That Aud Smell

Sheesh. What a cluster. Also: It was going to be hard enough to pull this off, even with everyone doing what they're supposed to be doing. Then you had the Titans just being eejits. Twice, in fact (at least!) - once when they brought in the FA without following protocols and then again by allowing for an informal practice after the facilities were closed.

^ Several of the recent posts go to my point - stated here or elsewhere - that a crucial piece of getting a really good player is getting a guy who has that ability to really push and really grow his game. I'm not sure it's something that can be learned or taught. It probably can be. But, for some, I think it's actually beyond their capabilities. That is: They think they're doing it, but they're not. This kid sounds like someone who gets it.

I see that long list of RFA's who didn't get qualified, and it lends some perspective to the matter. OTOH, the imposition of an internal cap, etc. creates concern that the franchise is just going to lose/walk away from a useful NHL player. But it's a calculated risk, at worst. Not a blunder.

I'm not sure if I tuned into Adams' presser live, or heard a tidbit replayed. But what he was saying at the time - I can't recall the precise words - made me think even MORE of the Pegulas' honing in on Allen. Something about an underdog who was doubted, bloomed late through hard work, has a still-rising trajectory, and has some terrific physical gifts. Fingers crossed that the kid pans out as a top-6 fixture.

Reportedly out with a back strain. I know people were (are?) nervous about the COVID stuff and his willingness to play.

More famous than that simian-looking muhfugger Bruce Arena?! I don't think I misunderstood you; quite the contrary, really. His program sounds like it provides quite an experience for the players. His success speaks for itself, I suppose. Edit: Bruce Arena could be the long lost uncle of Evan Rodrigues.

I am a soccer fan. Not to the point of knowing who the women's soccer coach at UNC is, though. Also, not for nothing, it gives me pause to read that he "laughs" at uber-elite athletes who claim to be competitive. In my mind, yes, indeed, they presumably all are quite competitive, some incredibly so. It's just a question of degree. And, sure, there is much they must learn about what it actually means to compete at the highest levels of D-1 soccer. But don't laugh at 'em, coach. Fair. I'm not lumping them together. It's hard for me to pinpoint - it really is just a feeling I get off Reinhart. It's not even a mark against him - I just think he's inherently a bit self-satisfied with things, at times. And I say that as a professed slug and couch potato.

Spot on. I have a similar vibe regarding Reinhart. As much as, if not more than, anything, I am convinced that that specific "skill," if you will, is what is needed to be an effective NHL player (or pro athlete, generally). What complicates matters is that I think most players who lack that "skill" are not even aware that they lack it - in fact, they think they have it. But they don't. They don't know that they don't know.

Fwiw, maybe just for a laugh. (Maybe?)

I'm not endorsing anything - but I do find it very interesting that the explanations for the picks are similar to one another, to me, at least. Also, it's a little oranges-apples. Josh Allen was picked to play what is arguably the most difficult position in pro sports. Another thought: It's not crazy to wager on character and athletic upside. Not crazy at all, I'd say. You gotta accurately perceive both, of course.

Ha - Wow - the Allen comparisons are spot on, insofar as the Pegulas’ thinking goes.

The vitriol notwithstanding, the matter of the Pegulas’ meddling seems pretty settled. Haha - nice.

I read through it all — I saw a lot more outrage than positivity.

I know absolutely nothing about hockey prospects. Probably somehow less than nothing. Given how uncertain the development of these players is, I can’t get over how much unequivocal anger there is in this thread. Sabre Derangement Syndrome?

Semi. Lol.

Sheesh. I hope he pans out.

I have regularly teased my wife that I'd like the recessional of my funeral mass to be this song - LOUD.

I don't have much to say on this one. If you grew up in the 70s/80s, there wasn't really anyone cooler than that guy. Shred in power, sir.

Paging @PASabreFan to the nearest blue and gold courtesy phone.

Every D is getting gashed ... except the Patriots? The Chiefs are having success too, but they’re dealing with a fairly depleted offence.

Hear, hear. My mom - quiet, unassuming, bookish, soft-spoken, not really a sports fan (but a fan of masked children and grandchildren being over for the game) - exclaimed after the Norman fumble recovery and Diggs bomb sequence (and, frankly, in the wake of last week's dramatic win), "Wow! We're ... we're just not USED to this sort of thing, are we?!" So much truth in that.

Great, great game. Just wonderful. So entertaining. I'm mostly done worrying about the D. Very few teams in the league are actually playing consistently good D. I've heard players say that the absence of crowd noise is making things easier on the offense - communication lines are just wide open. Also, the Bills held the Raiders to a bunch of field goals. In today's NFL, I take those as wins within the game.

^ Ha. Yeah. With those numbers, it’s like a mini-version of the moon landing hoax conspiracy. The number of people who would need to keep the conspiracy confidential grows exponentially from that number of reportedly infected people. It’s implausible.

Huh? Anyhoo:

Historically speaking, this is a serious development. This is indicative of some form of Trump Derangement Syndrome.