PromoTheRobot

Strictly non-Buffalo pro venues: Football: Falcons (Fulton County) Dolphins (whatever it's called these days) Jets (Met Life) Patriots (Sullivan and Gillette) Ravens (M&T) Baseball: Red Sox (Fenway) Orioles (Memorial Stadium) Blue Jays (Rogers Skydome) Dodgers (Dodgers Stadium) Hockey: Lightning (Amalie) Bruins (TD Garden) Hurricanes (RBC) Flyers (Spectrum) Kings (The Forum) Basketball: Celtics (TD Garden)

I'm blaming the old gypsy. I only brought that up to point out that losing playoff series has been an ongoing problem. You can assign blame as you see fit.

Taylor? Martin? meh. Amerks fans always blamed the Sabres for not giving the team enough talent in the playoffs. What's the excuse this year?

My plan is to wind up in Wilmington NC eventually.

I wonder if anyone in Raleigh stayed up to watch? Ditto for the Isles and Tavares.

Go Whalercanes!

Very Sabres-esque in the 3rd. Outshooting Toronto 15-3 but not a single dangerous scoring chance or sustained offensive pressure.

Well, the silver lining in all this? Botts won't have to wait long to announce Taylor.

A good friend's dad from Toronto just lost his wife of 60+ years. He said he just wants to see the Leafs win before he goes. So I have to kind of to root for Toronto in this case. It's okay because I hate the Bruins just as much.

So am I apparently. 1) I could have sworn the playoffs started Wednesday. 2) I googled "Marlies Amerks Game 1." 3) A video popped up that I thought was yesterday's game 1. I guess I'm happy they aren't down 0-1

Blown opportunity in Game 1 vs the Marlies. Lose 4-3 after coming back to tie from 3-1 down in the 3rd.

Lots of oil money there.

Thanks. Yes, that's what I was wondering about.

I got busy after the 2nd P of the Cbus/TB game. Did the Lightning not come out of the locker room in the 3rd?

What a game.

Have to agree. Not a trip.

You can't count a city 60 miles away as part of your market for baseball. Baseball is played every night. You aren't getting Rochester people driving 2 hours on a work night.

Exactly. If markets twice as large as Buffalo can't compete...

Just spitballing but maybe PSE had to overbid by a lot to get over reticence of having Buffalo host. Anyone attending the 2003 Frozen Four in Buffalo would have been appalled. Even though it's better now (though not that much better judging from takes I've read...and even then, I wonder how much effort was made to find places,) that lingering perception might have been a significant hurdle. You can bet there won't be another Buffalo Frozen Four.

Just heard on WGR that ticket prices are set based on the bid made by the host city. So Russ Brandon might have overbid to get the Frozen Four assuming fans would show up no matter what.

Flyers fans take on their new coach. https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/flyers/flyers-fans-explode-social-media-over-new-coaching-hire

Cale Makar gets his first NHL goal. Bravo.

JT Compher. That's a name I recognize.

The Frozen Four, supposedly, has a built-in following. At least that was the story I was told when I went to Tampa a few years back. Tickets were bought every year because fans didn't want to lose access to the event. If that was the case I wouldn't blame the Pegulas for trying to land this event. I was also at the last Buffalo Frozen Four (under Golisano/Quinn) when all that out of town fans saw coming to the MMA was a windswept parking lot and a hole in the ground. I recall out of towners looking lost wondering where they could get some food or a drink. Things were pretty desolate at the foot of Main in those days. (Could that lingering image of Buffalo be a reason?) So I'd love to know did this event crash this year or was attendance falling before? Did the NCAA (or whoever sets ticket prices) get greedy? Or does Buffalo still have such a bad rep no one wants to come here in April? I honestly don't believe the Sabres performance has anything to do with this. Frozen Four is supposed to be an event for college hockey fans everywhere.

Taylor but I suppose Keefe too.