Encounters with Sabres

[nfreeman]

 

 

Ha! I used to work at Finlock's in high school. One night, Rico takes off his shoe, blows cigar smoke into it and asks, "Hey Matt, what is this?" "Not sure Rick." "A man standing at a bus stop in Beirut." It was pretty funny and I'm pretty sure he was surpised I got it being a kid and all.

 

Claude...any chance you reveal your true identity?

 

Edgy joke by Rico!

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

Edgy joke by Rico!

 

Pretty sure I told this one when he passed, but my dad was a Buffalo cop and used to get detailed at the Aud. In pregame warmups, the guys would wait until he had his back to them in the corner, then fire slapshots at his head to get him to jump. Rick Martin one day gave him a stick autographed by the whole team for the entertainment. I wasn't born yet, so of course he gave it away.

 

My Bills stories are 100x better than any Sabres stories however.

[Claude_Verret]

Ha! I used to work at Finlock's in high school. One night, Rico takes off his shoe, blows cigar smoke into it and asks, "Hey Matt, what is this?" "Not sure Rick." "A man standing at a bus stop in Beirut." It was pretty funny and I'm pretty sure he was surpised I got it being a kid and all.

 

Claude...any chance you reveal your true identity?

 

I was never a regular there, but my now brother in-law was when he was dating my sister in the 2000-2002 time frame. It seemed that every time I met him there, Rico was there too.

[LastPommerFan]

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

 

 

At 42 seconds they show the faceoff...

 

it can't be this one. Fight was at 19:06 of the third and May got a misconduct.

[Rico7]

 

 

Ha! I used to work at Finlock's in high school. One night, Rico takes off his shoe, blows cigar smoke into it and asks, "Hey Matt, what is this?" "Not sure Rick." "A man standing at a bus stop in Beirut." It was pretty funny and I'm pretty sure he was surpised I got it being a kid and all.

 

Claude...any chance you reveal your true identity?

 

Love Rick Martin. The one guy I always wish I could have met. Thanks for sharing!

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

it can't be this one. Fight was at 19:06 of the third and May got a misconduct.

 

He was in the box though in the clip going to the next faceoff.....the only other Whaler possibility was Mark Hunter...but that was on a Sunday....

[sicknfla]

 

 

He was in the box though in the clip going to the next faceoff.....the only other Whaler possibility was Mark Hunter...but that was on a Sunday....

 

I am trying to find it also. Almost certain he was in white uniform. Could have been a Sunday for all i know. Only 19-20 years old at the time and every night was Friday night. Back in the days you would buy some $10 oranges right before faceoff and then look for the empty golds. Ushers were not a big deal back then. They knew what you were doing but usually didn't bust your balls.

 

Took the boys to a Lightning game a few years ago and tried the same trick. Got booted out. Mrs. Sick was real proud of me. Now we stay in the seats we bought.

 

I would never make something like this up so keep working on finding the game. I would love to see it.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

I am trying to find it also. Almost certain he was in white uniform. Could have been a Sunday for all i know. Only 19-20 years old at the time and every night was Friday night. Back in the days you would buy some $10 oranges right before faceoff and then look for the empty golds. Ushers were not a big deal back then. They knew what you were doing but usually didn't bust your balls.

 

Took the boys to a Lightning game a few years ago and tried the same trick. Got booted out. Mrs. Sick was real proud of me. Now we stay in the seats we bought.

 

I would never make something like this up so keep working on finding the game. I would love to see it.

 

If it was Hartford...those are the only 2.

 

Northstars?

 

 

[sicknfla]

 

 

If it was Hartford...those are the only 2.

 

Northstars?

 

Just found on that he fought John Stevens from Hartford on Friday, Dec. 13. Looking for video.

[Hoss]

 

 

Just found on that he fought John Stevens from Hartford on Friday, Dec. 13. Looking for video.

 

In Buffalo he has fought Hartford five times: http://dropyourgloves.com/fights/FightCard.aspx?P=2901

[Corp000085]

Rico introduced himself to my family by simulating a car crash with my father's brand new vehicle. He apparently had the entire bar in on the trick and fooled my father. They became friends at that point. All those legendary stories about him are true. One time, I had my non-hockey-fan roommate home and I took him to a game. Met Rico during the intermission and he was getting all the fans yelling and asking for signatures. He introduced himself as the mayor of Buffalo to my roommate and started talking complete BS politics to him. My roommate was awe struck for 2 weeks that I knew the mayor before I revealed the truth.

[sicknfla]

 

 

In Buffalo he has fought Hartford five times: http://dropyourgloves.com/fights/FightCard.aspx?P=2901

 

That is where i found my info. Never would have thought there would actually be a site that detailed about a players career fights. Crazy.

[spndnchz]

There was this one time, during training camp.

 

I'd have to think about the best one.

[josie]

There's a bakery in the building my office is in here in Pittsford. We often pop down there for lunch or coffee when it's nasty out. I was ordering, and a nice looking gent in a peacoat was at the register next to me. I thought he looked familiar, but being me, was too busy staring at my feet to really get a good look. I took my number and was in the waiting area with my coworkers when I turned around and, yep, Marcus Foligno. I gave him a deer in headlights stare, he gave me a big smile because I must've looked hilarious. I said "Hey, great game Saturday!" (Amerks game. They'd lost in overtime, but he'd had a goal) He was very gracious, thanked me and when I left with my food told me to have a great day. My coworkers had no clue/didn't care who he was, and my friends were mad I didn't get a picture with him or something. I just didn't want to bother him, dude wanted a cookie and a cup of coffee, not another goofy fangirl drooling on him!

 

Only other celebrity encounters for me were all on one trip- my dad was working in Tokyo and let's just say the trip to get there was a travel nightmare. We had first class tickets (his company paid- very lucky) and were flying out Christmas eve out of Detroit to Atlanta, from there to Japan. Flight sat on tarmac for 7+ hours- passengers were about to kill a crying baby in the back... and everyone in first class were really tall black guys on phones having legal conversations. I was sitting next to a smaller older white dude. Turns out it was the Detroit Pistons, my seat buddy was the coach, and the infamous basketbrawl with Artest and the Pacers had just happened.

Missed our connection to Tokyo, spent the night in Atlanta, I had a sudden touch of stomach flu, finally got on the plane to Japan. My mum and I were not seated next to each other. This little japanese guy in a nice suitcoat immediately gave up his seat so we could be together. I didn't think much of him, until he took us with him through customs/etc. at Tokyo-Narita. We were exhausted and confused, but everywhere this guy went, everything absolutely stopped and we were waived through. Saw him on the tv later... head of Toyota at the time, Fujio Cho. What a wonderful guy.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

In Buffalo he has fought Hartford five times: http://dropyourgloves.com/fights/FightCard.aspx?P=2901

 

Thanks....I guess I shouldn't use hockeyfights as a resource.....

[wonderbread]

I saw Jay Mckee at a bar down here in Pittsburgh when he was playing for the Pens later in his career. We shot the spit for a few minutes and went our seperate ways.

 

I also saw Teppo at Magic Kingdom once. I'm sure I was the only person there that recognized him, said hello to his gave him a fist bump.

[chileanseabass]

Hung out with Jay McKee for a bit once when they were playing in Carolina. I played club hockey for my college, and a teammate of mine was good friends with Jay growing up in Kingston.

 

When I was about 8, my Dad and I were Christmas shopping, and we ran into Doug Bodger at the mall. He was really nice and couldn't believe we recognized him. I also ran into Donald Audette once at Walden Galleria, as he was hobbling around following knee surgery.

 

Two former Sabres live in the Charlotte area - Mike Hartman and Jason Dawe. I've skated with both of them a few times at pickup hockey, and see Dawe fairly often at the local rinks coaching youth hockey.

[Stoner]

PTS, who never posts anymore, has a cool story about passing and shooting with Miro one time after a Sabres practice at the Pepsi Center, circa 2000. PTS and a friend, a goaltender, were waiting to go on the ice, and Miro waved them out. PTS fed Miro pucks for one-timers on the goalie, who had to be crapping his pants. This lasted about 15 minutes, then PTS and Miro spoke in Polish and Slovakian. Satan was mired in a 13-game scoring slump, and they joked that if he scored in his next game, they would have to practice together again. Satan scored twice.

 

SeaBass, PTS also lives in Charlotte now and told me he lives near Jason Dawe. Maybe you know him — Paul Szeglowski. He played on the UB club hockey team about the time of the Satan encounter.

[pi2000]

When I lived in Buffalo I played in a AAA summer league against the likes of Dave Andreychuck, Alex Mogilny and a few other Sabres at the time. Kevyn Adams was on my team, at that time he was playing at Miami of Ohio... and Tony Tuzzolino were probably the names some might recognize here. Kevyn was a solid solid kid, hard worker, super nice to everyone on the team even at that young age.... I had just finished my college career and he struck as someone with the right make up mentally and work ethic that had a legit chance to make it to the show.

 

Later on in my 20's used to crush beers on occasion with Matt Barnaby on the chip strip.... some fun times.

 

Lived across the street from Donald Audette for a few years, tried talking him into seeding a twin roller hockey rink business idea my friend and I had. He didn't bite.

[chileanseabass]

SeaBass, PTS also lives in Charlotte now and told me he lives near Jason Dawe. Maybe you know him — Paul Szeglowski. He played on the UB club hockey team about the time of the Satan encounter.

 

Nope, don't know Paul, but I don't spend as much time around the rinks as i used to.

[Claude_Verret]

I forgot that I played a round of miniature golf with Ric Seiling at a charity event. Nice guy.

 

Growing up in the southtowns my most memorable encounters were with Bills players both obscure and of HOF caliber.

 

Bruce Smith carrying two cases of Genny in the Tops parking lot at McKinley and Southwestern.

 

Talking to Darryl Talley and rookie Bruce Smith at a gas station in the village of Hamburg while walking home from a street hockey game.

 

Turning around at mass at St. Bernadette's in OP to offer the sign of peace to.... Jim Kelly. I saw him quite often at Saturday mass, but he usually cut out right after communion even though people pretty much left him alone.

 

Driving down a deserted California road one morning and being passed by a speeding Ford Bronco (doing at least 80 mph) driven by Jim Kelly.

 

One of my friends in grade school was neighbors with safety Len Walterscheid, he would sometimes toss the football around with us. When he left the Bills, TE Ulysses Norris moved into the house.

 

Byron Franklin and Booker Moore came to my 5th grade gym class for a community appearance,

 

Had multiple beers at a bar in Hamburg with Bills DC Ted Cottrell. It was during the preseason and the Bills had just brought in Ted Washington. Cottrell couldn't stop talking, in very colorful language, about TW and what he was going to bring to the defense, and he turned out to be right.

 

Saw Bruce Smith many times at Pure Platinum in Ft. Erie. One notable time it was a few days before the season opener in 1998 and Bruce must have had six or seven of the hottest strippers all to himself at his table. He got up more than a few times to go for private lap dances in the back. Then he didn't play in the season opener that Sunday against SD even though the Bills doctors cleared his knee to play.

 

In contrast to Bruce, I saw Phil Hansen a couple times at the Hamburg Public library surrounded by financial periodicals and reports.

 

Steve Christie came into the place I bartended at in Amherst.

 

When my parents lived in OP Marcellus Wiley was their neighbor. My dad would always gripe that he never mowed his lawn.

 

Also talked to Jim Ritcher at a Canes Sabres game for an entire intermission. It was when the Bills had just brought Levy back as GM and he really thought Marv would be good bringing in "that gray beard experience"

Edited February 25, 2014 by Claude_Verret

[shrader]

Turning around at mass at St. Bernadette's in OP to offer the sign of peace to.... Jim Kelly. I saw him quite often at Saturday mass, but he usually cut out right after communion even though people pretty much left him alone.

 

Wow, a St. Bernadette's mentioning. I never would have expected to hear that place mentioned here. Anyway, I'm surprised to hear about Kelly going there. I know Reich used to be there all the time before he switched to that mega church on McKinley.

[Claude_Verret]

Wow, a St. Bernadette's mentioning. I never would have expected to hear that place mentioned here. Anyway, I'm surprised to hear about Kelly going there. I know Reich used to be there all the time before he switched to that mega church on McKinley.

 

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.

[shrader]

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 was a caddy at Crag Burn for one year in high school. They would assign the caddies in the order that they got to the club. One morning this other kid showed up at the same time as me and we were the only two there. It was kind of a crappy morning so there weren't many people golfing. I let the other kid sign up first. He wound up being assigned about a half an hour later to a foursome that included Tasker and Polian. No one else came for a caddy so all I got that day was the $20 or whatever they gave you for sitting around a couple hours.

[Stoner]

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.