That Aud Smell

Holy hell. I just stopped in at Adams’ wiki. His lack of qualifications is worse than I had recalled. He was an assistant coach with the Sabres for less than 2 years (8/11-5/13). Then he was hired to manage Harborcenter in September 2019. Less than a year later, he was appointed as the Sabres GM (June 2020). (I’m assuming his wiki is complete and accurate.) Just — yowza.

Don’t many of us feel that way? The guy was managing Harborcenter before he was installed as GM.

Man, I don't know. My recollection is that the offense sputtered and struggled until Brady showed he was willing to release Joshua F***ing Allen, which always includes some Big D1ck Energy scampers. Then again, Allen's infamous "I feel like I'm f***ing back" line was from that late November Jets game where he didn't run that much. And then he did go on to run a lot towards the end of the season and in the playoffs. Maybe the point (?) here is that Allen's running needs to be managed so that he's able to run in December and January (and February!). Which squares with your post.

Good thoughts here 👆. I like that having a full complement of WR's will create competition at the position. And I like the idea that having veteran WR's in the mix will lighten the burden on Coleman (who, I hope, can then exceed expectations!!).

Bills sign Marquez Valdes Scantling (sp?) to a 1-year deal worth up to $4.5MM. It's something, anyway. He was good for the Chiefs in the playoffs, fwiw. https://www.nfl.com/news/bills-to-sign-ex-chiefs-wr-marquez-valdes-scantling-to-one-year-contract

This is also true. There are others who can share some of the responsibility (coaches, players), but the overwhelming share of blame rests with Adams. It was Adams, after all, who had the power to make changes with the other people who shared responsibility for the team's ongoing failures.

Okposo's observation that there was something amiss with the Sabres as early as October, November is one that any of us could have made (and, indeed, did make). What rankles me anew is how this same player, Okposo, led (or at least approved (which, as captain, is leading)) the no-salute policy when the fans were chanting "fire Donny" in mid-December. Those fans (just a segment of them, btw) were reacting to the same sh1t that Okposo says he perceived in October/November. But his response to the fans' chants of unrest was still "yeah, f**k them fans." He seems like a nice guy. Please never come back. Not even for a Bills game or wings at Elmo's.

It's bickering over semantics a bit, I'll admit. It's just that a stereotype is something that is generally understood to be misleading, fallacious, or simply incorrect.

I'm not sure I'm down with the use of "stereotypes" here. More like "modus operandi"?

sorta wack of you not to mention his brief stint at trader joe's.

at least a good ole boys club tends to have some success owing to its retention of power and privilege. the sabres more resemble a feckless reboot of the he-man woman hater's club or some such.

That is not an encouraging announcement.

That’s part of it. Far from all of it. And yes, all NHL players have done incredible things and sacrificed greatly to get to where they are. Congratulations to all of them. As a cohort, they all still shake out along a continuum. This isn’t Lake Wobegon. Not every NHL’er is above average. I guess I’m glad (?) to have precipitated so many responses. I think there’s a nuanced conversation to be had on the topic of who and what this roster is (and maybe isn’t), and whether GM KA is more an assembler of talent than he is a builder of a (good) team.

True for Marner? True for this Leaf team generally?

Nor would they be able to sustain the pace.

Came here to post this - was delighted to see it already here!

Posters are picking me up here. I’ve been somewhat inarticulate on this subject on this go around (although I’ve explained it better elsewhere). I feel like I was getting a proverbial “nothing to see here.” To which I say: Nah. There are things to see. And changes that need to occur.

🎶 and it feels good - to be known - so well 🎶

It’s a run on, for sure. But most of what you need is there. The picture is, to me, suggestive of a (metaphysical?) problem that I think will plague this team. The fact that other NHL players take a similar photo is irrelevant, to me. That is, perhaps, unless they are on a team with a similar problem.

I’m debating whether I’m being punked or whether reading (comprehension) is just lacking. In answer to your question @LGR4GM: No.

Do you likewise find pics of one young centre who got a 7-8 year deal based on a small sample size (career year?) congratulating a younger teammate (also a centre) who similarly got extended (big term, small sample size, big year) on a team that missed the playoffs and then regressed and a franchise that is continually setting a record for playoff futility? Context matters. And my theory and point go beyond the mere fact that they’re pictured in the Caribbean together. I want to be proven wrong. I want them to grow up, get tougher, become more accountable, maybe even become a bit less chummy with each other (?). I’m not optimistic — not yet anyway. Oh, and shoutout @Demoted: THIS is a narrative. It’s mine, for now.

I have a theory that the Sabres have too many of the same kinds of guy — that they’re too comfortable and too cozy with each other. That photo is, to me, emblematic of that theory. A theory. I also don’t think what my kids or kids I know are putting on IG has any relevance to the issue.

Ducking a body check may be bad form, but ducking a match penalty for elbowing seems fine by me. I mean, holy hell.

He can certainly look busy out there. For the most part, it's sound and fury signifying nothing.