Why Continue to Post?

[Dave Dryden]

Why do certain intelligent people continue to follow this team so intently and continuously post here--and by that I mean those very objective(some might say negative) people who recognize that this team is not good. You are right--they are not good. You are right that this team has a very good goalie--who was great last year--and very little else. They don't have guys who can finish, they play with a physical edge about 5 games a year, and have a lack of leadership and the mental toughness to be even a playoff team, much less a contender.

 

So why do you write post after post after post after post about this team. Do you not believe your own words? Are you waiting for a miracle on a minute by minute basis? Do something else. Watch Nascar or basketball or other hockey teams. But please stop wasting your emotional energy---a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

 

Why do you invest so much effort on a plainly lost cause? I just don't get it. Nothing you say or do here will change anything. Forget about this team for now. Pop your head up on Goundhog's Day and when you see they are still below .500, go back down for 6 more weeks of winter--and by then it will be Spring and you can play golf with the team in mid-April. Please find something else to do for a while--it is your only rational move. DD

[Kristian]

Why do certain intelligent people continue to follow this team so intently and continuously post here--and by that I mean those very objective(some might say negative) people who recognize that this team is not good. You are right--they are not good. You are right that this team has a very good goalie--who was great last year--and very little else. They don't have guys who can finish, they play with a physical edge about 5 games a year, and have a lack of leadership and the mental toughness to be even a playoff team, much less a contender.

 

So why do you write post after post after post after post about this team. Do you not believe your own words? Are you waiting for a miracle on a minute by minute basis? Do something else. Watch Nascar or basketball or other hockey teams. But please stop wasting your emotional energy---a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

 

Why do you invest so much effort on a plainly lost cause? I just don't get it. Nothing you say or do here will change anything. Forget about this team for now. Pop your head up on Goundhog's Day and when you see they are still below .500, go back down for 6 more weeks of winter--and by then it will be Spring and you can play golf with the team in mid-April. Please find something else to do for a while--it is your only rational move. DD

 

This.

 

And if you truly want change, stop giving this team your money. It's not like they deserve it anyway.

[nfreeman]

All I can say is that it's hard to walk away from something you've cared about since childhood.

 

Also, I enjoy hockey talk with knowledgeable fans, which most posters here are.

 

Finally -- and this is the hardest part -- I don't think the Sabres are more than 1 or 2 good players away from being real contenders. I think management's hope/plan was that those players are in fact already on the roster. Every so often there are flashes of hope that this is actually true, but there are many more games in which it becomes clear that this is not the case.

 

Oh well.

[nucci]

Because we are Buffalo sports fans. It's what we do! I was born before the Sabres and went to my first Bills game in 1967. If you choose not to post anymore that's ok but many here will continue to follow our teams. It very easy to support a winning team.

[Kristian]

Because we are Buffalo sports fans. It's what we do! I was born before the Sabres and went to my first Bills game in 1967. If you choose not to post anymore that's ok but many here will continue to follow our teams. It very easy to support a winning team.

 

Not posting doesn't mean you're not following the team though, it just means you're not investing as much time in it.

[SwampD]

Why do certain intelligent people continue to follow this team so intently and continuously post here--and by that I mean those very objective(some might say negative) people who recognize that this team is not good. You are right--they are not good. You are right that this team has a very good goalie--who was great last year--and very little else. They don't have guys who can finish, they play with a physical edge about 5 games a year, and have a lack of leadership and the mental toughness to be even a playoff team, much less a contender.

 

So why do you write post after post after post after post about this team. Do you not believe your own words? Are you waiting for a miracle on a minute by minute basis? Do something else. Watch Nascar or basketball or other hockey teams. But please stop wasting your emotional energy---a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

 

Why do you invest so much effort on a plainly lost cause? I just don't get it. Nothing you say or do here will change anything. Forget about this team for now. Pop your head up on Goundhog's Day and when you see they are still below .500, go back down for 6 more weeks of winter--and by then it will be Spring and you can play golf with the team in mid-April. Please find something else to do for a while--it is your only rational move. DD

 

I can't give you a rational explanation for something that is completely irrational, and being a fan of any team is a completely irrational endeavor. But in being a fan, and completely irrational, I'm gonna go with that miracle thingy you were talking about.

 

I hope on a minute by minute basis that -

• Hecht learns to use his size and crash the net.
  
• Stafford learns to use his size and hit someone.
  
• Gaustad hits puberty and fills out and learns how to skate.
  
• Darcy gets a true first line center who becomes the captain, so that Connolly goes bye-bye and Roy's production doubles on the second line.
  
• ...many more...
  

 

Heck I even hope that Gerbe grows 5 inches, because right now I think he's the fastest, toughest, strongest player we have.

 

In the end, aren't we really just killing time until we're dead anyway. So wasting time on a message board about the Sabres is it's own reward. It sure beats getting worked up over taxes since we can't do anything about those, either.

[Stoner]

Without this board, I would have to roll down to the local Tea Party meetings with my fellow disgruntled old people in their government-issued scooters, to rail against a government that has sucked since January 20, 2009. So this board serves a very useful purpose for me.

 

Remember, a mime is not at terrible thing to waste.

[Dave Dryden]

Not posting doesn't mean you're not following the team though, it just means you're not investing as much time in it.

Exactly.. people who post here will always be strong fans, but you don't have to invest as much emotional energy when your team does not. It's frustrating when you care more than the team does.

[Dave Dryden]

Without this board, I would have to roll down to the local Tea Party meetings with my fellow disgruntled old people in their government-issued scooters, to rail against a government that has sucked since January 20, 2009. So this board serves a very useful purpose for me.

 

Remember, a mime is not at terrible thing to waste.

If you thought the government was rocking during the Bush Ad--that explains everything about you.

[deluca67]

Why do certain intelligent people continue to follow this team so intently and continuously post here--and by that I mean those very objective(some might say negative) people who recognize that this team is not good. You are right--they are not good. You are right that this team has a very good goalie--who was great last year--and very little else. They don't have guys who can finish, they play with a physical edge about 5 games a year, and have a lack of leadership and the mental toughness to be even a playoff team, much less a contender.

 

So why do you write post after post after post after post about this team. Do you not believe your own words? Are you waiting for a miracle on a minute by minute basis? Do something else. Watch Nascar or basketball or other hockey teams. But please stop wasting your emotional energy---a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

 

Why do you invest so much effort on a plainly lost cause? I just don't get it. Nothing you say or do here will change anything. Forget about this team for now. Pop your head up on Goundhog's Day and when you see they are still below .500, go back down for 6 more weeks of winter--and by then it will be Spring and you can play golf with the team in mid-April. Please find something else to do for a while--it is your only rational move. DD

Your epiphany is that fans should just give up? If someone would be that easily deterred what type of fan can they really consider themselves?

 

Every once in a while one of these "if they suck so bad , why do you post about them" threads come along and the response is always the same. As much as we dislike Quinn, Regier or Ruff we all know they are temps at most. Those it may seem like a eternity but most of the people in charge are on the downside of the tenor here with the Sabres. There are more coaches and GM's in the future for Sabre fans to cheer and jeer. As long as the franchise is here there will always be those who will be here discussing the success, failures and those responsible for each. You see, players and front office people will come and go. The fans are the only constant.

[nucci]

Not posting doesn't mean you're not following the team though, it just means you're not investing as much time in it.

ok, I misunderstood. I come here to read what others are saying. There are some good people on here and I read their opinions and toss mine in once in a while. Plus I am online almost every waking hour as my work requires it and I am a fantasy sports junkie.

[SwampD]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3P2SdEoMFE

[JoDo]

Why do certain intelligent people continue to follow this team so intently and continuously post here--and by that I mean those very objective(some might say negative) people who recognize that this team is not good. You are right--they are not good. You are right that this team has a very good goalie--who was great last year--and very little else. They don't have guys who can finish, they play with a physical edge about 5 games a year, and have a lack of leadership and the mental toughness to be even a playoff team, much less a contender.

 

So why do you write post after post after post after post about this team. Do you not believe your own words? Are you waiting for a miracle on a minute by minute basis? Do something else. Watch Nascar or basketball or other hockey teams. But please stop wasting your emotional energy---a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

 

Why do you invest so much effort on a plainly lost cause? I just don't get it. Nothing you say or do here will change anything. Forget about this team for now. Pop your head up on Goundhog's Day and when you see they are still below .500, go back down for 6 more weeks of winter--and by then it will be Spring and you can play golf with the team in mid-April. Please find something else to do for a while--it is your only rational move. DD

 

Wow, why do you care? I've followed this team for over 30years. It's what I do. Sometimes they suck and we complain and sometimes they play well and we cheer. So what. I hate NASCAR, I love hockey. It's not in my DNA to follow another hockey team. It's entertainment. If you're against wasting emotional energy, why are you here? This is one of the more ludicrous posts I've seen.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

It's sort of like having a drug addicted daughter that prostitutes herself. You still love her even though you know she is a poor decision maker and things can be so much better. You just don't fall for giving her your money anymore.

 

Plus, it's a small, well behaved community here. Most regular posters have a feel for each other's personality and can interact accordingly. It's a lot easier to bitch and moan to someone who cares and understands than to grumble to yourself or the checkout grandma at Target.

 

Plus, you never know when chz is going to have a psychotic separation after a game, get a room at the Hyatt, and declare open season.

[Dave Dryden]

It's sort of like having a drug addicted daughter that prostitutes herself. You still love her even though you know she is a poor decision maker and things can be so much better. You just don't fall for giving her your money anymore.

 

Plus, it's a small, well behaved community here. Most regular posters have a feel for each other's personality and can interact accordingly. It's a lot easier to bitch and moan to someone who cares and understands than to grumble to yourself or the checkout grandma at Target.

 

Plus, you never know when chz is going to have a psychotic separation after a game, get a room at the Hyatt, and declare open season.

But to use your analogy, which is not bad, do you hover over your daughter every time she has a spoon up her nose or is turning a trick? Don't you tell her, honey, I'm here for you when you start trying to improve your life, but it hurts too much to watch every destructive move you make closely.

 

I mean you can love the team, but if you see that it is not well put together, is it wise to fret over every little thing until you feel the team is at least going in the right direction?

 

Is is not, to some degree, insanity --watching the same thing expecting a different result? Until the fundamentals change, what are we watching for? You know what needs to be done before there will be improvement, and it is not going to be done, at least for now. What do you expect to happen?

 

Or is this just group therepy? Sharing your anger and disappointment with others who share the same affliction? A coping mechanism, if you will, until things get better?

[bunomatic]

Wow, why do you care? I've followed this team for over 30years. It's what I do. Sometimes they suck and we complain and sometimes they play well and we cheer. So what. I hate NASCAR, I love hockey. It's not in my DNA to follow another hockey team. It's entertainment. If you're against wasting emotional energy, why are you here? This is one of the more ludicrous posts I've seen.

I've followed the team since I was old enough to choose a favorite team and I hate quitting or bailing out on anything I do.The post I've highlighted says it all for me.Sports is also an escape for me and I'm sure a lot of others.Other 'lifers' will tell you that when the team wins or has success you feel a part of it,like a member of the team.When they lose it rips your heart out .There's nothing wrong with joining other like minded people who have invested tons of emotional energy in the team and sharing ideas or thoughts on what might improve the boys chances at winning the grail.

[Dave Dryden]

Your epiphany is that fans should just give up? If someone would be that easily deterred what type of fan can they really consider themselves?

 

Every once in a while one of these "if they suck so bad , why do you post about them" threads come along and the response is always the same. As much as we dislike Quinn, Regier or Ruff we all know they are temps at most. Those it may seem like a eternity but most of the people in charge are on the downside of the tenor here with the Sabres. There are more coaches and GM's in the future for Sabre fans to cheer and jeer. As long as the franchise is here there will always be those who will be here discussing the success, failures and those responsible for each. You see, players and front office people will come and go. The fans are the only constant.

No, not give up. But when you know things will turn out bad, is it not better to take a step back, and not take every failure so hard? I am not saying don't care--all I am saying is you(collective you, not you personally) need to have a bit of perspective under the circumstances.

[R_Dudley]

Following your team is what a true fan does and I love hockey.

 

I admit it is hard to watch and not get too emotionally connected but then that is what this board then becomes for me. A safe place to vent with others who share the same problem, a place to swear I'll never pick up the bottle, :unsure: er I meant remote again.(Sorry got confused for a moment with another group I regularly attend.)

 

Love em, hate em, but their my team and as swamp says theirs always that chance that the switch turns on and they catch fire and make it to finals only to lose again like they always do or maybe not.

 

Okay now Swamp what can we do about those taxes?

[Dave Dryden]

I've followed the team since I was old enough to choose a favorite team and I hate quitting or bailing out on anything I do.The post I've highlighted says it all for me.Sports is also an escape for me and I'm sure a lot of others.Other 'lifers' will tell you that when the team wins or has success you feel a part of it,like a member of the team.When they lose it rips your heart out .There's nothing wrong with joining other like minded people who have invested tons of emotional energy in the team and sharing ideas or thoughts on what might improve the boys chances at winning the grail.

I did not suggest there was anything wrong with it. Sports is an escape, but if it is an escape that you know will largely cause you pain--at least in the near term-what good is that? Is it not simply an investment in knowing frustration--at least for now? I mean if you know it is sh@t, do you need to wade in it neck deep. Can't you look at it from a distance, or just get your feet a little dirty?

[Dave Dryden]

Following your team is what a true fan does and I love hockey.

 

I admit it is hard to watch and not get too emotionally connected but then that is what this board then becomes for me. A safe place to vent with others who share the same problem, a place to swear I'll never pick up the bottle, :unsure: er I meant remote again.(Sorry got confused for a moment with another group I regularly attend.)

 

Love em, hate em, but their my team and as swamp says theirs always that chance that the switch turns on and they catch fire and make it to finals only to lose again like they always do or maybe not.

 

Okay now Swamp what can we do about those taxes?

But you do pick up the remote--again and again--that's my point. So at bottom, you continue to watch up close and personal, because you are a hopeless optimist. I can buy that answer.

[Weave]

Whether they are good, bad, or somewhere in between watching the Sabres is still entertainiment. And complaining about them to a group of like minded individuals is almost cathartic. Don't think for a minute that most of the folks who see this team as going nowhere are getting stressed out while posting here about it. Frankly, it is the opposite for me. It is a little bit of a stress releiver and it is enjoyable to exchange thoughts and feelings with a group who feels the same way you do. Even if it means expressing similar thoughts repeatedly.

 

And I continue to care and root for them becuase they are "my" team. I grew up just as they were coming into the league. I want them to do well because they nabbed me hook, line, and sinker back in the early days. I still want to see this team succeed because I grew up cheering for them. They are a part of who I am outside of family and work.

 

Having said that, you can bet your ass they don't get a cold nickle out of me while they are running this team the way they are now. No merchandise and no tix for this guy. Been that way since Drury and Briere left. :thumbsup: But I'll always watch and hope for at least entertainment.

 

Now, the question that begs to be asked is, why do you even care why we continue to post about it?

[Dave Dryden]

Whether they are good, bad, or somewhere in between watching the Sabres is still entertainiment. And complaining about them to a group of like minded individuals is almost cathartic. Don't think for a minute that most of the folks who see this team as going nowhere are getting stressed out while posting here about it. Frankly, it is the opposite for me. It is a little bit of a stress releiver and it is enjoyable to exchange thoughts and feelings with a group who feels the same way you do. Even if it means expressing similar thoughts repeatedly.

 

And I continue to care and root for them becuase they are "my" team. I grew up just as they were coming into the league. I want them to do well because they nabbed me hook, line, and sinker back in the early days. I still want to see this team succeed because I grew up cheering for them. They are a part of who I am outside of family and work.

 

Having said that, you can bet your ass they don't get a cold nickle out of me while they are running this team the way they are now. No merchandise and no tix for this guy. Been that way since Drury and Briere left. :thumbsup: But I'll always watch and hope for at least entertainment.

 

Now, the question that begs to be asked is, why do you even care why we continue to post about it?

Because I feel like you do too. I had season tix in 1970. The way this team is comprised and how they play I find depressing, not entertaining. I do not care for underachievers. I don't really care for most of these players because of how they approach the game. I wanted to find out how or why other people invest so much emotional energy in these circumstances.

[Weave]

Because I feel like you do too. I had season tix in 1970. The way this team is comprised and how they play I find depressing, not entertaining. I do not care for underachievers. I don't really care for most of these players because of how they approach the game. I wanted to find out how or why other people invest so much emotional energy in these circumstances.

 

I still find entertainemnt in parts of the game but overall I am very underwhelmed by the entertainment value this team provides. But I do still watch with the hope that I'll be entertained. It is sort of Pavlov's dog reaction. I am entertained just often enough that I still react when the puck drops, even though odds are I'll be disappointed at the result.

 

I haven't had any real emotional attachment to a Sabre since the Nolan/LaFontaine years. ANd really, I don't invest much emotion in the team at all anymore. Sure I complain. And I get all warm and fuzzy when they do something entertaining. But my blood pressure doesn't vary with their performance anymore.

 

I stopped watching hockey in the later part of the Hasek years. Too boring and too obvious that nothig good was coming from it. I am getting closer to that level of apathy again. I notice that a common denominator for these eras is Larry Quinn in a leadership role. :thumbdown:

[Marvelo]

I've been interested in the Sabs since the beginning. We have our ups and downs but I'd say quite a few of us are lifers. Plus misery loves company.

[Stoner]

I still find entertainemnt in parts of the game but overall I am very underwhelmed by the entertainment value this team provides. But I do still watch with the hope that I'll be entertained. It is sort of Pavlov's dog reaction. I am entertained just often enough that I still react when the puck drops, even though odds are I'll be disappointed at the result.

 

I haven't had any real emotional attachment to a Sabre since the Nolan/LaFontaine years. ANd really, I don't invest much emotion in the team at all anymore. Sure I complain. And I get all warm and fuzzy when they do something entertaining. But my blood pressure doesn't vary with their performance anymore.

 

I stopped watching hockey in the later part of the Hasek years. Too boring and too obvious that nothig good was coming from it. I am getting closer to that level of apathy again. I notice that a common denominator for these eras is Larry Quinn in a leadership role. :thumbdown:

 

It's pretty hard to peg the decline of the Sabres after 1999 to Larry Quinn.