Sabres’ Refusal to “Salute” Fans Confirmed

[LabattBlue]

It doesn’t f***ing matter that the players have not been around for all 13 years.  These dumbass players should not need to be reminded that the fans have been around for all 13 years of the Pegula Trainwreck(and for some many many more years than that).   The frustration level is at an all-time high in Sabres history.  
 

What a surprise, bunch of millionaires can’t relate to Joe Fan.  👎🏻

Edited February 19 by LabattBlue

[Mango]

19 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

This action or reaction by the players speaks to the level of desperation they are feeling in their need to turn a bad season around. I mentioned it upthread but they are at the ‘ us against the world  ‘ stage of desperation. Its another lost season. Theres no getting it back. Its over. I’m not sure who it was, maybe Okposo but someone close to the team recently asked people to go easy on these guys most of them weren’t around for the 13 years. I would reply that they are here now. In the present where they can actually make a difference and stop this aweful streak. Get er done boys. If you have to pull out the ‘ us against the world ‘ card you’d better not fold until you finish the job.

I get that to an extent. But the flip side is that we are approaching March and this team hasn’t won 3 games in a row all season.

Even if the Sabres were a top 3 team in the league the last 13 years, that kind of overall performance deserves boo’s.

[MattPie]

Y'all kinda sound like entitled customers. I'd be damned if I'd go salute a bunch of people that have been booing me for the last three hours. It's funny, we all love stories when some customer throws a tantrum, demands to have someone fired, and they get schooled.

If you don't like the product, don't go.

On 2/18/2024 at 9:33 AM, That Aud Smell said:

@PASabreFan crystallized it and now I’m even more pissed off.

How’d that conversation go? JFC. A few hundred people are hollering to “fire Donny”, so it’s “f*ck all y’all”?

To be fair, a few hundred people is half the crowd.

[...]

On 2/18/2024 at 10:29 AM, Carmel Corn said:

In some other parallel universe, this might be hockey heaven.....but this truly is hockey hell.  Things are getting completely toxic between the team and fans.  As some others have suggested, this may be the true plan so that TP can sell the team without much opposition.

I said this. People scoffed.

Perhaps it's not true but when you look at the actions it's not difficult to game-out where such actions would eventually lead.

It's very much like what's happening at all of the small colleges around here - sorry, some of the them are now "universities" - most if not all formerly Christian-based like Canisus, D'Youville, Houghton, etc., where their boards have turned over and they then hired SUNY system zombies to run the schools. Like I said, some of them have gone "university", all have or are realigning their core mission and have overhauled their curriculum in curious ways.

What's the end-goal? If I wanted to eliminate competition for the SUNY schools and consolidate what is considered academics in NYS I would place puppets on these boards who hire puppets to run these places into the ground or, at best, severely limit what these places offer where those offerings, like health-care, fall under a rubric outlined by the state anyway. Then they either close down or become completely state controlled - either absorbed outwardly or extremely regulated while outwardly appearing to remain independent (the latter of which is what we're seeing now).

If you like people indoctrinated by the state doing everything for you I guess this outcome is fine, but I think "the state" has other ideas for "the citizens" which I don't agree with.

Same could be true with Pegula - if he wanted to sell the team it'd be so easy if he ran it as far into the ground as he possibly could. This is what I'd do.

[RochesterExpat]

37 minutes ago, Weave said:

I’m ok with the story dying out.  It happened.  It stopped happening.  Fans reacted.  Lets move on.

Yeah, we should let this story die out. Just like the stories about the misspelled alumni names or wearing Chinese knock-off jerseys. Or the stories about coaches not working players during practice. Stories about players in the locker room not preparing during the offseason or doing any kind of pregame warm up.

No one is held accountable in this organization from Terry Pegula down.

From this team's entry into the NHL in 1970 until 2011, the team missed the playoffs a total of 11 times. This is going to be the 13th consecutive season the team has missed the playoffs. Those are the 13 full seasons since Pegula became the owner. The same owner who said the Sabres "reason for existence will be to win the Stanley Cup."

It's been 13 years and the Sabres haven't even come close to sniffing at a cup. The only consolation is that we missed the playoffs by one point last year. Not some 'we dropped game 7 of a hard fought playoff series.' Not some 'our star player was hurt in the conference finals and the team just couldn't pull it together without him.' Just a simple: 'look at how close to squeaking into the playoffs we were!'

***** that. If no one is going to hold the organization accountable, let the few hundred (at the most) fans who were chanting to fire the coach do it. If the players want to skirt accountability that bad by rallying around a coach who can't figure out how to fix a power play or get his players motivated to play the first 20 minutes of the game every night, then ***** the players too. The players should want to win more than anything else. If they think the issue is the fans and not the coaching or their own attitudes, ***** them.

But most of all, ***** Terry Pegula and the absolute embarrassment of a sports franchise that he created. How someone can own a business and not hold those under him accountable is beyond me. Especially not when it's as simple as a sports franchise where you have one clear goal: winning. These are the people who represent him. We should be concerned that Pegula is apparently comfortable with this being his representation.

Thirteen years. 965 games and counting. Not a single playoff game. Just a decade of incompetence and embarrassment.

Thirteen years with no accountability.

So, yeah, we should let bygones be bygones and permit this story to die out too. Just like all the others. I'm sure the Buffalo Media will happily let it die and then we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming of Brian 'Baghdad Bob' Duffer telling us how great he is for quitting twitter and how young and talented the team is.

[Stoner]

12 minutes ago, MattPie said:

Y'all kinda sound like entitled customers. I'd be damned if I'd go salute a bunch of people that have been booing me for the last three hours. It's funny, we all love stories when some customer throws a tantrum, demands to have someone fired, and they get schooled.

If you don't like the product, don't go.

To be fair, a few hundred people is half the crowd.

Most don't boo. It's dumb to aim your protest at them.

Dahlin didn't like the chant and supported the salute protest?

Dumb?

Shocker.

[Mango]

They’re pretty lucky this story came out on a kids day. Pretty easy crowd. 

Also good they get Anaheim. “Should” be a win. And it would be tough to turn your backs on kids.

I expect this to end today. But won’t be surprised if they pick it back up. 

 

[bunomatic]

25 minutes ago, Mango said:

I get that to an extent. But the flip side is that we are approaching March and this team hasn’t won 3 games in a row all season.

Even if the Sabres were a top 3 team in the league the last 13 years, that kind of overall performance deserves boo’s.

Yeah thats what I’m saying. If you are here in the present you can change things up. Put in the effort and get it done. That goes for management as well. No excuses.

[inkman]

4 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Most don't boo. It's dumb to aim your protest at them.

Dahlin didn't like the chant and supported the salute protest?

Dumb?

Shocker.

Yeah our resident himbo didn’t do himself any favors if he is the one leading the “revolt”.  Been questioning our $11 million dollar man since before he “earned” that contract.  He’s supremely gifted physically. It may end there.  I’ve never seen a player as talented as him make the mistakes he makes.

[Pimlach]

2 hours ago, bunomatic said:

This action or reaction by the players speaks to the level of desperation they are feeling in their need to turn a bad season around. I mentioned it upthread but they are at the ‘ us against the world  ‘ stage of desperation. Its another lost season. Theres no getting it back. Its over. I’m not sure who it was, maybe Okposo but someone close to the team recently asked people to go easy on these guys most of them weren’t around for the 13 years. I would reply that they are here now. In the present where they can actually make a difference and stop this aweful streak. Get er done boys. If you have to pull out the ‘ us against the world ‘ card you’d better not fold until you finish the job.

It was Okposo.  I shuddered at the comment too.  To me that comment shows complacency, not urgency.   Everything about this group shows a lack of urgency or caring.  The one guy who shows he really cares was Cozens, and he lacks the experience to lead effectively.  

Sean McDermott inherited a 17 year drought.  He said although he and his staff were not here for it, they are here now so the have to own it, they did and they ended it the first year.  He ended with Tyrod Taylor and Nathan Peterman at QB.  

The Sabres simply need better leadership to turn this around.  Adams and Granato seem to have a free pass to develop prospects without any real goals for the NHL team. 

 

Edited February 19 by Pimlach

[spndnchz]

Wow. Bunch of quitters. Pick a different team you don’t like it. Sure demand better but grabbing the coattails and being pulled along like a puppy, look up, make it better. 
 

(waiting for someone to criticize the Star Spangled Banner on this day)

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, MattPie said:

Y'all kinda sound like entitled customers. I'd be damned if I'd go salute a bunch of people that have been booing me for the last three hours. It's funny, we all love stories when some customer throws a tantrum, demands to have someone fired, and they get schooled.

If you don't like the product, don't go.

To be fair, a few hundred people is half the crowd.

Well customers are entitled by definition.  As a customer I expect good performance, high quality, and honesty from the supplier.  For sports, where you buy tickets in advance, I have even higher expectations and promises to be kept.   

When they get booed its because they are playing poorly, going to lose badly, and no salute is going to happen anyway. 

You wanna be fair, use the correct data - the Sabres average attendance is 15,935 this season.   This seem high, probably a lot of no shows, but the chanting for DG's firing happened once and was very small.  The teams reaction to this was to stick it to the fans. 

They have done nothing since that day accept continue to slide downward in the standing.     

Edited February 19 by Pimlach

[That Aud Smell]

2 hours ago, MattPie said:

Y'all kinda sound like entitled customers. I'd be damned if I'd go salute a bunch of people that have been booing me for the last three hours. It's funny, we all love stories when some customer throws a tantrum, demands to have someone fired, and they get schooled.

If you don't like the product, don't go.

To be fair, a few hundred people is half the crowd.

You’re getting at a fundamental disagreement on the dynamic at play here. Are the fans and players on substantially equal footing such that booing from the fans justifies the players reacting in kind? Or do the players owe a higher duty to their fans such that they are obligated to take a high road when a segment of the attendees boo the team and chant for the coach’s firing?

I’m in the camp of the higher duty being owed by the players.

Also: For the committed core who are still showing up, it’s more than a product.

Lol at the few hundred rejoinder.

[That Aud Smell]

2 hours ago, ... said:

I said this. People scoffed.

…

If you like people indoctrinated by the state doing everything for you I guess this outcome is fine, but I think "the state" has other ideas for "the citizens" which I don't agree with.

Same could be true with Pegula - if he wanted to sell the team it'd be so easy if he ran it as far into the ground as he possibly could. This is what I'd do.

That was quite a tangent.

1 hour ago, spndnchz said:

Wow. Bunch of quitters. Pick a different team you don’t like it. Sure demand better but grabbing the coattails and being pulled along like a puppy, look up, make it better. 
 

(waiting for someone to criticize the Star Spangled Banner on this day)

 Mods should strive for more coherence.

[Believer]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

I’ve never seen a player as talented as him make the mistakes he makes.

Pay more attention to Thompson… He’s right up there with Dahlin in bonehead plays and turnovers… Our Multi-Millionaires…

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, klos1963 said:

Somehow the franchise survived for decades without the post game salute.

and back in the day a "celly" was considered hot dogging and would get you a smack in the face. Times change. These days it's a thing teams do and deciding not to do it on purpose is the issue. 

[DarthEbriate]

Easy solution: just keep losing at home until the story and 'Space thread are forgotten.

[Demoted]

Shouldn't we care more about them winning game instead of some salute?

[...]

2 minutes ago, Demoted said:

Shouldn't we care more about them winning game instead of some salute?

[That Aud Smell]

17 minutes ago, Demoted said:

Shouldn't we care more about them winning game instead of some salute?

It’s possible that the losing is a symptom of an underlying problem. This thread is generally directed to discussing that underlying problem — or at least aspects of it.

[TageMVP]

Bums 

I'm giving them the middle finger the next time they win and try their lame duck salute 

🖕

 

 

[HumanSlinky39]

I don't live near Buffalo, so I cannot speak to the pricing for Sabres games, but me, my wife, and our two daughters went to a Wild game back in December. All in, tickets, concessions, souvenirs, and parking, we easily spent $750. For one game. I'd imagine prices at Key Bank aren't significantly different from Xcel Energy Center. People spend a ton of money to go to these games. When you put out a ***** product for well over a decade, you should expect some backlash for poor performance. The players getting butt hurt about it is just another symptom of the total lack of accountability within this organization. Hell, I'd call it an outfit, not an organization.

Don't want to get booed? Put a better ***** product on the ice. At least the Wild won the game we went to.

[Derrico]

I was there today and waiting to see if they would give the salute at the end. Then I realized they actually have to win first. 

[klos1963]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

and back in the day a "celly" was considered hot dogging and would get you a smack in the face. Times change. These days it's a thing teams do and deciding not to do it on purpose is the issue. 

True, but it's a dumb thing.  

Fans, especially Buffalo fans, are too needy. 

When I was going to games with my dad,  and then with my own season tickets,  it was a thrill just to go to games,  I didn't need to be coddled.

Yeah,  times have changed, but for the better? I'm not so sure. 

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, Demoted said:

Shouldn't we care more about them winning game instead of some salute?

We should be caring about our playoff position and what player we could add at the deadline.  But it takes competent leadership to get to that level.