RangerDave

Matt Ellis has never been on a first line.

I agree. Proof is in the pudding. But the news that he is working hard to get stronger is an indication that he is now taking his craft seriously. Hopefully that translates into being tougher to play against.

I just met Jim Lorentz at the Sabres BBQ at Sahlen Field today. I wanted to tell him my story of getting a bat out of our church this past Sunday. The bat showed up in the front pew at the end of mass. I was able to cover him with a trash bin, slide a piece of plastic under it, and get him out. I told Mr. Lorentz my story. He told me that he was almost ARRESTED after his bat incident for animal cruelty! 😂

Great. Maybe the league will start tilting the draft lottery towards the Sabres in years it matters. Hurrah. More #1 OA picks.

Are the Sabres profitable? I really don't know. If they can be this bad for this long and still be profitable, what does that say about the management of the team? Do they have a huge incentive to win and make the playoffs? I understand that Terry Pegula has a lot on his plate with his wife's health, his daughters and their lives, the Bills, his other businesses, etc. I don't think he is a bad man. I just think he should hire the right people to run the Sabres so that he can focus elsewhere. And if he doesn't (he hasn't yet obviously), he needs to keep trying until he gets the right person(s).

In a recent discussion, a few people opined that winning doesn't matter to Mr. Pegula. I could not fathom this, as he was pretty emotional when he purchased the team about wanting to win a Stanley Cup. He seemed to be a genuine fan of the Buffalo Sabres. Now, I received a survey from the Sabres organization asking about game day experience. There were a few questions about the team's performance and how much that matters regarding whether I attend a game or not. But there were also several questions about what I call the "entertainment experience." Things like the music, or the food, or the entertainment on the ice betweens periods, or... whatever. I started thinking about a game I went to last year where there were 4 guys seated behind us. All they talked about during play was the bets they had placed on things like the score at the end of the period, who would be winning, or whatever things people bet on nowadays. After the period ended, the 4 guys left and never returned to their seats. But, they had purchased tickets for the game. This has me thinking: Is it more important to entertain the people in the stands (or watching on TV) than it is to satisfy the actual hockey fans who care whether the team wins or not? Is there more money to be made by attracting casual fans who need to be "entertained" by things other than the game and its results? Do actual "Sabres fanatics" matter anymore? Between casual fans and fans of the opposing teams, it seems like more seats are filled by them than actual Sabres fans. The NFL seems to be aware of this, too. Halftime entertainment, music, food options, 6-hour pregame shows, scoreboard clips in between play, etc. The Super Bowl is widely regarded as no longer being a football contest pitting the two top teams, but rather a "mega event" that attracts A-list celebrities. Is that happening to all sports and at every game now?

Arent't the Sabres still paying Skinner? So...we can say a current Sabre (employee) is playing for the cup?? Does that count?? 🤔

I think it's gonna take a bit more than Jim Lorentz releasing a rehabbed bat. Perhaps.... a new team name... the Buffalo Bats? And maybe put a belfry in the Key Bank Center?

Weren't they related, like cousins or something? Could her name have been Roosevelt, too? Or am I confusing that with another president?

What's going on Norm? "Another layer of fat for winter!" 😂

What is the over/under for team age average that KA needs to keep the team under in order to keep convincing Pegula that we "are on the right path, these guys just need to develop"?

Rob Ray - English as a Butchered Language

I don't know if it's pride. Wouldn't he be more proud of owning a Stanley Cup winner than.own one of the worst franchises in memory? It's not pride. Hubris maybe, but not pride. Even that doesn't ring true to me. He has never seemed like a vain man to me. Shuns the spotlight, doesn't tell everyone how great he is, is quiet and unassuming.

Wouldn't that be jumping OFF the bandwagon?? 🤔

There is a lot of evidence to back this up. But I have to ask why would Pegula prioritize yes men over competency? He seems to not have that affliction with the Bills. I don't think the answer is that he is cheap. One would think a winning team playing lots of playoff games would make him more money. Why, oh why, does he put up with this with the Sabres??