Rumor: Sabres looking for help to run team

[Curt]

5 minutes ago, Thorny said:

To the level that they have more specific say on roster decisions than Adams and Krueger?

I think they impose their opinions into the decision making process of hockey decisions.  And that they expect a lot of those opinions to carry considerable weight.  I think they are consistently an active part of the decision making process.

I don’t think they are making the majority of the hockey decisions, but that they require almost all decisions to be approved through them.  Even small ones.  

Edited March 4, 2021 by Curt

[That Aud Smell]

My thought is that the "for sale" piece of it could be tied to a proposal whereby the expert they're bringing in would be given a very small stake in the franchise - like 5%. Didn't Quinn and DiPofi (?) have those kinds of interests when OSP sold the team?

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, Curt said:

I think they impose their opinions into the decision making process of some hockey decisions.  And that they expect a lot of those opinions to carry considerable weight.  I think they are consistently an active part of the decision making process.

I don’t think they are making the majority of the hockey decisions, but that they require almost all decisions to be approved through them.  Even small ones.  

Combined with the fact it's likely the majority of the decisions they aren't directly making line up with what they want anyways considering they didn't conduct a GM search and just promoted Adams. 

[Kruppstahl]

3 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

My thought is that the "for sale" piece of it could be tied to a proposal whereby the expert they're bringing in would be given a very small stake in the franchise - like 5%. Didn't Quinn and DiPofi (?) have those kinds of interests when OSP sold the team?

Tim Graham says NONE of it is for sale.  Not even 5%.

If the Pegulas are interested in sticking around, why would they sell some of the team?

I wish this rumor came from someone with greater pedigree; it's hard to really trust it right now.

I think what this *might* mean is the Pegulas are looking to change what they are doing.

Perhaps my dream has come true.  The Pegulas have realized Kim has no business running the organization, and they are looking to restructure and bring in outside help.

That's my guess.

This is good news if correct.

 

 

[That Aud Smell]

1 minute ago, Kruppstahl said:

Tim Graham says NONE of it is for sale.  Not even 5%.

Saw that. Screw Tim Graham, though, eh?

[Kruppstahl]

21 minutes ago, Thorny said:

If it's not in a financial sense and it's referencing "help running the team" in terms of managerial decisions, if the wording of the rumour is accurate it has a fairly strong implication that the Pegulas are indeed heavily involved in the day to day 

Of course they are!  They always have been.

They have never suggested otherwise.

 

 

 

1 minute ago, That Aud Smell said:

Saw that. Screw Tim Graham, though, eh?

If the Pegulas are going to retain ownership, I see no reason why they would want to sell off a small portion of the team.  They don't need to, even if their empire is under some financial duress these days.

I think this just means there is a restructuring of sorts coming, and Kim is getting out of the hockey business.

This is really good news if true.

I have been saying for a few years that the team would not get better until this day comes, or they sell the team.

 

 

[That Aud Smell]

Yuck. Now Twitter's filled with the Big J's just dunking on the blogger who started the rumour. Shoutout to @john wawrow who noted that he "apologized" to his most trusted source when he deigned to ask the question. Don't clutch so hard that you snap the string on those pearls, John!

 

[nfreeman]

So, this looks to me like:

- the Sabres are almost certainly not for sale

- there is a reasonable likelihood that TP has decided to bring in a POHO/other senior-level hockey guy to help run the team

Both of those, if true, are good news IMHO.

[DeleteThisAccount]

7 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Yuck. Now Twitter's filled with the Big J's just dunking on the blogger who started the rumour. Shoutout to @john wawrow who noted that he "apologized" to his most trusted source when he deigned to ask the question. Don't clutch so hard that you snap the string on those pearls, John!

 

 

I apologized because this is the second time in three months I've asked this person the same question. The first time, was after a secondary source I trust informed me of the possibility. That rumor was knocked down quickly.

So when this latest one popped up, I knew there were serious questions in regards to it, based on the source it was coming from, so I apologized in asking yet again knowing the report was very likely not accurate, and I was wasting everyone's time.

The last time Frank Wolf thought he broke a story about something, I checked up on it and was immediately told it was not true. I then approached Frank in the pressbox to inform him what I was told.

Frank shrugged and said, "Oops." And that was it.

When it comes to putting sourced information out there, this is not a reasonable or professional response.

But of course, you know better.

 

jw

[Norcal]

IF they get the right person maybe they will back off and let them work, if in fact they are meddling owners. Allowing GMTM full control might have scared them a little and now maybe it's time to try again.

[Zamboni]

Rumor. Ok. 

Looking forward to be becoming more than a “rumor/speculation/whispered in an ear” situation.

Maybe have, oh I don’t know ... a person/company with hockey business success to some degree “help” run the franchise. Maybe they are just looking for a POHO position to be filled.

[DeleteThisAccount]

Just now, Norcal said:

IF they get the right person maybe they will back off and let them work, if in fact they are meddling owners. Allowing GMTM full control might have scared them a little and now maybe it's time to try again.

GMTM did NOT have full control. Period.

 

jw

[SwampD]

The Pegulas had help.

Several times.

They ran it out of town every time.

 

I really want to like my team again.

[Norcal]

Just now, john wawrow said:

GMTM did NOT have full control. Period.

 

jw

So, are the Pegulas meddling owners then? 

[LabattBlue]

I’ll admit I have an account on Twitter, but rarely use it, and don’t “tweet” or “retweet”  at all. 
 

With that being said, am I the only who struggles to follow conversations/responses/exchanges within the Twitter world?

Edited March 4, 2021 by LabattBlue

[That Aud Smell]

5 minutes ago, john wawrow said:

But of course, you know better.

jw

Thanks for logging on and posting.

I know better than to punch down, yeah.

[nfreeman]

1 minute ago, john wawrow said:

GMTM did NOT have full control. Period.

 

jw

I realize there are limits on how much detail you can provide in this regard, but maybe one specific question is OK:  was GMTM instructed by the Pegulas to carry out the tank, or did he advise them to tank, which they then approved?

[That Aud Smell]

1 minute ago, LabattBlue said:

I’ll admit I have an account on Twitter, but rarely use it, and don’t “tweet” or “retweet”  at all. 
 

With that being said, am I the only who who struggles to follow conversations/responses/exchanges within the Twitter world?

Takes some practice, old feller.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

1 minute ago, nfreeman said:

I realize there are limits on how much detail you can provide in this regard, but maybe one specific question is OK:  was GMTM instructed by the Pegulas to carry out the tank, or did he advise them to tank, which they then approved?

Do you really expect an answer?  And what difference does it make?  No way the damn tank happens without the owner's approval.  It all just stinks to this day.

[Randall Flagg]

4 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

I’ll admit I have an account on Twitter, but rarely use it, and don’t “tweet” or “retweet”  at all. 
 

With that being said, am I the only who struggles to follow conversations/responses/exchanges within the Twitter world?

Depending on the response mechanism, you sometimes have to follow a conversation by first going upwards, and then back down again. This isn't always true. It's tricky!

[Brawndo]

34 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

Of course they are!  They always have been.

They have never suggested otherwise.

 

 

 

If the Pegulas are going to retain ownership, I see no reason why they would want to sell off a small portion of the team.  They don't need to, even if their empire is under some financial duress these days.

I think this just means there is a restructuring of sorts coming, and Kim is getting out of the hockey business.

This is really good news if true.

I have been saying for a few years that the team would not get better until this day comes, or they sell the team.

 

 

I can think of one reason why, very far fetched though 
 

The Lease on Bills Stadium is up after 2023 and although the NFL did not stipulate a New Stadium or a Massive Renovation in the Sale to the Pegulas it was implied. 
The Pegulas commissioned a study on The Future of both Bills Stadium and Key Bank Center with results coming in earlier this year. Since it was privately commissioned it hasn’t been released to the public. 
There have been rumors about a New Downtown Stadium for years, but the price tag for that has to be close to a Billion Dollars. 

A renovation of Bills Stadium, similar to Arrowhead, Lambeau or Soldier Field would probably cost 500-600 Million. 
 

The NFL G3 Stadium Fund will help with funding, but I can imagine a scenario where assistance from both NYS and Erie County was expected. The pandemic and budget short falls have all but eliminated this as a possibility. 
 

Selling a portion of the Sabres for let’s say 200 Million. This could be used to make up the portion that was anticipated from the Government. 
 

 

Edited March 4, 2021 by Brawndo

[Torpedo Forecheck]

My insider tells me they're looking for a 12 person panel selected from Sabrespace. 3 pure analytics types, 3 old schoolers and 6  in the middle. Hope it doesn't end up like Politics!

Edited March 4, 2021 by Torpedo Forecheck

[Norcal]

Just now, Torpedo Forecheck said:

My insider tells me they're looking for a 12 person panel selected from Sabrespace. 3 pure analytics types, 3 old schoolers and 6 on the in the midle. Hope it doesn't end up like Politics!

They would be overwhelmed with applications 

[That Aud Smell]

 

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/5269e0b0-fb69-41de-9019-ecdf0f927b28

[Kruppstahl]

15 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

So, this looks to me like:

- the Sabres are almost certainly not for sale

- there is a reasonable likelihood that TP has decided to bring in a POHO/other senior-level hockey guy to help run the team

Both of those, if true, are good news IMHO.

Not sure why Sabres fans would want Pegula's tenure as owner to continue!  

But you are not alone in that thought.

There is probably something behind all this.

Not sure it means a POHO necessarily.  But it might well mean change of some type, which is desperately needed.

The entire thing needs to be re-invented if we are ever going to improve.

 

 

 

1 minute ago, Torpedo Forecheck said:

My insider tells me they're looking for a 12 person panel selected from Sabrespace. 3 pure analytics types, 3 old schoolers and 6 on the in the midle. Hope it doesn't end up like Politics!

The day the team is run by fans we are really screwed.

Ironically, at that moment, that would likely result in an improvement.

Shows you just how bad it is.

🤣