Kirby Jackson

Fox News throwing around “star” pretty loosely huh?

This time they’re serious though

FWIW, Kim is DESPISED by the old-timers in and around the Sabres. At least that’s how I’ve heard it. It’s been that way since LaFontaine.

I’ve heard quite a bit of it from the inside. Long story short LaFontaine believed that everyone they had was incompetent (Ted Black & company). He wanted house cleaning and authority.

I picture this playing in the background as you typed that: Thoughts and prayers ??????!!

Maybe we are. We are in agreement that the cash flow is down across the board (except the Bills). I’m simply suggesting that the cash flow issues are being overstated. You aren’t seeing other organizations skinning it to the bone. I don’t believe that’s the reason for these decisions. If they are that lean they shouldn’t own the team. The reason that i brought the Bills into the equation is that their profits from the TV contract alone are more than enough to offset all other losses. They obviously don’t have to dump money into a losing entity. I’m simply saying that they could. That is pretty inept. Buying minor league franchises is a terrible investment. You just hand money away. The Sabres, in theory, should operate in the black. They aren’t going to be a huge revenue generator but it should be a positive. They need to get a president in there ASAP. Too bad RB was banging his employees. He’s absolutely capable of fixing this problem. There are tons of others as well. Kim Pegula isn’t one.

Maybe it’s more semantical? Obviously they aren’t generating the revenue that they needed to. They are in no way “forced” to make any cuts whatsoever. If they kicked in a fraction of a fraction of their own assets they could operate at the same level. They’d never notice the difference. This isn’t a small business situation. If the sandwich shop at the corner isn’t ringing $1000 a day they can’t afford to pay staff, bills, etc... If the Pegula’s and the Sabres miss 13 games, 6 of which are home, that lost revenue isn’t going to crush their business. It’s a PR spin used to get the public to empathize. It’s a BS excuse. We aren’t talking about multi-millionaires. We are talking about people that stroked a $1.4B check for the Bills (who buy the way are still spitting out cash). If my math is right the NFL teams last year each made $50m-$55m PROFIT from the TV deal alone. Profits dropping 92% is quite different than about 15% of your home games being cancelled. This holds especially true when the player salaries go away with the unplayed games. I’m fairly certain that is the model in the NHL as it is in other sports. So you lose the revenue associated with those games but also your largest expense associated with them. It’s not apples to apples.

Again, though we are talking about a fraction of a fraction of “liquidation.” Owners crying about “tightening the belt” is just bs. That’s my point. I don’t care what decision that they make but don’t use the loss of revenue as a crutch. Cutting $2M (or whatever) on staff and infrastructure has ZERO impact on the Pegula’s lifestyle and/or financial position. FWIW, I agree that Botterill should be fired. I don’t agree with gutting everything and hiding behind the revenue not coming in. Just say, “we’ve funded a staff and system that didn’t work. We are going to go in another direction because it was a waste of money.” Owners crying poor just isn’t going to fly with me in 2020. It’s just not a real thing but it is utilized to gain empathy from the public.

Do you believe the Pegula’s to be cash poor?!? I’m sure not buying that. To be clear, they are entitled to make whatever decisions they want. I’m just not standing for the myth that they are forced to financially. This is a decision that they WANT to make not that they HAVE make.

I’m not conflating franchise value with cash revenue. Just saying, the entire cost of the people that they just cut is MAYBE $2M or so. When your net worth $5.1B that’s peanuts. He made $2M yesterday (.03% of his net worth). https://www.forbes.com/profile/terrence-pegula/#13714b983cc7

I’m sorry but I’m having a hard time with the “financial woes” of the Sabres. They paid $189M for them less than a decade ago and would get $550M+ tomorrow. The franchise value went up $25M last year alone. This isn’t like other businesses. The rarity, exclusivity and demand for sports teams by billionaires make them different. They value of the business doesn’t go up and down like a restaurant based on sales. The operating income may fluctuate some but the largest expense, player salaries, is a percentage of overall revenue. It’s not like you need to maintain the same pay without the same income. I’m not, and WILL NEVER buy into sports owners crying poor. They’ve owned the team for 6 years, had 3 HCs, 2 GMs, multiple presidents. They lost their top leadership on the business side almost across the board in both franchises (Russ, Wheat, Sinclair, Popko, etc..). That sort of attrition doesn’t happen in top organizations. Now it looks like they got it right with McDermott and Beane. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. They should do everything in their power to extend them and stay out of their way.

Are they? Marrone, Russ, Whaley, REX AND ROB?!? They weren’t good. They got the right people there now. Add in their Sabres hires and fires and they’re batting average is extremely low. That’s my point. They need to get the right people and get the hell out of the way!!

Feels like only yesterday that I railed on the decision to have Kim Pegula as the President/CEO of PSE. At the time I claimed there were 100+ people in their organization more qualified. I’m just here to take a quick victory lap and accept any apologizes that people want to offer. All joking aside, this was the expected outcome. They are over their heads as owners. I believe firing Botterill was the right decision. I believe publicly supporting him and then firing him 2 months later is idiotic. The Sabres have lost credibility with hockey leaders, players and agents. That’s not a good franchise building strategy. The best owners in sports own the teams. They don’t operate them.

He doesn’t want to be here!! He didn’t even sign until yesterday!! The rest of the class was signed months ago. Cut your losses ASAP!!

I’m not so much missing it as just knowing that’s what’s coming. We are at a point that you’re on one side or the other. This entire country is divided and you sit on one side or the other. We all need to acquiesce to our audience to a certain level in the interest of self-preservation. That’s what Brees did, Dabo did, and now Gundy. It’s the same thing Trump always does (and has mastered/created). You make decisions based on what’s important to the people that put you in power. It’s going to take a lot to stop this snowball from going downhill.

He wore a shirt of a network that called BLM “a farce.” Unless you live under a rock the BLM movement is the single most important thing to black people in this country. If your livelihood depends on black people it’s probably a good idea to support what’s important to them. No one is denying that Gundy is free to believe what he wants. No one is stupid enough though to realize the potential repercussions on the recruiting trail. Ultimately, not supporting what your audience does is a great way to lose your job. It’s been happening in politics for decades. While he’s free to wear the shirt, recruits are free to go elsewhere. That gesture was career suicide.

It didn’t used to be this way, just saying...

You have to know your audience!! Lol, it’s not that complicated. It’s one of things that Trump has mastered. The reason that he’s anti-mask, law and order, open the country, etc... is because that what his audience wants. He plays to his base, his supporters and their beliefs. That’s a good business strategy for him. A college coach needs to care about systemic racism. They need to care about the challenges that black people face in this country. That’s their audience!!

I don’t believe supporting OAN is a good recruiting strategy for a NCAA football coach. These families have many options. They will steer things towards people whose values are more in line with their own. That’s what WILL happen. Absolutely not!! It would probably help his case. College coaches are in sales first and foremost. They are selling the idea that their program is the best place for the kid. Saying, “our values are aligned” is a really good sales strategy. I’ve been in sales for 15+ years. It’s WAY easier to sell someone that trusts you and believes you have their best interest at heart. That’s common sense, no?

That’s the world and climate that we are living in. People in Gundy’s shoes need to be acutely aware of it. His livelihood depends on it. Fair or not, we are all accountable to our actions and beliefs. A guy whose career depends on building trust with young black men and their families need to be hyper aware. At best, Gundy is stupid. At worst, his values aren’t aligned with those he needs. Either way it’s going to be tough for him.

Does your career revolve around building trust with black families? If it does, I’d say you’re making a pretty bad decision.

It’s different in this case though. The recruits (and families) have the OPTION to pick a program where the player will be in the best hands. They can certainly forgive him but they all want to put the player’s well-being above all else. You can send your kid to Gundy or Mack Brown. What is important to that man is important to you. That’s why this was an epically stupid decision by Gundy. He has a right to believe in whatever he wants. His career is predicated on building trust with black people. That’s not the best way to do it.

Regardless, the guy committed career suicide. It’s interesting because college athletics have a different business model than the pros. In the pros if you have ownership’s support you’ll be okay. 8In college you need the trust of the players and families as they have options. Team’s compete for these guys regularly. This will ultimately end his time at OSU. It might not be immediately but they aren’t going to have a choice. They aren’t going to be able to get the players necessary to beat OU (although he’s 2-13 against them).

Supporting a network that doesn’t believe in Black Lives Matter isn’t a good career decision for a guy whose livelihood depends on gaining the trust of black families, no? You can’t possibly think otherwise. You can shout “cancel culture” or whatever but that’s a really, really, really stupid business decision. That part isn’t up for debate.

If he can’t recruit and win he can’t keep his job. It’s really that simple. He’s going to lose talent and ultimately his job. It may not come immediately but he added a target to his back. He makes over $5M a year to recruit and win. This isn’t good for that. That was the point.