Article: McDermott Concerned about PSE Dysfunction

[BillsFan17]

4 hours ago, May Day 10 said:

Kim pegula is not qualified to run operations of a sports team, let alone like 4 of them.  So, the most senior sports business guy?  Kevyn Adam's.  His qualifications are that he played in the nhl and lives in buffalo.  He is in over his head. 

 

So you see countless mishaps like alumni jerseys with mis-spelled names that arent even correct or authentic jerseys.  They miss the deadline to change to royal blue this year.  Miss the deadline to wear the black/red jersey this year for a special event.  They completely forget "hockey is for everyone night", first say it was because there were already too many theme nights, then say they had it planned all along and it is some un-named game (with like 4 left).  They missed their own deadline to release pricing to season ticket holders for their "ez" renew program.  On the eve of the deadline, they sent an email out to sth revising the t&cs to buy them 15 more days.  Then, they completely butcher sth pricing.  Chopped the arena into 40 price levels that are confusing and you cant even look at in good faith on their web site.  My 300 level tix that I hung onto for the past 10 miserable seasons only due to preserving my seniority and seat location went up by about 10% or roughly $350.  Just because they are close to center ice in the 300s.  Great. Punish me for being loyal now.  Let's alienate everyone! Not surprising the team is locked into the bottom of the nhl ON the ice.  It's a circus, and this is just what we see. 

 

The pegulas need help.  Its amateur hour.  Mark my words that the Bill's will have their "polian moment" as well if things appear to be going well.

So they didn't wear the jersey you wanted and they raised ticket prices. Those monsters.

[JM57]

1 hour ago, BillsFan17 said:

So they didn't wear the jersey you wanted and they raised ticket prices. Those monsters.

There's no statement of desire in that post. PSE flat out missed deadlines with the NHL. They were going to switch to royal blue and didn't submit on time. They were going to wear the throwbacks on theme night like Vancouver did, and didn't submit on time. 

 

Those are concrete examples of the failings of management. Meeting deadlines is business 101.

[YoloinOhio]

This is in the other Pegula thread but thought i would include it here too in case some didn’t read. Good article that lays out the PSE business situation and what they are dealing with.

 

https://buffalonews.com/2020/04/19/buffalo-bills-buffalo-sabres-terry-and-kim-pegula-nfl-nhl-oil-prices/

Edited April 21, 2020 by YoloinOhio

[GimmeSomeProcess]

16 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

This is in the other Pegula thread but thought i would include it here too in case some didn’t read. Good article that lays out the PSE business situation and what they are dealing with.

 

https://buffalonews.com/2020/04/19/buffalo-bills-buffalo-sabres-terry-and-kim-pegula-nfl-nhl-oil-prices/

Funny this story paints a more objective picture and clearer understanding what’s going on. I love Tim Graham’s work but he Tim did the classic fear mongering approach. Tim’s is getting the clicks and the Buffalo News article got buried cause of it. 

[May Day 10]

1 hour ago, JM57 said:

There's no statement of desire in that post. PSE flat out missed deadlines with the NHL. They were going to switch to royal blue and didn't submit on time. They were going to wear the throwbacks on theme night like Vancouver did, and didn't submit on time. 

 

Those are concrete examples of the failings of management. Meeting deadlines is business 101.

 

Thank you  

 

It just feels like an amateurish mess with little attention to detail.  Heap in the shoddy game presentation and the embarassing hasek jersey retirement ceremony.  They also forgot that the Sabres Hall of Fame exists.

 

Its attention to detail.  They are 100% in control of this stuff, unlike the luck needed with drafting, development, etc... there is no excuse to visibly fall short in so many places

[BillsFan17]

1 hour ago, JM57 said:

There's no statement of desire in that post. PSE flat out missed deadlines with the NHL. They were going to switch to royal blue and didn't submit on time. They were going to wear the throwbacks on theme night like Vancouver did, and didn't submit on time. 

 

Those are concrete examples of the failings of management. Meeting deadlines is business 101.

They missed a deadline and the person responsible for that was terminated. The misspelled name issue was clarified pretty quickly after the situation.

 

These are the pitchfork worthy issues? I mean, im an islander fan, i once had someone buy the team with zero money, legit potential for relocation (KC), had to split home games with an arena that was not suited for hockey, an old facility that was and still is very unsuited for today's standards...

 

But yeah, not submitting a jersey in time. What a circus.

Edited April 21, 2020 by BillsFan17

[ALLEN1QB]

We would have been better off with Bon Jovi I knew it!!

[dollars 2 donuts]

18 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

Here's what I got from the article...

-The Pegula's were overly ambitious and PSE expanded too quickly that an economic downturn has created an unfortunate situation where tough choices had to be made.

-Graham was looking for disgruntled ex employees and found them.

-It's highly unlikely we get a new stadium here unless the majority of the funding comes from the tax payers.

 

thank you, Doc.

 

I’ve said this before, given Buffalo is a small market I want my owners as rich as possible.  I wish they were worth 5 billion dollars.  If they are experiencing economic misfortune, even if it is not comparable to our everyday experience, that is not good news for the teams I love.

 

Which is why I have always been iffy, even during good times, about the Pegulas spending 1 or more billion dollars for a house for their team which would likely give little return, regardless of any other uses.
 

Additionally, and albeit not my first thought during recent events, NY’s financial situation during the Covid-19 pandemic all but assured the fact that help on a stadium is not coming from Albany.

Edited April 21, 2020 by dollars 2 donuts

[Don Otreply]

8 hours ago, eball said:

Irresponsible post. That is literally the only mention of McDermott’s alleged concern in the entire article, and is essentially hearsay. 
 

The Pegulas are a target of Graham right now. They’ve made mistakes, certainly, but to imply McDermott is worried is jumping the gun. 

This ^^^
 

That and Sean is likely smart enough to not purposefully under mine his employer, being he is of the school that lose lips “sink ships”. It’s a click piece. 

[aristocrat]

5 hours ago, NickelCity said:

 

Damn.

 

i mean maybe those people should have lost their jobs over this. if it was their job to handle all those things and kim learns of the screw ups it's no wonder heads are going to roll.  sure the timing is awful but all that mess is going to cost some people their jobs. 

[Cripple Creek]

16 minutes ago, GimmeSomeProcess said:

Funny this story paints a more objective picture and clearer understanding what’s going on. I love Tim Graham’s work but he Tim did the classic fear mongering approach. Tim’s is getting the clicks and the Buffalo News article got buried cause of it. 

Tim is becoming more sullivanized every day.  He's a crybaby hack.

[aristocrat]

1 minute ago, ScottLaw said:

I guess you missed the point. Kim is the one ultimately responsible. 

 

she is and her responsibility is to hire people that will run her departments effectively.  now she has to go find the people that will do so.   we all have complained about the little things at games going wrong for years so hopefully now they start getting them right. 

[oldmanfan]

They are in businesses that are particularly vulnerable to the current crisis. In addition it would seem there were some employees with agendas other than the owners'.  Given both these it should not be surprising some folks got let go, furloughed, etc. nor should it be surprising that some of these are bitter about it and thus are negative about PSE.  

 

The Bills seem to be in very good shape under Beane and McD.  The Sabres?  One hopes Kruger will give them stability; Botterill may not be the right guy (shouldn't he have been making sure the uniform color requests got in on time and such?).  They could probably use a guy that oversees PSE with more of a business background than Kim, but with what happened with Brandon they are probably gun shy about giving a guy too much power over the enterprise.  Long term I think the ramifications are that the new stadium talks will be held up for a year or two, the Sabres are going to be dependent on Kruger (I can see him taking over for Botterill and bringing in his own coach), and neither team will be sold.  Hockey is Terry's passion and he won't sell unless he has absolutely no financial choice, and then any new owner would keep them in Buffalo given what a great hockey city it is.   

 

The News article gives to me an objective analysis, the Graham article is unfortunately what I've seen from him before; he has a premise in his head about what he wants the story to be and then slants interviews and such to match his preconceived notion.

[BeastMaster]

So I read the article, and I also read the Q and A with Kim.

 

Seems like the writer is looking to bash them from the way it's written.

 

There's some stuff that doesn't look good, for sure. I've always hated the nepotism garbage, but it's pretty much SOP for these big companies.

 

Bottom line for me is don't let it affect our Bills! 

 

Hopefully they learn from the mistakes like Kim claims...they get their house in order, and this fades away once the country gets back to business as usual.

 

 

[aristocrat]

at least we aren't the jags who are trading their former number 4 pick and the info coming out is just ridiculous and their best defensive player is all over twitter bashing the team demanding a trade out.  

[billsfan1959]

Like most posters here, I don't know either the Pegulas or Tim Graham personally. I have however, been an avid fan of this team for many years and have observed Graham in many interactions with team personnel, fans, and others. I have also had the opportunity to observe the Pegulas over the last five years.

 

The Pegulas have, at times, seemed naive, over their heads, and slow to put the right people in decision making roles. However, I have never observed anything that makes me question their hearts - in regard to building strong competive teams fans can be proud of. Graham, on the other hand, has shown himself, time and again, to be as self absorbed and narcissitically thin skinned as they come, to catalogue and store away every slight or criticism directed at him, and to have no qualms using his profession as a means to act on personal grudges. 

 

I read the article and this is just my opinion, but I think, while many of the concerns may be legitimate, Graham made a conscious effort to portray his article through the lens of greedy billionaires living a life of luxury at the expense of the common working man. It is throughout the entire artice, sometimes subtle and sometimes not so subtle. 

 

I am grateful that the Pegulas kept the Bills in Buffalo and they have done some very good things. I also believe they have made their fair share (or more) of mistakes and I have no issue with anyone questioning or criticizing actions they take if they do so in a legitimate way. I feel Graham showed a decided bias in his article and, while there may be truth in some of the issues he talked about, I am suspect of whether it was the real truth or Graham's truth.

 

There is a difference.

Edit: And I don't think this is going to affect the culture McDermott and Beane have created with the Bills.

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by billsfan1959

[Don Otreply]

41 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

It's a click piece yet you have people in the know confirming the same feel within PSE. 

 

Tim just made this up out of the blue.?

Tim would never have used language that would lend itself to exaggeration...  not Tim, oh no no no...?

[GunnerBill]

30 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

The News article gives to me an objective analysis, the Graham article is unfortunately what I've seen from him before; he has a premise in his head about what he wants the story to be and then slants interviews and such to match his preconceived notion.

 

This article is objective too. Graham spoke to former employees, he spoke to current employees and he gave the organisation the chance to respond which it barely did. It isn't "balanced" but news doesn't have to be balanced. Truth sometimes looks one way or another. Graham did everything I would expect an objective reporter researching this piece to do. It came out in a way that doesn't look great for the Pegulas... but that is probably because things really don't look great for the Pegulas. The News article gets you to the same place. The Graham article focuses on the people angle so of course it is going to be more emotive. But there is nothing, at all, in the News article that contradicts anything in the Athletic piece.

 

Graham and his co-author are doing a live Q&A on the Athletic app this evening (afternoon your time) where I suspect they will be asked a lot about this. I intend to follow along for a bit if I have logged off the work laptop by then.

[Dirtyd415]

15 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Oil prices cratered in 2016 too. 

 

Anyway, his business is entertainment now.  If he still had a large chunk of his worth in oil, he's nuts.

Oil prices have never before in history fallen this fast or remained this low for an extended period of time.  They only thing worse to have your money in right now would be entertainment.  At least people still need oil, albeit at much lower demand.  The entertainment industry (including sports) will emerge from the pandemic a battered and disfigured version of itself.  When only essential business are able to operate, you don’t want to have all of your money tied up in the least essential business of them all.

Edited April 21, 2020 by Dirtyd415

[4_kidd_4]

If Tim is pulling a vintage Sully then he’s done it well, as this here thread discussing his article is about to go double digit pages. ? 

[oldmanfan]

15 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

This article is objective too. Graham spoke to former employees, he spoke to current employees and he gave the organisation the chance to respond which it barely did. It isn't "balanced" but news doesn't have to be balanced. Truth sometimes looks one way or another. Graham did everything I would expect an objective reporter researching this piece to do. It came out in a way that doesn't look great for the Pegulas... but that is probably because things really don't look great for the Pegulas. The News article gets you to the same place. The Graham article focuses on the people angle so of course it is going to be more emotive. But there is nothing, at all, in the News article that contradicts anything in the Athletic piece.

 

Graham and his co-author are doing a live Q&A on the Athletic app this evening (afternoon your time) where I suspect they will be asked a lot about this. I intend to follow along for a bit if I have logged off the work laptop by then.

I disagree.

[Warren Zevon]

Why do some folks hate Tim Graham so much?

[billsfan1959]

36 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

This article is objective too. Graham spoke to former employees, he spoke to current employees and he gave the organisation the chance to respond which it barely did. It isn't "balanced" but news doesn't have to be balanced. Truth sometimes looks one way or another. Graham did everything I would expect an objective reporter researching this piece to do. It came out in a way that doesn't look great for the Pegulas... but that is probably because things really don't look great for the Pegulas. The News article gets you to the same place. The Graham article focuses on the people angle so of course it is going to be more emotive. But there is nothing, at all, in the News article that contradicts anything in the Athletic piece.

 

Graham and his co-author are doing a live Q&A on the Athletic app this evening (afternoon your time) where I suspect they will be asked a lot about this. I intend to follow along for a bit if I have logged off the work laptop by then.

 

This is precisely the point that concerns be about Grahams' objectivity. His lead in to the employee comments ended with, "Pegula, current and former employees say, explained that return on investment included maintaining the family’s lifestyle." Then, one of the very first quotes he uses is, "What that told me, is I’m getting laid off before they cancel that family trip to Tahiti.”

 

You said you were a former journalist, so I am sure you understand about setting a tone. Graham creates an emotional tone at the beginning of this article and it is about changes in the organization that are taking away jobs so that the Pegulas can live their lavish lifestyle. And just for good measure, at the end of the comments by employees, Graham gratuitously throws in, "Terry and Kim Pegula, meanwhile, have paused construction of their new superyacht in Amsterdam." This statement has absolutely no relevance to what is taking place inside the organization - unless it is to reafirm that this is about the Pegulas' self-indulgences at the expense of jobs for the common, everyday worker.

 

All of the actions described can be true. However, it is my suspicion that Graham's article is more about shaping the narrative and motivations. Grahams' history is enough to raise that suspicion.

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by billsfan1959

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

This is precisely the point that concerns be about Grahams' objectivity. His lead in to the employee comments ended with, "Pegula, current and former employees say, explained that return on investment included maintaining the family’s lifestyle." Then, one of the very first quotes he uses is, "What that told me, is I’m getting laid off before they cancel that family trip to Tahiti.”

 

You said you were a former journalist, so I am sure you understand about setting a tone. Graham creates an emotional tone at the beginning of this article and it is about changes in the organization that are taking away jobs so that the Pegulas can live their lavish lifestyle. And just for good measure, at the end of the comments by employees, Graham gratuitously throws in, "Terry and Kim Pegula, meanwhile, have paused construction of their new superyacht in Amsterdam." This statement has absolutely no relevance to what is taking place inside the organization - unless it is to reafirm that this is about the Pegulas' self-indulgences at the expense of jobs for the common, everyday worker.

 

All of the actions described can be true. However, it is my suspicion that Graham's article is more about shaping the narrative and motivations that bothers me. Grahams' history is enough to raise that suspicion.

 

 

I have no concerns with the article being emotive. It is an article about people's jobs at its core. That is going to generate strong feelings. I have no issues with the tone. I stand by my view. It is a good piece of journalism.

[blitzboy54]

17 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

I read the article. It is worrying. My conclusion was they need to sell the Sabres but then that is easier for me to say as a non-hockey fan and non-Buffalonian but their core business is facing tough times, the property business similarly and the Sabres are a huge cash drain. 

 

The Bills are the cash generator at the moment. If some sandbags need to be thrown overboard start with the loss making teams. 

 

I think there is some link, yep. 

 

I am a hockey fan but  I agree. They can't seem to make it work you have to shed the dead weight.  NHL teams all claim to loose money. I am guessing that's not true but I would be willing to be they don't make very much. The Sabres have been tire fire for so long I don't see how they get out of the hole they have dug themselves

[CountDorkula]

17 minutes ago, Warren Zevon said:

Why do some folks hate Tim Graham so much?

Because he doesn't drink the kool-aid.

 

If you don't talk good about buffalo, the bills, or the Pegulas you are just a hack, and it doesn't matter how much of your story has actual fact in it.

[Warren Zevon]

18 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

 

"

Two sources close to Bills head coach Sean McDermott say the January meetings left him concerned about low morale eroding the culture he and general manager Brandon Beane have cultivated over the past three years with a meticulous, holistic attitude."

 

This is the most important part of the article. Arguing about the author is a red herring. There should be chatter about a McDermott contract extension after this year and if there isn't it's time to be worried.

[billsfan1959]

2 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I have no concerns with the article being emotive. It is an article about people's jobs at its core. That is going to generate strong feelings. I have no issues with the tone. I stand by my view. It is a good piece of journalism.

 

I have no problem with an article being emotive either, as long as it is not being used in a disingenuous way. Always respect your opinions, Gunner. As, for me, I suspect Graham was more interested in shaping a narrative.

 

Cheers

[CorkScrewHill]

17 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

 

Tim Graham interviewed almost 40 current/former PSE employees, and the feedback was that dysfunction, nepotism, and cost-cutting pervade the organization.  The Pegulas gave a presentation in January, right after the Bills made the playoffs, and one of the stated "three pillars" of organizational goals was "return on investment," which was widely described (and possibly stated by the Pegulas directly, though that seems shocking) as ensuring that the Pegulas can maintain their lavish lifestyle.  There is concern that the dysfunction within the Sabres will spill over into the Bills, and McD allegedly is concerned about it.

Wait .. one of PSE's goals is to make money??? It is clear that the Athletic, WalMart, Bob's Burger Shack, and each one of us is not concerned about return on investment , why is PSE. Even not-for-profits such as University of Buffalo, United Way, etc .. need to consider the return on investment for things or they end up unable to function.  The story may be relevant, but a company caring about ROI .. is a non-issue.

[BillsFan2313]

16 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

The solution is to hire the right people, give them the resources and get out of the way.

 

Also, I’m seeing that they are losing $40M-$50M on the Sabres? I haven’t read the article but if that’s true it’s a MASSIVE indictment on them. I worked for a team that finished with one of the worst records in the league, had just traded away the greatest player in franchise history and was owned by the NBA. We sold more new season tickets BEFORE the lottery was completed than any team in the league. It was about having a plan and executing it. 
 

Anyone that says, “winning is all that matters” has absolutely ZERO clue what it takes to be successful. You build elite staffs so that you are insulated as best as you can be from team performance. That’s what the Bills have done for 25+ years. That’s why Russ Brandon was good at his job. They were a successful operation regardless of the record. 
 

Of course it is easier in football but that’s why I used my own experience. It can be done but you need the right people steering the ship. Obviously Botterill is a nightmare but so is Kim. Go get a real GM to run hockey operations and go get a real president to sit over PSE and/or the Sabres. There are a zillion people more qualified to do the job. She had some of them there!! Dave Wheat should have been given total autonomy to run those operations after RB left. That would have been the best move. Empower the right people and get the hell out of the way!!

 

 

While I dont disagree things you said.

The NHL isn't even close to being on the same level as the NBA. The NBA is a global sport, better marketing, a lot better TV deals and revenue. I'm sure your talking about Chris Paul and the Hornets? 

 

I mean soccer players are being sold for more than some NHL franchises are worth. I don't think you can compare the NHL to the NBA IMO, when it comes to money. 

[BarleyNY]

15 minutes ago, Warren Zevon said:

 

This is the most important part of the article. Arguing about the author is a red herring. There should be chatter about a McDermott contract extension after this year and if there isn't it's time to be worried.

I agree.  If that’s accurate - and it’s reasonable to think that it is - then there is cause for concern.  I don’t have a subscription, but there are people here who have discussed low energy prices and losses from the Sabres impacting the Bills.  If the Bills organization is being stressed to make up for poor performance of other businesses in the Pegula portfolio, then that is also a major cause for concern.  I can’t overstate that.  

[YoloinOhio]

26 minutes ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

This is precisely the point that concerns be about Grahams' objectivity. His lead in to the employee comments ended with, "Pegula, current and former employees say, explained that return on investment included maintaining the family’s lifestyle." Then, one of the very first quotes he uses is, "What that told me, is I’m getting laid off before they cancel that family trip to Tahiti.”

 

You said you were a former journalist, so I am sure you understand about setting a tone. Graham creates an emotional tone at the beginning of this article and it is about changes in the organization that are taking away jobs so that the Pegulas can live their lavish lifestyle. And just for good measure, at the end of the comments by employees, Graham gratuitously throws in, "Terry and Kim Pegula, meanwhile, have paused construction of their new superyacht in Amsterdam." This statement has absolutely no relevance to what is taking place inside the organization - unless it is to reafirm that this is about the Pegulas' self-indulgences at the expense of jobs for the common, everyday worker.

 

All of the actions described can be true. However, it is my suspicion that Graham's article is more about shaping the narrative and motivations. Grahams' history is enough to raise that suspicion.

 

Tbh i had similar thoughts after reading this. This article seizes the audience on McDermott’s alleged concern. I mentioned that there were assertions that went unchallenged. Read the words. “Two sources close to mcdermott say the January meetings left him concerned.” And that’s it? Were the sources told by mcdermott that he was concerned? Did the sources surmise that on their own? Did mcdermott do anything that showed he was concerned? The sources say what mcdermott is thinking. There is no sense that Tim reached out to mcdermott or bills PR to get mcdermott to confirm or deny or no comment. You can’t let someone else tell you what someone is thinking without giving that a person a chance to respond even if they don’t. The story is filled with similar loose ends... 

It references “current” employees - do they for certain have less of an axe to grind? How many of those current employees were technically furloughed or had their salary cut? And hence ... they may also have an axe to grind. Look at the entire top of the story about the presentation and the power point slide. He had access to Kim and she answered everything he asked. So, questions that he could have raised..., what was she trying to get across in that presentation, or with that slide? Would it surprise her to hear that some of her employees took it to mean xyz instead? How does she respond to the notion that maintaining lifestyle is more important than the business' success? Three direct questions.  But ... that would/could  have ruined Tim's narrative. 
 

just some food for thought 

[eball]

38 minutes ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

This is precisely the point that concerns be about Grahams' objectivity. His lead in to the employee comments ended with, "Pegula, current and former employees say, explained that return on investment included maintaining the family’s lifestyle." Then, one of the very first quotes he uses is, "What that told me, is I’m getting laid off before they cancel that family trip to Tahiti.”

 

You said you were a former journalist, so I am sure you understand about setting a tone. Graham creates an emotional tone at the beginning of this article and it is about changes in the organization that are taking away jobs so that the Pegulas can live their lavish lifestyle. And just for good measure, at the end of the comments by employees, Graham gratuitously throws in, "Terry and Kim Pegula, meanwhile, have paused construction of their new superyacht in Amsterdam." This statement has absolutely no relevance to what is taking place inside the organization - unless it is to reafirm that this is about the Pegulas' self-indulgences at the expense of jobs for the common, everyday worker.

 

All of the actions described can be true. However, it is my suspicion that Graham's article is more about shaping the narrative and motivations. Grahams' history is enough to raise that suspicion.

 

 

5 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Tbh i had similar thoughts after reading this. This article seizes the audience on McDermott’s alleged concern. I mentioned that there were assertions that went unchallenged. Read the words. “Two sources close to mcdermott say the January meetings left him concerned.” And that’s it? Were the sources told by mcdermott that he was concerned? Did the sources surmise that on their own? Did mcdermott do anything that showed he was concerned? The sources say what mcdermott is thinking. There is no sense that Tim reached out to mcdermott or bills PR to get mcdermott to confirm or deny or no comment. You can’t let someone else tell you what someone is thinking without giving that a person a chance to respond even if they don’t. The story is filled with similar loose ends... 

It references “current” employees - do they for certain have less of an axe to grind? How many of those current employees were technically furloughed or had their salary cut? And hence ... they may also have an axe to grind. Look at the entire top of the story about the presentation and the power point slide. He had access to Kim and she answered everything he asked. So, questions that he could have raised..., what was she trying to get across in that presentation, or with that slide? Would it surprise her to hear that some of her employees took it to mean xyz instead? How does she respond to the notion that maintaining lifestyle is more important than the business' success? Three direct questions.  But ... that would/could  have ruined Tim's narrative. 
 

just some food for thought 

 

And this is precisely why I called the OP "irresponsible" for starting the thread with a supposition that is entirely hearsay.

 

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by eball

[Kirby Jackson]

11 minutes ago, BillsFan2313 said:

 

 

While I dont disagree things you said.

The NHL isn't even close to being on the same level as the NBA. The NBA is a global sport, better marketing, a lot better TV deals and revenue. I'm sure your talking about Chris Paul and the Hornets? 

 

I mean soccer players are being sold for more than some NHL franchises are worth. I don't think you can compare the NHL to the NBA IMO, when it comes to money. 

Well certainly there are differences but in this case there are a lot of similarities. The Sabres are way more popular in Buffalo than the Hornets were. The ratings alone speak for that. We are talking about the money that they are generating from the local market in my example. That’s primarily ticket sales and sponsorships. I certainly agree that the franchise values will never be comparable. 
 

With that being said, the expenses aren’t comparable either. Player salaries are a % of league revenues in every sport. So while the Sabres won’t generate the revenue of an NBA team they won’t have to pay the players like that either. When it comes to profitability you should be able to do it. To be fair, I didn’t read the article and if those losses are directly from the pandemic than I take back a large portion of my criticism.

[teef]

so...a billboard?

[Coach Tuesday]

27 minutes ago, eball said:

 

 

And this is precisely why I called the OP "irresponsible" for starting the thread with a supposition that is entirely hearsay.

 

 

That’s me, eball, a reckless and irresponsible poster.

 

You’ve attacked me twice in this thread.  I linked an actual article, the title of my thread said “Article,” and specified what about the article was interesting relative to the Bills.

 

Let me know if you’d like me to tell you what I think of you as a poster, since you feel empowered to attack the messenger.  This place is full of internet tough guys, some of whom live in their moms’ basements.

Edited April 21, 2020 by Coach Tuesday

[CountDorkula]

36 minutes ago, CorkScrewHill said:

Wait .. one of PSE's goals is to make money??? It is clear that the Athletic, WalMart, Bob's Burger Shack, and each one of us is not concerned about return on investment , why is PSE. Even not-for-profits such as University of Buffalo, United Way, etc .. need to consider the return on investment for things or they end up unable to function.  The story may be relevant, but a company caring about ROI .. is a non-issue.

 

Yes all companies want to make money. Thats the point.

 

There is a difference between that and putting a board deck together where in it it states "we have to cut costs so we can continue to live our lifestyle" and weve had to put a hold on the build of our superyacht. 

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

That’s me, eball, a reckless and irresponsible poster.

 

its like when any national media member says he doesn't believe the Bills, Buffalo or Josh Allen are as good as others say.

 

That reporter immediately becomes a hack and is irresponsible.

[Tesla03]

18 hours ago, Joe in Winslow said:

 

It's written by Tim Graham, ergo, it's not. He's the Jim Acosta of sports journalism.

 

 

lol just because you don't like him doesn't mean its a bad article

 

This is a very very huge concern moving forward. Pegula's have shown nothing so far for us to think they are a quality ownership group. Sabres have been a total failure since they acquired the team and the Bills went through a mess until they got lucky with Beane/McD

[eball]

13 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

That’s me, eball, a reckless and irresponsible poster.

 

You’ve attacked me twice in this thread.  I linked an actual article, the title of my thread said “Article,” and specified what about the article was interesting relative to the Bills.

 

Let me know if you’d like me to tell you what I think of you as a poster, since you feel empowered to attack the messenger.  This place is full of internet tough guys, some of whom live in their moms’ basements.

 

Coach, I am sorry you feel that my using the word "irresponsible" qualifies as a personal attack.  I think you, just like Tim Graham, wanted to throw something out that would grab peoples' attention.  Mission accomplished.  Good day sir.

[Coach Tuesday]

1 minute ago, eball said:

 

Coach, I am sorry you feel that my using the word "irresponsible" qualifies as a personal attack.  I think you, just like Tim Graham, wanted to throw something out that would grab peoples' attention.  Mission accomplished.  Good day sir.

“Hacks calling others hacks” should have been the title of this thread.