That Aud Smell

Indeed. Also, I verily believe, he was (is?) an as*hole. How I miss him. Yeah - the theory I posited above doesn't quite hold for all players (or across all sports). Because, as you say, there are some hockey players who very clearly appear(ed) to take things up a notch once the Cup's on the line. Both theories can be true, of course.

It was Chris Drury who led me to conclude that "the greats," the "clutch players" don't so much elevate their game in high-pressure situations as much as they continue to execute at the same level that they ordinarily do when there's less pressure. The "elevation" is -- possibly -- a bit of an optical (?) illusion, as many other players around the clutch player are gripping their sticks too tight, trying to do too much, over-thinking things, etc. Just a theory. It was something from how Drury talked about his penchant for clutch performances -- maybe a Sports Illustrated (?!) article following that crazy Rangers game ("who else?!").

You gotta get with the current Sabrespace lore.

[97% of NFL media and most Bills fans on day of 1st Round of 2024 Draft]: I CAN'T BELIEVE THE BILLS TRADED WITH THE CHIEFS AND LET THEM CHOOSE THE BEST WIDE RECEIVER LEFT ON THE BOARD. [Xavier Worthy, probably over Memorial Day Weekend]: Also, will someone please check in on their cat.

Stick taps for Jessica Campbell. And to the Kraken. And, sure, to Bylsma. That's pretty cool - regardless of how it shakes out. Also: I've changed my Sabrespace Location to honour the NHL's first female bench coach.

Jealous.

Bills OC gonna be known as Joe Valjean Brady. Here’s hoping we fans don’t end up miserables. “At the end of the day, when you played the Buffalo Bills for however many years, you had to worry about Stefon Diggs, right? And that is different now. But you also had to worry about Josh Allen,” Brady said. “It’s a quarterback-driven league, and at the end of the day, we’re fortunate that we still have him, and the offense will still run through him. We’ll have to adjust, and we’ll have to get a feel of how teams are playing us. We’re a few days in but we’re excited about the group that we have.”

He’s so inconsequential. He appeared on my preferred sports podcast, where the vibe is irreverent and cliches are roundly mocked. The show regularly delivers laughs. PK’s segment was so bland. I mean, superficially, he can do the job. He talks a blue streak. But … there’s nothing there. I wound up hate-listening to the whole thing. Awful.

Please do not thusly encourage my bullsh1t.

Dude looks solid. Hockey players are almost always surprisingly skin and bone types. Back before the Harborcenter Marriott, I used to see just about every visiting team when they came to town. It always struck me how slight they looked -- Dickensian -- like a stiff breeze might knock them down. What a grueling sport. That other picture posted upthread prompted concern that rainwater might pool on our 2C's chest.

New stadium talk: I've been a Bills STH for the past three seasons - coming up on my fourth. I got an email a couple weeks ago from my customer service rep for the new stadium - asking if I had time for a quick call. "Sure," I said. I was a bit surprised. My seasons are in the 300s and I didn't think it would yet be time for my "stadium experience" visit and PSL/season ticket pitch. Turns out, it wasn't and it's not. The purpose of that call was to ask me if I was interested in upgrading my season tickets from where I sit now to something comparable to club or the 100s. When I politely said "no," the call was promptly and cheerfully ended. I was told that the stadium experience for seats comparable to my current seats would occur in late spring 2025.

Whomst so implied? Whomst said such a thing? Never would I ever. Did thoust so infer?

Checked his IG. Tommy Dangles is now Tommer97. A change is gonna come!

Oh, I will. Carryin’ on like a muhfugger. Carry on, my wayward son. I’m gonna carry that weight a long time. And, of course, I wasn’t beating up on Cozens’ character (although I did chuckle when others chirped his concave chest). I was making a (far?) more nuanced point - albeit inchoate. Also, it was Tommy Dangles and his wonky back, not Cozzie, who posted the picture. Finally, it’s my Old Man Yells at Cloud Era when I wince at anyone here unironically using a team nickname for any of our players.

Is that yours? If not you - who? GODD?

My favourite bit of Sabrespace lore is, of course, @deluca67 .500. I use it in real life all the time — where I call it “true 500.” And, in the truth of the chillsbros take, there is a kernel of joke.

Rare air.

this could be a fun offseason thread. have we had one before? recently? i think we have - under a different title - like "in-joke orientation for the newbs" or some such. there are so many in-jokes here. there are probably more of them that have been forgotten than are currently in use. keep my man's name outcha mouth.

I'll add here: @dudacek's virulent opposition to the take is a bit perplexing to me. I'm solidly with @PASabreFan: What has this franchise -- and this group specifically -- done to deserve more latitude from the long-suffering faithful?

I'm at least a little ambivalent that my "homogenous chill Sabre bros lounging poolside celebrating their big contracts when they haven't accomplished sh1t" take is on the verge of becoming part of Sabrespace lore. I guess it'd be that, and the Concept of Kassian.

Lance seems like a nice fella. He is mostly useless as a Sabres beat reporter. As PA notes, he is on par with the position that Chris Brown used to have with the Bills -- one now occupied by Maddy Glabb (sp?). Also, I don't think that Lysowski writes his story's headlines. But, with today's shoe string budgets, who knows.

This has been creeping up on me for a while: Is Gretzky okay? I mean, obviously, he’s doing well enough to participate in a cable network sports broadcast. But he looks and sounds haggard.

TNT?

Go, Oilers! Dallas goalie looked arthritic on that second goal.