LabattBlue Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 http://www.buffalonews.com/opinions/column...ory/403795.html ?You know, I?ve heard from too many guys to not think that this could be a great thing,? Rivet said. ?Now, we?re closing the books [on San Jose]. Everything seems to be coming into place. We?re really excited about coming to Buffalo.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 It's probably just Bucky being Bucky, stirring up some sh*t, taking a five-minute conversation on the phone and weaving it into this mythical tale, but... I suddenly don't have a great feeling about this trade. These guys are human, after all. What if he really doesn't want to be here? What if Mrs. Rivet hates Buffalo? Will they go Mrs. Pronger on us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted July 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 It's probably just Bucky being Bucky, stirring up some sh*t, taking a five-minute conversation on the phone and weaving it into this mythical tale, but... I suddenly don't have a great feeling about this trade. These guys are human, after all. What if Mrs. Rivet hates Buffalo? Will Rivet go Mrs. Pronger on us? What is Bucky stirring up? Rivet hasn't been heard from since the trade and Bucky was relaying his initial disappointment and after getting over the shock is looking forward to coming to Buffalo and play hockey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vasabresfan Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 "He remembered a conversation he had years ago with a teammate in Montreal who raved about Buffalo. The teammate: Doug Gilmour." Who knew that Dougie was such a champion of Buffalo? Good for him. I always liked him, and even though he was certainly on the downside of his career when he wore the red and black, he worked incredibly hard night after night. This little tidbit makes me like him even more! As for the Rivet thing, I think this is probably much ado about nothing. I was born in Buffalo and love it as much as anyone, but it would be foolish to say that the general perception of the city isn't at least partially deserved. The weather does stink a couple of months out of the year and there are some serious economic problems that have lead to blight and an overall brain drain. Nevertheless, he (and his wife and kids) will find that despite the downsides, there are so many upsides that make it a great place to be. Besides, the guy is from North Bay, ON, so it's not like he isn't used to some of it. Also, his age (33) changes the situation. If you are young and want to hit the bar scene to check out the ladies, Buffalo may not be the greatest place to be. You may want to be in the big city or by the beach. But at his age, with couple of kids at home, those things probably take a backseat to living in a nice community with good schools and plenty of family-type things to do. I'm sure that he will like it just fine and I look forward to seeing him in the blue and gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SabresFan526 Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Well, I can understand where he's coming from. While I'm not thrilled about his initial perception of Buffalo, I totally get it. From his perspective, he gets traded in 2007 to San Jose leaving Montreal where he's been for quite a long time. He enjoys San Jose and likes playing there, so he signs a 4 year contract extension with San Jose. Well, when he signs the contract extension, he's thinking, "This is great, San Jose's got a sweet setup, I like playing here, it's a nice place to live, and I'll be here for the next few years, so I can raise my family here and build a nice house." Then, right when his new house is complete, he gets traded out of there. I'd be thoroughly disappointed if that happened to me. Not because of where I end up going, but the time, financial, and emotional investment that goes into building a house and thinking that you will be raising a family in one city only to find out that all of a sudden you have to move again within one and a half years of coming there. I'd be pretty upset as well, and hence I get where he's coming from. However, I do think he'll like Buffalo and will ultimately stay in Buffalo for the rest of his current contract. Buffalo has passionate hockey fans, and while it does not have the history that Montreal does and does not have the beach like San Jose does, has a good family atmosphere and one where he can raise his family. Once he comes to town and settles on a nice house, he will not leave Buffalo. The one thing he will quickly realize is that his money goes a lot further in Buffalo than it does in either Montreal or California. In Canada, the federal income tax is extremely high. In California, the state income tax is about as high as it is in the State of New York, however the cost of living in San Jose vs. Buffalo is substantially higher in San Jose, as well as in Montreal when compared to Buffalo. His money will go a lot further in Buffalo than either Montreal or San Jose. And, let's be honest, who doesn't like Wegmans? I think the fans will love his style of play, and he will enjoy living in Buffalo making this a good marriage after he gets over the initial disappointment of the trade, which I think is quite understandable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 What is Bucky stirring up? Rivet hasn't been heard from since the trade and Bucky was relaying his initial disappointment and after getting over the shock is looking forward to coming to Buffalo and play hockey. "He didn?t really have a beef with the Sabres, either, although he need not look very far to see how their mistakes in short order transformed a Stanley Cup contender into an Eastern Conference mediocrity. It?s understandable. He shared a dressing room with Mike Grier for two years and was Brian Campbell?s defense partner late last season." Mike Grier, who WANTED to leave? And so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 It's just Bucky being Bucky. Most players don't want to be traded. But I'm sure when Rivet gets back to playing in a real hockey market he'll fit in just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Doesn't sound like he was thrilled initially but I think he will be thrilled with the hockey atmosphere. People in Buffalo love hockey...it's not like San Jose where hockey is a foreign thing. Winning cures all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That Aud Smell Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 i haven't read something by bucky in well over a year, but since he had the scoop on rivet (and since i'd been looking for it), i had no choice but to read. the player's reactions read as honest and sincere, and they raise absolutely no concerns on my part as to whether rivet's going to "fit in" with the team and community. i see that he has 3 kids -- i'm married with a brood of my own, so i can well imagine how disruptive and upsetting it was to come home and tell your family that you all have to pick up stakes and move clear across the country. and i can also respect that a guy living near/just south of what's arguably the most beautiful area in the country might just be disappointed to hear that he's moving to a rustbelt city. i get all that. come october, i suspect that all will be well with rivet on the ice. it may take a little longer for his family to get acclimated, but i don't think we need to be too worried about that -- there's no better place to raise a family than western new york and there's no place in the country where you can be more readily embraced by a community. finally, the columnist's work reads as objective, fair and balanced. wait, did i just type that? yeah, i did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Am I the only one who thinks that this article was extremely positive?? Not the perception of buffalo, but Rivet's honesty? I'd much rather hear a guy state that he was dissapointed being traded from san jose, california to buffalo, ny. I love the town like everyone else here but the reality is if you're driving down the kensington from the airport to the adams mark, and then you drive under the skyway, past the boarded up aud, to the hsbc, it's a friggin dump. If that's your only view of buffalo, not a soul in the world is going to say that its a bustling town. It's very positive to hear Rivet being honest. I don't need some moron spewing lip service about how great the city is if his only experience of the town is driving to the airport up michigan ave. at 11pm on a weekday. I can't comment on how well he'll play here, but I can state that, like everyone else who spends time in Buffalo, he'll soon fall in love with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 It was a good article. Can't blame the guy for being shocked and not thrilled going from San Jose to Buffalo. His family was settled and enjoyed living there. As much as I loved living in Buffalo, San Jose is a great place to live so it is understandable that he was not happy about the trade. He will grow to love playing for the Sabres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Am I the only one who thinks that this article was extremely positive?? Not the perception of buffalo, but Rivet's honesty? I'd much rather hear a guy state that he was dissapointed being traded from san jose, california to buffalo, ny. I love the town like everyone else here but the reality is if you're driving down the kensington from the airport to the adams mark, and then you drive under the skyway, past the boarded up aud, to the hsbc, it's a friggin dump. If that's your only view of buffalo, not a soul in the world is going to say that its a bustling town. It's very positive to hear Rivet being honest. I don't need some moron spewing lip service about how great the city is if his only experience of the town is driving to the airport up michigan ave. at 11pm on a weekday. I can't comment on how well he'll play here, but I can state that, like everyone else who spends time in Buffalo, he'll soon fall in love with it. In one weeks time I saw Bill Hajt while at lunch and Dave Andreychuk while shopping at BJ's. You can go to Amherst and throw a rock in any direction and there is a good chance if you hit someone it's a former NHL'er. No that I am advocating the throwing of rocks in Amherst. I'm just saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Am I the only one who thinks that this article was extremely positive?? Not the perception of buffalo, but Rivet's honesty? I'd much rather hear a guy state that he was dissapointed being traded from san jose, california to buffalo, ny. I love the town like everyone else here but the reality is if you're driving down the kensington from the airport to the adams mark, and then you drive under the skyway, past the boarded up aud, to the hsbc, it's a friggin dump. If that's your only view of buffalo, not a soul in the world is going to say that its a bustling town. It's very positive to hear Rivet being honest. I don't need some moron spewing lip service about how great the city is if his only experience of the town is driving to the airport up michigan ave. at 11pm on a weekday. I can't comment on how well he'll play here, but I can state that, like everyone else who spends time in Buffalo, he'll soon fall in love with it. Nope - I was impressed by the article as well. Quite frankly, I don't know how anyone who goes to the city could feel that it isn't a dump unless they spend significant time there (like all of us have). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 He just built a house, of course he's going to be upset at first. The timing of this one seems just about right. He's had enough time to recover from the initial shock and now he can move forward. Let the guy experience his new town and teammates before you say whether or not he wants to be here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted July 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Am I the only one who thinks that this article was extremely positive?? Not the perception of buffalo, but Rivet's honesty? I'd much rather hear a guy state that he was dissapointed being traded from san jose, california to buffalo, ny. I love the town like everyone else here but the reality is if you're driving down the kensington from the airport to the adams mark, and then you drive under the skyway, past the boarded up aud, to the hsbc, it's a friggin dump. If that's your only view of buffalo, not a soul in the world is going to say that its a bustling town. It's very positive to hear Rivet being honest. I don't need some moron spewing lip service about how great the city is if his only experience of the town is driving to the airport up michigan ave. at 11pm on a weekday. I can't comment on how well he'll play here, but I can state that, like everyone else who spends time in Buffalo, he'll soon fall in love with it. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom webster Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Am I the only one who thinks that this article was extremely positive?? Not the perception of buffalo, but Rivet's honesty? I'd much rather hear a guy state that he was dissapointed being traded from san jose, california to buffalo, ny. I love the town like everyone else here but the reality is if you're driving down the kensington from the airport to the adams mark, and then you drive under the skyway, past the boarded up aud, to the hsbc, it's a friggin dump. If that's your only view of buffalo, not a soul in the world is going to say that its a bustling town. It's very positive to hear Rivet being honest. I don't need some moron spewing lip service about how great the city is if his only experience of the town is driving to the airport up michigan ave. at 11pm on a weekday. I can't comment on how well he'll play here, but I can state that, like everyone else who spends time in Buffalo, he'll soon fall in love with it. I thought it was positive as well. Bucky could write that the sky is blue and some around here would complain that he didn't take time to point out how many times in the last century the skies were clear in Buffalo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 I thought it was positive as well. Bucky could write that the sky is blue and some around here would complain that he didn't take time to point out how many times in the last century the skies were clear in Buffalo. And he's been nothing but posive in the past month or so. I forget if it was this trade or the Miller signing, but there was an obvious change in tone from questioning their decisions to "nice work, now keep it up". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carpandean Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Sure, Bucky got in his little jab about mistakes transforming a SC contender into EC mediocrity, but overall, it was a pretty fair piece. Of course Rivet was upset about leaving after one year of his new four-year contract. Of course his initial perception of Buffalo based on some road trips from Montreal wasn't great. He's already learning what there is to like about the city and, when he steps onto the ice and hears our fans roar, he will know what makes Buffalo great. I can't wait to see what he brings to the table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That Aud Smell Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Am I the only one who thinks that this article was extremely positive? certainly not. In one weeks time I saw Bill Hajt while at lunch and Dave Andreychuk while shopping at BJ's. You can go to Amherst and throw a rock in any direction and there is a good chance if you hit someone it's a former NHL'er. No that I am advocating the throwing of rocks in Amherst. I'm just saying. that's good stuff. and true, too. And he's been nothing but posive in the past month or so. I forget if it was this trade or the Miller signing, but there was an obvious change in tone from questioning their decisions to "nice work, now keep it up". so it would seem. but i don't think the change was entirely self-engineered. i tend to think that his editors had a sit-down with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spndnchz Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Bucky trying to suck up to the FO. Nice piece of old recycled news. I'm bored again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetweenThePipes00 Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Man I hate being on the West Coast for work, I hear everything late ... I agree it was positive and have no problem with Rivet's reaction ... in fact, I have a TON of respect for the guy that he did not comment on the deal until he calmed down and cold make a fair statement about his situation. So many guys would have gone off in the press immediately and really if you werea San Jose fan you'd love to hear that the guy didn't want to go. But overall I think he did the classy, mature thing and got more info before bitching. Good man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted July 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 So many guys would have gone off in the press immediately... I'll never forget Danny Gare's reactions when he was traded. It was a classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnabov Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 I love the bit about the real estate agent almost laughing him off the phone. So what would a primo 5,000 sf house go for in Buffalo or what would $2 mil. buy you? I'm in the market for neither and don't know Buffalo that well (don't all the pro players tend to live in Amherst or one of the other Burbs). I don't think you could find a property for $2 mil in my part of NYS (Watkins Glen) except for lately when the locals have been trying to reel in the downstate sucker fish who think they're getting a bargain and taking advantage of the country bumpkins. Anyway, would be interesting to hear about Buffalo real estate is someone on the board is knowledgeable. Personally I always thought it would be cool to take some of those architecturally magnificent buildings in the downtown area and convert them to apartments. That's what's happened every other place we've lived in the U.S. (Norfolk, Kansas City, Dallas). What's the obstacle in Buffalo? I saw an article on this awhile ago (loft conversions with water views in Buffalo) but couldn't find any sizable activity going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted July 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 I love the bit about the real estate agent almost laughing him off the phone. So what would a primo 5,000 sf house go for in Buffalo or what would $2 mil. buy you? I'm in the market for neither and don't know Buffalo that well (don't all the pro players tend to live in Amherst or one of the other Burbs). Double the square feet and spend less... http://huntrealestate.com/app.aspx?st=7010...pertyid=1319893 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SabresFan526 Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 I love the bit about the real estate agent almost laughing him off the phone. So what would a primo 5,000 sf house go for in Buffalo or what would $2 mil. buy you? I'm in the market for neither and don't know Buffalo that well (don't all the pro players tend to live in Amherst or one of the other Burbs). I don't think you could find a property for $2 mil in my part of NYS (Watkins Glen) except for lately when the locals have been trying to reel in the downstate sucker fish who think they're getting a bargain and taking advantage of the country bumpkins. Anyway, would be interesting to hear about Buffalo real estate is someone on the board is knowledgeable. Personally I always thought it would be cool to take some of those architecturally magnificent buildings in the downtown area and convert them to apartments. That's what's happened every other place we've lived in the U.S. (Norfolk, Kansas City, Dallas). What's the obstacle in Buffalo? I saw an article on this awhile ago (loft conversions with water views in Buffalo) but couldn't find any sizable activity going on. So, I do not live in Buffalo anymore, and it's been a very long time since I have lived there. However, from what I have heard, a lot of the younger, single players tend to live near downtown near the waterfront in some of those townhomes and condos out there. In fact, I believe Pominville and Roy both live in that area. A lot of guys with families tend to live in Amherst or Grand Island. I remember back in the day, I believe Pat LaFontaine and Alexander Mogilny both lived in pretty large houses in Grand Island. My aunt lives in Amherst and I know that John Muckler is her neighbor, and Scotty Bowman still has a house there that is not too far away. I think Peca still lives in Amherst as well. Regardless, if Rivet is looking for a 5,000 sq. foot house, I really don't see him dropping much more than $300-500K for that in Buffalo, but I could be very wrong. In terms of what he could get for $2 million, I'm pretty sure he could get a pretty huge mansion in the area of 18-20,000 sq. feet. I am not in the Buffalo real estate market, but given how low the home values are in rust belt cities, and specifically in Buffalo, this is what I'd imagine he could get. I'd let the people who still live in Buffalo answer that one, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.