Do the Sabres still play in Buffalo?
Posted 12:45 PM ET | Comments 12
Is it only me or does it seem that the Sabres have "bye-weeks" between games? If the scheduling were'nt enough of an uphill challenge for relevance, the overall interest in this team has all but died a quick two-contract death in Buffalo last summer.
Coming into the year, the talk in Buffalo was all Sabres, all the time. The pro-sport attention rival Buffalo Bills were widely considered the most irrelevant team in the NFL. All signs pointed to the Sabres keeping the town's attention... posting 41 more sellouts... and skating to another exciting year.
Let's make one thing clear... and never dispute it again. Is Buffalo a "Sabres Town" or a "Bills Town?" THERE IS NO QUESTION... It's a Bills town far and away. The Bills are a mediocre (at best) 5-5 team with hardly an ounce of star power. Yet it's easy to see that they control the airwaves, TV screens and minds of the WNY sporting faithful.
If the Sabres fall to last in the East and no one is around to hear them... do they make a sound?
Looking back, it's amazing to look at the magic the Sabres franchise created for the past two years. The were the toast of the town... the players were beloved, the logo was everywhere, the style of play was exhilarating, the building was packed, they were ubiquitous and always generating positive energy.
Oh how far they have fallen. It goes to show how impossibly hard to capture and sustain that magic formula is. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if we go back to 8000 person crowds in HSBC arena in a year or two.
What a shame.
Coming into the year, the talk in Buffalo was all Sabres, all the time. The pro-sport attention rival Buffalo Bills were widely considered the most irrelevant team in the NFL. All signs pointed to the Sabres keeping the town's attention... posting 41 more sellouts... and skating to another exciting year.
Let's make one thing clear... and never dispute it again. Is Buffalo a "Sabres Town" or a "Bills Town?" THERE IS NO QUESTION... It's a Bills town far and away. The Bills are a mediocre (at best) 5-5 team with hardly an ounce of star power. Yet it's easy to see that they control the airwaves, TV screens and minds of the WNY sporting faithful.
If the Sabres fall to last in the East and no one is around to hear them... do they make a sound?
Looking back, it's amazing to look at the magic the Sabres franchise created for the past two years. The were the toast of the town... the players were beloved, the logo was everywhere, the style of play was exhilarating, the building was packed, they were ubiquitous and always generating positive energy.
Oh how far they have fallen. It goes to show how impossibly hard to capture and sustain that magic formula is. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if we go back to 8000 person crowds in HSBC arena in a year or two.
What a shame.
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17 Where would the Sabres be without Zubrus, Mair?
17 Blame Game at Virginia Tech
18 Pens or Sens Will Have Nothing Left for Round Two
18 10 Reasons - Game 4 Sabres@Isles
19 The Buff-a-shank Redemption
23 – Join In for Round Two!
27 Looking Ahead (already) to Next Season's Sabres Lineup.
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CleonAs pessimistic as I have been about the Sabres this year. I must disagree in part. Buffalo loves a winner and right now they have none. The Sabres will make a resurgence this year,how much I don't know. I seriously doubt you will see crowds of 8, 000 though. I believe Golisano is too smart to let things go that far before making the changes necessary to turn it around. By March Buffalo will be a Sabres town again.........
I know this might be a bit off topic to your blog, but I need to vent.We have played less games than all but one team in the league, are six points out of a playoff spot, and have 64 games remaining. We're not playing extremely well right now, but we are head and shoulders above the late Rigas-era Buffalo Sabres. Please, everyone, encourage a little more positivity in Buffalo for god's sake. We're three games below .500 and the city is ready to give up? Why do you think the rest of the NHL hates us as Sabres fans? When we're good we rub it in everyone's face and when we're not we disappear. Maybe the expectations were lower in March 2006, but do you remember a 5-game losing streak on the doorstep of the playoffs? It's November 20th. Please see that the glass is not half-empty and that we can't play much worse than we have in the past two weeks. Far too early for negativity, and it's far too easy. If we can't make up those 6 points in 64 games, we deserve our fate, and you can be as negative as you want, but don't you think it's a little early?
Good take Lafontaine... It's a frustrating time to be a Sabres fan. It just chaps my ass to see how Galisano butchered this team by being a pussy about handing out contracts... Galisano is the one who balked at the 5 year/24 million extention for Drury.. then quinn and regier took the fall. Then they were forced into a corner and had NO CHOICE but to sign vanek at the silly money. They screwed it all up!
I can't disagree with you on that, but it happened. Golisano is our owner, Regier and Quinn are the administration. I very much doubt that is going to change anytime soon. I'll save you the cliches that Ruff has been throwing out recently, but I am confident that the team we have right now is just going through growing pains and is bound to find their stride. Drury and Briere not being here makes me as mad as anyone else, but it's over. Time to move on with a young, leaderless group that will somehow find their way. Sure, it's not as fun as a team full of all-stars, but do any of us really have a choice at this point?
True true.. i admire your resolve. I DO think we will get it to gether and find a way into the playoffs... but it just want EVER be the same again.
A comment messaged to me by "charmax21 "Posted: Today @ 1:39 PM ET I have micro windows so I couldnt post a message to your blog. I debate the "lack of star power" statement you had made. Marshawn Lynch is widely regarded as one of the best up and coming RB's in football (21 yrs old) and Lee Evans is no slouch either. Granted we don'r have Brady or Moss or TO and Romo but this team has fought through a s*** load of adversity and are still in the thick of a playoff spot. While I do agree that this is a football town, I think the hockey fans will come out once the Bills season is over. You can't argue that the product the sabres are putting on the ice is exciting anymore either IMO.
No question, last year's Sabres may never be rivaled in Buffalo, just like the Kelly/Thomas/Reed/Bennett/Smith/etc. Bills won't ever be rivaled. I understand the frustration. We're all feeling it. Just strap in and enjoy the ride my friend.
Great blog. It's kinda the same thing here in Philly. We got off to a 6-1 start and yet all the attention went to the Eagles. I'm a Philly guy through and through but it's getting to the point that I want the Eagles to lose, get them over with so maybe the Flyers get some ink.I feel your pain, plus the slower start the Sabres have had this year I'm sure doesn't help.
i hear ya seem like the bills play more often than the sabres do. play a game off for 5 days play 2 games off for 6 days lets get some games in
Great blog, I agree. I think it is simply because upon entering the season NFL network and co predicted Buffalo to have 3 or 4 wins. Considering how many injuries the team has endured and managed to compete at a fairly high level has given fans hope. The fact that the team had a chance to beat the Cowboys in a primetime game and then the flex schedule game against NE made fans believe that the Bills are for real. Its tough for the Sabres to compete when they are currently in the bottom portion of the ECS, while the Bills are making a playoff push. I think as time progresses fans will jump back on the Sabre hysteria.I agree though, I can't stand this doom and gloom anymore. We are not out of this by any means.
These 2 games on, 5 days off suck. But, these long waits could also benefit the Sabres in the long run. Yeah, it's a long season and they are going through a slump. They are still trying to find themselves. Better this happen now than in February.
Currently I'm listening to wgr550 (very amusing i must say) and i can't believe they are reporting that Connelly might be starting over Clarke MacArthur tomorrow against the Sens. Not only that, but I can't believe Andrew Peters would play over MacArthur if Connelly comes back. MacArthur has been one of very few consistently good players on the Sabres this year and right now I can't believe he hasn't earned a roster spot. I would even go as far to say I can't believe Drew Stafford would start over MacArthur. This is very disappointing and I hope the report is not true. If so and we lose because we've got a player on the ice who plays two shifts (Peters), another who is injury- prone coming back from an injury (Connelly) and a player who besides the goal he scored on Friday I have not noticed at all (Stafford), I will begin to wonder if the Sabres should think about changing coaches because in my opinion this is a no brainer.