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Terry Pegula buying the Buffalo Sabres discussion


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Posted

1. I didn't mean to suggest Pegula was trying to help an unqualified friend. There's just something a little unseemly about giving $88 million to a university for sports, then making calls to other university presidents and athletic directors to try and influence a coaching appointment. The implication is pretty clear. As has been reported here (and never by Bucky, by the way), the Pegulas also give tons of money to Republican candidates. He's trying to change the world, I guess. But, hey, as long as his evil master plan involves the Sabres winning three or four Cups, who am I to stop him!

 

2. Interesting question. He's still on the board of his company. He still owns lots of land rights. I don't know how NY plays into this. I was always dubious about what Mendola wrote. I don't know how owning the Sabres would change public opinion or opinions in Albany. But it just nags in the back of the head a little.

WRT #1 - the $88M gift makes him a booster. A big big big-money booster. And right or wrong, big money boosters have been known to influence coaching hires and firings throughout the NCAA (and even in HS sports). If he was trying to help a qualified friend get an interview or consideration for a coaching gig, I have no problem with that. If the implication was "I gave this school $88M, you owe me and will hire who I say" then that's a different story.

Posted

WRT #1 - the $88M gift makes him a booster. A big big big-money booster. And right or wrong, big money boosters have been known to influence coaching hires and firings throughout the NCAA (and even in HS sports). If he was trying to help a qualified friend get an interview or consideration for a coaching gig, I have no problem with that. If the implication was "I gave this school $88M, you owe me and will hire who I say" then that's a different story.

 

These stories involve a Penn State assistant trying to get a head coaching job at Temple or Pitt. You're president of one of universities and get a call from someone who just donated 88 million to Penn State and is worth 3 billion -- what's running through your mind?

Posted

These stories involve a Penn State assistant trying to get a head coaching job at Temple or Pitt. You're president of one of universities and get a call from someone who just donated 88 million to Penn State and is worth 3 billion -- what's running through your mind?

 

Lunch?

Posted

Everyone thinks the sale is happening!

True, but Bucky came out a few weeks ago, when all had grown quiet and many of us had started to get nervous, and definitively stated that it was going to happen. I think that was based on sources and was pretty solid reporting. This doesn't mean I'm a big fan of Bucky's, and like I said, I thought his column yesterday was weak sauce, but I'm willing to give credit where it's due.

Posted

These stories involve a Penn State assistant trying to get a head coaching job at Temple or Pitt. You're president of one of universities and get a call from someone who just donated 88 million to Penn State and is worth 3 billion -- what's running through your mind?

"Maybe he'll adopt me?"

Posted

Another story emerging about Pegula trying to use his influence to get a Penn State assistant a head coaching job:

 

"Pitt sources have told me it was Pederson who disregarded strong references for Bradley from Steelers president Dan Rooney and PSU-grad billionaire Terry Pegula and went his own way with the offbeat choice of Miami (Ohio) coach Haywood. I've been told Nordenberg was smart enough to take Pegula's call while Pederson ignored it."

 

http://blog.pennlive.com/davidjones/2011/01/will_tom_bradley_and_rob_bolde.html

 

The "smart enough" line clearly refers to Pegula apparently trying to leverage his big gift to Penn State to get this guy a job. He made a call to Temple as well.

 

It casts a tiny bit of doubt about what this guy is all about. But I'm not worried yet. Still, Nick Mendola and a very few others immediately upon hearing about Pegula and the Sabres put a theory out there that buying the Sabres could be a political move to change the atmosphere regarding regulation of Marcellus Shale drilling in New York State.

 

Food for thought. And, oh yeah, despite all of Bucky's sources, this is a side of Pegula you won't see him writing about. Doesn't fit the neat little narrative Bucky has crafted, for whatever reason, that Pegula is a Sabres fanatic who is committed to winning multiple Cups etc. etc.

) You try to hard to find that conspiracy theory. There is no evidence to suggest that Bucky has "crafted" anything.

2) I'll take a hockey fanatic who meddles in his team's personnel decisions over a guy who thinks that icing happens when that big machine comes out at "halftime" and cleans the field.

Posted

I didn't get the idea of throwing out those names for GM. The whole thing was cast as some kind of insider information Bucky has, but it just read as his opinion.

 

Geez, I hope Pegula doesn't buy into the good old boys Buffalo network -- Don Luce, Rick Dudley, some guy from Amherst, a former Sabre prospect. Think outside the bun!

 

 

Dudley would be a tremendous hire.

Posted

Dudley would be a tremendous hire.

Here is a radical idea, how offering a boat load of money to the Red Wings and bring in Ken Holland? Or go after Jim Nill the Red Wings assistant GM?

 

Make a bold move. The Red Wings are the New England Patriots of the NHL. That is a front office with a ton of knowledge and success to back up that claim.

Posted

We could be a decent organization with hockey smarts, we have the pedigree. We just decided years ago to instead snuff our premier older heads in favor of LQ and video scouting.

 

I'd be for bringing in ANY AND ALL individuals with hockey smarts to breathe some life into this organization.

Posted

Here is a radical idea, how offering a boat load of money to the Red Wings and bring in Ken Holland? Or go after Jim Nill the Red Wings assistant GM?

Make a bold move. The Red Wings are the New England Patriots of the NHL. That is a front office with a ton of knowledge and success to back up that claim.

I like the idea of going after a rising star in the Wings organization. They are terrific in scouting and development.

Posted

Here is a radical idea, how offering a boat load of money to the Red Wings and bring in Ken Holland? Or go after Jim Nill the Red Wings assistant GM?

 

Make a bold move. The Red Wings are the New England Patriots of the NHL. That is a front office with a ton of knowledge and success to back up that claim.

spot on. i would be all in for copying the Red Wings model, down to stealing some management personnel if possible.

 

how about this, we trade Miller to them for Holland?

Posted

spot on. i would be all in for copying the Red Wings model, down to stealing some management personnel if possible.

 

how about this, we trade Miller to them for Holland?

Sadly I would think the Wings would want much more. More in the line of a bunch of high draft picks. They have not been a team to overspend on a goalie.

Posted

Dudley would be a tremendous hire.

Here is a radical idea, how offering a boat load of money to the Red Wings and bring in Ken Holland? Or go after Jim Nill the Red Wings assistant GM?

 

Make a bold move. The Red Wings are the New England Patriots of the NHL. That is a front office with a ton of knowledge and success to back up that claim.

While Dudley and certainly Holland would be amazing, there is zero possibility of either of these happening. Their current teams wouldn't let them go and they wouldn't want to leave their current positions. The #2 guy in Detroit's organization is a much more realistic (and interesting) possibility.

Posted

Yeah, that was pretty rich when Bucky said the accuracy of the Channel 2 report couldn't be confirmed. Rich! Bucky had Pegula in NYC a couple of weeks ago meeting with league officials, then had to admit he was there to see a concert.

 

The references to his sources being beer vendors must mean he was stung by the criticism.

 

Bucky continues to make outlandish statements couched as facts, like Pegula being a "one of their (the Sabres') biggest fans." He admits he has never talked to Pegula. Pegula started off a fan of the Flyers. He knows Craig Patrick, golfed with Sidney and attended the Winter Classic (both involving the Pens). Is he also one of Flyers' and Penguins' biggest fans?

 

Again, the "buzz" about a new GM making the decision on Ruff. Duh. No new owner is going to come in in February with a team out of the playoffs and fire a guy who's been there 13 years. Lindy will play out the string, and of course then it will be up to the new GM whether to pursue him. Finally we'll see how many offers Lindy gets on the open market.

Here's something from Elliotte Friedman at CBC, who is an excellent hockey writer:

26. Won't be too long before the Sabres announce Terry Pegula as their new owner, with approval to come at the Board of Governors meeting during the all-star weekend. Will he make a definitive statement of the futures of Darcy Regier and Lindy Ruff? A few GMs are wondering if Ruff will be available this summer.

 

linkage.

Posted

Here's something from Elliotte Friedman at CBC, who is an excellent hockey writer:

 

 

linkage.

 

I'm not going to question the quality of that writer, but that statement seems like common sense to me.

Posted

I'm sure there are a few men wondering if Katherine Zeta Jones will be available this summer as well.

Possible comment in poor taste ahead, but in the match-up of the health of Zeta-Jones' husband versus the security blanket of the "status quo" being sold out, which one becomes available first? CZJ or Lindy?

Posted

Possible comment in poor taste ahead, but in the match-up of the health of Zeta-Jones' husband versus the security blanket of the "status quo" being sold out, which one becomes available first? CZJ or Lindy?

 

No disclaimer needed. Unless you are the XO then Captain of a Nuclear Carrier for the good ol USA. You are in charge of a floating city capable of wiping out 20% of the world, but a few PP jokes....no, can't have that.

 

Darcy must be running the Pentagon as well.

Posted
While Quinn did not say much about the possible sale of the Buffalo Sabres, he did guarantee one thing to Buffalo hockey fans. “The only assurance that I would give to fans until there is a sale, or if there is a sale is they need to know something we did five years ago,” said Quinn. “In bankruptcy, we committed to a non-relocation agreement, which we didn’t have to do, to keep the Buffalo Sabres here forever. From a fans point of view, that’s all they needed to worry about.”

 

http://www.wgr550.com/World-Juniors-in-Buffalo-deemed-a-success--Quinn-c/8920560

 

I don't understand the quote, is he saying that Buffalo will remain having a non-relocation agreement with the new ownership? I'm not sure I get the relevance of the quote, anyone help me out?

Posted

http://www.wgr550.com/World-Juniors-in-Buffalo-deemed-a-success--Quinn-c/8920560

 

I don't understand the quote, is he saying that Buffalo will remain having a non-relocation agreement with the new ownership? I'm not sure I get the relevance of the quote, anyone help me out?

 

I think he knows 87% of the fanbase wouldn't cry if his Heparin went haywire on him, and he is patting himself on the back in order to prove himself a hero to the community in his own eyes.

Posted

http://www.wgr550.com/World-Juniors-in-Buffalo-deemed-a-success--Quinn-c/8920560

 

I don't understand the quote, is he saying that Buffalo will remain having a non-relocation agreement with the new ownership? I'm not sure I get the relevance of the quote, anyone help me out?

 

I can't imagine the sale having a non-relocation clause of perpetual duration. Maybe so. Just for the hell of it, I checked the bankruptcy court docket, and unfortunately, the sale of substantially all assets of Niagara Frontier Hockey predated electronic filing. So I can't see the motion for approval of sale to determine if the non-relocation provision was described in that motion.

Posted

I think he knows 87% of the fanbase wouldn't cry if his Heparin went haywire on him, and he is patting himself on the back in order to prove himself a hero to the community in his own eyes.

 

A little of this, and also letting the fans know that the Sabres will not be leaving Buffalo as a part of the sale. Not that anyone thinks that will be happening, but that's where the patting himself on the back part comes in.

Posted

http://www.wgr550.com/World-Juniors-in-Buffalo-deemed-a-success--Quinn-c/8920560

 

I don't understand the quote, is he saying that Buffalo will remain having a non-relocation agreement with the new ownership? I'm not sure I get the relevance of the quote, anyone help me out?

 

Buffalo News has a very different take on the news conference than does GR.

 

Also, Quinn did not say that the agreement was that the Sabres would remain here forever. He said that the purchasing group agreed not to relocate, and then--in a different sentence--said that the Sabres will be here forever.

 

Which they will be, do not worry. But watch the vid, you'll see that the reassurance is divorced from his description of the buyout:

 

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2011/01/video-quinn-fields-questions-on-reports-of-sabres-sale.html

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