Neo

I am truly happy this ended, if not well, better than the terrible way it could have ended for you. Inadvertently brushing a person, especially a man brushing a woman, is as scary, today, as inadvertently losing a tire at 60 mph used to be. I am grateful your credible voice shared this "other side of the coin" view. Incidents like you describe happen 1,000 times more frequently than actual assault and deliberate slaps. Back in the day, we resolved them ourselves. I'm a declinist. There was more than one strident narrative, repeated mantra like, staring you in the face. Before any offense or outrage is manufactured, I'll provide the following. Real Assault Is Real Bad. We are in an environment where you're wise to actually express the obvious rather than be falsely accused of being part of the problem. Wading chin deep in narrative results in that. Returning to Eleven ... in the two minutes it took me to write this, I grew even happier that nothing resulted of the accusation. Kafka and Josef K come to mind. This made me laugh! You are the first person I thought of when reading all the well wishes sent Eleven's way.

I'm in at Mike Ramsey ... We've tells the story ... These are all great Sabres

Done ... and I think I got the best of the deal.

I resemble the language in your reply! I am demanding a royalty payment. Altering the Behagavad Gita, "I am become Meme", and it's PA's doing. Post Scriptum. I want your hair, if only for a long weekend.

I'd love to see some of the other old timers chime in. Not exclusively, mind you, The Hoss Convention II inviting younger fans to post and vote their impressions is way cool. I'm imagining PA, K9, et al. Wouldn't XB and GoDD be something! Ah, life ...

Awesome ...

I will suffer the slings and arrows of outraged We've and vote Gare at this juncture. Nose to nose with Ramsey. Game battler when that meant something while putting up gaudy numbers playing with two defensive forwards. A 14 year rock on defense. Ramsey gets my next vote. Hasek Perreault LaFontaine Martin (I had after Housley and voted accordingly, but was later swayed by Dudacek's arguement) Mogilny* (not in my top ten; my biggest diversion from the crowd) Housley (I had before Martin and Mogilny) Gare** (me, this round, in light of 1-6) Ramsey*** (my promise, should Gare win this round; Gare if it's anyone else; everything We've has presented is true)

Goalies will be fun .... I expect to see Miller, Barrasso, Edwards and Crozier make the top 50. Crozier will on legend, early role and popularity, if not on outright ability. Boston had 72 shots on goal in regulation against your expansion Sabres, one December evening. Roger Crozier made 64 saves and lost. FOR YOU YOUNGINS .... Look at the Sabres '75 cup finalist playoff goaltending stats. That was some FUN hockey. Now, it may deflate some 70s era goal SCORER views, but not mine. It was different. Acrobats, not monoliths. I can think of no other position in any sport that's evolved to the extent that ice hockey goaltender has in the last 50 years. Gary Desjardins. 1974–75 Buffalo Sabres G15 W7 L5 MIN760 SO 0. GAA. 3.39 SP. .863 Roger Crozier. 1974–75 Buffalo Sabres G. 5 W3 L2. MIN292 SO 0 GAA. 2.88 SP. .903

I've left a paper trail .... alas.

We have GDT depth.

Check my memory, please. I remember where I was for some games that year, radio and tv, during the Montreal series. Howerchuk carried them, heart, soul, talent, effort. Just incredible. Am I remembering correctly? Montreal eliminated us. Bodger rose to the occasion, too. I had an east coaster's lack of exposure to Howerchuk earlier in his career. Games were too late and he played against Buffalo infrequently. But, that playoff run ... Dale Howerchuk.

I loved Howerchuk. To the learned ... I see DH watching Samson. Is that nuts?

I have a couple of thoughts (shocker; alert the media). 1). I think Dave's getting great love. I'm gratified. We're at fifth all time and he's in the mix. It's too early, but he's in the mix. 2). Dave suffers from "Housley Syndrome". That is, the conversation around what he wasn't occurs as, or more, frequently as the conversation around what he was. I am firmly a "what he was" guy in exercises such as this. 3). Big Dave is 6'4", 220 pounds. People saw that and wanted Cam Neely. Dave's game wasn't physical in a heavy forecheck or take a guy out way. Everyone was safe in open ice. His feet weren't able to, and his head wasn't interested in, lining anyone up. His physicality manifested around the net, in front of the net, and on the crease. He had Reuben Brown's ass. 4). Mitt Ellis would announce Dave's 33rd goal, and someone would shout loudly, in that splendid living room that was the Aud, "Hit 'im with your purse, Dave"! 5). For some reason, people sneered at his power play goals relative to his even strength goals. I didn't hear the same conversation when Brett Hull, Teemu Selänne and Phil Esposito were being dissected except in the context of their great strengths. Dave buried his chances. In 11 seasons in Buffalo, his shooting percentage exceeded 17% six times. The big LW AVERAGED over 31 goals per season during 11 years in Buffalo. 6). Fleet of foot. No. I first heard the term "power skating" when the Sabres hired a coach for Andreychuk. 7). At age 30, Dave had 908 NHL points. Gordie Howe had 904. At 35, it was 1,140 and 1,285, respectively. Howe was more, certainly. The difference is clear in GoAT and GoBS of all time conversations. Both are in the mix, top ten, in their version of the contests. Tampa's a small town city, much like Buffalo. I see Andreychuk from time to time at games, in restaurants, or in a bar around the arena. He looks great and is very involved with the team. I believe he's VP of Corporate and Community Relations. How good was he? Hell, he played 1,600 NHL games and scored at a .816 ppg pace. That's ALMOST as good as that Housley fellow's .824. 'Course, Housley was a defenseman. I hear he had flaws, too. Dave Andreychuk is an all time great who got there without ever doing any single thing that made you say "wow, THAT was GREAT!"

Still $1,500

I'm on it, but a few rows back.

I've followed The Hoss Convention. If not, imagine the fun I'd have with Tim Horton and Phil Housley ... opposite ends of the stick ...way opposite!

One of my favorites ...

One, grateful .. Two, Andreychuk's going to get some soon, even if it's only me. Three, I'll stay with Wowie at this juncture. Good for Rico ... Must've been a flurry for him since I last checked in earlier this morning. Dudacek was compelling.

You're a late sleeper.

Awesome, times two!

Someday we'll meet. I'll tell you my Ms. Trautwein story. It's short, and most unusual. We met very late in her life. My college job took me to her home from time to time in the early 1980s. I was at her house the day she died, widowed and alone. Every visit, she had me sit on her sofa while she showed me an 8x10 framed photo of her son, in uniform, during WWII. It was one of those black and white photos that had been colorized. He was a handsome young man with rich skin and rosy cheeks. I'd guess she was born around 1900. I never made it to the family store. Wonderful lady. Why did you visit Perry Sound? I went, once, on my way to the French River for a fishing trip. I went to see the home of Robert Gordon Orr. My friends were less impressed with the detour than me. Driver's privilege! I don't remember the stop sign but I do remember the skyway. Steel plants adnd industry in Hamilton. I also remember the sign that read "Perry Sound, Birthplace of Bobby Orr". This was before cell phones and cameras, alas.

First to lead by two ... with a time limit followed by man against man for those tied or within one? 12 hours? Your awesome thread!

Behind the counter on the grill, Hamburg Public Golf Course.

Awesome ...

Yeah, but Marvin the Martian is bad ass ...