mjd1001

How 'provincial' or territorial not only sports fandom has become (that is expected) but sports Media has. Sure, I know media in a particular city had to tell their audience 'what they want to hear' to a certain extent, but it is annoying how they cross the line. Almost EVERY NFL fan thinks their team is better than their record, and that with 'just one or two' plays changed they could have jumped up the standings and deserved to. The Media used to be there to remind fans that...that is true for EVERY team. But now it seems that in some cases, the sports media in a city is the very thing that riles up the fanbase even more. Look at Boston Media with regard to the pats. They are in denial about the dynasty being over more than some fans, and they tend to write and post to twitter 'stats' that are cherrypicked to support a very small argument to support that role. F1 is another good example (for race fans out there) You can have your opinion of whether how the season ended was fair or not. You can also have your opinion on it shouldn't have mattered because both drivers got 'screwed' by various calls throughout the season and the title should have been decided before that last race anyway. Of course the British media is going to probably defend Hamilton over Verstappen (because Hamilton is British), but the way they do it is so crazy. Just about EVERY article I read about f1 from out of Great Britain or a British writer doesn't just suggest Hamilton should have won the title, a lot of them pretty much consider him the champion with only 'that bad decision' in the last race preventing it from being official...ignoring the things that happened to help him in the rest of the season. Like I said, there are points to both sides, but the homerism in many media markets is getting out of hand.

Not really for me. I'm not sure why, but probably since the very beginning, I didn't have much of a connection as a fan with Eichel. Its not that I disliked him, but there was something always different about him compared to what I thought I should think about a 'generational player' for the Sabres. I just never, even in his best year...got to that super high level of fan/player connection.

I like the double space after a period and will continue to use it. It makes it easier to read, when a sentence end, that is usually the end of a thought, so I want that 'extra space' in there.

Is he likely a bust? probably, but I'm not 100% there on him yet. Last year he was on a 82 game pace for just short of 15 goals and about 30-35 points. Not an offensive powerhouse, but yet that isn't nothing. If, IF, he is a late bloomer or just 'gets' the NHL game in the next year or two, he still might turn out to be a somewhat productive player. Do I think that will happen? No I don't, but I won't rule it out 100% yet.

In most cases, the 7th D-man has an opportunity to get close to 50% games played just due to injuries and suspensions through the course of the year to the top 6. With the versatility of someone like Pysyk, and with the top 6 containing a lot of potentially 'young' guys that might find part of the season where they need a 'day or two' off, Pysyk as the 7th D-man might end up getting 60+ games played pretty easily.

if he wants to be here, and you can value him as at worst a 3rd pair guy (I do think he is at least that), then yes. 2 year deal, wouldn't be terribly opposed to 3 if you think he can be the 'long term, affordable veteran' guy.

Double the average ticket price...and then Buffalo has the highest average price in the entire league. Double concession prices, and then Buffalo has the highest average concession price in the league. No, I do not think this market can bear having the highest average ticket price AND the average highest concession price. Not even close.

What does a beer cost at a Bills game now? $11? Double that and you get to a $22 beer. Last I checked a hot dog was $7....double it and you get to $14. And remember, concessions and merchandise is more than gate/ticket receipts for revenue per game. If you DON'T double concession prices...that means ticket prices will have to do a LOT more than double if you want to double total revenue. I do not see a path for the Bills to double Revenue out of a new stadium vs the current one.

Other than by more than doubling ticket prices AND doubling concession/merch prices, how would that be possible?

The question is how much of a return on that $2 billion are you going to get? Some numbers: https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/business/what-playing-empty-stadiums-cost-nfl-franchise/ It says the Bills get about $56 million in gate receipts and $357 in all other stadium revenue (food and merch) per season for a total of about $413 million. Just how much will a new/better stadium increase those? Lets say you can increase that 10% to $454 million. Is $40 million in revenue (not counting expenses) worth a $2 billion dollar investment? To the owners sure, they get all that revenue but only pay for a portion of the $2 billion. And by the way, getting a 10% increase would put the Bills gameday revenue in the category close to Pittsburgh and Denver, that may or may not even be possible with a new stadium.

Jim Jackson. Only played 5 games with the Sabres in the late 1980s (don't remember him at all though) 2 goals though in 5 games, he was on a pace for a mid-30 goal season.

There are so many.... I'll start with the Serena Williams ads, I don't even know what they are for..but there was one with her as Wonder woman and another tied into the Matrix. First of all, what are they even for? Secondly, Serena, isn't she not winning as much anymore and kinda yesterdays news? And with most ads, I just see it over and over. 2nd is the Aaron Rodgers insurance ads...I don't mind him and the packers as a player and team, but he just comes across as not the most likeable guy in real life. How is having him in an ad making me want to buy or use your product? Finally, I'd have to say there are a lot of bad commercials. If I see a commercial 5 times or more, and I STILL don't remember what the product is you are trying to sell me when I think of it a week later, that is a bad ad. Sure, it may not be flashy or sexy, but to me a good ad is one where I KNOW your product 5 seconds into it....is basic, keeps repeating the name of your product, and tells me benefits of your product and teaches me something about it.

Florida. Thats it. That is my complaint summary, Florida. I am finishing up a trip to visit relatives in Florida. No one knows how to drive here, 90mph on I-95 seems normal, cutting across 3 lanes to hit the exit happens in front of you every 10 minutes. Its the land of strip plazas and shopping malls, no character anywhere. Food isn't good. Water is AWFUL. I could go on....just...Florida.

To be honest, I do not like making any Free Agent splashes at all. No big name FAs sign with buffalo for the next 15 years and I actually prefer it that way. Sign your own, get your 'big name' guys through the draft or trade when they are young. I really don't ever want a July 1 free agent to sign with buffalo unless it is a complimentary piece.

I don't think Kim and Terry are good owners, lots of mistakes, other issues I'm not a fan of. However, I hope they don't sell and have long term plans for the team and Arena. If they DO sell however, all that matters is that it is to someone with long term plans in Buffalo. Sabres get sold and move = Bad. ANYTHING else that doesn't involve moving = Good and I honestly don't care about many details beyond that (of course, other than being the new owner just wants to play fantasy hockey himself with a real life team and wants to do it on the lowest payroll in the league.)

Hopefully the 'curve' of spreading goes down as quickly as it goes up. Right now it may be going through our Family. A few members had not gotten anything over the last 2 years, fully vaxxed, wear masks indoors even when vaxxed etc. I don't know if it was Sheas for Hamilton, but a few family members were there last week. Over the weekend a couple of them got sick with the symptoms, now there are 5 family members all showing symptoms. Not hospital level, but still not comfortable for most of them. We'll see, 2 had covid tests already and are awaiting results. Again, hopefully this is one of those things that goes down as quickly as it goes up. Some early data out of South Africa is hopefull that is the case.

That isn't honestly that impressive. His 'point pace' based on points per game is about 3.5 points per 82 games over his career average, and I'll take the years where he actually put the puck in the net over this year where he has just 5 assists. Also, I think he also had more points per game in 2016-2017

When I think of Tuch, I don't think of the comparison to Foligno at all. Honestly, I never had in my mind a player I would compare him to. Maybe, MAYBE if you make me think about it, I would think a younger/Healthy Okposo level influence on this team, but still with a different skillset. What I want from him is to be a player that gives consistent production in the offensive zone that outpaces any liabilities in the D-zone, is a high energy player, doesn't look like he ever takes a day off, and is an Okposo/Girgensons type leader. Basically not a star or a superstar but that type of player that EVERY team would want and can slot into almost any roll needed. Too high of expectations? Maybe....but that is the ceiling I am looking for.

1 and 1a are the Rangers and Leafs 2 is Pittsburgh, but they are way far back. -NY fans are the worst and I can say that as soeone who spent some time living in Boston. The most arrogant fans, entitled fans, some of them are as dumb as bricks but you can't have a discussion with them because they think they are Mensa level sports savants. Sure, there are fans like that everywhere, but it seems to center on the NY/Tri-state area. I want that team to lose so much not because of the players, but the fans in the area I cannot stand. The media covering NY teams isn't far behind the fans either. -Toronto Fans are very very close second. Arrogant, think they city is entitled to something. Want to be called "the hockey capital of the world" or at least "the hockey capital of Canada", when personally I still think that is Montreal over Toronto. They just think everything about them is better than it is. They think their star player is ALWAYS better than anyone elses star player. Their management is ALWAYS better than everyone elses. If they lose, it is because of something random, bad luck, or because of one single person they choose to blame....but once that person is gone, the overall excellence of their team over all others MUST and WILL be shown 'next' season. One thing that puts them a step behind the Rangers is, as PEOPLE (everything other than sports fans), they tend to be nice people that you can talk to about anything else. I can't say that for many New Yorkers I have run into, especially the big time fans Too many arrogant and dumb NY sports fans have their lives centered around sports. BTW, as a kid I was a life long Yankees fan, might have been my 2nd or 3rd favorite team in any sport. I follow them now out of force of habit, but I have been exposed to their fans and sportswriters garbage for so long I now longer really care about them. -Pittsburgh. Nothing really against the City, but they just got so lucky. Probably ended up with the Best player drafted first overall in the modern hockey Era (Lemieux), they they luck into Crosby, and not only that but have an unreal number of to 5 picks to go along with that.

This is the first year I really don't care if anyone is moved or not and for what. If there is a guy who WANTS to move, who you decided you don't want here next year, AND someone is willing to give a pick for, go ahead. 7th or 6th rounders? Not really interested. There are only so many contracts you can have signed long term...you aren't the penguins so there is no need to bring in any young guy you can. Package a 6th or a 7th WITH a guy somone wants for depth and get a 4th rounder or sooner? Sure, go ahead.

I'm happy with just 2 things being different next year: Total overhaul of the OL...somehow find 3-4 new starters that are better than what you have, and then an update on the WR's (I think Beasly is going to be done by the end of next year)

This is Awesome.

From everything I have seen, the 2026-2027 season is going to be a problem as far as Skinner's contract. No matter what year you buy him out before, there is a big hit that year. Whether he is on the team or not, the Roster is going to have to allocate $6-$7 Million dollars toward him during that season

He has never been the same player since his Knee Surgery in 2018. Maybe his knee has permanent damage? Maybe its a mental thing, but that really was the turning point in his level of production. He is now entering his 5th season since that injury. In those last 5 years, per 82 games, his production is about 18goals and 39 assists per 82. (57 points) In the prior 5 seasons to him hurting his knee and needing surgery, per 82 gamer about 29 goals and 46 assists. (75 points) Might some of that be age? Maybe, but he still should have been in his prime scoring years in the past 5 seasons. Might it be the team he plays for? Possibly, but those Oiler teams he was on weren't much better than what he has been on lately. The Big issue for me is I have heard a few times form 'national' broadcast guys (mostly on 590 in Toronto) that since his surgery, he just doesn't look as fast as he used to be. I do know this, he is a slightly different type of player than Skinner, but his production seems to ebb and flow and has fallen off at a similar rate of the last couple years as Skinner.

Stephen A Smith. I rarely watch ESPN anymore, but it seems like a good portion of the time I turn it on, he is on, and he is ALWAYS YELLING. Its exhausting to watch him for even 30 seconds. And it doesn't matter what it is about, he at best raises his voice and at worst yells. Maybe it gets ratings? I just want to turn on ESPN every once in a while and not be blasted away by someone who has an opinion about everything and has to use a megaphone voice into a microphone to get his opinion out there.