. I call it a win-win.....

Oscar Meyer Cheesedogs......

You are quite the expectorant

I would have just gone with..."I got ya protien binding right here......"

Don't take it personal. Apathy being used as a definition might be the wrong word in your case. You are pretty balanced. I think it's a valid word to throw out in general because we are 10 months removed from all those titilating Pegula quotes, yet already there seems to be a mass lowering of expectations, starting from management and being accepted by some fans. Ted Black even added the addendum "Or die trying", like a good reformed lawyer would when it becomes obvious the franchise dysfunction is in need of more than Tony Robbins to turn things around. Again, everyone is frustrated. I long for the day where I can flow glowingly about the consistant effort on the ice and focus on matchups and strategy knowing full well I have pride in the team from top to bottom. I would love to get back to the days where I could hate Jay Miller, or Claude Lemieux, or Darcy Tucker more than I hate the makeup of my own franchise. Some peoples' lips tell me one thing, but my eyes, head and heart tell me another...and they have been for far too long.

I think where the problem in communication lies, is that some of us have felt that changes needed to be made for 5 years. Yet year after year the exact same structure has been in place. When the team was sold, I was willing to give Ruff a year or two...IF...Darcy was canned. The entire organization is reflective of groupthink from top down and needed to be chopped up. Darcy was allowed to stay on with a blank check and players changed. Yes there are injuries, but that doesn't explain off the same style of play where we rarely see 40 minutes of full effort let alone 60, a passive defense in their own zone, lack of cohesive puck control, and cycling in the offensive zone, the same excuses after every lackluster result, and a full out failure to stick up for one another until the team was a national laughingstock. Darcy was already given his chance and 40% of the ballot box has been counted. At a minnimum, he should be gone, allowing the new GM to evaluate further moves. Maybe a shrewd GM can make 2 or 3 big moves and Ruff will be able to let those new leaders come in and dictate the feel of the room......but I also doubt that is in Ruff's nature. That leaves many of us wishing for a 1-2 punch of GM and coach to be gone....and if need be, many of the core. It is beyond obvious the 3 Muskatter system doesn't work, yet Ted Black and Pegula, who I gave FULL support to knowing there is a learning curve involved, are further entrenching Regier and Ruff, and now throwing players under the bus. For as much as I see flaws in a lot of the players, I am on their side on this. It has gone on for too long. I am shocked at the lack of realisation of what Pegula did to Miller, and his failing to understand how that could effect a mental tinderbox like he is. Snarkily saying that was good goaltending and that his teenage daughter can make those saves......Jeez....for an employee friendly owner, he sure strung that kid up. We as fans can critique and bitch, but when you are the owner of a flailing team with possibly your most important player off his game....and you belittle him like that........you are just throwing gasoline on the self made fire you created by empowering Regier and Ruff. How was there no thread dedicated to Pegula undressing Miller? Some of you guys ran PA out of here for his constant questioning of Miller, yet in Miller's time of need, much like his team in Boston did...his fanbase is now doing the same by hanging him out to dry. He had a crappy game, but he wasn't backpeddling at the blueline on every entry, or being outhit 18-5 with 0 goals at the time. That is a team philosophy at best, or lack of effort at worst, yet Sabres controlled WGR is setting the tone the past few weeks trumpeting the injury excuse, bad goaltending, and all of a sudden the same core that some folks have been clammoring to change for 5 years is now the obvious problem. As a poster, I have leveled my sterness at the team and individuals involved. I never aim at a poster with a differing idea, that is until the level of person attack or ganging up on a differing point of view gets to an absurd level. Some of the best posters here disagree with my point of view 70-90% of the time, but they are good because we can learn from each other and open each other's eyes to things we may individually miss. Yes....the excuse de jour is injuries. But on one hand please don't tell me how big of a stud Adam, Kassian or McNabb is, then cry because we are missing a few bottom 6 forwards. Who would you rather trade right now for a #1 center? Adam, Kassian and McNabb, or Hecht, Boyes and Kaleta? Or hell, even Myers, Lieno and Gerbe? Paul Szczechura comes up and is flying all over the place, setting up 3 goals, including 2 game winners in his first 3 games.....all without a Lindy Ruff practice. Now it seems as if he is "Learning the System". If someone wants to call out a person for going "Lindy Sucks"..."Darcy Sucks", without any valid points....fine. That is clutter. But because you may get frustrated that some people have counterpoints to the 5 years of constant excuses, and can make them well.....don't give up. We are ALL frustrated. I don't even have it in my heart to joke around here because the thermostat is redlining to a point where it isn't fun or advisable. I was as excited as anyone here when Pegula surfaced. I figured if he ran the team like a new owner would in any other dysfunctional business that they just took over, we were in great shape. Now I am as confused about him as ever. One thing for sure...... he shows plenty of patience when surrounded by a bunch of gas.

You win, that's why there's alcohol.

So let me get this straight........it IS possible for a few strong, entrenched voices to dominate philosophy and message to a point that it becomes so stale, that 90% of the others tune it out and no longer have the drive or will to perform here on a regular basis? AAAAAANNNNND...............on top of it you highly support the owner of the structure to shake things up by chasing these few entrenched individuals away for the good of the entire group? I'm gonna just step back and let that sink in for a minute................... And Chz......feel free to move this post to the Lindy Ruff thread..........

Shush.......I'm pouring some Clorox into a squirtgun as we speak and am headed to the live manger scene at the church around the corner. I'm aiming for Joseph, but if little J takes it in the eye....so be it.

The broom may come, but the mess will be 3x as big as it could have been. Right now it is only twice as big. That's why the complainers, keep complaining!

Here's what people aren't talking about when it comes to the standings. People like to fall back on "last year at this time they went on a run!" At this point in time however, 12 teams are in the thick of it and Tampa is not far off. As the conference games start to pile up now, almost EVERY game means that the Sabres will lose ground to at least one team in the East. There is no scoreboard rooting, unless you assume your goal is now just to sneak in the playoffs, so you root for the real teams like Boston, Philly and Pitt to run away with things. When the Sabres lose a game, someone is going to take 2 points from them, as well as a possible 6 other teams. Then you have the Blessed Bettman bonus point. You NEED to go on a run. You can't rely on other teams to crap the bed because too many teams have already distanced themselves and almost everyone is alive. If you conceed the division to Boston, you need to battle 9 other teams for the 4th seed and home ice advantage. You need to battle 9 teams for 5 spots. You need to battle 9 teams for the 8th spot. We are 40% through the season.

Everyone is frustrated now. If I have a group of 20 guys on the ice I can respect, I will spend my money hand over fist on this team. If we don't have those types of guys on the ice, then why? That has been the problem over the past 5 years, and now that $$$ from ownership isn't an issue, the answers become more obvious. You see how I support the players onn the Bills and their coach. Those are guys truly dealing with limited resources, and although there is no excuse to fall off the map as much as they have, Gailey has been honest every time he steps to that podium. I think those kids have the makeup, with a few additions and some health, to be a really good team. They work hard, have a high football IQ, like each other, and are pretty much character guys. I don't blindly support the Bills. I wash harsher on Donahoe/Mularkey than I am to Regier/Ruff if you can imagine that. Now that Pegula is in town, I understood he would have a learning curve. I just thought it was impossible to make things worse. If he keeps Lindy/Darcy and allows further roster moves....that just may be the case.

You get rid of Darcy and Lindy because they put this entire team together, they named the captains, the installed the system, they spent over the cap, they were given the rope to hang themselves with and have done a fine job in doing so. If you let Darcy make the decisions on who to unload players for......how many times are we going to double-down on status quo? Their vision is a failure......and now to give these guys the priviledge to sell off the broken parts of their self-created debacle........WTF? The hole for this franchise gets deeper...and deeper...and deeper.

You don't let Darcy make the trade.....that's the point. This entire team is a capped-out product of Darcy and Lindy. When people said last year, "Oh, how bad can it get? Let's see what they can do with the shackles off!" Well....now you need to sell low because you need cap space and are clinging to the hope of making the playoffs. Move whoever you want to move......just have a different GM and coach pulling the trigger.

I have a question...... If Stafford ends up in Detroit or Vancouver, and scores an average of 30-35 goals and wins a Cup in the next 3 years.....what will people say? If Roy ends up on a team with some natural leaders and a coach who is respected, and puts up an 80 point pace the rest of the year and suddenly plays the puck hard.....what will people say? Every move that Regier and Ruff make together is another wasted opportunity. Now you have the owner calling out your Franchise Goaltender in the media. But we all know how mentally strong Miller is, so that shouldn't be a problem. Why are Pegula/Black going to bat so hard for Ruff? Miller wasn't the reason Pittsburgh outhit Buffalo 18-5 after 2 periods. Miller wasn't the reason Sabres defensemen backpeddled into their own zone consistantly. Yet the talking points have sure made the rounds the past few weeks about Ruff being secure and a non-issue. I am not a Miller appologist, you know this. But for the owner to come out and slam him in his first public comment on ANYTHING about this team in quite a while......that's not good. If this team is the problem, and I don't disagree......why in the hell would you leave the same people who put the team together and were responsible for their nurturing and development....IN CHARGE TO MAKE FURTHER ROSTER MOVES??? If this team sold off parts last deadline (Yeah Scott, many of us thought that was the smart play), and brought in 2 or 3 true leaders with an on-ice and off ice presence (would have been much easier to do with a bunch of extra picks), then you could have salvaged this team and even let Lindy have a shot at coaching them. It is getting so far past the point of no return now, that all the money in the world isn't going to save this ship. I really want to give Larry Quinn a Christmas hug. Larry....you win.....you have created a true masterpiece.....

I hope he's clean....he was just on TV with Sabretooth hugging a bunch of kids for perfect attendance at a city school.

I just learned a nice little life lesson....... Thank You Korab! Because of you, I just found my grandfather's old windup clock and a shotglass collection that my friend's late father used to have but was given to me. My old childhood bedroom was packed up 10 years ago and still in boxes. Talk about sunshine! Thanks again.......and Merry Christmas. It was probably the simple, really skinny cardboard with just a AFC logo and typed out prices. The playoffs were usually powder blue and the championship game was white. I was pissed because so many season ticket holders didn't pay for their tickets, that people who walked up to the game got better tickets than I did.

:worthy: I feel bad for this whole generation that doesn't know what it's like to see the Bills at full power. I had more of a spiritual experience being at the Oilers comeback game than at any church I've attended. It wasn't the game, it was the lessons learned and how EVERYONE in that stadium who stuck it out was living and breathing as one. I really don't think even a SuperBowl win can top the feeling of that day.

Edwards will be fired, and the Bills will go to a 4-3 base that plays to their strength. They will draft or acquire in free agency, 1) An OLB with passrushing skills (spare me the Maybin talk, he is still a 1 trick pony with no lateral movement or football IQ), 2) A WR with fieldstretching ability, 3) An offensive tackle, 4) A cornerback with high football IQ The key to the offense this year was all the counter stuff they ran with Freddy in there, then Levitre and Wood inside. That got blown up, and Fitz has been forcing things to try and make stuff happen. You don't have to go nuts it FA, just get a Terry Glenn type of WR and resign Johnson. You really need a Tackle though. Inside we are fine. I am happy with how this team is set up. If you have DTs of Williams, Dareus and Spencer Johnson....and DEs of Kelsay, Edwards and Carrington, then just get one OLB in here to create a pass rush and let Barnett patrol the middle with assistance of a very intelligent saftey group of Wilson, Scott and Byrd......that is the system. You just need a heady guy in here to coach it. It sort of worked for 7 weeks and they were bending but not breaking, but you have to get these guys in their efficient playing positions. It's still a very young team that had their hearts ripped out of them after early success. Gailey has been giving honest running commentary from day 1 though. I just love the guy. It is up to Ralph to let these guys go and get some help in the offseason. I can't blame anyone for losing interest in them if it's sameold sameold. I just really like these guys and will give them next year to fill 3 or 4 holes that aren't mountains to climb.

I said what same thing, meh? Pull up the chart threads...some may be in the game threads, but when I see a play that I am confident in, I chime in. I say it ahead of time...so just in cases like this...you can look. The Boston game was a 75% bet against and a streak starting. I said they lose that, 3of4 after that..even against Columbus and the Isles. This doesn't work all the time, but it has worked well over 70% of the time for me. If you bet against the Sabres the past 5 games, say 100 fantasy units, you would be up 350 fantasy units. They now broke through their support which was hit 3 times this year. It's only 1 game, but if they lose again it could be a freefall. Yes, the Sabres looked like they would miss last year, but how often did you see me say bet against them once they started streaking? I picked spots gingerly. Go back to the playoffs 2 years ago against Boston. It almost worked to perfection on a game to game basis. I'm just using a common technique in the financial world. For whatever reason the Sabres hold up very well to it without the influence of other investors....I am almost shocked by it and it is why I rave about these charts.

Science was right!

Well.....works again Carp. They just broke through their bottom. If they lose tomorrow, it looks like they may be happy just to make the playoffs. So far '08-'09 is the most similar.