That Aud Smell

Man, you are harder to get a handle on than a greased pig. Losing some interest is one thing. Losing interest is another. In all events, I think it bodes well for the Sabres that Pegula's attention is focused on the Bills. As long as PSE continues to cut checks (and as long as JBOTS can dooo eeet), the Sabres will have a terrific opportunity to become great.

I have a long, ongoing debate with a couple of guys over whether and to what extent you want to organize your team around an elite centre versus an elite winger. I always point to Crosby -v- Ovechkin as a case in point as to why centres are more important. (In fairness, that was Crosby+Malkin -v- Ovechkin.) Laine-Matthews is a more recent case study, I think. Oh, and the fact that Taylor Hall is up for MVP consideration has muddied the waters as well.

Haha, motherplucker, YOU JUST SAID he was disinterested! (In the same brief post wherein you were denying having suggested it?!)

There's no need to take a sh1t on the Sabres game-production people in order to admire what Vegas did. Far as I know, NO ONE in the NHL has been going where Vegas goes with their in-game stuff. The production talent and experience that Vegas has in their region -- in a very concentrated manner -- are probably unmatched in any pro sports market. (I know, I know -- LA and NYC -- but those are *big* places.)

Lord, was it ever. I'm inclined to get on board and embrace it. Because that train is clearly leaving the station and destined for parts unknown. And I'm telling you -- wandering in and around that plaza during a home game a few weeks ago was F.U.N. FUN. What a vibe they have going on.

Jeebus Christmas - I'll say. I definitely agree it was ridiculous. I'm on the fence over whether it was good (i.e., awesome) or bad (i.e., terrible). What was with the spotlighted guy holding the lantern near a castle? I didn't get that one.

Daaaammn.

Huh?

Well, this new guy’s outlier year was when he was a scrawny underclassman. He got stronger, and became a PPG+ player in the Big Ten and Hockey East. Also: I’m going off the standard coefficient (?) predictor for his projected value—not off of any comparable players. The coefficient is about .35. That’d project him into the 30-point range, maybe with upside?

Analytically, I think it makes better sense to take his 2 most recent seasons where he clearly hit a stride. Or just go off his final season. I think that first season is an outlier that skews his stats.

holy sh1t - i'd take Paille 2.0 on this team in a minute.

Hamilton asks are there uncoachable players on team. JBOT pauses. Says he would not use that word, but says there are players on the team with ... strong opinions.

JBOT still sounds a bit shaky on the mic. Housley 100% back next year. [Culture culture culture]

Quick look, please excuse errors: It appears he had 80 points over 76 games in his past 2 NCAA seasons. He's 23 years old, btw. That PPG ratio -- one season of Hockey East and the other in Big Ten -- would roughly translate to a 30-point season in the NHL. Seems like a solid get to me. Especially given the theory that the team's bottom-6 scoring was a huge problem.

Yay?

I'll grant him this: He sounds the part. Central casting.

Gotcha. Okay. We are definitely in agreement as to the bolded pieces. The stuff in the second paragraph is not terribly concerning to me, save for the fact that team (and especially the D) is an unmitigated tire fire. Which is to say: I think Housley got the job because of things like his connection to USA Hockey (to which Pegula is aligned) and his success with the Preds. That he's a former Sabre was just icing on the cake, as they say -- not a determining factor. I'm not sure what to make of Housley's Hajt hire -- this is probably the first time I've even considered it. The D definitely sucked. But I think that is overwhelmingly because our D corps lacks NHL talent and/or NHL hockey IQ. I've really come around to Risto being a dumb-dumb on the ice -- it explains so much. Without Risto being good, the team indisputably lacks a top-2 D-man. (That is bad.)

I've come to realize that my family watches very little television. Busy, busy, busy. The word today is that the local cable company is going to start dinging us for some piece of converter hardware that's going to add $140 to the cable bill annually. No bueno. I saw the mention of Hulu live tv up above and, man, colour me intrigued. Looks to me like I can get all of my live sports (Euro soccer, mostly). No Sabres, but, dammit -- I'll figure that out when they're worth watching again. I figure that next season I can patch together what I want from NBC broadcasts, hackish streams My family has Amazon Prime (and we are therefore complicit in that company taking over the world). That has some content for us through the kids' gaming system or whatever. There's a chromecast stick in the side of a newish TV. Is that all I'd likely need? Timely thread, inky!

I am confusion. America, explain.

Days gone by, you posited that Pegula was a problematic owner because he cared *too much* about the Sabres (perhaps for the wrong reasons) — and that his unwelcome meddling flowed from his obsession with his shiny new toy. Now you posit that Pegula is a problematic owner because he doesn’t care enough about the team? Oy vey. If Pegula cares less about the Sabres because the Bills are drawing his attention, then he will certainly meddle less (or at all). (And there’s been no indication that he’ll withdraw his financial support and commitment from the team.) And if he’s not as interested in the Sabres, that leaves JBOT as the de facto chief hockey officer. He’s a bright guy— knows hockey and the business of hockey. So, there’s a young, bright hockey guy minding the shop, with an owner keeping tabs from afar and cutting checks. Dude. That is essentially what you’ve been asking for since late 2011 or eary 2012. That’s not to say JBOT IS *the* guy for the job. We’ll see. But to squawk that the Sabres aren’t organizationally set up the way you wanted is a bit of a Goldilocks conundrum. Or is that the Princess and the Pea?

I hear you.

I acknowledge that fans who date back to "lookie, lookie, here comes Cookie" have been saying it for years, but, Lord -- I see that and instantly feel so old. Fwiw, my fondest Bills memories as a kid were breaking the streak at the Orange Bowl, the Roland Hooks hail mary catch in Foxboro (?), and Buster Barnett's blocked field goal kick (which inspired my middle school crew to randomly dial numbers and, upon getting an answer, start chanting "BUSTER! BUSTER!").

And that, in your eyes, should be a good thing. Benign neglect!

Yuck. The editorializing in the "yes" or "no" definitely reflects your view of the Pegulas. It's just not to everyone's taste. I think the Pegulas have a ton of money, they're willing to spend it on the team, and have their hearts mostly in the right place (to the extent billionaires ever really can). That, to me, is a desirable state of ownership. They've made a bunch of mistakes, sure. But it's penny wise and pound foolish to wish they'd sell the team.

That I don't doubt. I know he was effective. But, man. Just look at the guy. He looks/looked awful.