The 'layers of people' around TP — THEY'RE PEOPLE! TELL THEM! — also: fookin' Battista

[Stoner]

Sound like anyone we know? Doesn't sound like Babcock objects to layers of people -- provided, I guess, those layers are ones he likes or respects.

Or provided he's one of the layer. Was it going to be Pegula-Patrick-Battista-Murray-Babcock in Buffalo? Given Babcock's elite status and apparently healthy ego, how could he be "just the coach"? Maybe the Sabres balked at giving him too much power. Of course Murray denies it was ever an issue.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

For the record....I like Joe Battista. I said it when he first came on....he tackled the Penn State molestation and coverup stuff head on. I think he is a good guy who just has a lot of fan in him. He's not rubbing his hands together thinking how he is going to take someone down, or screw someone over. He honestly wants to help. It's just a question of how much that help interferes with the rest of the structure and guys who traditionally make the decisions.

[MBHockey13]

The only person I've ever heard make Battista out to be this huge bogeyman is PA. It looks like Harrington might be making a dig at him, but I don't worry about his opinion.

 

Maybe he is a meddler - but the guy does deserve credit for helping get Penn State from a step above intramural hockey to a legitimate D-1 program. In fact, he has a lot to do with the formation of the Big Ten Hockey League just from that.

 

Otherwise, I don't know anything about him.

[Stoner]

Towit:

 

 

Last March, Fasching’s draft rights were traded from the Los Angeles Kings to the Buffalo Sabres, a young organization in a rebuilding phase. Joe Battista, Sabres vice president of hockey-related business, told the Star Tribune he thought Fasching would have a good opportunity to make the jump into the organization after his sophomore year, but added that another year with the Gophers would likely benefit Fasching.

“We see tremendous upside with him,” Battista said earlier this year. “He’s going to be a net presence and be a guy playing on the power play.”

 

http://www.startribune.com/fasching-confirms-he-ll-return-for-another-year/303110971/

This is probably the kind of thing that could irk some people in the hockey department.

[LabattBlue]

The only person I've ever heard make Battista out to be this huge bogeyman is PA. It looks like Harrington might be making a dig at him, but I don't worry about his opinion.

 

Maybe he is a meddler - but the guy does deserve credit for helping get Penn State from a step above intramural hockey to a legitimate D-1 program. In fact, he has a lot to do with the formation of the Big Ten Hockey League just from that.

 

Otherwise, I don't know anything about him.

There is only one person who deserves credit for the PSU hockey program/arena and that is Pegula.  Without his money, that hockey program would be nowhere.  If Battista gets any credit it should be for pestering Pegula until he wrote the check.

[Doohicksie]

Hmmm.  Interesting.  I have no clue about any of it.

 

I don't care about any of it.  I'm a hockey fan; what concerns me is the on-ice product.

[LabattBlue]

Towit:

 

 

http://www.startribune.com/fasching-confirms-he-ll-return-for-another-year/303110971/

This is probably the kind of thing that could irk some people in the hockey department.

It would be interesting to know why Battista ended up being the one from the organization providing a quote for the article.  Clearly the author wouldn't have sought him out.

[K-9]

Does Murray strike anyone as the type to tolerate superfluous layers of bureaucracy that interferes with his job? One would think that the fact he reports directly to Pegula would be enough to put that to rest.

 

But there always has to be a bad guy.

 

Always has to be a conspiracy.

 

Always has to be a reason to be disappointed.

 

I've decided not to let the tinfoil crowd ruin my enjoyment. I think, like the Sullsys and Harringtons of the world, their real motivation is to generate clicks and nothing more. To be contrarian just for contrarian's sake. Ultimately, it adds little.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[PromoTheRobot]

Is this the same as when Bucky Gleason suggested Kim Pegula should stick to picking drapes rather than sit in on important meetings where she didn't belong?

[MBHockey13]

I'm sorry - but it doesn't appear to me Battista is just some lucky guy who somehow managed to find Terry's ear and now wants to pretend to run a hockey team. He has a pretty solid resume. I imagine he knows more about hockey than most of us and I've been playing ice hockey since I was a kid.

JOE BATTISTA
Vice President of Hockey-Related Businesses
 

Photo by Bill Wippert

The 2013-14 season is the first in which Joe Battista fills the role of vice president of hockey-related business for the Buffalo Sabres.  In this position, he will assist in developing and implementing strategic initiatives for all hockey-related businesses, including those that directly relate to growing interest in the game throughout the country and specifically in Western New York. 

Hired in November 2013, Battista joins the Sabres organization after serving in several capacities at Penn State University for 26 years (1987-2013), the most recent being associate athletic director for ice arena & hockey operations since September 2010.  He has also been a consultant for the organization on the HARBORCENTER project and the Academy of Hockey since its inception.

During his time at Penn State, Battista was instrumental in facilitating the largest gift in the university's history, an $88 million donation for the ice facility and Division I men's ice hockey team, which came through the generosity of Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula. The arena has also sold out the men’s hockey tickets for the 2013-14 season. 

In addition, Battista also was a longtime head coach of Penn State's men's ACHA club ice hockey team - the Icers -, former executive director of the Nittany Lion Club, as well as the director of major gifts for the Smeal College of Business. During his tenure, Battista was awarded the 2009 Ridge Riley Lions' Pride Award in the Division of Development and Alumni Relations. 

In his first development position, Battista served as the executive director of the Nittany Lion Club from 2006-2009. While with the Nittany Lion Club, Battista helped grow the club to a then-record 23,000 members. Under his guidance, the annual giving to support the intercollegiate athletic department also increased to record levels. 

In 1991, Battista became a co-founder of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), which has since grown to a membership of close to 500 universities and colleges in five divisions. 

From 1982-1985, Battista acted as an assistant to the marketing director for the Pittsburgh Penguins, also co-founding the Amateur Penguins Hockey organization in 1983. To this day, the Amateur Penguins continue to field competitive teams in six different age groups.

Battista brings with him a combined 30 years of experience as a head coach (512 wins, 6 ACHA national titles in addition to coaching Team USA for the 2003 World University Games) and ice facilities manager and also coached the ice hockey team at Culver Military Academy. He is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Penn State Hockey Hall of Fame.

A Pittsburgh, Penn. native, Battista is a 1983 graduate of Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business with a degree in marketing. He and his wife, Heidi, have three children: Brianna, Jonathon and Ryan. 

[LabattBlue]

He 

 

I'm sorry - but it doesn't appear to me Battista is just some lucky guy who somehow managed to find Terry's ear and now wants to pretend to run a hockey team. He has a pretty solid resume. I imagine he knows more about hockey than most of us and I've been playing ice hockey since I was a kid.

JOE BATTISTA
Vice President of Hockey-Related Businesses
 

Photo by Bill Wippert

The 2013-14 season is the first in which Joe Battista fills the role of vice president of hockey-related business for the Buffalo Sabres.  In this position, he will assist in developing and implementing strategic initiatives for all hockey-related businesses, including those that directly relate to growing interest in the game throughout the country and specifically in Western New York. 

Hired in November 2013, Battista joins the Sabres organization after serving in several capacities at Penn State University for 26 years (1987-2013), the most recent being associate athletic director for ice arena & hockey operations since September 2010.  He has also been a consultant for the organization on the HARBORCENTER project and the Academy of Hockey since its inception.

During his time at Penn State, Battista was instrumental in facilitating the largest gift in the university's history, an $88 million donation for the ice facility and Division I men's ice hockey team, which came through the generosity of Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula. The arena has also sold out the men’s hockey tickets for the 2013-14 season. 

In addition, Battista also was a longtime head coach of Penn State's men's ACHA club ice hockey team - the Icers -, former executive director of the Nittany Lion Club, as well as the director of major gifts for the Smeal College of Business. During his tenure, Battista was awarded the 2009 Ridge Riley Lions' Pride Award in the Division of Development and Alumni Relations. 

In his first development position, Battista served as the executive director of the Nittany Lion Club from 2006-2009. While with the Nittany Lion Club, Battista helped grow the club to a then-record 23,000 members. Under his guidance, the annual giving to support the intercollegiate athletic department also increased to record levels. 

In 1991, Battista became a co-founder of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), which has since grown to a membership of close to 500 universities and colleges in five divisions. 

From 1982-1985, Battista acted as an assistant to the marketing director for the Pittsburgh Penguins, also co-founding the Amateur Penguins Hockey organization in 1983. To this day, the Amateur Penguins continue to field competitive teams in six different age groups.

Battista brings with him a combined 30 years of experience as a head coach (512 wins, 6 ACHA national titles in addition to coaching Team USA for the 2003 World University Games) and ice facilities manager and also coached the ice hockey team at Culver Military Academy. He is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Penn State Hockey Hall of Fame.

A Pittsburgh, Penn. native, Battista is a 1983 graduate of Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business with a degree in marketing. He and his wife, Heidi, have three children: Brianna, Jonathon and Ryan. 

So he was the PSU arena manager, a fundraiser and head of the fan club.  Yep.  Solid credentials to move into a significant role with an NHL team.  LOL

 

Oh...and coach of the PSU club hockey team! LOL

 

I bet Battista and Quinny would be great friends and be able to swap stories about their roles with the Sabres.

Edited May 22, 2015 by LabattBlue

[Stoner]

Does Murray strike anyone as the type to tolerate superfluous layers of bureaucracy that interferes with his job? One would think that the fact he reports directly to Pegula would be enough to put that to rest.

 

But there always has to be a bad guy.

 

Always has to be a conspiracy.

 

Always has to be a reason to be disappointed.

 

I've decided not to let the tinfoil crowd ruin my enjoyment. I think, like the Sullsys and Harringtons of the world, their real motivation is to generate clicks and nothing more. To be contrarian just for contrarian's sake. Ultimately, it adds little.

 

GO SABRES!!!

Well, I think when you had the splash Terry made in 2011, the subsequent disappointment and now you're sitting here four years later after two of the worst seasons in NHL history — no one would have believed it on 2/22/11 — there is reason for skepticism and questioning.

 

Are you saying my motivation is to generate clicks? Why would I care about clicks? I'm not even sure I know what a click is. SDS makes no money off this site, or if he does, he goes right back into it. If I cared about monetizing my opinions, I'd start a blog and make $11 a month or something. I was part of a site that had over 10,000 unique visitors a day during the team's most recent heyday, and that site also did not seek to make a penny. It's purely about being a fan, getting to express opinions and giving other fans the chance to.

He 

 

So he was the PSU arena manager, a fundraiser and head of the fan club.  Yep.  Solid credentials to move into a significant role with an NHL team.  LOL

 

Oh...and coach of the PSU club hockey team! LOL

Another tinfoil contrarian! This is the heart of it. Does Terry hire the best people to run his hockey team? Or does he look to friends and "cronies"? Benson to Black to Sawyer to Patrick to Battista, the answer is right there for anyone to see. (Patrick was seemingly a good addition, I'll give him that; of course we don't know what he does, really.) Murray really is the firewall. Like others, I hope and trust he's the one really running the show.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I'm sorry - but it doesn't appear to me Battista is just some lucky guy who somehow managed to find Terry's ear and now wants to pretend to run a hockey team. He has a pretty solid resume. I imagine he knows more about hockey than most of us and I've been playing ice hockey since I was a kid.

 

 

 

That bio is from 2013.......his role has changed according to his own Linkedin, and the Sabres currently have no bio for him on their website.

 

I bet Battista and Quinny would be great friends and be able to swap stories about their roles with the Sabres.

 

This is why I wanted to clarify I think Battista is a good guy.

 

If Joe Sabres Fan went up to Quinn at a local watering hole, he'd be counting the seconds until he could flick you away like the bug you are.

 

If you went up to Battista, he'd probably hang for 2 beers and be genuinely excited to talk about the team with you.  

 

Bottom line, there are a lot of old fashioned Alpha Males in the decision making roles of NHL teams. The Southern California yoga circle of decision making is a HUGE turnoff for people who would otherwise look at Buffalo as a great destination because of the owner's deep pockets, hockey tradition, and upward trajectory.

[Johnny DangerFace]

Great theory, except Battista has barely been mentioned around these parts for a long time.

 

He is mentioned constantantly and especially in the coaching threads. 

 

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-19?do=findComment&comment=690916

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-49?do=findComment&comment=696281

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-45?do=findComment&comment=695157

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-44?do=findComment&comment=695071

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-36?do=findComment&comment=694132

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23378-top-100-non-contractual-pitches-for-relocating-to-buffalo/?do=findComment&comment=693757

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23381-all-about-the-babwatch-sabres-out/page-10?do=findComment&comment=695202

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23381-all-about-the-babwatch-sabres-out/page-20?do=findComment&comment=695989

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23381-all-about-the-babwatch-sabres-out/page-22?do=findComment&comment=696147

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23342-2015-nhl-playoffs-round-2/page-7?do=findComment&comment=691275

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23368-get-to-know-disco-dan-bylsma/page-3?do=findComment&comment=696240

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23370-2015-nhl-playoffs-round-3/page-3?do=findComment&comment=695680

 

 

I have never seen so much discussion and stuff taken as truth than the past few months (murray pouting over not getting mcdavid, murray complaining about Babcock, this crap).  When sources are continuously wrong and there is evidence after evidence that the news is manipulating crap in relation to murray and the sabres front office, they have no credibility.  Just like if you cry wolf about conspiracy crap regarding the same thing over and over, you lose credibility.

[K-9]

Yes, Pegula is simply interested in having cronies run his team. That's why he never bothered to hire PLF to find a qualified GM or attempt to make Babcock the highest paid coach in history.

 

We now continue with our regularly scheduled narrative of misery.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[MBHockey13]

That bio is from 2013.......his role has changed according to his own Linkedin, and the Sabres currently have no bio for him on their website.

 

 

I'm not sure what you mean. I just copied and pasted that bio verbatim from Sabres.com.

 

http://sabres.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=94184

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Yes, Pegula is simply interested in having cronies run his team. That's why he never bothered to hire PLF to find a qualified GM or attempt to make Babcock the highest paid coach in history.

 

We now continue with our regularly scheduled narrative of misery.

 

GO SABRES!!!

 

Dude!!! 

 

Pat LaFontaine was gone in a matter of weeks because of the dysfunction...one way or another......there is a reporter saying cronies played a role in Babcock not coming.

 

WTF????!!!!!

 

That's the point!!!

 

If people here want to give zero credibility to any media......then that is fine with me. So basically it is a Madd Max world and anything should go. Each person for themself.

 

I have sources that say PA took a bath last night in canned chili made out of baby seals......

 

There you go.

I'm not sure what you mean. I just copied and pasted that bio verbatim from Sabres.com.

 

http://sabres.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=94184

 

Look at it....it's from 2013.....you got it from a search engine.

 

If you go to the current Sabres site, Battista has no bio.

Edited May 22, 2015 by Ghost of Dwight Drane

[MBHockey13]

Look at it....it's from 2013.....you got it from a search engine.

 

If you go to the current Sabres site, Battista has no bio.

 

Yeah, I did get it from searching, but it was on the Sabres.com site.

 

It's strange. You don't get a bio for a lot of people - including Tim Murray.

[K-9]

Ah, the case of the missing bio. I remember it well. It came up missing right after the strawberries. Others thought it to be mere coincidence, but not me. No, not me. As soon as the bio also went missing, I knew I had them.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

He is mentioned constantantly and especially in the coaching threads. 

 

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-19?do=findComment&comment=690916

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-49?do=findComment&comment=696281

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-45?do=findComment&comment=695157

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-44?do=findComment&comment=695071

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-36?do=findComment&comment=694132

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23378-top-100-non-contractual-pitches-for-relocating-to-buffalo/?do=findComment&comment=693757

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23381-all-about-the-babwatch-sabres-out/page-10?do=findComment&comment=695202

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23381-all-about-the-babwatch-sabres-out/page-20?do=findComment&comment=695989

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23381-all-about-the-babwatch-sabres-out/page-22?do=findComment&comment=696147

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23342-2015-nhl-playoffs-round-2/page-7?do=findComment&comment=691275

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23368-get-to-know-disco-dan-bylsma/page-3?do=findComment&comment=696240

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23370-2015-nhl-playoffs-round-3/page-3?do=findComment&comment=695680

 

 

I have never seen so much discussion and stuff taken as truth than the past few months (murray pouting over not getting mcdavid, murray complaining about Babcock, this crap).  When sources are continuously wrong and there is evidence after evidence that the news is manipulating crap in relation to murray and the sabres front office, they have no credibility.  Just like if you cry wolf about conspiracy crap regarding the same thing over and over, you lose credibility.

 

Did you bother to read your links?

 

Most of them are sarcastic trolling posts aimed at people who have actually suggested in the past that Battista was in an elevated position.

 

Now we have media reports saying Battista is a major reason the team didn't get their holy grail of coaches.

 

 

If some people here spent as much time thinking and researching as they do bitching about those who actually do.....it might actually be a productive little place.....

[Stoner]

He is mentioned constantantly and especially in the coaching threads. 

 

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-19?do=findComment&comment=690916

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-49?do=findComment&comment=696281

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-45?do=findComment&comment=695157

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-44?do=findComment&comment=695071

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23276-the-next-coach-of-the-buffalo-sabres/page-36?do=findComment&comment=694132

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23378-top-100-non-contractual-pitches-for-relocating-to-buffalo/?do=findComment&comment=693757

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23381-all-about-the-babwatch-sabres-out/page-10?do=findComment&comment=695202

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23381-all-about-the-babwatch-sabres-out/page-20?do=findComment&comment=695989

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23381-all-about-the-babwatch-sabres-out/page-22?do=findComment&comment=696147

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23342-2015-nhl-playoffs-round-2/page-7?do=findComment&comment=691275

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23368-get-to-know-disco-dan-bylsma/page-3?do=findComment&comment=696240

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/23370-2015-nhl-playoffs-round-3/page-3?do=findComment&comment=695680

 

 

I have never seen so much discussion and stuff taken as truth than the past few months (murray pouting over not getting mcdavid, murray complaining about Babcock, this crap).  When sources are continuously wrong and there is evidence after evidence that the news is manipulating crap in relation to murray and the sabres front office, they have no credibility.  Just like if you cry wolf about conspiracy crap regarding the same thing over and over, you lose credibility.

Three of the first four entries are jokes. That's all I need to see. (And that's about the same percentage a bunch of you are batting of late with your posts.)

[K-9]

So now a digression from and a contradiction to an earlier point made in an opinion piece written by a journalist with an axe to grind passes for a "media" report?

 

The total disregard for every other ACTUAL media reports since yesterday in order to support the narrative by both Harrington and the click-hungry crowd here is both lazy and intellectually dishonest.

 

At best.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[qwksndmonster]

Did you bother to read your links?

 

Most of them are sarcastic trolling posts aimed at people who have actually suggested in the past that Battista was in an elevated position.

 

Now we have media reports saying Battista is a major reason the team didn't get their holy grail of coaches.

 

 

If some people here spent as much time thinking and researching as they do bitching about those who actually do.....it might actually be a productive little place.....

Bwahahahahahaha.  I'm sure they were sooper credible.

[dudacek]

Anyone who doubts cronyism is rampant in Terry Pegula's world isn't paying attention.

Anyone who thinks it is the real reason Mike Babcock isn't in Buffalo (because of a vague reference by Mike Harrington of all people!) is willfully ignoring the obvious: Mr. and Mrs. Babcock preferred life in Toronto and the challenge of the Leafs.

 

Joe Battista is my favourite Sabrespace character. 

[nfreeman]

 

I have sources that say PA took a bath last night in canned chili made out of baby seals......

 

I knew it.  I knew there was something unsavory about him.