uticaclub Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 drury actually did the opposite of lebron. He went to play for his hometown team. He actually took less money, knowing it might be his last contract,
vincec Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 If you've been following this board for any length of time you know that the prevailing opinion is that owners who spend top dollar on high profile free agents (e.g. Dan Snyder) are fools who constantly get screwed and don't realize that this will never produce a championship team.
seq004 Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 Nice to have a owner who cares about a championship for at least 1 of my 2 teams.
White Linen Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 If you've been following this board for any length of time you know that the prevailing opinion is that owners who spend top dollar on high profile free agents (e.g. Dan Snyder) are fools who constantly get screwed and don't realize that this will never produce a championship team. Perfectly said.
Kipers Hair Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 This is a dangerous time for Wilson and the Bills. It could get very ugly if/when Pegs/Regier make a huge splash in FA for the Sabres and the Bills sit on their hands. When you have one owner willing to do whatever it takes to win and another who doesn't seem to be willing, things could get bad in a hurry. Cold slap coming - they just obtained the rights to negotiate with Christian Ehroff...Pegula is going to make Wilson look all the fool he is in refraining from building a winner... If you've been following this board for any length of time you know that the prevailing opinion is that owners who spend top dollar on high profile free agents (e.g. Dan Snyder) are fools who constantly get screwed and don't realize that this will never produce a championship team. If Pegula is deciding what players to throw money at, I would agree...however, Rehger (sp?) was not exactly a fantasy hockey name and obtaining him shows he is listening to his hockey people in obtaining talent. Don't be fooled - this guy is no Daniel Snyder...
JohnC Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 (edited) This is a dangerous time for Wilson and the Bills. It could get very ugly if/when Pegs/Regier make a huge splash in FA for the Sabres and the Bills sit on their hands. When you have one owner willing to do whatever it takes to win and another who doesn't seem to be willing, things could get bad in a hurry. Ralph Wilson has owned the Bills for half a century. His ownership style and philosophy are very well established and ingrained. Terry Pegula has a different style and philosophy. He is bringing in new energy to the Sabres and a committment to being a serious cup contender. What I like about Pegula is that he is investing in the organization. At his own expense he is upgrading the locker-room and has bought the Rochester Amerks so that it will be easier to have a better development program with his prospects. When the Sabres made a trade with Calgary for a defenseman with a no trade clause he and his wife met with the player and talked to the player about the advantages of coming to Buffalo. When the Bills made the deal to play games in Toronto the owner of the Bills went to the podium and lamented how he has been shortchanged playing in the less afluent market in Buffalo. That type of behavior is not something that Pegula would do. It was a classless act made by a very befuddled owner. Pegula is totally invested in bringing a cup to Buffalo. Whether he succeeds or not is not the real issue. The real issue is that he is seriously committed to accomplishing something that hasn't been done before with the franchise. Edited June 30, 2011 by JohnC
stony Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 drury actually did the opposite of lebron. He went to play for his hometown team. He actually took less money, knowing it might be his last contract, Who offered him more?
The Senator Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 Nice to have a owner who cares about a championship for at least 1 of my 2 teams. 98 and 0 baby!!!
DDD Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 (edited) Pegula- this guy and Ted Black have got their act together. Big time. In the four months since he's owned the team, he's re-carpted the locker room, reached out to Sabre alumni, is expanding the player facilities at HSBC, resigned Stafford, brought in Boyles and Regehr, purchased the Rochester Amercs, and is on record stating big time money will be on the table for free agents. None of this would have happened with Golisano as owner. I'm also convinced Ruff would have left the organization getting frustrated losing quality players to free agency and bringing in 2nd tier, cheaper players. If the Sabres don't win it, no one can possibly fault this guy for not trying. This guy is going for it and now. I see the determination that made this guy a multi-millionaire. He is a godsend to the City of Buffalo. Wilson- has always been about the bottum line, winning was secondary. Selling out to Toronto is a punch in the stomach to Bills nation. Now he's a clueless, senile old man. Ralph Wilson has owned the Bills for half a century. His ownership style and philosophy are very well established and ingrained. Terry Pegula has a different style and philosophy. He is bringing in new energy to the Sabres and a committment to being a serious cup contender. What I like about Pegula is that he is investing in the organization. At his own expense he is upgrading the locker-room and has bought the Rochester Amerks so that it will be easier to have a better development program with his prospects. When the Sabres made a trade with Calgary for a defenseman with a no trade clause he and his wife met with the player and talked to the player about the advantages of coming to Buffalo. When the Bills made the deal to play games in Toronto the owner of the Bills went to the podium and lamented how he has been shortchanged playing in the less afluent market in Buffalo. That type of behavior is not something that Pegula would do. It was a classless act made by a very befuddled owner. Pegula is totally invested in bringing a cup to Buffalo. Whether he succeeds or not is not the real issue. The real issue is that he is seriously committed to accomplishing something that hasn't been done before with the franchise. +1 Edited June 30, 2011 by Mr. Wonderful
PromoTheRobot Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 If you've been following this board for any length of time you know that the prevailing opinion is that owners who spend top dollar on high profile free agents (e.g. Dan Snyder) are fools who constantly get screwed and don't realize that this will never produce a championship team. You are a fool if you spend money on the wrong players. Then again it's hard to name one team that got good just on free agent signings. PTR
eball Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 Terry Pegula is no dummy. He knows that his investment will increase in value when if the Bills leave Buffalo, and increase again if he wins a Stanley Cup. It looks like he's spending money like a drunken sailor but he knows it will pay off down the road. You only need a few hundred million to be a high roller in the NHL. You need billions in the NFL. PTR PTR, I think the only "payoff" Pegula is looking for is multiple Stanley Cups and a legacy as the guy who brought championships to Buffalo. Seriously. This is a dream of his, not an investment. That's what makes it so freaking special and cool. The difference between Pegula and a guy like Dan Snyder (different sport, I know, but he's also a huge fan with deep pockets) is that Pegula is under no mis-perception HE knows how to build a championship hockey team -- he's just building a first class ORGANIZATION and giving his people the ability and resources to put the thing together. I agree wholeheartedly with the notion Buffalo is still a "football first" town, but what Pegula is doing is SO different from what the city has seen before it has got to be getting the attention of the folks at One Bills Drive.
Ramius Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 If you've been following this board for any length of time you know that the prevailing opinion is that owners who spend top dollar on high profile free agents (e.g. Dan Snyder) are fools who constantly get screwed and don't realize that this will never produce a championship team. Perfectly said. No one has said that simply running and blowing the entire cap on 15 high priced free agents is going to work wonders. But signing a player or 2, or even 1 good player can benefit a team greatly. It supplements the draft. Not signing anyone is akin to sitting on your hands and making no effort to better the team. You look at who is on the market, and find a high-end player or 2 that can benefit the team, and you go get them. You really think if the Bills signed Nnamdi Asomugha it would hurt the team more than help it?
bmur66 Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 (edited) God Bless Terry Pegula. The Sabres have the best owner in the league. Now it's all about winning baby! Almost brings a tear to this fans eye. Edited June 30, 2011 by bmur66
CodeMonkey Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 Drury has a bum knee. That's the reason the Rangers bought out his contract. He is done. 98 and 0 baby!!! Now that is a prediction I can get behind!
shrader Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 I agree wholeheartedly with the notion Buffalo is still a "football first" town, but what Pegula is doing is SO different from what the city has seen before it has got to be getting the attention of the folks at One Bills Drive. Yeah, the folks at One Bills Drive are saying "please buy us! please buy us!" Ralph on the other hand could not care less. I can't picture a guy his age caring what the public thinks about him anymore.
JohnC Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 You are a fool if you spend money on the wrong players. Then again it's hard to name one team that got good just on free agent signings. PTR The bump up in salary costs for the Sabres this year will be mostly for paying players at market rate who are already on their roster. In other words he is retaining talent, not blithely letting it go. Compare that to the way the Bills have operated with the departing players such as Pat Williams, Jason Peters, London Fletcher etc. I'm well aware that in a cap system you can't keep all your talent. That is why it is critical in having high caliber front office staff who know how to value talent. As you smartly noted your franchise will fail if you spend an excessive amount of money on the wrong players. Under Ralph Wilson the Bills have had talent evaluators such as Jauron, Levy and Modrak. The outcomes were poor. Investing in staffing the front office and coaching staff with high quality people in the end saves the organization money and produces good results. Ralph never understood that or didn't care. When you have a "squeeze a buck" mentality you end up savng a penny and in the end shortchanging yourself. Everything I have seen Pegula do demonstrates that he is not profligate with his money. He is not afraid to spend money but it is being done judiciously and with a purpose. There is an energy and committment emanating from the Sabres' owner's box that can't be found from the football owner's box. The comparison is very striking.
eball Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 The bump up in salary costs for the Sabres this year will be mostly for paying players at market rate who are already on their roster. In other words he is retaining talent, not blithely letting it go. Compare that to the way the Bills have operated with the departing players such as Pat Williams, Jason Peters, London Fletcher etc. I'm well aware that in a cap system you can't keep all your talent. That is why it is critical in having high caliber front office staff who know how to value talent. As you smartly noted your franchise will fail if you spend an excessive amount of money on the wrong players. Under Ralph Wilson the Bills have had talent evaluators such as Jauron, Levy and Modrak. The outcomes were poor. Investing in staffing the front office and coaching staff with high quality people in the end saves the organization money and produces good results. Ralph never understood that or didn't care. When you have a "squeeze a buck" mentality you end up savng a penny and in the end shortchanging yourself. Everything I have seen Pegula do demonstrates that he is not profligate with his money. He is not afraid to spend money but it is being done judiciously and with a purpose. There is an energy and committment emanating from the Sabres' owner's box that can't be found from the football owner's box. The comparison is very striking. Nice word! I had to look that one up. I agree Pegula is not just throwing money out the window, but he's spending dollars he doesn't "have" to spend (i.e., arena renovations, gifts to players' families, etc.) and building an unbelievable atmosphere to convince players that Buffalo is THE place to be. It is definitely being done with a purpose. Ralph clearly wants to win (anyone who doesn't believe that is clueless), but he just won't spend money he doesn't have to spend. That's the key difference in the organizations. We have to hope Ralph has some sort of "last dying wish" to win a Super Bowl and somehow changes his perspective. I'm not banking on it, but the presence of Pegula and the Sabres might at least give him something to think about.
JohnC Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 (edited) Nice word! I had to look that one up. I agree Pegula is not just throwing money out the window, but he's spending dollars he doesn't "have" to spend (i.e., arena renovations, gifts to players' families, etc.) and building an unbelievable atmosphere to convince players that Buffalo is THE place to be. It is definitely being done with a purpose. Our differences are not substative as much as they are nuanced. As an owner he is demonstrating a committment to success which in the end he is hoping to get a return on in the box office and on the ice. In order to compete for a Stanley Cup you can't be average or lax in the way you operate. How he conducts himself, the energy he brings, resonates throughout the organization. No one can not deny that the culture of the organization has changed with his assumption of ownership. Ralph clearly wants to win (anyone who doesn't believe that is clueless), but he just won't spend money he doesn't have to spend. That's the key difference in the organizations. We have to hope Ralph has some sort of "last dying wish" to win a Super Bowl and somehow changes his perspective. I'm not banking on it, but the presence of Pegula and the Sabres might at least give him something to think about. Here is where I respectfully differ with you. With Ralph the Bills were more a business venture than a sporting competition. No matter how much of a partisan you are you have to acknowledge that the Bills have been a very second rate franchise with for the most part a very mediocre organizational staffing in their half century of operation. The irony is that he has had quality people such as Polian, Butler/A.J. Smith and Chuck Knox who did quality work for him. They were dispatched or departed on their own because there was an irreconcilable conflict with his business priority. When you are 93 yrs old and have been doing things in a certain way for half a century you don't dramatically change your style. The best thing he can do at this point is to stay out of the way and let the football people do their jobs within the confines of the budget. What this franchise doesn't need is drama. It simply needs a steady level of competence from the football staff without much interference from the business staff. Consistently doing things the right way is not sexy. However, in the long run it works. I believe that is what is currently being done (I hope). Following an established plan and being patient with the wretching process requires a lot of fortitude. But that is the recipe for success. Edited June 30, 2011 by JohnC
nucci Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 Terry Pegula seems to be a godsend for The Sabres, not that the team was in big time jeopardy of leaving or anything but his purchase secures their future in Buffalo and puts to rest any conversation of them ever leaving... More importantly- He is committed to building a winner and spending what it takes. It would be great if he bought the Bills obviously and instituted the same philosophy. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Free agency in The NHL begins on Friday. The Sabres look to be players, maybe big players. My question is: Does Wilson concern himself with another guy coming into his market and setting a precedent of winning at any cost and follow suite? Wilson is aware of The Sabres importance in the market and their winning ways of late. I heard Tom Donahoe acknowledge this point in an interview on San Diego Radio about 4 years ago.... What does Wilson have to lose by going all in for once? You have to think he wants a championship. I think Pegula's Sabres create some competetition in the market for discretionary/recreational dollars from fans. If you have to choose between Sabres and Bills season tickets at the same cost which do you choose? The Sabres look to be pretty good. The Bills could do some damage in free agency when it begins-but will they? Finally-I hope the Sabres bring back Chris Drury. His numbers have tapered off but the guy is a PURE WINNER. That is a rare thing to find- a player who leads by example and inspires play around him. I loved him as a Sabre. He should be the captain... You had me until Drury. His knee is shot and he is at the end of his career. Pure winner? I had the same argument with someone who said the same thing about Flutie. I like Drury but he's done.
mrags Posted June 30, 2011 Posted June 30, 2011 The sabres overpay for crap talent that they expect to be good as long as they can still play, or stay healthy, or have a breakout season. Much like the Bills did with Kelsey. But cmon, they could have signed Drury, Briere both during the season and gotten it done with early for less money. That boned them, then they had to overpay for Vanek. Then, not learning from thief mistakes already, they didn't renegotiate Cambpell during the season and lost him too. They were extremely reactive during those 2-3 years and completely broke up a stellar team that could have been there for years to come. Instead we have an overpaid Vanek, an overpaid Connolly, no real captain, no real defense, zero goal scorers, nobody to make big plays in big games when it counts, and a goalie that IMO isn't really great like this entire town thinks he is. He doesn't show up for big games and that was proof this year in the playoffs. He is being paid like one of the top goalies in the league and he doesn't constitute making top 10 money at this point. The thing is that you wouldn't get much for him in return at this point because most teams see that without a good supporting cast he is paper thin. We should have offloaded him for some huge scoring talent after the Olympic run. Say what you will about this post. That will just prove my point about how all the "bandwagon" sabres fan love recognizing par for the course talent. To your question. I'd rather pay triple my Bills season tickets than the price for the sabres seasons. Regardless of putting a competitive team together or not. 74,000 fans in a football stadium are 1million times more exciting than the 19,000 wine and cheese fans that go to the sabres games and talk about marketing dollars and sales reports during the entire game. Half of the 200 level are filled with seats bought by Ingram Micro every year.
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