Open Letter to Buffalo Sabres Players

[dejeanneret]

Dear Players:

 

With a few games left in the season we as fans find ourselves in an unusual predicament.

 

As a 35 year fan, there has never been a single contest that I have not wanted you to win.

 

That is, until now.

 

The Sabres are in a position they haven’t seen since their inaugural season.  We are cresting on an opportunity of getting a “generational player” such as Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.  That’s something that doesn’t happen in these parts very often.  Finishing in last place would guarantee Buffalo at least one of the two.  As last year confirmed, we need all the help we can get when it comes to the lottery.

 

News of your fan’s desire for a last place finish has ruffled some feathers in the Sabres dressing room.  Questioning why the fans would actually root for the team to lose?  Questioning the hearts of the fans and their intentions?  Players openly saying they “don’t want to be here” because of it?

 

Well fellas, the reason for our desire is quite simple.  You’re horrible.

 

You see, Sabres fans are actually a pretty intelligent bunch.  We realize AHL caliber hockey when we see it.  We know when the players are mailing it in, showing up to the rink to simply pick up their paychecks (those with direct deposit don’t even do that).  That’s your season in a nutshell.  Even your head coach along with the broadcasters regularly talk about your lack of effort and lack of compete during practice and games.  You have officially earned our proud city the title of Biggest Joke in the NHL.  Congratulations!  You must be proud.

 

If you were in the playoffs right now, or even close to it, we would be rooting for you all the way.  We wouldn’t give a rat’s behind about McDavid or Eichel.  We want to win, we don’t want to lose.  We’re from WNY.  You should know that by now.

 

But you haven’t won…you’ve lost…ALOT!  That’s because of you, not the fans.  This team is littered with underachievers and players who are shells of their former selves while others haven't lived up to the talent that brought them here.  Former 20 goal scorers who can’t hit the broadside of a barn and have given up trying.  Up and coming players who stopped working to grow.  A team with 2/3 of their players skating around going through the motions with no heart and no desire.  A team with not ONE SINGL E PLAYER who started the season in Buffalo with a +/- above zero.

 

We see it a mile away.  An honestly, it’s nauseating.

 

So we the fans want change.  We want phenomenal players on our franchise & wearing our colors.  Players with talent, heart, desire, and skill.

 

That eliminates 2/3 of you.

 

Do you blame us?  You shouldn’t.  All of you grew up in a different city and rooted for a team not called Buffalo.  When your career mercilessly ends here you’ll be rooting for another team to win while Sabres fans are stuck with the mess your pitiful effort created.

   

And now I’m hearing your celebrating in your locker room after wins as if you’ve won a Stanley Cup?  What are you celebrating?  29^th place?  Pissing off the fans of Buffalo?  Finally earning your paycheck?  Help me understand your intentions above the blaring music.

 

You live in a dream world where you think you’ve actually achieved something.  An “F” student that parties after getting a “C” on a test.  You’re still an “F” student.  One “C” isn’t going to change that.

 

Those cheers for the opposing team at home are not only from our desire to have the first overall pick.  It’s anger from the fans of Buffalo that we’re in this situation in the first place.  A situation that YOU put us in. 

 

Get it?

 

In the meantime, we are stuck with a double edged…Sabre.  We had to sit and watch you play substandard hockey and embarrass our city for 5 1/2 months, and now because your hearing talk of us wanting you to continue your usual sloppy & heartless play for the betterment of the team's future you decide to actually show up to the rink and perform.

 

Kudos to you. 

 

So go on your little winning streak. Play your loud music after your meaningless wins and pop your champagne as you thumb your nose at the fans in the stands that pay your salary and are looking towards the future instead of the next seven days.

 

Because whether your team finishes in 30^thor 29^th really isn’t what’s critically important here.  What matters most is come hell or high water we have a GM who is going to get rid of a majority of you and replace you with players who have talent, skill, desire, and heart.  Players who don’t mail in their effort nightly in order to collect their bloated salaries.  Players that don’t whine and cry when the hard working people of this city are upset when they see a team that actually starts giving a damn 5 1/2 months too late.

 

For a majority of you your time as a Sabre will soon end.  When that happens, we’ll finally have a team worth cheering for again.  A team with a genuine chance of winning something besides a draft lottery.  A team that will once again make the City of Buffalo proud of it’s NHL franchise.

 

In the end, that’s all that really matters.

 

Rock on!

Edited April 2, 2015 by dejeanneret

[darksabre]

Don't be a wimp.

[ddaryl]

I concur. I've been a Buffalo sports fan my whole life, and I would like to win a championship. Winning these last games is a HUGE KICK IN THE NUTS to the fans who endured this rebuild, as well as just endured as Buffalo sports fans.

[darksabre]

Entitled fan hand wringing is the worst. It's all about you isn't it?

[SwampD]

That's a whole lot of words. I would have just gone with

 

http://youtu.be/hdCbuF8_1p8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:lol:

[bcsaberks]

Great, now they are gonna win out.

[sicknfla]

Entitled fan hand wringing is the worst. It's all about you isn't it?

Please tell us what it is all about Dark since you seem to feel that pissed off fans are in the wrong here. What are we not getting that you are? Are we missing the point that a few wins by pissed off players is better for this team than McEichel?

 

Please enlighten us with more than your typical one line sarcastic comment as to why we are all so wrong in being pissed. Why do we feel entitled? Come off your pedestal for a few minutes and tell us. Please.

[papazoid]

players are celebrating sticking it to the fans they think have turned on them ??  .......priceless.

 

players will never "tank", but why didn't the players put forth this renewed effort before they were eliminated from the playoffs ?

 

fans are smart enough to know that long term goals sometimes trump short term goals.

 

fans are NOT booing individual players.....they are hoping to improve the "teams" chances of a better future.

Edited April 2, 2015 by papazoid

[Sabre Dance]

Those selfish, selfish players!  How dare they think of their own careers and families? Don't they know that there's an important draft pick to secure?  A player that will likely take one of their places next season?  How can they play horribly all season (which is what all those tankers out there really wanted) and now that other teams have caught on and are trying to out-suck the Sabres, they go out and win a game?  Don't they get it?  They're not supposed to think or play like the professionals they are being paid to be; they should just act like pawns in a fantasy hockey scenario which allows feverish fans to live their lives vicariously and DEMAND that the team lose so they can POSSIBLY secure the highest draft pick so that the team can POSSIBLY select a junior player who may POSSIBLY be one player on a team which still needs to be rebuilt.  Ridiculous!

[sicknfla]

Those selfish, selfish players! How dare they think of their own careers and families? Don't they know that there's an important draft pick to secure? A player that will likely take one of their places next season? How can they play horribly all season (which is what all those tankers out there really wanted) and now that other teams have caught on and are trying to out-suck the Sabres, they go out and win a game? Don't they get it? They're not supposed to think or play like the professionals they are being paid to be; they should just act like pawns in a fantasy hockey scenario which allows feverish fans to live their lives vicariously and DEMAND that the team lose so they can POSSIBLY secure the highest draft pick so that the team can POSSIBLY select a junior player who may POSSIBLY be one player on a team which still needs to be rebuilt. Ridiculous!

It is simply the fact that for 157 games they could care less. All of a sudden some fans "disrespect" them and they decide to play the last 7 like it is the Cup finals. They have openly come out and said it. That is the part that is . If most of these guys played hard since game 1 we wouldn't be in this position. And I would be totally fine with that.

[ddaryl]

Those selfish, selfish players!  How dare they think of their own careers and families? Don't they know that there's an important draft pick to secure?  A player that will likely take one of their places next season?  How can they play horribly all season (which is what all those tankers out there really wanted) and now that other teams have caught on and are trying to out-suck the Sabres, they go out and win a game?  Don't they get it?  They're not supposed to think or play like the professionals they are being paid to be; they should just act like pawns in a fantasy hockey scenario which allows feverish fans to live their lives vicariously and DEMAND that the team lose so they can POSSIBLY secure the highest draft pick so that the team can POSSIBLY select a junior player who may POSSIBLY be one player on a team which still needs to be rebuilt.  Ridiculous!

 

 

who the hell cares about those players

 

I just want a championship in Buffalo and that odds go up considerably with a generational player.

 

 

the fact that these players played like crap all year then take offense when we are excited about the top 2 picks and start playing well when it means nothing is a KICK IN THE NUTS

 

 

Screw these jerkoffs .. where was the inspired play when I spent $1000 and traveled with my family to Vancouver to watch them play..

 

 

So yeah I demand they finish the job they have done all year.

[Sabre Dance]

who the hell cares about those players

 

I just want a championship in Buffalo and that odds go up considerably with a generational player.

 

 

the fact that these players played like crap all year then take offense when we are excited about the top 2 picks and start playing well when it means nothing is a KICK IN THE NUTS

 

 

Screw these jerkoffs .. where was the inspired play when I spent $1000 and traveled with my family to Vancouver to watch them play..

 

 

So yeah I demand they finish the job they have done all year.

I am confused - did you want the team to suck all year or did you want them to play to win every game?  You can't have it both ways.  And while I appreciate that no one wants to spend that kind of money for a dissapointing return, knowing that the team was in this situation this year would probably have stopped me from making that kind of investment.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Sabre Dance

[darksabre]

Please tell us what it is all about Dark since you seem to feel that pissed off fans are in the wrong here. What are we not getting that you are? Are we missing the point that a few wins by pissed off players is better for this team than McEichel?

 

Please enlighten us with more than your typical one line sarcastic comment as to why we are all so wrong in being pissed. Why do we feel entitled? Come off your pedestal for a few minutes and tell us. Please.

Why are you so pissed off? It's just entertainment. If it chaps your ass so much go find something that entertains you sufficiently. The team will go on without you even if you think otherwise. You're not that important.

[sicknfla]

Why are you so pissed off? It's just entertainment. If it chaps your ass so much go find something that entertains you sufficiently. The team will go on without you even if you think otherwise. You're not that important.

That wasn't very enlightening but thanks for trying.

[Claude_Verret]

I won't ever get pissed about the players finding extra motivation from anything they might perceive as an injustice or slap in the face.  These guys are professional athletes and it's their job to play to win. Period.  The only fault I find with them is making their desire public, and because of that this situation has the potential to get much uglier.  They all should have followed the lead of their captain after the Arizona game and just taken the high road, offered no comment and kept everything in the locker room.

[darksabre]

That wasn't very enlightening but thanks for trying.

Pot meet kettle.

[Eleven]

Did no one notice OP's screen name?  Nice.

[sicknfla]

Pot meet kettle.

I know I know. We can always resort to those tactics. You have been very upfront with your opinions that many feel entitled. Is it that hard to take the time to put out a well thought post as to why you feel that way? Maybe it would actually have merit and some of us could understand your rationale. But to just continuously throw out one or two line jabs isn't giving your opinion any weight.

 

We can do this without fighting. Just post an educated response as to why we feel this way. I am smart and you are dumb doesn't cut it.

[TrueBlueGED]

Don't be a wimp.

Keep this in mind for when Teddy gets canned :nana:

[dudacek]

So do we want them to throw the next few games, or just have the dignity to look embarrassed when they win?

And is this letter to all the players in the room, or just the ones we don't want back next year?

[inkman]

I think the majority of players on this team have given a good effort all season.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

The players have given their all for the entire season.

 

Their all is not very much since the talent level on this roster is minimal.

 

Most of the season they play teams that are much better and usually they lost, which certainly was to be expected most nights.

 

It just so happens that in this stretch drive they are playing a number of teams that are pretty much on their level.  Add to that the extra motivation that was generated when the players felt slighted by some fans in the Coyote game and wins are inevitable.

 

I did not read the GDT for last night's game, but I can imagine what it is.

 

A win against an arch rival.  Great!!

 

Draft position be damned.

[nobody]

That wasn't very enlightening but thanks for trying.

 

 

I found it enlightening.  It says that dark really doesn't care what the team does ("It's just entertainment.")  Win, lose as long as it's a good value for the show.  He's not in it for the passion of the crest.

[darksabre]

Keep this in mind for when Teddy gets canned :nana:

I'll be happy to pay up :D

[sicknfla]

I found it enlightening. It says that dark really doesn't care what the team does ("It's just entertainment.") Win, lose as long as it's a good value for the show. He's not in it for the passion of the crest.

Seems that way. To some of us Phil Housley, Dave Andreychuck, Darren Puppa, Adam Creighton, and the rest of the 1987 team doesn't seem too long ago. That was also the year Dark was born. That is fine. You don't need to be here from Day 1 to be a fan. However, you better sure as hell not tell me what kind of fan I am or should be. And definitely don't tell me to find my entertainment elsewhere.

 

It is ignorant.

 

Mike Ramsay, Christian Ruutu, Ray Sheppard, Richie Dunn, Pierre Turgeon, etc. I was just looking at that roster. My god time flies.

Edited April 2, 2015 by sicknfla