Main Street

by Ryan

I used to think that living in Buffalo wasn't all that bad. Then I heard everyone else's opinion. Unfortunately Buffalo is one of those cities that gets crap out of habit from just about anyone that pleases to opine. It also happens to have a bad track record with its sports teams. You can see where this is going.

So when I read the Bills season preview on Deadspin I was prepared for the worst. In all honesty, I was actually let down a bit.

The article itself was very solid, but the comments were the same things I've read or heard about Buffalo for years.

"Scott Norwood still kicking for them?"

"I'd imagine post-riot Buffalo would look pretty much like pre-riots Buffalo, no matter how destructive said riots were."

And so on.

The thing is, what was said wasn't offensive at all. In fact, I'm just appalled by the lack of originality. I mean, Scott Norwood jokes don't even register with us anymore. Sure, watching a replay of it still makes me want to rip my my esophagus out and jump some rope with it, but making a Norwood crack doesn't even phase me at this point. The same goes with a Brett Hull joke. At this point, whatever. I've heard it so many times, it's a moot point at best.

In all honesty, those horrific moments from our sporting past are nowhere near as painful as the current troubles we have. Why not tell me that no free agent would be caught dead in Buffalo? That reality would hurt more than a joke about a 47 year old placekicker.

All I'm asking for is a little more creativity when you make fun of us. The least you can do is ask when John Rigas is going to give us the tools to "finish the job." Ask me how that waterfront stadium is treating us, or if the Rockies like playing downtown.

I really don't have a problem with making fun of Buffalo. In fact, some of the best advice I've ever gotten was that you have to make fun of yourself before you learn to make fun of others. All I'm asking is for something new. Anything other than Norwood, Hull, and calling it a cesspool would be an exciting change of pace.

Heck, even Cleveland has Brady Quinn now, and their stadium was built on an ocean.

Leadership

by Ryan

Bill Walsh died.

I know this is old news in the blogosphere, but it is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. Now I know how great a coach Walsh was, but that has been said by people more qualified than I many times over. What really got me thinking this past week was this story.

That article brought me to a shocking revelation: Marv Levy is old. He's so old that he gave a head coach that just died in old age his first college coaching job. The numbers are there, plain and simple, and we have an 82 year old General Manager. It's not so shocking when it is stated in black and white, but realizing what that number means by comparison takes me aback. While Brett Farve is busy tinkering with iPods in order to look cool, our GM is thinking back on former understudies who have died recently.

To be honest, that scares the crap out of me. Like most of you out there, the Bills are my team, and their future is very important to me. Remembering that our owner is just as eldery as our GM, and the fact that there is no succession plan in place God Forbid something happens and, well, it's not fun in my head for a bit.

My fantasy draft was last night. That also has gotten me to thinking about things. Drafting for an imaginary team in an imaginary league has me realize that the Bills are not my team, I just root for them. I am a fan of the Bills just as much as a girlfriend or wife is a fan of your fantasy team. Sure, they may get upset when you lose, but for the most part they have no idea what is going on inside your head. We as fans have no way of knowing anything about One Bills Drive other than what we are told, just like a confused girlfriend being explained your league's scoring system.

There is an interesting contrast between a real football team and your fantasy team. In fantasy football, you are in complete control of your own squad, a team that no one but you cares about. Let's be honest, no one cares why I drafted RB strength first and settled for Vince Young as my QB because it's just my team and nothing more.

However, in the NFL we have absolutely no control over anything, and care more than we'd like to. I couldn't pay strangers to listen to my draft recap, but if I could have Marv Levy explain his thought process on draft day to me I'd take notes, record, and hire a professional cameraman to capture every second of it. Heck, I'd take his advice on how to cut my grass or make decent mac and cheese if he took the time.

I've read Marv's biography, traveled to Canton, Ohio to see him inducted into the Hall of Fame, and watched four full quarters of preseason football just to hear him ramble on the local broadcast. Yeah, it's a bit crazy, but I'm not the only one. Because it's Marv Levy.

And he's 82. Yet somehow, I trust him. I trust Darcy, too. I couldn't explain to you why, but maybe that's exactly the reason. Regardless of age, regardless of the past, you have to trust who's in charge of your team. Life is not Fantasy Football, and to be a fan you have to give up the reigns and have faith.

Well, no, not always. But in the doldrums of August, with a fresh, crisp season on the horizon, you have to delegate yourself to the backseat and trust where you will be taken.

Hopefully it's going to be a long, pleseant ride.

Stupid me.....

By Jon

By being a complete jerk and writing a somewhat satirical post, I completely forgot to mention the real news.

Thurman Thomas is being inducted to the Hall of Fame today. A great accomplishment for him, the Bills, and Western New York as a whole. While Thurman has had his run-ins with the media and Buffalo area (come on Thurman, Miami? Of all teams?), he is still one of Buffalo's favorite adopted sons from the greatest era of Buffalo football.

Congrats Thurman, hopefully Ralph, Steve, Andre and Willis will be joining you shortly.

Long time, no see....

By Jon

It's been a while since our loyal readers have read anything new in the Roost, and with that comes our sincerest apologies. Nothing is more annoying than a dry-spell from a site that updates regularly.

Fact of the matter is, nothing has really happened that we consider, shall we say, Roost-worthy. Let's examine.

ESPN's Page 2 released a list of 50 current NFL players that are future HOF'ers. Included on the list: Reggie Bush and Vince Young (1 year of experience each), and more shockingly Calvin Johnson and Adrian Peterson (Combined snaps played: 0. Zilch. Nada.) But a column on that would have been too easy.

Page 2 also released this list in conjunction with the first. They really outdid themselves here. I was shocked that they put Mike Vick on their list of "10 big names that won't make Canton." I can't even imagine how long the writers must have deliberated before coming to the conclusion that Jeremy Shockey will never be bronzed in Canton. Come on guys, common sense. No Roost commentary necessary.

Some guy (Jake Brown) that no one had ever heard of before this, fell about forty feet while competing in the X Games. He remains hospitalized with a liver and kidney complications, but is expected to make a full recovery. He did walk off under his own power, which is amazing considering the impact. While this may have been very close to making it in the Roost, none of us can give you real commentary on skateboarding, because I'm pretty sure we have never watched an extreme sporting event in our lives. The Goose's Roost does not support adrenaline junkies.

We probably could have spun a few non-stories into stories. Barry Bonds stuck on 754 (Thank God), A-Rod stuck on 499, including an 0-21 stretch immediately following his 499th HR (and he had us thinking he could hit under pressure. Bastard), and Tom Glavine stuck at 299. If I could have lost any more respect for Bonds, I have. I've watched his last four or five games, and I find it utterly despicable that the man can not play a full 9 innings. The man does not belong in the league, and he's only in it to have his name tied to the record (hopefully with an asterisk), because clearly the Giants aren't going anywhere.

Although, the games are highly entertaining just to watch Barry's family. Seeing his daughter and wife (at least i think it's his wife) in the stands makes me laugh uncontrollably every single time. They look like they are watching a five-hour long opera while sitting on a chair of spikes.

But with Barry, A-Rod, and Tom not accomplishing their milestones, there is no story, really. And we don't want to ramble and make you read a load of BS, because we value our readers.

Speaking of a load of BS, we were just incredibly lazy this past week. We aren't so high and mighty to think that something has to be "Roost-worthy", we are just lazy, lazy men enjoying our summers. Forgive us, please. More regular updates to come.

Celtic Pride

by Rich


Various sources are reporting that the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to a deal to send forward Kevin Garnett to Boston in exchange for a package of players and draft picks including forward Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff's expiring contract, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, and depending on which report you read, possibly Ryan Gomes. Additionally, the T-Wolves get the Celtics' first-round pick in 2008, as well as another 2008 first-rounder that was originally theirs but was traded to Boston in the Ricky Davis deal (got it?).

My, how things have changed since the Draft Lottery. Remember that day, and the footage of Celtics fans who looked like someone had just run over their puppy? It was footage of a fanbase whose main debate was not how many games they'd win this season, but whether it'd be easier to jump off the Prudential building or simply hurl themselves onto the Mass Pike.

Then there was the draft, when Danny Ainge swung a deal for Ray Allen by sending Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and the draft rights to the fifth overall pick, Jeff Green to Seattle. The move reeked of desperation at the time; it seemed like Ainge, after not getting the top-2 pick he hoped for and failing to land KG because he didn't want to play in Boston, had simply thrown up his hands and said "Well, screw it. We've got to do something." A lot of people, myself included, questioned the move because it seemed like exactly the kind of half-measure that teams seem so happy to make. He wasn't selling off their young players to bring in a core of veterans who could contend immediately, but he wasn't quite blowing it up and moving veterans for draft picks and young guys who would develop as part of a rebuilding project. It looked for all intents and purposes like the Celtics' front office had built an extremely mediocre team that might back into the playoffs for a few years, and by the time their young guys had peaked, Allen and Pierce would be on the downside of their careers.

Enter Garnett.

Just take a second to think about what this Celtics team will field: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. In the Eastern Conference. I could be the sixth man and this team would still get to the conference finals.

Kevin Garnett has never played with anyone as good as either Paul Pierce or Ray Allen. Ponder that one for a minute; he is now placed in a situation where he is playing with not one, but two guys who are both better than anyone he has ever had around him. Of course, there are other considerations, like the fact that one of the best passing big men the game has ever seen will now be on the court with two prime-time perimeter players. Hell, KG might average 30/12/10 this year. Wouldn't surprise me.

That's the other thing, though. Nothing he can do on the court would surprise me, because Kevin Garnett is an absolute warrior. He goes all out, all the time, every game. Anyone who has ever seen a Wolves highlight has seen The Look, the one KG gets when he yanks an offensive rebound away from 3 defenders and puts it back with a dunk and a foul, or when he comes over to help on defense and sends a jumper into the club level. The Look where he tightens the muscles in his jaw and simply stares through some unfortunate guy on the other team, like he's trying to set him on fire with pure mental intensity. Something tells me that will play well in a town like Boston.


Personally, I'm looking forward to this season. I'm sort of an adopted Celtics fan, in the sense that I didn't really watch the NBA growing up because of the lack of a local team, and the fact that I spent all winter every year watching college ball. My dad never really talks about his sports preferences outside of the Bills and Sabres, (which is why I never found out he was a Mets fan until I was 17, but that's an entirely different story) but once in a while he'd mention the great Celts/Lakers throwdowns of the 80s. And Bird. I won't go into the full details of just how much status the man from French Lick holds in my parents' home, but suffice it to say that my mom makes certain she puts the Larry Bird ornament on the Christmas tree every year. So gradually, as I got older and started watching the NBA, I drifted towards the Celtics. And right now? It's looking like a fun season.


The bottom line: Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans. But Kevin McHale might be, 'cause he's dropping off KG to go play with The Truth and Jesus Shuttlesworth.

The gang's all here

By Chris

According to this report from WGRZ-TV, Nathan Paetsch has signed the dotted line on a three-year contract worth just under $3 million. It's a great signing for the Sabres as Paestch is a player who should be making an impact right now, instead of sitting in the press box, waiting for someone to get injured. Prior to the signing, Paetsch was the only Sabre not under contract.

A month after Black Sunday, the Canada Day Massacre, whatever you want to call it, a lot of fans, myself included, feel a lot better about this team and the future of the franchise. Paetsch being around for three more years, even if next year might be "wasted" barring any trades, is good news, no matter how you want to spin it.

Coming soon to a ring near you....

By Jon

In the red corner, representing West Virginia and all that is wrong with professional football: Adam "Pacman" Jones.

That's right ladies and gentlemen, Pacman Jones is coming to a wrestling ring near you.

It's a ridiculous publicity stunt for two parties that absolutely crave said publicity. Both are immersed in controversy. Both have very little public support. Both are absolutely idiotic. I guess you could say it's a match made in heaven.

Pro wrestling is probably the only sport where showering strippers with thousands of one dollar bills is an approved off-the-field activity, if not an encouraged one.

Congrats Pacman, you may have found your niche. Hell, with the "sport" ravaged by Chris Benoit, 'roid rage, and other deaths (I'm aware that he's acting, errrrr, competing in the TNA, but it's still the same "sport"), you may come off as the model citizen in comparison.

Darwin, we hardly knew you

By Chris

He never put on a uniform for us. He never played a down for us. He never even practiced for us. He didn't want anything to do with us; he just wanted his money and that's why Darwin Walker has been added to the Buffalo Sports List of Public Enemies. Without even taking a snap for the Bills, Walker has joined the likes of McGahee, Mularkey, Rob Johnson, Slava Kozlov, Doug Gilmour and Dominik Hasek as former Buffalo sports figures that have their own line of voodoo dolls for fans to play with.

Walker never wanted to be a Bill, at least not for what he was being paid. He wanted a raise for not proving anything and was willing to hold out until he got what he wanted. And now he's the Chicago Bears' problem, where he should fit right in replacing Tank Johnson for the first half of the season. The Bills would have been compensated with a 6th round pick from the Eagles, who would also get him back, if Walker didn't report to camp by August 5th. It didn't look like he was going to, so the Bills flipped him to Chicago for a 5th rounder.

It's still not a fantastic trade by any means, essentially a 5th for Takeo Spikes and Kelly Holcomb, but what can we do but continue to trust Marv and the front office? This may be the first "bad" deal they have made, but then again, they moved two players out who they didn't have in their plans, neither right now nor in the future. The Bills are bringing in who they want and who they feel will succeed here, and while we still don't know if it'll work, getting a likeable, competitive team to root for is better than the sad, mentally weak Bills we've had to deal with over the last 6 years.

With Walker gone, it opens the door for John McCargo, last year's second first round pick, to play a much larger role. Allen Wilson's piece in The Buffalo News today, obviously written prior to the trade, does a nice job analyzing McCargo's role on the defensive line as well as the expectations placed on him.

So what are we looking at? Quite simply, the Bills traded a guy who wanted nothing to do with the team in the first place and got a higher draft pick for him than they would have if they had done nothing at all. In that regard, maybe this isn't that "bad" of a trade after all. In Marv we trust....

Take a Seat and Stay Awhile

By Chris

My phone woke me up just after midnight this morning. It was a text message from the Buffalo Bills informing me that Marshawn Lynch, their first round draft pick was finally signed. Lynch ended his one-day hold out by signing for $19 million over five years.

Several hours later, I checked some sites to see what Sabres center Derek Roy was awarded in his arbitration. It turns out he never went because he and the team were able to agree upon a six-year, $24 million deal. Yippee.

For the most part, both signings are great news. The Bills get their new franchise running back and the Sabres get their new top centerman. Each shows that the respective organizations are willing to dish out competitive contracts for players they feel will have a positive impact on their teams.

The Sabres may have overpaid for Roy right now ($3 million in 2007, $3.5 in 2008 and 2009), but in three years ($4 million in 2010, $4.5 in 2011 and $5.5 in 2012), it could be considered a value signing. Now, that line of thinking may not bode well for the financial stability and "cost certainty" of the "new" NHL, but it may very well become a reality. Roy was the captain of his team in Kitchener, so the leadership skills are there and he'll have to put them display now that he's the man on the Sabres top line. More money equals more responsibility and Roy needs to be up to the task.


How he'll truly pan out, however, is yet to be seen. It's just crazy to think that a guy who didn't even make the team out of training camp two years ago is now making $4 million. But what other choice did the Sabres have? They wanted to keep him and if he had gone to arbitration, then chances are he'd be gone after that two year contract he would've been awarded expires. So the Sabres did what they had to do and hopefully it'll pan out.

With Lynch, the Bills have a running back that will be able to effectively catch the ball out of the backfield for the first time in years (since Thurman, perhaps?). Willis McGahee had just 18 catches last year. Even Anthony Thomas had more. Lynch is already an upgrade over McGahee...after all, as a starting running back, you can't get much worse than 11 touchdowns over the last two years. Lynch will provide speed on the outside with the ability to break the long run. Scouting reports say he's a decent pass blocker, and those are all characteristics the Bills desperately need.

Lynch may be able to provide the occasional goal line carry, but for now, it seems that the A-Train will shoulder some of that burden. Even though they may share many of the carries this year (think of how the Patriots used Kool-Aid Maroney and Corey Dillon last season), there is no doubt that Lynch is the future.


So it looks like I'm ready to go out and order my new Lynch jersey. It's just too bad I can't get a Michael Vick jersey at the same time. For Vick, that is.

Wow That's A Lot Of Money, Take Two

by Ryan

Five years, 21.25 million. That's how Kevin Lowe rolls. That's how Dustin Penner now rolls as well. Whether Penner and his 45 points will be accepting that large sack of cash in Anaheim or Edmonton is yet to be determined.

The numbers are, of course, huge for a player like Penner. My personal rule is that a player barely on most fantasy teams shouldn't be making over 4 million a season. Then again, Eric Brewer is making that money for the next three years, so maybe I'm just naive.

Granted, the 24 year old Penner is a rising star and may eventually grow into contract numbers that large, especially on a good team like Anahiem. The offer sheet does put the Defending Champs in an interesting position, however. Signing Penner would put them over the cap, which would force them to make roster adjustments by October 1st. With 20 players under contract and Teemu Selanne a UFA, the Ducks may have to walk away from young Dustin and take the three compensatory picks.

Regardless of what Anahiem decides, you have to hand it to Kevin Lowe at this point. He is really making strides in this "New NHL" offseason setup, taking swipes at anyone and anything he pleases. I tend to imagine Lowe donning a cowboy hat as he works the phones in his GM Place office. Later he tips his waitress at Denny's a dozen toonies, then moves on to "make it rain" at various Dollarama locations until heading home to check in on his ebay auctions.

It's a tough life, being a rebel.

Ain't no party like a bachelor party

By Jon

This just in from the "had to be there" department: 14 were arrested, including Eric Staal of the Hurricanes and Jordan Staal of the Penguins, for being crazed, presumably drunken, idiots at Eric's bachelor party.

Eric spent the night in jail, and the brothers, along with the other twelve that were arrested, were charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing the legal process. Jordan had an underage drinking charge, to boot.

I'm trying to get inside of their heads, and I just can't. I will never understand an athlete that takes their situation for granted to the extent that they get in trouble with the law. Professional athletes are held to a higher standard, and they all know that the media will cover them like hawks, especially two of the games brightest young players.

There's no way that they could have thought that they would get off based on their "celebrity status". They were in Minnesota, and the NHL is far too obscure to have their players recognized by your run-of-the-mill law enforcement official. Besides, even if they were in Raleigh, cops have to keep track of far too many NASCAR drivers to recognize a simple hockey player. In fact, the NHL benefits greatly from the aforementioned obscurity in this case. This is the hockey equivalent to Carson Palmer and Laurence Maroney getting arrested after a night on the town. Palmer and Maroney would be a national headline, the Staal brothers incident is nothing but a blurb on an inside page.

This line, from the Staal brother's agent courtesy of the TSN report, actually had me belch out a loud, bellowing laugh:

''Not to take anything away from the seriousness of it, it's what can happen when you get any group of 15 to 20 people together and there's loud noise.''

As a college student and avid sports fan, you can be sure that I have been in many a crowd of 15-20 people with loud noise. Do you know how many of them ended with me getting kicked out of an establishment and heckling passing motorists?.................

(Thinking........)

NONE!

**********

On a different note, it looks like the sport of cycling now has less credibility than baseball. Ouch.

It's a sad era in the sporting world when the only two sports with little or no controversy are Arena Football and Major League Soccer.

I blame Bucky Gleason.

Fantasy Football and some more Bucky Bashing

by Rich


Training camp is about to start, and that can only mean one thing: fantasy football drafts! This year I'm looking to defend my league title, and more importantly, win the coveted "Best Name In The League" award. The problem with this, of course, is that you can only name your team once; this leads to an overflow of ideas that for whatever reason just didn't make the final cut. We're here to serve you the reader, so without further ado, the Goose's Roost presents our first annual:

Top 10 Things I Should Have Named My Fantasy Team

1) Vick's Veterinarians
2) Brady's Other Babies
3) The Virginia Killing Fields
4) Larry Johnson's Torn Meniscus
5) Ookie in Orange
6) Poles For Posluszny
7) Bad Newz Bears
8) The Overrated White Guys
9) Sex Cannons*
10) Construda Crusaders


*The term "Sex Cannon" is the work of the guys over at Kissing Suzy Kolber, a blog we at the Roost take great enjoyment in.


Also, while I'm pimping blogs, check out my solo effort at The Buffalo 'Cane. I figured one take on Bucky per site is about the limit, so I aired my thoughts over there. I started this blog just before joining the Roost, and haven't really had much to add there in the meantime. Look for things to pick up soon however, as I'm going to be covering college football as well as some Marlins/Heat/Fins over there.

Thanks for bearing with me through some shameless self-promotion, folks. Don't worry, it's not going to become a habit.

Dear Bucky Gleason,

by Ryan

It's July. To say nothing is going on in the sporting world would be ridiculous. Sports news this July can be summed up with three names: Mike Vick, Tim Donaghy, and Barry Bonds.

It's a depressing collection of trash to say the least, but don't let that get you down, Bucky Gleason is here to make everything better. Wow, glad you put that all into perspective for us. Thank you Bucky, you nearsighted moron.

Listen, buddy, I know it's July and there is nothing going on of interest in Buffalo, but that load of garbage you just made the news print is irreconcilable. I may go and plant a tree or two right now just to make up for your utter waste of printable newspaper. I'm still shocked that somehow you made 590 consecutive words morph into a huge, heaping pile of badger feces.

Just to be clear, let's recap. Bucky blamed us for tampering with the NBA, dogfighting, Rae Carruth, rape, steriods, ticket prices, and Tonya Harding. Wow, I'm not even mad; that's amazing.

But I guess we do owe Bucky an apology. It is our fault that we all don't follow his vendetta against Sabres management. Of course many of us are upset with how the offseason has worked out, but none of us have been banging the war drums and insisting we knew things they didn't. Now we are the true reason this offseason hasn't worked out, and why ticket prices are going up eight percent, prompting him to lash out with this:

"Funny, but every time you hold people accountable in sports, you’re certain to hear from people who want to know why you’re picking on their favorite teams. Gee, I don’t know. My guess is that some of us are more interested in facts over self-serving fantasy. "

Ah, there it is again, our ignorant, uneducated ways clashing with his valliant effort to unearth the truth down at Sabres HQ.

Bucky Gleason has no right to tell us how to be fans. There is no need for lecture or scolding, no compulsatory retraining on his behalf. Telling a sports fan they are the cause of everything going wrong in sports is not only shortsighted, but utterly stupid. Just because we make the industry move doesn't mean we are to blame for every misdeed found within. No Falcons fan wants Oookie doing God knows what in his home. No basketball fan wants the sancity of their game tampered with. No Sabres fan wants management to drop the ball on July 1st.

We, Bucky Gleason, are not enablers. We are fans. Fans of a pure, beautiful thing called "the game." When the realted stories become more important then "the game," we all bow our heads in shame.

Don't you dare tell us otherwise.

Forget the Past

By Chris

Think back to the time when the Buffalo Sabres relied on solid goaltending, a smothering defense, and a timely offense headlined by a flashy European winger. Aside from that lock down defense, which will have yet another chance to prove itself this coming season, it seems that the goal the front office is to take us all back to the year 2000. The captain of those blue collar teams was Michael Peca and now he tells The Buffalo News that we wants to come back.

And I'm pretty much ready to welcome Peca back with open arms. If he's healthy, that is. There is a crater now in the Sabres locker room where leadership used to be and Peca can help to fill that hole. Forget the ugly divorce he had with the Sabres and the Rigas regime. Forget that he played for Toronto. Peca is still a really good two-way player and helped the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals just two years ago.


It's not like the Sabres are buying completely damaged goods either. Sure his hard hitting style has added an extra level of wear and tear that may make possible suitors weary, but that's why he earned the nickname Captain Crunch. Not counting last season, in which he only played 35 games and the 2000-01 season which he held out due to a breakdown in contract negotiations with the Sabres, Peca has played in at least 60 games every season since 1995. Peca is also a superb face off man, and if the stat pages on NHL.com weren't down, I'd back that claim up with solid numbers.

So a two-way center capable of playing 15 minutes a game who can kill penalties, win draws, and is capable of leading a team sounds just like what the Sabres need after losing Briere and Drury, right? Right? Someone please try to convince Darcy Regier of that. Both Regier and Peca's agent have both said that there have been no talks between the two regarding Peca specifically.

More than anything though, Peca wants to be here. Forget the ill will of the past, the guy wants to play for us...but maybe that's the problem. As fans, we see a player who we loved to watch play years ago. We see a void in the locker room and we want it filled with something familiar. A guy we know was capable seven years ago. If Peca is still so great, wouldn't some team have already made an offer he'd accept? Does he want to play for the Sabres so bad that he's been waiting a month for an offer that might not come?

Regardless, I think the Sabres are better off with Peca than without him. Broken or not, he's an extra piece to the puzzle that could teach the younger players something while contributing on a team that's not quite rebuilding, but not quite a powerhouse. But for right now, Peca wants to be a Sabre again, and that's enough for me.

Speaking of the Islanders...

by Ryan

Sometimes you have to wonder what's in the water downstate, or at least what's in Garth Snow's coffee cup. Here, let me try to lay this on your gently: Al Arbour is the newest coach of the New York Islanders. So is Ted Nolan.

In the only move that can top DiPietro's signing, 75 year old Al Arbour will go back behind the Islanders bench for one game, November 3rd against Sidney Crosby and the Pens.

Now before you go any further, let's get something clear. This is about publicity, and nothing more. Sure, everyone loves even numbers, and basic math states that 1,500 is indeed greater than 1,499. However, no one seemed to care much about that difference, not even Arbour himself.

This move is to get press, to get people talking about the Islanders and the NHL. Of course it will work, but is that really a good thing? To me, this move reeks of a Minor League Baseball promotion, something a Single A team in Iowa would pull to get a few thousand more tickets sold.

My problem is not with the self promotion of the issue, but how it is going to effect the game on November 3rd. Regardless of how good a coach Al Arbour is, there are still two points up for grabs that night, and losing that game will make a difference in the standings in the end. And while Al Arbour may be one of the greatest hockey coaches in league history, I'm not sure how I would feel about giving him a different team to toy with for one game.

What happens if it is a disaster and somehow the Isles lost out on a playoff spot by two points? Which two points will everyone look back at? Certainly not the mid October game, but that one Arbour screwed up will be a popular choice.

Think about if Scotty Bowman wanted to do the same thing with the Sabres. Would you enjoy the prospect of Bowman coaching a team completely foreign to him in a game that counted?

Honestly, if the Islanders want to turn their games into an ice circus they should have gone all the way. Ask the NHL to extend the regular season a few weeks so you could have held the game on Arbour Day. Give everyone in attendance a sapling to plant in their yard. Force all the players to use Sherwood sticks for that night. (They picked the right team for that) Make Smokey the Bear a honorary captain for the night.

C'mon guys, you just aren't trying hard enough. Make me pay attention to you.

Like a Locomotiv, Free Agency Rolls Along...

by Ryan

Breaking news from behind the Iron Curtain, as Alexi Yashin is bringing his lackadaisical skating and poor work ethic back home to Russia.

There is so much to like about this story, so let's break it down a bit here.

"The Canadian Press can confirm the deal does not include an out clause to return to the NHL next season."

Ah yes, because the NHL will want him back when he fails miserably in the Super League.

"Right now the city is electric, everyone is excited, the arena will be packed and Alexei will play hard."

Hey, 2 out of 3 isn't bad, right?

And now for the paragraph designed to depress some Senators fans:

"His departure means Ottawa's first two first-round picks in franchise history are no longer in the NHL, Yashin going second overall in the 1992 NHL entry draft and Alexandre Daigle - now playing in Davos, Switzerland - chosen first overall in 1993 by the Senators."

And the one designed to make Islanders fans throw up:

"The Islanders signed Yashin to a US$87.5 million, 10-year deal in 2001 after acquiring from Ottawa in exchange for top defenceman Zdeno Chara, a first-round pick the Senators used to draft top-line centre Jason Spezza, and winger Bill Muckalt."

Man, I sure am going to miss the good old days of Yashin not living up to his enormous contract. Now who can the world turn to when they need an overpaid European player to direct scorn towards? Wait, what did you say about Thomas Vanek and his albatross of a contract?

Hush yo mouf, foo.

All Dogs Go To Heaven

By Chris

So the Feds finally got to Mike Vick. I guess it was only really a matter of time. The rumors of dog fighting have been circulating for months and Vick is a huge fish to catch in that pool. So one has to wonder what the NFL and Atlanta Falcons are going to do next.

Roger Goodell has been trying very hard to clean up the image of the league, highlighted by the Pacman Jones and Tank Williams suspensions. But will he finally be able to pull the trigger on Vick? It's not like he's got a spotless record, from the Water Bottle Incident back to the Ron Mexico lawsuit. And it's not like he comes from a picture perfect family--his brother Marcus' career was never able to take off because of character issues both on and off the field. Is the dog fighting indictment the final straw?

Goodell must take a stand here and let players know that any sort of legal problems will not be tolerated. And Vick is a high enough on the food chain that if Goodell makes an example of him, it will certainly grab the attention of the players. But Goodell also must keep the financial interests of his league in mind and the media buzz following animal activists who are planning to protest at NFL games is potentially very bad business. So Goodell has to take charge and do whatever is necessary to eliminate any negative publicity stemming from these incidents. And it starts with suspending Mike Vick.

As for the Atlanta Falcons, they need Vick to play. He's a big draw and is one of the few athletes that can get casual fans excited to watch a football game. If Vick's playing, it will be entertaining. So if Vick's sitting out, that means less people probably in the stadium and less money coming in. Financially, the Falcons need Vick and for those reasons will do everything in their power to sway Goodell's opinion into letting him dress.

But if the Falcons put team first, then maybe they'd support a Vick suspension and show their players what is expected of them off the field. Maybe they wouldn't win as many games, but it would be building character through adversity, in this case without your best player.

And would the Falcons trust Joey Harrington enough to start the 2007 season under center? He's been nothing more than awful since he came into the league in 2002 and hasn't shown he's capable of leading an NFL franchise.

So would the Falcons be interested in Daunte Culpepper? He was terrible last season coming off that major knee surgery, prompting the Dolphins to go with the aforementioned Joey Harrington. A year later, the knee has to be stronger, right? Would the Falcons try the same experiment of a Culpepper-Harrington one-two punch if Vick's unable to suit up? Either way, I would like to think Atlanta would be looking for an upgrade at the quaterback position.

But if the Falcons show no interest in Culpepper, the only teams off the top of my head that he'd legitimately have a shot of starting with are Detroit, Carolina and Minnesota. Would they take the chance on him?

Happy Birthday, Ryan Miller

by Ryan

There are were not many perks to attending the Sabres/Isles New Year's Day game. Aside from the 1pm start and the bubonic plague I acquired from the festivities, the game was also a sloppy display of hangover hockey. One positive that came from the day? The Sabres Team Calender I received by walking through the door.

That brings me to today, which I know for a fact is Ryan Miller's birthday.

It must be an interesting time for our young goaltender to say the least. Here he sits, two full years into his NHL career, with his brother a Stanley Cup Champion and his own team picking up the pieces of a disastrous offseason.

There is no way we can possibly get into his head and understand what he is feeling, but as a Sabres fan you cannot help but feel for the situation he finds himself in. Like it or not, he is now the most recognizable face on this hockey team. Gone are the days of Briere or Drury running the show, in tandem or otherwise. I know he can't wear the "C" according to NHL rules, but it is as good as his with regards to play. No one has stepped up more since the lockout than Ryan Miller.

But as I look back on his brief career here, it surprises me to realize what moment stands out for me the most. No, it's not the Paul Mara save. Or the Miro Satan save. Or this one. Or any of these.

When I think Ryan Miller, I think of this. Watch the whole video, it's one of the most entertaining Sabres games you will ever see.

Just think about that game for a moment. February 22nd, 2007. Ryan Miller started that game on the bench. Two hours later he is thrust into a game that suddenly means more than any other game so far that season. Yet fast forward another two hours and there he is batting that puck into the stands in celebration. That is the most emotion I have ever seen Ryan Miller show. Just what Miller did alone shows you how much that game mattered.

Now I know that I keep coming back to this game in my posts, but I really do think it showed us a lot about our team. And personally, if anyone passed the litmus test that night it was Ryan Miller. Sure, Drew Stafford made "the leap" before our eyes, but Miller was tossed into the game of the year with no warning and still came through when it mattered.

I'm not saying he has always been there, nor that I have a steadfast belief in his eternal fallibility; but it is good to think back on games like that and know he can pull through. I need that after the July we've had. So if Ryan Miller is going to be the face of this hockey team, well, I think things will be okay after all.

Happy Birthday, Ryan Miller. You get the keys to a hockey team.


Don't scratch the paint.

Citizen's Artest

Memo to Ron Artest: you have too much of a bad side for anyone to care about your good side.

One day after being suspended for pleading no contest to domestic violence charges, Artest and his agent want you to know how great of a guy he is.

Here are his comments e-mailed to ESPN.com writer Marc Stein. Let me save you the time: Artest basically says, "I travel to Kenya and work with wheelchair charities to offset the beating of my wife and Piston fans."

I don't think there's a person in the world that doesn't get annoyed by this. An athlete in somewhat poor standing using charity work to improve his image. If Ron Artest was a clean-cut player with no history, do you really thing he would be "holding HIV babies" in Kenya? Me neither.

If Stern and Co. lower Artest's (or Stephen Jackson's, for that matter) suspension, it will be a huge PR gaffe. Both of these players are repeated offenders, and should not be cut any slack. Take a lesson from Roger Goodell and the NFL brass and put your foot down.

And besides, who doesn't like their charity spokesman in a rap video smoking cigars at a strip club?

BIlls Fans Are Applauding Slowly, Drafting Accordingly

By Ryan

There are some that say Fantasy Football is slowly becoming more important than the games themselves. To some die-hards, the final score on the computer screen takes precedent over the one inside the stadium. Well, at least Yahoo Sports would like to make you think so. To them, even the most mundane of football news is important in your quest for Imaginary Pigskin Glory.

Take some recent Chris Chambers news, for example. The segment after the story ends clearly tells you to use your new found knowledge of the NFL to beat everyone else you know at Fantasy Football, sponsored by Chad Johnson.

Of course it's obviously a form letter, so every article related to football has that statement attached. Even so, it can make for some interesting assumptions, especially with the way the NFL has been going recently.

I'm sure an article about a "KKK devil who hates all colored people" will help me decide if I should take a chance on Maurice Jones-Drew and his O-line. Yep, just as much as "Bucko" Kilroy's Passing will make me think twice about Kool Aid Maroney at running back.

Thank God for Yahoo Fantasy Sports, otherwise I may have drafted Kenneth McAfee. Or Bill Maas.

Hey, at least I know there is some corrolation between Tony Dungy's memoir and crushing my opponents' souls come fall. In fact, "Quiet Strength" would make an excellent Christian Fundamentalist team name. My first pick, Kurt Warner.

Use what you learned in this article to dominate at Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football '07