May Day 10

how did Xavier Oman do?

He is gray

Mine just appeared on my broken One Buffalo app a day after the fact. Make sure everyone takes care of any ticket transfers way ahead of time

Its not an embarrassment. For my work, I speak to and deal with people from everywhere. Often, football/the Bills come up. Not one person has indicated that they are disgusted by it and said anything to shame me. In fact, most think its funny and they usually mutter something about how they NEED to come up for a game. And overall, it is a very small amount of people who do this. I have tailgated for several hundreds of hours in various hot-button lots, and have seen 1 table get jumped through. If it is me who does this and it goes viral, or drinking out of someone's tush, or what have you, I would be embarrassed for myself.

In my estimation, the amount of upheaval and cost downtown would be much more than $100-$200 million worth. I think we are talking $200-$400 million range. Land acquisition, demolition, disposal (likely hazardous materials mixed in there), numerous additional engineering studies, re-building a piece of 190 and access/egress, rebuilding roads, pipes, electric, etc. There is a LOT of work that needs to be done. When it is all said and done.... why? 10 games and a few concerts. The same new stadium could be built in place with virtually no 'overhead' costs they (we) need to pay for downtown. If we were a bigger city and could build something and attract the volume and prestigious events that Dallas and Atlanta could get, I would be all for it. If it were a baseball stadium with 81+ dates a year, or even an ampitheater that gets 20-30K down there 40+ times, sign me up. Football stadiums, as has been proved by many studies, do not help or revitalize an urban area This has nothing to do with nostalgia of Orchard Park. I kind of loathe the drive down there, I live in the north towns. Its just economical. Also, not sure how the 'city of buffalo' would receive tax revenue from a downtown stadium.

I am struggling with this. I am moderately computer savvy and can usually work around nearly everything. I share season tickets with a friend who manages the account, but can usually only make 1 or 2 games. I have printed the tickets for me and whoever goes and it has been seamless and easy. I cant get the tickets. The One Buffalo App is broken and unusable. I can see them on a browser somewhere if I follow the thread the ticket transfer email leads me... but this doesnt seem like a good or dependable solution... not to mention I guess I will have to enter alongside whoever I attend the game with no matter what? This is silly. You would think they would try to roll this out once they have a mobile app that isnt broken

It sounds like at&t has let off their harder line stance on retention. I called in the spring and was basically told to pound sand, but offered savings if i bundled their internet and phone service.

You also would have to add on the extensive work that would be needed downtown with land acquisition, demolition, infrastructure, impact studies, etc. A new building on the current 'campus' would be much cheaper than downtown.

Sorry to tear off the band-aid of this again, but Lauren Hall is apparently out as in-game Sabres host

lol I heard that The Undertaker was spotted at a coffee shop in town. Word is that he is going to be named Highway Superintendent

I wouldnt complain if we had some sort of roof and wind block (not enclosed).

There has been numerous mis-steps from the point of purchase and he has ushered the Sabres into the darkest period in franchise history - by far. Last season was WORSE than the McEichel tank year (but a bit better than the Reinhart tank year) and they were trying to seriously win. You really cant deny the awful results they have gotten as owners. And it isnt Regier's fault. It perplexes me that the Pegulas did not have a consultant working with them and analyzing the organization(s) and crafting a plan during the purchase process. They took over both teams and ran them from the seat of their pants and it shows. It wasnt Regier's fault, Marrone, LaFontaine, etc. (LaFontaine did not leave because the Miller trade FYI). The whole Rex/Lynn/Whaley fiasco was a huge organizational amateurish failure. The half measures of not getting rid of the Sabres' stale management, throwing money at it, then forcing Regier to fire Ruff (because the arena crowd was getting ugly) early in the season. Then going a whole offseason and firing Regier early the following season, bringing in someone with no experience, and going like 3 months before hiring a GM. Its disjointed, bad, half-measure management. The Bills were bought and the same pattern happened. I don't think it is from neglect or lack of trying. I like the Pegulas as people and happy they are owners. I just wish they hurry up and figure out that they need to consider getting help at the top and they should get out of the way unless they are being handed a trophy from the commissioner. I am cautiously optimistic with Botterill and Beane/McDermott, but both situations can fall flat on their faces before they get started.

Thats good for the winter and some acts.... but arena shows are actually becoming more uncommon. An ampitheater would bring in all those country and nostalgia acts from Darien Lake. They would also get more who skip Buffalo due to not having a great concert venue. We would also get the 'multi' tours or mini-festivals that don't come to buffalo. The one in Camden, NJ has shows nearly every day in the Summer/Fall. With a good promoter, they can also create their own weekend long festival there.

I predict a heel turn and he will enslave the people of Knox County

I would think he will be more than happy to go to a playoff team with good players to prove himself for a few months in his contract year (he has also never played in a playoff game).

IMO, a state of the art, picturesque brick and mortar amphitheater would make 100x the difference a bulky and underused football stadium would. You can get 20-30K people downtown on the regular and draw from all over the region.

Mind you though, they have done this before too by drastically upgrading the Sabres' player facilities and also adding the Harbor Center. Also bringing in the combine is money spent in an effort to change/build perceptions of the city and organization. All great things and I am very appreciative of that. But with that said, in 7 years they have done nothing but spin their tires with the Sabres' on-ice performance, and before they got Dahlen the phrase "ran the team into the ground" wasnt far from the truth. All this is great, but its for naught unless we see on field/ice results.

Pu didn't really make any headway this past season, but still productive. I would put him into the category of players like Bailey and Baptiste. Its good to have a pile of them because 1 out of 5 or so will pan out to be a contributor in the NHL.

Actually, in my opinion, its quite bad, but nothing can be done. We are stuck with it. I have been to many built in that same time period: Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Philly, Washington, Tampa, Chicago and they all are much better to watch a hockey game in (Washington kinda sux too though). The sight lines are bad. The grade of the seats is way to gradual (Montreal and Toronto have steep upper levels and require railings). Huge swaths of the 100 level are strife with blind spots all over the ice. Approaching and in the corners, the seats become small, narrow, and no leg space. I am not a big person by any stretch and seats in the corners are extremely uncomfortable. The corners of the 300 level are in a different area code. There is also the strange decision to have a huge bubble-dome roof with giant blue walls and duct work that captures and deadens sound and eliminates any intimacy/aesthetics.

Things are actually degrading a bit there. Seats are breaking, plumbing is deteriorating and malfunctioning. And yes, it lacks bells and whistles and general aesthetics. It was built cheaply with bargain materials compared to comparable buildings from that time. Some of the materials are showing their age.

This. Even if they build new, it should be on location. They will need to ask the city for a lot of money for infrastructure, acquire a lot of land, etc which will virtually double the price tag. If they refurbish. Maybe playing one season at either the Carrier Dome or Toronto (BMO or Skydome). It would stink kind of, but we wouldnt have the inferiority complex of losing our team on some sort of rent-to-own deal like the Toronto series

That's a good point.

As I get older, my fan-dom has eroded a bit. The fact that I am now older than 98% of pro athletes hurts, it was much easier to root for who I viewed as adults competing. I have also seen almost every variable. It also hurts that the sabres and bills have been in such an awful stretch. It is rare that there is a game I get emotionally invested in because they don't mean a lot. But those fast starts the Bills have had brings it back. And the Indians' ride the past few years has been wonderful.... and the 2016 series hurt as much as wide right to be honest. I was crushed.

Its for naught if they cant sign him (and not give him outrageous money). They gave up 4 assets for a pending UFA player they might just be trading at the deadline. You would hope Botterill has had conversations and know what ballpark Skinner wants and is prepared to pay that?

haha. I love the unplugged the best, but its more of a greatest hits.... but man, its a masterpiece (cant believe Cantrell had food poisoning). Of their albums though, yes. Jar of Flies. I need to get that on vinyl. I do have the Live at the Moore and listen to it more than I should. Also, re: Rage. This guy kills me