Revisiting one burning question about Terry — why did he buy the Sabres?

[X. Benedict]

 

Ya know who the real conspiracy buffs are on this site? Not me. I am an amateur compared to those who see attacks on Pegula wherever they look. Hoss is just the latest. It's almost like some of you are trying to convince yourselves that TP isn't evil incarnate.

C'mon now. Really?  You hated the fact Pegula built Harbor Center, hated that he has supported US Hockey, hated that he tried to land the combine. No?  (you yourself asked that Harbor Center be an OT topic, right? Even though it is an ice rink populated by present and former Sabres, and they have scouting  and video support there. your angle has always been a little deeper than a simple discussion. )  

 

We just might be suspicious of you.  :P

[That Aud Smell]

Good give and take.

 

I enjoy discussing this topic, to a point.

 

I am amused by those who chime in mostly to say this isn't a worthy topic of discussion.

60 Minutes? Wow, I missed that one. Mike Wallace?

 

It wasn't 60 Minutes qua 60 Minutes. Like a spin off show bearing the name (of the franchise). I think it ran on Showtime?

Sorry. On a phone. Can't look it up.

It's almost like some of you are trying to convince yourselves that TP isn't evil incarnate.

 

Evil incarnate? That, my dear friend, is some gen-u-ine trolling.

[Doohicksie]

Great cities all have patrons. One or more wealthy families that invest in their cities. It could be for philanthropic reasons. It could be for wealth-building reasons.

 

Your comment brought to mind another Bass family story.  About 15 years ago, a tornado hit downtown Ft Worth, damaging a 35-story bank building (think the old Marine Midland or whatever it's called) to the point it was uninhabitable.  It sat there, boarded up, for over 5 years.  It required millions to fix, and millions to tear it down (due to asbestos).  Finally one of the Basses bought it, commenting, "I know I'll lose money, but it's for the good of the city."  They refurbished the building into residential, split between rentals and condos.  The condos did so well they sold it all as condo and now it's among the most desirable addresses in the city, certainly in downtown.  In the end he made his money back and then some.  So he invested for philanthropic reasons and still managed to turn a profit.

[Stoner]

C'mon now. Really?  You hated the fact Pegula built Harbor Center, hated that he has supported US Hockey, hated that he tried to land the combine. No?  (you yourself asked that Harbor Center be an OT topic, right? Even though it is an ice rink populated by present and former Sabres, and they have scouting  and video support there. your angle has always been a little deeper than a simple discussion. )  

 

We just might be suspicious of you.  :P

I'm always leery of defending one of the thousands of posts I've made. What did David Byrne sing that time, "I've had so many hair styles, I don't know what I look like?"

 

I don't think I hated Pegula for building the HarborCenter. I said I didn't care about it. I didn't agree then, and don't agree now, that it was about helping the Sabres win. It wasn't about the Sabres, it was about real estate development/revitalization/USA Hockey, hence to me it was (OT).

I mean why on earth would anyone around here think that yet another thread started by you about Pegula isn't about trying to undermine the guy and what hes done in some way?

There wasn't anything in this thread's initial post that was negative in any way. It should have been taken at face value. Odd, really, that such a Pegula Hater brought up a quote that put him in such a positive light, while the rest of you slumbered.

[X. Benedict]

I'm always leery of defending one of the thousands of posts I've made. What did David Byrne sing that time, "I've had so many hair styles, I don't know what I look like?"

 

I don't think I hated Pegula for building the HarborCenter. I said I didn't care about it. I didn't agree then, and don't agree now, that it was about helping the Sabres win. It wasn't about the Sabres, it was about real estate development/revitalization/USA Hockey, hence to me it was (OT).

 

 

But none of that was inconsistent with the entire Hockey Heaven thing. Making a Buffalo a Hockey Destination.  It seems to me, at least in the past, you've seized on the entire: "Starting today,"the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup."  And the Meddling, and the .......or whatever the angle is. (are we supposed to ignore that now?)

 

Every hockey event in Buffalo is a chance to sell the city to the players that come here. I was just talking to a team of made of junior players (not Major) that played a pre-season tourney in Harbor Center last month. They ate at the 716. They loved it. They loved it! A kid who is going to be very good told me he can't wait to play there again.  

 

Even if Pegula didn't intend it. It is working. Bringing the combine here. Pushing for World Juniors. It really does give the city a chance to show off in a decent light. 

 

It may seem far fetched, but making Buffalo a hockey destination at least can't hurt the team. 

 

And I want you to say it.  :P 

[Claude_Verret]

 

There wasn't anything in this thread's initial post that was negative in any way. It should have been taken at face value. Odd, really, that such a Pegula Hater brought up a quote that put him in such a positive light, while the rest of you slumbered.

 

So your exhaustive negative posting history in regard to Pegula should carry no weight at all?  The post should be read in a vacuum? C'mon.

 

I'm ready for matrix to come back and start a thread "The merits of tanking" or for DeLuca to start a thread "You know Republicans ain't so bad after all".  

[Stoner]

But none of that was inconsistent with the entire Hockey Heaven thing. Making a Buffalo a Hockey Destination.  It seems to me, at least in the past, you've seized on the entire: "Starting today,"the Buffalo Sabres' reason for existence will be to win a Stanley Cup."  And the Meddling, and the .......or whatever the angle is. (are we supposed to ignore that now?)

 

Every hockey event in Buffalo is a chance to sell the city to the players that come here. I was just talking to a team of made of junior players (not Major) that played a pre-season tourney in Harbor Center last month. They ate at the 716. They loved it. They loved it! A kid who is going to be very good told me he can't wait to play there again.  

 

Even if Pegula didn't intend it. It is working. Bringing the combine here. Pushing for World Juniors. It really does give the city a chance to show off in a decent light. 

 

It may seem far fetched, but making Buffalo a hockey destination at least can't hurt the team. 

 

And I want you to say it.  :P 

I have no problem saying making Buffalo a hockey destination won't hurt the Sabres. There. But Toronto is a hockey mecca too and the Rangers have some fancy schmancy facility too. I don't believe that those are the things that bring Cups.

[X. Benedict]

I have no problem saying making Buffalo a hockey destination won't hurt the Sabres. There. But Toronto is a hockey mecca too and the Rangers have some fancy schmancy facility too. I don't believe that those are the things that bring Cups.

 

It could help. 

 

Convincing just one player to come, or one of the best (maybe Eichel, to stay) could have everything to do with bringing a cup(s) here. 

 

The make-over ain't gonna hurt. But I think even if the reasoning is flawed (as you believe it is, I don't), it is what Pegula has bought into. 

[Stoner]

So your exhaustive negative posting history in regard to Pegula should carry no weight at all?  The post should be read in a vacuum? C'mon.

 

I'm ready for matrix to come back and start a thread "The merits of tanking" or for DeLuca to start a thread "You know Republicans ain't so bad after all".  

Ugh, I feel like I always have to defend myself for very reasonable opinions. I haven't been down on Pegula for the hell of it. I was as excited as anyone before Pegula Day. Hell, he had me eating out of the palm of his hand when his presser started. The Perreault thing choked me up, too. And the "reason for existence line" gave me chills. Then he said Lindy ain't going anywhere and he could work with Darcy and I started to get a sinking feeling. He went over to the News (same day) and while cleaning the crud from under his nails over the editorial board table, he blamed the paper for the quit in the team and asked aloud what Darcy had done wrong.

 

And then, IMHO, he meddled, and you had the disastrous offseason spending spree of 2011, and he started acting like a rich guy with a new toy, flying here and there to woo players, sitting in various war rooms and so forth. He hung onto Lindy and Darcy far too long. In the midst of this, with the team floundering, the HarborCenter started going up and the sheep just went along, saying the development proved what a great owner he was and how much he was committed to bringing a Cup to Buffalo. I couldn't take it.

 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[qwksndmonster]

The sheep, yes! The best way to not be labeled a conspiracy theorist is referring to the masses properly.

 

He kept Darcy on, that was his first and biggest mistake, but he learned and didn't pick the next gm himself. I'd say that shows the right attitude for a rich owner to have.

 

People give Pegula credit for ending the talk of where will our teams go? That earns him some huge brownie points right there. It's not hard to understand why we sheep love him so much.

[LGR4GM]

[SwampD]

What a shame? There was some good discussion going on about a somewhat interesting topic, and now all I hear is, "Waaaaaah, PA is pissing in my Cheerios again!"

[LGR4GM]

What a shame? There was some good discussion going on about a somewhat interesting topic, and now all I hear is, "Waaaaaah, PA is pissing in my Cheerios again!"

Fine, I will stay out.

 

 

Why did Terry Pegula buy the Sabres and build harbor center, go.

[TrueBlueGED]

All of Pegula's moves have combined to give us Jack Eichel and contributed to a pretty kick ass portion of the waterfront. All hail Lord Terry.

[X. Benedict]

What a shame? There was some good discussion going on about a somewhat interesting topic, and now all I hear is, "Waaaaaah, PA is pissing in my Cheerios again!"

 

We want a Cheerios museum too. BTW. 

[WildCard]

All of Pegula's moves have combined to give us Jack Eichel and contributed to a pretty kick ass portion of the waterfront. All hail Lord Terry.

Pegula is love, Pegula is life.

 

I, for one, welcome our new Pegula overlords 

Edited October 16, 2015 by WildCard

[Stoner]

Pegula is love, Pegula is life.

 

I, for one, welcome our new Pegula overlords 

Pegula is people, tell them!!!!!

[Weave]

 

You could also argue that the Rigas and Golisano years would make a lot of fans very suspicious of any new owner.

 

You could.  And it is interesting that it didn't work that way.  

 

I guess if people are starved long enough they'll accept you without reservation if you simply feed them.

[Doohicksie]

It may seem far fetched, but making Buffalo a hockey destination at least can't hurt the team.

 

Think of another "hockey destination":  Toronto.  Why are they a hockey destination:

 

1. Original 6 club.

2. Hockey HOF.

3. NHL offices.

 

Those are all neat.  They may catch the interest of prospective players.  But face it, those are all related to hockey's past, to the old men of hockey.  Yes the Leafs are still there, but the Original 6 angle is about history, not the present.

 

None of those are attainable for Buffalo.  There is simply nothing Buffalo can do to compete head-to-head for the hearts and minds of hockey's upcoming youth.  But if you want to build a mystique about wanting to be in Buffalo, you can cater to the actual youth players with clinics and tournaments, starting from training the youngest players through tournaments at the HC.  You can see where, at some point, young hockey players realize that Toronto is a good old boys club that is all about old guys.  But when they come to a tourney in Buffalo they realize, "Hey, this is about me."

 

If you want to win their hearts and minds, if you want them to want to come to Buffalo, if you want them to think of the city as Hockey Heaven, don't turn up your noses at them and say, "Look how grand we were."  Engage the youth and make it all about them.  Show them that you think they're special, that you see them as the future, and that you want them there.

 

The groundwork has been laid.  The deathstar, I mean HC, is fully functional.  We have our ambassador, young Mr. Eichel.  Now if the team can leverage he and his teammates into a Cup or two, or even a dynasty, you'll have young hockey players working hard to play for us, and free agents bolting from their old teams to join the Sabres.

 

Including youth in that with the Harbor Center, making them part of Hockey Heaven from a young age, must certainly help the club.

I, for one, welcome our new Pegula overlords 

 

:flirt:

Edited October 16, 2015 by Robins Egg

[Claude_Verret]

What a shame? There was some good discussion going on about a somewhat interesting topic, and now all I hear is, "Waaaaaah, PA is pissing in my Cheerios again!"

 

 

I think you have the source of the "waaaah's" reversed.  

[Stoner]

If I could wrap my head around the idea of young hockey players deciding where they play in the NHL, I might think differently about the HarborCenter.

[TrueBlueGED]

If I could wrap my head around the idea of young hockey players deciding where they play in the NHL, I might think differently about the HarborCenter.

HarborCenter is an awesome facility, and far better than the other proposals for the site. Why does it have to be more than that?

[SwampD]

I think you have the source of the "waaaah's" reversed.  

Nope.

 

I find it ironic that people willingly clicked on a thread about Pegula's motives, didn't like it, so they turned it into a thread about PA's motives.

[Stoner]

HarborCenter is an awesome facility, and far better than the other proposals for the site. Why does it have to be more than that?

Exactly.

[Doohicksie]

If I could wrap my head around the idea of young hockey players deciding where they play in the NHL, I might think differently about the HarborCenter.

 

It takes them a while before than can decide, but what was the dig against Buffalo when Drury and Briere left?  The city was a hole.  Give them a favorable impression when they're young and let it settle in them.