That Aud Smell

Yeah. And only one of them was a candidate for departure.

only a matter of time before gaustad joins the staff.

Yeah. Remember the post from Chad D. about how there were multiple disconnects between Botterill and Krueger? We sort of kicked that around, and maybe "meh'd" it a bit, but I think it wound be being prescient.

I don't think that was a fair take, for a number of reasons. Fair points about Adams - affordable company man. This goes to @darksabre's point about this being Krueger's team now.

Hat tip.

Um. About that.

A blind squirrel is apt to find a nut now and then.

BP is taking an historic write down of assets based on the free fall in energy prices. It’s also trying to reposition itself to be more responsive to the changing norms of the energy markets (i.e., away from petrol and shale gas). Just thought I’d toss that in there in the context of what the core problem with the Sabres is. Or will soon be. Also, I think it’s a false paradigm to debate who’s the bigger problem: Ownership or the GM. Both have been miserably failing the franchise. Finally, my eyes damn near rolled out of my head when I saw @john wawrow stop back to double down on his scorched earth condemnation of the board. His posture calls to mind a helpful piece of advice I once heard: Take what you do seriously; don’t take yourself seriously.

Hmm. Colour me intrigued.

I'm not sure "truth to power" is the right adage there, but I agree with the spirit of what you're saying. Like I said in a direct message to you: As a group, local sports writers have to be the thinnest skinned jabronis around.

Fair feckin' point. I used to dabble over there, but I burned out and tuned out. I think it's maybe more of a volumetric issue than anything - there's so much content. There are many terrific posters, for sure, and, of course, there are a bunch of freaks and idiots as well. My guess is that the membership at TBD is just a scaled-up version of what we have here, if that makes sense. The idea that TBD is better or more civil than this place is, to borrow a Lindyism, A JOKE.

I say this as someone who would/could otherwise be an ally, @john wawrow: Sod right off with that bullsh1t.

The first point is fair. The second item there is utter speculation, of course. I mean, maybe they'd be miles better? It'd be hard to be worse, that's for sure.

Well, the focus of the criticism is for sure on JBott, and deservedly so. But when ownership is criticized, Kim's getting criticized. That's how I see it. I tend to believe the theory that the Pegulas effectively forced the O'Reilly trade. That's on Terry and Kim. The Bills don't have a president of football operations. So, to say that Kim doesn't occupy an office that doesn't exist is a bit of nonsense. I'm not sure that the Bills have ever had a president of football ops? At least from a titular standpoint. They did have Donahoe, a football guy, as the team president. But the president for the most part was Ralph - owner and president (and maybe some other titles too). Maybe Marv got a football ops title when he was here as a GM? Anyway, the Bills have a president right now, Kim Pegula.

It is easy to lose sight of, at times. Oy - it is such a brutal game that they play. All those bodies (22!) - many huge and almost all of ‘em so fast - crammed together on the gridiron.

Well you definitely got the Bills president thing wrong. Was that a PA Whopper? Also: Kim is rarely criticized here? Pshaw. Finally, did @john wawrow mistake @PASabreFan for @Ghost of Dwight Drane?

Much harder for me to understand the abuse they hand out when challenged (engaged) by a reader.

I basically take that as fact nowadays.

problem being, it's not a political story. it's a sports story. i'm not all that interested in discussing it, in any case. didn't josh allen have some historical (teenaged?) tweets that were similarly bad? something about "if it ain't white, it ain't right" and so on?

For. Sure. Hamilton was downright insistent on the matter. I do recall that at least some of his reporting on that subject was based on his own ... observations of the team's dynamic. Non-verbal stuff, etc. I do not recall whether Hamilton also said his reporting on that subject was "sourced." But I feel like it must've been.

Mmmmm.

I know I am repeating myself, but: His absence from the first slate of team-facilitated interviews struck me as a dark, dark sign.

Great to see Harrington’s tone in midseason form. There are 4 player interviews on day one of the offseason, following JBOT’s presser. McCabe and Okposo are that high in the batting order because they wear or wore a letter. The letter “A”. Not having the captain on day one is, at best, a terrible look. At best. Olofsson and Dahlin are there as the bright new shiny toys. [Oh look, a chicken!]

This, and there’s no Eichel among the team’s official post season interview slate. Just McCabe, Okposo, Olofsson (sp?), and Dahlin. It feels like it’s somehow gonna get worse.

Tyler Ennis sighting!