May Day 10

I really wish we/someone could archive and catalog active photos of the aud, everything anyone can dredge up and scan from personal collections and the media. It would be great if someone could someday create a 3d model of the facility. Check this out of old comiskey https://bandboxballparks.com/comiskey-park/

When I think back to that streak I remember botterill speaking during the collapse. He was trying to defend staying the course with Housley and he actually said that he/they knew the team wasn't that good during the streak. I was shocked. Couldn't imagine why the players quit on them. Such a loser attitude and it transcends coaches and general managers at this point. Like now how they pretend everything is great and this team is still on the path while winning 4 games in 21

I tossed my season tickets of 20 years before last season was up. I was never this hopeless as a bills fan through the drought. There is no realistic way out of this unless the Pegulas do a 180 and go against most things they have said publicly. It is going to get worse, which is tough to imagine how, but it will.

Its one thing to gut the scouting department... and yet another to not replace anybody and go at it with nothing but a barebones crew of extreme inexperience. Development mis-steps and asset management are also to blame. Its organizational failure.

No, I dont either. When they fired Murray, Terry Pegula sat there in front of a microphone and said their biggest mistake was giving up control to somebody (LaFontaine). That is what needs to happen. Kicking Kruger to the front office does nothing. He doesnt seem to have any idea how to win in the NHL, nor does he have any real NHL experience. They have almost no hockey staff right now save Kim and terry Pegula, Adams from Harborcenter, and Kruger from Soccer and Swiss hockey. They also promoted 2 internal, inexperienced nobodies to all-encompassing umbrella roles of 'director of scouting' and 'director or analytics'. Things will not change until the Pegulas give up control to a Dudley, Lombardi, etc at the top of the organization. It is in such disrepair it is a HEAVY lift. This is much worse than the Bills ever were throughout the drought. It is going to get worse when Eichel demands out, Reinhart wants out, all 3 of their NHL goalies are UFA, and they compound their bad decisions with more bad decisions (waiting for Hall's 8-year contract).

Team president and the end of amateur hour would be nice

I thought I remember hearing that the NFL makes available some sort of assistance/consulting with hires and McDermott was someone who was recommended.

This is going to be great https://stbcbeer.com/buffalotaproom/

They got McDermott, who seems to be a great person to build a football program and install a positive and winning culture. Brandon Beane seems to have been selected by mcDermott and they work in unison. The problem is, the Pegulas seem to think that approach is the same with the NHL. It is much more difficult to rebuild an NHL team because you are scouting all across the globe from the age of 16 in leagues that are comparing apples to grapefruit. You have an in-house development system. You also have the cap/guaranteed contracts. An NFL team can overhaul an organization in like 2 years and grab like 8 starters from the draft and UDFA in a good year if they are building. The Pegulas like kruger and have bought into his philosophy, much like McDermott. That coach-centric model doesnt work in the NHL and that assumes Kruger has any clue how to do NHL. Adams seems to be a 'smart' guy they had in house who is willing to be controlled by Kruger and the Pegulas (because he wouldnt sniff a GM position elsewhere otherwise). His first act was to sheepishly fire pretty much the entire hockey department. NHL you need much more of a President/GM centric model, and with a few exceptions, head coaches are temporary mercenaries, to be discarded for a variety of reasons.

Southern tier has great restaurants in Cleveland and Pittsburgh (and one in nc?) Along with their flagship in lakewood. They know what they are doing. I've been dying for them to open a location in buffalo. That'll be a great spot!

Wasn't a very good operation. It's in very good hands with southern tier.

Im fine with that

This is a huge problem with this team IMO. While Eichel has a ton of talent, he seems to be not be a very good teammate, let alone captain. The team never seems particularly close to one another and it shows on the ice. There seems to be little/no accountibility among the players. They tried to foster that through Gionta/Gorges, and OReilly wanted to carry that torch but they were largely rejected by the likes of Eichel, Reinhart, Kane, and Bogosian.

Love this shot another good one

I see this as a possible major issue for the team and why we keep seeing this same movie. From the outside, and looking at body language, interviews, the past 5 years' history, etc Eichel seems like kind of a bad leader, if not, a bad teammate in general. It appears there is not a great cohesion in the lockerroom (hasnt been for years). These guys dont seem close. Players who come in look or act miserable, if they dont leave the country. I know they tried to infuse the team and young players with some leadership in the form of Gionta and Gorges. OReilly tried to run with it and failed/was rejected. IMO the worst crime committed to the Sabres (outside of the Pegulas' failure to get help), was when Murray infected the young core of this team to Kane and Bogosian.

I agree, but I dont think the NHL ever elects to do picturesque games as long as fans are allowed to attend. The ratings and image jump is probably very marginal compared to holding it at Safeco Field or something. No idea why they would have such dark imagery in the logo and some on-ice ads. I have a backyard rink and if I leave something dark on there like a puck or even a leaf, it eats through the ice quickly under the sun.

I dont have high expectations at all. I have no expectations. But when you do see a team with some of the pieces they have on paper like Hall, Eichel, Staal, Skinner, Olofssen, Reinhart.... it is mind boggling that they can produce like 15 even strength goals in 13 games. And the team of Adams and Kruger is woefully inexperienced, in over their heads, and cant get it done. It is pretty clear this franchise is headed toward a major crossroads soon. Eichel clearly has checked out and will be overtly floating trade talk soon (awful toxic captain, but that is another convo). Adams and Kruger are not equipped to handle this. The Pegulas need help. Would have loved that team of Burke and Hextall. I was hoping that Kruger would somehow create a galvanizing thing out of the NHL's treatment of the Covid shutdown and stuff and they would come in with some fire in their belly. They have been completely shut down and lifeless. New Jersey had the same shutdown and have back to back wins coming out of it. As far as guys available, Id say Boudreau and Gallant are at the top of the 'well known' list. The problems here are much more than coach though and Im not sure those guys would even entertain the possibility of coaching here.

The team has checked out. Unbelievable

That could be it. I believe there were 2 though symetrically placed (maybe 4, with what was on the broadcast camera side). Maybe I can ID it with a few of the blemishes there.

seems like a very plausible way to go. I would maybe flip-flop the Colts and the Bears though

I do remember hearing that the Canadiens payed a fine or something so they could have a steeper grade. I have been to a number of contemporary buildings. Philly and Boston do seem a few degrees closer/steeper than the Sabres' arena with better building materials and better sight lines. It isnt only grade. It is how far back the upper level is without an overhang. The way our suites were set up as well as the 200 level, the 300 level is a mile away. I do believe it is similar to Washington (but no bubble roof). Venue designers have changed their tune recently though. The new ballpark in Arlington was built with the old ballparks in mind and bringing fans closer to the field. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/mlbs-newest-ballpark-is-a-shift-away-from-retro-era-stadiums/

The new building was a terrible design. The grade of the seats and footprint are large. Too large. Similar to its contemporaries, but some, like Montreal and Toronto, were built with the seating overall closer to the ice. In the current arena, if you are in the upper corners, you might as well be in another zip code. About half of the seats in the 100 level are a complete obstruction where you need to watch much of the game on the video screen. Also add in that awful bubble ceiling that sucks any atmosphere and ambiance right out of the building

I hate the pictures of the aud from the break-ins and the demo photos. I appreciate the sharing of them, they are just sad. Whenever you look for aud stuff, that is all that comes up. The public needs to come together, collaborate and curate aud photos and stuff out of personal collections. There really isnt all that much out there digitally. I started to post some full-games on youtube and some others have as well which helps. It is criminal what the team and city did with the aud post-1996. So many artifacts lost and destroyed forever. Rigas had zero interest in the team's past, as he wanted an Adelphia 'expansion team'. As far as the aud goes. I have a few full sized limestone bricks. A little piece of rubble. A set of 3 Blue/gray seats that need restoration, and a section of dasher boards with a Nynex ad on them.

I have a few friends thinking of getting season tickets. I advised them to jump on it now. Once the dust settles on covid (hopefully) and the 2021 season is coming close, I think we are going to see a cap on season tickets with a substantive waiting list. I dont believe that will let up until a few off years (hopefully that wont be for awhile). The down-side is that it will allow them to increase the pricing of season tickets every year as well as over-charge for box office. In the Sabres case they kind of had a false sense of demand due to the waiting list and the price points are now set way too high

The problem is Adyms has no GM experience and very limited/no NHL front office experience. Kruger talks a big game with his language skills... but I fail to see what he has actually accomplished in the NHL, or how he has helped this team in any way. I feel like the Pegulas like the success they have with the coach-centric model with the Bills which is so common with the NFL. I believe they have empowered Kruger and they have a think tank of Kruger, Mr and Mrs Pegula, and Adyms. This is not going to turn this around. We see where this is heading. Same place. This is the same team we see every season. Next phase will be when Eichel pouts his way out of town and forces their hand. Kruger and Adyms will be given at least 2 seasons here, Id say 3... and then a full rebuild will be necessary and they will have probably squandered Dahlin along with Eichel. If I were the owner, I would have brought in Burke and Hextall. This should be torn down and treated like an expansion team (it will need to at some point anyway it is just a matter of when the clock starts ticking). The foundation is warped and the studs are rotten. Come in with a scrappy, hungry group who works hard and creates the foundation of a real culture. I kind of get the "give Adyms a chance" thing.... but if he were on the street, there is ZERO chance any other NHL club is hiring him to be their General Manager