"This is a hockey town": Mule's letter to the fans

[dudacek]

Posted on the Sabres site:

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/news/buffalo-sabres-mattias-samuelsson-playoff-letter

 

[North Buffalo]

Mule gets it.. Go Sabres wait til he sees the parties on the Mall!

[thewookie1]

Very well written, feels genuine. I like how he figured out that the diner he frequented were Sabres fans and knew he was a Sabre but didn't bother him when they were bad. It feels like he's thankful that he wasn't harassed and while he'd understand why it feels he gained more respect for Buffalonians due to that. Especially with his Philly upbringing as a comparison.

 

The ending was also very honest, while happy to end the drought he wants more

[Eli Cash]

Great letter.  I might have a low threshold, but it gave me chills.  Sammy gets it.  Maybe Sammy gets it because Lindy gets it.  No matter either way, let’s bring it, boys! 

Edited April 16 by Eli Cash

[Indabuff]

Love it.   Hope this team melds into a cohesive formidable unit of the Buffalo bygone eras and galvanizes to decimate everything in their path to The Cup.

Destroy them all,  let God sort 'em out.

[Stads]

Muel seems like a soft spoken guy. I remember his "Between Two Stalls" with Skinner. He seemed pretty quiet and reserved. Reading that letter says so much. He definitely "gets it" like North Buffalo said. I am already getting the butterflies in the stomach feeling. I love the Bills, but the Sabres' playoffs games have always been more intense to watch for me. I was 28 the last time they were in the playoffs. My first kid was born 2 months after. I am a much different person now, but that anticipatory feeling is exactly the same

Edited April 17 by Stads

[Doohickie]

He mentions the Tampa game. 

It really is amazing that for years we always wondered who would slip a bit and allow the Sabres to sneak into a playoff spot.  This year the Sabres took 7 out of 8 points from Tampa.  No one let the Sabres in.  They took it.  No other team in the Atlantic was better than the Sabres in the Atlantic at 16-6-4.  No one let them in.  They took it.

Edited April 17 by Doohickie

[LTS]

Hell yeah.. back in town after a work trip this week. Great thing to come home to.

[quill]

What a nice tribute to the fans by Sammy. It was so warm and heartfelt that it brought tears to my eyes by the time I got to the end of it. 

Edited April 17 by quill

[Mango]

This is one of the few "letter to the city" type things that actually reads like the player wrote it himself.

All the extra points to Sammy for actually putting pen to paper when a lot (most?) don't.

[TheAud]

Sabres are going to come out in the first period on Sunday hitting everything in sight and skating like maniacs. 

It won't be sustainable, or even prudent, but I am looking forward to seeing it as I stand in front of my TV. 

 

Edit: I have never been prouder to have my Sabrespace Fantasy Hockey Team called "Gov't Muel" than today. 

Edited April 17 by TheAud

[Richard Noggin]

Twice he describes what Sabres fans "love" and it's "cheering and booing and chugging beers." 

[Nacho Libre]

Alright, when’s game time already lol 

[Scottysabres]

Letter to Mule:

”This fan thanks Mule for the passion shown to us fans. We’ve enjoyed your, and the entire team for that matter, rise to great competitive hockey with a win at all cost mentality. It’s greatly appreciated.

This fan has a request as you enter the round 1 series against the Bruins……Beat the living ***** out of them, spam them like rag dolls, make their goalie go home after each game considering a different career. Take them out in 4 games, show them no mercy. There is a debt owed, a response to the Miller incident. Rip off their ball sacks and stuff them down their throats on your way to a 4 game dominating sweep of the series and a march to hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Thank you for hearing me, we, us fans”

 

[Pimlach]

Nice letter from Muel.  Now let’s go out and kick the $hit out of Bahstin .  

[SwampD]

14 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

Very well written, feels genuine. I like how he figured out that the diner he frequented were Sabres fans and knew he was a Sabre but didn't bother him when they were bad. It feels like he's thankful that he wasn't harassed and while he'd understand why it feels he gained more respect for Buffalonians due to that. Especially with his Philly upbringing as a comparison.

 

The ending was also very honest, while happy to end the drought he wants more

Another great use of AI. 😂

[Doohickie]

"ChatGTP, make it sound genuine."

[Drag0nDan]

15 hours ago, Doohickie said:

He mentions the Tampa game. 

It really is amazing that for years we always wondered who would slip a bit and allow the Sabres to sneak into a playoff spot.  This year the Sabres took 7 out of 8 points from Tampa.  No one let the Sabres in.  They took it.  No other team in the Atlantic was better than the Sabres in the Atlantic at 16-6-4.  No one let them in.  They took it.

After years of getting absolutely smashed by these teams.  Different time periods but these are some absolutely embarrassing stretches of hockey against divisional foes.  

 

[#freejame]

36 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

"ChatGTP, make it sound genuine."

Ugh, everyone is so cynical when it comes to AI. Why can’t we believe that it’s from a PR agent with Muel’s signature like the good old days?! 
 

And before anyone beats me to it 

[Doohickie]

The whole "genuine" aspect comes from the personal anecdote.  It may or may not be factual.  But it is personal and genuine sounding.

[Brawndo]

17 hours ago, Doohickie said:

He mentions the Tampa game. 

It really is amazing that for years we always wondered who would slip a bit and allow the Sabres to sneak into a playoff spot.  This year the Sabres took 7 out of 8 points from Tampa.  No one let the Sabres in.  They took it.  No other team in the Atlantic was better than the Sabres in the Atlantic at 16-6-4.  No one let them in.  They took it.

They were discussing on WGR 550 how the Atlantic division this year has been the best division in terms of total win percentage amongst all the teams since they went to the wildcard format. That alone is very impressive.

[tom webster]

First, in general, hockey players are amongst the most genuine athletes I’ve ever met. 
Secondly, specifically with regards to Muel. At the Tampa game I got two of my nephews kids in the rope line between second and third period. My nephew was holding his two year old as Sammy went by and appeared to not see him. He stopped, came back and gave the little guy a fist bump and said “sorry buddy.” That awareness did not go unnoticed by all those around.

[Taro T]

44 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

They were discussing on WGR 550 how the Atlantic division this year has been the best division in terms of total win percentage amongst all the teams since they went to the wildcard format. That alone is very impressive.

Well, yeah.  If Detroit finds a single extra win over 82 games, then even the 6th place team in the Atlantic would've been ahead of every single team in the Pacific.  None of the Pacific teams would've even been in the playoffs if they were in the Atlantic and with a 1 win difference none of them would've even been the 1st team to have missed the playoffs were they in the Atlantic.  That's just absolutely boggling.

And there were two teams in the Pacific worst than the worst of the Atlantic teams and the Loafs were 2 points shy of being better than 3 of their worst teams.  

Abso