Drury

[Weave]

I'm not disappointed in the outcome...because I expect the outcome.....which leads me to understand the regular season is meaningless....which means there is no ride for me.

 

Now if you think the past 4 years have been entertaining and worth your money, who am I to argue? It's your money, and if you say you are entertained, then you are entertained.

 

I think sometimes people confuse entertainment or success with the subsiding of misery. The team was disgusting for half the year, went on a run to just get them into the playoffs, only to fail to win a series once again. They had to fight just to get invited to the prom, popped a woody during a slow dance, and the faithful claim success. Meanwhile Vancouver is naked in Gurtler's hot tub with a bottle of Captain and a date who just got her braces off.

 

:wacko:

 

Umm.... I'll be back in a couple minutes.

[tom webster]

Again, telling me I'm confused is telling me you know what I feel.

A bit condescending and a tad insulting

Just to help you out, I saw a young team developing, Who knows, maybe your right and I'm lost in an illusion. Why not come along? Welcome back my friend, to a show that never ends.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Again, telling me I'm confused is telling me you know what I feel.

A bit condescending and a tad insulting

Just to help you out, I saw a young team developing, Who knows, maybe your right and I'm lost in an illusion. Why not come along? Welcome back my friend, to a show that never ends.

 

I'm not telling you what you feel, I'm telling you that you are possibly using the wrong words to describe your feeling.

 

Hey, some people get their rocks off by hanging from hooks in the ceiling. Who am I to judge?

[tom webster]

One last thought before I have to leave. You are telling me that my feelings of success and entertainment are actually the subsiding of my misery but you, Deluca and others are the ones that sound like you have been a constant state of misery while watching this team. I think I'll choose to stay in my state of ignorance.

[thesportsbuff]

I'm not disappointed in the outcome...because I expect the outcome.....which leads me to understand the regular season is meaningless....which means there is no ride for me.

 

Now if you think the past 4 years have been entertaining and worth your money, who am I to argue? It's your money, and if you say you are entertained, then you are entertained.

 

I think sometimes people confuse entertainment or success with the subsiding of misery. The team was disgusting for half the year, went on a run to just get them into the playoffs, only to fail to win a series once again. They had to fight just to get invited to the prom, popped a woody during a slow dance, and the faithful claim success. Meanwhile Vancouver is naked in Gurtler's hot tub with a bottle of Captain and a date who just got her braces off.

 

+1 because I laughed at loud at this post. :lol:

 

However I'm more on TW's side of the argument. Just because the season did end with a disappointing Game 7 loss to Philly doesn't automatically make the other 88 games I watched a waste of time. I had a ton of fun watching this team this season. The first half of the year was a trainwreck, but over the course of the season we saw tremendous strides made by Myers, Ennis, Gerbe, Stafford, and Weber -- not to mention promising cameos for Enroth and Gragnani. Roy was doing it all for the first 30 games and for the first time in his career looked like he may have an ounce of leadership in him after all.. but the real story is how Vanek took over down the stretch, probably securing the captaincy for next season spare a blockbuster acquisition by DR.

 

You can keep telling me the second half the season is irrelevant because they started so poorly -- I disagree. You absolutely can not discredit being one of the Top 3 teams in the league after January 1st, and if you really think this team IS as bad as they looked to start the year, that only adds to how impressive their second half was. The Philly series ended in disappointment, but if Stafford's shot in OT of Game 6 had been another 2 inches to the left, we would have moved on -- perhaps Roy comes back in better shape in Round 2, and who knows what happens? I would have felt very confident against Washington, cautiously confident against Tampa Bay, and I'm not entirely convinced Boston would have beaten us either... though they have been DAMN impressive against Philly/Vancouver. It's just a matter of match-ups really.

 

Anyway, the bottom line is that I enjoyed 88 games of hockey this year. The second half was a hell of a ride and an accomplishment. Plus all the Terry Pegula excitement, the Alumni appreciation game, etc. etc.

 

For the team, there were a lot of good things to build on. As a fan: It WAS a fun ride, and will continue to be a fun ride for years to come -- no matter how long it takes for them to win a cup.

[biodork]

Don't know about Eleven, but I didn't do homework and aced all my tests. Except Science. I hated Science. Do you think that's why I enjoy the ride while still being disappointed in the outcome?

 

Dunno about you, but my love for science is not mutually exclusive with my enjoyment of watching the Sabres. :)

 

I'm not disappointed in the outcome...because I expect the outcome.....which leads me to understand the regular season is meaningless....which means there is no ride for me.

 

Now if you think the past 4 years have been entertaining and worth your money, who am I to argue? It's your money, and if you say you are entertained, then you are entertained.

 

I think sometimes people confuse entertainment or success with the subsiding of misery. The team was disgusting for half the year, went on a run to just get them into the playoffs, only to fail to win a series once again. They had to fight just to get invited to the prom, popped a woody during a slow dance, and the faithful claim success. Meanwhile Vancouver is naked in Gurtler's hot tub with a bottle of Captain and a date who just got her braces off.

 

I have to admit I laughed out loud at that last part. Even though I fall more into the camp with TW, Eleven, and Jack, I can see where you're coming from (even if I don't always agree with you). But holy cow, can everyone at least wait until July 2nd before proclaiming the new ownership as having failed to change the status quo? Sure, most of the changes thus far have been cosmetic, but they've also gone a long ways towards changing the attitude of the fans, the players, and the alumni. The improvement of the team's image around the league shouldn't be undervalued when going into free agency and trying to sign new players, as well as convincing existing players (some of them, anyway) that they should stick around. I'll be as disappointed as anyone if all the gestures prove to be empty ones and nothing of substance changes with the roster in the offseason, but there's only so much the FO can do before July 1 (and at least before the playoffs are over), and until then I'm reserving judgement and remaining cautiously optimistic for next season.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I have said the team really tried those last 30 games or so and they were more fun to watch than any time since the '06 playoffs. I agree that their young players played well and there is chance for development from 3 or 4 of them to be very good. But again, instead of understanding the team is loaded down with dead weight up top and selling into the best seller's market in 10 deadlines, the team made a feel-good, futile run at a playoff stand....only to not come close.

 

I expected them to not sell, I expected them to fail in the playoffs, and I expect the front office and coaching to once again not bring in the correct players or to be able to identify their own flaws such as undervaluing leadership/talent, not knowing how to develop physical and large players, goaltending management, not encouraging individualism and instinct instead of system and thinking, and continuing to acquire and develop passive players who may get by for 82 games but disappear when it really matters. An engine can only run so powerful with a restrictor valve on it.....and for as shiny as Pegula wants to buff the paint of this "ride", you aren't going to top out with the exact same hardware in place underneath the hood.

 

Soon you will lose any benefit of young players overperforming as they continue to be led by the current salary and coaching structure. At least when guys under 25 are let go from the system, they have a chance to thrive in other places. You can teach a young dogs new tricks. I'm afraid that the young guys here have already learned their quota in the system. Lindy the Wounded Hound and the $30 million on your front two lines aren't suddenly going to run the obstacle course when all they have known how to do is roll over and play dead.

[Eleven]

Let me guess, you were probably an ace on homework assignments but somehow always came up short when it came time for the test?

 

Drane, I always did better on the tests than on the assignments. WIthout fail. That includes a bar exam, jackass.

 

You, on the other hand (since you wanted to get personal, and I don't care about your academic or professional career (such as it may be)), well, you just like to complain. You've offered absolutely nothing in your, let's call it a renaissance, here, except for bitching, moaning, and misery. Never an idea as to how to solve the problems that you purport to identify. Never a clue as to how a hockey team might operate. I mean, I get that you might have been ridiculed off of TBD and towards here, but come on: you offer nothing whatsoever to any intelligent hockey conversation, and it's unlikely that you ever will.

 

DeLuca, on the other hand, says some stuff that I simply can't agree with (Ruff a horrible coach; Kovy a one-man-fix for the team, only to say a year later that there's no one-man-fix), but he's civil and intelligent. PA, in his own passive-aggressive way, was much the same. Even weave can come up with something, and I'll give him time, because he's new.

 

But you? Zero. Zip. You have nothing at all to offer to this board or to the people who read it. Your commentary on the team is agenda-focused and vapid. And you're making it very difficult for me, and others who have contacted me through PM, to want to bother reading this board anymore, much less post here.

 

Now, please, ###### off.

[darksabre]

+1 because I laughed at loud at this post. :lol:

 

However I'm more on TW's side of the argument. Just because the season did end with a disappointing Game 7 loss to Philly doesn't automatically make the other 88 games I watched a waste of time. I had a ton of fun watching this team this season. The first half of the year was a trainwreck, but over the course of the season we saw tremendous strides made by Myers, Ennis, Gerbe, Stafford, and Weber -- not to mention promising cameos for Enroth and Gragnani. Roy was doing it all for the first 30 games and for the first time in his career looked like he may have an ounce of leadership in him after all.. but the real story is how Vanek took over down the stretch, probably securing the captaincy for next season spare a blockbuster acquisition by DR.

 

You can keep telling me the second half the season is irrelevant because they started so poorly -- I disagree. You absolutely can not discredit being one of the Top 3 teams in the league after January 1st, and if you really think this team IS as bad as they looked to start the year, that only adds to how impressive their second half was. The Philly series ended in disappointment, but if Stafford's shot in OT of Game 6 had been another 2 inches to the left, we would have moved on -- perhaps Roy comes back in better shape in Round 2, and who knows what happens? I would have felt very confident against Washington, cautiously confident against Tampa Bay, and I'm not entirely convinced Boston would have beaten us either... though they have been DAMN impressive against Philly/Vancouver. It's just a matter of match-ups really.

 

Anyway, the bottom line is that I enjoyed 88 games of hockey this year. The second half was a hell of a ride and an accomplishment. Plus all the Terry Pegula excitement, the Alumni appreciation game, etc. etc.

 

For the team, there were a lot of good things to build on. As a fan: It WAS a fun ride, and will continue to be a fun ride for years to come -- no matter how long it takes for them to win a cup.

 

This times a million.

 

I think it's also my feeling that after a handful of years as a diehard poster here, I've had to step back and allow others to go bonkers analyzing the Sabres to death. Talking about this team too much turned it from a leisure activity into an exercise in cynicism. I stopped having fun watching the Sabres because of my involvement here, and I think there are some posters here who should think about just how much time they dedicate to this place.

 

This is a fan forum, not a full time job.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Drane, I always did better on the tests than on the assignments. WIthout fail. That includes a bar exam, jackass.

 

You, on the other hand (since you wanted to get personal, and I don't care about your academic or professional career (such as it may be)), well, you just like to complain. You've offered absolutely nothing in your, well, let's call it a renaissance, here, except for bitching, moaning, and misery. Never an idea as to how to solve the problems that you purport to identify. Never a clue as to how a hockey team might operate. I mean, I get that you might have been ridiculed off of TBD and towards here, but come on: you offer nothing whatsoever to any intelligent hockey conversation, and it's unlikely that you ever will.

 

DeLuca, on the other hand, says some stuff that I simply can't agree with (Ruff a horrible coach; Kovy a one-man-fix for the team, only to say a year later that there's no one-man-fix), but he's civil and intelligent. PA, in his own passive-aggressive way, was much the same. Even weave can come up with something, and I'll give him time, because he's new.

 

But you? Zero. Zip. You have nothing at all to offer to this board or to the people who read it. Your commentary on the team is agenda-focused and vapid. And you're making it very difficult for me, and others who have contacted me through PM, to want to bother reading this board anymore, much less post here.

 

Now, please, ###### off.

 

If I have nothing to offer and make little sense.....then how can lil' ol' me cause all these people to abandon the board? Wouldn't you just ignore what I have to say since it is of no value? I mean, if I read something that obviously is of no interest to me, or I feel the person may not comprehend my response or need a response.....I have nothing to do with it.

 

It's too bad you feel that way. I've offered plenty of ideas over the past 5 years on how to fix this team. Unfortunately I have no control over management and roster...however I seem to know them pretty well.

 

 

I'll make you a deal.....WWE style. I will put my posting career here on the line against yours. We put it up for a vote........I don't care who votes, how long they've been here, etc. One vote per member. I will gladly #### off since there seems to be so much concern about me, the poster who adds nothing of value.

 

I nominate Chz to run the vote if you are willing. She probably wants to see me gone as much as anyone, but at least she can tell if there is any ballot stuffing. We can run it a week, 2 weeks, 2 days.....whatever you wish. I promise to NEVER post again if more people want me gone over you.

 

What say you? I know there are people licking their chops to get me out. Now is your chance.

 

Congrats on the bar exam. I failed when I cracked the glass lighting the Sambouca on fire.

[Eleven]

If I have nothing to offer and make little sense.....then how can lil' ol' me cause all these people to abandon the board? Wouldn't you just ignore what I have to say since it is of no value? I mean, if I read something that obviously is of no interest to me, or I feel the person may not comprehend my response or need a response.....I have nothing to do with it.

 

It's too bad you feel that way. I've offered plenty of ideas over the past 5 years on how to fix this team. Unfortunately I have no control over management and roster...however I seem to know them pretty well.

 

 

I'll make you a deal.....WWE style. I will put my posting career here on the line against yours. We put it up for a vote........I don't care who votes, how long they've been here, etc. One vote per member. I will gladly #### off since there seems to be so much concern about me, the poster who adds nothing of value.

 

I nominate Chz to run the vote if you are willing. She probably wants to see me gone as much as anyone, but at least she can tell if there is any ballot stuffing. We can run it a week, 2 weeks, 2 days.....whatever you wish. I promise to NEVER post again if more people want me gone over you.

 

What say you? I know there are people licking their chops to get me out. Now is your chance.

 

Congrats on the bar exam. I failed when I cracked the glass lighting the Sambouca on fire.

 

Oh, I didn't say you made little sense. Your posts make sense. Your posts just offer little value. Usually, no value.

 

And outside of three people, and I am one, I don't know of anyone who gives a ###### about whether you stay or go, much less anyone who is "licking their [sic] chops" to get you out.

 

And of course you failed. You're great at the assignments, not the tests, right?

 

I don't really care about your stupid little contest (although, for once, you actually have proposed an idea). If you want to run one, run it. I won't participate, campaign, care about the results, or hold you to whatever promise you seem to be making (like you couldn't reappear as ghost of ghost of I lost my original login or whatever). As far as I'm concerned, you disappeared for a couple of years once already, and that was just fine.

[OverPowerYou]

Everyone should stop arguing. This is hockey heaven, and everything is perfect in heaven, right? Plus, we are all sabres fans. Get along! We're not idiots from Philly or Boston!

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Oh, I didn't say you made little sense. Your posts make sense. Your posts just offer little value. Usually, no value.

 

And outside of three people, and I am one, I don't know of anyone who gives a ###### about whether you stay or go, much less anyone who is "licking their [sic] chops" to get you out.

 

And of course you failed. You're great at the assignments, not the tests, right?

 

I don't really care about your stupid little contest (although, for once, you actually have proposed an idea). If you want to run one, run it. I won't participate, campaign, care about the results, or hold you to whatever promise you seem to be making (like you couldn't reappear as ghost of ghost of I lost my original login or whatever). As far as I'm concerned, you disappeared for a couple of years once already, and that was just fine.

 

Ok...so I'm making life a little rough on 3 people....put me on ignore. It sounded like you had the Band of Brothers ready to charge the hill.

 

I don't want to run it.....and I am quite sure that it would be difficult for me to show up under another log-in without sounding as timid and conforming as Darcy. An astute poster could pick me out of a lineup by the time I'd reach a dozen posts. You see....that is where I feel I do add value. I bring a voice here. You may not like what that voice has to say, but it is original and brings a unique set of ideas at times. Sure, things get repetitive.....but that tends to happen when you provide commentary on the same sets of failure for the past 13 years.

 

I disappeared before because the Sabres actually had a very good run that I felt was faulty. There were a lot of people that did not want to hear a contrarian viewpoint or have weakness pointed out to them. It wasn't going to do me any good to dampen the revelry of everyone. Once the warnings became reality, instead of being attacked....people actually came to agree with me. 70% of the board traffic left, and this was a nice little place to discuss things again. The regular posters here have always been much better than at many other places. This place is like a sparring session for me. I can debate with people who know what they are talking about, and sharpen my awareness and other skills...spelling and grammar be damned.

 

If you really want me to go, you are going to have to do better than to bring me 3 people. How about this.....we run the same vote.....and I'll give you a 60/40 advantage. There needs to be 60% wanting you gone over me for you to lose. I wouldn't hold you to anything either....but I promise if I lose....I'm out, gone...nadda.....zippo.

 

Come on.....it will be fun.

[Eleven]

Ok...so I'm making life a little rough on 3 people....put me on ignore. It sounded like you had the Band of Brothers ready to charge the hill.

 

I don't want to run it.....and I am quite sure that it would be difficult for me to show up under another log-in without sounding as timid and conforming as Darcy. An astute poster could pick me out of a lineup by the time I'd reach a dozen posts. You see....that is where I feel I do add value. I bring a voice here. You may not like what that voice has to say, but it is original and brings a unique set of ideas at times. Sure, things get repetitive.....but that tends to happen when you provide commentary on the same sets of failure for the past 13 years.

 

I disappeared before because the Sabres actually had a very good run that I felt was faulty. There were a lot of people that did not want to hear a contrarian viewpoint or have weakness pointed out to them. It wasn't going to do me any good to dampen the revelry of everyone. Once the warnings became reality, instead of being attacked....people actually came to agree with me. 70% of the board traffic left, and this was a nice little place to discuss things again. The regular posters here have always been much better than at many other places. This place is like a sparring session for me. I can debate with people who know what they are talking about, and sharpen my awareness and other skills...spelling and grammar be damned.

 

If you really want me to go, you are going to have to do better than to bring me 3 people. How about this.....we run the same vote.....and I'll give you a 60/40 advantage. There needs to be 60% wanting you gone over me for you to lose. I wouldn't hold you to anything either....but I promise if I lose....I'm out, gone...nadda.....zippo.

 

Come on.....it will be fun.

 

I now realize that not only don't you understand hockey, but also, you don't understand the culture of this board, at all, either. Shame on me for not figuring that one out before.

 

Run your contest if you want. As I said, I won't care a whit about the results.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I now realize that not only don't you understand hockey, but also, you don't understand the culture of this board, at all, either. Shame on me for not figuring that one out before.

 

Run your contest if you want. As I said, I won't care a whit about the results.

 

Hey....I wasn't the one saying that people were contacting me via PM because you were making the board "very-difficult to read or post here"....and to "Go ##### Off."

 

I'm giving you gossip girls a chance. I guess I don't understand that part of the culture of this board. Why is it so difficult? Put me on ignore!

 

Should we divide the board into two sub-sections? Do you want me to say only positive things? I tried that when the new owner of this team threatened the media his first day here. I figured if he said that because people are negative...that is why the team quit......it's worth a shot being positive, right?

 

I've watched sports for 30 years. I enjoy them, I feel I understand them, and I am opinionated. That is why I post here. I don't have a personal problem with anyone....and too bad you took me making another one of my failed analogies as a personal shot. I was trying to make sense of how someone can be so happy with a mediocre performance in preliminary work and total failure when it counts. That was the first thing that came to mind.

 

I figured I'd give you a shot to get rid of me if I am that much of a problem. One more offer.....63/37. I don't think I can get 70%, even if I hand out blue and gold lollipops.

[SwampD]

Mel Torme.

[Weave]

Even weave can come up with something, and I'll give him time, because he's new.

 

:blink:

 

Holy shotguns batman !!!

 

 

Edit- BTW, what you've seen from me is what you get. I don't hide it. And it likely won't change because someone doesn't like my point of view. I'm closer to DeLuca and Dwight in POV than I am to you. I just try to temper my delivery.

[Weave]

I'll say this. I can't believe people are getting upset to the point of personal attacvk over a difference of opinion regarding an entertainment venue. There are some serious thin skins if a well voiced contrarian position anooys you to the point of not feeling enjoyoment over the site. I'll make 2 points.

 

1. There is an ignore feature, use it.

 

2. The constant wave of opinion flows both ways people. As much as a few of you are annoyed to the point of secretive PM about Dwight and DeLuca's point of view (and apparently mine to), you all ARE doing the same thing going the other way. And you have the advantage in numbers. Any feelings of being the victim here are self generated.

 

It is a freaking message board. Differing opinions should be expected. And more importantly, they should be encouraged. If there is no passion and little variation in the opinions here then it becomes a place not worth visiting. Who the heck wants to engage in conversation where they are rarely challenged, rarely made to question their own opinion, and always agreed with? Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.

[tom webster]

I agree completely.

[spndnchz]

I agree completely.

 

:lol:

[spndnchz]

I agree completely.

 

I feel strongly both ways.

 

:lol:

 

If a tree falls in the woods...

[wnyguy]

So how 'bout that Chris Drury thing, is that something or what?

[HopefulFuture]

So how 'bout that Chris Drury thing, is that something or what?

HAHAHA, love the avatar, I miss ole Marty, his cookiness was awsome. One of the best, especially those wacky eyes.

[shrader]

I'll say this. I can't believe people are getting upset to the point of personal attacvk over a difference of opinion regarding an entertainment venue.

 

See, that's just it. From a certain few posters around here, every single word they say has turned into a personal attack. There's nothing but venom in the responses of two people in particular. It's a whole "I'm right, and if you don't agree with me, you're an idiot" line of defense that has gone way over the top as of late. This place was fun for years, but now in what should be a time of cautioned optimism, it's nothing but depressing.

[SwampD]

See, that's just it. From a certain few posters around here, every single word they say has turned into a personal attack. There's nothing but venom in the responses of two people in particular. It's a whole "I'm right, and if you don't agree with me, you're an idiot" line of defense that has gone way over the top as of late. This place was fun for years, but now in what should be a time of cautioned optimism, it's nothing but depressing.

Team Storm Cloud vs The Sunshine and Kitten Crew. The timeless battle wages on.

 

I think it's fun.