Jsixspd

I don't trust Ted Black..... he's just the usual corporate mealy-mouthed type. Tell you want you want to hear, parrot the company line. And yes, lots of resignations are not voluntary. Sometimes they're also bribed - like a nice separation package of severance pay, benes, etc. But I DO trust Murray. And it sounds to me like it was Pat's choice. Maybe there was friction, who knows? Or maybe Pat just didn't like the job after the big tasks were behind him? he tried it - didn't like it. Since he's going back to the NHL, this might have been a done deal for a while. Perhaps intended to announce it after the trade deadlines and it got leaked, which makes it seem ominous and Machiavellian and all? If this is the case, then Sabres' corporate communications absolutely sucks. It could have been handled so much better.

Typing as I listen to the presser Black - "I found out a few days ago" - so it doesn't sound like the trade itself has precipitated this - if Black is to believe, it's been in the works for a while. Black trying to minimize PLF's impact - I think PLF accomplished more positives for the team in 3 months than Black has in 10 years and counting (Murray, Patrick, Nolan, etc). Can anyone point to a 'signature' Black contribution? PLF's departure has zero to do with Ted's status since the offer to Nolan was already out there. Murray doesn't seem constrained by "The Inner Circle" which is good, although it sounds like things are vetted "by committee". Murray said that PLF was ok with the trades - so that eliminates another rumor - that PLF had some sort of concussion induced "episode" over Miller's departure - LOL Murray asked Battista to convey the trade news because he was tying up loose ends on the phone. No intention to continue the position of President of Hockey Operations. Black - Terry P. is disappointed by Pat's departure After listening to this, I am inclined to think this; PLF played a linchpin role in getting the Sabres on track for the future with the hiring of the GM, coach, and other crucial tasks. Maybe he felt his job was done, and just didn't like the job at that point? Obviously, since he's going back to the NHL, I would say this has been in the works for a couple weeks. But... it shows a certain ineptness on the part of the Sabres in communicating his departure. Of course, maybe the Sabres felt it might hurt the trade talks somehow to reveal it before the Miller/Ott deal was finalized?. And again, that's if you believe Black's statements as factual. I want to believe them, and PLF has said he wanted to leave so.... maybe that's ALL there is to it? But poor handling by Sabres' press dept turned it into a debacle?

Not to mention WGR550 not interrupting a precious 10 minutes of coverage of a multi-hour roundy-rounder auto race in order to carry it - that's the biggest WTF out of this, IMO.

Remember, he's a newbie and the new members who joined yesterday are all with the Sabres organization, their purpose here is to steer the narrative in a Sabres-friendly fashion. So of course, his stream worked. He's probably right at FNC. :ph34r:

Now there's a traffic cam streaming - unbelievable - is everything about Buffalo completely amateur, including the way their teams are run?

The video quality dropped - GOOD. So now I have steady video. However there is NO. FRIGGIN. AUDIO. WITH. IT!!!!

I don't get any Buffalo stations on my satellite service, unfortunately. :( Friggin WGR..... can't believe they're not carrying this.

dammit, constant buffering

Ted Black was trained in the ways of the weasel by the Weasel Master himself, Darcy.

Damn video keeps buffering - irritating that WGR isn't broadcasting it.

Maybe more like the team is a big kids toy collection to T-Pegs? You tell a kid you don't like one of his toys, he might act petulant. .

I wholeheartedly agree - what Murray has done is be an active GM, unlike the passive-aggressive Marcy who kind of waited for someone to call him. But - was the boldness we approve of, opposed by T-Pegs and the "Inner Circle"? Was PLF an advocate for it? With PLF gone, will they try to rein it in?

He's probably ecstatic to miss the entire PLF @#$%-storm that erupted not even 24 hrs after he left. I wonder if Miller knows any of the backstory to that, or if he and the other players are as clueless as the fans and the media are to what exactly happened? Might have to purchase Center Ice for the remainder of the season so I can watch.

I too am concerned about the loss of PLF as a buffer between hockey operations and these suit & tie clowns. If I'm Murray or Nolan, are they really gonna want a guy who T-Pegs put into a cushy sinecure position and who has the vast experience of running a college hockey program for a state funded institution like Pedophile State (Battista), riding herd on them?

He's just your typical corporate suit-wearing talking-head/functionary. Which means I don't like him a lot, either. I see the converse of that - we're thinking in terms of the 'harm' it will do, or won't do. But alternately we'll never know how good things may have been had the Sabres not lost him so quickly. Just add to the ever growing list of "What Ifs" with this team,ala "What if Sabres hadn't lost Briere and Drury?"

Just another drama-queen moment in Queen-City sports. The Bills have captured most of that idiocy over the last 25 years or so - but T-Pegs apparently wants some of the fun for himself. He's even got hisself an 'inner circle' like Ol' Ralphie.

Whether or not we like him as a person, his tweet makes more sense to me than the "company line". Again, PLF was MIA all week, before the trade with the Blues solidified. I don't think it had anything to do with the decisions that Tim Murray, PLF's EMPLOYEE, was making.

Companies love "spin" that works. Remember the rejoicing when Pat LaFontaine arrived? Was great PR for the Sabres Company at the time. Now Pat LaFontaine, the same individual who got Ted Nolan back, AND hired Tim Murray.... is/was the "problem". And now he's gone, and many fans are willing to accept he was a 'problem' without a lot of questioning. I can't believe that Pat didn't know that TIm Murray had an aggressive style as GM - he was the one who hired him. And I can't believe that Pat was so fixated on re-signing Ryan Miller that he didn't understand the reality that Ryan Miller is 34 years old, and wanted to play for a team where he had a reasonable chance of winning a Stanley Cup before he retires. That wasn't gonna be Buffalo for at least 2 to 3 seasons (if ever). And that, if he didn't re-sign with Buffalo at the end of this season, he could go anywhere and Buffalo would get nothing for him in return. Also, remember - PLF had been M.I.A. all week "with a cold". The trade didn't even solidify apparently until late in the week It just doesn't add up. I think Pat is smarter than that, that he wasn't gonna get so butt-hurt over the Miller trade he'd take his marbles and go home. I'm inclined to think it's some sort of inner circle BS political horsepuckey. I'm also not immediately inclined to think this is great news for the Sabres' future. Again, the guy who brought back Ted Nolan, the guy who hired Tim Murray, and the guy who brought some national respect back to a widely ridiculed franchise is now out the door. I'm sorry but I'm not ready to click my heels together with joy at this news.

Just another day in the place they call Hockey Heaven.

Looks to me like there's too many "leaders" in the organization. I wonder how this will work out now that Murray has to deal with them on a regular basis, rather than having them 'filtered' by PLF?

We traded PLF to the NHL in exchange for more favorable future rulings from Shanahan and the Department of Player Safety. :lol:

One is from Pedophile State - . Joe Battista ran the hockey program at the college, and Pegula knew him because of Pegula's various charitable contributions to the university. Ken Sawyer was a financial officer for the NHL, and was Pittsburgh Penguins former president and chief executive. Guess those are the "inner circle" guys.

And another worry would be - things disintegrate further in the fallout of PLF's departure - for instance, it sounded to me from the interview that Ted Nolan has been already offered several days ago, this 3 yr contract, but he hasn't accepted. Maybe if he feels that he couldn't honorably work for the same organization that sent his friend PLF out the door, then he doesn't sign.

Listened to the Paul Hamilton interview - I am having unpleasant flashbacks to the whole Ralph Wilson Jr/Bill Poulian deal... where Wilson Jr, stupidly put his own "people" and ego ahead of Bill Poulian and the best interests of the team.

I'm not so ready to accept that this isn't bad for the team, or doesn't point to severe internal problems in the organization. Pat's presence brought a degree of respect to the Sabres' organization. This team was pretty much being viewed as a joke, nationally, before PLF took over from Regier. And we also saw under Pat's leadership the return of Ted Nolan, and the hiring of Murray, both excellent positive moves. I'm not going to say "Well, this is on Pat..." without more facts. Is it more than a coincidence this happened the day after Miller leaves? There are a lot of possibilities besides Pat throwing a childish temper tantrum. Maybe Pegula isn't comfortable with TM's wheeling/dealing and was giving PLF heat over the selection of Murray?