That Aud Smell

My stadium review: The new place is great. I love it. It did take a minute to adjust to the pitch of the 400s where we sit. It brought back to mind the oranges at The Aud. But it’s great how the fans are all right on top of the field. Visiting teams are gonna *feel* the home crowd.

yo wtf with the spamming

there's sadness in that chord structure!

oh sh1t - billy sheehan! yeah, that would work too. (although most people would not know who he is.)

lol -- nah, nah. she and her nerd-dom are welcome here. she's going to help find us the next zach benson.

yo this is tough, man. but funny.

wait a second - on second thought - get that chick the f**k out of here. 🤣 I’ve submitted my thesis (June 9, 2026), and after I defend (scheduled for August 2026), I’m transitioning into sports data science with a focus on hockey analytics. I’m particularly interested in player evaluation, performance modelling, and data-driven strategy. The pivot is less of a leap than it sounds: the quantitative work I do every day (Bayesian modelling, signal decomposition, validation testing, communicating uncertainty) is the same toolkit that drives modern sports analytics. I’ve been a sports fan my whole life. Hockey is my favourite (go Leafs go!), but I follow most other major sports too, particularly anything Toronto. The data side of sports is more recent for me, and it’s quickly become the work I want to do next. I’m currently building a hockey analytics portfolio to that end. This site is where I’m collecting my research, projects, and writing as I work through this transition. You’ll find a mix of academic publications, sports analytics work as I build it out, and other things I’m interested in along the way. Always happy to hear from people working at the intersection of sports and data. https://ariel-amaral.github.io/

ALSO: EBUG SIGHTING! https://www.instagram.com/p/DcBf8Ovuvo1/

we are all old enough to remember when the pegulas were taking an absolute hatchet to the Sabres front office. the mandate seemed clear: do more with less. what changed? my working theory is that bringing in the minority investors to the bills gave the pegulas a bunch of "mad money." point here really being: i love that the pegulas are investing in the franchise. final point: it's pretty cool to have a young astrophysicist phd on the data analytics team. https://www.astro.utoronto.ca/people/graduate-students/name/ariel-amaral/

i'm hoping the goos figure out how to feature a cameo from another buffalo artist. ani difranco? maybe unlikely. benny the butcher? ... hmmm.

i love it. i will admit: me in my 30s, early or mid 40s? i probably would not have liked it. but i've grown soft. sentimental. and i recall seeing those punks play (well, johnny goo and robby goo plus some spinal tap drummer) at the continental in downtown buffalo. they're ours. everyone is forgiven now!

that was pretty awful. i'm a firm believer that people are always better than the worst thing(s) they've done. he appears to have taken accountability for the mistake(s) he made. so he can go back to being america's rock 'n roll dad, afaic.

this board does so much for me. among others: keeping me current with new gifs is a blessing.

I wonder if limited use is part of the plan with him. Maybe they don't want him grinding out a huge share of snaps. Maybe they want him in there on a more limited basis and maximize his chances to make splash plays.

Lol. With the benefit of some time away from the original exchange and with apologies as needed to @LTS, my subtweet to the account at issue was just me indulging an urge to be sh1tty, to be an as.shole. Hand up. I'll own it. Fair. I definitely reached a breaking point. I can't even recall what it was anymore. But I haven't looked back. ... except on some rare occasion when I feel like being a petty as.shole. 🤣🤣