msw2112

I asked my parents if they knew that Chuck was from Rochester and my Dad said, yes, and that they went to the same high school and even shared classes together! Not sure why he never mentioned that back in the day when he used to listen to that music all the time. After high school, my Dad moved to Buffalo to attend UB, and he stayed until retirement (hence me being born and raised in Buffalo)....he was also a Sabres and Bills season ticket holder before retirement to warmer climes (hence me being a huge Sabres and BIlls fan).

Never knew he was from Rochester, but always liked "Feels So Good" and one or two of his other hits. My parents played his vinyl when I was growing up and they were big fans. Prayers to his family.

I'm not familiar with this player, but if he can help the Sabres, maybe the Jarmo connection can get this done. Below are his stats from NHL.com.

While I'm not deep into the details of the Amerks' roster, I believe that their last two playoff exits were to teams that were bigger, stronger, tougher, and older, but perhaps less skilled. Adding some tenacity and muscle doesn't sound like a bad idea. Same applies to the parent club, except that in order to have a "playoff exit" you must first have a "playoff appearance."

Good move for the Sabres and finally they've done something that makes sense. I like the signing and have zero issues with it, except for the fact that it doesn't improve the team. McLeod was already on the roster. Can they please sign someone who is a positive addition to the roster? Alex Lyon, assuming the deal is actually done, is a fine backup goaltender, but essentially just replaces Reimer, so not really much of a net add (no pun intended).

While it's true that Rayzor could upgrade to a shirt with a collar and tie that actually fit around his neck, that could be fixed without firing someone....If the reason is truly that the broadcasts are too critical of the team, that's pathetic.

Let's hope so. The guy played well last season and turned out to be a major piece of a big trade. If they let this guy walk, they are truly the imbeciles that we all believe them to be. And yes, Bryson continues to be a head scratcher. He's fine as a 7th-8th D-man and has played some decent minutes here and there, but there was no reason to lock him up when they did (early) and how they did (one way contract). I'd be OK with re-signing him at the price that they did AFTER the draft, free agency, etc. If they still needed a 7th-8th D-man at that time, he would have been fine. What was the hurry?

My thoughts: The pre-draft press conference is probably a regularly-scheduled event that every team has, every year. If Adams is up to something behind the scenes, I'd prefer he keep it quiet and doesn't tip his hand in the media in such a way that could cost him leverage in potential deals with other teams. Someone above said "I don't care what he says, but only about what he does." I agree with this. I don't have a whole lot of confidence in Adams either way, but maybe the presence of Jarmo can help. It's a huge disappointment if the entire coaching staff returns. Again, no need to publicly make statements in the media to humiliate guys who may be bad coaches but good people. Just say they're under contract publicly, while, hopefully, privately, he's searching for their replacements.

Based on the market across the league, Tuch today, at his age, is a $7M-$9M player. If he was 36 today, he wouldn't be worth that, but with inflation, the cap going up, etc., by the time he's 36, if he's making $7M-$9M then, it will be market for a player his age. 29 year-olds of his caliber will be making much more than that in 6-7 years. So get him signed today. He's a key player on the roster. He has size, speed, scoring touch, and is a great penalty killer. He's also a leader and a great locker room guy. He's not a fighter, but he'll drop the gloves on occasion to defend himself or a teammate. He even has playoff experience. He definitely was a guy who "wants to be in Buffalo," so let's hope that last season's failures didn't change that.

I respectfully disagree. In the old days, the Aud was sold out every night for years. The team was good and it was the only game in town. People today have so many entertainment options, that the casual fan is not easily swayed. A playoff game in May or June, sure. A Tuesday night, mid-October game against Cal-gary? You and I are excited to be there and see a winning team. The casual fan is not. But give the casual fan music, food options, a fancy show on the video board, some crazy giveaway between periods, etc. they are having a fun night of entertainment downtown. You and I are the same in how we view the team. But you have to look beyond yourself at the bigger picture. (Actually, you don't, but if you want to objectively respond to the original post, you might.) This team is light years away from selling out a "lower tier" game. Even if they team starts winning, they're still going to have a hard time selling out early season games against unexciting opponents, particularly if the Bills are playing well, which is likely to be the case over the next 5-7 years. They need to market the product beyond just the die-hards.

What if YOU are the tourist, attending a game in another city not involving the Sabres (or a team you're a fan of)? Is winning the only thing that matters? I realize that you're not focused on that, but the original post asked whether it was important to "entertain the people in the stands" and whether it was important to entertain the "causal fan." I'd argue that it is important. I sometimes take my kids to major league sports and they care very little about the actual game action. The other stuff keeps them entertained. I'm going to be in Boston over the summer on a family vacation and we're attending a Red Sox game. We're not going because we care about the Red Sox winning, we're going to check out the atmosphere at an iconic ballpark. I've been a huge Sabres fan, following the team more or less since it's inception, so for me, when it comes to the Sabres winning is everything. I don't care about the scoreboard, the music, the food options, etc. - I just want to see a winning team on the ice. You and I likely agree on that. Pegula and Adams have run this once proud franchise into the ground. Whether they can recover it is highly in doubt. So, as to the Sabres, we agree. I'm just addressing the questions raised in the original post.

I think you're missing the nuance. Winning matters if you are attending a game involving a team that you're a fan of. There's no disagreement there. But if you're in Buffalo on a business trip, not from Buffalo, and maybe not even a hockey fan, but attending a Sabres game, does winning matter to you? Or are you more interested in a comfortable seat, the video board, the food options, etc.? When I attend a Bills or Sabres game, it's all about winning. When I attend a Seattle Mariners vs. Detroit Tigers MLB game, I really don't care about winning. It's more about the overall experience. If the survey is specifically targeted at Sabres season ticket holders and/or serious Sabres fans, then yes, winning is priority #1.

This is an interesting topic. I have a mixed response. Having grown up in Buffalo, when it comes to the Bills and Sabres, it's all about the product on the field/ice. I don't care at all about the rest of the entertainment experience (provided I can do the simple things like get a beer or take a leak during the game without missing 30% of the game waiting in line). I always arrive prior to kickoff/puck drop and stay until the game is over, regardless of the score. Even in a blowout, it's interesting to me to see how the backup QB performs or if the rookie winger scores a goal. That said, I have lived outside of Buffalo for quite some time now and have lived in big cities with most/all of the major pro sports teams. I have no interest in season tickets, but frequently come across tickets to games. For those games, I'm just as interested in the food, entertainment, music, betting, cheerleaders, and hanging out with the people I'm at the game with, etc. (or more) than the game itself. I have no problem arriving late or leaving early. For example, I went to an Arizona Cardinals-New Orleans Saints game. I really didn't care who won the game, but made a small internet wager on the game, just for fun. Whether I won my bet was more interesting to me than the game itself. Having a comfortable seat was important to me. If I'm at a Bills game, I hardly use the seat. I've been to NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB games around the country and enjoy the event as a whole, but usually don't really care who wins. Every been to a mid-season NBA game? They're snoozers until the last 5 minutes. Or a MLB game before the pennant races start heating up? I find it hard to focus too much prior to the 8th or 9th inning. Over the years, I've turned down many free NFL tickets (mostly Cardinals and Bears) so I could watch the Bills on TV. I'm just not invested in those teams, yet don't want to miss a minute of Bills action. The tailgate/pregame (and/or postgame) is often more interesting to me than the game itself.

When Joki is on his game, he's better value than a 4th round pick. He seemed be playing better since the 4 Nations. I assume they were sitting him recently to keep him healthy for a potential trade. I suppose the Sabres wanted him off the roster, both as a player that doesn't fit what the team is trying to do and also as a salary dump, so they took what they could get. Better than nothing.

Didn't Victor Hedman, another highly drafted bigger defenseman, also have an up and down start to his career, before becoming one of the top D-men in the NHL?