Who is Yuri?

Here's the interview in question. http://audio.wgr550.com/a/76636369/6-18-sabres-owner-terry-pegula-discusses-darcy-regier-thomas-vanek-ryan-miller-and-more.htm It speaks for itself, really.

Everything you said is true. I can't disagree. In the first two years, Pegula kept Ruff and Regier. Pegula was consistent in defending R&R and placed the blame on previous ownership with his "maybe someone was holding the painter's hand while they were doing the painting" quote. I give Pegula full credit for keeping Ruff and Regier while deflecting responsibility. I also give Pegula credit for opening up his checkbook. He gave Regier the financial resources to go after top free agents, and Pegula was even personally involved in recruiting. Whether or not Pegula or Regier deserve credit or blame, the effort netted the team Brad Boyes, Jordan Leopold, Robyn Regehr, Ville Leino, Christian Ehrhoff, and Cody Hodgson the first year. They missed out on Brad Richards, but the Sabres were trying their best to win throughout the 2011-2012 season, and for that I give them credit. No one can refute Pegula's ability to splash the cash. He gave Ruff a multi-year contract extension 22 months before firinghim. He gave Darcy a multi-year contract extension just 10 months before firing him. He signed Rolston to a multi year contract just six months before firinghim. It's no surprise, though, that Pat Lafontaine, sets the benchmark, at four months. Lafontaine holds a lot of Sabres records. He's the Sabres' Jim Kelly. But I also give Pegula credit for creating the strategy that the Sabres used this past year. The team successfully lost this past year. It also looks like he's positioned the team to successfully lose this coming year. I don't think the skill lies in losing, though, because anyone can lose if they really try. The amazing skill, and thing that sets Pegula apart, is his ability to get fans and the media behind him in that losing effort. He's created a real culture of losing in this town, and for that he deserves full credit. I'd expect the same sort of success with the Bills.

Tomorrow, it will be 3 1/2 years since Pegula bought the Sabres. The year before Pegula took ownership, under Golisano, the Sabres won the Northeast division with a 61% winning percentage. In the ensuing seasons, that percentage has receded further each season: 58%... 54%... 50%... 31%. Last year was an all-time franchise record low winning percentage. For the time being, I don't think that the argument that Pegula will bring a Superbowl to the Buffalo Bills is anything other than blind optimism. On the other side of the coin, I think that the Harborcenter will be a nice feature to the ongoing Canalside development. It's a great project, but the Harborcenter would likely have fallen through without the $37 million in tax incentives that Pegula lobbied for. Carl Paladino's competing project for the Webster Block may have received similar incentives, but one of Paladino's selling points for the project was that it would be minimally subsidized. Regardless of whether Pegula or Paladino developed the land, and whether it was highly or minimally subsidized by taxpayers, it's nice to see a project nearing completion again at Canalside. Speaking of lobbying, though, I have reservations about the Bills being used as a device to leverage state and county politicians on legislature, in the way that Pegula has used the Sabres. I am glad that other bidders are stepping up, not named Trump or Bon Jovi, that are committed to keeping the team in Buffalo. Competition is a good thing.

Point of clarification: KKR owns 1/3of East Resources, so the 1.75 billion cash sale doesn't all go into Pegula's war chest. Two thirds (.666) or 1.75b is $1,165,500,000. For some reason, the sports guys have been repeatedly using the 1.75b figure in reference to Pegula. Can you tell that they're not investigative reporters? There was also an unnamed private seller, probably not KKR, includedin the 1.75b figure. This isn't to say that Terry's not a rich guy.

Well let me play God's Stupid Devil's Advocate, then, now that the gloves are off: The time to forego elections and to beg Pegula to assume the throne as our Supreme Leader is Now! If we don't frack as much gas a we possibly can right away, and export it as quickly as possible, then we're going to miss out, and our children and our grandchildren will be left with nothing! So, Mr. Bulldog, if that's your real name, the way I see it, is that you are either Pro-fracking, or you hate the Sabres. You are either Pro-fracking, or you want the Bills to move! You are either Pro-fracking, or you want us ALL to be jobless! In closing, lay off Pegula, won't you, Mr. Bulldog? The hopes and dreams of our entire region are riding on his kind and magnificent shoulders. Without his extreme grace and charity, we'd probably all be dead by now.

DISCLAIMER: One could call this is an Off the Wall post, and, we have rules about not posting OTW stuff on the football board. I acknowledge that. However, Bulldog broke that rule with his comments today, via his fact-free "concerns" regarding Tom Petty's fitness to play at Darien Lake. I am responding to musical hack comments made today, in the football forum, because that's precisely the forum where they were made. If we are going to talk about Tom Petty's fitness to play Darien Lake, using nonsensical, fact-free, leftist affectation, as our basis, then I am going to respond to it as such. That is the point of putting this on the football board. Feel free to move this to OTW, but let's also understand: I didn't cross the line. Bulldog did. I am merely responding in kind, just like the OP.

So did Bulldog post something on TwoBillsDrive? I must have missed that. Wow! To make matters worse, you're saying that Bulldog crossed the line, by posting something political on this message board? Incredible! SDS must be frothing at the mouth mad, that Bulldog would come to HIS HOUSE and instigate a political argument like that. Unbelievable! Comical, really.

Hey Marcel, If you need a shadow, a responsible fellow, who will look out for you and steer you right, and teach you how to race from light to light, with all of the key hazards keen in foresight, so that you can stick it to all other defensive lineman, be sure that you're on the right side of justice, but still make Camaros, Firebirds, and such, shy away at your sight, I am your wingMAN. PM me, Marcel. We will take all comers together, and kick their mother loving asses, and get their slips together. LET'S RIDE. SERIOUSLY.

I like Bob Malooga's opinion on this topic. I like how he made me think of Dareus as one of my own family. If Dareus were my brother, I'd be glad that he is alive, but also mad at his decisions and concerned. I like how Bob Malooga made me think about how I might feel in Dareus' situation, with the loss of his family members. It made me think that he might not feel that there is someone who cares about him like a brother. Dareus might think that most people just care about him as a statistical producer, a sack machine, but would kick him to the curb, just like they would kick anyone to the curb that isn't in their own family. I like how Bob Malooga extends his compassion toward those whom are outside his own family.

Victory.

Moorman, I could seriously kick closer to the goal line than you!!!

I stand with Gatorman in denouncing the overt racism and general stupidity of the OP.

All of this Benghazi finger pointing is like grasping at straws with one finger.

Why are chemical weapons the red line? Because we could destroy their entire population through chemical, nuclear, or conventional means. Because our capabilities our so vastly superior that it isn't a fair fight. The red line isn't to protect us. It's to protect them from the US annihilating them. We roped Russia into it, because they'd throw a hissy fit if we annihilated their close partner. It's like when a woman hits you as hard as she can, but it barely hurts. You could kill her with your bare hands, but you don't, because of the red line.

I'm not sure if the majority of readers, or even the posters of said material realize, that what is being touted as News in this thread is propaganda. I'm not sure if the majority of readers, or even the posters of said propaganda, realize that this tactic was more accepted in the USSR than it shall be in the USA. I'm not sure if I give a damn if it's progressives or conservative who are touting said propaganda, but I'd like to conduct an experiment. You take your gas engine vehicle into your garage, shut the door, stay with it, and keep the engine on. I'll take my electric car into the gargage, next door, shut the door, stay with it, and keep the engine on. To hell with wacko liberal scientists. I just want to see what will happen. Let me know how you make out.

Is she rich, or are her parents rich? There's a big difference in my worldview. Also, no, I wouldn't. Sex has unintended consequences. And the pics posted aren't wank-worthy.

There is nothing irredeemable about being a racist. A racist is simply competing against other races. A non-racist, or Olympian, for this purpose, believes that he is part of something larger than his own race.

What's up to Congress? Which one of you guys is buying up all the .22 ammo? I haven't been able to find a round in months!

There is a lot of talk about following the law. I believe in following laws when they are just, and I would want other people to be following them too, because it would be for the best. We would be safe, and there would be no need for police officers, but we would have them anyway, like out front of Buckingham Palace. Except, in this case, Buckingham Palace would be places like Tonawanda, all across America, with all the pride, pomp, and pageantry that an officer, or any citizen would want. It would be a great place for all, because nobody would be breaking the law, and nobody would be in prison. Prison Guards would be hired, but they would invariably be old geezers with no other object than to play poker and go fishing. That would be swell, so long as a new law weren't created that put previously law-abiding citizens, on the wrong side of the law. Then, all of a sudden, we would have to have fewer parades, because there would be less free time for the officers, with the new arrests that would have to be made. And the Prison Guards would have no time to fish or play poker, and might lose their jobs altogether, in favor of younger men who previously had no other employment than to ride motorcycles and come to the aid of damsels in some sort of distress or other. What about this new law? It's bad for police officers, its bad for security guards, and it's especially bad for mexicans and blacks. When I Googled this law, I came to the opinion that The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was created intentionally as a means to arrest Mexicans and Blacks, and now, not quite a century later, a fair number of "them" (whom we might have called "us") are PISSED OFF. I'm pissed off too, and the only thing that used to help me was hemp flower. I didn't even know the stuff was called mariju-whatsit. If it weren't for that law, I'd still be sitting on Easy Street right now, playing poker, smoking doobers, and enjoying a magnificent parade, brought to us, once again, by those masters of grand spectacle, the police and fire departments, cheering my heart out. FREE BRADHAM!

Stevie needs a Stevie-Cam, for his own good. Hear me out. The guys got priors, like when he tweeted God. (What an idiot! Everyone knows you should kneel, fold your hands and say, "Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, etc, forgive us our trespasses, etc, etc. ) Let's see how much time he spends praying. And he probably spends way too much time dancing. Plus we'll get to see him naked. Nevermind. Has he tweeted anything lately?

Thanks. I'm just a huge Chap and Mutt-Man fan.

This is all Chap and Mutt-Man's doing. Chap is like Johnny Carson, and Mutt-Man is like Ed McMahon. They've got this routine where Chap says that "This thing's SO outrageous!", and Mutt-Man asks, "How outrageous is it?" Now, they've got a regular show, afternoons, on Spirits Radio 550. I think they're really talented, for Buffalo, and could easily make it at a bigger station. It's Chap especially who should be getting paid like a wide-reciever, because he's the smart one. Chap's a huge talent and I think he could easily host a show in Cleveland or Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, for him, he's stuck in Buffalo, but he really makes the city better with his great sense of humor, and awesome interviews. I especially like how he asks the person he is interviewing, if they have any questions for him. There is always this awkward pause that confirms how smart Chap is, in my mind.

Either, I'm really mad our defense was bad, or I'm happy that his new team will suck. Facial hair is so last year.

Ideally, Stevie would have spent his nights studying film, and his days cross-training. He would have trained his mind not to sleep, and his body not to need food. He wouldn't need oxygen in his lungs, and he would get rid of his family, and friends, and other distractions. I'm really pissed off that he didn't give his all for the team. I payed good money.

He can wear any jersey he wants: