By Jon
After the success of our "Most Insignificant Sabre" series, we have decided to continue the series, this time taking a look at The Most Insignificant Franchise in Buffalo History (kudos to Brian S. for the idea.)
For those new to the Roost, here's how it will work: Nominations will be taken in the comments of this thread until Monday. We will then pick a few franchises as finalists, and we'll run one profile a day. Then it's up to the readers: A poll will be up on the Roost for a week, with the winning franchise receiving the title of The Most Insignificant Franchise in Buffalo History.
In order for a franchise to be nominated, the team must have played its home games in the Western New York area, and must have been in at least a semi-professional league. There is no minimum requirement for games or seasons played, and it can be a franchise that is still in existence (I'm looking at you Buffalo Dragons.)
For a little help, check out this Wiki page.
Like I said before, the first team will be profiled on Monday, so be sure to get your nominations in quickly!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Could that be the third jersey logo?
Icethetics (formerly NHL Tournament of Logos) has an sneak peek at what some of the third jersey logos may look like this year.
Seems as if Buffalo's will look somewhat familiar:
I expect those things to sell like Nintendo Wiis (because who buys hotcakes anymore?). The jerseys will officially be unveiled on September 20.
Seems as if Buffalo's will look somewhat familiar:
I expect those things to sell like Nintendo Wiis (because who buys hotcakes anymore?). The jerseys will officially be unveiled on September 20.
The Five Best Deals of the Season
by Ryan
Judging from thegreat lukewarm response from the last post about the schedule, I wasn't going to do one about the five best deals of the year.
However, guess what came in the mail yesterday?
That's right, the mini pack is here, and it's time to pick some hockey games. To quote Chris, "Yahoo." So, here are my picks for the five best values of the year.
1. Thursday, October 30th: Tampa Bay (Value)- I know everyone has already tabbed the Blues game as the best value out there, but consider this: No matter what happens Tampa Bay will be fun to watch. Either it's going to be a brilliant combination of Penguins, Mullets, and four defenseman; or it will be a complete and utter s#*tshow. Either way, you're not willing to pay $30 bucks to see that?
2. 10/27 and 2/17: Ottawa (Bronze)- I know these are midweek games, but don't we still hate Ottawa? I know I do, and I can't pass these up when compared to a gold Islanders game.
3. Monday, December 22nd: Pittsburgh (Silver)- This is the best value as far as opponent (East Champs), Date (days before Christmas), and compared to similar games (Other Pens game is a gold). If you are going to splurge, I say make it here.
4. Tuesday, February 24th: Anaheim (Bronze)- The Ducks don't come around that often, and they are still a very good team. I'd like to take a closer look at the West this year, and this seems like a good chance to see a good team for cheap.
5. Monday, April 6th: Detroit (Silver)- Chris and I agree, Detroit is the team to see this year. Even if we are in the basement by season's end, they will be fighting for something, most likely the President's Trophy. It could be a huge game against a huge team, and I can't pass that up. If not for it being a Monday, it would easily be a gold.
Judging from the
However, guess what came in the mail yesterday?
That's right, the mini pack is here, and it's time to pick some hockey games. To quote Chris, "Yahoo." So, here are my picks for the five best values of the year.
1. Thursday, October 30th: Tampa Bay (Value)- I know everyone has already tabbed the Blues game as the best value out there, but consider this: No matter what happens Tampa Bay will be fun to watch. Either it's going to be a brilliant combination of Penguins, Mullets, and four defenseman; or it will be a complete and utter s#*tshow. Either way, you're not willing to pay $30 bucks to see that?
2. 10/27 and 2/17: Ottawa (Bronze)- I know these are midweek games, but don't we still hate Ottawa? I know I do, and I can't pass these up when compared to a gold Islanders game.
3. Monday, December 22nd: Pittsburgh (Silver)- This is the best value as far as opponent (East Champs), Date (days before Christmas), and compared to similar games (Other Pens game is a gold). If you are going to splurge, I say make it here.
4. Tuesday, February 24th: Anaheim (Bronze)- The Ducks don't come around that often, and they are still a very good team. I'd like to take a closer look at the West this year, and this seems like a good chance to see a good team for cheap.
5. Monday, April 6th: Detroit (Silver)- Chris and I agree, Detroit is the team to see this year. Even if we are in the basement by season's end, they will be fighting for something, most likely the President's Trophy. It could be a huge game against a huge team, and I can't pass that up. If not for it being a Monday, it would easily be a gold.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Jay McKee has The Seven Year Itch
by Ryan
So this is sure to scald your retinas for the afternoon. St. Louis Blue Dan Hinote got married on Friday to Amy McCarthy, and they had an interesting wedding theme: The 1950s. More specifically, they had their guests dress up as celebrities from that era.
No, really.
So Jim Carrey was Castro, I guess that makes sense. However, who was the woman?
Jay McKee.
So, uh... somehow I can't picture that at all. Here, let's try this:
Yeah. Holy God. I think I need to lie down for a bit.
So this is sure to scald your retinas for the afternoon. St. Louis Blue Dan Hinote got married on Friday to Amy McCarthy, and they had an interesting wedding theme: The 1950s. More specifically, they had their guests dress up as celebrities from that era.
No, really.
During the dinner, the groom addressed his friends, family and fans. "It's been a wonderful day for my beautiful bride and me," he said. "You must be a bunch of screwed up people to dress up like the '50s, right? I have a teammate dressed as a woman."
So Jim Carrey was Castro, I guess that makes sense. However, who was the woman?
Jay McKee.
Befitting the occasion, St. Louis defenseman Jay McKee donned a blond wig, Seven Year Itch white dress and heels. Scary sight. Post cake-cutting, Hinote and McCarthy changed into Danny Zucko and Sandy Olsen costumes.
So, uh... somehow I can't picture that at all. Here, let's try this:
Yeah. Holy God. I think I need to lie down for a bit.
The Five Worst Deals of the Season
by Ryan
The pricing for the 2008-09 season has been announced, and just like the record industry, the Sabres have gone platinum. Of course this means that we will be paying even more money to get inside HSBC Arena. The addition of a fifth tier means even more crappy games that will cost you even more to see.
So, while we wait for our minipack forms to come via snail mail, let me share with you my picks for the five worst ways to see a hockey game out of the Slugs.
1. Friday, November 7th: Atlanta- (Silver) What, are we paying for Ron Hainsey's contract or something? Every game on a Friday is a silver or higher, but this is by far the worst. Keep in mind, people, Don Waddell is still in charge down there.
2. Friday, December 19th: Los Angeles- (Silver) Have the Kings done anything to improve this off season? I know the proximity to Christmas will drive the value of this game up, but the Kings are an awful team, and last time I checked Justin Timberlake was their most consistent goaltender. Not worth much more than a bronze at best.
3. Saturday, December 27th: Islanders- (Gold) Wow, I never thought I'd see an Isles game go gold. Ted Nolan is gone, so is Miro Satan, and with that goes any interest I have in paying a bill to see Mike Comrie and DiPi roll into town. Again, Christmas is a wonderful holiday, but so is watching the game on an HDTV and playing with all the cool crap you got two days before. I'll take the couch for this one.
4. Friday, February 6th: Montreal (Platinum) It's too easy of a pick, but every other Habs game is a gold. Go on opening night instead, leave this one to those with the funny money. (That's what they want us to do with these, right?)
5. Saturday, January 17th: Carolina (Silver) It's actually not too bad a game, Canes games are always fun. However, when there is a Bronze just a month later also on the weekend, why pay the extra money? Save that cash and buy a seat to see St. Louis earlier in the year.
---
Your picks for worst value in the comments if you'd like.
The pricing for the 2008-09 season has been announced, and just like the record industry, the Sabres have gone platinum. Of course this means that we will be paying even more money to get inside HSBC Arena. The addition of a fifth tier means even more crappy games that will cost you even more to see.
So, while we wait for our minipack forms to come via snail mail, let me share with you my picks for the five worst ways to see a hockey game out of the Slugs.
1. Friday, November 7th: Atlanta- (Silver) What, are we paying for Ron Hainsey's contract or something? Every game on a Friday is a silver or higher, but this is by far the worst. Keep in mind, people, Don Waddell is still in charge down there.
2. Friday, December 19th: Los Angeles- (Silver) Have the Kings done anything to improve this off season? I know the proximity to Christmas will drive the value of this game up, but the Kings are an awful team, and last time I checked Justin Timberlake was their most consistent goaltender. Not worth much more than a bronze at best.
3. Saturday, December 27th: Islanders- (Gold) Wow, I never thought I'd see an Isles game go gold. Ted Nolan is gone, so is Miro Satan, and with that goes any interest I have in paying a bill to see Mike Comrie and DiPi roll into town. Again, Christmas is a wonderful holiday, but so is watching the game on an HDTV and playing with all the cool crap you got two days before. I'll take the couch for this one.
4. Friday, February 6th: Montreal (Platinum) It's too easy of a pick, but every other Habs game is a gold. Go on opening night instead, leave this one to those with the funny money. (That's what they want us to do with these, right?)
5. Saturday, January 17th: Carolina (Silver) It's actually not too bad a game, Canes games are always fun. However, when there is a Bronze just a month later also on the weekend, why pay the extra money? Save that cash and buy a seat to see St. Louis earlier in the year.
---
Your picks for worst value in the comments if you'd like.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Ready to Run
by Ryan
By now I'm sure you are aware that the Marshawn Lynch Saga is officially over. Chancellor Goodell won't be dropping the hammer on Money, and barring a Fred Jacksplosion during the preseason, Lynch will be starting this fall.
To say this is great news is understating it a bit. In fact, let's give you chills courtesy of 289. (His awesome Training Camp photos can be found here)
That feeling you got knowing what comes next? That's what having an offensive threat in the backfield does for you. At any time Money can get the job done, and you can't help but get excited for what comes next.
However, when good news like this comes you have to step back and realize what a bullet we just dodged.
Marshawn Lynch was lucky. No, really; he's really, really , reeeeeeally lucky.
There could have been any number of things that screwed Money over this past month or so. First of all, the girl could have died. He could have been on the scene when caught and possibly intoxicated. He could have had "substances" on him. Heck, he could have mowed down that dancer in the crosswalk, too.
And that's just the first night. From then on any number of people could have conspired to make things a whole lot worse than community service.
Now this is all information you know, but it is worth considering a second time. Marshawn is fortunate enough to be a pro football player, and we all know the rules are different for athletes of his caliber. If not for his name, things would currently be much more dire for the kid. This is something we as fans have gotten used to, and over time our concern for a player's well being has gone from hoping they stay out of trouble to hoping they stay on the field.
Go back to what I led this very post with: Lynch will be starting this fall.
To most fans, including myself, that is what matters most. We are the people waiting for Chris Henry's suspension to end last season so we can pick him up on the fantasy waiver wire. The same people considering Tank Johnson to fill up a defensive need. We as fans become personally attached to players when they perform well; only to distance ourselves when their personal lives become muddled. When they show up in the papers, we reduce their value to their production only.
In the case of Marshawn Lynch, I'd like to hope that doesn't happen. I don't want Marshawn Lynch at running back only because he runs well, I want him there because I really do like him. He truly seems like a genuine person, someone excited to play football in this city. To strip that lovable demeanor away and see him as just a running back would be a shame.
My hope is that this incident was the result of a person in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lynch made a mistake, and the hope of any fan is that he learns from this misstep and becomes both a better player and a better person because of it.
It may be wishful thinking, to consider a football player as anything more than such. However, isn't that what being a sports fan is all about?
By now I'm sure you are aware that the Marshawn Lynch Saga is officially over. Chancellor Goodell won't be dropping the hammer on Money, and barring a Fred Jacksplosion during the preseason, Lynch will be starting this fall.
To say this is great news is understating it a bit. In fact, let's give you chills courtesy of 289. (His awesome Training Camp photos can be found here)
That feeling you got knowing what comes next? That's what having an offensive threat in the backfield does for you. At any time Money can get the job done, and you can't help but get excited for what comes next.
However, when good news like this comes you have to step back and realize what a bullet we just dodged.
Marshawn Lynch was lucky. No, really; he's really, really , reeeeeeally lucky.
There could have been any number of things that screwed Money over this past month or so. First of all, the girl could have died. He could have been on the scene when caught and possibly intoxicated. He could have had "substances" on him. Heck, he could have mowed down that dancer in the crosswalk, too.
And that's just the first night. From then on any number of people could have conspired to make things a whole lot worse than community service.
Now this is all information you know, but it is worth considering a second time. Marshawn is fortunate enough to be a pro football player, and we all know the rules are different for athletes of his caliber. If not for his name, things would currently be much more dire for the kid. This is something we as fans have gotten used to, and over time our concern for a player's well being has gone from hoping they stay out of trouble to hoping they stay on the field.
Go back to what I led this very post with: Lynch will be starting this fall.
To most fans, including myself, that is what matters most. We are the people waiting for Chris Henry's suspension to end last season so we can pick him up on the fantasy waiver wire. The same people considering Tank Johnson to fill up a defensive need. We as fans become personally attached to players when they perform well; only to distance ourselves when their personal lives become muddled. When they show up in the papers, we reduce their value to their production only.
In the case of Marshawn Lynch, I'd like to hope that doesn't happen. I don't want Marshawn Lynch at running back only because he runs well, I want him there because I really do like him. He truly seems like a genuine person, someone excited to play football in this city. To strip that lovable demeanor away and see him as just a running back would be a shame.
My hope is that this incident was the result of a person in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lynch made a mistake, and the hope of any fan is that he learns from this misstep and becomes both a better player and a better person because of it.
It may be wishful thinking, to consider a football player as anything more than such. However, isn't that what being a sports fan is all about?
Sabres Variable Pricing Announced
via Sabres.com
Looks like your best bets are weeknight games in October, December and February.
I'm looking at games to select for my own mini-pack and I've eyed out seven games so far. Four bronze games and three silver (Boston in October, Tampa and Pittsburgh in December, Ottawa in February and the San Jose, Anaheim and Detroit games).
With the Canadian dollar as strong as it is right now, it's no surprise that the Sabres are looking to take full advantage of those weekend games against teams north of the border. It is a bit of a bummer, however, that there are only three value games this year and that the last one is as early as December 1.
There are a nice stretch of home games in December and many of those are within reasonable value, especially on the weeknights (New Jersey, Pittsburgh and Ottawa).
The West Coast team mainly come into town on Friday nights and with the addition of the platinum tier, a silver ticket isn't that bad of a deal ($50 for 300 IV is still kind of pricey, but consider that the Sabres are still one of the cheapest tickets in the league).
Overall, it's a fair schedule. Sure both Philly and Rangers games are gold but it's because they're being played on the weekends.
Of those seven, I'll probably have to narrow it down to four or five. Maybe sacrifice the bronze Ottawa so I can go to the Sharks game.
Only thing left to do now is wait for the order form to come in the mail.
Is it October yet?
Looks like your best bets are weeknight games in October, December and February.
I'm looking at games to select for my own mini-pack and I've eyed out seven games so far. Four bronze games and three silver (Boston in October, Tampa and Pittsburgh in December, Ottawa in February and the San Jose, Anaheim and Detroit games).
With the Canadian dollar as strong as it is right now, it's no surprise that the Sabres are looking to take full advantage of those weekend games against teams north of the border. It is a bit of a bummer, however, that there are only three value games this year and that the last one is as early as December 1.
There are a nice stretch of home games in December and many of those are within reasonable value, especially on the weeknights (New Jersey, Pittsburgh and Ottawa).
The West Coast team mainly come into town on Friday nights and with the addition of the platinum tier, a silver ticket isn't that bad of a deal ($50 for 300 IV is still kind of pricey, but consider that the Sabres are still one of the cheapest tickets in the league).
Overall, it's a fair schedule. Sure both Philly and Rangers games are gold but it's because they're being played on the weekends.
Of those seven, I'll probably have to narrow it down to four or five. Maybe sacrifice the bronze Ottawa so I can go to the Sharks game.
Only thing left to do now is wait for the order form to come in the mail.
Is it October yet?
To Tide You Over
by Ryan
- Brian Moorman has a blog. I think that's about as good as it gets on a Monday morning.
- The Patriots signed LaMont Jordan, which I think is a bigger deal than people are making it out to be. A washed up running back from Oakland isn't supposed to scare you when they have Kool Aid Maroney around, but Jordan could be a big addition.
- Going Five Hole says that Matthew Barnaby will be interviewed for the ESPN hockey job. I agree with GFH, he won't get the job. However, he is an excellent spokesperson for the Summit Mall.
- Yahoo Sports has a nice little article about Leodis McKelvin and his arrival at camp. Sounds like a good first impression.
We'll be back later with something more substantial. Perhaps Manny Ramirez will tell someone he's willing to buy a puppy if one is offered to him.
- Brian Moorman has a blog. I think that's about as good as it gets on a Monday morning.
- The Patriots signed LaMont Jordan, which I think is a bigger deal than people are making it out to be. A washed up running back from Oakland isn't supposed to scare you when they have Kool Aid Maroney around, but Jordan could be a big addition.
- Going Five Hole says that Matthew Barnaby will be interviewed for the ESPN hockey job. I agree with GFH, he won't get the job. However, he is an excellent spokesperson for the Summit Mall.
- Yahoo Sports has a nice little article about Leodis McKelvin and his arrival at camp. Sounds like a good first impression.
We'll be back later with something more substantial. Perhaps Manny Ramirez will tell someone he's willing to buy a puppy if one is offered to him.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Sunday Morning Youtube
I promise you by Friday this will all make sense. I was going to post a video of a buffalo getting torn apart by lions, but this ranks pretty high up there, too.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Getting Back to Form
Yes, Robert Royal will sign that football; but he's going to drop it first.
Just like last season.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Drawing Back the Curtain
by Ryan
Today has been a long time coming.
Training camp is here.
Last year in late November I wrote the following about the season:
Act Four turned out to not be enough. It was exciting, but a 8-0 loss in the Cleveland snow killed our chances for playoff football. The next week was a literal s#$tstorm at the Ralph against the Giants, and a whimper of a game in Philly closed out a season once again full of what ifs.
Today is the beginning of "next year." Many people don't care about training camp, but for us it's the start of yet another play. Hopefully, this one will have three acts. The first two are always seen, but the third is what we have longed for: the postseason.
Donte Whitner may have guaranteed it, but we want to see it for real. This year may finally be it: the journey back to the playoffs. Perhaps things will finally turn around, and our hearts will tessellate once again.
For what it's worth, today I am excited, and I know I'm not the only one.
This is Billy Shaw's helmet, and its now the background on my cell phone. It will be there until something of importance takes it's place, and that probably won't happen until opening day.
Consider this the start of Act 1. Make sure you save some candy for the rest of the show.
Today has been a long time coming.
Training camp is here.
Last year in late November I wrote the following about the season:
Over the next six weeks we are going to see what this team is made of. This Bills season has been a play in three parts. Act One was the descent, capped off by the MNF game that could have killed their season. Act Two was the break even, the stretch of games against beatable teams. Act Three was last week, embarrassment on a national scale.
Act Four can be two things: The continuation of Act Three, or the test that proves this team is worthy of an extended season.
Act Four turned out to not be enough. It was exciting, but a 8-0 loss in the Cleveland snow killed our chances for playoff football. The next week was a literal s#$tstorm at the Ralph against the Giants, and a whimper of a game in Philly closed out a season once again full of what ifs.
Today is the beginning of "next year." Many people don't care about training camp, but for us it's the start of yet another play. Hopefully, this one will have three acts. The first two are always seen, but the third is what we have longed for: the postseason.
Donte Whitner may have guaranteed it, but we want to see it for real. This year may finally be it: the journey back to the playoffs. Perhaps things will finally turn around, and our hearts will tessellate once again.
For what it's worth, today I am excited, and I know I'm not the only one.
This is Billy Shaw's helmet, and its now the background on my cell phone. It will be there until something of importance takes it's place, and that probably won't happen until opening day.
Consider this the start of Act 1. Make sure you save some candy for the rest of the show.
Cardpost
by Ryan
No matter how hard you may try, the little kid in you will always get out.
Ever since I could remember I've collected sports cards. It started with football, and I'll never forget when I got my first Jim Kelly "Crash" card. You might know the ones, it was like fantasy football on a trading card. If he threw for a touchdown on the date listed, you sent the card in and got a shiny new one. I never sent a card in, I thought the original ones looked too cool.
Recently my trading card habits have subsided quite a bit. Every so often I will buy some hockey cards, and I think everyone tried to get a Sidney Crosby rookie a few years back (I have a few), but I just can't afford to drop a significant amount of my paycheck on cardboard. (Blogging just doesn't pay the bills, people.)
I do make one exception: Allen and Ginter.
These cards are modeled after the first trading cards that came with cigarettes. Topps started making them in 2006 and put baseball players on, as well as celebrities and a few otehr athletes. The series was very successful, and even I had a bit of luck pulling some nice cards out. My favorite of the set? A Manny Ramirez jersey card.
Since then I've been waiting each year to get my hands on the new set. On Tuesday the 2008 version came out, and I happened to be at the mall. I was $15 lighter when I left, but in return I did get an Empire State Building card, as well as a mini Joba Chamberlain. However, my new favorite card is this:
Jacoby Ellsbury is probably my favorite Red Sox player of Navajo descent. In fact, I may name my first born after him for his antics in the last World Series. To pull a card like that out of a pack is always a nice feeling; nice enough that I wanted to share it with you.
You see, I'm not one of those people who thinks my card collection will buy my retirement home. I understand the market, and I know the cards I buy won't net millions a few decades down the road. However, I don't buy cards to make money.
In a strange way, I think buying sports cards puts you just a bit closer to the game. It's not about looking at their stats, it's not about getting them graded and listed "near mint", it's about looking at a card and saying, "hey, that looks pretty cool."
I have a Chris Drury "Salute to Captains" Parkhurst. I think that is insanely accurate, and I still have that front and center. I have a Bobby Orr Parkhurst replica that is probably worth a dollar at best, but there is something about having Bobby Orr streaking up the ice that makes you keep it out.
Its fun to look at the different players moving from team to team. Each year a new player signs with a different team but they are pictured in their old jerseys. Players are traded mid season and are represented as a Red Wing or Star the whole season, only to have a dash or split stat reading the next year. I like watching a team's uniform evolve; it's always fun when the pictures are taken with the alternate jerseys on.
I know I'm rambling, but with sports cards everyone has a different reason for buying. The important thing is this: you always have a favorite card. For me, it will always be this:
1997 Pacific Miroslav Satan. I only bought one pack, and he was in it. There is something about luck and getting your favorite player that is just really cool. It also helps that you are young and impressionable and send it away to HSBC Arena to get signed. When you put your favorite hockey card in an envelope and aim to have a Slovokian man sign it and safely return it to you; you are talking about some serious trust.
Thankfully, I got it back in the mail a few weeks later, and it's been on display ever since. Even after the cell phone hand, even after the lockout, even after the Islanders and now the Penguins. It's going to stay on that wall for a long time, even if it is just to the left of a dart board.
Since it's a Friday and nothing is happening unless you are in Rochester, I want to hear your story. If you ever collected cards, or even just bought a few, tell me about your favorite. There is nothing to be ashamed of, unless it is a Pokemon card or something.
/closes closet door
No matter how hard you may try, the little kid in you will always get out.
Ever since I could remember I've collected sports cards. It started with football, and I'll never forget when I got my first Jim Kelly "Crash" card. You might know the ones, it was like fantasy football on a trading card. If he threw for a touchdown on the date listed, you sent the card in and got a shiny new one. I never sent a card in, I thought the original ones looked too cool.
Recently my trading card habits have subsided quite a bit. Every so often I will buy some hockey cards, and I think everyone tried to get a Sidney Crosby rookie a few years back (I have a few), but I just can't afford to drop a significant amount of my paycheck on cardboard. (Blogging just doesn't pay the bills, people.)
I do make one exception: Allen and Ginter.
These cards are modeled after the first trading cards that came with cigarettes. Topps started making them in 2006 and put baseball players on, as well as celebrities and a few otehr athletes. The series was very successful, and even I had a bit of luck pulling some nice cards out. My favorite of the set? A Manny Ramirez jersey card.
Since then I've been waiting each year to get my hands on the new set. On Tuesday the 2008 version came out, and I happened to be at the mall. I was $15 lighter when I left, but in return I did get an Empire State Building card, as well as a mini Joba Chamberlain. However, my new favorite card is this:
Jacoby Ellsbury is probably my favorite Red Sox player of Navajo descent. In fact, I may name my first born after him for his antics in the last World Series. To pull a card like that out of a pack is always a nice feeling; nice enough that I wanted to share it with you.
You see, I'm not one of those people who thinks my card collection will buy my retirement home. I understand the market, and I know the cards I buy won't net millions a few decades down the road. However, I don't buy cards to make money.
In a strange way, I think buying sports cards puts you just a bit closer to the game. It's not about looking at their stats, it's not about getting them graded and listed "near mint", it's about looking at a card and saying, "hey, that looks pretty cool."
I have a Chris Drury "Salute to Captains" Parkhurst. I think that is insanely accurate, and I still have that front and center. I have a Bobby Orr Parkhurst replica that is probably worth a dollar at best, but there is something about having Bobby Orr streaking up the ice that makes you keep it out.
Its fun to look at the different players moving from team to team. Each year a new player signs with a different team but they are pictured in their old jerseys. Players are traded mid season and are represented as a Red Wing or Star the whole season, only to have a dash or split stat reading the next year. I like watching a team's uniform evolve; it's always fun when the pictures are taken with the alternate jerseys on.
I know I'm rambling, but with sports cards everyone has a different reason for buying. The important thing is this: you always have a favorite card. For me, it will always be this:
1997 Pacific Miroslav Satan. I only bought one pack, and he was in it. There is something about luck and getting your favorite player that is just really cool. It also helps that you are young and impressionable and send it away to HSBC Arena to get signed. When you put your favorite hockey card in an envelope and aim to have a Slovokian man sign it and safely return it to you; you are talking about some serious trust.
Thankfully, I got it back in the mail a few weeks later, and it's been on display ever since. Even after the cell phone hand, even after the lockout, even after the Islanders and now the Penguins. It's going to stay on that wall for a long time, even if it is just to the left of a dart board.
Since it's a Friday and nothing is happening unless you are in Rochester, I want to hear your story. If you ever collected cards, or even just bought a few, tell me about your favorite. There is nothing to be ashamed of, unless it is a Pokemon card or something.
/closes closet door
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Rochester Night
By Chris
Last night I took a trip down the 490, through rain and flooded highway to Rochester. A friend of my dad's invited me, my dad and my brother to a feast at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (soooo good) and a Rochester Red Wings game. Unfortunately Francisco Liriano had thrown a seven-inning, four hit, 10 strikeout gem the night before in a 13-0 win over Toledo. So we had to settle for a pitching match-up of Rochester's Philip Humber and Toledo's Anastacio Martinez.
We were also treated to a Howie Clark sighting in right field.
I had never been to a game at Frontier Field but I was pleasantly surprised. It's a simple little minor league park that reminded me of a combination of Jacobs Field (not Progessive Field) in terms of how the concourse was set up and Camden Yards in Baltimore (mainly because there was a lot of brick).
The game was decent. Rochester took a 9-0 lead going into the eighth in large part to a six-run fourth inning. Rochester lead-off man Jason Pridie belted two homers.
But the fun really didn't start until the eighth inning when Danny Graves came in to pitch. Danny Graves, the two-time Bison and former Reds closer who saved 41 games in 2004 and probably helped your fantasy team on its way to a championship.
Graves opened the eighth inning by throwing a ball. Nine balls actually. It was like watching Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn but without the velocity. Graves hit the first batter. Then he walked the second batter. Then he hit the third batter.
With bases loaded, he gave up a single, scoring one run. Then he walked the next batter. Then the skipper came out and took the ball away.
Seventeen pitches. Four strikes. No outs.
Toledo would score a total of six runs in the inning, but Graves was already in the dug out by then.
It made me wonder what happened to this guy? One minute he's on top of the world a two-time All-Star, saving 41 games for a major league club and the next season, he has a rough start, flips off a fan and he's stuck in the minors for three years. Then his game goes to hell and you wonder if he'll ever get a sniff of the bigs again.
Rochester ended up holding off the Mud Hen assault and won 9-6. We headed back to Dinosaur and got a rack of ribs to go. Man that stuff is good.
Last night I took a trip down the 490, through rain and flooded highway to Rochester. A friend of my dad's invited me, my dad and my brother to a feast at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que (soooo good) and a Rochester Red Wings game. Unfortunately Francisco Liriano had thrown a seven-inning, four hit, 10 strikeout gem the night before in a 13-0 win over Toledo. So we had to settle for a pitching match-up of Rochester's Philip Humber and Toledo's Anastacio Martinez.
We were also treated to a Howie Clark sighting in right field.
I had never been to a game at Frontier Field but I was pleasantly surprised. It's a simple little minor league park that reminded me of a combination of Jacobs Field (not Progessive Field) in terms of how the concourse was set up and Camden Yards in Baltimore (mainly because there was a lot of brick).
The game was decent. Rochester took a 9-0 lead going into the eighth in large part to a six-run fourth inning. Rochester lead-off man Jason Pridie belted two homers.
But the fun really didn't start until the eighth inning when Danny Graves came in to pitch. Danny Graves, the two-time Bison and former Reds closer who saved 41 games in 2004 and probably helped your fantasy team on its way to a championship.
Graves opened the eighth inning by throwing a ball. Nine balls actually. It was like watching Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn but without the velocity. Graves hit the first batter. Then he walked the second batter. Then he hit the third batter.
With bases loaded, he gave up a single, scoring one run. Then he walked the next batter. Then the skipper came out and took the ball away.
Seventeen pitches. Four strikes. No outs.
Toledo would score a total of six runs in the inning, but Graves was already in the dug out by then.
It made me wonder what happened to this guy? One minute he's on top of the world a two-time All-Star, saving 41 games for a major league club and the next season, he has a rough start, flips off a fan and he's stuck in the minors for three years. Then his game goes to hell and you wonder if he'll ever get a sniff of the bigs again.
Rochester ended up holding off the Mud Hen assault and won 9-6. We headed back to Dinosaur and got a rack of ribs to go. Man that stuff is good.
Reading with the Roost: The Blind Side
by Ryan
I would like to say that I am an above average football fan. My winter months are spent in front of the TV each Sunday, unless I'm tailgating outside of the Ralph. I watch football like it will give me some sort of special password, and the more I watch the closer I get to the answer.
However, there is much about the game I am ignorant to. It's really not my fault; no one has ever told me to devote myself to the game's intricate details. I have never played on an organized level, and while I understand a zone blitz, the majority of my defensive knowledge comes from NFL Quarterback Club '98 or one of the Maddens.
The thing is, I want to get better at it. The fact of the matter is that I understand hockey on a much deeper level than any other sport, and I want to level that depth of understanding.
A book such as Micheal Lewis' Moneyball helped out a few years back on the baseball front. Since then publications such as Baseball Prospectus have became the norm in the summer months, and much about the way I watch baseball has changed. Heck, I even have a shred of respect for YES Network because of it; they show on base percentages when batters come up.
As far as football is concerned, it took another book from Michael Lewis to move things along: The Blind Side.
In the book, Lewis takes his inquisitive nature and turns it upon the offensive line. He asks the simple question: why is the left tackle paid more than any other offensive lineman? What he found was an important development in football strategy (West Coast Offense), a revolution of sports economics (Free Agency), and the impact of a single linebacker (Lawrence Taylor). Most important of all, he found him.
This is Michael Oher, and he is the focal point of the book. There is far too much story to replicate here, but the important thing to know is that Michael was born to play left tackle. He is an absolute monster with regards to stature, but has a quickness in his feet, a wingspan, and a surprising power that gives him the perfect skill set to counteract the fastest pass rushers in the game.
The reason the left tackle is so important is because the majority of quarterbacks are right handed, which means they block the defenders he can't see: "the blind side." The rise of the West Coast Offense and its clash with Lawrence Taylor brought the left tackle to a place above the offensive line in regards to importance. Suddenly your best lineman had to be at left tackle; and no matter what anyone thinks, he must be handsomely paid for it.
While the game's evolution is extremely interesting to follow, the real reason to read is to hear Michael Oher's story. He grew up in the third poorest zip code in the country, West Memphis, Tennessee. One of thirteen children born to a crack-addicted mother, he was homeless for most of his life until a grandmother's dying wish made a man bring his son to the doorstep of Briarcrest Christian School. "Big Mike" was dragged along, hoping to get a basketball scholarship. He got a scholarship, but the hardwood would be his second sport. (Shot put would be his third)
It is a complicated story, complete with a struggle to maintain grades, assimilate to a wealthy lifestyle, and to simply communicate with his peers. Amazingly, a family takes him in and became his legal guardians. He started 10th grade almost completely illiterate, yet graduated on time and with a high school diploma.
His true purpose was found on the football field. The Briarcrest football coach got one look at his body type and knew he was born to play left tackle, and so he did. With only 15 games in his high school career, Michael Oher became the top left tackle prospect in the country. Hundreds of college coaches tried to lure him to their schools, and within the span of two years Michael Oher goes from a poor black teenager destined for gang activity to a budding NFL star.
If the above summary sounds absurd, you have to get your hands on the real text. It is an amazing story that doesn't end where I leave it. Lewis does a fantastic job retelling a story Michael himself seemed too shy to disclose, chronicling his brief life as a human interest piece as well as sociological interpretation of our culture. The simple question of football economics morphed into an amazing tale of one youth overcoming a society firmly stacked against him.
I really don't want to ruin the story, and it would be impossible to tell it any better than Lewis in this space. However, I did learn a great deal from the book, and have a new appreciation for the play of a left tackle. I know I'll look at the work of Jason Peters much different come September, and the name Michael Oher won't leave my head for some time.
Overall the book was done very well. It was hilarious, heartbreaking, and engaging, all at the same time. I'll leave you with my favorite part of the book, and you can leave your thoughts in the comments.
I would like to say that I am an above average football fan. My winter months are spent in front of the TV each Sunday, unless I'm tailgating outside of the Ralph. I watch football like it will give me some sort of special password, and the more I watch the closer I get to the answer.
However, there is much about the game I am ignorant to. It's really not my fault; no one has ever told me to devote myself to the game's intricate details. I have never played on an organized level, and while I understand a zone blitz, the majority of my defensive knowledge comes from NFL Quarterback Club '98 or one of the Maddens.
The thing is, I want to get better at it. The fact of the matter is that I understand hockey on a much deeper level than any other sport, and I want to level that depth of understanding.
A book such as Micheal Lewis' Moneyball helped out a few years back on the baseball front. Since then publications such as Baseball Prospectus have became the norm in the summer months, and much about the way I watch baseball has changed. Heck, I even have a shred of respect for YES Network because of it; they show on base percentages when batters come up.
As far as football is concerned, it took another book from Michael Lewis to move things along: The Blind Side.
In the book, Lewis takes his inquisitive nature and turns it upon the offensive line. He asks the simple question: why is the left tackle paid more than any other offensive lineman? What he found was an important development in football strategy (West Coast Offense), a revolution of sports economics (Free Agency), and the impact of a single linebacker (Lawrence Taylor). Most important of all, he found him.
This is Michael Oher, and he is the focal point of the book. There is far too much story to replicate here, but the important thing to know is that Michael was born to play left tackle. He is an absolute monster with regards to stature, but has a quickness in his feet, a wingspan, and a surprising power that gives him the perfect skill set to counteract the fastest pass rushers in the game.
The reason the left tackle is so important is because the majority of quarterbacks are right handed, which means they block the defenders he can't see: "the blind side." The rise of the West Coast Offense and its clash with Lawrence Taylor brought the left tackle to a place above the offensive line in regards to importance. Suddenly your best lineman had to be at left tackle; and no matter what anyone thinks, he must be handsomely paid for it.
While the game's evolution is extremely interesting to follow, the real reason to read is to hear Michael Oher's story. He grew up in the third poorest zip code in the country, West Memphis, Tennessee. One of thirteen children born to a crack-addicted mother, he was homeless for most of his life until a grandmother's dying wish made a man bring his son to the doorstep of Briarcrest Christian School. "Big Mike" was dragged along, hoping to get a basketball scholarship. He got a scholarship, but the hardwood would be his second sport. (Shot put would be his third)
It is a complicated story, complete with a struggle to maintain grades, assimilate to a wealthy lifestyle, and to simply communicate with his peers. Amazingly, a family takes him in and became his legal guardians. He started 10th grade almost completely illiterate, yet graduated on time and with a high school diploma.
His true purpose was found on the football field. The Briarcrest football coach got one look at his body type and knew he was born to play left tackle, and so he did. With only 15 games in his high school career, Michael Oher became the top left tackle prospect in the country. Hundreds of college coaches tried to lure him to their schools, and within the span of two years Michael Oher goes from a poor black teenager destined for gang activity to a budding NFL star.
If the above summary sounds absurd, you have to get your hands on the real text. It is an amazing story that doesn't end where I leave it. Lewis does a fantastic job retelling a story Michael himself seemed too shy to disclose, chronicling his brief life as a human interest piece as well as sociological interpretation of our culture. The simple question of football economics morphed into an amazing tale of one youth overcoming a society firmly stacked against him.
I really don't want to ruin the story, and it would be impossible to tell it any better than Lewis in this space. However, I did learn a great deal from the book, and have a new appreciation for the play of a left tackle. I know I'll look at the work of Jason Peters much different come September, and the name Michael Oher won't leave my head for some time.
Overall the book was done very well. It was hilarious, heartbreaking, and engaging, all at the same time. I'll leave you with my favorite part of the book, and you can leave your thoughts in the comments.
Michael listened to Sean's little speech without responding except to grunt "okay." He was still eerily calm, as if this whole fuss didn't really concern him. Finishing his lecture, Sean looked over at the Munford bench: Michael had picked up a 220-pound defensive end and moved him at least 60 yards. In seconds
"Michael," said Sean. "Where were you taking him, anyway?"
"I was gonna put him on the bus," said Michael.
Parked on the other side of the chain-link fence was, in fact, the Munford team bus.
"The bus?" asked Sean.
"I got tired of him talking," said Michael. "It was time for him to go home."
Sean thought he must be joking. He wasn't. Michael had thought it all through in advance; he'd been waiting nearly half a football game to do just exactly what he had very nearly done. To pick up this trash-talking defensive end and take him not to the chain-link fence but through the chain link fence. To the bus. And then put him on the bus. Sean began to laugh.
"How far did you get?" asked Sean.
"I got him up against the fence," said Michael.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The reinforcements...are arriving?
By Chris
Looks like we might have our sixth defensemen.
Henrik Tallinder-Toni Lydman
Jaroslav Spacek-Craig Rivet
Andrej Sekera-TEPPO NUMMINEN
Nathan Paetsch
At the right price and if he's healthy, Teppo would be a nice addition. I'm not exactly the biggest Numminen supporter in the world (understatement of the year...especially when he was playing with Kalinin--heart attack pairing of the ages), but for $1 million and 60-some games, I wouldn't really have a problem with the Sabres bringing him back.
He's a veteran who's been with the team for a few years now. He understands the game better than most and can provide a lot of the leadership that was missing last season.
If not, then the possibility of bringing back Nolan Pratt is another fine option.
Either way, the Sabres need at least one more NHL-caliber defenseman on the roster and either Numminen or Pratt would be a good fit and would allow for Mike Weber to continue developing in Portland. I know I'm not holding my breath to see if Paetsch ever finds his game again.
Lindsay Kramer of the Post-Standard in Syracuse is also reporting that the Sabres have signed left winger Matthieu Darche to a one-year, two-way deal with the Sabres.
It looks like the type of deal I half-expected the Sabres to sign Mike Ryan to (and maybe the still will although that seems very unlikely now).
Darche has size (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) but according to his Sportsnet.ca's scouting report, he's not the most fluid skater.
He seems to be a good depth guy for Portland. I doubt we'll see him in a Sabres jersey unless the injury bug bites them again.
Right now the Pirates are looking something like this:
Forwards
1. Matthieu Darche
2. Nathan Gerbe
3. Marc-Andre Gragnani
4. Dylan Hunter
5. Tim Kennedy
6. Clarke MacArthur
7. Mark Mancari
8. Felix Schutz
9. Derek Whitmore
10. Marek Zagrapan
Defense
1. Chris Butler
2. Mike Card
3. Mike Funk
4. Mike Kostka
5. Mike Weber
Goaltenders
1. Adam Dennis
2. Jhonas Enroth
Also, Clarke MacArthur would not have to clear waivers to play for Portland, so he is an option for the Pirates roster in October.
If I missed anything, let us know. I did this off the top of my head (it's not as easy posting from work as you'd think).
Looks like we might have our sixth defensemen.
Henrik Tallinder-Toni Lydman
Jaroslav Spacek-Craig Rivet
Andrej Sekera-TEPPO NUMMINEN
Nathan Paetsch
“Teppo wants to play and he plays a style of game none of us see any reason that he can’t play,” Regier said following the Sabres’ HSBC Arena news conference to officially announce goaltender Ryan Miller’s five-year contract extension. “As long as he’s healthy and all indications are that he is, we’d like to have him.
“He’s one of these players league-wide that even with the recognition he’s gotten, he’s underappreciated. We got to experience some of that ‘underappreciation’ last year.”
At the right price and if he's healthy, Teppo would be a nice addition. I'm not exactly the biggest Numminen supporter in the world (understatement of the year...especially when he was playing with Kalinin--heart attack pairing of the ages), but for $1 million and 60-some games, I wouldn't really have a problem with the Sabres bringing him back.
He's a veteran who's been with the team for a few years now. He understands the game better than most and can provide a lot of the leadership that was missing last season.
If not, then the possibility of bringing back Nolan Pratt is another fine option.
Regier said if the Sabres don’t strike a deal with Numminen, they might revisit bringing back Nolan Pratt. The Sabres signed him for $550,000 last November and he played 55 games, collecting one goal and six assists while finishing at plus-1.
Either way, the Sabres need at least one more NHL-caliber defenseman on the roster and either Numminen or Pratt would be a good fit and would allow for Mike Weber to continue developing in Portland. I know I'm not holding my breath to see if Paetsch ever finds his game again.
Lindsay Kramer of the Post-Standard in Syracuse is also reporting that the Sabres have signed left winger Matthieu Darche to a one-year, two-way deal with the Sabres.
"I figured that's where I'll have a good chance,'' he said of the Sabres. "Lindy Ruff is a lot like (ex-Tampa Bay coach) John Tortorella. You get what you deserve. I decided the fit was good in Buffalo, and I liked the talk I had with (Sabres GM) Darcy Regier.''
It looks like the type of deal I half-expected the Sabres to sign Mike Ryan to (and maybe the still will although that seems very unlikely now).
Darche has size (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) but according to his Sportsnet.ca's scouting report, he's not the most fluid skater.
He seems to be a good depth guy for Portland. I doubt we'll see him in a Sabres jersey unless the injury bug bites them again.
Right now the Pirates are looking something like this:
Forwards
1. Matthieu Darche
2. Nathan Gerbe
3. Marc-Andre Gragnani
4. Dylan Hunter
5. Tim Kennedy
6. Clarke MacArthur
7. Mark Mancari
8. Felix Schutz
9. Derek Whitmore
10. Marek Zagrapan
Defense
1. Chris Butler
2. Mike Card
3. Mike Funk
4. Mike Kostka
5. Mike Weber
Goaltenders
1. Adam Dennis
2. Jhonas Enroth
Also, Clarke MacArthur would not have to clear waivers to play for Portland, so he is an option for the Pirates roster in October.
If I missed anything, let us know. I did this off the top of my head (it's not as easy posting from work as you'd think).
Michael Bishop is a Genius
by Ryan
So the Toronto Argonauts "spoke out" about the Bills in Toronto nonsense last night on TSN's "Off the Record". I don't get TSN, but their website made a nice little story out of it to recap. Also, the video is here if you are interested, which I'm sure you are.
My summary: Blah blah blah "our turf" blah blah blah. "It's about money" blah blah blah.
Also, it appears someone on the team is willing to piss on my backyard, whatever that means.
In short, they aren't exactly happy about it. Now that's a surprise. I mean, would you be excited if you were a corner store and a Super WalMart was being built across the street? I wouldn't be throwing out the welcome mat in the locker room in this case either.
However, the best line I've seen in months on the issue came from Michael Bishop, the Argos backup quarterback. I'm not feeling up to transcribe the conversation, so let's quote the article:
Brilliant. Way to show us Buffalonains for exporting our football. Let's hit us where it hurts, with a CFL game with no infrastructure to support the playing field necessary. That's like having Olympic hockey played on an NHL sized rink. Oh, oops.
In any event, the idea is a bit absurd to begin with. I can't imagine the Ti-Cats or Argos coming away with much gained in such a venture, although I suppose that would actually help the area in terms of filling the venue for an extra game and giving the economy a nice boost.
Hey, maybe that's not such a bad idea after all. I guess the question is, would you go? I'm not so sure I wouldn't give it a try, if only to see how small the bench areas would be.
Roger Goodell, quake with fear, this idea is about to get some legs.
So the Toronto Argonauts "spoke out" about the Bills in Toronto nonsense last night on TSN's "Off the Record". I don't get TSN, but their website made a nice little story out of it to recap. Also, the video is here if you are interested, which I'm sure you are.
My summary: Blah blah blah "our turf" blah blah blah. "It's about money" blah blah blah.
Also, it appears someone on the team is willing to piss on my backyard, whatever that means.
In short, they aren't exactly happy about it. Now that's a surprise. I mean, would you be excited if you were a corner store and a Super WalMart was being built across the street? I wouldn't be throwing out the welcome mat in the locker room in this case either.
However, the best line I've seen in months on the issue came from Michael Bishop, the Argos backup quarterback. I'm not feeling up to transcribe the conversation, so let's quote the article:
Bishop even brought up the idea of having the Argonauts take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Buffalo and giving the NFL a taste of their own medicine.
Brilliant. Way to show us Buffalonains for exporting our football. Let's hit us where it hurts, with a CFL game with no infrastructure to support the playing field necessary. That's like having Olympic hockey played on an NHL sized rink. Oh, oops.
In any event, the idea is a bit absurd to begin with. I can't imagine the Ti-Cats or Argos coming away with much gained in such a venture, although I suppose that would actually help the area in terms of filling the venue for an extra game and giving the economy a nice boost.
Hey, maybe that's not such a bad idea after all. I guess the question is, would you go? I'm not so sure I wouldn't give it a try, if only to see how small the bench areas would be.
Roger Goodell, quake with fear, this idea is about to get some legs.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Lawrence Taylor
He is the very reason for the term "The Blind Side", and a whole lot more. Lewis' book doesn't make him the star of the show, but the villain and reason for writing.
You'll hear more about this in a few days.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Radoslav Hecl: The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade
By Jon
The people have spoken; It's finally time to name The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade.
Garnering 47 percent of the votes, former Sabres defenseman Radoslav Hecl is our winner. It was never a contest, with Hecl leading the voting right from the get-go.
Really, was there any question? He couldn't have been more insignificant. Less than a calendar year with the organization, no points, and a crazy last name to boot (For the record, it's pronounced "HEHSH-uhl," according to the 19th Annual Edition of the NHL Pronunciation Guide, which is edited by Mike Emrick. Really. I'm not making it up.)
Final results of the poll:
The Goose's Roost would like to thank everyone who participated in the series, especially those who voted.
Any feedback would be appreciated. Do you want to see similar series run at The Goose's Roost in the future? Maybe something with the Bills? Let us know, because it's a loooooonng summer.
UPDATE: Ryan has come up with a proper way to immortalize Hecl, but only because he has far too much time on his hands.
The people have spoken; It's finally time to name The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade.
Garnering 47 percent of the votes, former Sabres defenseman Radoslav Hecl is our winner. It was never a contest, with Hecl leading the voting right from the get-go.Really, was there any question? He couldn't have been more insignificant. Less than a calendar year with the organization, no points, and a crazy last name to boot (For the record, it's pronounced "HEHSH-uhl," according to the 19th Annual Edition of the NHL Pronunciation Guide, which is edited by Mike Emrick. Really. I'm not making it up.)
Final results of the poll:
- Radoslav Hecl 47 percent
- Domenic Pittis 13 percent (tie)
- Jason Holland 13 percent (tie)
- Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre 10 percent
- Paul Kruse 8 percent
- Chris Taylor 4 percent
The Goose's Roost would like to thank everyone who participated in the series, especially those who voted.
Any feedback would be appreciated. Do you want to see similar series run at The Goose's Roost in the future? Maybe something with the Bills? Let us know, because it's a loooooonng summer.
UPDATE: Ryan has come up with a proper way to immortalize Hecl, but only because he has far too much time on his hands.
The Football Post
by Ryan
I want to get back into football.
I've joined two fantasy football leagues, but I have done no research yet. I want to go to training camp, but I have barely looked at the Bills roster since the draft. Something is wrong here, and it's going to change soon.
We're really not sure if anyone actually comes here to hear about the Bills, but we are by design a Buffalo Sports blog, and all of us care just a little too much about football to let it slide.
With that in mind, the next book I'm reading is Michael Lewis' The Blind Side. That will be done before the week is up. Seriously, it's a great read and I killed 100 or so pages last night alone. We will also start getting some fantasy... things together (Roost league, anyone?), and talking about some team names for sure.
Also, to get you back in the mood for football, I thought I'd share a few things I've seen around the blogosphere:
- The Dukes of Awesome have a nice post about Bills books to get you through the summer. They also have an awesome poster of Jim Kelly, which I wish I had.
- Buffalo Rumblings, which is probably the best Bills site on the web, has an interview with John DiGiorgio. That's just the start of the great material they have over there, so if you have the football itch like me check them out. Just don't ask to be traded if they make you a backup.
- Bills tickets go on sale August 21st. Just saying.
I want to get back into football.
I've joined two fantasy football leagues, but I have done no research yet. I want to go to training camp, but I have barely looked at the Bills roster since the draft. Something is wrong here, and it's going to change soon.
We're really not sure if anyone actually comes here to hear about the Bills, but we are by design a Buffalo Sports blog, and all of us care just a little too much about football to let it slide.
With that in mind, the next book I'm reading is Michael Lewis' The Blind Side. That will be done before the week is up. Seriously, it's a great read and I killed 100 or so pages last night alone. We will also start getting some fantasy... things together (Roost league, anyone?), and talking about some team names for sure.
Also, to get you back in the mood for football, I thought I'd share a few things I've seen around the blogosphere:
- The Dukes of Awesome have a nice post about Bills books to get you through the summer. They also have an awesome poster of Jim Kelly, which I wish I had.
- Buffalo Rumblings, which is probably the best Bills site on the web, has an interview with John DiGiorgio. That's just the start of the great material they have over there, so if you have the football itch like me check them out. Just don't ask to be traded if they make you a backup.
- Bills tickets go on sale August 21st. Just saying.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Reading with the Roost: The Code
by Ryan
The Code is another one of those books that is deemed a "must read" for hockey fans. The hockey world is much different down on the ice, and as fans the only way to understand that world is to hear about it from others. Earlier I read The Game, which put you inside the head of Ken Dryden, a goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens. Today we will talk about the world of hockey enforcers.
Ross Bernstein's The Code was an interesting look at the history of fighting in hockey, its impact and importance within the game, and how economics and the lockout have effected fighting. Bernstein talked at length within the book's 22 chapters, but he also interviewed many enforcers and journalists, letting them tell their own stories about "The Code" and the game of hockey.
The player interviews are certainly the highlight of the work. Hearing from guys like Tony Twist, Marty McSorley, and Rob Ray was about as enlightening as you could manage when talking to so called "goons". By far the best interview Bernstein conducted was with Paul Stewart, a former hockey enforcer who retired and became an NHL official. What better view of The Code than from someone who lived by it and then had to work alongside it?
For me this was the highlight of the book. Here's Paul Stewart talking about revenge:
Some of the stories are downright hilarious, with Rob Ray telling parents how to raise their children, Stewart punching a player trying to break up a fight, and Dave Hanson pulling off Bobby Hull's wig.
Overall I think Bernstien did a good job putting the material together. He tried to cover all aspects of the code, as well as what fighting has done to the game and the public's perception of it. He made sure to give both sides of the pro/anti fighting argument, even if that meant E.J. Hradek was involved.
While the material was good and I would recommend any hockey fan give it a try, I was a bit disappointed in Bernstien's writing. It was an odd mix of writing styles, and I have to admit I'm not familiar with much else of his writing, so I'm not sure if that is his style of if he was trying too hard.
At times the book read like an elongated term paper. While there were many cited sections in the appendix, there were many generalizations or points he tried to make that were just ramblings. It wasn't bad writing, just awkward, especially when he tried to use secular terms. I think he actually tried too hard to be "ordinary" with his style, using terms such as "S.O.B." or "mug" when referring to someone's face. It wasn't bad, just... clumsy, and something that tripped me up at times.
A perfect example of this was on page 209, when Bernstien was talking about violence on the junior level. One fight between two parents ended up with one man dying. Bernstein said, "One man died after being assaulted, and the other get ten years in the joint for manslaughter." Really? Joint? For such a serious topic, the colloquial terms didn't add anything to the material.
Again, this isn't a criticism of the book as much as the style it was presented in. The material was excellent, the interviews were great, and the book itself brought up a number of great questions regarding fighting and violence in hockey. A simple matter of diction doesn't matter in the face of all that.
The main point of the book was to give its readers the option: to fight or not to fighting? I have always been a proponent of fighting in hockey, and after reading I only reinforced my views on the matter. There is a reason for fighting in the game, and no matter what impression it gives to outsiders, the purpose overrides the negativity associated with it.
Reading has also given me a new view of Andrew Peters. I think looking over his actions and his role is important in determining his utility. He is a bad fighter and not a two way player, and I don't think he follows the code. (We've seen him turtle before...) However, we currently don't have a better option, and until we trade for Georges Laroque (could have signed him this summer...) we will have to keep him around.
God, that's depressing.
---
Any thoughts on fighting, Peters, and Rob Ray in the comments.
The Code is another one of those books that is deemed a "must read" for hockey fans. The hockey world is much different down on the ice, and as fans the only way to understand that world is to hear about it from others. Earlier I read The Game, which put you inside the head of Ken Dryden, a goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens. Today we will talk about the world of hockey enforcers.
Ross Bernstein's The Code was an interesting look at the history of fighting in hockey, its impact and importance within the game, and how economics and the lockout have effected fighting. Bernstein talked at length within the book's 22 chapters, but he also interviewed many enforcers and journalists, letting them tell their own stories about "The Code" and the game of hockey.
The player interviews are certainly the highlight of the work. Hearing from guys like Tony Twist, Marty McSorley, and Rob Ray was about as enlightening as you could manage when talking to so called "goons". By far the best interview Bernstein conducted was with Paul Stewart, a former hockey enforcer who retired and became an NHL official. What better view of The Code than from someone who lived by it and then had to work alongside it?
For me this was the highlight of the book. Here's Paul Stewart talking about revenge:
"Revenge in hockey can be a b#$ch. I still owe Bob Schmautz for trying to spear me in the eye in Colorado one night. I had hit him with a beautiful elbow right in the chest, which knocked the wind out of him. I could have taken his chin off, but I didn't. So he came back at me with his stick, and we got into a stick fight. It was ugly. I even went after him years later at a celebrity golf tournament up in Pawtucket with a putter one time. Milt Schmidt had to get between us that afternoon, and it was a good thing he was there or that could have gotten ugly, too. I said, "You haven't got a stick now, how tough are you?" He was a gutless puke. He had no code and no honor. Hey, Schmautz-and you can put this in the book, too-anytime, anyplace. I'm ready for you."
Some of the stories are downright hilarious, with Rob Ray telling parents how to raise their children, Stewart punching a player trying to break up a fight, and Dave Hanson pulling off Bobby Hull's wig.
Overall I think Bernstien did a good job putting the material together. He tried to cover all aspects of the code, as well as what fighting has done to the game and the public's perception of it. He made sure to give both sides of the pro/anti fighting argument, even if that meant E.J. Hradek was involved.
While the material was good and I would recommend any hockey fan give it a try, I was a bit disappointed in Bernstien's writing. It was an odd mix of writing styles, and I have to admit I'm not familiar with much else of his writing, so I'm not sure if that is his style of if he was trying too hard.
At times the book read like an elongated term paper. While there were many cited sections in the appendix, there were many generalizations or points he tried to make that were just ramblings. It wasn't bad writing, just awkward, especially when he tried to use secular terms. I think he actually tried too hard to be "ordinary" with his style, using terms such as "S.O.B." or "mug" when referring to someone's face. It wasn't bad, just... clumsy, and something that tripped me up at times.
A perfect example of this was on page 209, when Bernstien was talking about violence on the junior level. One fight between two parents ended up with one man dying. Bernstein said, "One man died after being assaulted, and the other get ten years in the joint for manslaughter." Really? Joint? For such a serious topic, the colloquial terms didn't add anything to the material.
Again, this isn't a criticism of the book as much as the style it was presented in. The material was excellent, the interviews were great, and the book itself brought up a number of great questions regarding fighting and violence in hockey. A simple matter of diction doesn't matter in the face of all that.
The main point of the book was to give its readers the option: to fight or not to fighting? I have always been a proponent of fighting in hockey, and after reading I only reinforced my views on the matter. There is a reason for fighting in the game, and no matter what impression it gives to outsiders, the purpose overrides the negativity associated with it.
Reading has also given me a new view of Andrew Peters. I think looking over his actions and his role is important in determining his utility. He is a bad fighter and not a two way player, and I don't think he follows the code. (We've seen him turtle before...) However, we currently don't have a better option, and until we trade for Georges Laroque (could have signed him this summer...) we will have to keep him around.
God, that's depressing.
---
Any thoughts on fighting, Peters, and Rob Ray in the comments.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
A Not-So-Instant Analysis
By Chris
Another thing I've been meaning to get around to is giving a more detailed analysis to the news of Ryan Miller's signing. Without further ado, here it is (it's tough trying to post anything of real substance when you're at work).
What excites me most about the Miller deal is that, if we're to believe him, there wasn't any doubt in his mind that he wanted to stay in Buffalo. And from his interviews over the years, Miller has really been nothing but honest. He said he wanted to stay here and laughed at the Detroit Destiny rumors because his heart was here all along.
He wears his heart on his sleeve. When things are going well, he'll let you know and when the going gets tough, he'll let you know then too. It might be harder to get a hold of the goalie after a tough loss, but generally, his mindset his pretty much on par with that of the rest of the team's. As a vocal leader, he's been as much a captain as anyone that's worn a letter in the last season and a half.
The contract itself is a great deal for the Sabres. There are a slew of free agent goalies available next offseason including Nicklas Backstrom, Tim Thomas, Manny Fernandez, Martin Biron and Martin Gerber, which would certainly drive up the market price. While Miller is the fourth highest paid goalie in the league with the new contract, that may not be the case by the time 2009-10 rolls around. Goaltender salaries are due to explode.
Miller is set to begin the prime of his career and is ready to carry this team for the long-haul. There's no question that last season was not Miller's best. He was spotty at times but he was also learning. He had never taken on that kind of workload before and stretched himself beyond anything he had done before professionally.
Luckily, Miller is a smart guy and has used the experience of playing in 76 games (the last 34 consecutively) to help him prepare for the rest of his career. Miller is near the top of the list of players that the Sabres are banking on a lot to bounce back from a down year (Afinogenov and Tallinder also come to mind). I don't see Miller being the type of player to crumble under the pressure of a new contract. If anything the distraction of not having a new deal in place this season would have been what hurt if he were to struggle in 2008-09. But, thankfully, that won't be an issue.
Miller is an All-Star goaltender. Had it not been for him, the Sabres wouldn't have made it to two straight appearances in the conference finals. He was pretty much the only bright spot for the team in the postseason two years ago when they ultimately fell to the Senators.
The face of the team is now Ryan Miller. If you see a Sabre in one of those NHL commercials, most likely it's going to be Miller representing our city. The long-term signing of a solid player and franchise goaltender bodes well for public relations. Not only is the front office slowly regaining the trust of its fans, but locking up key players has to look good to potential free agents looking to sign with a winner.
Yes Darcy and company have made some questionable decisions but they're quickly taking the steps necessary to keeping a winning team on the ice. In addition to Miller, they've got Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek under contract for a few more years. They've added potential studs like Nathan Gerbe and Tim Kennedy to their farm club. They're also going to start working on a deal to keep Lady Poms in Buffalo before he hits the restricted market.
We may still be questioning whether or not the team has enough veteran leadership come October, but with another year to grow and solid goaltending, this team probably should make the playoffs, even if it is as a seventh or eighth seed.
At least now we can put the Jhonas Enroth Hype Machine to bed for a few years.
Another thing I've been meaning to get around to is giving a more detailed analysis to the news of Ryan Miller's signing. Without further ado, here it is (it's tough trying to post anything of real substance when you're at work).
What excites me most about the Miller deal is that, if we're to believe him, there wasn't any doubt in his mind that he wanted to stay in Buffalo. And from his interviews over the years, Miller has really been nothing but honest. He said he wanted to stay here and laughed at the Detroit Destiny rumors because his heart was here all along.
He wears his heart on his sleeve. When things are going well, he'll let you know and when the going gets tough, he'll let you know then too. It might be harder to get a hold of the goalie after a tough loss, but generally, his mindset his pretty much on par with that of the rest of the team's. As a vocal leader, he's been as much a captain as anyone that's worn a letter in the last season and a half.
The contract itself is a great deal for the Sabres. There are a slew of free agent goalies available next offseason including Nicklas Backstrom, Tim Thomas, Manny Fernandez, Martin Biron and Martin Gerber, which would certainly drive up the market price. While Miller is the fourth highest paid goalie in the league with the new contract, that may not be the case by the time 2009-10 rolls around. Goaltender salaries are due to explode.
Miller is set to begin the prime of his career and is ready to carry this team for the long-haul. There's no question that last season was not Miller's best. He was spotty at times but he was also learning. He had never taken on that kind of workload before and stretched himself beyond anything he had done before professionally.
Luckily, Miller is a smart guy and has used the experience of playing in 76 games (the last 34 consecutively) to help him prepare for the rest of his career. Miller is near the top of the list of players that the Sabres are banking on a lot to bounce back from a down year (Afinogenov and Tallinder also come to mind). I don't see Miller being the type of player to crumble under the pressure of a new contract. If anything the distraction of not having a new deal in place this season would have been what hurt if he were to struggle in 2008-09. But, thankfully, that won't be an issue.
Miller is an All-Star goaltender. Had it not been for him, the Sabres wouldn't have made it to two straight appearances in the conference finals. He was pretty much the only bright spot for the team in the postseason two years ago when they ultimately fell to the Senators.
The face of the team is now Ryan Miller. If you see a Sabre in one of those NHL commercials, most likely it's going to be Miller representing our city. The long-term signing of a solid player and franchise goaltender bodes well for public relations. Not only is the front office slowly regaining the trust of its fans, but locking up key players has to look good to potential free agents looking to sign with a winner.
Yes Darcy and company have made some questionable decisions but they're quickly taking the steps necessary to keeping a winning team on the ice. In addition to Miller, they've got Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek under contract for a few more years. They've added potential studs like Nathan Gerbe and Tim Kennedy to their farm club. They're also going to start working on a deal to keep Lady Poms in Buffalo before he hits the restricted market.
We may still be questioning whether or not the team has enough veteran leadership come October, but with another year to grow and solid goaltending, this team probably should make the playoffs, even if it is as a seventh or eighth seed.
At least now we can put the Jhonas Enroth Hype Machine to bed for a few years.
Roost Review: The Dark Knight
By Chris
I've been trying to write this brief review since I got out of the movie theater Friday morning.
The Dark Knight is one of those rare films that lives up to all the hype surrounding it. It's not just a great comic book movie, but a great movie in general. Considering the main characters are dressed up as a giant rodent and a clown, it's gritty and realistic. One of the greatest movies ever? Not quite. But it does rank just slightly below some of the great crime films of our time--The Godfather, The Untouchables, The Usual Suspects and The Departed. The fact that it is a comic book movie takes a little bit away from canonizing it, although it is a four star film in itself.
Now I haven't even actually been to a movie since Ocean's 12 (I really don't consider sitting quietly in a dark room for two hours "fun time" with friends), so it had to take a special kind of movie to get me back in the theater. The Dark Knight was that movie.
Despite all of the high flying antics, what the movie has at its core is a story about a city searching for hope. Batman is the dark masked beacon while Harvey Dent arrives on the scene as a "hero with a face." Eventually, Dent's fall from grace will leave him with a murderous split personality and the revelation to Batman and Commissioner Gordon that even the greatest can be corrupted.
Each hero loses something valuable in their war against the mob that corrupts Gotham. Batman, Dent and Gordon each struggle with crossing the line that separates them from the criminals. Holding onto their humanity and protecting those they care for prove to be more difficult than beating the mob itself.
Gary Oldman as Gordon and Michael Caine as Batman's faithful butler Alfred put forth the best performances in the movie in my opinion.
Heath Ledger was great as the Joker, don't get me wrong, but an Academy Award nomination seems doubtful. I bet that if he hadn't died shortly after filming, we wouldn't even be hearing the word "Oscar" now. The hype machine overreacted a bit on this one. People in the theater were laughing at his actions, but I found them to be more disturbing than humorous. The Joker in this film is more twisted and deranged than any version of the Joker we've seen before.
Ledger tauting one of the police officers in the interrogation room is one of the more memorable scenes that comes to my mind when I think about this film.
As far as a third Batman goes, I'm not sure what direction they will go in. A simple cat and mouse chase movie of Batman vs. the police vs. the mob might work. Then again, it might be best for them to just let it be after two (the box office returns will certainly disagree however).
I don't want to spoil too much, but if you haven't seen this movie yet, you should. Get past the fancy costumes and expensive gadgets and you've got an excellent crime epic that will have you talking about it days after.
I've been trying to write this brief review since I got out of the movie theater Friday morning.
The Dark Knight is one of those rare films that lives up to all the hype surrounding it. It's not just a great comic book movie, but a great movie in general. Considering the main characters are dressed up as a giant rodent and a clown, it's gritty and realistic. One of the greatest movies ever? Not quite. But it does rank just slightly below some of the great crime films of our time--The Godfather, The Untouchables, The Usual Suspects and The Departed. The fact that it is a comic book movie takes a little bit away from canonizing it, although it is a four star film in itself.
Now I haven't even actually been to a movie since Ocean's 12 (I really don't consider sitting quietly in a dark room for two hours "fun time" with friends), so it had to take a special kind of movie to get me back in the theater. The Dark Knight was that movie.
Despite all of the high flying antics, what the movie has at its core is a story about a city searching for hope. Batman is the dark masked beacon while Harvey Dent arrives on the scene as a "hero with a face." Eventually, Dent's fall from grace will leave him with a murderous split personality and the revelation to Batman and Commissioner Gordon that even the greatest can be corrupted.
Each hero loses something valuable in their war against the mob that corrupts Gotham. Batman, Dent and Gordon each struggle with crossing the line that separates them from the criminals. Holding onto their humanity and protecting those they care for prove to be more difficult than beating the mob itself.
Gary Oldman as Gordon and Michael Caine as Batman's faithful butler Alfred put forth the best performances in the movie in my opinion.
Heath Ledger was great as the Joker, don't get me wrong, but an Academy Award nomination seems doubtful. I bet that if he hadn't died shortly after filming, we wouldn't even be hearing the word "Oscar" now. The hype machine overreacted a bit on this one. People in the theater were laughing at his actions, but I found them to be more disturbing than humorous. The Joker in this film is more twisted and deranged than any version of the Joker we've seen before.
Ledger tauting one of the police officers in the interrogation room is one of the more memorable scenes that comes to my mind when I think about this film.
As far as a third Batman goes, I'm not sure what direction they will go in. A simple cat and mouse chase movie of Batman vs. the police vs. the mob might work. Then again, it might be best for them to just let it be after two (the box office returns will certainly disagree however).
I don't want to spoil too much, but if you haven't seen this movie yet, you should. Get past the fancy costumes and expensive gadgets and you've got an excellent crime epic that will have you talking about it days after.
Magic Tricks, Christmas, and Living up to the Hype
[03:25] Ryan: so here's the question:
[03:25] Ryan: did it live up to the hype?
[03:25] Rich: Yeah, I'd say so.
[03:26] Rich: The problem is that hype is such an animal.
[03:26] Rich: but it was outstanding, and it did everything I expected plus a whole lot more.
[03:26] Ryan: I think this is the start of a post...
---
Hype is such an animal.
Rich said what I've been trying to put into words for some time. Hype controls so much of what we do these days that it is increasingly difficult to be satisfied with anything. Lloyd Dobler had made it impossible to satisfy a woman, and ESPN has ruined your ability to properly enjoy sports.
---
I have a friend who happens to be a Red Wings fan. He is a fairly regular reader, and during the Cup Finals he gave me a pretty hard time for rooting against the Red Wings. This post in particular got to him, and he wondered why I was telling everyone to "take a deep breath" about the series after the thrilling Game Three.
It was a difficult explanation to give at the time, but I'll try again here: the reason I was so excited after that game was not because of the Penguins win, but because the series was finally living up to the hype.
For the first time since the lockout people were talking about hockey, and the Finals weren't living up to the big predictions people were assigning them. The Wings won the first two games handily, and the Penguins looked outclassed in every way.
Can you imagine that? Even when witnessing good hockey we were unsatisfied with the performance. We wanted to see competitive hockey, thrilling hockey. We as a society are never content with what we are given; never satisfied with the results. Even after the Finals ended there were those that claimed the series still didn't live up to the hype. Game Six wasn't good enough, the celebration wasn't good enough, Malkin wasn't good enough. Completely ignoring a fantastic Game Five and the fact that we were a Crosby backhand away from overtime in Game Six, people clamored for satisfaction.
It is a tough case to make recently, because so much of our sporting events have certainly lived up to the insane hype we attach to them. Even with the hype machine that is ESPN, even in this world of hyper criticism and dissection, so much of the sporting world is overwhelming our grandiose expectations.
Adrian Peterson lived up to the hype. The Winter Classic lived up to the hype. Super Bowl XLII lived up to the hype. The Celtics lived up to the hype. Wimbledon lived up to the hype. The Home Run Derby lived up to the hype. Even the MLB All Star Game was getting up there by the 14th inning or so.
In a world so full of hyperbole and inflated hopes, we have seen a surprising amount of things break the plain of tolerance with regard to our expectations. Still, even in this regard we are not left impressed. We want to see how the next Super Bowl goes. What city gets to claim itself "TitleTown"? Was this the greatest {blank] of all time?
No. In fact, who cares?
The impact hype has on our lives is quite stunning, and it has rendered us unable to truly appreciate anything remarkable we experience. Why can't we simply be satisfied with the things that live up to the hype? Why can't we merely be content with the result? Perhaps it is something Vonnegut would say, but why can't we accept the cards we have been dealt?
Christmas is the perfect example of why hype sucks sometimes. Everyone loves Christmas, but the fact of the matter is that it is 24 hours and nothing more. All that time to get ready for it, all those plans and money and excitement. In the end, it comes and goes quickly, and no matter how much cool crap you get it will leave you completely underwhelmed.
As a society we set ourselves up to fail in this manner. It is a cruel fate to get so excited about something you make yourself unable to be satisfied by it. We turn ourselves into Tantalus, unable to grasp the fruit above while the water taunts below.
The point of all this is that we have it much better than we think. As sports fans we attach a greater meaning to our games than they actually have. This is completely okay, and I'm here to tell you that you should take the time to enjoy them when they are as good as advertised. We deserve to be satisfied, and lately we should be.
---
That conversation I began with could have been about any number of things. Ryan Miller's contract, the Red Sox game, maybe even an iPhone. However, it was about The Dark Knight, and I agree with what Rich had to say.
Chris will review the movie in full, but I felt the need to elaborate on its hype. The movie may not go down as the best of all time, and Heath Ledger may not win an Oscar, but it lived up to the hype. In the face of immense pressure to deliver, in the wake of a tragic death and a level of almost fanatical devotion to its characters, The Dark Knight delivered on every level.
It may not be the best way to look at things, but to me that's all that matters.
[03:25] Ryan: did it live up to the hype?
[03:25] Rich: Yeah, I'd say so.
[03:26] Rich: The problem is that hype is such an animal.
[03:26] Rich: but it was outstanding, and it did everything I expected plus a whole lot more.
[03:26] Ryan: I think this is the start of a post...
---
Hype is such an animal.
Rich said what I've been trying to put into words for some time. Hype controls so much of what we do these days that it is increasingly difficult to be satisfied with anything. Lloyd Dobler had made it impossible to satisfy a woman, and ESPN has ruined your ability to properly enjoy sports.
---
I have a friend who happens to be a Red Wings fan. He is a fairly regular reader, and during the Cup Finals he gave me a pretty hard time for rooting against the Red Wings. This post in particular got to him, and he wondered why I was telling everyone to "take a deep breath" about the series after the thrilling Game Three.
It was a difficult explanation to give at the time, but I'll try again here: the reason I was so excited after that game was not because of the Penguins win, but because the series was finally living up to the hype.
For the first time since the lockout people were talking about hockey, and the Finals weren't living up to the big predictions people were assigning them. The Wings won the first two games handily, and the Penguins looked outclassed in every way.
Can you imagine that? Even when witnessing good hockey we were unsatisfied with the performance. We wanted to see competitive hockey, thrilling hockey. We as a society are never content with what we are given; never satisfied with the results. Even after the Finals ended there were those that claimed the series still didn't live up to the hype. Game Six wasn't good enough, the celebration wasn't good enough, Malkin wasn't good enough. Completely ignoring a fantastic Game Five and the fact that we were a Crosby backhand away from overtime in Game Six, people clamored for satisfaction.
It is a tough case to make recently, because so much of our sporting events have certainly lived up to the insane hype we attach to them. Even with the hype machine that is ESPN, even in this world of hyper criticism and dissection, so much of the sporting world is overwhelming our grandiose expectations.
Adrian Peterson lived up to the hype. The Winter Classic lived up to the hype. Super Bowl XLII lived up to the hype. The Celtics lived up to the hype. Wimbledon lived up to the hype. The Home Run Derby lived up to the hype. Even the MLB All Star Game was getting up there by the 14th inning or so.
In a world so full of hyperbole and inflated hopes, we have seen a surprising amount of things break the plain of tolerance with regard to our expectations. Still, even in this regard we are not left impressed. We want to see how the next Super Bowl goes. What city gets to claim itself "TitleTown"? Was this the greatest {blank] of all time?
No. In fact, who cares?
The impact hype has on our lives is quite stunning, and it has rendered us unable to truly appreciate anything remarkable we experience. Why can't we simply be satisfied with the things that live up to the hype? Why can't we merely be content with the result? Perhaps it is something Vonnegut would say, but why can't we accept the cards we have been dealt?
Christmas is the perfect example of why hype sucks sometimes. Everyone loves Christmas, but the fact of the matter is that it is 24 hours and nothing more. All that time to get ready for it, all those plans and money and excitement. In the end, it comes and goes quickly, and no matter how much cool crap you get it will leave you completely underwhelmed.
As a society we set ourselves up to fail in this manner. It is a cruel fate to get so excited about something you make yourself unable to be satisfied by it. We turn ourselves into Tantalus, unable to grasp the fruit above while the water taunts below.
The point of all this is that we have it much better than we think. As sports fans we attach a greater meaning to our games than they actually have. This is completely okay, and I'm here to tell you that you should take the time to enjoy them when they are as good as advertised. We deserve to be satisfied, and lately we should be.
---
That conversation I began with could have been about any number of things. Ryan Miller's contract, the Red Sox game, maybe even an iPhone. However, it was about The Dark Knight, and I agree with what Rich had to say.
Chris will review the movie in full, but I felt the need to elaborate on its hype. The movie may not go down as the best of all time, and Heath Ledger may not win an Oscar, but it lived up to the hype. In the face of immense pressure to deliver, in the wake of a tragic death and a level of almost fanatical devotion to its characters, The Dark Knight delivered on every level.
It may not be the best way to look at things, but to me that's all that matters.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Miller signs five-year extension
From Sabres.com:
UPDATE:
WGR550 reports that that deal is worth $31.25 million, $6.25 million each season.
I see nothing wrong with that deal. The length is great and the money is competitive.
Press conference coming up in a few minutes. More to come.
Top goaltender salaries 2009-10
1. Miika Kipusoff $8.000 million
2. Roberto Luongo $7.500 million
3. Henrik Lundqvist $6.875 million
4. Ryan Miller $6.250 million
5. Jean-Sebastian Giguere $6.000 million
6. Evgeni Nabokov $6.000 million
The Buffalo Sabres today announced they have signed goaltender Ryan Miller to a five-year contract extension. Miller, who will enter the final year of his contract this season, is now signed with the club through the 2013-2014 season.
UPDATE:
WGR550 reports that that deal is worth $31.25 million, $6.25 million each season.
I see nothing wrong with that deal. The length is great and the money is competitive.
Press conference coming up in a few minutes. More to come.
Top goaltender salaries 2009-10
1. Miika Kipusoff $8.000 million
2. Roberto Luongo $7.500 million
3. Henrik Lundqvist $6.875 million
4. Ryan Miller $6.250 million
5. Jean-Sebastian Giguere $6.000 million
6. Evgeni Nabokov $6.000 million
Left out in the Warm
by Ryan
Last year when the Sabres schedule was released there was so much to look for. When was the first time Briere and Drury would be back in town? Who do we open against to raise the banners? What about Ottawa? Most important of all, what about that game on New Year's Day?
It would take an extra few months to get official word about the Winter Classic, but once everything fell into place it went down as one of the greatest events in Buffalo sports history. Finally something unique was given to this town, and we as fans savored every moment of it.
However, this year's schedule release brings a different feeling. Namely, a feeling of being left out. Kevin at Bfloblog fleshed it out nicely by saying "big deal", and that's kind of what I'm feeling as well. The lack of excitement isn't my problem, as much as the reality that something is no longer ours.
Hang a "9" over it and consider that logo to be stalking Brian Campbell. The Winter Classic is officially an annual showcase, and Elwood Blues' parole address gets hosting duties this year.
Keep in mind where I'm coming from on this. This was certainly inevitable and something you can't possibly get upset about. The fact of the matter is that the Winter Classic was profitable and great for the league, and so it will be repeated until ran into the ground. However, you can't help but get taken aback when you hear Brian Campbell talking about another Winter Classic. See for yourself:
Somehow the term "intoxicating" is completely appropriate. The entire section reads a far cry from the "f$%king stupid Ice Bowl" we've seen for ourselves, but you can't help but laugh at the little ginger's enthusiasm. Deep down he knew he would love it, it was the beer lying to him all along.
Again, it's nothing to get upset about, but it is a strange feeling. This year I glanced over the schedule with little to look forward to. Who even knows if mini packs are still around come October? With all the fun things happening for other teams, it's just tough to look at a bunch of dates and get excited. Not just yet, at least.
Hey, at least it won't be at Yankee Stadium. That mock-up just never looked right, did it?
Last year when the Sabres schedule was released there was so much to look for. When was the first time Briere and Drury would be back in town? Who do we open against to raise the banners? What about Ottawa? Most important of all, what about that game on New Year's Day?
It would take an extra few months to get official word about the Winter Classic, but once everything fell into place it went down as one of the greatest events in Buffalo sports history. Finally something unique was given to this town, and we as fans savored every moment of it.
However, this year's schedule release brings a different feeling. Namely, a feeling of being left out. Kevin at Bfloblog fleshed it out nicely by saying "big deal", and that's kind of what I'm feeling as well. The lack of excitement isn't my problem, as much as the reality that something is no longer ours.
Hang a "9" over it and consider that logo to be stalking Brian Campbell. The Winter Classic is officially an annual showcase, and Elwood Blues' parole address gets hosting duties this year.
Keep in mind where I'm coming from on this. This was certainly inevitable and something you can't possibly get upset about. The fact of the matter is that the Winter Classic was profitable and great for the league, and so it will be repeated until ran into the ground. However, you can't help but get taken aback when you hear Brian Campbell talking about another Winter Classic. See for yourself:
Colder than it is in April, but so what? It was cold in Buffalo, too, but Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell, who played for the Sabres in last season's Classic, remembers the intoxicating buzz around the city leading up to game day.
"The city was all wrapped up in it," Campbell said. "It was, 'How do you get tickets?' 'What are you doing to get prepared?' 'What's your tailgate going to be like?' It was mayhem, a lot of fun, and something you take a lot of pride in."
Campbell also recalled how difficult it was to adjust to the conditions.
"I was on the ice for a goal against (21 seconds into the game) in because my defensive partner tried to pass it and there was too much snow on the ice and it wasn't going anywhere," he said. "I personally did not like the game at that point. Then I scored and the game was the best thing ever."
Somehow the term "intoxicating" is completely appropriate. The entire section reads a far cry from the "f$%king stupid Ice Bowl" we've seen for ourselves, but you can't help but laugh at the little ginger's enthusiasm. Deep down he knew he would love it, it was the beer lying to him all along.
Again, it's nothing to get upset about, but it is a strange feeling. This year I glanced over the schedule with little to look forward to. Who even knows if mini packs are still around come October? With all the fun things happening for other teams, it's just tough to look at a bunch of dates and get excited. Not just yet, at least.
Hey, at least it won't be at Yankee Stadium. That mock-up just never looked right, did it?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Hey look! The schedule is out!
Buffalo Sabres 2008-2009 Regular Season Schedule
Day Date Opponent Time (E.S.T.)
Friday October 10 MONTREAL 7:30 PM
Monday October 13 @NY Islanders 2:00 PM
Wednesday October 15 @NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Friday October 17 VANCOUVER 7:30 PM
Saturday October 18 @Atlanta 7:00 PM
Tuesday October 21 BOSTON 7:00 PM
Thursday October 23 @ Minnesota 8:00 PM
Saturday October 25 @ COLORADO 9:00 PM
Monday October 27 OTTAWA 7:00 PM
Thursday October 30 TAMPA BAY 7:00 PM
Saturday November 1 WASHINGTON 7:00 PM
Monday November 3 @ New Jersey 7:00 PM
Friday November 7 ATLANTA 7:30 PM
Saturday November 8 @ Boston 7:00 PM
Wednesday November 12 ST. LOUIS 7:00 PM
Friday November 14 COLUMBUS 7:30 PM
Saturday November 15 @ Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
Wednesday November 19 @ Boston 7:00 PM
Friday November 21 PHILADELPHIA 7:30 PM
Saturday November 22 NY ISLANDERS 7:00 PM
Wednesday November 26 BOSTON 7:00 PM
Friday November 28 PITTSBURGH 7:30 PM
Saturday November 29 @ Montreal 7:00 PM
Monday December 1 NASHVILLE 7:00 PM
Thursday December 4 @ Florida 7:30 PM
Saturday December 6 @ Tampa Bay 7:30 PM
Monday December 8 @ Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
Wednesday December 10 TAMPA BAY 7:00 PM
Friday December 12 TORONTO 7:30 PM
Saturday December 13 @ New Jersey 7:00 PM
Wednesday December 17 NEW JERSEY 7:00 PM
Friday December 19 LOS ANGELES 7:30 PM
Saturday December 20 @ Montreal 7:00 PM
Monday December 22 PITTSBURGH 7:00 PM
Friday December 26 @ Washington 7:00 PM
Saturday December 27 NY ISLANDERS 7:00 PM
Tuesday December 30 WASHINGTON 7:00 PM
Thursday January 1 @ Toronto 7:00 PM
Saturday January 3 @ Boston 1:00 PM
Tuesday January 6 OTTAWA 7:00 PM
Friday January 9 NY RANGERS 7:30 PM
Saturday January 10 @ Detroit 7:00 PM
Wednesday January 14 @ Chicago 8:30 PM
Thursday January 15 @ Dallas 8:30 PM
Saturday January 17 CAROLINA 7:00 PM
Monday January 19 @ Florida 7:30 PM
Wednesday January 21 @ Tampa Bay 7:30 PM
Tuesday January 27 @ Edmonton 9:00 PM
Wednesday January 28 @ Calgary 8:00 PM
Saturday January 31 @ Phoenix 9:00 PM
Monday February 2 @ Anaheim 10:00 PM
Wednesday February 4 TORONTO 7:30 PM
Friday February 6 MONTREAL 7:30 PM
Saturday February 7 @ Ottawa 7:00 PM
Wednesday February 11 OTTAWA 7:30 PM
Friday February 13 SAN JOSE 7:30 PM
Sunday February 15 CAROLINA 6:00 PM
Tuesday February 17 @ Toronto 7:30 PM
Thursday February 19 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Saturday February 21 NY RANGERS 7:00 PM
Tuesday February 24 ANAHEIM 7:00 PM
Thursday February 26 @ Carolina 7:00 PM
Saturday February 28 @ NY Islanders 7:00 PM
Wednesday March 4 MONTREAL 7:30 PM
Friday March 6 PHOENIX 7:30 PM
Saturday March 7 @ Ottawa 7:00 PM
Tuesday March 10 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Thursday March 12 FLORIDA 7:00 PM
Saturday March 14 ATLANTA 7:00 PM
Tuesday March 17 @ Ottawa 7:30 PM
Friday March 20 PHILADELPHIA 7:30 PM
Saturday March 21 @ NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Wednesday March 25 FLORIDA 7:00 PM
Friday March 27 TORONTO 7:30 PM
Saturday March 28 @ Montreal 7:00 PM
Wednesday April 1 @ Atlanta 7:00 PM
Friday April 3 @ Washington 7:00 PM
Saturday April 4 NEW JERSEY 7:00 PM
Monday April 6 DETROIT 7:00 PM
Wednesday April 8 @ Toronto 7:30 PM
Thursday April 9 @ Carolina 7:00 PM
Saturday April 11 BOSTON TBD
Analysis and more fun to come.
Day Date Opponent Time (E.S.T.)
Friday October 10 MONTREAL 7:30 PM
Monday October 13 @NY Islanders 2:00 PM
Wednesday October 15 @NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Friday October 17 VANCOUVER 7:30 PM
Saturday October 18 @Atlanta 7:00 PM
Tuesday October 21 BOSTON 7:00 PM
Thursday October 23 @ Minnesota 8:00 PM
Saturday October 25 @ COLORADO 9:00 PM
Monday October 27 OTTAWA 7:00 PM
Thursday October 30 TAMPA BAY 7:00 PM
Saturday November 1 WASHINGTON 7:00 PM
Monday November 3 @ New Jersey 7:00 PM
Friday November 7 ATLANTA 7:30 PM
Saturday November 8 @ Boston 7:00 PM
Wednesday November 12 ST. LOUIS 7:00 PM
Friday November 14 COLUMBUS 7:30 PM
Saturday November 15 @ Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
Wednesday November 19 @ Boston 7:00 PM
Friday November 21 PHILADELPHIA 7:30 PM
Saturday November 22 NY ISLANDERS 7:00 PM
Wednesday November 26 BOSTON 7:00 PM
Friday November 28 PITTSBURGH 7:30 PM
Saturday November 29 @ Montreal 7:00 PM
Monday December 1 NASHVILLE 7:00 PM
Thursday December 4 @ Florida 7:30 PM
Saturday December 6 @ Tampa Bay 7:30 PM
Monday December 8 @ Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
Wednesday December 10 TAMPA BAY 7:00 PM
Friday December 12 TORONTO 7:30 PM
Saturday December 13 @ New Jersey 7:00 PM
Wednesday December 17 NEW JERSEY 7:00 PM
Friday December 19 LOS ANGELES 7:30 PM
Saturday December 20 @ Montreal 7:00 PM
Monday December 22 PITTSBURGH 7:00 PM
Friday December 26 @ Washington 7:00 PM
Saturday December 27 NY ISLANDERS 7:00 PM
Tuesday December 30 WASHINGTON 7:00 PM
Thursday January 1 @ Toronto 7:00 PM
Saturday January 3 @ Boston 1:00 PM
Tuesday January 6 OTTAWA 7:00 PM
Friday January 9 NY RANGERS 7:30 PM
Saturday January 10 @ Detroit 7:00 PM
Wednesday January 14 @ Chicago 8:30 PM
Thursday January 15 @ Dallas 8:30 PM
Saturday January 17 CAROLINA 7:00 PM
Monday January 19 @ Florida 7:30 PM
Wednesday January 21 @ Tampa Bay 7:30 PM
Tuesday January 27 @ Edmonton 9:00 PM
Wednesday January 28 @ Calgary 8:00 PM
Saturday January 31 @ Phoenix 9:00 PM
Monday February 2 @ Anaheim 10:00 PM
Wednesday February 4 TORONTO 7:30 PM
Friday February 6 MONTREAL 7:30 PM
Saturday February 7 @ Ottawa 7:00 PM
Wednesday February 11 OTTAWA 7:30 PM
Friday February 13 SAN JOSE 7:30 PM
Sunday February 15 CAROLINA 6:00 PM
Tuesday February 17 @ Toronto 7:30 PM
Thursday February 19 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Saturday February 21 NY RANGERS 7:00 PM
Tuesday February 24 ANAHEIM 7:00 PM
Thursday February 26 @ Carolina 7:00 PM
Saturday February 28 @ NY Islanders 7:00 PM
Wednesday March 4 MONTREAL 7:30 PM
Friday March 6 PHOENIX 7:30 PM
Saturday March 7 @ Ottawa 7:00 PM
Tuesday March 10 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Thursday March 12 FLORIDA 7:00 PM
Saturday March 14 ATLANTA 7:00 PM
Tuesday March 17 @ Ottawa 7:30 PM
Friday March 20 PHILADELPHIA 7:30 PM
Saturday March 21 @ NY Rangers 7:00 PM
Wednesday March 25 FLORIDA 7:00 PM
Friday March 27 TORONTO 7:30 PM
Saturday March 28 @ Montreal 7:00 PM
Wednesday April 1 @ Atlanta 7:00 PM
Friday April 3 @ Washington 7:00 PM
Saturday April 4 NEW JERSEY 7:00 PM
Monday April 6 DETROIT 7:00 PM
Wednesday April 8 @ Toronto 7:30 PM
Thursday April 9 @ Carolina 7:00 PM
Saturday April 11 BOSTON TBD
Analysis and more fun to come.
A Novel Idea
by Ryan
Today is the big day: the NHL's full schedule is released to the public.
However, the Sabres weren't the only team that had a "soft release" of the schedule on Wednesday. The Toronto Maple Leafs made an announcement that certainly involved the Sabres, and you may not know anything about it.
It may only be preseason, but on September 22nd the Sabres will take on the Leafs at the ACC. It will be a fifth preseason game for the Leafs, which I guess is something special, but there is a larger catch attached:
Admission is free.
The Leafs and Coca Cola have teamed up to give away free tickets to the game in an effort to get a different kind of crowd at Leafs games. It's an interesting way to say "thank you" to the fans that simply can't pay $300 bucks a seat but still splurged on that Kyle Wellwood replica. Git R Done, boys.
All Leafs bashing aside, it is a pretty nice gesture. A free ticket to a hockey game is hard to come by, and reaching out to your fans after a frustrating playoff drought always bodes well with the public.
I hadn't heard about this until checking the Leafs' site, so I tried to apply for the drawing. Heck, who wouldn't road trip it to Toronto if the tickets were free?
Oh wait, you have to be a resident of Ontario. Within a fifty mile radius of Toronto, to be exact. Well isn't that unique? An exclusive event for Leafs fans that only they are invited to attend. Who actually tries to keep events local like that?
Carlton you greedy bastard.
Today is the big day: the NHL's full schedule is released to the public.
However, the Sabres weren't the only team that had a "soft release" of the schedule on Wednesday. The Toronto Maple Leafs made an announcement that certainly involved the Sabres, and you may not know anything about it.
It may only be preseason, but on September 22nd the Sabres will take on the Leafs at the ACC. It will be a fifth preseason game for the Leafs, which I guess is something special, but there is a larger catch attached:
Admission is free.
The Leafs and Coca Cola have teamed up to give away free tickets to the game in an effort to get a different kind of crowd at Leafs games. It's an interesting way to say "thank you" to the fans that simply can't pay $300 bucks a seat but still splurged on that Kyle Wellwood replica. Git R Done, boys.
All Leafs bashing aside, it is a pretty nice gesture. A free ticket to a hockey game is hard to come by, and reaching out to your fans after a frustrating playoff drought always bodes well with the public.
I hadn't heard about this until checking the Leafs' site, so I tried to apply for the drawing. Heck, who wouldn't road trip it to Toronto if the tickets were free?
Oh wait, you have to be a resident of Ontario. Within a fifty mile radius of Toronto, to be exact. Well isn't that unique? An exclusive event for Leafs fans that only they are invited to attend. Who actually tries to keep events local like that?
Carlton you greedy bastard.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Your Sabres Schedule Preview
Let the countdown begin.
via Sabres.com
The Buffalo Sabres have announced that the team’s 39th season of operation will begin on Friday, October 10 when the Montreal Canadiens visit HSBC Arena.
Two of the Sabres home “at large” games will be against the past two Stanley Cup Champions. The Sabres will battle the defending champion Detroit Red Wings on Monday, April 6. The 2006-07 champion Anaheim Ducks will head into HSBC Arena on February 24. The remaining “at large” game will see the return of Head Coach Wayne Gretzky and the Phoenix Coyotes in Buffalo on March 3.
via Sabres.com
The RFAs are signed
Some signing news as we wait for the partial schedule to be released:
Clarke MacArthur and Mark Mancari have accepted their qualifying offers and Dan Paille has agreed to a multi-year deal with the Sabres.
We'll post the figures as they become available but it's good news to have Paille locked up for a few years. This is MacArthur's year to make the leap so expect him to have a more prominent role with the big club this year as well.
UPDATE:
A very good deal for the Sabres. By the time is contract is up, the make up of the team will be different (right now only Vanek, Roy, Hecht and Gaustad are under contract in 2010-11) so the money should be there to give Paille a significant raise if he earns it.
Clarke MacArthur and Mark Mancari have accepted their qualifying offers and Dan Paille has agreed to a multi-year deal with the Sabres.
We'll post the figures as they become available but it's good news to have Paille locked up for a few years. This is MacArthur's year to make the leap so expect him to have a more prominent role with the big club this year as well.
UPDATE:
The Buffalo Sabres have announced the signing of forward Daniel Paille to a two year contract.
Paille will earn $900,000 in the first year of the deal and $1.35 the following season.
A very good deal for the Sabres. By the time is contract is up, the make up of the team will be different (right now only Vanek, Roy, Hecht and Gaustad are under contract in 2010-11) so the money should be there to give Paille a significant raise if he earns it.
Schedule Day! Kinda!
by Ryan
So today is the slowest sports day of the year. It's the day after the All Star Game (well, still the "day of" really...), and no other major sports league is currently in season.
What are we going to talk about today?
Well, thank the Sabres for trying to fill the gap with some hockey talk.
The big stories:
-Season ticket renewal is at 97%, with 500 or so tickets being given to Blue and Gold Club members. Glad that $100 bucks is getting them something.
-The full NHL schedule comes out on Thursday, which will be loads of fun. We can't wait to tear through that bad boy and start planning our mini packs.(If they are doing that this year, that is...)
-However, today at noon the Sabres will announce the home opener opponent, as well as three "at large" opponents. Hopefully a Mid Major picked as one of the three, perhaps Ball State sometime around Christmas. Let's do some bracketology for the three possible teams.
- Chicago- The "at large" opponents are most likely going to be picked to maximize revenue for teams, and my guess is the Sabres will want to squeeze a gold game out of a Western Conference opponent. Chitown will be that team, with Campbell, Kane, and $13 million goaltending tandem to boot. If we don't see the Hawks at HSBC this fall, I'd be moderately surprised.
- Toronto- probably not, but it would be smart of them. I want as much Jeff Finger in my life as possible this winter.
- Calgary- Perhaps, we don't go out West enough...
- Pittsburgh- Nah, too much demand for Sid and Gino.
- Carolina- Still have bad blood? Absolutely.
(Note: No one seems to be sure how exactly this "at large" thing works. For all we know they can only be within the conference or something. Let's put it this way, tell us who you'd like to see an extra time in the comments, and if you are reading this after noon today, hopefully you know for yourself.)
UPDATE: The scheduling format actually was changed and takes effect this upcoming season:
So today is the slowest sports day of the year. It's the day after the All Star Game (well, still the "day of" really...), and no other major sports league is currently in season.
What are we going to talk about today?
Well, thank the Sabres for trying to fill the gap with some hockey talk.
The big stories:
-Season ticket renewal is at 97%, with 500 or so tickets being given to Blue and Gold Club members. Glad that $100 bucks is getting them something.
-The full NHL schedule comes out on Thursday, which will be loads of fun. We can't wait to tear through that bad boy and start planning our mini packs.(If they are doing that this year, that is...)
-However, today at noon the Sabres will announce the home opener opponent, as well as three "at large" opponents. Hopefully a Mid Major picked as one of the three, perhaps Ball State sometime around Christmas. Let's do some bracketology for the three possible teams.
- Chicago- The "at large" opponents are most likely going to be picked to maximize revenue for teams, and my guess is the Sabres will want to squeeze a gold game out of a Western Conference opponent. Chitown will be that team, with Campbell, Kane, and $13 million goaltending tandem to boot. If we don't see the Hawks at HSBC this fall, I'd be moderately surprised.
- Toronto- probably not, but it would be smart of them. I want as much Jeff Finger in my life as possible this winter.
- Calgary- Perhaps, we don't go out West enough...
- Pittsburgh- Nah, too much demand for Sid and Gino.
- Carolina- Still have bad blood? Absolutely.
(Note: No one seems to be sure how exactly this "at large" thing works. For all we know they can only be within the conference or something. Let's put it this way, tell us who you'd like to see an extra time in the comments, and if you are reading this after noon today, hopefully you know for yourself.)
UPDATE: The scheduling format actually was changed and takes effect this upcoming season:
This season, the NHL has revised its scheduling format. Each team will continue to play an 82-game schedule, but the breakdown of opponents has changed.
Each team will play their divisional opponents six times (24 games in total), four games against each non-divisional conference opponent (40 games in total), one game against each of the 15 non-conference opponents and three "at large" games.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Why Second Place Matters
by Ryan
This ball probably went about 502 feet. Or maybe somewhere in the high 470s. Whatever, did you see Josh Hamilton freaking hit last night?
Wait, wait, let's backtrack a bit.
Ah yes, this is the big news story we all should be talking about. Brett Favre blahblahblahblahblah "I'm a premature quitter" blah blah blah.
You know what? Screw you Brett Favre. Last night we found more important things to think about.
Josh Hamilton absolutely stole the show last night, and I for one couldn't be happier. I normally don't find much to get excited about during the Derby, but to see a kid like him just rake like that was outstanding. Probably the coolest thing I've seen in Yankee Stadium since Mark Bellhorn's home run in Game Seven of the 2004 ALCS.
The story of his past will be told over and over again, but seeing someone live "The Dream" in front of millions of people was a refreshing twist on something that had become so trivial. The Home Run Derby didn't have the most star studded of lineups, nor did it have a Yankee to be a crowd favorite. However, it only took two home runs for Hamilton to become the star of the show, and before it was over everyone was chanting his name.
The Derby is pointless. It's simply another chance to put a trophy on your mantle, and while I give Justin Morneau all the credit in the world for the win, the story of Hamilton's performance has to be remembered in the long run. We're not here to talk revisionist history and declare Hamilton the winner, but he gave us something more than the Twin ever will last night.
In this era of instant history people are constantly searching for special moments. The Home Run Derby certainly lived up to the hype, which is surprising at best. Hamilton's performance may satisfy that desire for greatness many have, but for me its significance lies in its value when compared to the other "stories" the sports world follows.
How special is it to see a guy putting his life back together before your eyes when put up against an over the hill quarterback refusing to fade into the background? Favre going on television whining about playing time and feeling wanted is just absurd when you think about how privileged Captain Wrangler is compared to Hamilton.
Where Favre is clinging to a world he knows so well, Josh Hamilton is just trying to survive his own demons. Brett talks of an itch to play football, unable to be a normal person, a "former quarterback". Hamilton knows that same itch, except giving in for him would be committing career suicide a second time. For Hamilton the tag "former" will always apply, along with it "recovering", "addict", or "alcohol."
---
Baseball and football are mere games. However, we cherish their play and those that participate, claiming them heroes for something they are paid to do. The accolades we rain down on these athletes is hyperbolic, and Favre is one of the biggest benefactors of this verbal praise. Hamilton's show last night will only add to the compliments he receives, but it seems so much more appropriate at the moment.
Listen, I'm not here to give you a moral lesson or anything, so let's just say that last night was pretty freaking cool, no matter who ended up winning.
Watching Josh Hamilton swing for the Utz sign over the bleachers reminded us what sports is all about. Sports are supposed to be fun, and watching a meaningless contest on an off day was just plain fun.
Watching Favre pout "On the Record" reminds you that the "other" side of sports sucks sometimes, and only makes you look like a whiny bitch.
This ball probably went about 502 feet. Or maybe somewhere in the high 470s. Whatever, did you see Josh Hamilton freaking hit last night?
Wait, wait, let's backtrack a bit.
Ah yes, this is the big news story we all should be talking about. Brett Favre blahblahblahblahblah "I'm a premature quitter" blah blah blah.
You know what? Screw you Brett Favre. Last night we found more important things to think about.
Josh Hamilton absolutely stole the show last night, and I for one couldn't be happier. I normally don't find much to get excited about during the Derby, but to see a kid like him just rake like that was outstanding. Probably the coolest thing I've seen in Yankee Stadium since Mark Bellhorn's home run in Game Seven of the 2004 ALCS.
The story of his past will be told over and over again, but seeing someone live "The Dream" in front of millions of people was a refreshing twist on something that had become so trivial. The Home Run Derby didn't have the most star studded of lineups, nor did it have a Yankee to be a crowd favorite. However, it only took two home runs for Hamilton to become the star of the show, and before it was over everyone was chanting his name.
The Derby is pointless. It's simply another chance to put a trophy on your mantle, and while I give Justin Morneau all the credit in the world for the win, the story of Hamilton's performance has to be remembered in the long run. We're not here to talk revisionist history and declare Hamilton the winner, but he gave us something more than the Twin ever will last night.
In this era of instant history people are constantly searching for special moments. The Home Run Derby certainly lived up to the hype, which is surprising at best. Hamilton's performance may satisfy that desire for greatness many have, but for me its significance lies in its value when compared to the other "stories" the sports world follows.
How special is it to see a guy putting his life back together before your eyes when put up against an over the hill quarterback refusing to fade into the background? Favre going on television whining about playing time and feeling wanted is just absurd when you think about how privileged Captain Wrangler is compared to Hamilton.
Where Favre is clinging to a world he knows so well, Josh Hamilton is just trying to survive his own demons. Brett talks of an itch to play football, unable to be a normal person, a "former quarterback". Hamilton knows that same itch, except giving in for him would be committing career suicide a second time. For Hamilton the tag "former" will always apply, along with it "recovering", "addict", or "alcohol."
---
Baseball and football are mere games. However, we cherish their play and those that participate, claiming them heroes for something they are paid to do. The accolades we rain down on these athletes is hyperbolic, and Favre is one of the biggest benefactors of this verbal praise. Hamilton's show last night will only add to the compliments he receives, but it seems so much more appropriate at the moment.
Listen, I'm not here to give you a moral lesson or anything, so let's just say that last night was pretty freaking cool, no matter who ended up winning.
Watching Josh Hamilton swing for the Utz sign over the bleachers reminded us what sports is all about. Sports are supposed to be fun, and watching a meaningless contest on an off day was just plain fun.
Watching Favre pout "On the Record" reminds you that the "other" side of sports sucks sometimes, and only makes you look like a whiny bitch.
Monday, July 14, 2008
"Boo? F#$k You!"
Chase Utley knows how to handle the Yankee Stadium crowd:
He wasn't the star last night, though. More on that later...
[via Deadspin, The Sports Hernia]
He wasn't the star last night, though. More on that later...
[via Deadspin, The Sports Hernia]
Who is The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade?
By Jon
For those keeping up with The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade series we've been running, the day has finally come for you to cast your vote! Make your voice heard by voting in the poll posted at the top of the right sidebar, just underneath the header. Or, you can click here, if that's easier for you.
Voting will be open until Monday, July 21st at 5:00 PM Eastern. After voting closes, we will crown our winner and make sure we pay our respects with a fitting tribute. If you vote, feel free to back up your choice in the comment section of this post.
For those who need to review our six finalists, here are the links:
Also, here is the link to the original post.
Remember, your vote needs to be cast by Monday July 21st at 5:00 PM.
For those keeping up with The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade series we've been running, the day has finally come for you to cast your vote! Make your voice heard by voting in the poll posted at the top of the right sidebar, just underneath the header. Or, you can click here, if that's easier for you.
Voting will be open until Monday, July 21st at 5:00 PM Eastern. After voting closes, we will crown our winner and make sure we pay our respects with a fitting tribute. If you vote, feel free to back up your choice in the comment section of this post.
For those who need to review our six finalists, here are the links:
Also, here is the link to the original post.
Remember, your vote needs to be cast by Monday July 21st at 5:00 PM.
The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade: Domenic Pittis
By Jon
In a quest to determine The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade, The Goose's Roost will profile one effectively useless player a day. After the profiles are all said and done, we will put up a poll with all of the finalists. The player receiving the most votes will be crowned Most Insignificant.
Our final candidate is Domenic Pittis, courtesy of Keller.
Domenic Pittis
#83, 12, 28, 38 (... Seriously)
Center
1998-2000, 2003-04
In a quest to determine The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade, The Goose's Roost will profile one effectively useless player a day. After the profiles are all said and done, we will put up a poll with all of the finalists. The player receiving the most votes will be crowned Most Insignificant.
Our final candidate is Domenic Pittis, courtesy of Keller.
Domenic Pittis#83, 12, 28, 38 (... Seriously)
Center
1998-2000, 2003-04
Drafted: 1993 (Round 2) by Pittsburgh
Acquired by the Sabres: Signed as a Free Agent on July 30th, 1998
Regular season stats as a Sabre: 14 games (according to hockeydb; the Sabres media guide says 15 games), 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point, 12 PIM
Playoff stats as a Sabre: None
After Buffalo: After his first stint as a Sabre, Pittis played 69 games with Edmonton and 2 with Nashville, before returning to the Sabres for his final two games. He has played the last four seasons in the Swiss-A league.
Ebay swag: You can find a handful of Pittis cards on ebay, but some may find this page a little more interesting.
Puck bunnies, rejoice! A quick Google images search unearthed a few pictures of Pittis with females in local bars, this one with Soupy, himself.
Why Pittis should be Most Insignificant: Pittis went through four numbers and two stints in the organization, yet could never catch on with the big club.
Why Pittis should not be Most Insignificant: He led the AHL in scoring in the 1998-99 season, possibly giving some Sabres fans high hopes and leaving his name etched in their memory.
There you have it, folks. The last of our six finalists. Expect a poll to be up within the next few minutes.
Acquired by the Sabres: Signed as a Free Agent on July 30th, 1998
Regular season stats as a Sabre: 14 games (according to hockeydb; the Sabres media guide says 15 games), 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point, 12 PIM
Playoff stats as a Sabre: None
After Buffalo: After his first stint as a Sabre, Pittis played 69 games with Edmonton and 2 with Nashville, before returning to the Sabres for his final two games. He has played the last four seasons in the Swiss-A league.
Ebay swag: You can find a handful of Pittis cards on ebay, but some may find this page a little more interesting.
Puck bunnies, rejoice! A quick Google images search unearthed a few pictures of Pittis with females in local bars, this one with Soupy, himself.
Why Pittis should be Most Insignificant: Pittis went through four numbers and two stints in the organization, yet could never catch on with the big club.
Why Pittis should not be Most Insignificant: He led the AHL in scoring in the 1998-99 season, possibly giving some Sabres fans high hopes and leaving his name etched in their memory.
There you have it, folks. The last of our six finalists. Expect a poll to be up within the next few minutes.
"Portability Value"
by Ryan
A portable team will also attract interest from prospective buyers/investors in connection with a move to another city.
If the above had anything to do with Buffalo, we would be flipping s#$t right now. However, this is only Nashville, and only Boots Del Biaggio.
The idea of an ownership group purely seeking to "flip" a team (like a house!) is actually pretty scary when you have an owner straight up dying and another one purely focused on profit margin.
Mirtle has had good coverage of this all along, but it's something to think about on a day when not much is going on.
A portable team will also attract interest from prospective buyers/investors in connection with a move to another city.
If the above had anything to do with Buffalo, we would be flipping s#$t right now. However, this is only Nashville, and only Boots Del Biaggio.
The idea of an ownership group purely seeking to "flip" a team (like a house!) is actually pretty scary when you have an owner straight up dying and another one purely focused on profit margin.
Mirtle has had good coverage of this all along, but it's something to think about on a day when not much is going on.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Sunday Afternoon Youtube
You can consider this a precursor to a review of Bernstein's The Code.
Few things about this one:
- Andrew Peters has not improved.
- I think this was the one fight in which I didn't root for my team's player.
- One of these days we will review Rob Ray's book. Just not today. Or anytime soon.
- Bonus video:
Two Stupid Things
by Ryan
This, which is probably the stupidest death-related-Cubs-fan story I've ever seen. There is a joke about all Cubs fans turning to dust waiting for a championship somewhere in there, but I'm too tired to make it.
This, which is by far the most predictable story of the summer, is re-freaking-diculous. Just go away already. Everyone either loves or hates you, and coming back will only turn more people to the latter opinion.
Can't we just leave it at this? So much cleaner this way. Bret, there are no fancy graphics packages or stirring tributes involved when you are a backup quarterback. Ask Vinny Testaverde.
This, which is probably the stupidest death-related-Cubs-fan story I've ever seen. There is a joke about all Cubs fans turning to dust waiting for a championship somewhere in there, but I'm too tired to make it.
This, which is by far the most predictable story of the summer, is re-freaking-diculous. Just go away already. Everyone either loves or hates you, and coming back will only turn more people to the latter opinion.
Can't we just leave it at this? So much cleaner this way. Bret, there are no fancy graphics packages or stirring tributes involved when you are a backup quarterback. Ask Vinny Testaverde.
Friday, July 11, 2008
The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade: Chris Taylor
By Jon
In a quest to determine The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade, The Goose's Roost will profile one effectively useless player a day. After the profiles are all said and done, we will put up a poll with all of the finalists. The player receiving the most votes will be crowned Most Insignificant.
Today's finalist comes courtesy of Peter Farrell at The Ultimate Sports Road Trip, former Sabres forward Chris Taylor.
Chris Taylor
#16
1999-2004
Center
Drafted: 1990 (Round 2) by the New York Islanders
Acquired by the Sabres: Signed as a free agent on August 13, 1999.
Regular season stats as a Sabre: 90 games, 8 goals, 12 assists, 20 points, 32 PIM. Not quite a point-a-game player.
Playoff stats as a Sabre: 2 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points, 2 PIM
After Buffalo: After coming to Buffalo by way of the Islanders, Kings, and Bruins, Taylor stayed in the Sabres organization for two seasons after seeing his final action with the big club, captaining the Amerks through the 05-06 season. As is the case with all of the finalists so far, Taylor headed overseas, playing for the Frankfurt Lions for the past two seasons.
Ebay swag: I could only find one piece of Chis Taylor merchandise on Ebay (this 1995-96 rookie card), however this guy is kind enough to show off the crown jewel of his online merchandise collection: A pair of game-used socks worn by Taylor himself.
I would question the legitimacy of the socks, but who would lie about owning a pair of Chris Taylor's socks? Also available, a pair of practice-worn socks by Andrew Peters and another wore by Mike Ryan. That guy should get an extra vote; He obviously knows a thing or two about insignificant Sabres.
Why Taylor should be The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade: Last night, when Ryan and I were discussing who the remaining finalists should be, Ryan grabbed his media guide and was convinced that Taylor had only played two games as a Sabre, when in fact he had mistakingly looked up Taylor's playoff stats. That's how insignificant he was: It was completely believable that Chris Taylor played in 88 less games than he actually did. Also, 20 points over 90 games isn't going to cut it for a forward, whether you're a defensive forward or not.
Why Taylor should not be Most Insignificant: He did play for 90 games as a Sabre, and some fans might consider him significant for being "that bastard that wore 16 after LaFontaine was traded."
That does it for Chris Taylor. We'll be back tomorrow with our last finalist, and then we will put it up for a vote. Is Chris Taylor The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade?
UPDATE: We're gonna hold off on the last finalist until Monday. The poll will also be up after we post our last finalist.
In a quest to determine The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade, The Goose's Roost will profile one effectively useless player a day. After the profiles are all said and done, we will put up a poll with all of the finalists. The player receiving the most votes will be crowned Most Insignificant.
Today's finalist comes courtesy of Peter Farrell at The Ultimate Sports Road Trip, former Sabres forward Chris Taylor.
Chris Taylor
#16
1999-2004
Center
Drafted: 1990 (Round 2) by the New York Islanders
Acquired by the Sabres: Signed as a free agent on August 13, 1999.
Regular season stats as a Sabre: 90 games, 8 goals, 12 assists, 20 points, 32 PIM. Not quite a point-a-game player.
Playoff stats as a Sabre: 2 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points, 2 PIM
After Buffalo: After coming to Buffalo by way of the Islanders, Kings, and Bruins, Taylor stayed in the Sabres organization for two seasons after seeing his final action with the big club, captaining the Amerks through the 05-06 season. As is the case with all of the finalists so far, Taylor headed overseas, playing for the Frankfurt Lions for the past two seasons.
Ebay swag: I could only find one piece of Chis Taylor merchandise on Ebay (this 1995-96 rookie card), however this guy is kind enough to show off the crown jewel of his online merchandise collection: A pair of game-used socks worn by Taylor himself.
I would question the legitimacy of the socks, but who would lie about owning a pair of Chris Taylor's socks? Also available, a pair of practice-worn socks by Andrew Peters and another wore by Mike Ryan. That guy should get an extra vote; He obviously knows a thing or two about insignificant Sabres.Why Taylor should be The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade: Last night, when Ryan and I were discussing who the remaining finalists should be, Ryan grabbed his media guide and was convinced that Taylor had only played two games as a Sabre, when in fact he had mistakingly looked up Taylor's playoff stats. That's how insignificant he was: It was completely believable that Chris Taylor played in 88 less games than he actually did. Also, 20 points over 90 games isn't going to cut it for a forward, whether you're a defensive forward or not.
Why Taylor should not be Most Insignificant: He did play for 90 games as a Sabre, and some fans might consider him significant for being "that bastard that wore 16 after LaFontaine was traded."
That does it for Chris Taylor. We'll be back tomorrow with our last finalist, and then we will put it up for a vote. Is Chris Taylor The Most Insignificant Sabre of the Last Decade?
UPDATE: We're gonna hold off on the last finalist until Monday. The poll will also be up after we post our last finalist.
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