IKnowPhysics

I tip her everytime I go in there.

From the ground.

Now, now, that was an honest question. Probably one that no one has the answer to here. No one here knows what the growth metric look likes. 'Cept for yo mom. BAM!

I think Darcy informs Terry of hockey decisions, not the other way around, in part because I still haven't been presented with any evidence to the contrary.

At this point I'm going to point out the hypocrisy of expecting Terry Pegula (who said he wouldn't raise ticket prices) to directly control the Sabres business department when there would be a public (and already is a digital) crucifiction for doing the same with the hockey department (even though he said he's aiming for a Cup in the three years following the purchase). Expecting Terry Pegula to run a hockey department is stupid because he wouldn't know how to run a hockey department. That's Darcy's job. Expecting Terry Pegula to run a hockey franchise off ice is stupid because he wouldn't know how to run a hockey franchise off ice. That's Ted's job. Terry Pegula hires others to do those jobs, people whom he considers experts at those jobs. So the franchise doesn't give you every little nitpick thing you'd like and then it's time for the owner's head on a stick. ###### whiners. Cue the creation of a stupid ###### "Fire Ted Black" thread.

I don't know. I wouldn't think Pegula's out of touch with the impact of raising prices/the value of a dollar, and this could've just as easily been Ted's decision as it was Terry's. I get this impression that people are a lot more pissed off or that this is overblown a lot more than years past, even when (if I remember correctly) prices have gone up more in other years. That sentiment makes sense if people think that prices should scale with performance, but in reality they don't. I won't argue that they shouldn't, but to think that ticket holders pay to watch wins is silly: they pay to watch hockey. No amount of blustery "we're going to win the cup" talk should change that ever.

It's easier to simplfy the problem. Terry might be fine with running the team into the ground financially to win a Stanley Cup, but Ted Black won't operate the team like that in case (for some reason) Terry ceases to be the owner. As difficult as it is to say how much the Sabres wouldn't take in if they stopped receiving revenue sharing, it'd be just as difficult to say how much the Sabres would take in if they suddenly wanted to start receiving it. For a more in depth look, here's an interpretation of the details from the last CBA: Ted's trying to ensure that we maintain course with that third bullet. If the ticket prices are going up by $4 per seat on average (read that somewhere), half of that goes to players, multiply by 18,000 seats, multiply by 41 home games, comes to about $1.5M in ticket revenue so that the team collects the full $10M. I'm not sure why some, including Ted, are saying the CBA does or does not require this for the full share of revenue sharing. Maybe that growth metric is averaged over a few years, and a few years of poor revenue growth could adversely affect a new owner. No idea there.

The plan was that we were close to a playoff team pre-Pegula and that a few key UFAs were going to push over the edge into serious contention. It didn't work. So they blow it up and try to do it right. It's been painful to watch, and may continue to be so for a little while, but any move is better than no move at the current juncture, and I like the thought of piecing together a great young team that we get to watch play together for several years.

Regier has tried to do everything within his power to create a team that can win, including firing the coach (which is a regular business occurence in professional sports, not a throw under the bus move- and not ONCE has Regier blamed Lindy's faults for the Sabres' woes), has admitted to failing, and will continue to try to do everything within his power to create a team that can win. Thinking that he'll resign for some reason or believing "that's what a real man does" is stupid as ######.

Wires are for geriatrics.

Finally got a chance to sit down and watch the whole thing. Seriously, ###### Mike Harrington and Jerry Sullivan. They wasted too much time with their petty ######. Spokespersons speak, move the ###### on. There's too many interesting hockey-related story lines for them to waste my ###### time with the whereabouts of the owner. Reading between the lines on the five minutes Darcy actually was allowed to talk about hockey; all of this is refutable because it wasn't explicitly stated: 1) Darcy wants to keep Vanek and Miller because he understands that they can be a part of a championship team, but he understands that their trade value is at its highest this offseason and will move either one of them if they don't start moving forwards towards contract extensions. If a high enough offer comes in, he may move them anyways. 2) He mentioned that Ville Leino will undergo hip surgery that will make 100% for the start of next season. He said this seemingly expecting him to play here. 3) Darcy confirmed what we started to think over the past season as he explained the shift in the player market away from unrestricted free agency towards a draft pick-based currency system. Also for the record, I had a high level of respect for Ted Black, and now it's even higher for enduring that ###### show. But beyond all of that, the rally cry has been given by Darcy: They built these teams to make the playoffs, and they failed. He realizes it sucks, so they're going in a different direction. Now it's ###### trying to just make the playoffs, ###### adding UFAs and journeymen to patch up a team that lost its top players, ###### mediocrity, and ###### doing well just enough to keep my job like some other teams in the league. They want to build from ground up, they're serious about doing it, and they won't stop until they've accomplished the goal. So whether you like it or not, the playoff record isn't going to matter when considering Regier's employment. His contract extension holds up for a while. We're going to rebuild, Darcy's going to try to take us through it, and we're going all in on the draft classes and the currency inherent to the picks we collect. After this ###### Amtrak of a season, I'm ready for anything. I'm actually excited that we get to move on from this ###### turd. Regier has the tools, experience, and talent to do the rebuild. The only debatable question is whether he has the vision to piece together a Cup winner, but time will tell that. Remember this day, Sabres fans, because when you tell your grandchildren about how hardcore of a fan you were or when you talk ###### to all of the bandwagoners after we win it all, you can tell them that you were here: the day the players went home early, the media muckraked useless stories about ownership for lack of anything better to do, and the fan base was ravaged with disappointment, bitterness, and anger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_E4fkc0hcc

Evidence?

To suggest that if the owner does anything but what you're demanding, he's gutless, that's "insane."

He seemed pretty enthused that his first and last games were played in Buffalo. I don't think he made any demands, mostly because he's very professional.

Considering that the trade value thread put Hecht at a return of about a 4th round pick as a rental, I'm glad he was able to finish his career as a Sabre.

Darcy Regier signed these players. While the argument can and likely will be made that the Sabres shouldn't be in a position where these players stand out at all and Regier is responsible for that, it must be considered that this current team is better with these players than without them. I look forward to watching these guys continue to compete for a roster spot next year.

So Terry attending the conference: ###### if he does. ###### if he doesn't. You guys need to get on the same page. I can't fight the war for sanity on two fronts.

Should be the announcement of Jochen's retirement. Should also be blah blah blah disappointing season and yakety yakety we'll be better in the future. Could possibly be a decision on the future of Ron Rolston, and if he's NOT on the attendance list, let the speculation begin. I wouldn't imagine he'd be fired before hiring a new coach, and I wouldn't imagine we hire before June (although we could get the jump).

Classy hockey player that always worked hard and an integral cog of a once very good hockey team. I wish him and his family the best as they begin their new chapter in Germany.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzMhU_4m-g "Well, we did do the nose... and the hat- but she is a witch!"

So in other news, Brad Boyes leads all Sabres, except Thomas Vanek, in points with 35.

I find this strange too, especially given that there are more tools today (StubHub, STH Exchange, Craigslist, etc) available for STHs to conveniently sell tickets to others they can't go/don't want to go to games.

Jesus, the Panthers really want the best shot at the #1 pick.