Sabres Point Total for Season?

[Stoner]

I'm the same way. I think you can count on Rick and Harry not mentioning it, but some Vs. or NBC announcers will jinx them for sure.

 

Harry will be all over it!

[LabattBlue]

Harry will be all over it!

No room for commentary on this. Too busy concentrating on Miller's quick feet/legs. :doh:

[Taro T]

Wouldn't you feel better if there was a one in there? When they put up that stat at the beginning of the third in a playoff game with the Sabres leading 2-1, I am going to, well, pee down my leg. The hockey gods don't like those zeroes.

Probably, but not definitely. It's similar to a certain team back in '07 that hadn't lost a single game when leading by at least 2 in the regular season and 1st 2 rounds of the playoffs. The stat only has meaning if you can do it again the next time you need to do it.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I know you know the old adage, "no one ever killed himself with an unraced two year old in the barn." Hope is an important thing. It is not always necessary to demean peoples' hopes and aspirations, just because you think they are unrealistic. And sometimes, like here, they were met--the team has done better than expected. Just because we might not win the Breeder's Cup Juvenile, we at least have a nice allowance runner, maybe a small stakes winner. And you can dream of a Derby next year, if you get lucky. If that does not make you happy, then you are in the wrong business.

 

I leave hope to children, the developmentaly disabled, and puppy dogs. In supposedly mature adults, what is mistaken for hope is usually denial.

[Dave Dryden]

I leave hope to children, the developmentaly disabled, and puppy dogs. In supposedly mature adults, what is mistaken for hope is usually denial.

Wow, you are much more cynical than I thought. That's sad.

 

The world is a nasty place, with lots of nasty fights, and lots of disappointment. I deal with that--mostly for other people-- every day. Hope is for everyone, otherwise you might as well check out. Take care.

[bunomatic]

Sorry Blue,I stand corrected.They're 4 points out of eighth but they hovered around eighth for most of the season with their injuries.My point was simply that they are more like an elite team seeded lower because of circumstances.I was thinking,who would want to play them but then I thought about going into the playoffs with Jimmy Howard?Even they have what could be a glaring weakness.

[LabattBlue]

...but they hovered around eighth for most of the season with their injuries.My point was simply that they are more like an elite team seeded lower because of circumstances.

I agree with this.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Wow, you are much more cynical than I thought. That's sad.

 

The world is a nasty place, with lots of nasty fights, and lots of disappointment. I deal with that--mostly for other people-- every day. Hope is for everyone, otherwise you might as well check out. Take care.

 

I understand what you are saying....but the difference is....in horseracing, there are 10's of thousands of horses to choose from in order to call your own, become attached to, and root for. You make the decision.....then you make the other decisions along the line. In the case of the hockey team.....I was born in Buffalo. I am a Bills and Sabres fan no matter what. But I CAN'T control what happens to those teams except by refusing to pay money to see those teams and buy merchandise. If I feel a team is mismanaged or doesn't give an honest effort.....my only outlet is to be disgruntled, or to become apathetic. I refuse to be cheery and "hope for the best", especially when I have little to no respect for the owner, managing partner, GM, and 40% of the roster.

 

In my horses, as long as they give an honest effort for their talent level, that is all I can ask for. I've been just as proud of a 5k claimer straining for the wire as I am a horse running in a GI. In fact, my favorite Sabre team was probably the Nolan team that managed to win a playoff series with friggin Steve Shields in net and guys like Boughner, Ray, May, etc. clogging up the team. They showed up every night, took no crap, had to look each other in the eye......that's who I want to represent me. If I can speak for some of the other grumpy bastards here......that's what I take from most of them as well. We just want something that we can be proud of....not smile, and blindly follow out of habit.

 

 

The only reason I chimed in on this thread is because of a smart-alec remark from someone who wanted to be a priss. It was like the guy at the track who laughs at someone for losing $500 on a race when he didn't even have the balls to bet on the race himself. In the meantime, he fails to acknowledge the times where the same person hits a $300 exacta 20x or a huge trifecta, or the first time starter at 12-1.

 

Maybe you could take SDS to the track someday as he lives just around the corner from you. Just be prepared for him to bet $2 to show on the favorite every race.

[Dave Dryden]

I understand what you are saying....but the difference is....in horseracing, there are 10's of thousands of horses to choose from in order to call your own, become attached to, and root for. You make the decision.....then you make the other decisions along the line. In the case of the hockey team.....I was born in Buffalo. I am a Bills and Sabres fan no matter what. But I CAN'T control what happens to those teams except by refusing to pay money to see those teams and buy merchandise. If I feel a team is mismanaged or doesn't give an honest effort.....my only outlet is to be disgruntled, or to become apathetic. I refuse to be cheery and "hope for the best", especially when I have little to no respect for the owner, managing partner, GM, and 40% of the roster.

 

In my horses, as long as they give an honest effort for their talent level, that is all I can ask for. I've been just as proud of a 5k claimer straining for the wire as I am a horse running in a GI. In fact, my favorite Sabre team was probably the Nolan team that managed to win a playoff series with friggin Steve Shields in net and guys like Boughner, Ray, May, etc. clogging up the team. They showed up every night, took no crap, had to look each other in the eye......that's who I want to represent me. If I can speak for some of the other grumpy bastards here......that's what I take from most of them as well. We just want something that we can be proud of....not smile, and blindly follow out of habit.

 

 

The only reason I chimed in on this thread is because of a smart-alec remark from someone who wanted to be a priss. It was like the guy at the track who laughs at someone for losing $500 on a race when he didn't even have the balls to bet on the race himself. In the meantime, he fails to acknowledge the times where the same person hits a $300 exacta 20x or a huge trifecta, or the first time starter at 12-1.

 

Maybe you could take SDS to the track someday as he lives just around the corner from you. Just be prepared for him to bet $2 to show on the favorite every race.

I don't think we disagree. Asking for an honest effort is more than fair--from a horse, a team, your kids or yourself. That is not a matter of hope, it is a matter of your assessment if someone is giving an honest effort.

 

So you prefer a hard knocking $5K claimer who always tries but makes little money, over an allowance winner that is talented, but does not try that hard, and could be a stakes horse if it cared more. You view the Nolan team as the former and the current team as the latter. You view current management as not caring or inept as well. That's cool. I'm not sure I agree with your assessment of the current team or management, but what gets you upset is lack of effort(as you see it), and if I come to that conclusion I will feel as you do.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I don't think we disagree. Asking for an honest effort is more than fair--from a horse, a team, your kids or yourself. That is not a matter of hope, it is a matter of your assessment if someone is giving an honest effort.

 

So you prefer a hard knocking $5K claimer who always tries but makes little money, over an allowance winner that is talented, but does not try that hard, and could be a stakes horse if it cared more. You view the Nolan team as the former and the current team as the latter. You view current management as not caring or inept as well. That's cool. I'm not sure I agree with your assessment of the current team or management, but what gets you upset is lack of effort(as you see it), and if I come to that conclusion I will feel as you do.

 

This team is better in the effort department than it has been. They are not "disgusting" to watch with the addition of guys like Montador, Grier, Myers, and Miller who seemingly found the right script of antidepressants this year.

 

The playoffs are different though. Guys like Tallinder and Connolly will not suddenly grow a heart. Miller has been overused yet again....whether people agree or not. You still have the same heirarchy in place that F'd the whole thing up after lucking into a league overhaul that played right into their strengths coming out of the lockout. This is what sticks in my, and many memorybanks. If the Sabres go to the cup I will gladly admit that I was too critical of the team and they deserve to be there. They are 5-1 to get to the cup......I say more like 12-1.

 

And to me it IS all about the effort. I rarely end up with an allowance horse that has tons of talent and doesn't try because I can't afford them. My MO is to find intelligent horses that many overlook who end up being overachievers. It doesn't always work that way, but I NEED to respect the athlete before I invest. In a sense I understand the Sabres supposed stance of looking for value....but where they go wrong is what they view as value.