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Yahoo article about sabres (sounds like the bills)


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sometimes i think it would be easier for an athlete to play in a huge city with some anonymity. buffalo is a special kind of snowglobe. these guys can't live their lives without fans constantly approaching them. they're the top story in the news. they're the only thing sports radio talks about. it's hype on hype on hype that turns into booing your hockey team after one period in the first game of the season. you gotta go kiss the ring of the '90s Bills players at training camp. you have to endure the horrible, fickle buffalo media. you have to talk about the failures of previous teams you weren't on and how you're going to change it. it's all unreasonable and they can't get away from it.

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6 minutes ago, quinnearlysghost88 said:

sometimes i think it would be easier for an athlete to play in a huge city with some anonymity. buffalo is a special kind of snowglobe. these guys can't live their lives without fans constantly approaching them. they're the top story in the news. they're the only thing sports radio talks about. it's hype on hype on hype that turns into booing your hockey team after one period in the first game of the season. you gotta go kiss the ring of the '90s Bills players at training camp. you have to endure the horrible, fickle buffalo media. you have to talk about the failures of previous teams you weren't on and how you're going to change it. it's all unreasonable and they can't get away from it.

 

I live in the NYC market and I can tell you that there really isn't much anonymity playing for big teams in those markets. Yes it is less of a hive-mind but it is also a type of market that can magnify everything you do on a much bigger scale. It's a different kind of challenge. When players in New York (Particularly the Yankees, Giants, Knicks, and Rangers although the Jets and Mets get good coverage) do something it become much likely to be national news because of the interest in the market. Then there is the hyper local NYC media which is its own hyper focused hive-mind. 

 

I think the best markets to play in are second tier big city markets. Playing in Anaheim or New Jersey is probably the most chill places you can play. You are in big markets where other teams command attention (while there are other things going on) and you don't have a hyper local focus on you. 

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49 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

 

I live in the NYC market and I can tell you that there really isn't much anonymity playing for big teams in those markets. Yes it is less of a hive-mind but it is also a type of market that can magnify everything you do on a much bigger scale. It's a different kind of challenge. When players in New York (Particularly the Yankees, Giants, Knicks, and Rangers although the Jets and Mets get good coverage) do something it become much likely to be national news because of the interest in the market. Then there is the hyper local NYC media which is its own hyper focused hive-mind. 

 

I think the best markets to play in are second tier big city markets. Playing in Anaheim or New Jersey is probably the most chill places you can play. You are in big markets where other teams command attention (while there are other things going on) and you don't have a hyper local focus on you. 

Yes, that's true. I've lived in NYC as well. Having 8 area pro teams helps immensely. If you're a NJ Devil or NY Islander or (up until a few years ago) a Met, you're practically non-existent. It's not as much pressure as Buffalo with two teams and nowhere to run. 

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2 hours ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

 

 

 

...do the Sabres have " The Process" though?........critical component.....and does Housely clap enough?.....just askin'............

We already know they built a culture (of losing).  Just need to get some more strategy.

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1 hour ago, quinnearlysghost88 said:

Yes, that's true. I've lived in NYC as well. Having 8 area pro teams helps immensely. If you're a NJ Devil or NY Islander or (up until a few years ago) a Met, you're practically non-existent. It's not as much pressure as Buffalo with two teams and nowhere to run. 

 

A lot of players love it early on in their career (Less pressure but you still get to live in the NYC area, hell the old area was closer to New York city than most parts of the outer boroughs) but then they usually want to play in bigger markets as they get deeper into their 20's. There are exceptions of course. Brodeur might be the best ever at his position and he never left until the very end of his career and even one guy who left in his prime Scott Niedermayer left to play in the New Jersey of the West Coast Anaheim (Mainly because he wanted to play with his brother too.) 

 

I think if you want the least amount of pressure but still want to be in a relevant area playing for a secondary type team like New Jersey or the Islanders is probably your best bet. The Nets, Devils, and Islanders being the second tier teams of second tier sports (No offense to hockey and basketball but in terms of local popularity in NYC Football is king and baseball rules the summer) makes those three teams virtually invisible. 

 

Even the Jets and Mets can fly under the radar a little bit more than a team like the Brewers or Bucks can in their respective markets. 

Edited by billsfan89
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