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In Terry we Trust


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this raises the issue that was debated over in the passion/energy thread, here:

 

http://forums.sabres...908#entry347908

 

what kind of fan might terry be? one that is loyal to the franchise in a somewhat abstract sense and can therefore bring himself to make difficult but necessary decisions like parting with long-time and beloved key employees? or is he one who "believes" in the team as currently constituted -- its GM, its coach, its players -- and therefore can't bring himself to move in a different direction?

 

respect to thread killer for prompting the post above, some hours before gleason ran his piece about his talk with pegula.

 

it would appear to me that we have our answer: pegula is very much a fan. he is the sort of fan who becomes emotionally attached to personnel and players and then has difficulty seeing them for what they are, or what they have become.

 

i was thinking the other day if there had been a pro sports season in buffalo that had a gulf between expectations and outcome that was bigger than the sabres 2011-2012 campaign.

 

now i think that the size of that gulf pales in comparison to the disparity between how giddy people were about pegula ~11 months ago and how dismayed many (most) fans were on hearing his comments in talking to gleason.

 

If Terry was acting like a fan the roster, coaches and front office would be unrecognizable by now.

 

again, depends on what kind of fan.

 

Terry is a fanboy

 

this is more true than false.

 

Wake me up when September ends.

 

good song.

 

###### with a capital "F".

 

i literally said that out loud -- like fffffffffffffffaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk -- as i read the article on my mobile this morning.

 

I'm sorry for you guys who still live and die by them. I never meant to ruin your fun. Seriously.....if I knew it would end like this, I would have never said a blessed word. I am sorry. I am truly...truly sorry.

 

as much as dislike what he's said, i'm still okay, long-term. his outlook just means that it's going to take a longer period of time for there to be change. but change will come, and i do think he will eventually get it right. he's got the money and his heart is in the right place. that should be enough to give us an honest shot (honest shots, in fact).

 

Four quotes is all it takes for you guys to fall off the wagon? Geez. Maybe you are better off not watching. Go shovel snow or something.

 

i disagree with the sentiment, but i respect your consistency. as fans, you and pegula are cut from the same cloth.

 

Terry is a business man. You don't go ripping out the walls to kill a few termites. Get everyone healthy, let them at least have a chance to gel, then see where things go. If they still suck, unload LR/DR or some combo thereof.

 

I see his point of view ... but at the same time, I'm as frustrated as anyone. I didn't even invite our friends over for the game tonight, instead opting to paint baseboards and watch "Fringe" live so it will hopefully stay on the air (it could really use some strong ratings over these next 7 eps).

 

I'll check the score. I'll hope for a win.

 

i respect this enormously - it's as balanced a perspective as i can respect in this situation. i'm not quite there, yet -- but, with time, i may get there. right now, i am very frustrated.

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"My attitude now is, 'Let's put Humpty [Dumpty] back together again,' " Pegula said. "I want our players to know that I thought we had a pretty good hockey team until all this happened. Let's paste it back together and start a new season."

 

also meant to add, he's an oil man, not a man of letters, so i know he didn't intend to conjure these thoughts, but the reference to humpty dumpty took me back to my days as an undergrad, and lewis carroll's through the looking glass, where, fwiw, humpty dumpty is an arsehole. the most famous example of this is in the following (fairly famous) passage:

 

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘glory,’ ” Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. “Of course you don’t—till I tell you. I meant ‘there’s a nice knock-down argument for you!’ ”

“But ‘glory’ doesn’t mean ‘a nice knock-down argument’,” Alice objected.

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”

“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”

“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master that’s all.”

Alice was too much puzzled to say anything, so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. “They’ve a temper, some of them—particularly verbs, they’re the proudest—adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs—however, I can manage the whole lot! Impenetrability! That’s what I say!

 

i can't quite articulate it right now, but there's something of lewis carroll's humpty dumpty in pegula's take on the season to date: the season has been as i say it has been -- neither more nor less.

 

Damn your fast chick.

 

but not easy.

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Honestly, right now I am frustrated beyond belief. I can see TP's point of view. 167 man games lost over the course of 25 games with 18 different players going down...think about, that's losing the equivalent of a whole gameday roster. I get the other side of the picture, how many of these guys are impact players? but in reality, our defense has been a carasoul of players.

 

I have no idea what to think right now, but I hope that something is figured out soon, otherwise we'll be golfing a little sooner this year.

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After Pegs set the baseline for what future press conferences would be like when he took over the team, I am not surprised at all by this interview.

 

At this point, there is only one thing I don't want to see, and that is pissing away draft picks at the deadline for a rental. Unless the Sabres make a major charge and challenge for the 4th or 5th spot in the conference by the deadline, I'd be looking to sell Hecht, Boyes, Gaustad, and definitely Stafford and Roy that could bring a good return(I obviously don't expect them ALL to be traded).

 

My light at the end of the tunnel is DR & LR getting fired at the end of the season. Anything less would be a MAJOR disappointment.

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Four quotes is all it takes for you guys to fall off the wagon? Geez. Maybe you are better off not watching. Go shovel snow or something.

It's not four statements on their own. It's four statements after four crappy months after fourteen years. I just don't like the whole "woe is me" feel it has. The idea that it is another lost season and we'll just have to wait and see if Ruff and Regier are actually good or not makes me want to bash my head into a wall.

 

I hate the victim angle. Injuries have nothing to do with why the Sabres are mediocre and may actually be a by-product of it. FTR I never thought that injuries were why we lost to Carolina either or that EDM would have been a formality.

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Good luck guys. You have been nice to put up with some of my antics over time, but I seriously used to love the Buffalo Sabres. The people of the city are still great, and I wish everyone here the best. There are tons of good people on this board.

 

It's over. I don't mind going against a politico who is trying to line his pockets, but I can't wait out a $3 billion manchild who has nice intentions. He seems like a good guy and all, but if I want a tearjerker, I'll watch Dinner for Schmucks again.

 

For the sake of the city, I hope these a-holes go on a 40 game win streak and shove a hot poker up me.......but I have wasted so much time over the years just looking for an honest effort. That's all I asked.

 

I'm going to read the board, but there is nothing left to be said. I'm sorry for you guys who still live and die by them. I never meant to ruin your fun. Seriously.....if I knew it would end like this, I would have never said a blessed word. I am sorry. I am truly...truly sorry.

 

No!!

 

Don't let the bastardos win!!

 

Almost like I knew before they said it eh?

 

Darcy at 5:30

 

Still practicing speaking Canadian I see.

 

Wow. DR right after Mr. Pegula. What are the odds it's a firing followed by a farewell address.

 

Maybe a huge trade announcement? Or, most likely, idle chit-chat.

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Four quotes is all it takes for you guys to fall off the wagon? Geez. Maybe you are better off not watching. Go shovel snow or something.

 

But hey, if nothing else, those four quotes did bring about the 18th departure of Drane. There's a positive in everything. It's just a shame that he'll pull a Nova Scotia and be posting again within days.

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It's not four statements on their own. It's four statements after four crappy months after fourteen years. I just don't like the whole "woe is me" feel it has. The idea that it is another lost season and we'll just have to wait and see if Ruff and Regier are actually good or not makes me want to bash my head into a wall.

 

I hate the victim angle. Injuries have nothing to do with why the Sabres are mediocre and may actually be a by-product of it. FTR I never thought that injuries were why we lost to Carolina either or that EDM would have been a formality.

 

Of course they wouldn't have been, they took the luckiest team in NHL history to 7 games, and only really lost due to a blown 4-1 lead in game 1, after Carolina took out Roloson, who was having a great year.

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"They know that more than you do' date='" Pegula said. "I hope you don't think Drew Stafford is happy with his goal production, or Derek Roy, or Ville Leino. They're pressing. They've played pretty well lately. If we get some consistency in the lineup for a period of time, I got to believe it will fall back together again."[/quote']

 

This statement (to me at least) brings back thoughts of the early days of Pegula's ownership when he met with TBN's editorial board and essentially told them that the press was overly negative toward the team and that the "quit" was due to the negativity brought forth from TBN. Article this morning was pretty disheartening to anyone who feels that a shakeup is needed. Like others have said, perhaps bottoming out this year would be the best scenario (among the prospective eventualities) in that we'll get a high draft pick and possibly be cutting some dead weight in the process (the article does make me doubt this though). Still, having DR/LR at the helm makes even that possibility suboptimal.

 

Hoping Pegulajet is just toeing the company line until a late season/offseason shakeup, but I'm not optimistic.

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"We’re keenly aware of the frustration because everyone in our locker room feels the same way – coaches, everybody. Obviously, they’re not pleased with the way the season is going.”

 

Injuries: “This is not an excuse. This is a fact of life. This is not your Buffalo Sabres. I’m not putting down the guys that came in. But guys like Corey Tropp, Colin Stuart, Zack Kassian, Marcus Foligno – they would have never come up to Buffalo this year unless something crazy happened. It’s the sheer volume, the names.”

 

On DR: “My attitude is the same as it was at the beginning of the season. No. 1, the whole world thinks you’re going to get a star player for nothing. These other GMs might have been born at night, but they weren’t born last night. If you want to trade for a quality player or someone who can help your lineup, well, guess what? You might have to give your future away. As far as making deals, especially when they know you’re season isn’t going as well as projected, they try to pick you even worse.”

 

Playoffs? “It’s not impossible when you know you were 10-5 at one point. You know you can win hockey games. Obviously, part of what goes on, is that there’s new faces are in the lineup every night. Everybody says, ‘Well, the goalies are having a bad year.’ Sometimes, [the goaltenders] look in front of them and it’s like a revolving door.”

 

“I’m not going to say anybody is getting stale until we put the team together. They came out of the chute 5-1 and were looking pretty good.”

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It's not four statements on their own. It's four statements after four crappy months after fourteen years. I just don't like the whole "woe is me" feel it has. The idea that it is another lost season and we'll just have to wait and see if Ruff and Regier are actually good or not makes me want to bash my head into a wall. I hate the victim angle. Injuries have nothing to do with why the Sabres are mediocre and may actually be a by-product of it. FTR I never thought that injuries were why we lost to Carolina either or that EDM would have been a formality.

 

14 years. 14 YEARS!!!!! You can talk about shackles, injuries, no goal calls and a plethora of other excuses, but in the end these two have had 14 F-ing years to produce and have not acheived the ultimate prize that this city craves. Enough already. We are begging you Mr. Pegula, please start a real new era of Sabres hockey today.

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Of course they wouldn't have been, they took the luckiest team in NHL history to 7 games, and only really lost due to a blown 4-1 lead in game 1, after Carolina took out Roloson, who was having a great year.

 

Unquestionably the Conn Smythe favorite when he went down. You need to be lucky and good to win a Cup, but that Canes team, which was a damn good to great team, was even more lucky than they were good.

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Here's the thing - injuries may be the reason this team isn't winning, but shouldn't be an excuse for not making an effort. (Also, just why are there so many injuries? Maybe the Sabres don't have the strength or conditioning they need to compete in an obviously more physical NHL). Also, it was interesting to see that after Mike Cammaleri made some disparaging comments about his team preparing like losers and playing like losers, the Canadiens sent him packing to Calgary. From what little I read, Cammaleri tried to soft-pedal those comments and said he really loved playing in Montreal and was even building a house there. Well, apparently the Canadiens have a much lower tolerance for their players mouthing off than the Sabres do (e.g. Roy's comments). Whether that move by the Canadiens was right or wrong (or whether it will help them win) remains to be seen. BUT, in their game against the Bruins last night, they at least took it to the Bruins for the entire game and almost tied it at the end.

I'm still behind the Sabres simply because they are my team - it would be way too easy to throw my hands up and walk away, but I've been here for 41 years, I will be here the rest of the way. Tpegs I think has discovered that the Sabres fan base is much hungrier and much more impatient than he is for a Cup (I know I am). As you see, now that the team has issues, he has remained very quiet, as he should have been from the beginning. I have no doubt that things are (or will be) set in motion to achieve the goal he stated last February. I hope.....

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But hey, if nothing else, those four quotes did bring about the 18th departure of Drane. There's a positive in everything. It's just a shame that he'll pull a Nova Scotia and be posting again within days.

 

I was going to sit back and enjoy what I created (ala Stand By Me), but to this I just have to say :w00t:

 

Love you Drane, but this was too funny to let go...

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Here's the thing - injuries may be the reason this team isn't winning, but shouldn't be an excuse for not making an effort. (Also, just why are there so many injuries? Maybe the Sabres don't have the strength or conditioning they need to compete in an obviously more physical NHL).

 

Agree with you but I think it is less a conditioning issue and more of a case of passivity. Sabres seem to give up on the body and other teams know Buffalo can be pushed around. With the exception of Vanek, I don't see many Sabres consistently taking the body in front of the opposing team's goalie (although seeing him get hit with Myers' shot the other night might make even him change his mind...).

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I also think that if Terry's love of these current players is not returned soon, he'll have to respond in kind to them. Let's remember that TP is new to this...yes, he has been a fan forever, but so few of us get to experience "ownership" at this level. If it takes him 12 - 18 months (or, gulp longer) to figure things out, then that's what it takes. Again, I point to the Philadelphia model, there was a lot of questioning last offseason when the Flyers shipped their 2 "best" centers out of town, but the fan base as a whole trusted in the ownership. TP will earn the trust of this fanhood in the long run. And there'll be plenty of room for everyone to jump back on.

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I also think that if Terry's love of these current players is not returned soon, he'll have to respond in kind to them. Let's remember that TP is new to this...yes, he has been a fan forever, but so few of us get to experience "ownership" at this level. If it takes him 12 - 18 months (or, gulp longer) to figure things out, then that's what it takes. Again, I point to the Philadelphia model, there was a lot of questioning last offseason when the Flyers shipped their 2 "best" centers out of town, but the fan base as a whole trusted in the ownership. TP will earn the trust of this fanhood in the long run. And there'll be plenty of room for everyone to jump back on.

 

For me, the only real problem with Pegulajet is simply that he didn't clean house, something many (though not all) had been looking forward to for awhile now. To me, that's the discouraging part, that accountability seems to be lacking for the current regime. I agree that he needs time to reflect on ownership, and hopefully the less-than-stellar results of the offseason spending spree is a good first step in realizing that the "shackles" weren't necessarily the biggest problem with the blades.

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I'll never walk away from this team or give up, I'll always hope they win, but I'm in Bills mode now. Pretty much out of the playoffs early and only watching hoping they can pull off the win.

 

We can only hope TP is right and it was injuries, because after reading that article he has no intentions of letting DR and/or LR go in the offseason. I guess we'll have to see where the Sabres stand at this point next year, if its the same old crap TP will not have a choice but to make some major changes.

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