Encounters with Sabres

[MattPie]

Lol where is chz anyways, and what do you know?!?! .. I think some other stories here def top just an encounter at work for me, amazingly I don't have more stories. Anyone here get to skate on the ice at the aud?

 

Not me, but my parents did in the early 70s. My Dad knew someone who let him in, so it was just my mom, him, and my toddler cousin. There's some pictures of it, if I think of it I'll find them next time I'm home.

[Claude_Verret]

Since the thread has deviated away from the Sabres and into terlet country, I will relay a story my dad told until practically the day he died. He took a leak at the Ralph next to Don Paul. And, yes, it was a very impressive frontal system.

 

Ok, more Sabres encounters are coming back to me

 

The Ralph story reminded me of talking to to Andrew Peters at the Bills home opener a few years ago.

 

I also talked to Barnaby at the mall once. My wife went to high school with his ex-wife, so when they ran into each other I got the intro.

 

Another Bills encounter. I was golfing at the town of Hamburg course with my dad when it was only 9 holes, we were on the 7th tee when two guys asked if they could join us for the last three holes. One of them was former Bills center Will Grant. We played the last three holes with them and then Will and his friend played ahead of us on 9. I was about 100 yards from the green while they were putting out. Will waves me on to the green, so I hit a wedge to three feet of the pin. He yells out "awesome fecking shot kid" and walks to the parking lot. The next day I heard on the radio that Will Grant got busted for pot possession.

[gomper]

I could bore you with stories about delivering the Courier Express to Bill Hajt or finally being brave enough to knock on Gilbert's door but this tale is way more fun.

 

Mid 90's. Rob Ray's bar "Rayzors" on Elmwood.

The place used to hold Sega NHL 94 tournaments on maybe Tuesday nights. I think the winner got a $25 bar tab. Anyway, this event only lasted a few months and my friend Nate and I would try to make it every week. The last one was epic.

 

Some backstory. Nate and I were absolute killers at this game. We tormented his brother and any of his friends that were unfortunate enough to pick up the controller. Old school a** kickings, complete with high-volume sh*t talking the whole game long. We were the kind of players you wanted to punch after the 1st period. When we couldn't find anyone else to play, four nights a week we'd buy a case of Molson Ice and just play each other until 5am. Seven game series, full seasons, whatever. Both our games were sharp as a knife.

 

On this night at Rayzors, the tourny was one man short. Since Rob was in the bar, someone convinced him that he should sit in. The stipulation was that if you drew Rob, he would be the Sabres (and put himself in on the LaFontaine-Mogilny line) and you had to be Ottawa. If you remember the game, the Sens were the absolute worst team to play with ratings wise. This alone was too funny, but when he drew my buddy Nate....it got funnier.

 

A quick handshake between the two and the puck drops. 15 seconds in and Nate is up 1-0. He stands up after he scores "WWHHOOO! That's right! All night long." A side note- we were pretty hammered by this point lol. 20 seconds later, 2-0. Rob is now gripping the controller and throwing his arms up in the air. Then Nate runs LaFontaine and injures him for the game. Howling laughter by Nate follows. 3-0. 4-0. Then Mogilny is crushed along the boards, ending his game. More laughter by Nate. He turns to Rob and says "I'm taking you out next." Try he does...running Ray at every chance. Now, Rob is beyond pissed. Rob leans in and says "stop it, you're humiliating me." No dice. Nate does call off the dogs but wins 12-0. Nate offers to buy Rob a beer after but Rayzor wasn't having any of it. When one of his buddies threw a shoulder into Nate later at the bar, I suggested we go.

 

You can't leave until the tourny is done however. I face Nate in the finals and beat him 3-2 in OT with Rayzors boys cheering me on lol. They bought me a few beers and made it clear that in any other place, they would kick the living hell out of my buddy.

 

Ah, memories. We still laugh about this to this day.

Edited February 25, 2014 by gomper

[Weave]

I also talked to Barnaby at the mall once. My wife went to high school with his ex-wife, so when they ran into each other I got the intro.

 

 

My wife used to take my son to Chuck E. Cheese. Matt Barnaby and his kid was in there frequently too. Our kids sort of hung together when they were both there.

[LGR4GM]

Nathan Gerbe I saw shopping at Wegmans on Sheridan in Williamsville. Guy had huge calf muscles. I didn't talk to him I just smiled and nodded my head, which he returned. Figured didn't want to bother the guy shopping.

[Claude_Verret]

Saw Muckler three or so years ago at Wegmans on Transit. He was wearing a Senators eastern conference champs t-shirt.

[Hoss]

Not a Sabres encounter, but it's Sabres-related. I went to a Hurricanes-Thrashers game while down in Carolina during the 06-07 season, and the team was signing autographs outside the arena after. Chad LaRose walked by and I was wearing a Sabres shirt/hat and he pointed to it and he said that "I think you've got the team that's going to win it all right there."

 

Erik Cole and Peter Laviolette were right behind him. Cole said "oh I guarantee it" and Laviolette made a joke saying they're a coaches dream. LaRose said "thanks coach" and everybody laughed. It was the second to last game of the year for the Canes.

For those that know, this was the year after it should've been Buffalo...

 

 

Also: I remember being quite confused that year. We went to three Hurricanes games while we visited the area that year, and they had these things called "Caniac Laws." They aired short video skits before the games on the video screen, and they were in a corporate office writing up a list of laws (or something like that). The law before the Thrashers game was that no Hurricane fan is allowed to be friends with or even associate with a Buffalo Sabres fan or anybody from the area. One of the other two "laws" were also related to the Sabres. Everytime they showed the Sabres score on the screen of the games, the fans would either boo if they were winning or cheer if they were losing. I honestly had no idea why there was any hate from them, but it was strong. I got a beer thrown at me because what I wore and because I had a sign that listed the records of the Hurricanes and the Sabres from that season after the Canes were eliminated.

[IKnowPhysics]

I honestly had no idea why there was any hate from them, but it was strong.

 

They piss and moan that we're "the worst fans they've ever seen," when, in fact, they have no idea what the ###### they're talking about.

 

So, our fans perpetuate that bogus legend in conversation, just to make them look even more stupid. We fill up that rats nest, rape their women, steal their babies, and eat them both in the parking lot. Then the raping starts again. And some more baby eating. And we wash it all down with something that doesn't rhyme with Udweiser.

[X. Benedict]

They piss and moan that we're "the worst fans they've ever seen," when, in fact, they have no idea what the ###### they're talking about.

 

So, our fans perpetuate that bogus legend in conversation, just to make them look even more stupid. We fill up that rats nest, rape their women, steal their babies, and eat them both in the parking lot. Then the raping starts again. And some more baby eating. And we wash it all down with something that doesn't rhyme with Udweiser.

 

I think if we stopped the raping and pillaging they would be disappointed in us. It's like being Tom Jones and not singing "What's New Pussycat" at a concert.

It is just what is expected of us.

 

And those babies with a little local BBQ sauce isn't all that bad.

[IKnowPhysics]

I sincerely apologize. In no way did I mean to convey that any of us should stop doing those things.

 

Also, let's get the BBQ sauce going in the rapey part too. Spice things up a bit.

[Claude_Verret]

Also: I remember being quite confused that year. We went to three Hurricanes games while we visited the area that year, and they had these things called "Caniac Laws." They aired short video skits before the games on the video screen, and they were in a corporate office writing up a list of laws (or something like that). The law before the Thrashers game was that no Hurricane fan is allowed to be friends with or even associate with a Buffalo Sabres fan or anybody from the area. One of the other two "laws" were also related to the Sabres. Everytime they showed the Sabres score on the screen of the games, the fans would either boo if they were winning or cheer if they were losing. I honestly had no idea why there was any hate from them, but it was strong. I got a beer thrown at me because what I wore and because I had a sign that listed the records of the Hurricanes and the Sabres from that season after the Canes were eliminated.

 

The Canes were notorious for that kind of bush league stuff for awhile. They had a fan base in Sabres fans that they deemed unruly and dangerous for the home fans, so what do they do? Antagonize those very same "unruly" fans at every chance they get. Brilliant.

 

They have toned down that stuff in recent years though.

 

And to keep on the encounter topic. Erik Cole lived down the street from me when I moved into my neighborhood about 10 years ago. However, he had moved by the 2006 playoffs or I would have put a Sabres flag in his lawn.

Edited February 25, 2014 by Claude_Verret

[drnkirishone]

Nathan Gerbe I saw shopping at Wegmans on Sheridan in Williamsville. Guy had huge calf muscles. I didn't talk to him I just smiled and nodded my head, which he returned. Figured didn't want to bother the guy shopping.

did you at least offer to get the gallon of milk off the top shelf for him?

[inkman]

did you at least offer to get the gallon of milk off the top shelf for him?

You complete me

[Stoner]

Claude, just how many restraining orders have been issued against you?

[Claude_Verret]

Claude, just how many restraining orders have been issued against you?

 

Actually looking back on all the encounters I mentioned, in all the ones where I actually interacted with any of them the only one that I initiated was with Peters. I was in the concourse and saw him as he was walking by and I just blurted out "Peters". So he stopped and talked to us for a minute, I think he thought that maybe he was supposed to know me from somewhere.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I used to fly all the time, so I have a ton of "celebrity" encounters from that alone. While sipping G+T's with 11 was a favorite, plenty of neat hockey ones as well.

 

Sat next to Kerry Fraser on a flight up north for the holidays. He was such a pleasant guy and we talked the whole way about hockey. I give him credit...he called Tampa winning the Stanley Cup. Remember, this is in November or December. I whiffed on my assessments however. I was opining on how I thought Kalinin was one of the best 4 on 4 players in the league and thought he could be something really good. I gave him the obligatory hair shot...he had glasses on and told him I would have never recognized him except for the hair. Then said the glasses explain it all. He was a good egg.

 

Flew with Bret Hedican once. He got a call from his wife right before takeoff...who happens to be Kristi Yamaguchi. After 2 minutes of Yes Dears and eyerolls, he hung up and gave the 1000 yard stare. Another really nice guy.

 

Favorite flying story ever....sat next to Ki Jana Carter on a flight into the wee hours of September 11, 2001. He was headed home to FL for his birthday bash on off time. Another pleasant guy. Talked tons of football, he broke out EA golf on the computer...get in at almost 2AM. Of course you know what happened a few hours later. About a year or so later, I am standing against the wall of a gate at the airport to board, and who comes over to say hello, but Ki Jana Carter. I'm an easy guy to identify, but was amazed he saw me out of the blue. He remembered that flight like I did and we exchanged a WTF moment on how lucky we were not to get caught in the chaos.

 

 

[That Aud Smell]

When I was in my early 20s, I lived with a fairly random collection of Buffalo-born guys (one gal was in there as well, actually) in the Elmwood Village (before its rents were too danm high). Anyhoo, I was in the midst of working a couple of jobs and taking some classes, and was home one sunny afternoon when one of my roommates stopped home, clearly in a huge rush, saw me sitting there, and said "Hey, you wanna go serve process on Hasek?!"

 

The who now?

 

Anyway. It still escapes me exactly what we were serving on Dom, but it did occasion a trip to his East Amherst home, complete with its woefully neglected landscaping. Every house on the block was pristine, and his place looked like a wreck. He answered the door wearing some of those over-sized athletic/basketball shorts, a silky bathrobe (untied), and flip flops. He was on the phone when he answered the door, and he just kept talking all the while. My roommate said something--"these are for you" maybe?--handed him the papers. There followed this awkward silence and an exchange of perplexed stares. My roommate wasn't much schooled in the formalities of what he needed to do, so I think there was some uncertainty on his part ("did we do it right?"). We then literally backed away from the door (we didn't turn around and leave), and the whole time he's watching us with that soul-penetrating stare and jabbering away on the phone.

 

It was all so deliciously weird.

 

Too many to mention. It happens on a near-monthly basis. Many of them are very nice people--and, believe it or not--I'll laud Stafford here. In real life, he's about the best guy ever. He really is.

 

I've not met the guy, but know two people who know him fairly well and whom I respect mightily. They say the same thing about Stafford: Just a terrific guy.

[Claude_Verret]

Others stories keep jogging my memory. Went to a Bruce Springsteen concert in Greensboro a few years back and stood next to Brett Hedican and Kristi Yamaguchi, who had special seats near the soundboard.

 

Sat behind Curtis Brown and his wife at a concert my wife dragged me to in Buffalo.

 

 

[SwampD]

Claude, just how many restraining orders have been issued against you?

:lol:

 

I was just thinking this very thing. Either he's really lucky, or the best stalker ever.

[Kr632]

 

 

I believe that Kelly may have switched parishes later in his career, but during the late 80's he was at St. Bernadette's a lot.

 

A couple more Bills encounters that came back to me...

 

I was in line behind Rueben Brown getting a sub at Subway in OP.

 

Saw Biscuit and Tasker at Kelly's bar downtown the night they lost to the Steelers in the playoffs. Biscuit stood there among a throng of people and I watched as person after person came right up to him to say something...and he just stood there with a blank stare, not even acknowledging their presence. Tasker took a leak at the urinal next to me...anywhere else I would have said something to him, but I had to honor the code of men's room etiquette.

I dont recall seeing jim at sunday mass. However he was married at my church and our pastor was the bills priest for many years including all 4 super bowls. My uncle(same one that punched rob ray) was invited to the wedding. Hes still good friends with jim. Hes even in his book armed and dangerous.

[drnkirishone]

:lol:

 

I was just thinking this very thing. Either he's really lucky, or the best stalker ever.

why not both?

[Kr632]

I have also been inches from being ran over by hasek a few times after sabres games behind the arena. He does not play around. When its time to go its time to go.

[drnkirishone]

I have also been inches from being ran over by hasek a few times after sabres games behind the arena. He does not play around. When its time to go its time to go.

and speed limits are more guidlines than laws..... Edited February 26, 2014 by drnkirishone

[BarDown]

Was back in the Spring of '94. Was at a local dive in Rye, NY (Rangers used to practice there) celebrating a beer league hockey championship with my teammates. It's a Friday night and the place is packed. We're all having a great time, when all of the sudden a wedding party comes in. It's odd because this isn't the place a you would normally see a wedding party. Anyway, one of the guys in the wedding party looks familiar to me...it looks like John Tucker who used to play for the Sabres in the late '80's. No one I'm with is a Sabres fan, so they're not sure...so we finally go up to him and ask if he he's John Tucker...sure enough, he is. I ask what he's doing there and he says it's ex-Sabre Paul Cyr's wedding (he had recently played for the Rangers, met a local gal, and just got married). So we hung out with Tucker the rest of the night. Two of my teammates and I were talking hockey with him and I let him know I was a big Sabres fan and told him my two buddies were huge Bruin's fans (they were both from Boston)...to which Tucker replies "Boston sucks!" Priceless. On a final note, they carried Paul Cyr out of the bar that evening.

[Claude_Verret]

:lol:

 

I was just thinking this very thing. Either he's really lucky, or the best stalker ever.

why not both?

 

It really is because of where I grew up in the southtowns. Bruce Smith lived probably a mile from me in a development off of McKinley Rd. My friends used to see Shane Conlan and Marv Levy all the time because they lived in their neighborhood. They walked among us. :P

 

My brother used to get the ultimate encounter experience for two or three summers. His friend was a big local golfer so he would get my brother in to be a caddy for the Jim Kelly Pro Am. I think one year he was caddy for Bernie Kosar and the next year it was Mike Pagel. But he got to meet and get the autographs of all the big NFL stars of the late 80s.