IKnowPhysics

I warned you guys... Listen, and understand. That user is out there. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are retarded.

I like the reuse plan for the sky way. Innovative, forward-looking. Transforming the top deck into park space is in line with Buffalo's great park heritage. But invariably, the quite-high volume of 43000 vehicles per day, 2800 of which are trucks, needs a suitable alternative- that's the heart of the challenge.

You and I are on precisely the same page, with one exception: the Ruff's System thread taught me not to engage him. Don't subsidize housing for rich people, subsidize something that people can use, something that draws lots of people. The increased crowds will bring the money. I wonder if the size of Pegula's investment is enough to raise the eyebrows and curiosities of other potential investors. It certainly sets a good example.

If that was the stated goal of the City's request-for-proposal, then this should be a slam dunk in the Sabres' favor. Apartments and office space for rich people on land earmarked for public use? No thanks, let's get the little kids on the ice for open skate.

So here's the breakdown: Sabres investment: $123 million Paladino investment: $64 million Sabres hotel rooms: 200 Paladio hotel rooms: 140 Sabres retail space: 15900 Paladino retail space: 8600+some in the hotel Sabres parking spaces: 965 Paladino parking spaces: 1089 Sabres others: Double ice rink on 7th floor (110,000 sqft) Fitness center (12,000 sqft) Paladino others: 110,000 square feet of office space 42 luxury apartments (1200-3000 sq ft each) Sabres timeline: Ice open Sepetember '14, Hotel open May '15. Paladino timeline: Open December '14. Opinion: Sabres win hands down. They're investing twice as much. Their ice rinks will create jobs and bring in tourism dollars. Their space is soo much more public-use oriented (more retail space, ice rink space, fitness center) than the other plan, which is really important in that location. It enhances the notion of hockey heaven by building a new regional destination and the services to support it. It looks like Pegula is building for the people (ice rinks, retail space) and Paladino is building for wealthy private use (office and luxury apartment space). I think it's more useful to the city to create something new and publicly accessible in that space, be it ice rinks or a different attraction, instead of constructing new office space or apartment space when there's plenty of other nearby buildings that can be renovated into great office space and apartment space (for cheaper!).

So Pegula takes him down to the Basilica on Sunday, and for communion you give him a contract and ink.

Dodge didn't make a Blue and Gold model that year. Remember what the Sabres logo was in 2009?

Love the Sabres' proposal. Total investment at 65% of what it cost to build FNC (in 2012 dollars). I think Paladino's facade choices match the neighborhood better, but they also feel less distinctive than the Sabres' proposal. And yes, as a recreational hockey player who's open to moving back to the Buffalo area, the prospect of a new double sheet downtown only makes me want move there more.

I'm starting to see Carolina's improved chance to get back into the mix for the SE division champ, which is a a little troublesome, because it's getting crowded at the Eastern Conference playoff bubble level. It'd be better if at least three out of the five SE teams just plain stunk in addition to the Leafs and Canadiens.

Sabres University: sometimes you need an old guy at school. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bfgrj_62-Y&feature=related

While the Rangers' scoring has improved, they've taken a hit in forward depth. They've got $13M to fill out their 2nd/3rd lines. Spending $7.5M+ for Doan may not be in their best interest, but no one's ever accused that franchise of being smart with their money.

Understandably, Rangers now have depth issues. When Taylor Pyatt's your sixth-highest paid forward, you start to look like the old one-line Tampa Bay Lightning. But the trade leaves cap space: Rangers have $13M to spend to flesh out their 2nd/3rd lines.

Nash Delisle Conditional 2rd round pick To Rangers, for: Artem Anisimov Brandon Dubinsky Tim Erixon 1st round pick

Me rikey.

Has entirely to do with changing their medical facilities to UPMC, who demanded that they use their medical staff.

Weber may not fix any problems NOW, but he absolutely makes the team better in the long run. Worse case scenario, you get him, and you suddenly have trade bait for the other pieces you're missing.

Phoenix local fiddly###### politics update: the guys trying to overturn the lease agreement made with the potential Coyotes potential buyer couldn't get enough petition signatures in on time to get it on the November ballet. That means that the sale to Greg Jamison could move forward, meaning the Coyotes are a little bit closer to long term stability. Does that affect Shane Doan? Who knows and/or cares. Also, as pictured in the article, the Phoenix Coyotes' three remaining fans:

I vote for "Free Agent Frenzzzzzzzz"

So's the top six potential for Ennis and Hodgson, but that's where we're headed, now isn't it. Hits don't correlate to winning. They don't correlate to anything. But when three players are added to a roster that increase the number of recorded hits by the entire team by 40+%, it could represent a change in the way the game is played by that team and a maybe a change in the way other teams play against that team. Or maybe it's just differently-entertaining hockey than what we're used to. I'd enjoy any of those results.

I'll resurrect one of my stat posts from a different thread a few days ago... If you add Doan and take away somebody, say Ellis, you net another 171 hits. putting you squarely at 5th in the NHL. 29th to 5th? That's one hell of a culture change. Edit: Ah ###### it. Let's do it. Let's go get Doan. Let's be the Eastern Conference badasses. As long as we're not totally rotten down the middle, we'll make the playoffs and we'll turn them into a war zone.

Somehow this ended up being the front page story on NHL.com today. Slow news day.

No argument there. The price that it comes at seems to be pure scoring ability. Hit stats: Pominville 30 Doan 205

I like Doan. His player usage charting shows he's a strong two-way player with offensive talent, akin to Jason Pominville. His history shows consistency as a 50+ point getter and his intangibles demonstrate his veteran leadership. Is he worth $7.5M per year? He could be one of the few Chris Drury-like players still around, a player that the Sabres were willing to match at $7M+ to keep in 2007. If there's a problem, it's that the long-term value may not be there, mostly because of the effect of this year's super-inflated UFA period. Look at who his cap hit peers would be: Franchise-level veteran players and elite scorers in their prime command this level of salary (besides Gomez, lulz). Is Doan a franchise-level veteran a la Zdeno Chara and Jarome Iginla? I think, according to the cap hits of other highly-valued veteran scorers, he's worth closer to $6M per year. And then there's the Sabres' upcoming potential salary commitments. Sabres have $10.5M in cap space before signing Ennis and Kaleta (and Brennan?) this year and will have to think about about resigning Regehr, Leopold, Hodgson, Enroth, among others during this upcoming year for next year. A salary dump may be necessary (Stafford? Leopold? Sekera?). I like Doan, but if this is the move we make, this is the move we make for a while (without salary dumping), because that is a lot of money. And no bitching about his salary or our depth at center. This sort of money makes Bobby Ryan look like a steal.

DR said he's not interested, per interview on WGR this past week.