Editorial: Amerks fan base has more to worry about than the Portland Pirates

[wildcat48]

Editorial: Amerks fan base has more to worry about than the Portland Pirates

Since it was rumored that the Buffalo Sabres were heading to Portland, it?s been nothing but a diatribe of comments and statements on websites, message boards and other forms of media that would make one want to curl up in the fetal position.

 

Link>>>>

[shrader]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing, Chris. I can't wait for the reply from you know who.

[Bmwolf21]

Wow. Like X said, this thread is the equivalent of throwing up the Bat-Signal for Donner, errr you-know-who...

 

What's the over/under on how many of those comments were made by our resident Amerks defender?

[Amerks6]

What exactly does the Amerks fan base have to worry about? There's more excitement for this offseason than there has been in years. This is the first time in years where there is optimism heading into the summer, instead of doom and gloom.

[Bmwolf21]

That didn't take long. Did you read the article? It actually goes into the reasons why the Amerks' fan base should be more worried about their own future than that of the Pirates.

[Amerks6]

Yes, I did.

 

Steve Donner? He's barely a factor anymore. He doesn't control any finances.

 

Questioning Curt Styres? What does he know other than something he googled? The league approved him 28-0. Clearly they had no issues with him.

 

The lease? Duffy was on the news tonight. Said he's very confident a deal will be done soon and sees no reason it won't happen. No mention of Donner, and no mention of not working with the team because of him.

 

Veterans? Martin has said they will sign veterans.

 

I'm glad he's happy he's affiliated with Buffalo. I'm happy we're with Florida. So it all works out. The results this season and into the future will speak for themselves, whichever side they favor.

[Bmwolf21]

I don't want to speak for wildcat, and I certainly don't want to get back into it with you, but in light of the posted article and wildcat's challenge, you'll have to forgive us if I fail to take your word for any of it.

 

You might want to try finding some links to back up what you claim, since wildcat's challenge is on the table and I'm sure most of us are at least somewhat interested in:

--seeing/hearing Martin's quotes about signing the mythical veteran players for Rochester;

--verification that Donner is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations and what his new role is;

--the supposed Duffy updates (I just checked rnews.com, 13wham.com, whec.com and Google News and can't find one bit of new info on the lease, Donner's involvement, anything.)

 

As for Styres, just because he was approved doesn't really mean much. The other owners might have been looking at him as the "lesser of two evils" and realized that if they didn't approve Donner's new cash cow the team would be bankrupt and cease operations around December.

 

Here's the text of wildcat's challenge (from the article):

The city of Rochester has also made several comments that they weren?t going to deal with the Amerks as long as Donner was in a position of power and while he isn?t the majority owner, he?s still there and I have yet to hear one thing good, bad or indifferent about the lease. I know the questions are being asked, but yet no answers.

 

I challenge one person to find something recent about the status of the lease for the Blue Cross Arena.

 

I also challenge anybody to find something about the affiliation agreement with the Florida Panthers, or that they intend to sign veterans for the Amerks.

 

According to Panthers GM Jacques Martin, he doesn?t expect to be involved in the free agent market for the big club, so hardly believe he?ll be doing a whole lot with the minor ranks.

On a side note, I think you missed the whole point of his article and post. It's simple -before Amerks' fans start throwing rocks at the Sabres' ownership and affiliation deal they should make sure their own house is in order. Let's be clear - there is no way that this split is 100% fault either way. The Sabres' ownership is just as much at fault as Donner and co. for this split. But hey, you guys want to gloss over the debts, lawsuits and audits, the lack of a lease, a parent club that hasn't made the playoffs since 99-00, is struggling to fill their own house and doesn't have a great track record in parent-affiliate partnerships, that's fine. If they are so excited about the Panthers' as their parent club (:lol:) then go celebrate that and leave the Pirates and us alone instead of constantly popping up to tell us how wrong we are about everything in the Sabres-Amerks' split and how bad things will be next year for the Pirates and Sabres.

 

I can't speak for anyone else, but I get the impression that a lot of Sabres' fans are looking forward with to the new affiliation with some excitement and a sense of relief that the crap between the Sabres and Amerks is finally over. But there are still quite a few vocal Amerks' fans who want to continue hammering the Sabres, Golisano and Quinn for everything that went wrong in Rochester, all while continuing to overlook their own ownership issues.

[Two or less]

Yes, I did.

 

Steve Donner? He's barely a factor anymore. He doesn't control any finances.

 

Questioning Curt Styres? What does he know other than something he googled? The league approved him 28-0. Clearly they had no issues with him.

 

The lease? Duffy was on the news tonight. Said he's very confident a deal will be done soon and sees no reason it won't happen. No mention of Donner, and no mention of not working with the team because of him.

 

Veterans? Martin has said they will sign veterans.

 

I'm glad he's happy he's affiliated with Buffalo. I'm happy we're with Florida. So it all works out. The results this season and into the future will speak for themselves, whichever side they favor.

 

Where are the Amerks going to play? Lakeshore? LOL

[Amerks6]

But why does he care what Amerks fans think? Who cares. He obviously thinks Buffalo will be a good parent club, so I don't see why he needs to tell Amerks fans that they have more to worry about. It's his space to write, so he's free to write whatever, I'm just wondering why he cares? He's getting defensive because some Amerks fans didn't like Buffalo as a parent club, and warned them. Maybe, just maybe, we're right. You're telling myself and Amerks fans to go worry about Florida. Well, maybe Wildcat48 should go worry about Buffalo. It's not like Amerks fans haven't heard the negative comments about Florida, which you yourself have in your most recent post.

 

There are a lot of unknowns with the Amerks currently. Still, it's nothing to be worried about as the article says. Everything will play out in the next month so we'll just have to wait and see.

[Amerks6]

Where are the Amerks going to play? Lakeshore? LOL

The BCA. Duffy was just on the news tonight saying the deal will be done soon. And, no, it's not on channel 10's website. It was a quick quote from Duffy.

[inkman]

There's more excitement for this offseason than there has been in years. This is the first time in years where there is optimism heading into the summer, instead of doom and gloom.

 

I honestly have no idea where you are coming from. Perhaps you have knowledge that I don't but from where I sit the only thing I feel is uncertainty. Not to mention the fact that I have no emotional attachment to the team any more because the team I rooted for is not the same anymore. If a player on the Amerks gets promoted, will I even know let alone care?

[SabreNod]

Of all the people I know who follow hockey, and there are many, not one of them ever cared about the Amerks signing an "AHL veteran" to (ostensibly) give them a shot at the Calder. It was always about the fun of watching the sabres pipeline developing. When Roy and Vanek and Campbell were all playing in Rochester, it was a fun team.

 

The Amerks are already swirling down the drain financially. It won't take long before the Sabres/TG/Duffy are proven right.

[darksabre]

And to think, I was planning on going to some Amerks games next season if the Sabres kept the affiliation alive. Not anymore...

[ROC Sabres]

And to think, I was planning on going to some Amerks games next season if the Sabres kept the affiliation alive. Not anymore...

I still plan on going, when the pirates are playing that is. :thumbsup:

[Taro T]

Yes, I did.

 

Steve Donner? He's barely a factor anymore. He doesn't control any finances.

 

Questioning Curt Styres? What does he know other than something he googled? The league approved him 28-0. Clearly they had no issues with him.

 

The lease? Duffy was on the news tonight. Said he's very confident a deal will be done soon and sees no reason it won't happen. No mention of Donner, and no mention of not working with the team because of him.

 

Veterans? Martin has said they will sign veterans.

 

I'm glad he's happy he's affiliated with Buffalo. I'm happy we're with Florida. So it all works out. The results this season and into the future will speak for themselves, whichever side they favor.

How do you know that Donner no longer controls finances? I haven't seen anything regarding what his new role will be with the club. If he is still the managing partner, he will still make a lot of decisions with the club, the bulk of them necessarily financial. If Styres is taking over day-to-day operations, then Donner probably isn't making decisions; I haven't seen any reports stating that Styres will run operations, only that he owns 60% of the team. If you have links, I'd be interested in checking them out.

 

Just because a league approves of an owner overwhelmingly doesn't mean that there aren't issues. Bruce McNall, John Rigas, and John Spano were all approved to be owners of NHL teams and all had huge issues that turned up afterwards. Leagues typically don't look too closely at how the potential owner makes his money, just that they have enough money to operate into the foreseeable future. Especially when the alternative to approving the new owner is the very real possibility of having a (flagship) team (no less) go dormant for a year. Styres making his fortune in reservation cigs isn't something that inspires a lot of "warm fuzzies". Hopefully, for Ra-cha-cha's sake, Donner is out of day-to-day operation and Styres will be a good owner. I wouldn't assume either until they are proven.

 

I'll hold off on believing Duffy said the lease is imminent until I get confirmation from another source. Channel 10 having a story about a dog dying of heat stroke on their website but no mention of this is strange. Hopefully this is true, and more hopefully it means that Donner is finding a new day job.

 

One final comment, be very careful of what you wish for, because sometimes you get it.

[inkman]

I still plan on going, when the pirates are playing that is. :thumbsup:

Ditto.

[ROC Sabres]

Ditto.

Judging by this past years schedule, we probably won't play them, unless the AHL decides to give a little poke in Rochester's side and schedule a game or two against them. Still kinda confused how Rochester is a west team? oh well.

AHL Teams Link

[shrader]

I have really enjoyed the Eklundian approach from our favorite Rochester resident in all of these threads.

[Bmwolf21]

But why does he care what Amerks fans think? Who cares. He obviously thinks Buffalo will be a good parent club, so I don't see why he needs to tell Amerks fans that they have more to worry about. It's his space to write, so he's free to write whatever, I'm just wondering why he cares? He's getting defensive because some Amerks fans didn't like Buffalo as a parent club, and warned them. Maybe, just maybe, we're right. You're telling myself and Amerks fans to go worry about Florida. Well, maybe Wildcat48 should go worry about Buffalo. It's not like Amerks fans haven't heard the negative comments about Florida, which you yourself have in your most recent post.

 

There are a lot of unknowns with the Amerks currently. Still, it's nothing to be worried about as the article says. Everything will play out in the next month so we'll just have to wait and see.

And you missed the point yet again.

 

Still no proof/links/quotes from anywhere to back up any of your claims and contentions, huh?

[ROC Sabres]

Don't know if anyone has been paying attention to the Portland Pirates website, but they already added a link to sabres news before the announcement has been made.

 

Link

[BMWR100RT]

hey Donner, I mean Amerks6. I will not go to another Amerks game. I went to many over the years. I'm looking at the commemoitive puck from the first NHL game in Rochester. But to think I want to se the developement of the Florida Panthers is ridiculous. I go to Amerks games because it's like JV sports in High School. It means little, other than that these are your horses for the next level....or the real thing.

 

This city is circing the drain.

[inkman]

I go to Amerks games because it's like JV sports in High School.

 

Except now they want you to go to JV games in the town your kid doesn't play for. That sounds like fun.

[jwcolour]

Except now they want you to go to JV games in the town your kid doesn't play for. That sounds like fun.

 

Amen, atleast back in the day we could be fans in Rochester and follow them just up the street to Buffalo... now I won't even know what happens to half these kids. The Amerks will probably fall into the who gives a crap catagory. Like any Redwings fans here are fans of Minnesota, I guess atleast if you go to a baseball game you'll get a nice day in the sun.

 

Just a random question, what NHL team does Portland, ME tend to gravitate to? I'd assume Boston, I doubt any of them gave a crap about Anahiem. I'm just wondering on that, I doubt anyone there will suddenly start to LOVE the Sabres or anything. Thats what I think is sad about this whole situation, the Amerks-Sabres connection I think is a rare one in the highest level of professional sports. Atleast here in Rochester most Amerk fans are also diehard Sabres fans, the short physical distance and western NY mindset was something more or less special. Went to the game in Columbus 2 seasons ago wearing a Jody Gage jersey and got tons of "awesome jersey" comments from Buffalo people. Just sad this is ending, even if Rochester fans are more up in arms and care about it than Buffalo, a lot of it is because we can truly appreciate the history of the two teams being down here on the lower end of it and able to follow "Rochester's contribution" to the team we love through the years. Now it just looks like both teams (sabres & Amerks) are moving on to have just the average Parent-farm relationship. Either way, i'm gonna still be routin for the Sabres, and hope that the Amerks situation turns out well...

 

Also,

I blame Donner, hes a dumbshit

[Guest Sloth]

I still plan on going, when the pirates are playing that is. :thumbsup:

 

I'll have to add my name to the list. Rochester who? It's been said over and over again that many, certainly not all, Sabres fans went to Rochester games to look at the future Buffalo team. I have no interest in the Amerks anymore. Go Pirates!!! The future is looking bright.

Just so I don't piss anyone off. It's still cool if you continue to be an Amerks fan. We all have our own reasons for this, that, and the other. Sportsmanship applies to the fans as well.

[shrader]

If you're going to mention distance, you have to mention teams like Philly and Toronto.

 

From experience with the Maine people I've met, I'd say there's a decent split between Montreal and Boston up there. Portland is in the very southern part of the state, which should be mostly Bruins territory. I also have a friend from the northern portion of Maine who was a Flyers fan when he was young, so I'm sure you can find just about anyone up there.