Bucky: Pegulas in over their heads

[thewookie1]

Have they been amateurish as sports owners yes, but few new owners aren't. 

 

My argument from practically day one was that there didn't need to be a learning curve at all. What did Golisano have to learn, besides the difference between a puck and a meatball? People may not like it, but he hired someone to run things for him and it almost produced a Cup or two. The Pegulas' ginormous egos will be their downfall. The "reason for existence" business was always a bunch of BS. The Sabres exist to be the team Terry wins a Cup with.

 

The only fault I find with Bucky's piece is it overstates the importance of the Pegulas to Buffalo's resurgence. "The" reason the city is thriving? A bit over the top, but I understand why he had to wash some balls.

You surely liked his puff piece on Disco Dan. He went out to Michigan and everything.

 

Golisano and Larry Quinn were just as problematic thanks to their communications structure failing miserably when it came to the Briere/Drury resigning. Not to mention he bought the team off bankruptcy, but which had the makings of most of the roster we used in 05-06 already. He left his confidence in Darcy and Ruff and it almost did work, but when it was crunch time 07, they dropped the ball. When he sold the team to the Pegulas, the Sabres were a middling to which they hoped funneling money into a couple players might put them over the edge. Did they keep Regier and Ruff to long, maybe, did they sign the wrong guys, Leino definitely, Ehrhoff potentially over estimated his spot. But had that worked, would you be all pissy about the owners, I doubt it. Had Leino actually played well, and Myers not tailspin after his rookie season there is no reason we couldn't of done well. Teams screw up signings all the time, so they batted 000 in their first two but what owners haven't. The fact they honestly love the teams is not a bad thing, they're willing to pay the money to play, we don't have to worry about internal caps, and they throw it around in hopes to make Buffalo a destination for players.

 

Not to mention it may have taken a few years and a few failures but GMTM is here now and the Sabres seem to be heading in the right direction.

 

They've just adopted the Bills, who were already a perennial loser prior to him taking over, Rex may not of had much success but who was out there that was a sure thing to make the playoffs? Rex's personality some people the wrong way, but to crucify the Pegulas for hiring a well respected coach, granted a loud-mouth, wasn't something they had written up prior. Polian decided not to advise the Bills, Marrone took his ball and left in the cover of night, and they had owned the team 4 months. Football geniuses don't grow on trees, you can't go to college for Super Bowl 101 nor can you make a QB appear out of thin air. You can hate their moves or style of ownership, but that doesn't necessarily mean they had unlimited options. You seem to come across knowing they turned away multiple football experts, and Vince Lombardi's clone and decided to do what they wanted. 

[beerme1]

He brought info directly related to the premise of this board. Not exactly a load of crap.

Good post. To me, good owners aren't cheap, are good to their community, and stay out of player/personnel decisions. He's certainly got 2/3 of them, and appears to be getting better at #3

 

This whole article wouldn't exist if the Bills were in the playoffs. And basing their demise off a 2 year owner and not the gm, players, or coach, is far fetched to me

 

It was to me.

[That Aud Smell]

Can anyone say with a straight face he or she knows what really happened with LaFontaine? So Bucky's description seems as valid as anyone's.

This is old ground, but here goes: Bucky's take on PLF is designed to generate the appearance of a soap opera story line (the stuff about cronies is an unsubstantiated slap, too, BTW; Bucky's not a message board like you and me). I said it at the time: I have an old friend who worked in sales for 10+ years for the Sabres and still has friends in administrative staff. Based on what I'd heard, the team's handling of PLF was fair at worst, and noble at best. Bucky has heard the same rumours, but apparently won't acknowledge them. This is one example of why Bucky gets the 'hack' label.

As for a hockey president, I always liked the idea. Are you arguing for one to be named now? I don't see how that works with someone like Murray already in place.

There should be a hockey person and a football person in charge of the hockey and football ops of the Sabres and Bills, respectively. I hardly see that as a controversial proposition. Nor does Terry, apparently, since he hired one for the Sabres already and has been hounding Polian to so serve for the Bills (doesn't sound like Polian wants such a heavy lift).

 

I aree that it could be a tricky appointment to make for either franchise, given the role of an existing GM. But it shouldn't be too tricky: The GM's direct report would change; that's all. And the president would then loop in Terry for a high-level consult before making a decision.

 

Also not for nothing; The people qualified for these gigs don't grow on trees. Between needing a comfort level for the Pegulas and a desire on the part of the candidate, the pool of candidates is probably quite shallow.

Edited December 30, 2015 by That Aud Smell

[Claude_Verret]

Sabres: some might say completing two successful tanks, you know the goal, was in fact a success. That the team is not challenging for the playoffs less than 40 games into the following season should surprise nobody except...

 

Bills: You mean the Pegulas haven't turned around the most dysfunctional franchise in all of pro sports in their less than two seasons in charge? Color me shocked that the last two years were the same as the previous 14. But yeah..Pegulas bad! The Bills' problems are far beyond what any football czar is going to quickly fix.

[Dave Dryden]

Bucky's right if running something you've never run before means you're in over your head. I was in over my head at my son's first birthday. Absent being a sports owner savant, who isn't?

 

I might have written "after keeping the team in Buffalo, Pegula is now 12 months into developing a winner". No doubt season one has been sidewise. No doubt football managerial talent, probably from the outside, will be necessary.

 

I reserve "in over his head" for someone who's had the time and resources to be successful but has not. Click bait headlines.

 

The direction of the hockey club satisfies me. It really happened as quickly as it could, first day press conferences not withstanding. I think it can happen more quickly in football, although it doesn't necessarily.

 

Two slow with Darcy and too quick with Rex?

I totally agree.  Owners by nature don't know anything about sports, they got rich doing other things and teams are expensive toys that are also a good investment.  The Pegulas have put Tim Murray and Doug Whaley in charge of putting the teams together, that is the expertise they are relying on.  If you want to say those are bad choices, that's fine.  But the Pegulas did not trade for McCoy or sign Clay, Whaley did.  As Whaley said yesterday, all the Pegulas do is say, how can we help you make the team better.

 

Bucky reads like a "reporter" for a Middle School newspaper, it has about that level of sophistication.  I don't begrudge him his opinions, but they are simply not that well thought out in using "over their heads" language. He seems to be saying they should use the Tom Donahoe model Ralph used for a while, but plainly that management approach did not work. But bottom line is we will keep reading this kind of stuff unless the teams get better and make the playoffs.  Until that happens, the Pegulas are just nice people who have not figured out how to build a winner.  If they do, they will be management geniuses.  If they don't then they can be fairly called inept owners.  But we have not had enough time yet to reach a conclusion IMO. 

[Radar]

Man is there a place in this world more negative than Buffalo? Jim Kelley was the last decent hockey writer around this franchise.

[Patty16]

Your verbiage could use a little help, too.

Can anyone say with a straight face he or she knows what really happened with LaFontaine? So Bucky's description seems as valid as anyone's. As for a hockey president, I always liked the idea. Are you arguing for one to be named now? I don't see how that works with someone like Murray already in pla

 

My argument from practically day one was that there didn't need to be a learning curve at all. What did Golisano have to learn, besides the difference between a puck and a meatball? People may not like it, but he hired someone to run things for him and it almost produced a Cup or two. The Pegulas' ginormous egos will be their downfall. The "reason for existence" business was always a bunch of BS. The Sabres exist to be the team Terry wins a Cup with.

 

The only fault I find with Bucky's piece is it overstates the importance of the Pegulas to Buffalo's resurgence. "The" reason the city is thriving? A bit over the top, but I understand why he had to wash some balls.

You surely liked his puff piece on Disco Dan. He went out to Michigan and everything.

 

Golisano? are you kidding  me?  i see why you always get flamed on here. 

 

Tommy boy just stayed out of the way and said dont spend too much.   Who did he hire that made a difference?  Darcy was in charge of all the player moves as he was for many years before Tommy. 

[That Aud Smell]

And who did Ol Sugar Packets hire?

 

(He who shall not be named.)

[Neo]

And who did Ol Sugar Packets hire?

(He who shall not be named.)

This made me laugh twice.

[Kristian]

All Golisano did was open his wallet, and watch as Darcy lucked into two years of no-touch hockey.

 

The second the game reverted to what it used to be, Darcy was as clueless as ever, and Golidano wasn't interested enough in the franchise to care about anything other than what he could sell it off for.

At least the Pegula's *seem* emotionally invested in the franchise, something Golisano never was.

[Stoner]

I won the under on you posting this article.

No one else was going to do it. I fear no Pegula.

[beerme1]

Bucky comes across as a poor jilted reporter who was given instruction to drive sales and not present a fair opinion. Instead he is just driving his agenda. Ralph was a lousy owner in so many ways and I don't think he ever went to this level I guess cause Ralph didn't own both teams. I'll keep the Pegulas thanks.

[Stoner]

nfreeman's line about "fear and loathing" of the wealthy in WNY keeps coming back to me. It has to be the total opposite when it comes to Pegula. It goes way too far and has lasted way too long. My mind is boggled that people think that just because he made billions speculating in oil and gas that he is qualified to run the Bills and the Sabres in the way he has run them.

 

You know who Terry is? (Fill in the name of the person who posts here twice a week when the team is winning and who you think is full of crap.) That's who. Unless you honestly feel that guy is qualified to run the Sabres, please, no offense, STFU about Terry knowing what he's doing or any hope of Terry figuring it out. He is PASabreFan, and you sure as hell didn't want me saying I like hard-working, gritty players and of course Darcy will report to me and, yeah, I can work with the GM.

 

I'll go to my grave with this one. Sorry.

[3putt]

He is "qualified" to run the team because he was able to write the check to purchase it.  They are a private enterprise that sells a brand experience.  They are not an outsourced government contract.  They are beholding to no one but the market.  If you do not like the brand experience they offer, choose another.  This is not a democracy, and we do not get to elect who works for or owns either team.  You can only vote with your wallet and your interest.  So would you do everyone a favor and drop this incessant whining about the ownership, unless you are willing to step into the breach and write the check.

[Stoner]

He is "qualified" to run the team because he was able to write the check to purchase it.  They are a private enterprise that sells a brand experience.  They are not an outsourced government contract.  They are beholding to no one but the market.  If you do not like the brand experience they offer, choose another.  This is not a democracy, and we do not get to elect who works for or owns either team.  You can only vote with your wallet and your interest.  So would you do everyone a favor and drop this incessant whining about the ownership, unless you are willing to step into the breach and write the check.

This fails on so many levels. The game starts in eight hours, so I don't have time to respond.

[Eleven]

Two-bit provocateur with nothing else to write about.

 

I'm surprised you took the bait, PA.

 

I'm glad we're both back to capitalized names now.

[Weave]

LOL

Guy does exactly what he's paid to do (create articles that generate interest) and he's getting pilloried for it.  The joke is on who?

[Robviously]

My argument from practically day one was that there didn't need to be a learning curve at all. What did Golisano have to learn, besides the difference between a puck and a meatball? People may not like it, but he hired someone to run things for him and it almost produced a Cup or two. The Pegulas' ginormous egos will be their downfall. The "reason for existence" business was always a bunch of BS. The Sabres exist to be the team Terry wins a Cup with.

 

The only fault I find with Bucky's piece is it overstates the importance of the Pegulas to Buffalo's resurgence. "The" reason the city is thriving? A bit over the top, but I understand why he had to wash some balls.

You surely liked his puff piece on Disco Dan. He went out to Michigan and everything.

I'm still amazed by Bucky's 2001 article slamming Mario Lemieux for choking in a playoff series against the Sabres -- when it was only 3-2 Sabres.  That ended well.  And the part where Mario Lemieux acknowledged he was PO'ed about that article was a nice cherry on top.  Maybe nothing is different if that article is never written, but why are you even giving the other team bulletin board material?  Are you that desperate to feel relevant?

 

Our local sports media is pretty terrible in general.  Disagree with any of them on WGR or on Twitter and they completely spazz out.  They all seem extremely sensitive about having their judgment questioned since they're no more qualified to watch sports and given an opinion than anyone else in the world.

[That Aud Smell]

Two-bit provocateur with nothing else to write about.

 

I'm surprised you took the bait, PA.

 

I'm glad we're both back to capitalized names now.

He's not taking any bait from Bucky -- he's in the same boat as him.

 

And with due respect to 3putt, I don't need or want PA to stop criticizing Pegula. I don't agree with much of what PA says, but it's his ax to grind. He grinds it because he loves the Sabres.

Unless you honestly feel that guy is qualified to run the Sabres, please, no offense, STFU about Terry knowing what he's doing or any hope of Terry figuring it out. 

 

Likewise, it's a bad look to be telling people to STFU when they reasonably view the matter differently than you do.

[Eleven]

He's not taking any bait from Bucky -- he's in the same boat as him.

 

And with due respect to 3putt, I don't need or want PA to stop criticizing Pegula. I don't agree with much of what PA says, but it's his ax to grind. He grinds it because he loves the Sabres.

 

Likewise, it's a bad look to be telling people to STFU when they reasonably view the matter differently than you do.

 

 

 

I know.  Just having some fun w/ him.

Edited December 30, 2015 by Eleven

[Weave]

I'm still amazed by Bucky's 2001 article slamming Mario Lemieux for choking in a playoff series against the Sabres -- when it was only 3-2 Sabres.  That ended well.  And the part where Mario Lemieux acknowledged he was PO'ed about that article was a nice cherry on top.  Maybe nothing is different if that article is never written, but why are you even giving the other team bulletin board material?  Are you that desperate to feel relevant?

 

Our local sports media is pretty terrible in general.  Disagree with any of them on WGR or on Twitter and they completely spazz out.  They all seem extremely sensitive about having their judgment questioned since they're no more qualified to watch sports and given an opinion than anyone else in the world.

 

IMO our local sports reporters are a reflection of us.  We Buffaloinians seem to be a sensitive bunch overall.

[LTS]

Won't bother to read it.  Irrelevant.

 

The problems with these franchises go back before Pegula.

 

Pegula is fine with what he is doing.  There are lots of owners who fail miserably at running franchises and I don't put Pegula there yet.  I don't see him being the man in front of the microphone all the time or the one commenting to the media all the time.  If we had to deal with one of THOSE owners things would be even worse.

 

Some people like to complain.  So complain.  Enjoy the misery that is complaining.

[Robviously]

IMO our local sports reporters are a reflection of us.  We Buffaloinians seem to be a sensitive bunch overall.

Screw you!!!

[Weave]

Screw you!!!

 

*points and laughs*

[woods-racer]

If Pegula is bad, what does that make Jerry Jones?