The deadbeat club

[Two or less]

4. Buffalo Sabres: While Buffalo fans typically treat Buffalo News columnist Bucky Gleason like a napkin at a wing-eating contest, he had a piece this week on the Sabres' inability to recruit new talent that had some bitter truth to it. "The Sabres have a poor reputation among players. It has become increasingly evident that the only way to get quality veterans into Buffalo is to force them here through trades. It's an unpleasant way to survive." Indeed.

 

Link- http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_dadd...s?urn=nhl,92689

 

i know it's not a secret and a reality, just thought i'd post it.

[spndnchz]

Link- http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_dadd...s?urn=nhl,92689

 

i know it's not a secret and a reality, just thought i'd post it.

I think some posters are making this forum a "deadbeat club". Yeah, I know it's aforum, but do I need to be reminded every day of how they f'ed up, what's wrong with this team, love-hate Bucky sh$t. Sorry, I rant, maybe I need a :censored: break.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I think some posters are making this forum a "deadbeat club". Yeah, I know it's aforum, but do I need to be reminded every day of how they f'ed up, what's wrong with this team, love-hate Bucky sh$t. Sorry, I rant, maybe I need a :censored: break.

 

I don't remember you around as much, but from March 2006 until...I guess this May, all I heard was how great the Sabres were, how they all stuck up for each other, how Regier was brilliant, Golisano was a savior, how Ruff could coach a pee-wee team to a Stanley Cup....and how anyone that dare question those facts was an idiot, a-hole, crazy, lying, jumping to conclusions, bandwagon fan...and get out because you don't care about the Sabres you bully.

 

Reality has now set in, and in reality...a President's Trophy team coming nowhere near the playoffs the next year, is not really a rallying point.

 

It is what it is I guess.

[Knightrider]

I don't remember you around as much, but from March 2006 until...I guess this May, all I heard was how great the Sabres were, how they all stuck up for each other, how Regier was brilliant, Golisano was a savior, how Ruff could coach a pee-wee team to a Stanley Cup....and how anyone that dare question those facts was an idiot, a-hole, crazy, lying, jumping to conclusions, bandwagon fan...and get out because you don't care about the Sabres you bully.

 

Reality has now set in, and in reality...a President's Trophy team coming nowhere near the playoffs the next year, is not really a rallying point.

 

It is what it is I guess.

 

So, you weren't around around from about May of 2007 on? No one thought they were going to be repeat Pee Cup winners. Oh wait, you were one of those enlightening us that the FO screwed up during that period. Spndnchz simply said you have made your point. It has been discussed ad nauseum.

[carpandean]

Reality has now set in, and in reality...a President's Trophy team coming nowhere near the playoffs the next year, is not really a rallying point.

Now be fair, they weren't eliminated until after their second-to-last game and held a playoff spot (top-8) a few times during the season. In fact, a healthy Teppo probably would have made enough of a difference to get them in. I'll give you "nowhere near the cup" or "nowhere near the President's Trophy."

[djwilli3]

I don't remember you around as much, but from March 2006 until...I guess this May, all I heard was how great the Sabres were, how they all stuck up for each other, how Regier was brilliant, Golisano was a savior, how Ruff could coach a pee-wee team to a Stanley Cup....and how anyone that dare question those facts was an idiot, a-hole, crazy, lying, jumping to conclusions, bandwagon fan...and get out because you don't care about the Sabres you bully.

 

Reality has now set in, and in reality...a President's Trophy team coming nowhere near the playoffs the next year, is not really a rallying point.

 

It is what it is I guess.

 

I agree with you about those problems you list, except as concerns Ruff. I do think that he is an excellent coach and has taken this team to a Stanley Cup final and 3 straight ECF appearances. I'd say that is pretty good. That being said, the FO is terrible and is consistently making mistakes. I wonder how much they want this organization to win as opposed to just trying to make money from ticket sales. We haven't kept one of our top players from leaving via free agency in years and we don't even make an effort to replace lost talent. I try to be optimistic, and I have been about this team for a long time, but I just can't stand the incompetence in the FO. They are the laughing stock of the league. Why else would a team with such a storied history be a place where no one wants to play. For crying out loud, if Detroit can attract people to come and want to play and LIVE there, there is no reason that we could not be doing the same. Sorry, I want to be optimistic, but the team in the last couple of offseasons hasn't really given me any reason to be so. Sorry if some of us are negative and are shattering the pipe dreams of some on this board, but the fact is that there are a lot of reasons for why this team is likely to be a bottom feeder and on the outside looking in again this year. I challenge anyone to find three places where the team has improved since the end of last season that give you such a reason to believe that we are suddenly going to win ten more games and finish with over a hundred points.

 

And before anyone starts saying I'm a jonny come lately and haven't posted before so how do I know, I posted here previously as ax4782 from 05 to the crash and just recently came back to the board. Just thought I would clear that up before the flood of "who are you to comment newb" responses.

[K-9]

Regarding the free agent aspect of the argument against Buffalo, the same can be said for the vast majority of teams in the NHL. Aside from a few rich clubs, teams simply can't load up on free agent acquisitions every year. Yeah, Buffalo is the ONLY team in the league that has to force players to play for them through trades. Typical short-sigted bullsh*t.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[Taro T]

I don't remember you around as much, but from March 2006 until...I guess this May, all I heard was how great the Sabres were, how they all stuck up for each other, how Regier was brilliant, Golisano was a savior, how Ruff could coach a pee-wee team to a Stanley Cup....and how anyone that dare question those facts was an idiot, a-hole, crazy, lying, jumping to conclusions, bandwagon fan...and get out because you don't care about the Sabres you bully.

 

Reality has now set in, and in reality...a President's Trophy team coming nowhere near the playoffs the next year, is not really a rallying point.

 

It is what it is I guess.

Yep, the board was filled with everyone but you predicting they'd win Lord Stanley's Chalice last year.

 

Yep, they were "nowhere near the playoffs" last year. There clearly was no way they could have found 2 more wins in 82 games.

 

Mr hyperbole strikes again. <_<

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Yep, the board was filled with everyone but you predicting they'd win Lord Stanley's Chalice last year.

 

Yep, they were "nowhere near the playoffs" last year. There clearly was no way they could have found 2 more wins in 82 games.

 

Mr hyperbole strikes again. <_<

 

They didn't find 2 wins in 82 games....and they folded once they were in position for a spot.

 

My point is...Mr Hyperbole has taken a lot of crap for having the discernment and nads to say where this team was headed almost 3 years ago. I took it, fired back, and was proven correct, except for Shrader who says I am lucky.

 

On June 30th, 2007....this board was 92% pumped and positive. The A-Bomb of truth was dropped on HSBC Arena the next day, and slowly, Sabre fans had the Radiation of Reality set in and calm most of them down throughout the course of the season.

 

All I was doing was explaining the negative feelings. When you trust someone and put your heart and soul into them....then it looks like they don't love you back...well, fans have a reason to get negative.

 

The cherry will be when these clowns sell the team from under the city in a matter of months. Sure, they might stay in Buffalo for a year or two...but the truth will be told that this current FO has not had the goal of winning a championship this entire time. And after Golisano leaves with $20+ million in operating profits and $150 million in long term gains....I'm sure the same 5 or 10 people will continue to make excuses for them, and how they struggled to make a buck.

 

That's $170 million profit Golisano will make. Or....$10,000 per seat in the arena.

 

Yeah.....small market team my fat a$$

[hopeleslyobvious]

I agree with you about those problems you list, except as concerns Ruff. I do think that he is an excellent coach and has taken this team to a Stanley Cup final and 3 straight ECF appearances. I'd say that is pretty good. That being said, the FO is terrible and is consistently making mistakes. I wonder how much they want this organization to win as opposed to just trying to make money from ticket sales. We haven't kept one of our top players from leaving via free agency in years and we don't even make an effort to replace lost talent. I try to be optimistic, and I have been about this team for a long time, but I just can't stand the incompetence in the FO. They are the laughing stock of the league. Why else would a team with such a storied history be a place where no one wants to play. For crying out loud, if Detroit can attract people to come and want to play and LIVE there, there is no reason that we could not be doing the same. Sorry, I want to be optimistic, but the team in the last couple of offseasons hasn't really given me any reason to be so. Sorry if some of us are negative and are shattering the pipe dreams of some on this board, but the fact is that there are a lot of reasons for why this team is likely to be a bottom feeder and on the outside looking in again this year. I challenge anyone to find three places where the team has improved since the end of last season that give you such a reason to believe that we are suddenly going to win ten more games and finish with over a hundred points.

 

And before anyone starts saying I'm a jonny come lately and haven't posted before so how do I know, I posted here previously as ax4782 from 05 to the crash and just recently came back to the board. Just thought I would clear that up before the flood of "who are you to comment newb" responses.

 

3 places the team has improved:

 

1. Defense (Rivet was a very nice pickup)

2. Goaltending (Lalime is an upgrade over Thibault. I am confident that he can give Miller some nights off every now and then).

3. Leadership (Rivet. Also, some of the younger players have one more year under their belt to start to develop into leaders).

[shrader]

My point is...Mr Hyperbole has taken a lot of crap for having the discernment and nads to say where this team was headed almost 3 years ago. I took it, fired back, and was proven correct, except for Shrader who says I am lucky.

 

With regards to Bernier? Absolutely. If Vancouver never makes that offer to Backes, you lose badly. So unless you factored in these exact results in your bet, 100% pure luck.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

With regards to Bernier? Absolutely. If Vancouver never makes that offer to Backes, you lose badly. So unless you factored in these exact results in your bet, 100% pure luck.

 

 

View Member Profile

Add as Friend

Send Message

Find Member's Topics

Find Member's Posts Apr 12 2008, 07:22 PM Post #24

 

 

Third Liner

 

 

Group: Validating

Posts: 327

Joined: 16-May 06

Member No.: 553

 

 

 

QUOTE(tom webster @ Apr 12 2008, 05:48 PM)

X already answered for me but like he said, and like the much despised LQ said in the presser, you win with great players not very good players. The four line approach, while an ideal socialist idea, is just not likely to work.

 

 

Then why do we have only one player making more than $4 million? The Sabres seem to me to be doing the exact same thing everyone is claiming doesn't work. Give 10 guy $3 million.

 

I would be willing to wager that it is going to take more than $5 million a year to keep Gaustad, Bernier and Paille. These guys might only be worth that much to Buffalo, but with other teams playing a more physical style and with the cap on an upslope....I have a funny feeling someone is going to drop a sheet on the Sabres. There is little respect for Buffalo around the league, so why not take a shot. If Darcy signs these three for $5 million, I will heap praise. I think it's going to be 7.

[shrader]

I have a funny feeling someone is going to drop a sheet on the Sabres. There is little respect for Buffalo around the league, so why not take a shot. If Darcy signs these three for $5 million, I will heap praise. I think it's going to be 7.

 

Funny, I didn't see that happen.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Funny, I didn't see that happen.

 

WoW! Lawyer-Speak 101 coming from Shrader!

 

You're right. Bernier is junk. The Sabres only ended up with a 3rd and a 2nd for him, then he gets offered 2.5 and Vancouver still takes him even though they could have broken even and let St. Louis have him.

 

At least I didn't see you defending Marshawn Lynch the whole time on the Bills board.

[Taro T]

They didn't find 2 wins in 82 games....and they folded once they were in position for a spot.

 

My point is...Mr Hyperbole has taken a lot of crap for having the discernment and nads to say where this team was headed almost 3 years ago. I took it, fired back, and was proven correct, except for Shrader who says I am lucky.

 

On June 30th, 2007....this board was 92% pumped and positive. The A-Bomb of truth was dropped on HSBC Arena the next day, and slowly, Sabre fans had the Radiation of Reality set in and calm most of them down throughout the course of the season.

 

All I was doing was explaining the negative feelings. When you trust someone and put your heart and soul into them....then it looks like they don't love you back...well, fans have a reason to get negative.

 

The cherry will be when these clowns sell the team from under the city in a matter of months. Sure, they might stay in Buffalo for a year or two...but the truth will be told that this current FO has not had the goal of winning a championship this entire time. And after Golisano leaves with $20+ million in operating profits and $150 million in long term gains....I'm sure the same 5 or 10 people will continue to make excuses for them, and how they struggled to make a buck.

 

That's $170 million profit Golisano will make. Or....$10,000 per seat in the arena.

 

Yeah.....small market team my fat a$$

You saw where this team was headed before the lockout was officially over?

 

Making up imaginary stats does not improve your argument. (That's true at least 92% of the time according to leading surveys. ;) )

 

If the goal wasn't trying to win a championship, why bring the team to the verge of the salary cap and bring all but 3 (5 counting Pyatt and Noronen) players back?

 

I don't know if TG will keep the team LT or not, he was looking for a minority partner basically since day 1, so it isn't completely outrageous to believe he'd sell for the right bid. But I do not see the NHL ever leaving Buffalo. Consistantly, Buffalo has been a top-3 US hockey market, regardless of whether the Sabres are in the playoffs or not. That doesn't include the # of people that watch the Canadian feeds of games either. If the league was going to let Buffalo die, they had the perfect opportunity to pull the plug when Adelphia imploded.

 

Actually, I see 1 scenario where the NHL might leave Buffalo, and that is IF there is a team in Hamilton LT, and Canadians stop coming over the border to go to games. And since Balsillie wants a team in Kitchener/Waterloo, I doubt Hamilton ends up in the league for more than a year or 2 if ever. So I don't see that scenario as being very likely.

 

And I agree that Golisano will have a HEFTY capital gain if he decides to sell.

 

I'll have to let you have the last word in all of this as I won't have a chance to post again for a few days.

[Bmwolf21]

On June 30th, 2007....this board was 92% pumped and positive. The A-Bomb of truth was dropped on HSBC Arena the next day, and slowly, Sabre fans had the Radiation of Reality set in and calm most of them down throughout the course of the season.

FWIW, I didn't get that vibe at all last year on FA Eve. I think there were a lot of nervous people posting here, knowing that:

 

--LQ was making last-ditch PR efforts through the media

--Darcy was rationalizing TV's leverage and his inability to do much WRT getting him signed before Lowe dropped the offer sheet bomb on the Sabres

--teams like the Rags were eying our captains, particularly Drury, who it was pretty much assumed the Sabres were going to try to keep.

 

Most of us knew that we'd be losing one captain but were all saying the same thing - "can't lose both."

 

July 1 turned out to be the day the credit card bill came due after a holiday season of splurging.

[Bmwolf21]

Making up imaginary stats does not improve your argument. (That's true at least 92% of the time according to leading surveys. ;) )

They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.

[X. Benedict]

I don't remember you around as much, but from March 2006 until...I guess this May, all I heard was how great the Sabres were, how they all stuck up for each other, how Regier was brilliant, Golisano was a savior, how Ruff could coach a pee-wee team to a Stanley Cup....and how anyone that dare question those facts was an idiot, a-hole, crazy, lying, jumping to conclusions, bandwagon fan...and get out because you don't care about the Sabres you bully.

 

Reality has now set in, and in reality...a President's Trophy team coming nowhere near the playoffs the next year, is not really a rallying point.

 

It is what it is I guess.

That's just crap, Drano.

 

Many of us were around. Link to one thread with that tone that any serious poster here contributed to . Let's see it.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

That's just crap, Drano.

 

Many of us were around. Link to one thread with that tone that any serious poster here contributed to . Let's see it.

 

Considering that EVERY POST is missing from February 2007 until March 2008.....which would be the peak of the meltdown, the best of the personal insults are probably long gone, but I should be able to find a few.

 

The heat of the moment was saying that this team was going to walk away from both Captains and every name in the book being thrown at me. "How can you know that....Bucky is Lying....the Agents are Lying...." That sort of stuff was there, but with some personal insults from some regular posters.

 

I respect you X. I respect most on the board. I've said before, you might not like my brash style, but the majority of the sharper posters here at least respect my knowledge, as I do theirs. There are also many innocent posters that just want to have fun and watch hockey, which is everyone's right. And I do feel bad for raining on the parade of those posters. I just feel that over the course of being on this website, there have been too many posters of the "company line" variety. Granted much of that has changed as the bandwagoners left. I really have no beef with anyone here now. I was just tired of the insults and the bandwagon claims, and the don't let the door hit you in the butt sort of stuff.

 

I don't think I'm a hockey god. You and Tarro can beat me in a pure contest of knowledge, and there are a few dozen who are probably in my grouping. What I do have a feel for is picking up signals of dishonesty and "sly" behavior in people, as well as being a pretty quick judge of character. I use it every day and will try and call out anyone of questionable conduct if it involves something I care about. That is all. I think there aren't too many subjective types on this board, so the gist of my message gets tossed sometimes because I can't show you for 100% certain that 1+1=2 I can take a good guess though when someone tells me that they are a 10....but I can see that they are most likely a 1.....then back into 1+1=2. I'm just willing to do it much earlier than most because I am used to doing it. That is being proactive. Some times I may miss and look goofy, but my percentage of direct hits from a point so early in time more than makes up for it in the long run, at least in my opinion.

 

It's tough, because I really have lost most of my passion for the game because of the past few years. I'm glad others haven't, and I don't want to burst anyone else. I just want the city of Buffalo to have a team that I respect and that I feel is trying hard to win at all costs. That's all.

 

Enough of my venting......I'll throw a few gems up.

[nfreeman]

On June 30th, 2007....this board was 92% pumped and positive. The A-Bomb of truth was dropped on HSBC Arena the next day, and slowly, Sabre fans had the Radiation of Reality set in and calm most of them down throughout the course of the season.

 

The cherry will be when these clowns sell the team from under the city in a matter of months. Sure, they might stay in Buffalo for a year or two...but the truth will be told that this current FO has not had the goal of winning a championship this entire time. And after Golisano leaves with $20+ million in operating profits and $150 million in long term gains....I'm sure the same 5 or 10 people will continue to make excuses for them, and how they struggled to make a buck.

 

Well, the ghost of DD has officially descended into insanity. The first point is so ridiculous that I feel silly pointing out that by June 30 it was obvious to everyone that they were gone. The 2nd point is classic WNY paranoia/fear/loathing of the wealthy.

 

Here is my question: when TG is still the owner at the end of this season, will you come back and admit that this was just hysterical nonsense?

 

 

With regards to Bernier? Absolutely. If Vancouver never makes that offer to Backes, you lose badly. So unless you factored in these exact results in your bet, 100% pure luck.

 

Now here, DD is right -- not pure luck. There was plenty of speculation (some of which I posted) about our RFAs being ripe for offer sheets. I was pretty sure Gaustad would get one. Given where the salary thresholds are in terms of compensation step-ups, a $2.5 million offer sheet was quite possible.

 

FWIW, I didn't get that vibe at all last year on FA Eve. I think there were a lot of nervous people posting here, knowing that:

 

--LQ was making last-ditch PR efforts through the media

--Darcy was rationalizing TV's leverage and his inability to do much WRT getting him signed before Lowe dropped the offer sheet bomb on the Sabres

--teams like the Rags were eying our captains, particularly Drury, who it was pretty much assumed the Sabres were going to try to keep.

 

Most of us knew that we'd be losing one captain but were all saying the same thing - "can't lose both."

 

July 1 turned out to be the day the credit card bill came due after a holiday season of splurging.

 

I don't remember thinking it was impossible that we'd lose both. I remember fatalistically resigning myself to them both being gone -- but still feeling stomach-punched when it happened.

 

That's just crap, Drano.

 

Many of us were around. Link to one thread with that tone that any serious poster here contributed to . Let's see it.

 

Bullseye.

[deluca67]

Wow! This thread has spiraled out of control and I have to be apart of it.

 

Let's get back to the initial issue of the article. When Bucky Ecklund is your main inspiration for your opinion? Like BE your opinion is crap.

 

Now back to whatever you guys were talking about. :thumbsup:

[spndnchz]

WoW! Lawyer-Speak 101 coming from Shrader!

 

You're right. Bernier is junk. The Sabres only ended up with a 3rd and a 2nd for him, then he gets offered 2.5 and Vancouver still takes him even though they could have broken even and let St. Louis have him.

 

At least I didn't see you defending Marshawn Lynch the whole time on the Bills board.

I'll take your opinion as a sign of America being a free speech country. I'll also let you know I don't agree. I'm not an innocent poster. Bring it if you want, but I'll always be a Sabres fan, till death do us part.

 

And BTW, they couldn't have broke even.

[Bmwolf21]

I don't remember thinking it was impossible that we'd lose both. I remember fatalistically resigning myself to them both being gone -- but still feeling stomach-punched when it happened.

Sorry, I should clarify. I meant that most of us were saying that the Sabres couldn't afford to lose both, as in "we know we're going to lose one captain this offseason, but if we re-sign one we'll be OK. We just can't afford to lose both and stay as good next season."

 

The July 1 stomach punch was very tough to take, even for the most diehard Sabres fans.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Alright....my old account name is "Done" since I deactivated it, or at least locked it out.

 

No insult here....just a bit of a realistic view of what was coming down the tracks while everyone was slap-happy in 2006.

 

Missed the $20 tickets by a year

 

This was the thread that summed it all up. None of the core posters were involved in this one.

 

The Greatest Game in Sabres History!

 

Then everything vanishes......the kicker was before free agency lasy year and how it all played out.

 

I do have to admit that there was a balanced viewpoint for most of the stretch between December and the Ottawa game. The Ottawa game just stoked everyone like no tomorrow.

 

I guess I'll have to pay $600 for the old hard drive if I want some of the good stuff! Like I said, everyone that made it through the bandwagon period and is still here is a pretty solid fan. The board traffic is probably down, but it isn't nearly the snakepit it was.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I'll take your opinion as a sign of America being a free speech country. I'll also let you know I don't agree. I'm not an innocent poster. Bring it if you want, but I'll always be a Sabres fan, till death do us part.

 

And BTW, they couldn't have broke even.

 

I can't bring it....it would be like hitting my cousin.

 

How do you not figure a 2009 3rd round pick and a 2010 2nd round pick is pretty much equal to a 2009 2nd? Let me look at some trades from this draft and try to get a nice example.

 

Ok....the only thing I can find with the two rounds we are talking about is this:

 

Columbus trades their 2006 2nd round pick (#36) to San Jose for their 2006 3rd round pick (#85), 2006 4th round pick (#113), and 2007 2nd round pick.

 

Here Columbus adds a current draft 4th round pick along with the 2nd and 3rd. In all fairness, the two teams dealing were 15 places away in the current standings, so to me the extra 4th is a good soothing over for projections into the next year.

 

If Darcy made a great deal, then the GM of Columbus should get a golden statue for this one!