That Aud Smell

(Huge lift. I'll try to come back to this one.)

I remember hearing DeBoer speak on the Robin Lehner season-ending injury, and thinking: "What a jerk."

I hear that a lot. I think that baseball - the nature of the game, how it's played (*so* many starts, stops - hundreds of unique, isolated events) - is uniquely susceptible to becoming competition-by-spreadsheet. As a casual fan of the game myself (I watched a ton of Yankee games on WPIX when cable first became a thing), I am still struck by how the fielders shift for certain batters -- at times, the 3rd baseman damn near standing over 2nd base.

The greatest Buffalo Sabre of all time would like a word.

National feed just explained that #23 for Florida was somewhat recently (?) banging around the ECHL, moved up to being a fringe AHL’er … now this. Shades of Pominville in 2006.

This is in-line with what I've heard and read as well: really good down low and in tight, and perplexingly unreliable on tracking long shots. Are we going to see the UPL WTF Wave replace the Miller WTF Wave? And whither @Ghost of Dwight Drane with a theory on UPL's eyes not being level?

this is a question and concern for me: quinn's gone quiet on the score sheet. cause for concern, or, as baker posits, a step in his development? i am fairly comfortable concluding that this is developmental. the A obviously doesn't have the speed or skill that the big league does, but, lord, it seems like they can bang bodies just about as well (and it appears that sometimes AHL teams will focus on doing just that more than a team would in the NHL (??)).

Good observation. And I think Tampa might just bit a little fried. That team has played A LOT of hockey the past few years.

I’d take that action.

It's something, innit? Remember that weird self-induced high ankle sprain?

^ A broken thumb is significant, and, I think, helps explain his limited effectiveness. I'd imagine he'll be back to being a PPG+ player next season. Open question: Will he be able to stay healthy?

Briere was just a beast.

Ha. I had actually gone looking for the Quote Retweet that @draglikepull had, in which they were sort of scratching their chin in contemplation of the mystery presented by "ahh, you can't win with that guy" type takes. And then I found this:

This here caught my eye.

Ha! The idea of The Aud Club being comparable to some sh1t dive bar in a podunk town was one that worked well enough. I mean, sure. The metaphor fell apart once JW was serving in the role of a hunky fella from the big city.

THIS is the good sh1t, jw. Gimme gimme gimme! Especially good point right there.

Pete's a good TV personality. He's not very good at analysis.

I'm sure that's true. But it's malleable too. No one here really gives a hoot about his position and status as a Big J, until he starts condescendingly clowning on someone -- then his position and status somehow become relevant, even prominent, and resented.

i mean: he could have called it a "coveted opportunity" rather than one that was "long desired."

but it is susceptible to that interpretation. coming from someone who trades in words, that's not nothing. He always struck me as a diligent and competent reporter when he covered the Sabres. He never particularly wow'd me or anything. I don't subscribe to The Athletic, so I haven't read him in years.

Sometimes I think back to the HEATED debates that arose from the Pat Kane sex assault case -- in which I intensely participated! -- and wonder: What the f**k was that about? context matters. his status as a Journalist tends to colour what he posts.

This is good to know. Maybe we niche sport 'Spacers are too sensitive? Perhaps JW's vibe plays better in the hurly burly of The Stadium Wall board? Idk - he's left a bad taste in my mouth 'round here. It probably owes to his position as a paid sports writer. He gets into it with people here, and it often feels like he's punching down (or that he thinks he is, anyway).

Not a lot - but we do. My general recollection is that he occasionally drops in, flames someone, derides a Sabrespace iconoclast, and then peaces out. To me, there's an underlying vibe that he's benevolently amused by how dumb most of our content is and that he feels we should be grateful that he's posting. Me no likey that vibe.