Thorner

Of course it was Brawndo See bold Teams with serious playoff aspirations don’t spend as we do. It’s just a fact: if someone doesn’t agree they can argue with a literal wall

I haven’t run that math or indeed run anywhere anytime recently but I’ve alluded to it and posted links! Haha. It’s been posted a bunch around here, or some iteration of it. I think it’s like 2 teams in the last while. Brawndo most recently posted it IIRC. I’ll find it

Biggest part of the big picture is Lindy Ruff. No question it was the move made this summer with the most optimism in tow. Good article that can be read by all

The problem isn’t drunk driving?

It’s always been about this. The culture stuff was always a ruse. You might say “well it’s not a ruse it’s just only capably measured in wins” and that’s fine but I definitely don’t see it that way. Culture is just something we arbitrarily attribute to competently built teams. If we want to name a GM’s ability to configure this team in this way “culture”, that’s fine: but that’s not usually the general connotation. In truth the Sabres aren’t lacking “culture” in the way it’s almost always described, some sort of intangible ethic that makes the team work harder. The Patriots have been bad without Tom Brady. Their grand “culture” was merely, it turns out, “winning”, because they had the greatest player the sport has seen. The greatest, most touted sports Culture know to man was nothing without the talent. Even with the greatest coach ever. That’s EARTH’S SIGNPOST sports culture, the “Patriot Way” Don’t fall for it.

“Shiny new toy” syndrome even applies when comparing bottom 6 players

@PromoTheRobot do you feel the fans should be there supporting the product right now? I disagree with both parts - - - Edit there’s no way anyone that follows promo on twitter or even just reads his posts here could think he doesn’t put the onus on the fans. He can correct me if I am wrong that’s why I asked outright. At best we’ll get a “I don’t blame the fans for being upset at 13 years but the new regime isn’t amendable to that and deserves patience.” Which, is the position I’ve pinned the stance at I know for a fact promo doesn’t think the internal cap is a thing promo has always felt the fans secretly want the team to fail: that’s his central MO

You are right. I guess ownership literally has no motive to field a winner. So, support a team that isn’t trying to win, and if you do, and they finally figure it out, they may leave anyways depressing

Yup, nothing from a winner. Except the oodles of added income playoff games would draw, games in which you do not pay your players But, other than that.. lol - - - NARRATOR: “everyone in fact did NOT know the Sabres were on notice” the fans are on notice!

It’s not so much that spending automatically solves the team’s problems: it’s that we know to a near *certainty* that teams that don’t spend will struggle. What we are doing doesn’t even represent a college try. Not spending to the cap, or close to, and operating in this way every year, is in fact a declaration winning isn’t the primary goal. This is because, well, they aren’t stupid: they can run the numbers, they understand teams that spend the way we do almost never make the playoffs. It’s going on 14 years, they KNOW it’s going on 14 years, and they aren’t making a true effort to make the playoffs. It’s…probably the most insulting behaviour in pro sports towards a fanbase by a franchise I’ve seen. At least first hand. And “they aren’t amendable to the full 13 years” need not apply. A) it does for Terry b)they are fully aware they are operating on behalf of a fanbase living in that reality (and therefore have to factor fan revolt into an accurate calculation) c)MERELY the current regime is well past its best before date re:making the playoffs so they’d be amendable to not spending to the cap even if the drought was just going on 5 years instead of 14

It’s not so much hubris as the fact I legitimately do not believe we would ever lose the team, in combination with the fact that, if it somehow came to that, it would indeed still be preferable to supporting an inept franchise that *literally* insults the intelligence of the fanbase by not even spending close to the cap, forever. they can fix the product. If they can’t, I can live with what happens

Boogeyman. Even Arizona had to be pried out over decades - - - Regardless, you’ve ignored the fundamental aspect of my argument which is the disingenuousness of the stance. “Be happy with a bad team or else”. no thanks If you don’t think Promo isn’t continuously putting the onus on the fans, the fact they “aren’t showing up”, you aren’t familiar with his postings heck, ask him yourself

Sabres aren’t leaving Buffalo. “Be happy with a bad team or else” is a boogeyman It’s sort of the Last Desperate Argument of the “it’s actually ok we’ve been historically bad under this putrid owner for a generation” side of things. “At least we have a team at all, right? Don’t rock the boat, it could be worse. Stay in line, eyes to the ground.”

It very well could. And rest assured the fact it took Adams far too long to field a playoff team will fall by the wayside of “I told you so! He’s a genius!” when that happy day comes

The Poltapov timeline

Live look at GMKA:

No real teams proactively ensure they have the cap space to retain their whole roster by ensuring said roster doesn’t amount to anything. Sheesh

The argument seems to be: “If we build this roster in a way this season where it actually has a good chance of making the playoffs it will be a little tricky to keep that playoff team together to a man going forward, so instead, DON’T put the team in a position to make the playoffs.” Genius lol problem solved!

You are on notice

Tage is a physical freak. It does matter.

^ ^ !

So his goal in signing in Buffalo would be our willingness to launder him into a prospect by shipping him to contender at the deadline? “Giordano is likely to join a club on a one-year deal worth around or under $1 million. While the preference is to sign on with a contending team right out of the gate, according to Winter, the veteran blueliner is open to joining a rebuilding club as a mentor with the notion of being moved to a Stanley Cup contender ahead of the trade deadline.” lol

Sabalenka would not be denied

So what odds are people giving this team right now, what are we thinking? I feel like I settle in somewhere around thinking playoffs are about 35% likely. Could get that up to 50/50 pretty quickly with a fast start