Jump to content

Sabres’ Refusal to “Salute” Fans Confirmed


That Aud Smell

Recommended Posts

47 minutes ago, Believer said:

Call me old school, but this home victory salute boycott is disappointing on so many levels…

Now that this team protest against the fans is public knowledge, don’t see how KA and DG can sanction Okposo as Captain… His participation is the antithesis of leadership… He should step aside voluntarily, but doubt he will…

Suppose the rationale for allowing him to continue as Captain is it is the player’s choice, not management’s.

Disappointed in KO… 

What a dysfunctional outfit… There is toxin in the locker room… KA needs to excise it.

"Please come cheer us on we love it" - Rasmus Dahlin

"Actually, fork you" - Rasmus Dahlin, also

I hate that they are doing this. But I think I hate more that they thought it was a good idea to share this with the fan base. Like what is the expected reaction from us? Bow down and say "oh I am sorry"....And what does this roster do if they do indeed fire Donnie at some point? Do they turn on Adams/Pegula? Are they permanently disgruntled at the fan base and want to leave? 

I don't get how they rebound and this isn't the start of an unraveling. Like if they remove somebody from that locker room they like the team is going to protest? 

(All that said, much like my shirt talking with the 3 game winning streak. Now that I have put all this out there watch this team make a Cup final next year with Donnie and go on a 12 game winning streak to end this season)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Media availability today... Over under on salute questions? I'm going with 2 and taking the under. Mike will stand alone. Paul might have it in him but he's already tweeted he didn't know anything about it because... Elevator.

Dahlin is the one I want to hear from. The presumptive captain. Did you agree with it? If not did you express your opinion? How will you handle something like this as captain?

Edited by PASabreFan
  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Believer said:

Call me old school, but this home victory salute boycott is disappointing on so many levels…

Now that this team protest against the fans is public knowledge, don’t see how KA and DG can sanction Okposo as Captain… His participation is the antithesis of leadership… He should step aside voluntarily, but doubt he will…

Suppose the rationale for allowing him to continue as Captain is it is the player’s choice, not management’s.

Disappointed in KO… 

What a dysfunctional outfit… There is toxin in the locker room… KA needs to excise it.

If Adams knew about it and allowed, then he is an accomplice.   We already know the coaches were aware of it, how could they not be.  

  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Media availability today... Over under on salute questions? I'm going with 2 and taking the under. Mike will stand alone. Paul might have it in him but he's already tweeted he didn't know anything about it because... Elevator.

Dahlin is the one I want to hear from. The presumptive captain. Did you agree with it? If not did you express your opinion? How will you handle something like this as captain?

I doubt any questions come up.  

Never heard of players openly discussing their locker room conversations.   The word “we” will replace “I and me”.  
 

If I’m wrong then they are worse than I thought.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I doubt any questions come up.  

Never heard of players openly discussing their locker room conversations.   The word “we” will replace “I and me”.  
 

If I’m wrong then they are worse than I thought.  

If no questions are asked, what can we assume about the media covering the team? This is all Sabres fans are talking about; the story crosses over into general interest and I wouldn't be surprised if it goes national. If anything you cover it to sell papers and increase viewership. To not cover it suggests the media has some interest in protecting the team. Can you think of another reason you don't ask about it?

Edited by PASabreFan
  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

If no questions are asked, what can we assume about the media covering the team? This is all Sabres fans are talking about; the story crosses over into general interest and I wouldn't be surprised if it goes national. If anything you cover it to sell papers and increase viewership. To not cover it suggests the media has some interest in protecting the team. Can you think of another reason you don't ask about it?

I just happen to think the Buffalo media is soft and I expect this story to die soon because they stop covering it.  

  • Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/18/2024 at 7:42 AM, Pimlach said:

The players no salute policy stopped after the 7-0 win last week.  Even then, they were skating off but were redirected, and some of them went out to the circle.  Big deal for them.     

Ironically, since the home wins are so scarce, most of us never knew this was happening.  My TV feed on ESPN+ does not include post game.  
 

I read the article 3 times.  I am more upset that Granato and Adams could even allow that to be their response.  No one is in charge, to coin an old phrase - the lunatics are running the asylum. 
 

This group lacks accountability in the biggest ways.  The things they say about the 13 year drought, especially alluding to “we haven’t been here for that long” tell me how much, or little, they care.  It’s now beyond the players and it’s infected the coaching and the FO.   

Can it get any worse ?  

 

This is right and it’s on the GM and Coach to get their heads in place. The atmosphere is toxic. The players don’t have perspective. They are mostly millionaires dissing fans who, for the most part, are spending a significant percentage of monthly income to go to a game. And it can’t really be translated by a percentage of income because even if you took away 50% of Dahlin’s after tax income each year, he would still be set for life. 
 

This is why, imo, the Sabres need a strong coaching presence to take over. Maybe both GM and coach. 
 

Imo, they have 6 games (to the end of February) to see where they are, and if it’s still the same, they need to make a change and transition to focusing on next year. And Granato has to go. He’s only going to drive the team further into disaster. 
 

The earlier article by Harrington about how the players were not ready to go hard in camp and the lack of offseason effort evident, is a sign Granato is not the guy. They’re professionals. They can’t be babied like high school kids anymore. A strong coach who garners respect is needed to tell them what they need to hear. 

 

  • Like (+1) 1
  • Awesome! (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, klos1963 said:

The reason seems to be the players sticking up for their coach. I'm OK with that. 

A team is a reflection of their coach.  They should not have to stick up for him.   They should play better.  Be ready to play in the first period, and put in a better effort. 

  • Agree 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, That Aud Smell said:

It frustrates me that the point here is getting lost.

I don’t think anyone here gives a sh1t whether the team salutes or doesn’t.

What’s causing concern is that an unnamed Sabre veteran - read: Okposo - confirmed that, after a handful of leather lungs bellowed “fire Donny” amidst a 9 goal shellacking, the team decided to stop making a customary gesture of fan appreciation.

It doesn’t matter what the gesture was. It doesn’t matter if it was good or bad. It doesn’t matter if you value it or don’t.

What matters is what the team and its leadership elected to do in response to frustration being voiced by some fans in the arena. And what they elected to do was effectively say “ well then fu*k them - Donny’s our guy.”

Awful.

I'm guessing most people in this thread are Gen X or...those of you shall we say are "more experienced in life."  Cool.  For me, growing up in the 80s and 90s I saw guys born in the 50s, 60s, 70s playing NHL hockey including many from Europe.  Compare that with Millennial and Zoomer athletes today where feelings and not offending people are important but results in a bad culture are less so.    

And even if this story is true, they were upset the fans demanded a HC be fired?  Used to happen all the time a generation ago and players handled it much differently

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

Media availability today... Over under on salute questions? I'm going with 2 and taking the under. Mike will stand alone. Paul might have it in him but he's already tweeted he didn't know anything about it because... Elevator.

Dahlin is the one I want to hear from. The presumptive captain. Did you agree with it? If not did you express your opinion? How will you handle something like this as captain?

I want to hear from every large extension and every looming extension on the horizon.  

Dahlin, Power, Cozens, Thompson, Mitts, Peterka, Quinn, UPL. 
 

Also Tuch but that’s in a hope to get a positive voice on this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

According to Hamilton(just on WGR), Dahlin was pretty vocal about the “Fire Donny” chants.  Does this mean he led the boycott? Who knows?

Also, sometimes Hamilton talks like he knows more than he really does, so take all this with a grain of salt. 

  • Like (+1) 1
  • Thanks (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

A team is a reflection of their coach.  They should not have to stick up for him.   They should play better.  Be ready to play in the first period, and put in a better effort. 

I don't disagree that the team needs to play better,  I think we all agree there. 

 

  • Thanks (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I just happen to think the Buffalo media is soft and I expect this story to die soon because they stop covering it.  

I’m ok with the story dying out.  It happened.  It stopped happening.  Fans reacted.  Lets move on.

  • Agree 1
  • Thanks (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Weave said:

I’m ok with the story dying out.  It happened.  It stopped happening.  Fans reacted.  Lets move on.

I think we need to see if it really stopped. Will we find out today?

I would like to know how it all went down. I will add it to my list of Unknowable Sabres Mysteries, up there with why Patty left, did LindyDarcy get golden parachutes, and was it Ted and Mrs. Hasek or Mrs. Nolan and Dom?

  • Like (+1) 1
  • Haha (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This action or reaction by the players speaks to the level of desperation they are feeling in their need to turn a bad season around. I mentioned it upthread but they are at the ‘ us against the world  ‘ stage of desperation. Its another lost season. Theres no getting it back. Its over. I’m not sure who it was, maybe Okposo but someone close to the team recently asked people to go easy on these guys most of them weren’t around for the 13 years. I would reply that they are here now. In the present where they can actually make a difference and stop this aweful streak. Get er done boys. If you have to pull out the ‘ us against the world ‘ card you’d better not fold until you finish the job.

  • Like (+1) 1
  • Thanks (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is OLD. A NEW topic should be started unless there is a VERY SPECIFIC REASON to revive this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...