JohnC

Basically, we are in accord. What's exasperating is the wasting of time during this recent period. (As you have regularly stated.) Considering the assets this franchise has to work with, with some smart dealing, this team could be in a better situation. That's the source of my frustration.

We do agree on that issue. What I'm arguing is that with smart stewardship this team can be back in the fray in short order.

Tell me what franchise would have considered KA as a GM candidate other than Pegula?

I strenuously disagree. The Sabres are not devoid of talent on the roster and within the system. They have assets to parlay. A good hockey person at the helm should be able in a relatively short time span make enough judicious move to upgrade this roster.

I'm aware of that. Pegula hired a person who would do whatever he wanted him to do. What is obvious to everyone in the hockey business is that he hired a person that not only no other organization would have hired but also no organization would have even considered for an interview. The end result is that the owner got exactly what he wanted. And to no one's surprise, the irrelevant that he presides over continues to flounder. The lesson to be learned is that "mediocrity breeds mediocrity". What's confounding to me is that the owner has two franchises in his sports empire that should demonstrate the right way to function i.e. the Bills and Bandits. Both are resounding successes in their respective sports and also entertaining products with regular full houses.

I have had two back operations so I have an inkling what he is going through. In all likelihood, it will take an offseason of focused rehab to get back to normal. As you point out, it has been noticeable for quite some time that there was a physical issue affecting his play.

I have even a better question: Why was Adams hired?

According to WGR's Paul Hamilton he has been playing with a bad back. Supposedly, he had a back spasm in the game. It wouldn't be surprising if it plagues him throughout the season.

Still waiting for someone to "Do something smart"

The critical issue isn't fixing anything on any timeline. The critical issue is getting the right people in place. Then, the timeline matter will work itself out. The requirement is getting on the right pathway so that this franchise can become a meaningful NHL franchise. As it stands, we have a GM who doesn't understand how to build a roster. He has also demonstrated that he isn't too adept in smartly structuring contracts. That cripples your options when attempting to trade players. How much time has been wasted under this clueless owner with his churning of staff. The one constant in this embarrassing era of mediocrity is his ownership. The measure of success in sports is easy to gauge. It's the team's record. It's gotten so predictably bad that one of WGR's hosts commented that he hates to talk about the Sabres because it always the same old shiiiiit. (Paraphrasing of course.) This season is not a lost cause, although it is slipping away, again. In my estimation this team has enough talent to compete for a fringe playoff spot. The sad reality is that when you are a Sabre fan your aspirations have to be limited. When you are rooting for a team that lacks resiliency you, end up expecting nothing but futility. The Colorado fiasco embodies that point. It is a sad state of affairs that has been going on for too long.

Lindy is not the problem. Adams should be fired. Who should take over? Karmonos or Ventura with Lindy giving considerable input.

The media world has change. It's a different entertainment and business model. It's never going back to the free and available channels. Now, it's about a menu of packages when you are hooking up for TV services. That's the reality. The other reality that you alluded to is that because the local team has for nearly a generation (Pegula era) been unsuccessful on the ice and lacking entertainment value. The hockey market has for the past decade been steadily eroding due to its lackluster play and irrelevance in the hockey world. I'm a strong believer that if the product is worth watching, it will find an audience. That's not the case right now. Until there is a dramatic shakeup within the franchise, and the dynamics of this floundering and inconsequential dramatically changes, the fan erosion will continue to the point of no return. It's a sad state of affairs. I'm not without hope. It wasn't that long ago when the Ralph Wilson era was ending that the interest in the Bills dramatically faded. After Pegula purchased the team and belatedly installed the right people to oversee the operation, the fortunes of the franchise changed for the better. Not only are the local fans invested in the Bills, but also the Bills are now one of the most nationally recognized teams in the league. It is due to not only its success on the field but also the entertainment value it offers.

This organization needs to clear its arse!

There will come a time when Dahlin (and others) gets tired of being stuck in this squalid organization and annually watching his former teammates thrive in the playoffs while he is watching the post season games from his coach. And what happens if Byram, the player dealt for Mitts, concludes that it is in his best interest to not sign an extension when he has other better options in the market? If things don't change soon, there won't be core players who want to be here. Ask Jack and Reinhart about their determination to get the freak out of this muddling franchise!

I usually give my quick thoughts shortly after the game. It's pointless. This was an ignominious franchise loss. Anyone who watched the game witnessed the players freeze up and start to scramble like frightened children after the second Colorado goal. The word resiliency isn't in their dictionary. Especially after the second Colorado goal, you can see the Avs infused with confidence while the Sabre players shrunk like frightened children. The tide turned and the Sabres pooped during the onslaught. The happiest person in the arena had to be Mitts. When he was on the Sabres he never got a chance to play in the post season. He will with Colorado. This game was a franchise historical embarrassment. And that is saying something for this pitiful franchise. So freaking pathetic! It's difficult to verbalize how one feels after a game like this because there is nothing new to say.

I like the play of Byram in this game. Bryson has turned out to be a much better player than I thought.

Mayfield was the first pick in 2018, the Josh Allen draft year. Darnold was the third pick in the first round. We drafted Josh Allen with the seventh pick in the first round. The front office knew what it was doing when it made that franchise altering and consequential pick. It should be noted that the previous year we could have selected Mahomes. I'm fine with how it worked out for Buffalo. He was the right person for this particular location.

After winning your football parlay you are obligated to buy the beer for everyone in your row. This is standard gambler's etiquette. 😁 https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/london-united-kingdom-apr-22-2019-2152759001

You are way off the mark regarding my assessment of Terry P. To put it bluntly, he's an incompetent owner who lacks the self-awareness to recognize how little he knows about owning and directing a hockey franchise. Billionaire hubris will do that to you. His record is his record. He's a loser. I'm not saying otherwise. If you don't know that I recognize how putrid his stewardship of this staggering franchise is, then you haven't closely followed and interpreted my comments about him.

So what! Our GM talks to him on a daily basis. There's nothing wrong with that. Our owner knows little about the players in the league. It's the GM who is having the trade discussions with the other GMs about possible trades. It's the GM who ultimately makes the roster decisions and determines how it is constructed. There's no question that the GM tells the owner what he is thinking and what he wants to do. Apparently, you disagree, but for me it is the befuddled GM who has made the hockey decisions that kept this franchise in hockey irrelevancy during his mediocre tenure. The unwise owner hired a novice for a critical job that no other owner in the league would even entertain for an interview. That's the central point. With the Bills, he belatedly hired a quality coach and GM. The outcome has been terrific. Until he gets the right man at the helm of the hockey operation, this irrelevant franchise will continue to struggle. I agree with you that the owner's lower cap limit has handcuffed the hockey operations. His "penny" wise and "dollar" foolish has ended up hurting his revenue tally. How smart is that? Don't misinterpret my judgment on this owner. He's clueless about the league and what it takes to be a success in such a competitive endeavor. There's plenty to criticize here. It's like shooting at fish in a barrel.

There is no question that TP has meddled in the hockey operation. It's well chronicled that when he first bought the team he was behind a number of transactions. The results were to put it gently not good. I don't believe that is the case now. My sense is that the GM is making the hockey decisions and he is required to do so within the budget that the owner sets for him. If anything, the owner seems to be too disengaged to the point that he is disinterested in this franchise. The owner bought the football team and kept it in the region. He's the owner and goes wherever he wants to go. You may not want to acknowledge it but his football franchise is well run and successful. I'm not complaining about that.

It's been answered by many here. Hire the right people and then let them do their jobs. It's an axiom that applies to most executive jobs.

Forget it.

What are you talking about?

I'm happy that the owner got a game ball. He deserves it for the prudent way he has presided over the organization. If he can follow the same ownership approach for his hockey franchise, then good things will follow. I don't believe that he meddles in the hockey operation as much as many others do. However, I do believe he hired the wrong GM to oversee his franchise.