MBHockey13

SabreDance or GTFO.

I'm sorry, dude, but when the Sabres win the Cup - something I have dreamed about and yearned for my entire life - I have no need for some "fan" saying "Yeah, but...". I could go the other way and say it's not fair for the anti-Tankers to enjoy the fruits of the Tank, or somehow respect their integrity when they don't, but I don't care. I was always on board with the Tank, I never thought it was disingenuous for the Sabres to tank, and I am excited to reap the benefits for ten years after two plus years of pain. The Tank is old news. Get over it. You can't change what happened. Everyone is back on the Sabres train. It's a new beginning. Don't look back, get yourself on board, and full speed ahead!

I 100% disagree. I mean, I get it - Hasek was so other-wordly that maybe other goalies can't compare straight up, but it's not like we've been in a goalie wilderness for 45 years other than the years Hasek was here. Edwards/Sauve won the Vezina. Barrasson won the Vezina. Miller won the Vezina. Other than a few dark years, and this off-season, goaltending has never been the reason we haven't won. And yes, Jim Kelly is easily the best QB the Bills has ever had, but Jack Kemp did manage to win two AFL Championships. Maybe it's an age thing or something but the Sabres have had some great goaltending. Roger Crozier came and carried a young expansion franchise on his back many nights as the kids learned and grew (maybe we need a vet goalie right now?). Gerry Desjardins came and took over and got us to the Cup Finals. Don Edwards was my favorite player for a long time. Tom Barrasso came in as an 18-year-old and won the Vezina AND the Calder. And Miller - who is freshest in our minds - gave us some fantastic goaltending and really was the one constant over 10 years. Wayne Gretzky is easily the greatest Edmonton Oiler of all time, but that doesn't mean you can't put Messier at #2.

I care about as much as I care about any other free agent signing in the CFL short of them somehow outbidding the Bills for one of their free agents.

HE SAID SPIDER SENSE!!! :ph34r:

At this point, why bother caring any more? Nothing the Sabres can do from here on out, short of firing Murray, selling the team, and forfeiting their first round draft pick this year, will remove that stink. Maybe it's time for a new hobby, Former Sabres Fan in NS.

Battista told him to say that. He's the Puppet Master. Don't blame Murray.

COMPLETELY disagree.

I know people might not agree with Cloutier, but he is top ten in both years and games played for the Sabres, and plus I always loved him as a kid - the short scrappy underdog who took over the #1 sweater from my favorite Don Edwards, and would come in and have a great game now and then. I agree - but I'm not going by pure stats - just by my opinion.

I saw Summer School when it came out at the theater - TWICE. Great movie.

This made me laugh out loud. :P Honestly... Mike Babcock: Terry, it's an excellent contract, and I love the facilities, and I'm excited about the opportunity to coach great young players like Jack Eichel and Samson Reinhart - and you know how I feel about you and Kim - and I've always liked and respected Tim Murray - but I have to tell you - this Battista guy is a real deal breaker for me. He seems like such an unknowledgeable meddler. I just couldn't be comfortable with him around. Terry Pegula: Mike, I'm sorry you feel that way, but Battista is my trusted friend and employee, and honestly, if it comes between having you as our head coach or having good old Batts around, I'm keeping Batts. Sorry. Sure...sure...

Yeah, I did get it from searching, but it was on the Sabres.com site. It's strange. You don't get a bio for a lot of people - including Tim Murray.

I'm not sure what you mean. I just copied and pasted that bio verbatim from Sabres.com. http://sabres.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=94184

I'm sorry - but it doesn't appear to me Battista is just some lucky guy who somehow managed to find Terry's ear and now wants to pretend to run a hockey team. He has a pretty solid resume. I imagine he knows more about hockey than most of us and I've been playing ice hockey since I was a kid. JOE BATTISTA Vice President of Hockey-Related Businesses Photo by Bill Wippert The 2013-14 season is the first in which Joe Battista fills the role of vice president of hockey-related business for the Buffalo Sabres. In this position, he will assist in developing and implementing strategic initiatives for all hockey-related businesses, including those that directly relate to growing interest in the game throughout the country and specifically in Western New York. Hired in November 2013, Battista joins the Sabres organization after serving in several capacities at Penn State University for 26 years (1987-2013), the most recent being associate athletic director for ice arena & hockey operations since September 2010. He has also been a consultant for the organization on the HARBORCENTER project and the Academy of Hockey since its inception. During his time at Penn State, Battista was instrumental in facilitating the largest gift in the university's history, an $88 million donation for the ice facility and Division I men's ice hockey team, which came through the generosity of Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula. The arena has also sold out the men’s hockey tickets for the 2013-14 season. In addition, Battista also was a longtime head coach of Penn State's men's ACHA club ice hockey team - the Icers -, former executive director of the Nittany Lion Club, as well as the director of major gifts for the Smeal College of Business. During his tenure, Battista was awarded the 2009 Ridge Riley Lions' Pride Award in the Division of Development and Alumni Relations. In his first development position, Battista served as the executive director of the Nittany Lion Club from 2006-2009. While with the Nittany Lion Club, Battista helped grow the club to a then-record 23,000 members. Under his guidance, the annual giving to support the intercollegiate athletic department also increased to record levels. In 1991, Battista became a co-founder of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), which has since grown to a membership of close to 500 universities and colleges in five divisions. From 1982-1985, Battista acted as an assistant to the marketing director for the Pittsburgh Penguins, also co-founding the Amateur Penguins Hockey organization in 1983. To this day, the Amateur Penguins continue to field competitive teams in six different age groups. Battista brings with him a combined 30 years of experience as a head coach (512 wins, 6 ACHA national titles in addition to coaching Team USA for the 2003 World University Games) and ice facilities manager and also coached the ice hockey team at Culver Military Academy. He is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Penn State Hockey Hall of Fame. A Pittsburgh, Penn. native, Battista is a 1983 graduate of Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business with a degree in marketing. He and his wife, Heidi, have three children: Brianna, Jonathon and Ryan.

1. In hockey 9 times out of 10 what you see at face value is what it is. – Tim Murray (True or False?) More like 75% 2. In the wake of Babcock signing with the Tront, Dan Bylsma is the coach that would bring Buffalo the most league-wide credibility. (Agree or Disagree) False 3. Do something with #21 in the 2015 Draft. Choose one: (A) Take Pick, B)Trade Up, C) Trade for Player (B) Trade Up. Tons of good talent in this draft. 4. What are the odds of Terry Pegula resurrecting a 2017 version of the Empire Network (as a percentage % chance). 50% 5. What recently successful NHL franchise is at the beginning of a downward trajectory? (Name Team) Vancouver

The only person I've ever heard make Battista out to be this huge bogeyman is PA. It looks like Harrington might be making a dig at him, but I don't worry about his opinion. Maybe he is a meddler - but the guy does deserve credit for helping get Penn State from a step above intramural hockey to a legitimate D-1 program. In fact, he has a lot to do with the formation of the Big Ten Hockey League just from that. Otherwise, I don't know anything about him.

:thumbsup:

I can understand why it might rub some people the wrong way, and he's never going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I'd take his communication style over Darcy's any day.

Wow. Glad to hear this. I thought he came off great as well but I've always been a fan. :flirt: I especially liked how they said they were at the ten minute mark and he was more than happy to keep talking. He also said he may have came off incorrectly when he talked about losing the first pick at the lottery. I think he's a good guy and he's more than willing to clear up misconceptions, and I got the impression he doesn't always come off like he would hope, which is something I definitely know about myself...

If he wasn't Babcock wouldn't have even talked to the Sabres in the first place. I'm sure he'd be refreshing. I'd rather work with someone who tells it like it is.

They are better than a lip ring. I've been with girls with piercings in all kinds of places and...anyway...

She's cute but I'm not a fan of tats / weird piercings. More my speed:

This is a good post.

Not to keep bringing up O'Reilly, but if you think we have to have him now, you have to make part of the deal (probably the #1) be conditional on him signing a long-term deal with the Sabres. Or you can say that if O'Reilly doesn't sign, you have to give us your #1 pick next year. Or, we could just wait until O'Reilly decides not to sign with the Avs and then try to sign him next summer. The Avs might try to sign him or trade him to someone else but that would be the chance you would take - and you will still have Grigs and Zadarov and the first.

Harrington likes Dan. I'm sort of OK with it.