My ode to the Buffalo Sabres summer: Part 1

Look, I know some of my readers and followers on twitter think I wake up daily and find new ways to hate the Buffalo Sabres. Trust me, I don’t want to go on Twitter and strike up fights with other bloggers, who feel that I don’t know anything about hockey. Actually, scratch that, I do relish the moments of getting into arguments with people. In fact, I love it. I love to tell the world that I’m right.

However, even when I go on and on about what I perceive to be right, if I’m wrong, I’ll be the first to admit it. I don’t sugar coat and spin it in a way to make myself look right. I’m not the type that’s going to give CPR to a dead horse. If it doesn’t fit, then you must acquit. I’m a balls to the wall type of writer, and if it doesn’t stick, I’ll let it fall to the waste side. In other words, I’m not going to bend over backwards to prove that my point was the correct one. It’s all about the bottom line and that bottom line is that the Sabres didn’t do enough this summer.
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1)At least he’s trying?
It seems like the new rally cry that I’m getting from Regier Apologists on Twitter is the whole “Well, you don’t know if Darcy was on the phone, trying to trade or sign someone.” You are right, I don’t have a phone tap on Regier’s line.

However, I don’t have to be a fly on Darcy’s wall or an FBI agent to know what is really going on with the Sabres GM. First, lets get to consolation prize that some are trying to pass off; It’s the whole “trying” garbage.

Maybe working in a job industry, where no one cares how you get the job done has made me just scoff at the notion. I work in the television industry, which is one of the most hardcore industries you will ever work in. As much as I would bust my ass and work the phone to cast people for game, reality and court shows, if I didn’t get the job done, my bosses didn’t care how exhausted I was. There was no consolation prize, because it was all about about succeeding. Again, it’s the bottom line.

Even if Darcy was working the phone and had stock options for Bass Pro (Sigh) on the table for free agents, he still didn’t accomplish his task. I also don’t buy the notion that no one wants to come here. How many former hockey players live in the area? I’m sure an extra dollar and a recruiting call from Ryan Miller would have been fine. Seriously though, I really don’t think the Sabres were beating the telephone lines as some would want to believe. And even if he was, he still didn’t do enough.

Maybe if Darcy was my unborn son and he claimed to study day and night for a final exam, only to get an F, I could give him the old “better luck next time” or “at least you tried” sort of rhetoric. However, if my kid failed the same exam year in and year out, then more than likely, he isn’t trying or he’s just a dumb ass. In Regier’s case, I’ll take the former (Although, saying that TC and Roy are top 20-centers would fall under the dumb ass category).

All you have to do is look at Darcy Regier and Larry Quinn’s track record when it comes to signing and trading for players during the summer. Since the summer of 2003, the Sabres have added two players via trades (Drury and Rivet) and have ponied up less than 10-million dollars annually to free agents. So, the whole “he’s trying” thing is something that I just don’t buy because of the Sabres history. I mean, a dog has his day once in a while, right?

What made you think this summer was going to be different? This is the same team that spent less than 3-million dollars last year on free agents after missing the playoffs for two straight years. Coming off a division title, I’m sure Darcy Regier felt absolutely no pressure from ownership to make moves. Of course, making moves would cost money and we all know the bottom line for ownership is to make as much money as possible.