That Aud Smell

Dude looks solid. Hockey players are almost always surprisingly skin and bone types. Back before the Harborcenter Marriott, I used to see just about every visiting team when they came to town. It always struck me how slight they looked -- Dickensian -- like a stiff breeze might knock them down. What a grueling sport. That other picture posted upthread prompted concern that rainwater might pool on our 2C's chest.

New stadium talk: I've been a Bills STH for the past three seasons - coming up on my fourth. I got an email a couple weeks ago from my customer service rep for the new stadium - asking if I had time for a quick call. "Sure," I said. I was a bit surprised. My seasons are in the 300s and I didn't think it would yet be time for my "stadium experience" visit and PSL/season ticket pitch. Turns out, it wasn't and it's not. The purpose of that call was to ask me if I was interested in upgrading my season tickets from where I sit now to something comparable to club or the 100s. When I politely said "no," the call was promptly and cheerfully ended. I was told that the stadium experience for seats comparable to my current seats would occur in late spring 2025.

Whomst so implied? Whomst said such a thing? Never would I ever. Did thoust so infer?

Checked his IG. Tommy Dangles is now Tommer97. A change is gonna come!

Oh, I will. Carryin’ on like a muhfugger. Carry on, my wayward son. I’m gonna carry that weight a long time. And, of course, I wasn’t beating up on Cozens’ character (although I did chuckle when others chirped his concave chest). I was making a (far?) more nuanced point - albeit inchoate. Also, it was Tommy Dangles and his wonky back, not Cozzie, who posted the picture. Finally, it’s my Old Man Yells at Cloud Era when I wince at anyone here unironically using a team nickname for any of our players.

Is that yours? If not you - who? GODD?

My favourite bit of Sabrespace lore is, of course, @deluca67 .500. I use it in real life all the time — where I call it “true 500.” And, in the truth of the chillsbros take, there is a kernel of joke.

Rare air.

this could be a fun offseason thread. have we had one before? recently? i think we have - under a different title - like "in-joke orientation for the newbs" or some such. there are so many in-jokes here. there are probably more of them that have been forgotten than are currently in use. keep my man's name outcha mouth.

I'll add here: @dudacek's virulent opposition to the take is a bit perplexing to me. I'm solidly with @PASabreFan: What has this franchise -- and this group specifically -- done to deserve more latitude from the long-suffering faithful?

I'm at least a little ambivalent that my "homogenous chill Sabre bros lounging poolside celebrating their big contracts when they haven't accomplished sh1t" take is on the verge of becoming part of Sabrespace lore. I guess it'd be that, and the Concept of Kassian.

Lance seems like a nice fella. He is mostly useless as a Sabres beat reporter. As PA notes, he is on par with the position that Chris Brown used to have with the Bills -- one now occupied by Maddy Glabb (sp?). Also, I don't think that Lysowski writes his story's headlines. But, with today's shoe string budgets, who knows.

This has been creeping up on me for a while: Is Gretzky okay? I mean, obviously, he’s doing well enough to participate in a cable network sports broadcast. But he looks and sounds haggard.

TNT?

Go, Oilers! Dallas goalie looked arthritic on that second goal.

Kenny Albert? Dude calls a very good game.

There is a rolling, almost gargling quality in his voice when he makes a big call. It’s a form of dynamics. It’s a matter of taste, I guess, as to whether one likes it. I enjoy it. His overall call of a game is so clean as well.

Well, Wischusen absolutely grew up a Rangers fan. For my money, he’s the best hockey pbp caller at ESPN. He clearly knows and loves the sport. Shades of Gary Thorne at times. And he gets around. Radio voice for the NY Jets. Lots of ESPN college football. The guy does it all - and with class and a voice that can match big game moments.

It's a well-taken point. You hear this a lot (because it's true, I think): "Teams take on the personality of their head coach." As captain and a veteran leader, KO was an appropriate extension of Granato's personality. And the team did take on Granato's personality (as well as reflect his underdeveloped understanding of high-level strategy in the NHL (remember the comment about how playing against Granato's Sabres was often like playing a high school team?)). Let's see what happens when this team takes on Ruff's personality.

Watching it from where we were in the 300s, I saw the play develop and was like "ah sh1t, touchd -- WHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

Lol - fair point. I have examined my sports-soul. I find no animus there for the Tennessee Titans. Surprisingly, I find that I do still have some latent sports-hatred for the Houston Oilers. (Yes, yes - The Comeback. But there were other times, I seem to recall, where the Oilers (with Moon at QB) were giving the Bills fits. Didn't Haywood Jeffries once torch the Bills in a crucial game (not The Comeback game)?) Not sure if it was Game 6 or 7 - but there was that one instance that made it so obvious that he doesn't trust/have his shot. He had a window into an open half of the goal - but passed.

This concept is utterly foreign to me. I have one favourite NHL team: The Buffalo Sabres. Now, the list of teams I despise? That’s a bit longer.

Dude. Never forget. Never forgive. (Even while chuckling at the masterful troll job pictured above.) Like @Taro T says, I believe (??), I'm still waiting for them to drop the puck to continue Game 6.

This is absolutely his Achilles heel. Perhaps a ray of hope: Remember when Andy Reid was an offensive mastermind who built strong team culture but couldn't manage games at crucial times? Eventually, Reid got that part figured out. (Of course, having two first ballot HOFers who may go down as the best at their respective skill positions (QB, TE) has something to do with that as well.)