shrader Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 Inevitably. I've yet to listen to the piece but im not liking what I'm hearing. Transparency is one thing, opening yourself up like pegs has is only going to lead to frustration and alienation on his part. Listen before coming up with any opinion. This entire thread is slanted towards that negative opinion so it can easily poison your mind. Don't try to read any of the so called "miserable superheroes" or the Buffalo News. Don't read the positive posts from guys like 11 and Taro. This is one of those rare opportunities where you've actually been handed the entire audio. Listen to it and judge it for yourself.
Stoner Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 The comments about the News bringing down the players struck me as being geared towards showing the players that he will defend them and stand by them regardless of what is being said. My guess is that they appreciate that. It goes back to trying to set himself up as the 'best owner in hockey.' Was it a misstep? Perhaps. But I'd expect we are trying to parse it down too far. What you're saying makes sense except he's portraying them as 1. quitters (when there's "quit" in a team, what do we call the players?) and 2. extremely fragile, so much so that mean old Bucky and Jerry can make them quit. That won't play well in the lockerroom, if the guys even find out what was said. It's not being reported anywhere. I suspect the News has decided it's not really going to be news out of deference to Terry, but we haven't read Jerry's newest column yet either. I find it interesting that the board meeting was held Tuesday afternoon but not released until Thursday night. I don't think they wanted to rain on his parade. Or, something happened in the interim and the News has decided to out him. Here's the thing Taro. Terry's theory about how players react to media criticism is pretty screwy. The idea that the media in this day and age should play ball with the team is even screwier. OK, fine. It's pretty harmless. How many other screwy ideas does Pegula have?
Stoner Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 Agreed. I mean ... isn't this ... obvious? He's not going to sit there, essentially being put in a defensive position in front of several well-read, prominent critics (you could almost envision a dark room, smoke, and spotlight focused right on TP), and come out with negative and/or ambiguous statements about his own guys. For now, Darcy is one of TP's guys. FOR NOW. For what it's worth, Darcy has YEARS of experience with the team and is also still under contract - barring anything crazy, he's not the type of guy in an organization you'd be looking to just fire immediately. Personally, I think TP got enough outside diligence to confirm that the "in the know" folks in hockey don't think Darcy is a knucklehead, which enables TP to comfortably retain status quo for awhile while he gets his footing, effects a smooth ownership transition AND simultaneously evaluates whether Darcy is his guy for the long term. I did not hear any announcements about 5 year extensions for Darcy. But here's the thing. Maybe I am out to lunch again on Lindy. But if Darcy is canned after the season, what kind of GM is going to want to come in and be told who his coach is going to be?
Stoner Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 After sleeping on it, I have calmed down a bit, but I still think that Pegs taking on the News with his "the reason the team quit was because of you guys" was a mistake on his part. There is NO way he will ever win a battle with the media and I am sure there are other ways to show his support to the players other than this. Does he really believe that he can get the News to say nothing but positive things about his team? I'll move on now. I am more interested in what the offseason holds in terms of Pegs first true test. You might be surprised how teams can influence coverage. In Bob Swados' book, he tells a story about all the heat the team was getting during the Nolan contract situtation. He and Norty Knox went to the News offices and argued for the paper to let up. The paper did, for awhile. The new guys don't have that kind of pull, and it's 2011, not 1997. Still...
deluca67 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 After sleeping on it, I have calmed down a bit, but I still think that Pegs taking on the News with his "the reason the team quit was because of you guys" was a mistake on his part. There is NO way he will ever win a battle with the media and I am sure there are other ways to show his support to the players other than this. Does he really believe that he can get the News to say nothing but positive things about his team? I'll move on now. I am more interested in what the offseason holds in terms of Pegs first true test. In the end that interview may be the best thing that could have possibly happened. Hopefully it has cleared some of the stars from Terry Pegula's eyes and he can now go forward with a more discerning eye.
Ghost of Dwight Drane Posted February 25, 2011 Author Report Posted February 25, 2011 You might be surprised how teams can influence coverage. In Bob Swados' book, he tells a story about all the heat the team was getting during the Nolan contract situtation. He and Norty Knox went to the News offices and argued for the paper to let up. The paper did, for awhile. The new guys don't have that kind of pull, and it's 2011, not 1997. Still... Most of the media is in the bag for one entity or another. The idea is that they are supposed to hold those in power accountable, but in a small town with intertwining circles like Buffalo, it's hard to find consistant objectivity. I am still very happy Pegula is the new owner. He seems sincere, he has an emotional connection to the fans, and he says he is willing to go balls out. His learning curve is going to be a little longer than I would have expected for a billionare and hockey follower though.
dumb_dumb88 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 Most of the media is in the bag for one entity or another. The idea is that they are supposed to hold those in power accountable, but in a small town with intertwining circles like Buffalo, it's hard to find consistant objectivity. I am still very happy Pegula is the new owner. He seems sincere, he has an emotional connection to the fans, and he says he is willing to go balls out. His learning curve is going to be a little longer than I would have expected for a billionare and hockey follower though. Very well said Ghost of DD.
Mike Oxhurtz Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 I liked the press conference. Pegula ran his oil/gas company like a family and that's how he's going to run the Sabres, like a family. He's defending his new Sabres family in front of the media and the players will work harder and have much more respect for him because of it. Couple good points that came out of it: Pegula said that it was mainly Regier's idea to beef up the scouting department (Regier was used to getting "NO" before). Also, I liked how Pegula dimed out Golisano about not wanting to sign players to long-term contracts, especially Tallinder & Lydman. I agree with Pegula's assessment, if both players were still on the team, the Sabres would have 10 more wins. One thing I didn't like was why did the media bring up July 1st 2007 (the day Drury & Briere left) to Pegula, as if Pegula could undo the past? I didn't like that the Sabres failed to resign those two, but that was totally unclassy of the media to put that on Pegula the way they did.
BetweenThePipes00 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 I somwhow managed to post my thoughts on this over on the Sully thread but for the most part ( I have not read this whole thread) I seem to agree with PA ... which is very scary. I am just reminding myself Pegula was a hockey owner for only about 8 hours before he said some of the crazy things he said and I keep praying he will learn. EDIT: That sounds like a shot at PA ... just saying usually I am more, um, optimistic than he is. So this is sacry because I want to stay excited that things will get better.
R_Dudley Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 Most of the media is in the bag for one entity or another. The idea is that they are supposed to hold those in power accountable, but in a small town with intertwining circles like Buffalo, it's hard to find consistant objectivity. I am still very happy Pegula is the new owner. He seems sincere, he has an emotional connection to the fans, and he says he is willing to go balls out. His learning curve is going to be a little longer than I would have expected for a billionare and hockey follower though. I do not live under a rock and I did listen to the interview. I am one of posters that has gone on the record as having had enough of both DR and LR and my takeaway is more in line with the that was his attempt to show his new family(Sabres) he has their back. A little awkaward, naive and actually wrong to infer some blame on players performance on the press ? Yes, yes and double yes but I do chalk that up to never really being in this exact business or position before. I also really appreciate his honesty even when I do not necessarily agree with or like everything he is saying. My last comment on your bolded point is, while he was an avid fan he did admit after moving to Florida to putting his Family and daughter first, and not being that connected to the team or dealings. What i did like is his reference to the book half time and the fact before he did this he made sure he could be dedicated to his new Sabres family like he thinks you need to be to be successful. If it takes a little longer that's okay with me.
BuffaloSoldier2010 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 While I understand the concern based from the press conference, I really don't get the end of the world mentality some of you seem to be showing on here. We now have i believe, the second wealthiest owner in the league telling us that money is no object. We've been drafting relatively well considering we've only been using video scouting, and i think this change in mentality will only bring more players like Myers, Ennis, and Kassian to this organization. It'll be safe to say that come the next couple years, we could potentially have the best scouting staff in the league (with the exception of Detroit, it still blows my mind how they draft so well in the late rounds). Make a big deal out of the word "waste" all you want, its not your money, it's Mr. Pegula's. First off i dont think Sawyer or Black would really allow anything like that to happen, and if they did, the waste would probably be incurred by having more staff than necessary. To those of you who do not like Lindy Ruff, was he not named an assistant coach for team Canada? The uncontested hockey country? Don't you think if there were better canadian coaches they would have used them? Lindy is a fantastic head coach, and one of the most respected in the league. Unfortunately, Lindy can't lace them up himself and motivate his boys during the game on the ice. You're going to have a problem when Buffalo becomes a "good place to develop" and a "good place to retire", but not to flourish as an NHLr. If you dont give Lindy the right players, he wont be able to make a competitive team that can go all the way. it's a flatout miracle that we got to the Northeast title last year with the roster we had. I'd say about 50% of that was Miller's PHENOMINAL play, and the other 50 was Lindy. As for Regier, i want to see what he can do when he's no longer required to make "business" decisions in an effort to help the organization break even. Now he can make "Hockey" decisions and i wish him the best on that, for the sake of the team and his own confidence. In case you guys forgot before July 1,2007 we did win a presidents trophy. I was at Verizon center when we clinched it with a 3-0 win over the then struggling capitals. Darcey built that contender, through draft picks like Vanek and Miller who i watched develop with the Americans in Rochester, and from traded players like Drury and Briere. There are 30 teams in the NHL and i don't think you can be this overly critical of Darcy, for all we know he may have thought several years in advance and perhaps in his opinion the right players have not become available yet. Here's to being pleasantly surprised.
Stoner Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 While I understand the concern based from the press conference, I really don't get the end of the world mentality some of you seem to be showing on here. We now have i believe, the second wealthiest owner in the league telling us that money is no object. I think that's a leap based on what we know. Terry said he would increase the budget for scouting, player development, player amenities, etc. The non-cap budget. Increase how much? He didn't say. He said if he wanted to make money, he'd drill a well. That doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't care if the Sabres lose a ton of money. He said the hockey department will no longer operate under any financial mandate, which is good. What about the non-hockey department? What mandate are they under? For someone for whom money is no object, he sure has some business/finance people at the top of his organization, not a real hockey guy in the lot of Black, Sawyer, DiPofi. If money's no object, why did Black sound very much like he was softening up the fans for a ticket increase next season, because the Sabres have to keep pace on the revenue side to get that revenue sharing welfare check from the league? I keep seeing the phrase "blank check" being thrown around. That has no basis in reality. I just hope as the offseason goes along, that the media hold the team's feet to the fire and report persistently on what is being done and spent on that non-cap side of the hockey department.
Taro T Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 What you're saying makes sense except he's portraying them as 1. quitters (when there's "quit" in a team, what do we call the players?) and 2. extremely fragile, so much so that mean old Bucky and Jerry can make them quit. That won't play well in the lockerroom, if the guys even find out what was said. It's not being reported anywhere. I suspect the News has decided it's not really going to be news out of deference to Terry, but we haven't read Jerry's newest column yet either. I find it interesting that the board meeting was held Tuesday afternoon but not released until Thursday night. I don't think they wanted to rain on his parade. Or, something happened in the interim and the News has decided to out him. Here's the thing Taro. Terry's theory about how players react to media criticism is pretty screwy. The idea that the media in this day and age should play ball with the team is even screwier. OK, fine. It's pretty harmless. How many other screwy ideas does Pegula have? As mentioned in my original post, I'll relisten to the discussion this weekend. I'll listen again to see if the 'quitters' quote that you and some others heard so loudly above the rest of the interview resonates. I didn't hear it that way when I first listened to it. I'll also see if I get the impression that Lindy is coach for life even if the GM goes away. I've not come away w/ that thought yet, but maybe it is there. I've always believed that an incoming GM can choose who he wants, and wouldn't necessarily have to take Lindy although he might want to. (Would depend who's coming in to replace Darcy, if/when that happens.) The other bit I want to relisten to is the talk of free agents. I was getting distracted during that portion of the Q&A and didn't hear TP's responses. The stuff about his 'screwy' responses might resonate when I relisten to it. Again, I was taking it as more of a case of him showing the players he's got their backs. ('quitters' (?) quote not withstanding) I've got some thoughts on the leadership, or lack thereof, in the dressing room; but I'd like to relisten to the interview to see if there's any relationship there or not. (I didn't catch what TP said regarding his views on the leadership within the dressing room. I'm expecting they were there, but as mentioned, I had something else going on during the interview and there were several portions from 25-35 minutes in that I didn't catch completely.) Who knows, maybe I'll come over to the dark side w/ the rest of you. ;)
BuffaloSoldier2010 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 I just hope as the offseason goes along, that the media hold the team's feet to the fire and report persistently on what is being done and spent on that non-cap side of the hockey department. I absolutely agree with you there, but i believe as a fan, that we shouldn't be critics of an owner 5 days into his ownership based off his handling of a press conference. He's clearly a little giddy, and i know i would have been the same way if i recently purchased my all time favorite sports franchise and suddenly saw 7, 11, and 14 skating towards me at center ice. I say give the guy a Grace period to enjoy this a little, it's a dream for him. I'm sure we'll see them get down to business on this 3 year plan in the near future. It's simply far too early to judge.
Ghost of Dwight Drane Posted February 25, 2011 Author Report Posted February 25, 2011 As mentioned in my original post, I'll relisten to the discussion this weekend. I'll listen again to see if the 'quitters' quote that you and some others heard so loudly above the rest of the interview resonates. I didn't hear it that way when I first listened to it. I'll also see if I get the impression that Lindy is coach for life even if the GM goes away. I've not come away w/ that thought yet, but maybe it is there. I've always believed that an incoming GM can choose who he wants, and wouldn't necessarily have to take Lindy although he might want to. (Would depend who's coming in to replace Darcy, if/when that happens.) The other bit I want to relisten to is the talk of free agents. I was getting distracted during that portion of the Q&A and didn't hear TP's responses. The stuff about his 'screwy' responses might resonate when I relisten to it. Again, I was taking it as more of a case of him showing the players he's got their backs. ('quitters' (?) quote not withstanding) I've got some thoughts on the leadership, or lack thereof, in the dressing room; but I'd like to relisten to the interview to see if there's any relationship there or not. (I didn't catch what TP said regarding his views on the leadership within the dressing room. I'm expecting they were there, but as mentioned, I had something else going on during the interview and there were several portions from 25-35 minutes in that I didn't catch completely.) Who knows, maybe I'll come over to the dark side w/ the rest of you. ;) He just left a lot of holes with his answers. Ruff is my awesome coach.......the team quit Darcy makes good decisions......I don't know the details behind July 1st because it is in the past and doesn't matter This team needs positive re-enforcement.......If Tallinder and Lydman were here we'd have 10 more wins But the crux of it is that he actually thinks $200,000 worth of sports journalists were able to make $55 million worth of hockey players quit. It was plain as day, and like PA said, if he is trying to show solidarity with his team....calling them quitters and implying Bucky and Sully are more powerful than the team is not the best way to do it. I am not hitting the panic button. Like I said, 80% of this week is more positive than where we have been. It just looks like we have a longer wait before we can truly start rebuilding into a championship contender. We just have to let the guy learn. In reality, unless Darcy pulls off a blockbuster, this team rides the excitement for a few more games....miller is between the pipes for 47 of 49 games.....other teams that have been stone cold start playing back to their season average.....and the Sabres fade off into the sunset the last few weeks of the season while Miller ends up looking like something you'd hang on your door for Halloween.
BetweenThePipes00 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 He said if he wanted to make money, he'd drill a well. That doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't care if the Sabres lose a ton of money. While this is true, I was thinking about it and this reminded me ... I was thinking, if money really was no object, how much would he be OK losing? Atlanta says they lose $20 million every year ... would he do THAT to win a Cup? It sounded nuts to do that every year ... then I thought about it ... the guy has $4 BILLION ... I never really thought about how much that was, it's unreal to us peasants .... but he could lose $20 million a year for FIFTY YEARS in a row .... and STILL have $3 BILLION! ... that blows my mind. (It also pisses me off that TG wasn't willing to lose a million or two for even a couple years to go for it when they had the team, and he was going to make it all back when he sold,but that is beside the point.) The point is, you are right, "blank check" is probably an exaggeration and we have no idea how this is really going to play out. But he DOES have the money to lose a staggering amount and be just fine IF he wants to. I don't think anyone would say he SHOULD lose $20 million every year, but I think we have a right to expect him to go for it if the window is there and the money will make a difference. We are not just being presumptious with someone else's money, we are just going by what he has said.
Mike Oxhurtz Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 I was a huge critic of Golisano, Quinn & Regier & wanted all of them out of here. IMO, most of you are making a big deal out of nothing right now. Pegula just took over the team this week, give the guy sometime before you start judging/bashing him.
BetweenThePipes00 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 I was a huge critic of Golisano, Quinn & Regier & wanted all of them out of here. IMO, most of you are making a big deal out of nothing right now. Pegula just took over the team this week, give the guy sometime before you start judging/bashing him. I know you are right ... but at the same time, how would we react if someone came on here and said ... "The team is bad because the Buffalo News is too negative. If they would just find something nice to say even when they play bad (TP actually said that), they would be better." ... would we not disagree with that vehemently? Of course we would. It sounds like something my mother-in-law would say. (But that's OK, she lives in Pittsburgh and doesn't know what icing is.) So why should we ignore it when the owner of the team says it? I don't think it is bashing so much as realizing that he DOES have a lot to learn and things MIGHT not change as fast as some would like if he doesn't have the right people around him. Doesn't make him a bad guy or even a bad owner ... but it does make me shake my head a little.
Jerry Jabber Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 I know you are right ... but at the same time, how would we react if someone came on here and said ... "The team is bad because the Buffalo News is too negative. If they would just find something nice to say even when they play bad (TP actually said that), they would be better." ... would we not disagree with that vehemently? Of course we would. It sounds like something my mother-in-law would say. (But that's OK, she lives in Pittsburgh and doesn't know what icing is.) So why should we ignore it when the owner of the team says it? I don't think it is bashing so much as realizing that he DOES have a lot to learn and things MIGHT not change as fast as some would like if he doesn't have the right people around him. Doesn't make him a bad guy or even a bad owner ... but it does make me shake my head a little. Before I respond, Hello everyone, first time poster on here. I usually post on TwoBillsDrive, so I'm new here. I listened to the interview and scrolled through the posts and read a lot of the comments and IMO, a lot of people are going overboard with this. As someone said, Terry is sticking up for his team, just like he did when he owned East Resources, Inc. Cut the guy some slack already, this is the first time he's owning a professional team and having to deal with the media like this. Plus, I see Terry's point, after a while, I'm sure players get tired of hearing "they suck", "they're underperforming" etc...etc... If I had a boss that went to bat for me like Terry Pegula just did, I would definitely go the extra mile in everything I do for him, and I'm sure the Sabres players will in fact do the same. I know what will change a lot of people's attitudes around here, is winning. Once the Sabres start winning and going deeper and deeper in the playoffs, then opinions will change. But so far, IMO, Terry Pegula is everything what we've been hoping for.
Mike Oxhurtz Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 I know you are right ... but at the same time, how would we react if someone came on here and said ... "The team is bad because the Buffalo News is too negative. If they would just find something nice to say even when they play bad (TP actually said that), they would be better." ... would we not disagree with that vehemently? Of course we would. It sounds like something my mother-in-law would say. (But that's OK, she lives in Pittsburgh and doesn't know what icing is.) So why should we ignore it when the owner of the team says it? I don't think it is bashing so much as realizing that he DOES have a lot to learn and things MIGHT not change as fast as some would like if he doesn't have the right people around him. Doesn't make him a bad guy or even a bad owner ... but it does make me shake my head a little. I'm willing to cut the guy some slack, Pegula hasn't even been on the job a full week, plus he's showing his new Sabres family that he has their back. Who wouldn't love to work for a guy like that? I know Pegula said he'd like to win the cup in 3 years or less, but if he doesn't, then I won't be disappointed, just as long as the team is pointed in the right direction. If it takes 5-10 years to win a cup, then I'm fine with that, just as long as we win a cup.
Mike Oxhurtz Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 Before I respond, Hello everyone, first time poster on here. I usually post on TwoBillsDrive, so I'm new here. I listened to the interview and scrolled through the posts and read a lot of the comments and IMO, a lot of people are going overboard with this. As someone said, Terry is sticking up for his team, just like he did when he owned East Resources, Inc. Cut the guy some slack already, this is the first time he's owning a professional team and having to deal with the media like this. Plus, I see Terry's point, after a while, I'm sure players get tired of hearing "they suck", "they're underperforming" etc...etc... If I had a boss that went to bat for me like Terry Pegula just did, I would definitely go the extra mile in everything I do for him, and I'm sure the Sabres players will in fact do the same. I know what will change a lot of people's attitudes around here, is winning. Once the Sabres start winning and going deeper and deeper in the playoffs, then opinions will change. But so far, IMO, Terry Pegula is everything what we've been hoping for. Jerry, welcome aboard!!!
BetweenThePipes00 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 Before I respond, Hello everyone, first time poster on here. I usually post on TwoBillsDrive, so I'm new here. I listened to the interview and scrolled through the posts and read a lot of the comments and IMO, a lot of people are going overboard with this. As someone said, Terry is sticking up for his team, just like he did when he owned East Resources, Inc. Cut the guy some slack already, this is the first time he's owning a professional team and having to deal with the media like this. Plus, I see Terry's point, after a while, I'm sure players get tired of hearing "they suck", "they're underperforming" etc...etc... If I had a boss that went to bat for me like Terry Pegula just did, I would definitely go the extra mile in everything I do for him, and I'm sure the Sabres players will in fact do the same. I know what will change a lot of people's attitudes around here, is winning. Once the Sabres start winning and going deeper and deeper in the playoffs, then opinions will change. But so far, IMO, Terry Pegula is everything what we've been hoping for. Welcome ... I really don't think we are bashing him as much as just commenting and disagreeing with him. I agree he is not used to dealing with the media and I understand it, but that is exactly the point. He needs to understand how things work or he is going to be miserable. As some others have pointed out ... saying they QUIT because of what is in the local newpaper is not really "having their back" ... if he thinks it is, again, he has a lot to learn. No one, least of all a professional athlete, wants to hear that they quit. And even if it was just a poor choice of words to say "quit," the players know the deal ... give them some credit here too. Miller knows when he plays bad. Pominville knows when he is not burying chances. The media has so little effect on even the weakest of players ... they get weeded out long before the NHL. If he asked them they would probably say thanks, but you just make us look like little kids who can't handle what our job entails. having your players' backs is great. Saying "can't you write something nice even when they play bad, it might help" is another. That's just not the real world. Did the Yankees win 27 World Series because the new york media said nice things about them? It makes no sense.
LabattBlue Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 There are still two B's in my name in the thread title. I will continue to be miserable until this is fixed(and then will probably find some other reason to be miserable within 10 minutes). Hint...Click on edit post and the "use full editor". :blush:
shrader Posted February 25, 2011 Report Posted February 25, 2011 I am not hitting the panic button. But you have no problem throwing some thoughts out there that just might make the tin foil hat brigade hit their own panic button. ;) And yes, until I find the time to listen to the whole thing, I'm going to throw out crappy comments like the one I just made. There are still two B's in my name in the thread title. I will continue to be miserable until this is fixed(and then will probably find some other reason to be miserable within 10 minutes). Hint...Click on edit post and the "use full editor". :blush: I'd hate to break it to you, but there are two B's in your name. ;) :o
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