With the Clashing of Sabres

Game On!

2010-10-08T19:31:00.053-04:00

I'm going to try a live game blog tonight. First off if you haven't read the Buffalo News' 40 memories article do so. I'll post the link later.

With a few minutes to go to face-off it's good to see RJ.

Random thought -- is there a Blogger app for the i-phone?

Anthems -- the live band was quite sweet, but the singer was a tad flat, but then again he's still far and away a better singer than I am.

Katebits must be famous -- a pop-up showing the HD feeds for the game said "TWC."

And we have real hockey!

With 2 minutes gone it's been in the Sabres end too much

18:00 -- post.

My source for the video feed cut out so I'm on WGR's app to listen -- not sure what the lag is yet.

Video's back at about 14:00

I realize not many people will read this, but I always enjoy reading live game blogs afterwards, and figured it'd be fun. Miller does't seem to have gathered any cobwebs t brush off over the summer

ROY SCORES! Beautiful

Apparently Harry agrees with me, calling it a "highlight" goal.

Well, at least Buffalo has one team that knows what it's like to lead a game!

And my I just saw that my mom commented on it in her facebook status almost as soon as Roy scored. What can I say, it's a family thing.

10:20 -- not sure about that face-off. I'm looking at you, Niedermeyer.

Powerplay -- tripping by Ottawa's 9,

1:10 down in PP and it's looking just as craptastic as ever.

PP over, hope to see some improvement on that this season.

Goose and Montador standing up, looks like a Kaleta penalty,

Goose, Montador, and Kaleta standing up of Leopold. Lets hope there's more of that this season.

3:15 -- Miller chant starts

2:40 -- Good save, maybe by Morrisonn after Miller is caught out of position.

:45 -- Roy wide on a breakaway; Great read to start his rush.

End of 1st -- 1-0 Buffalo

Second Period:
What's up with the bright blue dashers? The ad for Irwin and Enterprise looks like they might be electronic. That's got to mess with that board, but then maybe it's just the cameras.

Couple chances this period already -- our boys look dominate in the first minute and a half here.

17:32 -- I think I'd like Ruutu if he was on another team simply because he has a fun name.

15:35 -- those 2 boards are definitely electronic -- now advertising Subway and something else. That's got to have an effect on the puck when it hits that part of the boards. Sorry, my nerd side is coming out again.

PP, Buff, pen to Fisher of Ottawa. Lets hope it's better.

14:15 -- Meyers had a bad pass letting Ottawa to run down and eat time.

This power play is looking even worse -- Stafford tries a drop pass type thing and gives it away. Giveaways galore.

And now for something completely different.
Last weekend I was at a party at a friend's house and for the first time in my life I won a "guess how many candies are in the jar" contest. Candy corns are great, except for my teeth.

Lee holds up Grier, so another powerplay.

Poor Vanek can't get anything in on like 100 attempts tonight. Vanek takes high stick from Ruutu, but no penalty!

The Buffalo Herd's (a group that raises money for the Ottawa Children's Hospital)hats remind me of Fred Flintstone's lodge hat.

Lots of pushing and shoving tonight, but then how could we expect anything less against Ottawa.

6:42 -- Sabres get 100 rebounds but can't bury the puck.

Ottawa getting a few chances...

Kelly scores to tie the game at one with less than a minute left off a feed from Ruutu. The rush was spurred when the puck jumped Leopold's stick.

End of Second -- 1-1.

Drink some water and breathe boys, then come out strong and pull out the win!

Well, I'm not sure if I'm going to make it through this game -- I'm back on a (mostly) normal sleep schedule and by 2130 my body now knows to sleep. So not cool when hockey's on.

Hahaha, the Ford Fiesta is back.

Montador, 2 min for slashing, 17:45

Eating away time on the PK quite nicely.

PK successful.

10:41 -- Campoli, cross checking. Great, we have to endure another powerplay.

GOAL! Either Vanek or Roy. The powerplay worked!

Roy credited with the goal.

Come on, boys, lets get another one.

I learned earlier tonight that Vanek is the same age as I am. He wrote a book (available in Europe and only in German), whereas I finally got a college degree and still need another few years of school before I get to what I want to do with my life.

Senators on the powerplay, but I missed why.

Another successful PK

Neil went after someone. I still hate that guy. Ok, so maybe not hate, but if I was on the street I'd go out of my way to either call him a jerk or completely ignore him.

Penalties to Roy and Neil, which should give us some good 4-on-4 hockey! I actually enjoy that -- more open ice to let the plays develop. I'd love it if the NHL went to 10 minute 4-on-4 OTs and did away with the ~~skills competition~~ shootout.

4:35 -- Montador down on the ice but reaches out with his stick to knock the puck away. I love seeing dedication like that.

3-on-1, Ennis' shot goes wide.

Penalty to Stafford at 2:50

Goose wins the faceoff and leaves the ice, reminding us all of the why it's great to have a face-off specialist.

Less than 2 in regulation

Roy blocks a shot, as does Pomminville when Ottawa had an empty net but can't make things happen. Will they keep the net empty with 46 seconds left?

Net still empty...

Penalty to Grier for slashing with 20.6 seconds left. Cue '80s synth pump up song, "The Final Countdown." I hate the '80s synth sounds.

1.3 seconds left, maybe, as .3 seconds were added a few seconds ago.

SABRES WIN! Yeah, Baby, beating the Sens is an excellent way to start the season!

Fun Stuff and Odds & Ends

2010-08-29T20:21:00.003-04:00

When I was in school (I think around 8th or 9th grade) one of the teachers (my friend John's mom) organized us to play Boomwhackers (plastic tubes which are designed to play a specific note when struck) and we performed "Joyful, Joyful." Today my my college West Civ teacher discovered them via the internet and posted some videos. One of them caught my eye, and so I give you Sabre Dance performed on Boomwhackers.

I know many of you are a trapped in the off-season lull, but I am already getting excited for the season. I can't wait for hockey to start. We already have the schedules out and soon the season will start. Being a fan from the distance isn't always (read: is never) easy, especially when I don't have fancy things like satellite TV or NHL Season Pass, but I love following the games. (I've mentioned before how I got the Flycast app for my phone so I can drive around listening to RJ calling the game even when I'm 4 hours away from Buffalo. 'Tis great!) I love that more of my fellow bloggers will have regular Sabres updates, and that feeling during the first few games that anything's possible, no matter what decisions, good, bad, or indifferent, were made during the off season. There's something about the start of the season which is full of hope, and I, for one, can't wait for everyone to get swept up it. That, to me, is a huge part of what being a fan is all about.

Where have I been?

2010-08-07T16:05:00.004-04:00

Well I ought to have updated this several times since I last did, but I have excuses! At first I didn't want to talk about the olympics, then I got busy with school. Somewhere in there depression over the Sabres early departure kicked in, but I promise that I was working on a post before they dropped the series. Mix in a desperate need to find a new place to live then moving and starting my summer job and you get this far into the summer without hearing from me.

My summer has been good though. Just a couple brief thoughts -- I light the signing of Rob Neidermeyer (or however it's spelled) I think it will help even out the young bucks. Kaleta's settlement is a good thing and I'm glad that Darcy knows how to use arbitration. For those of you who have been under a bigger rock than I have been the Sabres took Kaleta to arbitration so no one else could sign him to a pricey offer sheet (a la Vanek) so we would have more time to negotiate a good contract. It seems all parties involved got what they wanted. I'm not sure how I feel about Kennedy getting waived, in part because I have not read anything about the situation. I have no thoughts on Jordan Leopold since I don't know much about him.

Catching up

2010-04-05T09:26:00.003-04:00

Ok, time for a real update. I could make excuses about being busy with school and other stuff after the Olympic break, but the truth is that I could have blogged about the Sabres if I wanted to do so. Lets face it -- they didn't give me much reason to talk last month. But now they are (almost) back to their old form and have locked up the NE Division. Our boys finally get another shot at that nice shiny cup. IF they decide to play well in front of Miller then they have a pretty good shot at it. Lets face it, as much as we all enjoyed Miller getting international recognition during the Olympics we were all thinking "If he loses it here but wins us the cup then it's all fine." Right now they need to have their "eyes on the prize, man, eyes on the prize," but not in the Mystic Spiral sort of way. (Side note: I just tried to find a clip of Trent and Jesse doing their "eyes on the prize" thing and couldn't find one.)

At any rate I plan on commenting a bit more on here. But right now I'm going to enjoy the awesomeness of finishing no worse than 3rd in the East (and possibly 2nd) as I fall asleep.

Buyer's Remorse

2010-02-01T10:01:00.002-05:00

If I were the GM of an NHL team other than the Sabres I think I would make it a policy never to sign a free agent who came from the Sabres. The Flyers signed Briere and all they for was a huge cap hit plagued with injuries. Drury's production has dropped significantly since signing with the Rangers and now Ales Kotalik is a -18 and looking for a new team. Now the trades seemto be doing alright but if I were a supersticious person (which I am most definitely not) I might infer there is a post-Buffalo curse. I, however, think that someone decided to make a calculated risk that didn't work for the Flyers and Rangers but paid off (in part) for Buffalo.

I started typing this in the morning but heard that Kotalik is off to Calgary for a 4th liner.

Mayday!

2009-12-14T13:30:00.003-05:00

So I've been a lazy blogger. I've been reading and writing other things and bored out of my mind. Unemployment doesn't suit me at all. I'm really looking forward to going back to school next month just to have something to do. Anyway on to hockey-related thoughts.

I'm not going to lie. When the Sabres lost 4 in a row I was starting to worry they were falling into old habits, but they've pulled out. Kudos to LaLime for his win over Chicago of all teams. I have much more confidence in our back-up than I did before. I'd like to take a moment and reflect on back-up goalies. A few years ago I met John Blue, former back-up for the Sabres (and the Bruins) at a church-planting conference run by The Chapel. He is now working with a new church in Orange County, California. I definitely didn't expect to meet a former Sabre there, but it was cool. After one session which was held over Buffalo wings the guys from my church and I were talking with him. One of the guys from my church brought up hockey, and Mr. Blue mentioned how as a back up goalie they have to be ready for anything. They never know when they will be called up to jump in the middle of a game due to an injury or start with very little notice. Yet if a back-up loses a couple games then all confidence in them can be easily lost. I never really thought of what kind of nerves they must have to fight before that. But think about it -- a good back-up is easily forgotten. They come in for a game or too and if they are good they win them or at least keep it close, yet no one will remember the good back-ups because if they were really good then they'd be a starter. It is assumed that a back-up isn't that great. On the other side of the coin a bad back-up goalie is remembered for being, well, bad. Why did Lindy Ruff fide Miller so much last year? Because we had no faith in LaLime. I'm very glad that LaLime has improved and I think he can become a very dependable, (and, unfortunately, forgettable) back-up.

How great is it to see different guys stepping up? Hank has double his goals from last season already, which rocks. Who really expected Kaleta to have 2 goals in a game and get us a win the other night? Certainly not this guy. It's great to see our rookie defenseman getting in on the scoring action as well. Yes, I know, the top six need to contribute more, but it's refreshing for me to see more guys stepping up that Goose and Miller. Granted my perspective on last season is a bit skewed since I had very very limited internet access last season (it still blows my mind that I actually had a more dependable connection in Iraq than I did at the posts I was at for training before then). Mid-November to the week before Christmas last year was a total loss for following the team, but it seemed that when I would check in on the Sabres it was the same comments from bloggers (and at times Miller and Goose as well) about lack of effort and how 2 guys were carrying the team. This year more guys are stepping up in enough ways to pull wins out of games that would have been lost last year.

Finally the reason for the title of the post. I was looking up funny pictures today and this one just made me think "What in the world is going on here?" It's one of those 1 in a billion shots where you can't help but think "That is the most awkwardly timed picture ever."

That's certainly not how I remember Brad May. For more entertaining sports pics go here

2009-11-12T15:16:00.005-05:00

Yes, I finally got to see this. Apparently the owner or co-owner of the Allen Americans is a Stanley Cup winner (Red Wings, 2002, or at least that's what I heard. I'm too lazy to look it up right now)

I also got to see some good hockey last night with a 5-1 win for the home team and a good fight right in front. It was the first time my cousin Kim has seen a hockey fight live.

As always I ran into some other Sabres fans and was able to let them know the score because I have a fancy phone now that lets me follow my team from anywhere I have a cell signal. (I can even listen to RJ's play by play in my car, which is nice when I'm driving around Scranton)

Here's a few more pics from last night.

I was just able to get my camera in since although it has a nice lens with great zoom capabilities the lens does not detach.

2009-11-07T20:11:00.003-05:00

So I give up on listening to the Sabres game tonight sine every time I try to I hear Boston score right away.

So right now I am on a road trip. I am currently visiting family in a metropolitan area which is home to both a NHL team a CHL team. I plan on taking in a game on Wednesday. Feel free to guess which metropolitan area I am visiting!

Well looking at the score that did indeed suck so nothing missed.

My new favorite player is...

2009-10-30T21:33:00.002-04:00

It's nice to see a game tonight, though it looks they're content to sit back with a one goal lead in the third.

I bought a new book last night! "Perrault said to Rico..." is about stories from the Sabres as they started a thriving NHL franchise in a city that many thought could never support a pro team without drawing heavily from southern Ontario. I have to say that I think I have a new all time favorite Sabre -- Kito Tsujimoto, drafted from the Tokyo Katanas, and the man who never existed (though his bumper sticker reminded all those who can read Japanese to "Think Stanley." The book seems to be a must read for Sabres fans and also comes with a CD. I haven't listened to the CD, but I'm enjoying the book (though I've just started).

Perhaps I'll post more after the game.

Thoughts on a young season

2009-10-21T23:18:00.003-04:00

The Sabres are off to a sharp start (cue rimshot, sorry, I couldn't resist) with a 5-1-1 record and currently sitting in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. The defense sounds like it is starting to lapse, however, so Lindy had better start cracking down. The biggest thing that stands out to me this early in the season are the first 3 games where the Sabres stayed in to grab at least a point in some close games. It seem like the kinds of games they lost last year they are staying in and battling through to victory this year.

BUT they also show signs of going back to their old frustrating ways. I haven't been pleased with what I've heard as far as the defensive corps goes for the last 3 games. Sure, they won 2 of the 3, but the Thrashers game shows how much they depend on Miller (who is off to another great start). Tonight's game and last Friday night's game both sounded like the defense went into a "Well, we have enough points to pull us through" coasting mode that just won't cut it. Sharpen up, boys.

I'm not sure what's up with this "condensed" schedule, but it doesn't seem that condensed to me. The sabres are playing 3 games a week until the end of November. That's right, every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday are game days, and only those 3 days, every week until a Thursday night game sometime around 30 November. What is this, football?

In this early season we've seen one trade already because of our problems with extra wings. (Great, now I'm hungry for wings and there's no good places around here) I'd like to see a trade to get a better back-up goalie, but I don't think that will happen with the current cap conditions. We need to have someone we can trust when giving a much deserved rest, and I just don't have confidence in Lalime.

So here's the question: Who would you offer as trade bait for a back-up goaltender?

2009-10-09T19:09:00.003-04:00

When one is entering WNY from the East on I-90 the first radio station to come in is WBEN. AM stations tend to have a bit better coverage than FM as far as strait up distance. I can pick up WBEN somewhere around the 390 (maybe a bit before). The next stations to come in are the FM stations, which start to come in good enough for listening about when I'm passing the RIT Conference Center. Why is it that I have to wait about 30 more miles until I reach the Pembroke exit (48A) in order to hear the Sabres game? WGR really needs to up their power. I heard the last few seconds of the 2nd and the first two goals before I headed into my parents' house. Why, WGR,must you torture me? Apparently there's some app I can get for my I-phone to listen to WGR, but I'm cheap (yes, even though I have an i-phone I can still be cheap and not pay for the extras. I saved up my money for my car, motorcycle, and phone while in Iraq, so I have the right to do so) and thus will only get it if it's free. Or if I find I must get the app to listen to WGR anywhere in the country.

I just watched The Kaleta's hit and he did not leave his skates until after the initial contact. It was a legal hit, so toughen up, Phoenix.

I won't be watching or listening tomorrow night as I will be at a friend's wedding reception.

2009-10-05T09:20:00.002-04:00

Well the Sabres lost in OT but I am going to focus on some of the good things I saw. The team was much more willing to get into scraps and looked a lot more physical than last year. Granted, last year I was stuck following the team a day late on blogs or listening at 4 am though I was able to watch a couple games. But the fact remains that last year the Sabres wouldn't have gotten into as many scrums. I loved the way they all had Miller's back on Saturday night. Good job boys. Secondly the penAlty kill seemed on top of things as they went 5 for 5 on the kill. The power play may need work but at least I can have some confidence in the PK. Finally I got to buy a T-shirt and bumpersticker for my new car from my friend Renee.

-- Sharpie

2009-10-03T19:23:00.006-04:00

17:20 in the 1st -- Timmy Ppg goal great view

1435 -- my hockey terms need refreshed

OK so this live blog will have to waitt til the intermission

after the 1st-- Sabres PK looked alright buut the 2nd PP looked as craptastic as last year's sounded

1-0 Buf after 1

0826 in the 2nd -- can't cplain about Buffalo's grit

2009-10-03T19:23:00.000-04:00

17:20 in the 1st -- Timmy Ppg goal great view

2009-10-02T12:56:00.002-04:00

I am at Best Buy (tm) right now and just saw a great site -- all the display TVs had Hockey on! Tha is right, NHL hockey clips were able to be seen on about 50 TVs in high def.

quick hits

2009-09-29T23:46:00.002-04:00

Just a few random, mostly non-hockey related thoughts tonight since I feel like throwing something up on here.

1) I almost have a car! I'm just waiting for the inspection (of sorts -- since I live outside of NY it is basically getting a New York inspection without the sticker. I'll have to get a PA inspection when I get it there) then I can pick it up. I'm getting a Ford Explorer with about half as many miles as I was hoping. God certainly provides

2) I might be getting a motorcycle soon. I plan on getting one this fall and tonight saw a good learning one at a great price.

3) What ever happened to music that wasn't over produced and music that was written by the bands who actually have talent? I'm listening to some Sixpence None the Richer on Youtube! (and yes, Youtube! should always be spelled with and exclamation point) because I only have one of their songs. It takes me back to my high school days. They have such a signature sound (well, really it's Leigh Nash's voice). Now days we get over-sampled music that's greatly compressed so the highs and lows are squished together. I heard a cover of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and it seemed far too subdued. I miss the raw sound of earlier rock bands, which is probably why I liked what I heard of Deathcab for Cutie's latest EP. But at least pop has moved out of the '80s synth faze.

4) The season starts on Saturday! It will be great not only to see or hear a meaningful hockey game but also to do so at night instead of 3 or 4 AM. Time to dig out my Sabres shirt that I last saw when I put it in a footlocker in Iraq to send home.

2009-09-24T19:48:00.002-04:00

Just a few quick updates...

I plan on catching 3 Ahl games this season as the Pirates will face the Scramton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins twice away and the Hartford Wolfpack twice away. I hope to live blog from at least one game via my new phone.

I am still hoping to go to the season opener.

I am still getting used to the fact that games are on in the evening not at 3 am. This also goes for listening to Bauerle on the morning not the evening.

Hockey is coming...

2009-09-10T07:12:00.002-04:00

Just a few random things on my mind right now (since I actually have extra time)

I hope to get tickets to the Sabres season opener this year. I've never been to an opening game.

I was thinking today about how in less than a week there will be NHL games. Yes, they're pre-season games that don't count for anything, but it does mean that the season is right around the corner.

Speaking of games I hope to see the Portland Pirates a few times this season. They're coming to Scranton a couple times and playing in Hartford, CT twice. Since my sister goes to college near there now I'm hoping to see one of those games with her. It will probably be the second one since it's right before one of her breaks.

I was about to post a comment on a friend's facebook wall about hockey almost being here when I saw she posted a new status update a few hours before. My friend has an interview with the Sabres on Monday! Working for the Sabres would definitely fit her well. (Even if she does like Detroit as well.)

-- Sharpie

I've managed to stump one of the greats...

2009-08-26T17:40:00.003-04:00

First of all I am NOT dead or missing! Life got busy here in Iraq for quite a while. (getting up very early and being up relatively late will do that, but someone had to make breakfast and dinner). My job has since changed, and I hope that by the time the hockey season starts I'll be back to updating regularly!

As some have reported Direct TV is dropping the VS network at the end of the month. (barring a last minute negotiation) I decided to e-mail one of the hockey blogosphere's greatest minds in an attempt to find out how this will affect us fans. The following is from me:

"James,
With Direct TV dropping the VS network at the end of the month (barring last minute contract negotiations) what would it take for the NHL to opt out of their current contract with the network? Is there any chance that those of us who have Direct TV will be able to see more of the NHL than just our local teams without buying the Center Ice package?

-- Sharpie"

I figured that with his vast knowledge of the hockey world and how he keeps track of everything from salary cap figures and trade possibilites to the lastest on the Jim Balsillie saga he would have some light to shed on the matter. Imagine my shock when I received teh following e-mail in response:

"Jeez, Justin I really don't know. We don't have all these stupid television issues with the NHL here in Canada fortunately and there are tons of games on basic cable

Lemme see if I can get an answer to that from the league.

James"

At least as a well respected hockey journalist he knows who to talk to in the league to get the info. As much as I hate the Versus announcers I just don't have the money for the Center Ice package. (Assuming I do get satellite or cable when I get back.) I am trying to expand my hockey knowledge, especially in the Western conference.

We can still blame Gary Bettman for this one, right?

WHAT?

2009-02-16T03:01:00.002-05:00

So I was casually checking the hockey scores during my break today when I noticed that the Sabres lost 3-0 this morning (last night for those of you in the states). My first reaction was "WHAT!" Come on, I mean after the Sharks game I figured they could get at least ONE point! Instead of dwelling on it I'll e-mail some friends and take a nap. Besides, the news won't have coverage online for a few more hours. Lousy time difference.

2009-02-14T13:32:00.003-05:00

So it's been a little bit, but here's an update on a few things.

First, since this is a Sabres blog here are my thoughts on my team. I think our boys did nicely with their road trip, and the victories over Toronto and Montreal showed that they had some left. Unfortunately Ottawa proved too much, especially for Vanek, but the way this team is built we aren't doomed to a losing streak just because one talented forward. The victory over the Sharks was big, both for the community as a whole and to show we are very capable of making a good play-off run.

This leads into the second area I want to comment on. My prayers are with the families and friends of those killed in the Continental Airlines crash. My mom e-mailed me about it. I flew on one of those planes from Newark to Buffalo and back for my Christmas leave, and my sister flew out today on the same type of jet through Continental on her way to Peru. My grandpa and uncle live in Akron, right near the Clarence border. (their street is off of Clarence Center road) I think Heather B. put it well when she pointed out how much of a small town Buffalo really is.

As for me I'm alright here in Iraq. I moved again so I won't be listening to games any time soon, but I can follow the Sabres decently enough! I'm cooking here and we have a stray dog that some of the infantry guys adopoted. Some call her Lizzy while others call her Gimpy. It's funny to see these grunts come in and ask for some leftovers for the dog.

That's all for now,
-- Sharpie

Ah, hockey, my old friend!

2009-02-05T09:30:00.004-05:00

So I did something partly stupid -- I got very little sleep last night in order to listen to the game. I missed the first period because I messed up the time zone conversion, but it's alright. (In my defense I knew I'd have a few extra hours today to get a nap in.)

It was great to hear RJ again (it's been longer for me than most Sabres fans), and I always enjoy hearing us crush the Leafs. It sounded like at the Sabres were sharp tonight, and it helped that the Leafs didn't show up. (Have I ever mentioned how their team name bugs me? The plural of leaf is leaves, not leafs. It really bothers me!) I would have loved to see the game just to see the silent leafs fans. And to top it all off our boys wore the good jerseys tonight.

Congratulations to Vanek on his hat trick and to Miller for his shut out. Now lets keep this up against Montreal

Oh please, oh please, oh please...

2009-02-04T16:00:00.001-05:00

IF the internet doesn't go out here and IF I can wake up at the right time then I can listen to the game at 3:30 am local time. I hope I FINALLY get to listen to a game.

I swear I typed this when it was relevant

2009-02-02T15:42:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I was without internet access for a bit, but when I saw an article about the Stars after Sean Avery I typed up the following that day (on or about 27 January:

2 things happened yesterday while I was sitting in the ~~barracks~~ tent with nothing to do that made me smile. The first was an article I came across in the sports section of the free newspaper we get here. (Stars and Stripes) The article showed that Sean Avery is an overpaid loser. The stars have won more games in the last 23 games without him than they did in the 22 games before they got rid of him. According to the article his (former) teammates blame his attitude and causing distraction in the locker room. I predict his next team will be in Russia.

The second thing that made me smile was the clip in Bruce Almighty where the entire city of Buffalo is rioting after the Sabres won the Stanley Cup. That clip always makes me laugh. Really – if you're having a bad day just got to Youtube and look for the the clip! Or better yet just click the link!

Buffalo, the bar has been set for that one day when you win. We'll show Montreal how it's really done and when it's truly the right time to go on a city-destroying bender.

2009-01-22T10:25:00.002-05:00

So once I get my own internet I plan on listening to the games. But it will be odd to have the games starting at 3 am.

One thing I love about the blogosphere is that I can find out about the games first thing in the morning which is the next evening for most of you. It is odd to look up the scores in the paper and find that they are a day behind. But hey, that gives me incentive to get my butt down to the internet center to look up what is happening.

So the boys got together and decided to make a good run. I hope they can keep it up after this ~~this morning's~~ last night's game. Keep up the winning boys so I can don my Sabres hat in Iraq in late April.

That's all for now,
-- Sharpie

P.S. I saw camels on the road yesterday. Our busses had to stop because some of them are in the road.

2009-01-12T20:33:00.003-05:00

4-1-0 for the new year -- I'll take that since I think we were still in the game with the Red Wings deep into the 3rd. Unfortunately I'm not quite sure because the router here kept kicking me off every 2 minutes and I missed the first half because of a meeting. How sad is it that I'm looking forward to Iraq because I'll have a better internet connection that I have here in the States? But I digress.

Rutuu is a total retard. I mean really, biting the other guy's thumb? Tysen at least went for the guy's ear. I might expect that from a 5 year old in a Tim-bits hockey game, but even then I'd like to think that at 5 year old hockey player knows that you only bite in fights off the rink. As for whether or not Peters was truly hurting after the bite I'll just ask you if you've ever been bitten. If not then shut up, morons. Yes, it hurts when you get bitten. The jaw is quite strong, though I don't feel like looking up exactly how many pounds per square inches of force the average adult human's jaw exerts.

Well, that's all for now.
-- Sharpie

I suck at coming up with titles.

2009-01-03T15:30:00.003-05:00

So after that last update I found that the Sabres were playing today. How did I miss that? I mean really, I saw it on the schedule and then yesterday i was thinking about it, but somehow I guess I just assumed that the Army would make it impossible for me to listen to any of the game. Yet that wasn't the case, and I listened to the game. From what I heard it sounded like we didn't suck, but when we start to suck again Lindy can just come look at my last post for coaching advice.

I could get used to this whole following my team by listening to games the day they happen thing. It's fun to read peoples opinions and reactions with some sort of context to them.

Advice for Lindy Ruff and other random thoughts

2009-01-03T12:25:00.004-05:00

I watched my last Sabres game I'll see for a while on Thursday night. My brothers and their families were at my parents for a good-bye dinner for me. (We had ham, sweet potato pie, [My mom makes and AMAZING sweet potato pie] pumpkin and apple pies, and some other assorted junk food. I put on the Sabres game and got to see them show up and play, and what do you know, they won. From what I've read about them this season I'm expecting them to start to slack off again soon, but I'm hoping that they shock us all and show they still care about hockey after all.

Changing the locker assignments, is that the best you can do, Lindy? I've got some ideas for you to pull out next time the Sabres play like crap.

After the game have them wait until everyone leaves then have them do skating drills for about a half hour. If they ask why tell them that if they didn't want to work during the game they can work now.
Have a long practice where for the first half they spend time changing into their uniforms, getting to the ice, then send them back to change. Once again you can feel free to remind them that it's because they didn't want to work during the game. Remind them that they have to earn those contracts and the people of Buffalo deserve to get their money's worth out of them. (Yes, technically it's Tom Golisano getting his money, but telling them the people of Buffalo will make them feel like they're helping more than just one really rich guy, plus the people of Buffalo do buy the tickets and merchandise, so it is true from a certain point of view.)
Run the next practice like they are a high school travel team. (or younger) Have them do pointless drills that are far below what they would use in an NHL game. Don't let them wear official practice jerseys during this either. As the practice begins tell them that since they don't feel like playing at the NHL level you are going to treat them like the high school (or younger) team they act like. (I would love to see them practicing with the cages on their helmets with over-sized Timbits jerseys.)
Have a day of practice where you have them show up for 20 minutes, then release them but have them report back an hour later. Do this all day. I'm sure they'll remember this and will try to avoid it again.

These are just a few quick ideas. If you want some more just try and contact any Army or Marine drill sergeants. You'll learn plenty of creative ideas.

While watching the game the other night my 2 1/2 year old nice climbed up next to me on the couch to watch. That's right, Uncle Sharpie is getting them hooked young. I'd post the picture, but it's on my sister-in-law's camera, not mine. I also got my older nephew to watch with me. He's lived in SC for most of his life, so he's new to hockey.

I watched about half of the Winter Classic. I don't feel bad about calling it the Winter Classic when it's not in Buffalo. Here's a few quick thoughts on the game.

Man, this is nice -- a real hockey game.
Did the announcer just say Ty Conklin's in goal? Wow, that guys's been in every outdoor NHL game! I bet he tries to get traded to a team that plays in next year's Winter Classic. It's probably part of his contract.
Wow, the seating really sucks at this game. Unless you're at the corner you're pretty far from ice even in the front row. What was the NHL thinking? Please let them stick with a football stadium in the future.
Ah, pond hockey. I remember going out and skating on the frozen yard out back, but lets be honest, how do people who live any farther south that the Mason-Dixon line identify iwth that? Apparently the NHL plans on attracting new fans by not identifying with them.
How do you make and outdoor rink at home anyway? I always thought it was a 3 step process. 1) Find a lake or pond or something that can be skated on when frozen. 2) Pray for freezing weather 3) Skate on it until it gets warm and melts. Now I find out that people's dads made outdoor rinks in the back yard. Do they have the power to conjure up subzero temperatures or something?

Here's some pictures I took before (and I think a couple during) that horrible excuse for a game on Tuesday night. At least the seats were good.

Well that SUCKED!

2008-12-30T22:43:00.004-05:00

Let me start with the positives from today:

Now for the bad:

I'll post some pictures in a bit.

2008-12-27T14:30:00.002-05:00

Well it's been a while. It really wasn't my fault. (Ok, so an arguement could be made that the past week has been my fault) I didn't have any internet connection for a while and before that it was very limited. It has made following the Sabres extremely difficult, but I'm working on getting caught up with them. The good news is that now I will have a decent internet connection for a least a little bit each day.

From what I've seen the Sabres haven't been doing too well. I'm not sure if it's the injuries (it seems like there's quite a few of them now) or what, but I hope they can snap out of it by Tuesday because I'll be attending the game then. I hope to post more hockey content once I have more of a feel for this season, which has been difficult. I mean seriously, how sad is it that it will be easier for me to follow the Sabres in Iraq than right here in the US?

On a completely unrelated note while I was down south they had the first snow in four years. Yeah, that sucked when the heat in the refugee type tent I was living in didn't really work.

2008-10-22T19:04:00.002-04:00

First of all I'd like to take this opportunity to give you all a public service announcement. Don't get pepper sprayed. EVER. It sucks, it burns, and you want to gouge your eyes out but know tha it will only make things worse. I can now speak from experience.

So I now have a bit of a Sabres info connection. One of the other guys in my company is from Rochester and gets the scores on his phone. (I can't afford such luxuries). Also, I have been able to call my brother for some info. The best news of all is that when I'm in Iraq I WILL have high speed internet. It will be good to hear RJ's voice again.

Once again I failed as a blogger

2008-10-12T14:58:00.003-04:00

So I said I would have something up by last night and I didn't. I don't think too many of you should blame me after my last entry though.

I did manage to see the second half of the second period on against Montreal. I have to say, I loved the physical play and thought the defense looked pretty good. The power play still sucks, but the PK looked pretty good, and Miller was once again solid in goal from what I saw.

I COULD have seen most of the first and all the second except that I didn't have a car so I had to ride with my brother who decided to stop at the mall to eat instead of just going to Mighty Taco, which would have been more in my budget. But I'll take what I can get, especially since I won't be able to see much until December. (though I do plan on going to 2 games during my Christmas leave)

Although the Sabres did win in a shoot-out I still don't like the shoot-out system. My brother is all for games that end in a skills competition, but then he says that the Sabres will suck this year because they "did nothing to improve this off season after they let Briere and Drury walk away." (I had to walk away about a minute later when he wouldn't listen to reason -- 4th most scoring offense last season and we DID improve by beefing up our defense. But then this if from the kid who thinks that we need someone better than Miller in goal if we want to make the play-offs. Or maybe he said first round of the playoffs. This from the same guy who's been saying the Bills will make the post season for the past 6 or 7 years.)

Speaking of the Bills although I don't really follow football I do think that they could stand a chance this year. If Edwards comes back soon then I'd guess they will definitely make the post-season this year -- I haven't written them off completely.

Genuine Hockey Content Coming!

2008-10-10T15:44:00.003-04:00

So I should have my thoughts on tonight's game posted tonight or tomorrow night. That's right, I am actually going to post hockey content within a reasonable time frame. I ended up in WNY for a few days do to my grandmother's death, and I'm sure after this evening I'm going to need a mental and emotional break, so I intend on watching at least half the game tonight.

Another plus side is that I have begun to introduce my oldest nephew to Hockey. He's lived most of his life in an area deprived on any hockey, but this morning I put on the NHL network for a bit at my parents' house and started talking to him about the game. I hope to increase his interest in the game around Christmas. My nieces were very cute as they watched the highlights and asked questions like "What do they wear on their feet because they're on ice?"

-- Sharpie

Still no reliable internet, and thus little hockey news for Sharpie

2008-10-03T14:43:00.002-04:00

I'm down here in the South for some good Army training, like how not to be blown up. (I already took the MPFC couse on How Not To Be Seen) But this leaves me with a problem since I don't have internet access in the barracks and I have very little hockey news. But this MIGHT be fixed in a few weeks with the help of the chaplains here who are working to get an MWR (Moral, Welfare, and Recreation) building up and running.

So if you expected meaningful insight I'll have to have you look elsewhere for now, perhaps Bfloblog, or Top Shelf will do, or maybe you like the group input of The Goose's Roost, or the whimsical stylings of the Willful Caboose.

I'm a week late to the party

2008-09-25T18:14:00.000-04:00

It took me a week to find out that Stafford has been signed to the mythical "5 for $25" deal. In the mean time I've been firing many rounds from my rifle and the M-2, and I was even rolled over in a (mock up) Humvee. But next week I should have something resembling consistent internet access.

I've read that the rest of you have experienced the Sabres the way I have for the past few years -- via RJ's voice. (Oh, and I had to wait a week to find out that I get to continue hearing him call the games for another 2 years)

Well, that's all because I need to update friends on my life.

Fare thee well (for now)...

2008-09-17T10:07:00.005-04:00

These last few days have been busy for me. I've been packing and trying to get rid of my van (I'm about to call the volunteer fire department where I live to see if they want to use the jaws of life on it and burn it), and tie up a few other loose ends. In just about 25 hours and 45 minutes I report for duty. I will probably not be on for the rest of this week, and perhaps not the week after, but once I am I should be able to comment regularly on games and videos that are posted online with the new exclusive Sabres webcast content.

Oh, and I hope to buy tickets to a game or two soon (only two dates will really work for me though)

So I suck at updating

2008-09-09T12:54:00.005-04:00

At least 4 times in the past week or so I had this window open to post a new entry, but I just didn't have it in me. I plan on finishing my "100 things about me" soon, but not today. Turns out getting ready to leave all your friends and family for a year to go someplace hot and sandy just kind of pushes other things to the back burner. As I've mentioned before I'm in the army (National Guard), and I'm deploying soon. I report for my mobilization training late next week, and right now I'm trying to visit family and friends and get my stuff cleaned up and organized so if my roommate needs to move us while I'm gone he can be sure he has all my stuff. And to ward of all the questions no, I'm not nervous or anything like that yet (I have a really laid back "whatever happens will happen, my God is in control" attitude that comes from my faith.)

As for Sabres related stuff, well, most things have been said. My very quick analysis of the team this year is as follows:

Last year we were something like 4th (I think I read it, but I'm not positive at the moment), so offense isn't too much of a problem. Defense is.
We needed to get some solid defensemen.
We needed to stock our now empty AHL team since we don't share that job with another team anymore
We traded away a forward for a solid veteran D-man with grit -- good move.
We locked in our goalie and got him some relief that (hopefully) won't be a carboard cut-out in goal.
We extended our veteran D-Man for another year, which will bring more experience and other "intangibles" to the defense. This also quelled rumors about how no one wants to play for Buffalo and how much Buffalo management suck, etc.
We now have a team with a strong offense and a defense that's stronger than last year. This SHOULD lead to a play-off run.
What ever happened to Tim Connolly? Does anyone really care if he just leaves?

Yes, I am very hopeful for this season, though I will have to watch most of it from afar. But I plan on getting in at least one game during my Christmas leave (Maybe 2 or 3!)

In Memorial Aud

2008-08-28T15:32:00.004-04:00

I sit here yearning for the start of hockey so I have something to discuss. As I perused my daily readings of Sabres blogs I found I missed an entry from The Goose's Roost with a link to pics of The Aud. This in turn sent me looking for some You Tube videos. So here you go.

Enjoy.

2008-08-21T16:52:00.002-04:00

I Men's Field Hockey semifinal game between Germany and The Netherlands came down to ~~a shootout~~ penalty shots. This is the semi-finals in the Olympics, and they can't come up with anything better? At least the NHL knows enough to ditch the shoot-out for sudden death overtimes in the play-offs. (For the record I agree with the notion that the NHL should make 10 minute sudden-death OTs with a tie given if no goal is scored. I know that at least Heather agrees with me on this one, and many others agree, but she's the only one where I can easily find the URL for the link)

2008-08-21T13:22:00.002-04:00

Well, I missed a week. I was going to give my thoughts on Teppo's contract once they were released, but I got busy then figured most people had expressed my opinion (in a nutshell it's a good deal for a veteran with a lot of experience to pass along.) Then I was visiting friends in WNY, and proceeded to visit the Philly area for a while. I figure I owe you all something about why I love hockey and a few things about myself.

I love how quickly a game can swing. You can go 2 periods of being ahead, even be up by 2 or 3 goals, then suddenly in five minutes it's tied or you're losing. It's a game where no one can afford to let their guard down. One missed assignment can lead to a devastating goal (as we Sabres fans have seen many, many times this past season). It's a game where even with 10 or 7 seconds left you are never safe if you're only ahead by one. In baseball there's a measure of safety and comfort when you're ahead. Sure there can be an inning where the other team rallies, but you know that you'll have your chance next. Basketball often has run-away scores. I've tuned into the end of enough basketball games to know that the momentum shifts take longer in basketball. Football just takes too long with its constant pauses in the action. But in hockey you have such a fluid game that can change in less than five seconds. One missed assignment and someone has a shot to catch the goalie out of position. One quick poke check and you have a breakaway. And one stupid move and you have a powerplay opportunity.

Now a few things about myself. (1-25)

1. I'm the 3rd of 5 kids, and the first 4 of us are boys.

2. Both my older brothers are married and have kids. My oldest brother has 4 kids, and the next has 2 kids.

3. I lived in the same house until I moved to college. My parents have lived there for almost 28 years.

4. I am in the National Guard.

5. My maternal grandpa is 92 years old, and my maternal grandma is 84

6. Growing up we had a dog, a duck (well, more than one, just one at a time), a parakeet, a quaker parrot, hermit crabs, fish, a turtle, and cats.

7. I'm a Christian.

8. I'm working towards becoming a chaplain. I still need to get my master's degree, then I plan on going active duty.

9. I'm going to be deploying soon. I start my stateside training before the pre-season starts, but I should still be able to go to at least one game this year.

10. Since I live outside of WNY I have to listen to most games on WGR's website.

11. I'm currently single but not really looking.

12. I usually weigh about 8 pound more in the winter than the summer since I'm far less active.

13. I don't own a TV right now.

14. My favorite foods are Beef on Weck, REAL Buffalo Wings, and Steak and Potatoes.

15. I have seen an open heart surgery. It was really neat, and I was staring over the sheet into the chest cavity when the patient's heart started beating again.

16. My favorite color is green.

17. My favorite holiday is Easter.

18. I call the day after Halloween "Candy Day" because I usually buy a lot of candy when it's half-off.

20. One of my hobbies is running sound stuff. I'm running sound for a friend's wedding next week.

21. My favorite thing to order from Burger King is the Rodeo Cheezburger.

22. I hate tomatoes and ketchup, but love BBQ sause.

23. I still try to see the falls at least once a year. I've been very successful the past few years.

24. I took 2 semester of Biblical Hebrew, which is slightly different from Modern Hebrew.

25. I own an antique rifle. It's a Russian M-44 from 1944, and my unit has one of the exact same model they captured in WWII in a display case in our armory. It's the first and only firearm I own.

No Hard Feelings...

2008-08-08T15:13:00.003-04:00

Welcome Back, Teppo!

The defense man has signed with the Sabres for another season. I'm looking forward to what he brings to the team in terms of veteran experience (all those "intangibles," as much as I have come to loathe that buzzword), though we all know it will be an adjustment after missing almost all of last season. But hey, now we have a feel-good story!

EDIT: Well, of the Sabres blog I read I am apparently the first to mention this, proving that I need to get off my butt and go do something else.

2008-08-06T12:16:00.004-04:00

Well, I'm around for now with regular internet access! That means you get to read my ramblings on a more regular basis. I knew when I started this blog that I wouldn't have great access during the summer. But I figured if I could post relatively regularly through the summer then the season shouldn't be any problem at all. My summer plans did get changed, but I did an almost decent job.

Now onto some hockey related ramblings. As of right now both Teppo Numinem and Nolan Pratt are unsigned UFAs. Earlier this summer there was talk that Teppo was still interested in another season with the Sabres. I'd love to see him play as I think his veteran leadership will help the defense out quite a bit. Of course the is a bit of a question as to whether or not he'll be able to keep up since he missed all of the last season recovering from open heart surgery, but there are still the intangibles he brings -- after years of play he's got great instincts. As for Pratt I'm more ambivalent since I didn't actually get to watch a lot of games last season. (Although I did listen to many of them thanks to WGR's webfeed).

One of the many things I love about hockey are the goalies. Here in Buffalo we have been spoiled with great goalies for almost as long as I can remember. When I was in upper elementary and middle school, and even my freshman year of college one name was synonymous with the the Sabres -- Dominick Hasek. Even those of us who sucked at sports still would go outside in the winter and pretend to copy his moves. Although I have since learned that his style is not the norm, for those of us who grew up as Sabres fans the Dominator's style was the only style.

After he left Buffalo, causing many of us to hate him in process, Buffalo wondered who could replace his big skates. Marty Biron stepped up, though we still sucked. Yet not every year with Hasek was a play-off year as many of us remembered. After the lockout a young star decided to buck the trend, and we got to see the stylings of on Ryan Miller. For a while we even enjoyed two co-starters sharing the goal. Now we have pinned our hopes for the next 6 seasons on Miller.

So here's to Buffalo's goalies, past and present. I have omitted other great Buffalo goalies since they were really before my time.

Here's a little something else about me. I enjoy running sound. It's become a hobby of mine. I started my freshman year of college helping another guy run sound for a youth ministry, and eventually took over that position and I ran sound for my church in Scranton for a couple years. I'm even running sound for a friend's wedding later this month. (no pressure there, haha) I'm starting to buy my own sound equipment now, though I only have a mixer and some odd cables. I'd like to eventually own my a small sound system.

Everywhere I go...

2008-07-23T20:21:00.002-04:00

So I'm in the deep south where the temps have been in the upper 90s with very high humidity. (Last week the heat index was around 120 down here) Yet even here I can find someone to talk to about hockey! One guy down here with me is from Erie, PA, and after he heard my ringtone he informed me that RJ's son, Mark, is the announcer for the Erie Otters. I then learned that he too was at the ~~Ice Bowl~~ Amp/NHL Winter Classic. He also said he can get me tickets to a Sabres game, so come this December I'll get to cheer my team on in person. Due to circumstances outside my control it will most likely be the only game I can attend this season.

But on to other things. I know I'm several days late and probably about $30 short, but I'm going to put my 2 cents in on the Ryan Miller contract extension anyway. First off I'd like to address Bucky and the gang down at TBN sports section. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Turns out that Ryan Miller doesn't hate Buffalo, nor does he have a burning desire to move to Detroit or Chicago or anywhere else. I am typing this before reading the comments of others, so I have no clue if the hypothetical (and very possibly non-existent) 5/25 deal has finally happened, but I do rejoice that I won't have to hear anyone crying about how we let Miller go without any effort at all. It turns out that Darcy Regier and Larry Quinn MIGHT know something about running a hockey team after all.

I will also say that I have already heard a complaint about this situation. This next comment is for my younger brother and others like him. Ryan Miller is a great goalie. Signing him was a good move on the part of the Sabres. That's right, my own brother said that this was a bad deal. Let's review Miller's last season -- a franchise high number of games played, 3 shut-outs (a career high), and a 9.02 (or .03, I don't remember exactly) save percentage, despite being physically worn down. Yeah, sounds like a real loser to me. Give me a break.

On Saturday I will continue my series on why I love the Sabres in particular and hockey in general.

-- Sharpie

For Love of the Game, part I

2008-07-17T14:04:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm down in the deep south where it's hot and humid. I also don't have a steady internet connection. (As I type this I'm in a nice air conditioned internet cafe type place) This makes it diffucult to follow anything having to do with hockey. Don't worry, that won't stop me from bloviating about something hockey related. I'm going to TRY and start a series to get me through the rest of the off-season. So, without further ado I present "Reasons Sharpie Loves Hockey, Part I."

I love the physical side of hockey. Sure, footbal is a very physical game as well, but after they hit each other they stand around for 5 minutes. In hockey after you get hit you're expected to get up and chase after the puck. Even when goals aren't being scored there's plenty of action for all. Furthermore, hockey has some nice solid boundries to smack one's opponent into. One of the reasons I enjoy (occasionally, when I can afford it) sitting in the 100 section is the satisfying sound of a bone-crunching crash off the boards. And who could forget the RJ Umburger hit in the Easter Conference Round I of the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs? I would go on about this, but I don't have much time remaining.

-- Sharpie

2008-07-06T13:08:00.003-04:00

So I'm working at a camp in PA in the Delaware river. You may think that at a camp like that I wouldn't come across many hockey-related tidbits. Sure, I had to wait 'til the weekend to find out that Bernier's gone but the Goose is here to stay. And sure, I had no clue about the back-up goalie until late yesterday afternoon. (By the way, is it just me or do we seem to be taking California's leftovers?) But I did come across someone who was associated with the NHL, or at least who WAS associated with the NHL, as well as the NFL.

To say the least our camp nurse this past week, a volunteer, was overqualified. Turns out he's a nurse practitioner who's worked on Flyers players as well as Eagles players. Yes, I know, I'm not a bit fan of either team, mostly because of the fans, but it was interesting to talk with him. He worked with them for quite a while now, as he remembers Hasek, Steve Shields, and other Sabres. We started talking about hockey because of my Sabres hat. He saw me wearing it and mentioned that he wasn't much of a Sabres fan because of working with the Flyers. He's moving to Ohio, so perhaps he'll end up working with Patrick Kane.

This entry has nothing to do with hockey.

2008-06-29T21:51:00.003-04:00

Hello my loyal reader(s). I am sorry, but I don't have the time to process hockey related thoughts this weekend and I am unavailable during the weeks as I am working at a camp. Part of the reason for my thoughts is the fact that a very dear teacher of mine passed away suddenly last Sunday. I had the privilege of studying under Dr. Colin Smith for a few semesters. Colin, as he insisted we all call him, was one of the top Bible scholars that I will probably ever meet. He knew many different languages, including Hebrew, which I took from him for 2 semesters, and Egyptian Hieroglyphics. He is also probably the only person who ever preached his own memorial service. (A message he preached in 1996 was played. At the beginning of it he even said "This is the message I want preached at my funeral.") Colin never took himself too seriously, and he often told us, "If at my funeral someone gets up and talks about how great I was don't believe them. You know me too well." Although he was a brilliant Bible scholar he could talk to you about anything on your level. If you didn't understand he felt it was his fault. Although I'm sad at his death I can rejoice that he is at home and at rest in the presence of his Savior.

I haven't dropped of the face of the Earth...

2008-06-21T11:10:00.002-04:00

... yet. But I have been at camp. This summer I'm working at a camp and I started counselor training. This weekend I'm doing military stuff. I will still try to update once a week. I was going to put a post up about Portland as the Sabres' new AHL affiliate, but since the Sabres have no means of keeping any secrets that subject has been beat to death. Then I was going to do a bit of research and comment on Portland's player's names, but I just got too busy. In short once again I have failed at blogging.

The Sabres have drafted 2 guys named Tyler so far. Apparently they cut a deal with the Kings to take the first Tyler a round sooner. But lest you think they thought he was important I feel the need to remind you that we only gave up a 3rd round pick next year and a bucket of Buffalo wings.

-- Sharpie

Dominik Hasek really means it this time...

2008-06-09T12:09:00.005-04:00

So Dominik "Iron Groin" Hasek is retiring again. I just realized he's become the Michael Jordon of hockey. But with his third time he means it, and I really don't see him coming back again.

Sure, The Dominator really meant it when he said he wanted to move back to the Czeck Republic to finish raising his son in 2001 so his son would appreciate his homeland (His son went to college in the US by the way), but he felt he had to come back a year after retirement. And yes, he really really meant he was done the second time he said he would retire last summer, but he felt he had one more season. This time he really really really means it, perhaps because although he had one more season his groin didn't have one more post-season.

It's about time, Dom, and I do hope that WGR keeps playing your "Haseoke" tapes, but I can't say I'll miss you. You are way past your prime and I'm ready to dislike Detroit for no other reasons except the facts that they are a dynasty team and they think they're "hockeytown." Everyone's a fan when you're winning, but Buffalo is the real hockeytown, and this season proved it.

Cue the fat lady

2008-06-05T13:33:00.004-04:00

Well, the off season has officially begun. No more hockey until September. Congratulations to the Red Wings on winning the cup, and I'd tell Pittsburgh better luck next year, but I really don't wan to see them go that far. I'm looking forward to the madness of the free agency. How about some gritty defensemen!

Defense changes area a-coming -- goodbye Dmitri, and better luck elsewhere. I do thank you for your years as a Sabre, however, and I truly wish you (almost) all the best. (will 90% of the best acceptable?)

Something about me: I have 6 nieces and nephews so far. If I had more money they would be very spoiled.

Fail

2008-06-01T23:51:00.003-04:00

Ok, so it's been over a week. I'm back in WNY now to visit my parents and I ended up helping my dad re-roof the house (well half of it at least) which included building a peak on a dormer. (Although I did put a whole in a ceiling I didn't fall all the way through)

So my ~~predictions~~ ~~hopes~~ fantasy about the Penguins winning the cup isn't coming true. I'm over it. I find it's really easy to get over things that never really had a chance to begin with.

I saw on WGR's website that the Sabres have signed 2 more prospects, including local boy Kennedy who won the Frozen Four championship with Michigan State (I think -- the green ones that Miller played for. I don't really follow college sports since no one broadcasts college hockey). I also voted in the web poll there that the Sabre's priority for this free agency is to re-sign Miller. I think that with a competent back up goalie (or at least one who can win games without divine intervention leading to shut-outs) he's our solid anchor. There have been several articles on this which I am too lazy to look for now.

I really enjoyed the game I went to last week. It cost me $30 for a 3rd row ticket near the blue line. Lots of good hard hitting, though the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins' power play really sucks. The Pirates were up 3-0 with 2 minutes left in the second, but the Pens managed to score in the second the put 2 away in the 3rd to take it to overtime where they won 4-3. I also learned that the Portland Pirates have a Miller, a Ryan, and a Peters on their team. Now they have to become the Sabres' farm team -- it must be destiny or something... (probably "or something" like the bad pizza I had last night)

As promised (well, almost as promised -- it's a few days late) I'm going to do an about me thingy here for the rest of the summer. I have alluded to the fact that I am in the National Guard before and I have a commemorative coin from former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace. (USMC retired). I received the coin from him at a NASCAR race last year when I met him while wandering around in the pits waiting for a flag detail to start. (For the record he was still the chariman at the time)

I'm not in Buffalo anymore...

2008-05-23T17:25:00.003-04:00

$30 for a 3rd row ticket to a play-off game? For the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins that's all it costs for a good seat to a conference final game!

By the way, here's my pick for the Stanley Cup finals -- Penguins in 6. This is based more on the fact that I kind of like the Penguins (in the "my team missed the play-offs so I'll jump on the bandwagon of a team I don't hate" kind of way. In my defense I did pick them during the first round as my temporary play-off team) and I hate the Red Wings because they're a dynasty team and "Iron Groin" Hasek's broken promise after joining them. (Remember that "oh, it's just one more year so I can get the Cup then I'm going back to the Czech Republic to raise my son" comment? Yeah, how many years ago was that?)

Next week I plan on doing an about me series combined with things I like about hockey like what Heather did last summer.

This post may offend some sports fans...

2008-05-13T21:37:00.007-04:00

WGR's current web poll asks i you would trade our Sabres for a MLB or NBA franchise. As of about 9:30 on 13 May 08, 83% say no and 17% of the people who responded are complete morons. Personally I find baseball dull and boring.

IF some good friends are going to a baseball game then I might go more to hang out than anything else. People say that hockey is boring, but I find that far from true. Even in a very low scoring game each shift players are constantly sprinting up and down the ice and getting slammed around. In baseball I see players standing around for at least half the time they're on the field. Then they might make a short sprint, only to stand around again. When was the last time you saw a runner get leveled? Furthermore, baseball has no right to complain about low scoring games. 22 innings for a final score of 2-1? Please, I don't know how people managed to stay awake through that snore-fest. Remember '99 or '94? Triple sudden-death OT, yet at the same we saw some very intense displays of athleticism. Sure, one of those games ended with a horrible call, but at the same time it was a great game.

Basketball is a sport that I cant' seem to get into. Basketball has the problem of over-inflated scores. A basket just isn't much when you have scores in the 90s to 100s. A game where a team wins 70 to 50 is low scoring? That being said I'd MUCH rather watch a basketball game than a baseball game.

Buffalo has a baseball team, so if that's your thing then go to a Bison's game. Buffalo had an NBA team, and it failed and moved out of town. Besides, I'd rather watch a college hoops game than an NBA game, and Buffalo is privileged with several college teams. Didn't the Arena play host to early rounds of March Madness a few years ago? (Ok, so maybe it was 6 or 7 because I think I was in high school at the time)

All this to say that I wouldn't trade the Sabres for any other sports franchise. I'd rather they be re-named and give an even more hideous logo and be filled with players like Ray Emery and Sean Avery than have the Sabres move away in exchange for a MLB or NBA team. (But please don't ever let it come to that! Fortunately Golisano seems committed to keeping the Sabres in Buffalo, and Buffalo continues to have some of the highest ratings in the country for hockey even without our team in the playoffs.

On an unrelated note (and to make the this entry a bit longer and more useless) I'll relate a story to you. But first I'm going to give you a little something about me. I'm in the Pa National Guard. Currently I am going through a readiness processing program. Last night we had to do a long boring medical briefing with paperwork. Right now we have a soldiers from all over the state here. During the briefing the sergeant in charge (NCOIC) asked if there were any Flyers fans. After a few people cheered he asked "What's the series at now? 2-0? Funny how the Flyers said they'd sweep the Pens." I just started laughing. Throughout the briefing he made fun of the Flyers fans, who tried to make fun of him back (kind of hard to do when your team is losing the series). It made an otherwise excruciatingly long and boring briefing bearable.

NHL on Hulu

2008-05-11T22:07:00.005-04:00

So recently a friend of mine sent me to a website where one can enjoy TV shows with limited commercials for free (basically 4 commercial breaks in what would be an hour show, each with only 1 commercial). I was able to enjoy a show from when I was younger. (It got the ax in 2000) Recently on that site I found that the NHL posts some full games on there! Unfortunately when I went to watch the Derek Roy highlight (he was the only Sabres player I saw on there with a highlight) there was no audio. The website is hulu.com, and you can also watch some games on there, include a game from the '60s! Or perhaps you'd like to watch the Nordiques play the Candadiens from 1985. For those masochists out there you can also watch the agonizing shoot-out from the Ice Bowl! (I was there, and these pictures prove it!)

Oh yeah, one more thing -- Shootouts suck and should be eliminated.
(And since Ryan Miller must have enough time to read every Sabres blog out there and he's a member of the competition committee I'm officially tasking him with eliminating it from games.

Let's all welcome The Hobbit!

2008-05-06T23:47:00.003-04:00

The Hobbit, aka Nather Gerbe has signed a 3 year contract with Buffalo! Now if this is news to you then you are really coming to the wrong site to get your Sabres information. But congratulations, and we look forward to seeing (or in my case, hearing) you play in Buffalo soon.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with The Hobbit, he lead Boston College to victory in this year's NCAA Men's ice hockey tournament, beating Notre Dame in the finals. He seems to be a dynamic player, racking up a hat trick in the semi-finals, yet he's only 5'5". My theory is that he's so short the other teams look right over his head and don't notice him. But as J.R.R. Tolkien told us in his wonderful tales of Middle Earth, sometimes the fate of many rests upon small, remarkable creatures.

Or perhaps Master Yoda's words would be more appropriate for The Hobbit:

"Size matters not."

(Hmm, maybe I should have called him Yoda, but I already referred to him as The Hobbit and I'm not changing his nickname now, even if I'm the only one who calls him that.)

It's been a while...

2008-05-06T19:42:00.004-04:00

Ok, so it has been a while since I updated this. Blame life for keeping me busy. At any rate I was able to watch the Penguins defeat the Rangers in OT on Sunday! Ha, take that Dury. Also, I'm glad that Brian Campbell lost (again, sorry San Jose, but Campbell's mouth ruined it for all of you. But if you simply dump him on July 1 then I'll return to my regular apathy towards you.)

It was nice to see half of my side of the D-FAC (Dining FACility) stand up and cheer when the Pens won. Go Pens -- you are my adopted team for the play-offs. (In the west although I have MOSTLY forgiven Dallas for 1999 I still would love to see them get eliminated on a controversial call, and I don't like Detroit on principle for several reasons, including the fact that they are a dynasty team, they think they're better than Buffalo when it comes to fans [they're not even close], and Dominick Haseck's "Oh after I win the cup this year I'm returning to the Czech Republic to raise my son" lie. How many years ago was that?)

In the East I'm officially calling for the Penguins to beat the Flyers in 6, and in the West I'm hoping that Dallas beats Detroit in six or seven. I'm going with the Pens to win the cup, although that's partially (ok, mostly) based on the fact that I really don't want to see the other 3 teams win the cup. (Sorry Marty Biron)

So we shall see how things progress from here.

2008-04-24T23:02:00.003-04:00

I've come to a realization recently. I have mostly forgiven the Stars organization for stealing the Cup from us. Or, to put it another way, although I still acknowledge that the cup was stolen (Hull's foot was CLEARLY in the crease, and yes, we WOULD have won game 7), I do not hold the current players or coaches responsible. While they are not my first pick to win the Cup, I wouldn't mind it if Dallas won legitimately. I do, however, still blame Brett Hull, and if I never see him do color commentary again I won't be sad at all.

OVERTIME!

2008-04-23T23:07:00.002-04:00

So I went to a hockey game tonight. Since I'm currently near Hershey, PA, I went to see the Hershey Bears (AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals) play the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins (AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, just in case you couldn't figure the out from their name). The power plays were, well, horrible. A few time the Penguins didn't look like they realized they had one more man that the Bears, and the first few Bears power plays looked like the Penguins had the advantage with how many shots they had. It kind of reminded me of a certain NHL team's power play at the end of the season. (At least it looked like how the Sabres power play sounded. If you don't understand that it's OK. Just remember that I had to listen to Sabres games, when the network was fast enough. Oh the trials and tribulations of being a long-distance fan without NHL Center Ice. I think I'm going to spring for that next year.)''

The Bears were up by one when we hit the 1 minute left in regulation mark, but the Pens had pulled their goalie. The first 10 seconds of the last minute were solid, and the then the Bears must have decided that they had the game wrapped up. Having seen many a Sabres game I knew they they weren't safe yet, and with about 18 seconds to go the Pens tied it up. But 20 seconds into OT the Bears won it.

It was interesting going to a game without rooting for or against either team. I was able to cheer for every goal and just enjoy the game. Yet now I am hoping the Hershey wins the next game so that I can go to another game here. I kind of doubt that this will happen since the bears are down 3-1 in the series.

One more fun thing -- I wore my Sabres t-shirt and hat to the game. As I was walking to the car someone stopped me to say that they liked the Sabres as well. I love who where ever I go when I wear my Sabres gear I can run into someone who's a Sabres fan. This has happened in times Square, Hilton Head, and downtown Scranton, and now in Hershey. Yep, Buffalo is the real hockeytown USA!

What a series!

2008-04-23T10:24:00.003-04:00

Wow, not only did the Flyers/Caps series go to 7 games, but it had to go to overtime! I wish I could have watched some of the series, but instead I was reduced to following it online. But fortunately for me I'm somewhat used to this by now, though I was a bit hampered by not having a game thread to follow. (yeah, I really like blfloblog for that.) I was too tired to follow the Calgary/San Jose series finale, and I was kind of hoping for a Soupy total meltdown leading to a turnover that would cost San Jose the game.

I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to the entire San Jose organization with the exception of Brian Campbell. I really wouldn't care at all how you did, and depending on how the Eastern Conference shaped up I might have even rooted for you if you make it to the Cup finals if Brian Campbell hadn't knocked Buffalo. But since he did you must all pay the price. Again, I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. If you dump him in the off season then I promise to going back to being completely apathetic about you save when you're playing a team I hate or when you play the Sabres, which is only once every 3 years or so under the current scheduling method

You'd think that living in PA close enough to Philly to have a lot of their fans in the area AND being 15 minutes from the Cap's AHL team that I would be able to watch a game from this series, but no such luck. The post where I'm staying changed their cable in the barracks since last year so the only sports channel I get is ESPN. Not to fear though, I do get to watch some hockey tonight! That's right, I'm going to try and watch the Hershey Bears battle to stay alive against the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Penguins tonight. The Pens are up 3 games to none in the series, and I really don't care who wins, but I will be wearing my Sabres hat and t-shirt to the game! (with the good logo of course -- I am still slug free)

Oh, and according to this tracker thingy I have there were 7 people who visited my site today. I do have readers, wow!

I've got (almost) nothing

2008-04-21T11:12:00.004-04:00

So things are shaping up for the conference semi-finals. I'm kind of bummed that I haven't been able to watch any of the games. Perhaps I'll cough up the money for Center Ice next season.

I'm not sure who I want to win the Habs/Bruins series anymore. Out west the only series I feel strongly about is San Jose. I really want to see them lose. I'll be honest about the only reason for this is Brian Campbell's attitude towards the Sabres. I hear he's melting down again during the playoffs showing how inconsistent he can be.

I suppose I'll say a bit about myself just to stretch this out some. In high school I used to love to ride my bike. I would just get up in the mornings and ride during the summer. I would ride around and get some ice cream while I was out, just having a bit of fun. This week I've read on some blogs about summer in Buffalo -- things like Mississippi Mudd's across from Niawanda Park and the numerous festivals in Buffalo. (there's pretty much a different festival every weekend in WNY during the summer) Combined with the very nice weather we've been having I really can't wait for the summer.

Well, that's about all I have right now.

-- Sharpie

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

2008-04-17T17:22:00.003-04:00

(breath) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh, Ottawa, you crack me up. You went from "Look at us we're so great" to a mid-season implosion yet you just barely made the play-offs, then you go on to get swept off the stage.

Special thanks to Pittsburgh for making my day.

(So this entry would have come sooner, but I don't have internet at my temporary abode right now. I hope this is remedied soon, but it's really outside of my control.)

Odds 'n Ends from the weekend

2008-04-14T22:41:00.004-04:00

Ok, so first off, Sean Avery is an idiot. Gary Roberts even said so. I'm sorry, but waving your hands to taunt another player, let alone Martin Brodeur, a very talented and classy (at least in my mind, even if I do hate it when the Sabres can't score against him) goalie, got old when I was about 9 years old. Heather linked to a video of the idiot on YouTube. No adult should have to have a rule made for doing this, especially at the professional level. And of course Chris Neal has no problem with Avery.

Next, congratulations to Boston College and Nathan Gerbe on winning the NCAA Frozen Four. Rumor has it that The Hobbit will forgo his senior year for a contract, following fellow Sabres' prospect Chris Butler, who signed this past weekend. WGR speculates that The Hobbit will be able to get the league max for a rookie.

I must give major props, yo, (or whatever) to Flyers defenseman Patrick Thoresen. Talk about taking one for the team, he went to block a shot and blocked it with his groin, denting his cup. Although the doctors were worried about damage, well, down there, nothing was ruptured. Let me know when Brian Campbell does something like that. (Although if he did block a shot and say he'd do it again I'd think that maybe he should be paid Bucky's 5/25 mantra).

Also, congratulations to Marty Biron and his wife on the birth of their 3rd kid, a girl. Details at the bottom of that last link.

Oh, for the record I think I'd like to see Montreal vs. Pittsburgh in the ECF this year, with maybe Pittsburgh going on. I'm pretty ambivalent (I hope that's the right word) towards both teams, but I really respect them. On a [slightly] related note (at least it's related in my thought process), I find that one or two players can ruin a team that I might otherwise respect. This is why I can't stand the Rangers.

That's all for now,

-- Sharpie

Sabres fight on (sort of)

2008-04-12T19:19:00.003-04:00

So, you thought that all Sabres hockey is over 'til next season. (or at least 'til the world tournament. Oh, and all you crazy Canadians need to chill out about Pomminville. Just because he chose not to play for you doesn't mean he doesn't love you.) "The Sabres are out of the play offs" you say. And yes, that is true. "So are the Ameriks, thus ending our long affiliation with their organization." Again, also true. (On an unrelated note, I'm still wondering who our new affiliate will be.) "The Sabres and all their prospects are done 'til next season," you say. NOT TRUE!

Boston College and Notre Dame are duking it out as we speak to earn the honor of being the NCAA Men's hockey champions. And Boston College has not one, but TWO Sabres prospects playing for them! Nathan Gerber had a hat trick for Boston in the semi-finals, and the other Sabres prospect, Andrew Orpik had the opening goal. So if you have cable the turn on ESPN and enjoy for one last night! After that enjoy the play-offs. (On a side note the Pens had their way with the Sens last night, hahaha!)

-- Sharpie

If Chuck Norris was a hockey team...

2008-04-09T09:41:00.003-04:00

So I stumbled across a group on facebook called "If Chuck Norris was a hockey team then he'd be the Buffalo Sabres." If anyone reads this and has facebook then you can check it out here.

Perhaps I'll have something more meaningful to say soon, like my picks for the playoffs.

-- Sharpie

Only in Buffalo...

2008-04-04T11:28:00.003-04:00

will an American NHL team be the headline story for missing the play-offs. Say what you will, Buffalo is still hockeytown. I logged onto WBEN.com today only to find that their top story is about the Sabres. For someone who now lives where people don't care about hockey it made me smile.

EDIT: I'm now listening to Tom Baurle talk about the Sabres, making fun of Peters, calling out Vanek, and talking about the Sabres' fundamental problems, and saying which player have been doing well (Gaustad, Mair, Roysie). Let me know when a Detroit talk radio host on a news station talks about the Red Wings for half his show.

It's over...

2008-04-03T22:21:00.000-04:00

The rice has been thrown, the wheat has been passed, and the fat lady has sung on the 2007-2008 Sabres. Our play-off hopes bought the farm and went to the big play-off slot in the sky. They kicked the bucket.

I think you get the idea. Let's have a moment of silence then start preparing for our 2008-2009 Stanley Cup run! Lets go, Buffalo!

(and yes, I will be wearing my Sabres t-shirt and hat tomorrow.)

-- Sharpie

I lied (sort of)

2008-04-03T17:42:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I haven't completely given up on the Sabres making the playoffs. Deep down I really want them to make it, but at the same time I'm trying to be rational and protect my (not so) fragile mental state. After last night's Flyers defeat I am once again filled with (hopefully not futile) hope.

The Hurricanes' jacked-up e-mail system.

2008-04-02T19:52:00.000-04:00

Could someone please explain to me how I got on a the Carolina Hurricanes e-mail list? I went to ONE game down there, and it was an awesome game (though it would have been better if the Sabres had won), but it was an ECF game (game 5, 2006). So why is it that almost 2 years later I randomly get 2 e-mails in a week's time about how the 'Canes are doing?

Looking forward...

2008-04-01T22:49:00.000-04:00

At least we didn't lose. I'm going to do as many other Sabres bloggers have done over the past week or two and explain my feelings on the season. We've had an up and down season, from high scoring games to pathetic losses. "Inconsistent" is how the season can best be summed up. But at the same time we have seen the emergence of you very talented young players. The Kaleta! has had a great year, as well as the defense "kids." Sure they have a ways to go, but they've done really well, even getting good playing time and, perhaps best of all, bumped Peters off the roster.

Earlier this season (I think it was the end of February) WGR had a web poll on the Sabres greatest problem -- offense, defense, or goaltending. At the time I said it was defense, but that seems to have been partly solved. We still need to cut some dead weight (*coughkotalikcoughcough*), but we have some great talent in the pipe. Signing Pratt at the end of October helped beef them up for this season. Now I'd say their greatest need is for a backup goalie. Miller has done a great job for the number of games he's played, but he's obviously worn out. I don't blame Lindy for not putting T-Bo in. I don't think anyone will be shocked to learn the Sabres traded him or put him on waivers this off-season. It's not really the management's fault on that one. No one could have known that Ty Conklin would have a career-reviving season.

Although I'm disappointed that the sabres missed the playoffs (ok, so mathematically there's still a chance, but I'm not keeping my hopes up at all), but I have to say, I'm ok with it. I really am. First off, I think they need time to focus on re-building. I plan on seeing them in the play-offs next year. Secondly, I hate dynasty teams. That may be the biggest reason why I hate the Yankees. No team "deserves" to make the playoffs. (See "2007 NY Mets.") It's OK to have a bad year. It makes victory years even better. No team should fire their coach (or at least say they will fire their coach) just for missing the championships. Lindy has seen his ups and downs as the Sabres coach, but he knows both how and when to push his players. I think missing the playoffs will be good for the fans. I know someone might read this (if I have more than one reader) who will say "No it's not. Missing the playoffs just alienates fans. They just get our hopes up and then crush them. Woe to us for we are Buffalo sports fans." But hear me out. Next year when the pre-season predictions come out and people write the Sabres off, the faithful will have more to celebrate. Perhaps Vanek will lose some of the pressure he feels to perform. The fans can appreciate the growth of our young players more. I'd try and say this more eloquently, but it's late.

At any rate just because the Sabres will (almost definitely) miss the play-offs this year doesn't mean it's the end of the world. Plus we beat the Leafs tonight, so hurray.

Game Night

2008-04-01T11:22:00.000-04:00

Well, tonight we play the team that can't even come up with a grammatically correct name. That's right we play one of the teams I dislike the most, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Could someone please explain to my when they are not called the Maple Leaves? I know its not a Canadian thing, as my Canadian friends (some of whom are soon to be US citizens) use the correct word for the plural of "Leafs." Toronto is the one team that is always on my "If we have to lose, please, please, please don't let it be to them" list.

EDIT: I did something wrong and this didn't post earlier like it was supposed to. I'm still getting used to this format.

My first post.

2008-03-30T23:57:00.000-04:00

Well, I have decided to start a Sabres blog. I decided to try this a few months ago but decided to wait until I got a catchy name. (I've given up on the catch name. I'm just not creative enough). My goal here is just to spew "vomitous mass" as one of English teachers used to say, about the Sabres. I don't live in WNY anymore, nor do I have NHL Center Ice, and I am often busy during the actual games, so that rules out meaningful commentary. Instead I will share my thoughts and opinions, no matter how wacked-out and/or wrong, from my limited perspective.

Now for a bit about me, mostly from a hockey perspective. I grew up in WNY, but never really got attached to the Bills. I find hockey to be a much more entertaining game. I grew up near Sabreland (now hockey outlet or whatever), and I remember my dad taking me to watch the Sabres practice when I was 4 or 5 years old. I think I was in Middle school when I went to my first Sabres game. I remember the playoffs in '98, rushing home to watch the finals in '99 after being out with my brother. We were re-finishing the living room floor at the time, but we made sure the TV was still on. Oh, the heartbreak of "No Goal."

I remember when Hasek left the ice after the Penguins game, knowing he was done with the Sabres, then being angry when he signed with Detroit. (But he wanted one more year, "just one Cup" before going back to the Czech Republic to raise his son there. How many years ago was that?) I remember the Regis years, the collapse, and in '05 saying that the Sabres wouldn't be as bad as everyone said. They were even better than I though they'd be.

I was in Carolina for game 5 of the ECF in '06 -- I flew down for the game after church, then rode back with my brother and my cousin. Last year I remember watching part of the Rangers series at my buddy's house. (he was a Rangers fan) I remember when they won the last game how I walked across campus to find the 2 or 3 other Sabres fans to let them know. And I remember after they lost saying (and even saying on facebook) that they'd win the cup in '09. (claim to which I still hold) And thanks to my brother, I was at the Ice Bowl when the NHL's script played out to make their marketing golden boy (Sidney Crosby) the hero.

On a more personal note I grew up in WNY, the 3rd of 5 kids. My family is pretty close, though not geographically, so expect to hear about them once in a while on here. I went to college in PA, originally to become a Youth Pastor, then ran out of money and joined the Army, which in turn caused me to change my major to pre-chapliancy. I'm working to become a chaplain (still a few years off).

Perhaps in a couple days I'll post some thoughts on the season. Oh, and my goal is to post a couple times a week, which may or may not happen.

-- Sharpie