billsrcursed Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Anyone who lives in Tonawanda is cool with me!! Welcome aboard, Bill!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Welcome Bill and thanks for making yourself available. Here's my first question (and I'm sure there will be more): ever since Black Sunday (7/1/07), there's been a lot of speculation among us Sabres fans with nothing better to do about how decisions are made by Sabres management. Larry Quinn has been portrayed as everything from an arrogant SOB to an evil greedy CS. My question is: how much of the mishandling of the Sabres' roster/FA decisions can be laid at the feet of Darcy as opposed to Quinn and Golisano? And has this changed over time? My (uninformed) impression is that Quinn inserted himself into personnel decisions in 05-07, Golisano had sticker shock and vetoed the Drury extension in 06, and then both of them recoiled in shock and horror after everything fell apart in 07-08 and more or less withdrew and let Darcy run the show starting in the summer of 08. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderbread Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Nope. We have our own paper. :) wonder, where did you live? Emporium. I read the Era online it is crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I read the articles on the front page, and ENJOY them! Welcome, Bill, to the pub. I agree with the idea of making a sticky thread "Questions and Answers with Bill". Or something to that effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Just stopping by to see how Mr. Hoppe is doing (and welcome aboard, btw! Glad SDS could work something out with you)... FWIW, while the Times Herald normally does not update its Web site until late afternoon (by management decision), the paper actually has a 9:30 a.m. deadline. I've never asked Bill, but I always assumed he wrote directly after the game instead of waiting until morning, the same as Chuck does for a Bills night game. So if his postgame pieces read like a traditional gamer, there's a good reason for that -- that's exactly what they are. Beyond that, Bill, an introduction might be in order. I know the basics: Bona grad and OTH Sabres beat writer since (I believe) 2003-04. You've also done some work for The AP, correct? Aight, back to the dark side for me. Cheers ... Agree on the welcome to Bill. Anyone that talks w/ the Sabres and their brass is definitely welcome here. Quick Q, how is this only your 1st post on the cool side of the site? I could've sworn you'd posted here before. Did all your posts disappear when Jay messed everything up or did I just fantasize about having an intelligent Habs fan (isn't that an oxymoron?) posting here? ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillHoppe Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Just stopping by to see how Mr. Hoppe is doing (and welcome aboard, btw! Glad SDS could work something out with you)... FWIW, while the Times Herald normally does not update its Web site until late afternoon (by management decision), the paper actually has a 9:30 a.m. deadline. I've never asked Bill, but I always assumed he wrote directly after the game instead of waiting until morning, the same as Chuck does for a Bills night game. So if his postgame pieces read like a traditional gamer, there's a good reason for that -- that's exactly what they are. Beyond that, Bill, an introduction might be in order. I know the basics: Bona grad and OTH Sabres beat writer since (I believe) 2003-04. You've also done some work for The AP, correct? Aight, back to the dark side for me. Cheers ... Correct, Lori! You sure know a lot about me! Thank you for the introduction. I have to write directly after games. There's no other way to do it. If I can, I try to get away from the game a bit and take the PM/big-picture approach. I see your Habs won tonight, Lori! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillHoppe Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Welcome Bill and thanks for making yourself available. Here's my first question (and I'm sure there will be more): ever since Black Sunday (7/1/07), there's been a lot of speculation among us Sabres fans with nothing better to do about how decisions are made by Sabres management. Larry Quinn has been portrayed as everything from an arrogant SOB to an evil greedy CS. My question is: how much of the mishandling of the Sabres' roster/FA decisions can be laid at the feet of Darcy as opposed to Quinn and Golisano? And has this changed over time? My (uninformed) impression is that Quinn inserted himself into personnel decisions in 05-07, Golisano had sticker shock and vetoed the Drury extension in 06, and then both of them recoiled in shock and horror after everything fell apart in 07-08 and more or less withdrew and let Darcy run the show starting in the summer of 08. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks! I'm not sure Darcy deserves a ton of blame ... your assumptions may be correct. A few years ago, I think some at the top believed they could do things their way and succeed. IE, their way WAS the right way. After all, they went to the conference final two consecutive years! It couldn't be wrong. The building was full. Everyone wore a jersey. Remember, the Sabres wouldn't negotiate during the season. They didn't like long-term deals. Well, as we know, that's not how the rest of the league does business. I think the Sabres have changed, however. We've seen in-season extensions. Long-term deals are common. Of course, while they're onboard with more logical thinking, it hasn't gotten them anywhere yet. The Sabres are still paying for those mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calvin Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 i second the suggestion that an "Ask Bill" thread be pinned at the top, much like the "Ask Tim Graham" feature on Two Bills Drive.. welcome aboard Bill, you articles are much-needed on this site, and very informative too so here's a question for you Bill - do you think the Sabres are looking to fill Paille's space with a trade, or are they looking to bring up some more of the young 'uns? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 i second the suggestion that an "Ask Bill" thread be pinned at the top, much like the "Ask Tim Graham" feature on Two Bills Drive.. welcome aboard Bill, you articles are much-needed on this site, and very informative too so here's a question for you Bill - do you think the Sabres are looking to fill Paille's space with a trade, or are they looking to bring up some more of the young 'uns? What space? They're right back in their comfortable spot of carrying one player less than the minimum. You won't see anyone added to this roster until there is an injury or Sekera returns. They need to bank the cap space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillHoppe Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 i second the suggestion that an "Ask Bill" thread be pinned at the top, much like the "Ask Tim Graham" feature on Two Bills Drive.. welcome aboard Bill, you articles are much-needed on this site, and very informative too so here's a question for you Bill - do you think the Sabres are looking to fill Paille's space with a trade, or are they looking to bring up some more of the young 'uns? I think right now they're comfortable with what they have. Remember, Paille had become a spare part. The Sabres still possess strong depth. Heck, would Jeff Cowan look out of place on the fourth line if they recalled him? Probably not. A lot of people think this opens up a spot for Gerbe. I'm not sure about that. The Sabres don't want Gerbe coming up and playing six or eight minutes on the fourth line. They want him in a strong position to succeed if he's recalled. Lindy has said over and over that Gerbe must score to survive in the NHL. You don't see too many 5-foot-5 checkers. That said, if the Sabres do want to add a player, and they may at some point, shedding Paille's salary ($1.35) helps. They have some decent flexibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Agree on the welcome to Bill. Anyone that talks w/ the Sabres and their brass is definitely welcome here. Quick Q, how is this only your 1st post on the cool side of the site? I could've sworn you'd posted here before. Did all your posts disappear when Jay messed everything up or did I just fantasize about having an intelligent Habs fan (isn't that an oxymoron?) posting here? ;) Last time I really posted was probably during the '99 Cup run; with my team done and the Sabres on Empire every night, I was firmly on the bandwagon. But at some point, a few people decided they were uncomfortable with having someone from "the enemy" on their board and said as much -- perhaps "GoHabsGo" was an impolite screen name, in retrospect -- so I quietly decamped to the playoff-free Bills side of the site. Don't think I clicked the link to here for quite some time; I never re-registered under my own name until Bill first contacted me with some questions about the site, and I wanted to get in touch with some of the mods who don't visit TBD very often. Correct, Lori! You sure know a lot about me! Thank you for the introduction. I have to write directly after games. There's no other way to do it. If I can, I try to get away from the game a bit and take the PM/big-picture approach. I see your Habs won tonight, Lori! The Bona part was easy, even if you didn't have it on your Facebook page. ;) OTH online archives go back to 2001 -- I've been posting links to Chuck's postgame stuff in the "Last Meeting" part of my Bills previews for a while now -- and the rare Sabres stories begin showing up in 2003. Glad they're getting better about that ... but also pleased that we can give you another outlet for your work. And it's about time les Habitants won one. Don't get to see them often (or almost ANY hockey, for that matter, since Versus isn't on basic cable here in the former Adelphia homeland), but I gather their season hasn't started well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcolour Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Got to just say... when the headline grabs me I've been reading the articles and enjoying them without really paying attention to who was writing them or who he wrote for. Good work Mr. Hoppe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Bill -- here's my next question: other than Grier and Rivet, who among the Sabres do you see as demonstrating maturity and leadership? Who is showing up and practicing hard every day, working out hard, and demanding the same from his teammates? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillHoppe Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Bill -- here's my next question: other than Grier and Rivet, who among the Sabres do you see as demonstrating maturity and leadership? Who is showing up and practicing hard every day, working out hard, and demanding the same from his teammates? Thanks. Right now, almost every guy is showcasing maturity and leadership, hence the fast start. It’s mentioned now to the point it’s almost becoming cliché, but that stuff about “buying into/staying within the system” is a result of that. Guys have refined their game through better practice habits. In a tight contest these first few weeks, they haven’t blinked. Frustration has been limited. Players are sticking to what they’re told to do. It’s a far cry from the last two seasons, when the Sabres imploded late. Practices have been noticeably different through these first six weeks or so. The sessions are much crisper. They definitely have a sense of business to them. I believe players are taking them more seriously. There’s a lot more on-ice communication. Mike Grier seems to talk a lot. Players seem to be having fun, too. Last season, the Sabres trudged through some AWFUL practices. I remember on Halloween, the day after a second consecutive shutout loss, most of the team moped through a bag skate. It’s probably the worst practice I’ve ever seen. At one point, Andrew Peters won a four-man sprint between Ales Kotalik, Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek. Lindy was pissed. It’s early, but you’re not seeing that kind of stuff this season. It’s possible they’ve mostly outgrown that stuff. Time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Right now, almost every guy is showcasing maturity and leadership, hence the fast start. It’s mentioned now to the point it’s almost becoming cliché, but that stuff about “buying into/staying within the system” is a result of that. Guys have refined their game through better practice habits. In a tight contest these first few weeks, they haven’t blinked. Frustration has been limited. Players are sticking to what they’re told to do. It’s a far cry from the last two seasons, when the Sabres imploded late. Practices have been noticeably different through these first six weeks or so. The sessions are much crisper. They definitely have a sense of business to them. I believe players are taking them more seriously. There’s a lot more on-ice communication. Mike Grier seems to talk a lot. Players seem to be having fun, too. Last season, the Sabres trudged through some AWFUL practices. I remember on Halloween, the day after a second consecutive shutout loss, most of the team moped through a bag skate. It’s probably the worst practice I’ve ever seen. At one point, Andrew Peters won a four-man sprint between Ales Kotalik, Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek. Lindy was pissed. It’s early, but you’re not seeing that kind of stuff this season. It’s possible they’ve mostly outgrown that stuff. Time will tell. Awesome.. It feels different this year. They look different... Hoping were not misreading things.. Amazing the same cast of characters can recast their play... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Right now, almost every guy is showcasing maturity and leadership, hence the fast start. It’s mentioned now to the point it’s almost becoming cliché, but that stuff about “buying into/staying within the system” is a result of that. Guys have refined their game through better practice habits. In a tight contest these first few weeks, they haven’t blinked. Frustration has been limited. Players are sticking to what they’re told to do. It’s a far cry from the last two seasons, when the Sabres imploded late. Practices have been noticeably different through these first six weeks or so. The sessions are much crisper. They definitely have a sense of business to them. I believe players are taking them more seriously. There’s a lot more on-ice communication. Mike Grier seems to talk a lot. Players seem to be having fun, too. Last season, the Sabres trudged through some AWFUL practices. I remember on Halloween, the day after a second consecutive shutout loss, most of the team moped through a bag skate. It’s probably the worst practice I’ve ever seen. At one point, Andrew Peters won a four-man sprint between Ales Kotalik, Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek. Lindy was pissed. It’s early, but you’re not seeing that kind of stuff this season. It’s possible they’ve mostly outgrown that stuff. Time will tell. Good stuff. Thanks very much Bill. Awesome.. It feels different this year. They look different... Hoping were not misreading things.. Amazing the same cast of characters can recast their play... It really goes to show how much relates to what's between the ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 Bill -- here's another one for ya: what's your sense of how the players feel about Lindy? Does he have credibility/respect in their eyes? Do they believe in him and his system? Do they tune him out? Do they feel he's too critical? Do they think he makes good/bad decisions in terms of awarding ice time? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two or less Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 Bill -- here's another one for ya: what's your sense of how the players feel about Lindy? Does he have credibility/respect in their eyes? Do they believe in him and his system? Do they tune him out? Do they feel he's too critical? Do they think he makes good/bad decisions in terms of awarding ice time? Thanks. Not jumping in for Bill Hoppe, but just thought this may help out a bit. Clarke MacArthur was on live on NHL on the fly Tuesday night, and they asked him that. CMac said Ruff has changed this season. MacArthur said "the mood's a lot lighter...even after our tougher games, he's in a lot lighter of a mood". It seems like Ruff was maybe too demanding in the past of the young and inexperienced Sabres. He also said the team is a year older and matured a lot and they know how desperate they are to get back to the playoffs and adding vets like Montador and Grier really has helped keep their focus. But he did make it sound like Ruff has changed a lot and the team has really followed him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 Not jumping in for Bill Hoppe, but just thought this may help out a bit. Clarke MacArthur was on live on NHL on the fly Tuesday night, and they asked him that. CMac said Ruff has changed this season. MacArthur said "the mood's a lot lighter...even after our tougher games, he's in a lot lighter of a mood". It seems like Ruff was maybe too demanding in the past of the young and inexperienced Sabres. He also said the team is a year older and matured a lot and they know how desperate they are to get back to the playoffs and adding vets like Montador and Grier really has helped keep their focus. But he did make it sound like Ruff has changed a lot and the team has really followed him. I hope Lindy can keep things light and relaxed. Hey, it's working. But he does have a dark side. Even joking around with Bucky and Bill et. al in that video, he made the very sardonic joke, "Let's see if we're laughing in January." There's no reason for the good times to end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom webster Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 It should be remenbered that one of Lindy's mentors was Scotty Bowman and players hated Bowman. Some still can't stand him but most respect him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 It should be remenbered that one of Lindy's mentors was Scotty Bowman and players hated Bowman. Some still can't stand him but most respect him. It should also be remembered (as has been posted elsewhere on this board) that Lindy got to work w/ Mike Babcock this summer and it appears you can teach an old dog new tricks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillHoppe Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 My apologies ... I'll try to get to these later today or tomorrow. If anyone cares, it appears Paul Gaustad is out tonight (flu). Adam Mair will replace him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 My apologies ... I'll try to get to these later today or tomorrow. If anyone cares, it appears Paul Gaustad is out tonight (flu). Adam Mair will replace him. OH NO! Who is going to win the face-offs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdexchange Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 My apologies ... I'll try to get to these later today or tomorrow. If anyone cares, it appears Paul Gaustad is out tonight (flu). Adam Mair will replace him. That's bad news. Aside from the obvious face-off disadvantage, I really hope this does not spread throughout the rest of the team. :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 Bill, Can you tell us your thoughts on why Lindy only gives Vanek 15 minutes a game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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