Kevin Weekes Discusses the Sabres Organizational Problems

[LGR4GM]

It is on WGR, someone will need to find the link but it starts around 930. 

Basically the Sabres are clueless and don't have any idea how to do the day to day things to bring about success. Ownership is a major factor and specifically discussed how the owners meddle in the Sabres and basically do not in Bills. Said "the proof is in the pudding" in regards to how that strategy has worked. 

Weekes said, need to be "factual and objective and impartial when evaluating and I don't think that has been at the heart of things when the Sabres evaluate things. There's a lot of idealization. There's a lot of myopic type thinking and it hasn't been as progressive as it needs to be." ... "I don't feel like internally in their evolution, I don't feel like there has been enough real objective mentality in terms of how they go about doing their business. And quite frankly when that is the case, it is right that it shows up in the end." ... "You can't get big league results with default thinking." 

"I think with any business... it certainly starts there (with ownership)." 

Says the ECHL affiliate is the most consistent team in the Sabres org. Calls the market great. 

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by LGR4GM

[Radar]

Sounds like what many of us have been saying........ownership the problem!

[LGR4GM]

Just now, Radar said:

Sounds like what many of us have been saying........ownership the problem!

"You have to know what you don't know, you have to get the right people in place, and you have to have an organizational roadmap." - Weekes

[LGR4GM]

I have listened to this 3 times and it might be one of the best interviews someone outside of Buffalo has given. He pointedly destroys the organization and explains why the Bills succeeded and why the Sabres aren't. Basically unless Adams has the power and ability to completely rebuild the franchise, expect another decade of garbage. 

[pi2000]

Weekes for POHO

[LGR4GM]

at 21:15 the Weekes interview begins

https://www.radio.com/wgr550/podcasts/wgr-550-sportsradio-latest-audio-20617/03-18-hr-4-howard-and-jeremy-show-359583036

[LTS]

I will hope to find time to listen.

I wonder how much insight he has into things from people talking to him.  Certainly lots of it is obvious from the outside, but I would bet he's been able to discuss some things with people who have direct knowledge too.

One can only hope that all this negative attention they are receiving finally smacks them upside the head to operate better and make the changes necessary. Right now I don't have faith until I see the owners change.

The "we know best" schtick is tiring, irksome, and condescending.

[Ruff Around The Edges]

Kim and Terry, throw the $ at Kevin Weekes make him President,Czar whatever he wants. Weekes is exactly what this franchise needs.

Edited March 18, 2021 by Ruff Around The Edges

[dudacek]

Weekes is unfailingly articulate and I usually enjoy his takes.

I view the Chad D tweet about Kevyn leaving Boca with approval to "drive the ship" now in a different light.

I do think the Pegulas want to win, they enjoy where the Bills are, and they are willing to learn from it.

[Radar]

10 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Weekes is unfailingly articulate and I usually enjoy his takes.

I view the Chad D tweet about Kevyn leaving Boca with approval to "drive the ship" now in a different light.

I do think the Pegulas want to win, they enjoy where the Bills are, and they are willing to learn from it.

I hope you're correct. 

[LabattBlue]

27 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I do think the Pegulas want to win, they enjoy where the Bills are, and they are willing to learn from it.

...and I think the Bills success is working against the Sabres. If I had to guess, the Pegula’s now believe “we have done great things with the Bills, we don’t need anyone telling us how to run the Sabres”. 

[Skip21]

A ton of passion from Weeks on the subject of the Sabres. He contrasted Sabres under Pegulas’ ownership vs. LVGK Bill Foley’s approach from the beginning. My attempt at gleaning from what he said...’Just before the expansion  draft, LVGK owner Foley stated hius vision to Weeks & crew. Traits will be hard to play against, never retreat, never give in, first class treatment of everyone in org, be knights of valor, always on our toes, we’re going to attack. Our rink will be this, our practice rink will be that. SC year 1, no absenteeism from anyone including Foley, direct commitment to excellence in everything they do.’

[GASabresIUFAN]

I think the Pegula's are like me as a fan.  I like the Bills, but love the Sabres.  He bought the Bills because it was a good investment and he wanted to insure that it stayed in Buffalo but it's not his passion.  They obviously like the Bills now, but he was more willing to take a hands off approach and let the professionals run the thing.  The Sabres are his passion project and that's why he is more hands on and the results are worse.  He wants so badly for them to succeed he's killing them.  

[Gatorman0519]

and Kevin Adams is part of that thinking.  Terry retreated to the "well I know him" position and put in an inexperienced man to run the entire franchise.  I highly doubt it is going to work out.  The first thing that should be automatic is to get Gallant or Boudreau in here immediately. That is obvious to everyone except for Terry. 

[LGR4GM]

55 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

...and I think the Bills success is working against the Sabres. If I had to guess, the Pegula’s now believe “we have done great things with the Bills, we don’t need anyone telling us how to run the Sabres”. 

I don't because this would be very illogical. Of course trading ROR for garbage was illogical but I am 100% positive at this stage Terry made that call. 

4 minutes ago, Gatorman0519 said:

and Kevin Adams is part of that thinking.  Terry retreated to the "well I know him" position and put in an inexperienced man to run the entire franchise.  I highly doubt it is going to work out.  The first thing that should be automatic is to get Gallant or Boudreau in here immediately. That is obvious to everyone except for Terry. 

Adams is part of that but the real question is does Adams think the same? 

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I think the Pegula's are like me as a fan.  I like the Bills, but love the Sabres.  He bought the Bills because it was a good investment and he wanted to insure that it stayed in Buffalo but it's not his passion.  They obviously like the Bills now, but he was more willing to take a hands off approach and let the professionals run the thing.  The Sabres are his passion project and that's why he is more hands on and the results are worse.  He wants so badly for them to succeed he's killing them.  

I think is very likely true. The trick is how does someone get Terry to realize this. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

I don't because this would be very illogical. Of course trading ROR for garbage was illogical but I am 100% positive at this stage Terry made that call. 

Adams is part of that but the real question is does Adams think the same? 

Finally.

[Randall Flagg]

Jason was happily shopping ROR at the deadline, long before the July 1st/bonus stuff happened. Jason didn't want ROR around, even if Terry agreed or wanted him gone before the bonus

[Marvin]

57 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Jason was happily shopping ROR at the deadline, long before the July 1st/bonus stuff happened. Jason didn't want ROR around, even if Terry agreed or wanted him gone before the bonus

Why is this forgotten?

[PASabreFan]

5 hours ago, dudacek said:

Weekes is unfailingly articulate and I usually enjoy his takes.

I view the Chad D tweet about Kevyn leaving Boca with approval to "drive the ship" now in a different light.

I do think the Pegulas want to win, they enjoy where the Bills are, and they are willing to learn from it.

This is tantalizing. May it be.

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I think the Pegula's are like me as a fan.  I like the Bills, but love the Sabres.  He bought the Bills because it was a good investment and he wanted to insure that it stayed in Buffalo but it's not his passion.  They obviously like the Bills now, but he was more willing to take a hands off approach and let the professionals run the thing.  The Sabres are his passion project and that's why he is more hands on and the results are worse.  He wants so badly for them to succeed he's killing them.  

I tend to believe it's the opposite. Terry has described himself as a football guy. "People think of me as a hockey guy. There just happened to be a hockey team for sale." Pretty close paraphrase. Terry was and maybe still is a power player in PSU football. He lobbied at Pitt for one of the Nittany Lion assistants to get the head coaching job there. He says he's scouted high school players. He could be a little more hands on with the Bills than people know, and it might not be hurting them. Was he all in on Josh Allen? Good call.

Hockey? Meh. Not so much. He's a casual fan who, in my opinion, gave up on the Sabres a long time ago, probably when the business moved closer to Pittsburgh and he gave up season tickets. Not knowing the Sabres were in bankruptcy and for sale in 2002 is the smoking gun. With the Sabres, he's been playing fantasy owner and swinging his balls around like he knows what he's doing. His level of involvement represents less care and passion for the team, and not the opposite.

Why did he buy them? The most logical answer is that it was prelude to getting the Bills.

[Thorny]

2 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

This is tantalizing. May it be.

I tend to believe it's the opposite. Terry has described himself as a football guy. "People think of me as a hockey guy. There just happened to be a hockey team for sale." Pretty close paraphrase. Terry was and maybe still is a power player in PSU football. He lobbied at Pitt for one of the Nittany Lion assistants to get the head coaching job there. He says he's scouted high school players. He could be a little more hands on with the Bills than people know, and it might not be hurting them. Was he all in on Josh Allen? Good call.

Hockey? Meh. Not so much. He's a casual fan who, in my opinion, gave up on the Sabres a long time ago, probably when the business moved closer to Pittsburgh and he gave up season tickets. Not knowing the Sabres were in bankruptcy and for sale in 2002 is the smoking gun. With the Sabres, he's been playing fantasy owner and swinging his balls around like he knows what he's doing. His level of involvement represents less care and passion for the team, and not the opposite.

Why did he buy them? The most logical answer is that it was prelude to getting the Bills.

Interesting

[Norcal]

Weekes definitely speaks as if he has inside working knowledge of the organization and said he has friends here so he probably does.

Hopefully KA returned from Boca with full authority and a promise from the owners to butt out and let him work his vision. 

This powwow weekend is similar to what was written about them when they created the hiring search that netted McDermott. 

Lets hope it produces similar results for the Sabres.

[Kruppstahl]

4 hours ago, Gatorman0519 said:

and Kevin Adams is part of that thinking.  Terry retreated to the "well I know him" position and put in an inexperienced man to run the entire franchise.  I highly doubt it is going to work out.  The first thing that should be automatic is to get Gallant or Boudreau in here immediately. That is obvious to everyone except for Terry. 

Just listened to Kevin's segment.

For me, the most relevant part was when he was talking about Gronk and Brady down in Tampa.  Brady and Gronk were the pros who came from a winning culture and know how to win.  

Tampa's attitude was "show us what to do; what do you need; how can we win a championship?" 

Weekes is basically saying the organization was smart enough to defer to the champions.

Is any of that going on in Buffalo right now?

The Sabres should be filling their ranks with experienced, respected NHLers who have achieved success at the NHL level.

And then the organization should do what they say.

Weekes' comment about myopic, almost sentimental thinking in the Sabres organization also hits home.

Pegula needs to step back and try to gain some objectivity with what he is doing.

It's going to be tough!  I just don't think he is the right guy to ever be a good owner.

Maybe he can learn, or maybe he will decide to sell the team.

That's my hope.

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

@PASabreFan

I think your memory and mine are quite different.  He is the guy who financed the PSU hockey team and was a season ticket holder for the Sabres for years and years.

https://www.buffalohockeybeat.com/flashback-terry-pegulas-emotional-purchase-of-sabres/

[nfreeman]

I just listened to the Weekes segment and was not impressed.  He did not provide a single specific piece of information about the organization -- it was just a bunch of broad criticisms about culture, failure of ownership to include more people in decisions (as if the Sabres had a Tom Brady that should've been consulted), etc.  There were no facts -- just "the proof is in the pudding."  Well, no kidding that the results have been poor.  I'd like an NHL insider to tell me something I don't already know.

It sounded pretty mailed-in IMHO.