JohnC

Let's look at the results that you are so highly critical of. In their first year McDermott got a stripped down to make the playoffs for the first time in a generation. Are you going to complain about that? In the second year this regime in accordance with their rebuilding approach made a decision to in bulk absorb the cap so the next year it would have the flexibility to aggressively engage in the free market. That's exactly what happened this offseason. So what is your complaint? This regime publicly and repeatedly stated what their strategy was in rebuilding the roster and cap structure. You and some others believe that they should have taken a more incremental and less disruptive approach. That's a reasonable position to take but it was an approach that this regime decided not to take. You may be disgruntled and dissatisfied with their strategy but that was the strategy that they publicly stated they were going to do, and then did it. (note: I had a problem with the highlighting function. I did not deliberately intend to highlight. )

McDermott, and later with the hiring of Beane, made the decision to deconstruct not only the roster and cap structure but also the organization. They could have taken a more incremental approach but that wasn't what they wanted to do. Just look at how much they cleaned house and brought in their own players. That was their plan and that is exactly what they did. I would rather have had McDermott draft either Mahomes or Watson in his first draft but my sense was that he didn't trust Whaley and his scouting staff to make that evaluation and judgment. The trade down within the context of him remaking the roster and recalibrating the cap structure made sense because he gained more picks to bring in players to replace the players he was going to dispatch. There is a good case to be made that it wasn't necessary to demolish most of what was done prior to the new regime's arrival. But the clapping coach was hired by the owner because he had specific plan that was counter to what was done prior to his installation. And looking back and at the present that is exactly what he is doing: implementing his plan.

The difference with paying the amount that Woods could get on the market is that although they could have signed him at that amount it wouldn't have fit in with their strategy of reworking the cap structure for the roster for the upcoming years. I agree with you that if the organization were determined to keep him they could have done so. They decided not to because they made the overarching decision to create more cap space in the near future highlighted by the fact that they absorbed a major cap hit last year in order to get more cap flexibility this year. Again, they could have kept Woods but because of their cap and roster strategy they decided not to retain him. That was by choice.

I understand the distinction you are making. However, if an organization places a value on a player (or any player) and makes a decision not to go beyond it then the net effect is basically the same as not being able to afford the player/s. In either scenario because of the established parameter you are not going to keep that player. The organization that is the most accomplished in making decisions based on cost/benefit is New England. It appears that under McBeane that cost/benefit approach to contracts relative to talent is now the standard of operation.

No. I'm your typical street dumb arse who tries to use common sense. To many people Jerry Sullivan is a jerk. But that doesn't mean that everything he says is wrong.

I wouldn't do away with the replays. However, I would limit the usage. One approach could be that each team has two to three challenges in a game. If they use a challenge and win the challenge then it shouldn't count against them. After they use up their challenges the coach has no recourse. So the incentive is to not waste your challenges. In all sports the replays seem to be excessively intruding into the game. The camera technology that exists is extraordinary. It is so sophisticated that a camera in space can capture you in detail scratching your itching balls. We are at a point where it is too big a part of the game. The best way to use it is on a limited basis. I'm more prone to root for my team than root against another team. And once a player leaves the home team I usually have little animosity for the departing player. But the manner in which ROR "induced" his departure rubs me the wrong way. Something was going on in the locker room when he was in Buffalo that required action. He's a terrific two way player whose loss created a major void on the Sabres. He and the Blues making it into the Cup Finals would irk me. In this series I'm rooting for the Sharks.

At some concerts you don't have to smoke weed. The mere fact that you are breathing can result in you sucking in a grand amount.

Is that how you look after smoking weed at a concert? Their eyes look very glassy.

If you are in the hockey communication business and hear the same assessment from many people in the business about a person what's so wrong with coming to the same judgment? What you call parroting can also be called reporting. Again, being a jerk doesn't necessarily equate with automatically being wrong on a topic, especially if it is the prevailing view on the topic.

A person can be an idiot and a fool and yet say something that makes sense. Whether a person lucked into a hockey broadcasting career or his daddy set him up on the job that doesn't mean that his commentary on an issue should be dismissed out of hand. What is apparent to me is that what he is saying is the same thing that a lot of people in the hockey business are saying about our newly hired coach. If you disagree with something that he said then point out what you disagree with. Dismissing his commentary just because you don't like him or have little regard for him is not a fair way to evaluate what he said.

I never again want to hear you complain about the Sabres not giving a full effort and just being satisfied with less than one's best! You know the saying: Judge not lest ye be judged.

Yes. It's that time where free floating expressions are acceptable although may not be appreciated by all.

I doubt that Don Cherry and he will be getting together too often at the local pub discussing world economics and trade policies. I'm also confident that Krueger doesn't buy his clothes at the same clown haberdashery that Cherry frequents.

This is one hell of a smart guy. At this point when you ask him a question you are not going to get the standard robotic cliché for a response. My sense is that his players will not continue to make the same mistakes over and over and keep their ice time. I'm hoping that a physically talented player like Risto can improve his ice smarts under his tutelage. I'm really excited about him.

This is a Buffalo News article by Mike Harrington on the new coach. It emphasizes his ability to motivate. https://buffalonews.com/2019/05/15/mike-harrington-ralph-krueger-buffalo-sabres-nhl-world-cup-of-hockey/

I would have been happy with either Tippitt or Krueger. The Krueger hire was more of an outside the box from a conventional retread hire. I don't care who the coach is the bigger issue is adding talent. The GM has cap space to work with, some assets and picks to parlay. There will be opportunities to upgrade the roster. He needs to seize them.

Is 4merper4mer your source? If you want to be depressing just hang around him for a few moments and his inspiring charisma will be imprinted on you. That's the type of fine fellow he is.

Now 4mer can't complain about Botts going to Europe because he went to Europe to hire a coach who was in Europe.

Why aren't you out celebrating New Orleans winning the NBA lottery? Just maybe Davis might decide to stay? Randolph, Davis and Zion would make a formidable front court. If Davis is determined to leave then he can be dealt for a lot of assets.

How long is it going to take for 4merper4mer to criticize the hiring of a soccer coach to take over the reigns of the hockey team? I would have been satisfied with either Tippitt or Krueger with my preference for Tippitt because it was the more conventional hire. Howard Simon of WGR has spoken to a number of people who are familiar with Krueger and his work. They all have given glowing reports. The theme of all the responses is that he is a forward thinker and a great motivator. The most important task is for the GM to add some talent through the market and trades and put this new coach in a situation to succeed. That's the heart of the matter.

This is a 10 segment on WGR with a WVU analyst talking about David Sills. It's not surprising that his report on him was glowing. He also made a comment about Ford at the end of the interview. Without a doubt Sills fits the McDermott mold. https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/05-14-dale-wolfley-west-virginia-radio-network-howard-simon-david-sills

Do you know what the best legal response for the customers who just wanted some stimulation? Nothing! There are repercussions for police bad conduct. For the cop/s who stated that they would make up a reason for a vehicle stop how much credibility are they going to have in court for a DWI case? And for those who involved in making false claims on the search warrant do you think the magistrate is going to give them the benefit of the doubt the next time? And don't doubt that defense attorneys will gleefully bring up the issue of making false presentations when they have to testify in court for other cases? When you lose your credibility you don't just lose it for the case in hand----it has a disqualifying effect in future cases.

I don't believe that he would have been on the roster this year. He is a gritty defensive player who excels in his penalty killing roll. But one of the areas that the GM has to address is secondary scoring. Because Johan and Gergs can't offer more than a morsel of scoring their roster spots were in jeopardy anyway. Now that Johan has departed Gergs chances to make the roster may have increased a little.

The illegal video and "pretext" vehicle stops are going to spawn lawsuits from those who were taped. This was a gross overreach by the authorities. There will be additional repercussions for them and the taxpayers. https://www.providencejournal.com/sports/20190422/customers-videotaped-at-kraft-connected-spa-file-lawsuit

One's tax status can be changed in short order. Stop being a drag in your household. Get back on the saddle and continue to ride until your butt is again hardened with well earned callouses from your stressful desk job. The more eggs you place in the basket the more eggs you have to throw at whoever you find to be a nuisance at your tailgating gatherings.