Too Little Too Late

by Ryan

I checked my phone's inbox today at 4:05 PM.

From: Marv Levy Collective Bills Management
Reminder: Kevin Everett will appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show today at 4PM. Txt STOP 2 quit.
Jan 31, 3:50 PM.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Not OPRAH!! How could they only give me ten minutes notice?!? IT'S NOT FAIR!



Sorry, but I thought getting reminders to watch daytime TV from the Bills was a once in a lifetime thing. Too bad I had things to do or I would have given Oprah a chance. Because, you know... I never watch it or anything... ahem.

In other Kevin Everett news, the TE actually had to turn down an invitation to the State of the Union address, but will be attending the Super Bowl. That's something pretty cool in itself, but you have to marvel at how far he has come along since that first game. I'm not sure what he feels about the Bush Administration's foreign policy, but I'm sure he would enjoy the big game.

If you want to hear more about Everett, here's a good story from ABC News, and ESPN is running a SportsCenter Special: "The Remarkable Recovery" tomorrow on ESPN2 at 8PM.

It's not often that we openly promote The Four Letter, but this seems like a worthy cause.

Picture of the Night

Say what you want about it's legality, but after seeing Bryan Allen destroy Drew Stafford's knee this picture makes me feel a bit better. Maybe Goose's knee is in the wrong place at the time, but that face tells me Gregory Campbell's cup just saved his life.

Also, those LED signs are freaking stupid. What company actually pays extra to get their crap lit up like that? Most times you can't see it and will think, "What's that blur say?" Just stupid.

One thing I do miss are the signs that blinked when the Sabres would score a goal at the Aud. Why we don't have the HSBC tie sparkle after goals is beyond me. I'd take that over a slug spraying smoke any day.

No one circles the wagons like the Toronto Bills

From WGR550.com:

WGR 550 - Sources have told WGR 550 that the Bills have worked out a deal to play one regular season game in Toronto a year for the next 5 years. In addition, the Bills will play 3 preseason games in Toronto over the next 5 years. The games will be played in the Rogers Centre.

The official announcement has not yet come from One Bills Drive. That is expected to come next Wednesday.

The Fan 590 in Toronto is reporting that single game tickets will not be available for sale at first. CFL season ticket holders in Hamilton and Toronto will have first shot at buying the 8-game package priced at an average of $250 per ticket. Then, Bills season ticket holders will have a shot through a lottery to purchase the remaining seats.


The Roost will keep everyone updated as soon as we know more.

Hockey players are awesome at acting

Between Colby Armstrong, Maxime Talbot, Sergei Gonchar, and the Mute (Evgeni Malkin), I would definitely buy that car. Looks like Crosby's too good for BMW's. At least it's a better buy than anti-sweat treatment.

Video starts about eight seconds in.

Will Leitch Revealed

The Spectrum, the University at Buffalo's student newspaper did an interview with Deadpsin.com's Will Leitch.

I'll probably start reading his new book, God Save the Fan, sometime next week and I'll post a brief review here whenever I get around to finishing it.

Some highlights from the Q&A:

Leitch: I don't think I'm this brilliant writer. I work hard, I turn my stuff in on time, I'm not a diva, and I think that makes a difference... Honestly, writers are flakes man... When I came to New York I was like 'no matter what happens, I'm not going to have anyone outwork me.' If I were like a banker, that might have been hard, but out here, writers are flakes, man.

On Bill Simmons:
WL: I think Simmons is a better writer then I am... I like Simmons, he gets hammered a lot by people on the Web and I think even the people that hammer him have to at a certain level owes him a debt. Frankly, I don't think he likes that. I think he always feels like 'look what I have launched.' I don't know if he's a big blog guy... Up until recently he's been writing three columns a week for like seven years. Inevitably, you're going to repeat yourself. Inevitably, there are going to be times when you sound like a caricature of yourself... There aren't many people who I read every single one of their columns, and Simmons is one of them.... He and I used to have a little bit more of a relationship than we do now...but I think the day the commenters all hopped on his site and all started leaving messages, after that I don't think he liked talking to me anymore.

And of course, the 007 picture:

Still Kicking

by Ryan


Last night's game was the biggest moment of the season thus far. I could feel it as soon as Campbell set up the game winner in Sunday's exhibition. How the Sabres come out of the All Star Break will say everything about this team and it's playoff chances. If they couldn't come up with a solid road game after four days off there was no way we were making the playoffs.

It was so important to me that I wanted to watch with absolutely no interruptions. No computer, no BfloBlog game thread, no channel changing, just me and a hockey game in HD, praying for a good showing.

And what a showing it was.

One win shouldn't make you feel better about the entire first half of the season. Who knows what will even happen tonight, but at the moment you have to be impressed with last night's 4-2 final.

I mean, did you see that forecheck? Wow. Everyone was flying, sometimes pressing two guys up ice to create turnovers. Puck possession was very good, with great exit passes from the D and great presence on the boards to keep the play alive. Even Jason Pominville, a player I criticize often for his lack of physical play, did great work along the wall to keep the play moving.

One of the things most notable was how many players were giving that extra little bit that we want to see so bad. The first goal was a great example of that. Hecht gets to the blueline and sees a D coming over to clock him. He waits that extra second to make the pass, absorbs the hit, and before you know it Sparky roofs it.

1-0

Those little moments, the "sacrifice the body" plays coaches love to see, that's the difference between a team going through the motions and a team not satisfied with 13th place in the conference.

To be fair, Tampa is a wreck. They are a top heavy team with goaltending issues that just couldn't get anything moving last night. Aside from a 5-3 goal that went off Roy's stick and a great tip in the third they played an awful game on both fronts. It is a team that depends too much on it's stars, and you can only double shift players for so long before they aren't productive anymore.

Still, the Sabres did what good teams are supposed to do: dominate the bad ones. Our top line had good chances but didn't score, but Hecht-Sparky-Pominville was huge last night. Miller had a good game and kept us in early after the Vanek line got caught running in circles (one of the few shifts they were a defensive liability, however), and the checking line came up with good energy shifts and didn't take stupid penalties.

That's the formula for a good road win, and there is nothing in my mind that says they can't do it again tonight. Same state, a team in the same situation; let's do it again.


Some other thoughts:

- Brad Richards has the worst +/- in the league at -27. But hey, enjoy that goal, buddy. And the $7.8 million salary.

- Jim Craig said he wants to be like Ryan Miller. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

- Vanek frustrated me last night, but in an interesting way. He didn't play a bad game, but every chance he missed I just felt bad about. That chance on the rush late was very telling about his game. He will never be the fastest skater out there, but when he gained the blue line trailing Roy and Stafford I just knew he would be in position to make the play.

Sure enough, he glides in the crease and takes the hesitation pass. If not for a quick pad save that's a great goal by a guy struggling. Instead, it's another missed chance and a casual glance at that play tells you he didn't skate hard and isn't trying. Vanek is getting better, he really is, and it may take a while for it to show in the stat sheet, but just seeing him play with more confidence right now is a good sign to me.

- Also, "props" to Dave in Rocha for predicting the Kaleta post-ASG callup. Again, this is why comments make the world go round.

So... let's play some hockey tonight? How's 7:30 in Sunrise sound?

AYO! AYO Teyo!

by Ryan

I never thought I would get to use the "AYO" tag again.

God bless you, Teyo Johnson.



If he has better hands than Michael Gaines I'm down.

Max and Mr. Glass

Mike Ryan should be back in the line up tonight following that vicious eye injury 11 days ago as the Buffalo Sabres travel to Tampa Bay. It's the team's first game since Dallas, where they showed some guts and managed to walk away with two points (thanks in large part to Jochen Hecht's stick).

However, Tim Connolly and Maxim Afinogenov will not be back tonight. Connolly could be back soon, but it was revealed yesterday that the injury-prone center (understatement of the year) has a bone spur on his hip. It'll require surgery in the offseason, but for now, he's going to have to suck it up and play through it. Depending on how long he's had it, it could be a reason as to why he's been reluctant to shoot the puck. It might just hurt too much to put that much pressure on his hip like that. Either way, I'm not sure Connolly has been healthy since 2000 so playing through another injury should be like riding a bike for him. He just needs to make sure he always has his helmet strapped on tight.

Trade Bai---errrr Afinogenov is still dealing with a slight tear in his groin. It wouldn't shock me if the injury happened while he was pulling that sick move he missed on in the Ice Bowl. And by sick move I mean crappy.

The Sabres have struggled without these two guys in the lineup, but then again, they haven't been much better with them playing.

Tampa Bay, while in last place in the East, has been playing better hockey lately, mainly because they've been getting some much-needed goaltending. Vinny Lecavlier is one of the league's best and Martin St. Louis, the original Danny Briere, could light the Sabres up, especially on special teams if Buffalo doesn't lock down in their own zone. Ryan Miller is set to get the start because TBO TBlows.

The Sabres have four more games on the road before coming back home. Five or six points would probably be what we should expect for the rest of the road trip, but I could settle for four. Four might not be good enough, but neither has this team.

Slow Clap

by Ryan


Say what you will about the Anaheim Ducks fans, mascot, arena, or even the state of California itself, but don't you dare question their General Manager.

Brian Burke has got to be the best GM in hockey, right? Now maybe you wouldn't have said something like that in August when they lost Dustin Penner, but after reading this you can't help but be impressed with what he has done with the team.

Here are a few clips if you don't feel like skimming:

Sources tell TSN that Selanne signed a one-year deal with an annual base salary of $1.5 million, which means Selanne will receive just under $600,000 for the balance of this season. But as a player older than 35, Selanne is entitled to performance bonuses and he will almost certainly earn another $1.35 million from the Ducks this season. That performance bonus is achieved by simply playing 10 games, so, barring injury, Selanne will actually receive close to $2 million in base salary plus performance bonus for the balance of this season.

Not too bad, but what about overall cap space? They were over the cap to start the season, right?

And if the Ducks should add a player at the deadline, they have plenty of cap room this year to do it. As of today, they could add a player making an annual salary of $5 million. By the time the Feb. 26th trade deadline arrives, that player could be making closer to $6 million. If they sign a player of that level, it would mean they would have to carry forward Selanne's bonuses to next year, but there clearly is a lot of flexibility in terms of what the Ducks can do now and in the off-season.

Wow, flexibility indeed. That's swinging a trade for Brian Campbell and Ales Kotalik and still having some room to wiggle come next year. (Soup's a UFA and Ales has one year left at $2.5 mil)

Now maybe this is me, but isn't what just happened here the direct opposite of what we have going on in Buffalo? Think about it: both Anaheim and Buffalo had Kevin Lowe swoop in and try to nab an RFA this off season (Penner and Vanek, respectively), as well as some big name players hit the free agent market or contemplate retirement.(Neidermayer, Selanne and Briere, Zubris, Drury)

So what happened? Anaheim doesn't know what Selanne or Niedermayer is doing. They go out and sign Bertuzzi and Schnieder as well as resigning some key young players. Then Penner gets nabbed and they are suddenly down a winger. Things look pretty grim at the time.

Grim was the operative word in Buffalo as well. All three big UFAs walk and Vanek gets tossed a $10 million offer sheet for this year. Darcy and Co. have to do damage control and match while complaining about how unfair life in the NHL. The major off season acquisition is Jocelyn Thibault, and the phrase "we will be less competitive" is actually uttered by management.

So... what happens next?

For Buffalo it's an easy one: nothing. It is not fiscally sound to spend to the current cap, and so Buffalo stands pat all year and has rolled to a 21-21-6 record, currently 13th in the East.

Anaheim is a completely different story. Both Neidermayer had Selanne have returned and Burke had made that more then possible. Gone are Bryzgalov, Andy McDonald and Shane Hnidy while Branden Bochenski, Doug Weight, and Mark Mowers come in. The results are a 27-20-6 Ducks team that suddenly looks more than capable of defending their Stanley Cup reign with room to spare at the deadline.

Of course there are differences in each team's situation. The Ducks have proven they are willing to spend to the cap, while Darcy has blatantly said that Buffalo will not. However, that is not the main difference between the two clubs. For while Sabres management has stood pat and complained about the likes of Kevin Lowe, Nathan Horton, and ticket prices; Brian Burke stepped up and overcame the loss of Dustin Penner and some veteran leadership with shrewed management and the willingness to work within the system in place.

There was a time the Ducks were over the cap limit this year, but they made the right moves to both get that number down and still stay competitive. The same certainly cannot be said for Buffalo, and while that is not the only reason this team has underachieved it cannot be overlooked as one of the main problems this season.

I'm not asking to be in the situation Anaheim is in, and I'm not saying I want Brian Burke as my GM. All I ask is that our front office shows they have the "commitment to winning" that was talked about so much last summer. No more emergency "We're not trading Campbell" press briefings, no more "We're sorry" speeches, no more complaints about the system. Show me you believe in this team and this city by doing everything in your power to make this team work.

Don't sign Derek Roy because Nathan Horton inflated the market value for a forward his age, don't tell me you won't negotiate in season again if Brian Campbell is a Leaf next year, and for the love of God don't whine about a GM doing something completely within his means by giving an offer sheet to Thomas Vanek.

Make the system work for you within your own means. It's possible, we used to be the "prototype for the post NHL franchise" until this summer. It can't be all that hard to get that distinction back, look at teams like New York or Toronto floundering just like us even with those huge markets.

Please, don't make the next sign I hang in HSBC Arena say "Mike Grier Was Right".

$2.7 Million?! What a bargain?

By Jon

CBS says that a 30-second Super Bowl ad will cost $2.7 million dollars.

There's no possible way that 30-seconds can be worth $2.7 million, right? Terry Tate may say otherwise....




In other news, The Goose's Roost will gladly accept the same amount of money for an ad on our site.

Scoring is down league-wide

Only 15 goals? That's it? It was 12-9 last year! Some "new" NHL...

East beats the West 8-7 on a late goal by Marc Savard. At least Campbell finished with a goal and two assists, including the helper on the Sabre Killer's winner.

That should drive up his asking price, right?

ASG Caption Contest

Multiple entries encouraged.



My pick?

"Stupid f--kin' Skills Challenge is boring. At least I can practice my "Blue Steel"..."

The All Balls Team

by Ryan

Defensemen

Keith Ballard (Phoenix)- Here are his numbers: 4G, 10A, 14P, +4, 61PIM. Not bad for 49 games. Still, he makes the team for the following:



That second D flailing like an Italian soccer player? That's Kieth Ballard. Also, here's a picture of him getting owned by Goose:



What crosscheck?

Andrej Sekera (Buffalo)- The namesake of the squad. I know it's pretty unfair, but how can he not be on this team?




Love that photoshop, even if it may not make much sense.

Forwards

L- Ben Eager (Chicago)- One point all year. He was traded to Chitown after this little incident:



What a beast Roberts is. I still can't believe Tim Connolly didn't die from that collision.

C- Dominic Moore (Toronto)- This one's for personal reasons. I have like 300 of his rookie cards, and it's a bit depressing when you see someone you've invested your fortune in suck so hard. He was traded by Pittsburgh at the deadline last year, and this year waived by Minnesota. Now he's an active member of the Torono Maple Leafs. You can see why I hate him so.

Not only does he suck so bad he can only play for the Leafs, but his player notes read as follows: - Played a season-high (17:52) January 23 vs. Washington. Wow. Ice time is something to treasure, suckbag.

R- There are a lot of choices for this one. Trevor Letowski is pretty awful, and there a quite a few players with +/- numbers that make Dan Paille look like hockey Jesus. Still, I wanted to keep this one Sabres-centric and talk about Maxim Afinogenov.



Where did this guy go to?

Max has been on IR since January 4th from a groin injury I never saw him suffer. Unless he tweaked something on that shootout miss, which was awful, by the way.



After Max's breakout year in 06-07 (averaged over a point a game), he just hasn't been the same since a broken wrist suffered last spring. Afinogenov is one of those players that you love when he's on and absolutely despise when he's hurt or playing like he has ADD. There are times he will do the impossible and make you believe he is un-tradable, and there are times (or years) that he looks like a bust with great wheels and no finish. Injuries haven't helped his cause this year, but you have to think he can turn the corner and become the player we all dream he can be.

For now, however, he makes the list. We'll see if he can make it back into the lineup, but my hopes for Crazylegs have been seriously dimished.

If you have any suggestions for the ABT, feel free to bring them up. I'm sure there are some really bad players out there that I passed by...

Late Night Movie Night

by Ryan

That's the great thing about plankton. It pretty much keeps to itself. -Jimmy McGinty

The Replacements is my favorite "bad sports movie" of all time. You know the kind I'm talking about; that movie with predictable plot, awful action scenes, and storybook ending that somehow keeps you watching at 2AM. Maybe it's a few likable characters, maybe just a line or two you want to hear, but no matter how many inconsistencies or "things that would never happen in real life" you see, you're not going to bed 'till it's over.

Tonight I think I figured out why.

At halftime of the replacement players' last game, coach McGinty is asked what they need to overcome a 17 point deficit to win.

"Heart. Miles and miles of heart."

Now tonight Wikipedia told me that's a quote from "Damn Yankees", but that little tidbit is irrelevant to me. What struck me this time is how often that term comes up when talking sports.

Heart. Everyone has one, but somehow that term has evolved into a style of sorts. "Heart" is going the extra mile, giving that extra effort to be better then your opponent. It is the "we want it more" and "we deserve it" all rolled into one. Players that have heart should win over other teams that do not, fair is fair, right?

We see players with that hard nosed, hard working style and say they have "heart". Paul Gaustad plays with heart and we love him for it. Adam Mair plays with it too, and it's enough to let me look past some dumb penalties and appreciate what he brings to the ice. A player like Thomas Vanek doesn't seem to show heart because of his style of play, even though he will stand in front of a 90MPH slapshot for the chance to tip it just enough to score.

So with all that judgement riding on heart, it must mean Goose and Mair are the two best players on our team, right?

Well... not exactly. The truth is every team plays with heart, every player tries as hard as they can to win, and there is no secret to success. Hard work, talent, and good planning wins games, no questions asked.

Buuuuuut, there always seems to be that little grey area we all know and love: the intangibles.

Intangibles are what the reason we have this blog, and the reason we all watch sports. That unexpected bounce, stroke of luck, or prayer that turns the tide and changes everything. If sports were without these bounces there would be no Super Bowl XVII next weekend, and we certainly wouldn't spend most of our lives discussing things as trivial as Denis Wideman's power-play points winning a fantasy hockey championship for you back in the day. (Unless that one's just me...)

So while everyone seems to play with "heart", what I think what the term comes to represent are those brief chances of luck that can change everything. Good things come from hard work, and when those bounces go your way they are the best of things.

Getting back to the point, do I think this Sabres team can turn it around? Yeah, I do.

Watching a movie like "The Replacements" puts things in a pretty good perspective, especially when you're in the middle of the All Star break. That movie showed a group of lesser players beating a better team that lacked "heart". The truth is that good teams win because they are talented, even when bounces go against you. Good teams are supposed to overcome those unexpected bounces and play to their ability at all times, regardless of opponent, injuries, or any mitigating factor.

Have we seen that as of yet? Yes, but not consistently. Thursday night against Dallas was an example of a team grinding out a win, the Flyers game back in December (12/22) was a flash of their comeback ability, and last Friday against the Thrashers was an example of a team firing on all cylinders.

Of course, each one of those games has a subsequent letdown attached. The Sabres went on a ten game winless streak after that game in Philly, and screwed the pootch in Toronto after the Thrashers game. They haven't been able to destroy our hopes from Thursday because they don't play again until next week.

But what happens that Wednesday night on the peninsula will say a lot about where this team is heading. At present they are out of excuses, getting healthier, and running out of chances. Playing with "heart" is not the question (at this point I've obliterated the term anyways), but you can't help but wonder if they play like a team that wants to make the playoffs.

At this point, that's all I can ask for.

Brian Campbell in Another Uniform

I'll be honest, I'm not heartbroken over it.

Is there a "spin-o-rama" competition in the SuperSkills tonight?

Quick Hits

by Ryan


My laptop has been on the lam recently, so while I'm at a computer I thought I'd put out a few thoughts on the Sabres.

- Pat Kaleta was sent back to Rochester this morning. While it's easy to say I disagree with the move, Pat isn't going to be a regular Sabre this year and I can deal with that. He will have a place on this team very soon, at the very latest when Andrew Peters' contract is up next summer. I would follow the link just to watch the video of Chris Philips getting wrecked. Good times.

- Today I feel much better about where this team is heading. It always helps to see the number in the W column go up, but that felt like a hard fought win last night. The Roy/Vanek/Stafford line was good again, and aside from one huge brainfart by our two-time All Star their defensive effort was pretty solid.

- Hecht saved my life with that poke check in the last five seconds. If that shot gets off I undergo the Ludovico Technique to ween myself off hockey.

- I think the All Star Break will do this team some good. Last Friday's Thrashers game was supposed to be the turning point, but having a game the next night killed all the momentum a 10-1 final gave. Taking a solid road win into the break has to build some confidence, and after the weekend they have a quick Florida road trip against two much weaker opponents. We won't know how things have turned until Wednesday, but it feels good to head into the ASG with a win, even if we are hovering at .500.

- In honor of the All Star Game I've been compiling an "All Balls Team," celebrating the best of the worst players in the league this season. That will see the light of day sometime tomorrow.



- The BfloBlog game thread had some interesting comments on Thomas Vanek. I've thought Vanek has been playing better as of late, but I'm curious to see what other people think of his game. Everyone has an opinion and we have a comment option... don't be shy, boys and girls.

Yawn

by Ryan

Looks like the NBA is the "desperate" league now. Who knew they would stoop so low as to pull a "publicity stunt" like that.

All I can say is: been there, done that.



I hope the folks at the Indian Wells enjoy Soulja Boy, though...

Out of the Van, Marty

by Ryan

Man, sometimes you just have to love snow.

After enduring the past few weeks of sloppy, messy rain in January it's just nice to go outside and see fresh powder. I'm done with green for a few months now, I'd take a foot of snow over 1/8th of January rain any day.

Today it snowed while the sun was shining bright. Awesome.

On that note, let's go to Dallas to play some hockey.

---

The Dallas Stars are a really good hockey team. Actually, it's been very rare to find a terrible Stars team since their move from the Hockey State. We all know about their Stanley Cup in 1999, and they have been a perennial playoff team in the West with "Captian America" Modano leading the way.

(A Brief Aside: Since the '99 Finals I've seen and heard countless Stars fans, writers, and players say we should "get over it"; "it" being the overtime winner in Game 6. To be honest, I think that is a ridiculously stupid thing to say. We will never get over the fact that we lost that game, and there is nothing you can do to make it happen. You won your Cup, yes, but Mets fans don't tell Sox fans to get over the '86 World Series, so don't you dare tell me to get over No Goal. I don't scream from the high heavens about it's injustice, I don't have a bumper sticker on my car, but it still pisses me off.

You deal with that.)

Anyways, the Stars are really good, and even the optimist in me says this game is an L in the standings. They have two solid goaltenders in Marty Turco and Mike Smith, and we have a wavering Ryan Miller and a corpse with a girl's name.



"What's that? I can't hear you because I suck out loud."


I would call this game a test because Dallas is a good team, but to be honest this is a survival game. Play 60 minutes and get out alive. If we get points, huzzah!

It is sad that this team has degraded a hockey game to this level, but things are pretty bleak around here. So, let's finish with a quick story about Marty Turco.



I had Marty Turco on my fantasy team last year. Because of this commercial, after every shutout my Yahoo avatar would scream "GET BACK IN THE VAN, MARTY!" Good times.

I drafted him again this year. Because of Mike Smith that hasn't happened as much this year. The lesson is: Mike Smith kills everything that is good.

Let's see if I agree with that statement in a few hours...

National Pie Day

Everybody loves pie.

And Paille.


Celebrate tonight because the game in Dallas tomorrow probably won't be pretty.

Mmmmmm...Pie.

Screw You, Michael Gaines

by Ryan

I've been waiting for some time to write this, but for some reason today just felt right.



Screw you, Michael Gaines.



Yeah, you look pretty cool there; but that's just a first down. Then again, after all those drops I'd be pretty excited that I finally caught one, too.

Seriously, you have the worst hands I've ever seen in my entire life. That includes a lot of high school football games, and watching the Syracuse Orange slug through the last few years. What I'm getting at is that I've seen a lot of crappy football, but you are the best at sucking very, very hard.

The NFL doesn't officially record dropped passes, but if they did you would lead the league without a doubt.



He's not upset that you suck, he just wants to be first in something. I'm the one mad that you suck.

A few standout performances in high school dodgeball matches prove to me that I have better hands than you. Heck, paraplegics have better hands than you do. Luke Skywalker has better hand(s) than you do. Jesus, German Shepperds have better hands than you do.



Guess what he did with this one?

And don't think I'm just focused on you, I freaking hate Robert Royal too. Still, you are the one that was over-the-top craptastic all year. That drop in Cleveland almost put me in a coma. You remember that pass up the seam? Nothing but daylight in front of you but somehow you didn't have the mind to catch the tying touchdown pass. You f--king suck, you clown. Thank God I can't find a picture of that play or I'd relapse and do terrible, terrible things to The Stress Buffalo.



Hang in there, buddy.

If I have a wish list for this offseason my requests to our GM by Committee (Oh no! Not another co-op!) are the following:

1) Draft a TE with hands
2) Trade Michael Gaines to the CFL Stampeders for three oxen, a goat, and four loonies.

I think that's more then fair. Enjoy Calgary, you putz.

Players Worth Keeping

by Ryan

I've been browsing around for the past two hours hoping to find something worth posting.


I got nothing.

We could talk about any one of the 11 games being played tonight, but let's just go with the "You're Move, Darcy" angle and go over which players I wouldn't want to see moved.

This won't take long.



Goose- C'mon, you think I want this guy in another uniform?



Mair- Plays every night. Aside from the occasional bonehead penalty I have no complaints.



Stafford- Starting to feel it. If this kid gets some confidence back he could carry the team down the stretch.



Paille- I'm never calling him Fat Crosby again. The kid deserves his own nickname. Any suggestions?

That's really it for me. Vanek's contract is untradable at this point. Roy probably shouldn't move, but I'm not in love with the guy. I love me some Timmy Connolly, but who knows if he will ever be healthy; and if we have to throw Max under the bus to get a spark, I'll deal.

One thing I know, something better happen on Thursday.

Some "Holiday."

by Rich

So let me get this straight...this weekend featured all of the following:

1. The Patriots won again, and the Packers lost at home. So much for that Super Bowl matchup. On the upside, the Pats have to take on the same team that pushed them to the brink in Week 17. Eli scares me to death, though.


2. The Sabres celebrated their first victory since Christmas by losing to the Leafs. And then the Coyotes.


3. The Bills lost fan-favorite grinder Anthony Hargrove to a substance-abuse suspension for the entire 2008 season, which more than likely ends his career (at least in Buffalo). I mean, there's a certain amount of "character" issues that teams will ignore if you produce. For example: how is Leonard Little not in jail? But unfortunately, there I can't imagine there's much of a market for a fringy defensive end who comes with that type of baggage.


4. Syracuse, featuring local guys Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris, dropped back-to-back Big East games. A double-digit home loss to Villanova is rough enough, but 'Cuse's last-second overtime loss to Georgetown today was brutal. Flynn had a shot to win it at the overtime buzzer, but his straight-on NBA three rattled out.


5. Not to be outdone, my 'Canes gave up 4 points in about 3 seconds to lose in overtime at N.C. State, dropping UM out of the AP and Coaches' polls.
   

Oy. If that's supposed to be a relaxing holiday weekend, bring on the week already. On the upside, 23 days. Twenty-three days. I just hope that my mind is still intact by the time Dice-K's and Mirabellis report.

You Got That Right

The headline says it all. Well, sort of.

I used to say that it was Marv Levy texting me when I would get text updates from the Bills. Now I'm supposed to assume it's some sort of consensus effort concocted in a broom closet down at One Bills Drive. (But yeah, I feel much better without a true GM then I did with 300 year old Marv Levy...)

Regardless of who sent it, this is the kind of story that takes it out of you.

I'm going to be honest, I really like Anthony Hargrove. He came in with loads of baggage, and didn't make things better in preseason when he got fist happy with the fuzz, but when he played he had a fire and enthusiasm that we haven't seen in a good while.

I liked watching him jump into the crowd after a good special teams play, and seeing him point to that same end zone at the start of each game, calling his shot and telling them to get ready to hold up the big man.

It's an aesthetic enjoyment at best, but it was good to see someone who loved playing football and the group of people who watched him do it. So many of our former players left with bad impressions of the city, yet here is this guy, out of nowhere and a pegged bad boy making nice with the fine folks of Buffalo.

His play on the field could have been better, but I would say he played a big part in the defense not falling apart at the peak of our injuries. As the weeks went on I liked what I was seeing, and after we were eliminated from playoff contention I started getting excited about what he could do with a healthy secondary and a few more bodies to rotate in.

Now that isn't going to happen, and I can't help but be hurt by today's events. Who knows what his future is with the team, but all of a sudden you have to wonder if he will ever be the player he should be.

After all the injuries we've seen this year, all the injured reserve spots, we will start the offseason shorthanded on the D-line.

How fitting.

Joining us this Afternoon...

by Ryan



The Stress Buffalo has been dug out of the Bills memorabilia to comfort me today, just in case things get a bit frustrating down in Phoenix.

Hey, if not for the play on the ice, I may need it for the announcing team...

What We Think We Know

By Chris


It's easy to forget where Daniel Briere came from.

Prior to becoming the Buffalo Sabres' first real superstar since Dominik Hasek, he had played just one full season in the National Hockey League, splitting time between Phoenix and its AHL affiliate in Springfield. The 24th selection in the 1996 draft finally broke out in 2001-02, putting up 32 goals, 28 assists and a +6 rating.

Then on March 10, 2003, the Buffalo Sabres traded Chris Gratton and a fourth round selection in the 2004 draft to the Coyotes for Briere and a third round selection in 2004. Briere scored 12 points in 14 games with the Sabres that season. He took on a leadership role in Buffalo and the rest is history.

So as the Sabres march out to the desert for a 4:00 faceoff against the Coyotes this afternoon, it's interesting that this piece of news found its way into the paper yesterday.

It looks like just another case of the Sabres trying to make excuses for themselves. Even though they had no real intention of re-signing Briere by lowballing him, they make it seem as if Briere was the one with a secret agenda. It's no real secret that Briere was going to go to Philadelphia if the Sabres were unable to come up with a strong offer. Common sense told anyone that.

We all know Bucky Gleason's angle. He's just as angry at the Sabres as a great majority of the fans are. He just has one of the largest public forums in Western New York to vent and does so a bit too often. But here he has a point.

Daniel Briere didn't do anything wrong.

When the Sabres failed to offer him a faircontract (if one at all), he knew he was going to be out of the area. There are rumors that Briere's house was already on the market before July 1 and that he was in Philly looking around. But as Bucky said, if Philadelphia was a team he knew would express interest (a rebuilding franchise with loads of cap room), it would make sense for him to check out the scene.

Just as long as he didn't talk to anyone in Flyers management. Which in this scenario, it sure seems like he didn't.

Briere may get booed in Buffalo, but it's obvious who really gave Buffalo the shaft. I'm not sure what Larry Quinn's goal is here by filing that request over six months after the fact (or if he filed it in July, why it took so long for the investigation to get underway).

But it does the Sabres no good on the ice. Briere's not around to score goals and Buffalo's currently in 12th place in the conference. And the streaky Sabres are currently in their deepest rut of the year, winners in just one of their last 11. We're still not completely sure of the identity of this team, other than the fact that they're Jekyll and Hyde personified.

Phoenix marks the second stop on the longest road trip in franchise history. Maybe they can find the new superstar in their midst in the desert this afternoon.

He won't be smiling in two weeks

Somehow Elisha and his boys managed to pull one out in sub-zero Lambeau. Credit the Giants defense more than anyone I suppose, but Elisha didn't turn the ball over, either.

So anyways, the Super Bowl is on February 3. Hopefully, New York can hold off the Patriots for a few quarters like they did in Week 17...but does anyone really expect that? New England's going to come out flying on both sides of the ball.

I just hope the commercials are good.

...and dance down the sheet to the tune of "Hurry! Hurry hard!"

by Ryan

Why, Why can't I draw right up to what I want to say?
Why can't I ever stop when I want to stay?
We roll right through our years
We rip right through our months
We slide through our days
I'm always throwing hack weight.
-"Tournament of Hearts"-The Weakerthans

Sometimes you just have to appreciate a band that can write a love song about curling.

It is hard to be in a good mood after a game like last night. Such a reversal of performances after a 10-1 final makes it hard to consider this team anything but bi-polar. I mean what I said yesterday, if you don't build off it and win again, that final means nothing.

We are running out of time and running out of points. The Sabres look like a team with a switch they can't seem to collectively find; with players taking games off at will while some play with fire every night. What will fix this team is not something I have the answer for, but on days like this it is trying to look at upcoming games with anything but apprehension.

But, I think what you have to do is just take your mind away from hockey and remember what this is all about.

Everyone wants to win a Stanley Cup, but at the end of every season 29 teams and their fans are going to fall short. Of course you want to be good, but being good is not what sports is about. If it were, I would never lace up skates to play pickup hockey, and I certainly would never lob a football down a gravel parking lot while tailgating.

Watching sports is about having fun, and while a losing team doesn't bring the fun to the forefront, you have to find it where it lies. Maybe it is in watching Dan Paile develop into the quality player I never thought he would, maybe it is in Paul Gaustad becoming the leader I've always wanted him to be; or maybe it is watching Pat Kaleta make a case for being a true professional hockey player.

It will be different for all of us, but I know where my interests lie. We all have reasons to watch sports, and living in Buffalo I'd guess winning championships isn't the primary draw.

So take today to relax. Watch some football, listen to The Weakerthans or whatever else relaxes you, and think back to what you love about sports. For me, it is the chance to be great, and if that can't happen this year, we are more than welcome to have some fun with the ride.

Hey, if this wasn't fun, we wouldn't be writing about it.

LDT Lets America Down

Pats win and Schula's still bitter.

Here's hoping the Packers win today. May God have mercy on Elisha against New England if the Giants win on the road tonight.

Same old, same old

By Chris


Forget last night. Tonight, the Sabres showed that they couldn't get the job done, which is what we've seen from them for most of the year.

They got down 3-0 early and fought to get back into the game. Late in the third period, down a goal, the defense pushed too hard, gave up an odd-man rush and gave up the put-away goal. Nothing new.

And it was against Toronto, arguably the worst team in the league, with their captain on the proverbial trading block and with fans calling for the heads of everyone in the front office. Thank God we beat Atlanta.

They just weren't good enough tonight. They just haven't been good enough all season. The flashes of greatness haven't been greater than the mental lapses and metal posts.

There are just over 37 days until the trade deadline. At this pace, the Sabres should be major sellers, but does anyone else get the feeling that Darcy will play the "Wait till we're completely healthy, then you'll see what kind of team we really are" card? I know I can't wait for that.

That Can't Be Scotty Bowman...

by Ryan



He's looking away in disgust because he knows what's coming tonight...

The Value of X

by Ryan

Now that I got that out of the way, let's be a bit more realistic about last night's win.

Winning feels good. If it didn't, we'd all play Japanese game shows instead of watching sports.

With that established, it's a pretty logical move to say that winning by nine goals feels really good, as well as that winning by nine goals after losing ten straight feels downright spectacular.

Well hold up there, partner, we got a game to play tonight.

I really hate being "that guy," but I gotta be a bit low key about this 10-1 final. It's not that I wasn't excited when it was going on, dear Lord, I almost hugged a guy; but the overall result of this game is a mere two points. Ten goals = two points, and right now that's all that matters.

Tonight was a good night for Sabres hockey, but in the long run it has to more then just one good night. In the standings this win will be worth the same as any win we've had this year, but to the team it has to be a building block. Take what happened tonight and get a boost from it. Know that you still have it, and that your potential is still there.

This team can still be good. That's the most important result right there. Not "the Sabres are good again" or "they looked good tonight." No, this team can be good, and tonight is an example of when they were. Whether it continues is up to them, but we can only hope they see what happened tonight as repeatable, maybe not in terms of score, but certainly in terms of effort.

Yes, Derek Roy was back, but Derek Roy forechecked tonight. So did Thomas Vanek, and Dan Paille, and Drew Stafford, and anyone else who wound up on the scoresheet. Take a look at that fourth goal tonight, Roy and Vanek started that play at center ice. Roy backchecked, Vanek forechecked, turnover.

You can say they had another 8 goals of coushin at the end of the night, but little plays like those win hockey games. So does Nolan Pratt standing up for teammates he's played less than 20 games with, and Paul Gaustad going 19/23 on faceoffs. The same can be said for great vision from Kalinin on Vanek's tip and Stafford's breakaway pass.

In the battle of mistakes versus good hockey, the good hockey finally prevailed for Buffalo. All of those smart plays and solid goaltending from Miller overcame a handful of mistakes. Aside from Campbell's bonehead pass on the PP, the complaints against were few and far between in my book, something that I haven't been able to say all year.

A 10-1 final is something that is pretty hard to live up to. Yet however unlikely to replicate the final score, what we saw tonight should be what we see tomorrow against the Leafs. If they bring the same game, they will win; it really is that simple.

No matter who is on the other team, Kovalchuck, Sundin, Malkin, Nash, whoever; if you bring that effort you will win hockey games. It may not always be this pretty, but at the end of the night you will get the same thing: two points.

You're Welcome

by Ryan

I'm a superstitious kat. Let's put that as the warning on this post.

Now, losing streaks really affect the way I go through my life. Not just in what I may wear or my mood, but my entire being is affected by the box score from the night before.

So, while everyone around me worried about taxes and their future occupations, I had two things on my mind:

1) When is my jersey coming in?
2) What are Dan Paille's numbers during the last ten games?

Sometime between the startling realization that my existence is based upon a trivial hobby and the beginning of last night's game, I answered both of those questions.

---

Now, am I saying that I caused the 10-1 final score all on my own? Well... in a word: yes.

I'm the one that made Derek Roy strap on the RoboCop armor and net a hat trick, the one that forced Nolan Pratt to step up big time and make him nearly impossible to remove from the lineup, and certainly the one that told Drew Stafford to get it together and break out of his sophomore slump.

All me, baby.

So... maybe not, but you're out of your mind if you think I'm not wearing that jersey tomorrow night.

A Terrible Terrible Terrible Terrible Idea

By Chris

From The Buffalo News:

Rick Jeanneret fans had better get their fill this weekend. The legendary play-by-play man won’t be around next week.

Jeanneret is taking a family vacation in Florida. He will broadcast tonight’s game and Saturday’s visit to Toronto, then studio host Kevin Sylvester heads to the booth for Monday’s game in Phoenix and Thursday’s game in Dallas. Jeanneret scheduled his vacation to coincide with next weekend’s All-Star break, giving him an extended hiatus with just two games missed.

If anyone actually likes this idea, raise your hand.



Sigh... It's going to be a long road trip...

Slumpbusters

By Chris

In the last six games, the Buffalo Sabres have scored 10 goals. Tonight, they matched that total in just one.

Coincidence or not, Derek Roy returned to the line up and added some much-needed punch. In the 10-1 win over Atlanta, Roy was credited with a hat trick and an assist.

His linemate Drew Stafford had a five point night, scoring three of his own and assisting on Roy's first two goals. The third member of the line, Thomas Vanek, broke out of his funk, with a goal and the secondary assists on Roy's first two tallies.


For a team that praises itself on balanced scoring (13 different Sabres recorded a point tonight), 12 out of 30 individual points were attributed to that one line. As mightly as the Sabres offense has struggled lately, that can't be overlooked.

When healthy, Roy, Vanek and Stafford have been the team's best line all season. The problem is that as soon as they start clicking, someone would get hurt and throw off the chemistry. Well now they're back together and they're rolling again.

Maybe it was just Atlanta, but no games lately have been "gimmes" for this team. Not by a longshot. So for the team to dominate in this way certainly raises an eyebrow or two--and maybe even drops a jaw or three.

If this line can keep that kind of production up over the next stretch of games (seven straight on the road), then the line may become worthy of a nickname. RAV worked because there was a vowel in there, and VRS (versus?) just doesn't flow or look right. I'll be thinking.

But in the mean time, it is only one game. They've won just one of their last 11 and need to turn things around fast. Tonight is a good start. And that Roy-Vanek-Stafford line is going to have to contine to be very very good.

As Pittsburgh holds its collective breath

From TSN.ca:

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will be out for an indefinite period of time with a high right ankle sprain after suffering the injury in the team's 3-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning Friday night.

Looks like there might be an opening in the Eastern All-Stars' starting line-up for Thomas Vanek [/sarcasm]

Extensive Thrashers @ Sabres Preview

by Ryan

After taking a look at the numbers last night, you would think I'm in a bad mood for tonight's game.

Actually, I'm pretty excited.

I really dislike the Thrashers, and I'm curious to see how this team plays coming back home. The crowd should be an interesting gauge of things, if we come out bad we may be seeing some boo birds tonight. Hopefully the crowd gets up for the game, a little home atmosphere may be just what they need.

Seriously, the crowds have been awful for the majority of our home games. Pick it up, people...

Wait, that doesn't sound too exciting. What about this:



Yeah, I'm pretty excited now.

I really have no idea what to say about tonight. The only person I'm afraid of on the Thrashers is Kovalchuck, but who knows what the boys will come up with.

However, if this streak goes to 11 I'm changing my background to this:



Ah, the glory days...

By the Numbers

by Rich and Ryan

When times are as tough as they have been this past month, you have to dig deep to find out what's really going on around here. So, here's a look at the Sabres' numbers over the current winless streak, as well as how that stacks up to the first 34 games prior:

Overall

Last 10
Goals for: 16 (1.6 pg)
Goals against: 26 (2.6 pg)
Powerplay: 2/33 (6%)
PK: 28/31 (90.3%)
Shots F/A: 295(Buf)-281(Opp)

Season
Goals for: 109 (3.2 PG)
Goals against: 62 (1.82 PG)
Powerplay: 31/159 (19.5%)

Difference
Goals for: -1.6 pg
Goals against: +.78 pg
Powerplay: -13.5%

Right off the bat that doesn't look too pretty. That powerplay number is atrocious based on the logic that it should be easier to score goals when your opponent has less players on the ice. With both goals for and against moving in the wrong direction, it's no wonder we are losing those close games. That extra goal here and there is the difference between a 6-4 and 0-5-5 record in your last ten.

Players

The seven players below have their stats listed from the last ten games:

Paille 3G, 3A, 6P, +5, 9sog

Pominville 2G, 4A, 6P, -3, 31sog

Campbell 2G, 4A, 6P, -4, 17sog

Hecht 2G, 2G, 4P, -5, 33sog

Kotalik 2G, 2A, 4P, -1, 26sog

Gaustad 0G, 3A, 3P, +1, 13sog

Vanek 1G, 2A, 3P, -8, 30sog

And here's Clarke MacArthur's stats in the 7 of 10 he was available:

MacArthur 2G, 2A, 4P, -1, 9sog

And Connolly, Roy, and Spacek's stats:

(in 7 games) Connolly 0G, 4A, 4P, -5, 23sog

(in 8 games) Spacek 0G, 1A, 1P, -3, 15sog

(in 7 games) Roy 0G, 1A, 1P, -4, 13sog

Other than MacArthur, those are the top ten in scoring on the team. Those numbers tell the story of this losing streak.

Just look at Vanek's numbers: three shots a game on average, three points to show for it and 11 goals scored against.

Dan Paille is having the best go of this slump, with 6 points and a +5 despite the -15 goal differential overall. He leads the team with a +10 on the year, and his play along with Gaustad and Mair has been the most consistent on the team.

Connolly, Roy, and Spacek have all battled injuries during that stretch, but none of them were having great runs to begin with.

Faceoffs (Season)

Won Lost Percent
Gaustad 350 307 53.27%
Roy 357 322 52.58%

Goose gets a lot of credit for his work in the faceoff dot, but it's interesting to see Roy sport similar numbers, even taking more draws in four less games so far. You have to wonder how Roy's absence has affected our consistency in the circle.

There's not much else to say once you look at the numbers. This team needs to start scoring goals, start playing better defense, and get healthy. Not that you needed numbers to know that, but it's good to get a visual every once in a while. A 6% conversion rate on your powerplay is more then just injuries; this team needs a confidence boost, and it better get it soon.

Ten and Counting

By Chris



Ten straight games without a win.

Sixteen goals in that span.

Five points out of a playoff spot.

Just over forty days until the trade deadline.

And the nights just continue to keep getting longer and colder.

Your move, Darcy.

Just Lose, Baby

by Ryan

When you look back on a season, a certain set of moments catch in your mind and become your storyline.

Last year's playlist would consist of a long string of highlight reel goals, come from behind wins, and of course, the Chris Neil Incident.

This year?



Ugh.

I'm almost to the point where I accept that this team just does not have it.

Remember when Joe Thornton flipped out and no one was there to defend the Sabre he went after? How many times have you seen that this season? It just seems like there is no heart in this team, and that's really, really depressing.

Take a look at what I wrote after that disastrous game against the Kings a month ago:

Maybe we belong here after all. This position of mediocrity we currently hold, maybe it is more than just a slow start. I still want to believe this team has more in the tank, but after watching them go out West and get punched in the mouth it's hard to consider it anything but reality.

Has that sentiment changed at all since that night? Take out the "go out West" part and replace it with any of the bad games we've seen. Rangers, Thrashers, Leafs, Habs, any of those poor showings would lead to the same response.

This team is mediocre; getting outplayed, outhit, and flat out beaten. A few bad bounces can lead to a losing streak, but ten games winless, with the biggest regular season game in NHL history included in that streak, well... that's consistency.

The Sabres haven't won a game since before Christmas.



How were your holidays?

Slide Rule

by Ryan

I like the term "winless streak."

That's not to say I enjoy being involved in one, but that phrase encompasses everything that is wrong with a team going through such a streak.

Sure, points may be accumulated, but the winning just isn't there.

With the position the Sabres find themselves in, points are essential game in and game out. However, I think it has pretty much been established that overtime losses suck.

They are deflating, overvalued results that lack the feeling of satisfaction that winning brings. I would go as far as saying three overtime losses in a row feel worse then going 1-2 in that same hypothetical stretch. Wins just feel better, and have to be a better confidence boost then three one point games.

Think about the value a "stolen" game has to a team. This is something the Sabres have lacked all year: the ability of Ryan Miller to steal a game. He did it once, on Long Island last month. How good did that win feel, regardless of how poorly the Sabres played overall? I would take a badly played game stolen by our goaltender over a good effort that leads to one point any night.

Yeah, we stayed in the game against Ottawa, and we took three points from New Jersey. And the Winter Classic gave us a point. And the team has been battling injuries. And they are getting a lot of shots. And if not for a Miller slip up along the side of the net we are off the schnide.

Whatever.

I'm tired of searching for positives in negative results. Tonight, consider me Al Davis when it comes to the final result: Just win, baby.



Sabres @ Rangers
7:00PM

MSG the place and channel.

Drury's Choice

by Ryan

"I compare it to a kid from Rochester, a kid from Batavia wanting to be a Sabre," Drury said today. "I'd have no problem explaining that to a Sabres fan at Cobblestone [the bar adjacent to HSBC Arena] or wherever. Since I knew what a Ranger was, I wanted to be one."

-Chris Drury

Sometimes, you just have to appreciate the thought.

Since the blog's inception I haven't hidden my admiration for Chris Drury. I think he is just one of those players anyone would love to have on their team. There is nothing flashy about him, no swagger or toe drag he brings out in warm ups to get the crowd moving. However, come game time there is something about him that brings up the very best of hockey characteristics.

Maybe it is pure talent, maybe it is the uncanny knack to lead, or maybe it is just blind luck. Either way, since the moment Chris Drury left Calgary I have been excited about where this team was going. Over that summer I kept telling people how close this team was. Even through that long, hockey-less winter, I knew the team had the chance to be something special when it came time to lace up the skates again.

Chris Drury was a big part of that, and when hockey started back up on 10/5/05 there wasn't a doubt in my mind this team was going somewhere. What followed is arguably the most exciting two year span in Sabres history, and some games that I will never forget.

Then summer came.

I'm not going to go into the blame game, and I'm not going to cry over what happened. However, about a week before the UFA market opened I started kicking around an idea in my head. What resulted was a post I called "The Case for Chris Drury."

Here's the thing about that post: I still believe every word of it.

I'm never going to be a Rangers fan, but I still like Chris Drury. I never want to see him score a goal against us, and him winning a Stanley Cup with the Rangers may force me to break the nice china, but I still like Chris Drury as a player, and I'm not ashamed to say it at all.

Yeah, he choose another team, but can you really blame him? His logic is the same logic each and every one of us used when playing street hockey so many years ago, or what many of us do when we play videogames today. When you get the chance, you play for the hometown team. Put yourself in that position and tell me you don't leave {insert small market town} for your Sabres in a heartbeat if that scenario comes up.

Yeah, it may be unfair to us, but what if Tim Connolly uses that same logic when his UFA status comes up next year? He was born in Baldwinsville, just outside of Syracuse. Do you think he wants to pick up and move across country to Phoenix or St. Louis or stay at home playing hockey just down the 90?

It may not be the most logical of arguments, but since when does hockey involve much logic? So many of us take the emotions from the game and translate them to real life. Games affect my entire outlook on the day, or even just my mood for days afterwords. Why can't players do the same thing?

Chris Drury made a business decision based on an emotional tie to a childhood dream, and when it boils down to it I'm okay with that. It sure as hell isn't what I wanted, but a player in that position does what is best for him and his family, I can't help but respect that.

Tomorrow the Chris Drury talk will be insufferable, and will probably continue ad nausem until his return to Buffalo on February 23nd, exactly one year and one day after the Chris Neil incident.

What will happen with the crowd I have no idea. I would like to say I will be a part of that group, but there is too much going through my head at the moment to make a ticket purchase.

I do know, however, that I still have a "Salute to Captains" Parkhurst with Chris Drury's stoic face on it. It's sitting proudly next to a few Jim Kelly cards, and an over sized Beehive Drury card I overpaid for a few weeks before UFA day. Those cards aren't going down anytime soon, and I don't regret buying either of them.

Chris Drury may not be my captain anymore, but he's still "my guy."

NFL Predictions Revisited

By Jon

Prior to the start of the NFL regular season, the Roost presented the "8 in 8," our predictions for the eight divisions in eight consecutive days. Today, we'll revisit the 8 in 8, and see how good our prognosticating skills are.

AFC East

Predicted Finish

1. New England Patriots
2. Buffalo Bills
3. New York Jets
4. Miami Dolphins

Actual Finish

1. New England Patriots
2. Buffalo Bills
3. New York Jets
4. Miami Dolphins

Dead On:

• -The final standings. Chris correctly predicted the finishing order of all four AFC East teams.
• -"Brady might just even be this year’s Offensive MVP."
  
• -Brady was indeed, a near unanimous pick for the Associated Press MVP, with Brett Favre receiving one vote from a writer who may have been under-the-influence of several illegal narcotics.
  

Way Off:

• "And if J.P. Losman continues to improve and Josh Reed hangs on to the ball, the Bills should be in good hands on the offensive side."
  
• Ouch. The Bills were hardly in good hands on the offensive side, and J.P. punched his ticket out of town.
  

AFC North

Predicted Finish

1. Baltimore Ravens
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Cleveland Browns

Actual Finish

1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Cleveland Browns
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Baltimore Ravens

Dead On

• -"New coach Mike Tomlin should be able to get the team focused and in shape to make another serious push for the postseason."
  
• -The Steelers easily made the playoffs, with Tomlin putting in an outstanding coaching effort throughout the year.

Way Off

• -"Despite their tough schedule (Weeks 12-14 include a road trip to San Diego and then two home games against New England and the Colts), the Ravens should win this division and secure the fourth playoff berth in the AFC."
• -Uhhhhhh, no. The Ravens were one of the worst teams in the league, due to a lack of quality quarterback play and a lack of fire on both sides of the ball. Brian Billick was fired, and rightfully so.
• -"[The Browns are] going to be soooo bad. They'll have a Top 3 pick again in the draft I bet, and they won't even be able to use it since they traded it away to get backup Brady Quinn this year. Good news for Dallas. This team could go 1-15 and I'm not sure anyone would be totally shocked. Looks to me like the curtain on the Romeo Crennell era may be drawing to a close.."
• -The Browns shocked everyone, the Roost included, by making a serious playoff push. They're offense became explosive with the emergence of Derek Anderson (even though he fizzled down the stretch). A few defensive pickups and there is no reason to believe the Browns won't be in next year's playoffs.

AFC South

Predicted Finish

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Houston Texans

Actual Finish

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Houston Texans

Dead On

• -The final standings. Rich nailed it.
  
• -"Peyton & Co will cut that meat all the way to another division title."
  

Way Off

• -"[The Jaguars] coaching staff doesn't seem to have much of an idea what they're doing. "Hey, let's start one quarterback all 4 preseason games, then release him the week before the season starts and just assume that the other guy will be able to step in with no problems, despite not getting a single rep against a first-team defense or with the first-team offense all preseason." Personally, that type of logic ranks right between "Let's get drunk and get tattoos" and "Only $7 million for Jeff Weaver? What a deal!" on my list of bad decisions."
• -Davard Garrad ended up having an above-average year, while Byron Leftwich battled injuries for the hapless Falcons. Good move on Jack Del Rio's part. However, "Let's get drunk and get tattoos" and $7 million for Jeff Weaver are still awful ideas.
• -Or more likely, [the Texans] front office will spend the entire season figuring out the mechanics of time travel so that they can go back and take a mulligan on Mario Williams.
• -Mario Williams had a pretty good year, with 14 sacks and 59 tackles. No mulligans necessary.
  

AFC West

Predicted Finish

1. San Diego Chargers
2. Denver Broncos
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Oakland Raiders

Actual Finish

1. San Diego Chargers
2. Denver Broncos
3. Oakland Raiders
4. Kansas City Chiefs
   

Dead On

• -"[The Chargers are] probably the best all-around team in the league outside of New England."
• -This may not be "dead on," but the Chargers are one of four teams left standing, making them one of the best in my book.
  

Way Off

• -"Expect [the Broncos] to win that extra late season game this season to get them into the postseason."
• -The Broncos finished 7-9 (6-10 if the stupid Bills could have pulled one out) and were out of the playoff race by week 15.

NFC East

Predicted Finish

1. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Washington Redskins
4. New York Giants

Actual Finish

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. New York Giants
3. Washington Redskins
4. Philadelphia Eagles

Dead On

• -Nothing. This division was a train-wreck as far as our predictions went.

Way Off

• -Everything. The final standings were awful. Our first place team finished in last, our last place team finished in second. But hey! At least we nailed the Redskins in third place!
• -"The [Giants'] players don't like their coach and it won't be very long before they quit on him and we have to listen to a Coughlin meltdown."
• -Coughlin seems to have changed his hard-nosed ways, probably out of fear for his job, and the players seem to have responded.

NFC North

Predicted Finish

1. Chicago Bears
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Detroit Lions
4. Minnesota Vikings

Actual Finish

1. Green Bay Packers
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. Detroit Lions
4. Chicago Bears

Dead On

• -"I don't expect the Lions to finish at the bottom of the division."
• -The only thing I got somewhat right, the Lions really didn't finish in last place, but they certainly meet John Kitna's guarantee of 10 wins.
  

Way Off

• -"Some people think the Pack will surprise some people. Count me out."
• -The Pack were one of the top two teams in the NFC all year, proving me horribly, horribly wrong.
• -"Pretty predictable division, if I say so myself."
• -Looking back, that was a terribly cocky thing to say. My apologies.

NFC South
Predicted Finish

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Carolina Panthers
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Atlanta Falcons

Actual Finish

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2. Carolina Panthers
3. New Orleans Saints
4. Atlanta Falcons

Dead On

• -"Joe Horn does not like the Joey Harrington Experience. Joe Horn does like Mike Vick. Joe Horn advises Mike Vick stay strong, and give Chris Redman some pointers. Mr. Horn wishes he was back in New Orleans."
• -An atrocious year in Atlanta, as just about everyone expected. As RJ semi-predicted, Chris Redman did get a few snaps, even with Byron Leftwich being signed.
  

Way Off

• -"I smell an easy playoff birth. Look for the Saints to repeat as South Champs."
• -The Saints couldn't overcome their awful start, finishing 7-9 and in second in a rather terrible division.
• -"Cadillac Williams will more than likely bounce back from his Sophomore Slump, but it's not going to be enough to lift the Bucs from a sub .500 record."
• -Cadillac was placed on IR before he had a chance to break out of his Sophomore Slump, but Ernest Grant stepped up and carried this team into the playoffs.

NFC West

Predicted Finish

1. St. Louis Rams
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. Seattle Seahawks
4. Arizona Cardinals

Actual Finish

1. Seattle Seahawks
   
2. Arizona Cardinals
   
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. St. Louis Rams

Dead On

• -Once again, nothing. This was probably the worst predicted division by the Roost.

Way Off

• -The final standings.
  
• -St. Louis was the worst team in the NFC after injuries to their offensive line ruined their season, and San Fran was nearly as bad, coming nowhere close to meeting expectations laid out here.
• -"potential MVP Marc Bulger"
• -I would bet Chris would love to have that one back. Bulger struggled through the worst season of his career, finishing with 2392 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. Hardly MVP numbers.

All in all, we at the Roost have found out how hard predicting the seemingly unpredictable can be. We'll be back again next year to provide you with useless picks that will undoubtedly be wrong in the end. See you then!