JohnC

I worked in a 👮 police and security agency for 30 years. The most important skill in prospects and employees is interpersonal skills. It’s stunning to observe how many people lack what I consider a basic talent. I had more conflicts dealing with some of the unappealing people I worked with than with outsiders.

Great story. I once was being interviewed for a job. He brought up my job history and the stepping stone jobs that I had when young. I made the point to him that there is no such thing as a menial job. That whatever job one had was to be done well and with pride. He was impressed. However, although the interview went well, I wasn’t hired.

How many dishes did you break per day? On payday did you end up owing more $$$ to the company than you ended up with on payday? 😀

Titles mean nothing in this aberrant organization. It doesn’t matter what title he is given. From a hockey operational standpoint he will have no influence. This is a Terry P created organization that doesn’t follow the normal standards and practices of a genuine NHL franchise. The aloof owner acts on his own whims. He empowers and un-empowers whoever he wants. I’m confident that if removed from the GM position and then given a lofty title KA will then be neutered as a factor in actual hockey decisions.

If KA is removed from the GM position, it’s unlikely he will have any meaningful influence on hockey decisions. Even if he was given the title of POHO, it will carry little influence in the hockey side of the business. For the sake of argument, let’s assume Jarmo takes over the GM job. If Jarmo wants to make a trade and KA disagrees in his POHO role, KA would be ignored.

As you noted, Paul Hamilton is not noted for harsh or controversial commentary. I like him but in general his style is reasonable and bland. However, on the topic of the competency of KA, even the blind can see. It was absurd for the aloof owner to hire KA to be his GM, and it is even more absurd to keep him on the job for so long.

What’s irksome is not the dissent as it is the perplexing reasoning. 🙃

It doesn’t matter how few or many people will be snickering in the crowd. What matters to the most of us is what the owner does to help this floundering franchise get on the right track.

I’m a proud member of the moron class. I still have the ability to recognize when someone is peeing on me and not blame the non-existent rain on a sunny day. 😇

There are people who would love to see Terry P publicly embarrassed at the podium because of his unpolished speaking ability. That ridiculing group make up a small/minuscule faction of the audience who want to see him ACT more judiciously.

Rob Ray is in a tough spot. He’s been around the sport for a long enough time to know what the situation is. If he candidly and publicly spoke about the real state of affairs about this franchise, he would be out of a job. Marty Biron is an excellent hockey analyst who is knowledgeable about the home team and league in general. He also is cautious and guarded when discussing the team. When it comes to job security you sometimes have to tip toe in how you conduct yourself. There is no secret about the state of affairs for this bedraggled franchise. It’s too obvious not to see. It’s really a shame that the owner is willing to just continue on continuing on.

You are always seeking distracting inconsequential side issues in order to avoid the ugly issue of a generation of failure. The central issue that you often refuse to face is the record. When you close your eyes you will not be able to see.

Where do you get the notion that people want to see him get in front of the mike in order for him to publicly embarrass himself? Where do you come up with such nonsense? It's recognized that he's not much of a public speaker. So what! That's not a big deal to most people. That isn't the reason why the overwhelming majority of people have so much scathing criticism of him. As you note, people are clamoring for him to hire competent staff and then give them enough resources to adequately do their jobs. Retaining KA, after six years of abject failure, is the source of much of the criticisms directed toward this owner. The problem has nothing to do with how he speaks as it is how he acts. The record speaks for itself!

I have no problem with challenging goals due to offside. If the challenging team is wrong, they then get penalized. If the challenge is upheld, then the goal shouldn't count.

You don't need Terry Pegula to have a press conference. You need him to take meaningful actions to change the middling course of this franchise. According to Paul Hamilton on WGR, the hiring and retaining KA as the GM is and was an inexplicable mistake. In the first segment of this link, Paul Hamilton talks about the necessity of the owner to fire the GM, sooner rather than later. And Paul H. talks about how the Sabres are considered as a joke franchise by the rest of the league. The problem with this perplexing owner is not his not talking as it is his not acting when it is required. https://www.audacy.com/podcast/the-jeremy-joe-show-9b4b9/episodes/hour-2-owen-and-paul-on-the-sabres-ot-win-and-sal-on-the-bills-heading-into-week-15-c27d4