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00:00Like, this is, it's less than a month.
00:02So I would guess that in the last several years, pretty much everything we've done is around the draft.
00:09And yesterday, it came up like, well, we're going to have games.
00:14We may have a game on, you know.
00:17During the draft.
00:18There will be a Sabres playoff game probably during the draft.
00:23Like, some part of the draft.
00:24At least one.
00:25Right.
00:25And so, that changes things.
00:29And usually, when the Sabres, well, it's been a long time, but are in the playoffs, the day of, the
00:34day after, we're talking about their games.
00:37So what becomes of the NFL draft?
00:39We better make sure we get our fix here before the playoffs come and start.
00:45Because once they do, I don't know.
00:48It's a long time since a Bills draft was, you know, second fiddle.
00:54Well, I'm reasonably confident that we'll settle in and appropriately discuss the things that need to be discussed.
01:04There's some chance.
01:06I'm just, this is not to cast a critical eye at ourselves, necessarily.
01:11But it's possible that in these years where the hockey team largely did not exist for our purposes, that we
01:19could have gotten by with a little less draft talk.
01:22But there just really wasn't anything else to really sink your teeth into.
01:25So, I think it'll maybe be healthy to mix the two in.
01:29Well, I think it's closer to all or nothing, actually.
01:32This is a conversation we could have off the air.
01:35But if they play Thursday night, no, it's a Saturday.
01:39Game one is Saturday.
01:40The draft is Thursday night.
01:41All right, this is not going to be a problem.
01:43The NFL draft, round one, is on a Thursday night.
01:46Right, a week after the playoffs.
01:48The playoffs will be into, like, games three and four.
01:50Okay, right.
01:50It's the following week.
01:52Right.
01:53Okay, so the Sabres could play a game three on the night of round one of the NFL draft.
02:01NHL playoff teams will play games that night.
02:04Okay, sure.
02:04It doesn't necessarily have to be Buffalo, but yes.
02:06Right.
02:07So, what is Friday, then?
02:11Friday, I think it's, let's make sure to remember the Bills just drafted T.J. Parker, edge rusher from Clemson.
02:18Right.
02:19Right.
02:20Because whatever happens on the ice is probably going to take precedence.
02:24You know?
02:24Yeah.
02:25I'm, um...
02:26But hockey, go ahead.
02:27See, the really funny, well, funny, sad, uh, back in, like, you know, we, we, we, it's been 20 years,
02:37but 05-06, the NFL draft would have been in the middle of those playoff runs.
02:42Or, you know, right at the beginning, like this one is, like round one.
02:46Um, but, unlike, unlike now, uh, the Bills really weren't that good.
02:54And so, while there was always going to be interest in what they're going to do, are they going to,
02:58you know, whatever, what position, it probably wasn't that hard to just sort of leave it over there.
03:05They're going to draft a guy, it's probably not going to matter because they don't have a quarterback, and so,
03:11you know, congrats on your linemen, and the season will be here in September.
03:14By the way, there was a hockey game last night.
03:17You know, like, that was 05-06, that's, like, mid-drought, early drought, early drought.
03:22Um, not quite midpoint yet.
03:24And now, we have, you know, that, of course, the Bills got really good here in, like, you know, 1920
03:30and onward, and the Sabres didn't really exist, so we didn't have any conflict.
03:36Now, the Bills are, like, the attention on the draft, because they're so good, this player could be a difference
03:43maker.
03:43We need a guy, a receiver, or edge, or wherever, right?
03:47And now the Sabres, yeah, we've not had the two of them mixing like this, where the interest in the
03:53draft would be what it always is for a contending-level football team and your hockey teams in the playoffs.
04:00Because the Bills weren't a contending-level football team the last time the Sabres were any kind of a threat
04:04in the playoffs.
04:082006, the NFL draft was April 29th and 30th.
04:12I think that's a weekend.
04:14We still hadn't gotten to the point where they were putting the draft on a weeknight.
04:18And the Bills drafted Dante Wittner in that draft.
04:22That was definitely a Saturday.
04:23On a Saturday.
04:24Yeah.
04:25And the Sabres played Sunday afternoon against Philadelphia.
04:28So, I mean, that's 20 years ago, but...
04:32Anyway, I just, you know, it's going to be different.
04:35Yep.
04:35And I think, although hockey is different in itself, at least it is for me.
04:41Yesterday I thought about this because I was struggling a little bit.
04:44As, you know, interesting as things are and exciting.
04:48And two games to talk about from the weekend.
04:51But it doesn't roll off the tongue for me quite in the same way.
04:54Like, with the NFL draft, you don't need to hear me say it.
04:58You can do anything you want with that, discussion-wise.
05:02I mean, positional value, and if you get into the players, then it's the players.
05:07And draft history and trades, and, like, it's a cornucopia.
05:11The NFL draft is a godsend.
05:13Move up or down.
05:14Sports talk.
05:15The philosophy, yeah, sure.
05:17I mean, a Sabres game can be good when they win 8-7 and there are fights.
05:22You know, it's still a little bit of what was the best part, George?
05:26You know, I mean, it's a little bit mid.
05:30Aren't we all having the time of our lives again, kind of, right?
05:34Like, that has not worn off yet.
05:36What will, this is what I think about, and it's all premature, but it's getting close now.
05:42What are we going to argue about in the playoffs?
05:47Which goalie should have played?
05:48There's that.
05:50Is Owen Power actually good?
05:52Oh, can't wait for that.
05:56Right, I don't know.
05:58I'm guessing.
06:00Maybe none of that will come.
06:01But the goalie thing will probably happen.
06:04They will lose a game, and it'll be, like, a situation where Lindy went with Lyon back-to-back after
06:11he won game one.
06:11Oh, no, he didn't play back-to-back games and blah, blah, blah.
06:15No, now look.
06:17Like, that will probably rear its head.
06:18If, you know, assuming they lose games, because, yeah, I don't think they're going to go 16-0 on the
06:24way to the Stanley Cup.
06:25I mean, that would be awesome, but very unlikely.
06:28So there'll probably be some opportunity to be mad, mad, finger quotes, about a goalie choice or two, I suppose.
06:36It sounds to me like, I'm not trying to fend it off or anything, but it sounds to me like
06:41it has the potential to be pretty lame-o.
06:44Oh, sure.
06:44Results-based, they lose, should have done this instead.
06:48Yeah.
06:49Yeah.
06:50You're going to have to make room to accommodate that mentality.
06:56Do I?
06:57Well, I mean, you can push back all you want.
06:59It's going to be there.
07:01That's hockey.
07:03A lot of the arguments are always that, like, anecdotal.
07:08This happened, therefore you should have done this.
07:10I was saying to all my friends, you know, like that, that's out, that's going to be out there.
07:15Well, that can be okay.
07:16Is there anything else?
07:19Like, is there, are there line-up, now you get Greenway back, maybe.
07:22Like, are there line-up decisions that fans are getting ready to argue about?
07:29Like, Luke Shen?
07:30Is anybody sort of wanting to fly that flag?
07:33I mean, it's still a ways away.
07:35Greenway?
07:36I mean, it's such guesswork.
07:38Yeah.
07:38You're talking about topics like maybe chemistry or, I mean, experience and reliability, these kinds of things.
07:47I wonder if we're going to get there at all.
07:50Yeah.
07:51Where they're going to have decisions.
07:53I mean, there will probably be a couple.
07:55And are we going to be mad about them?
07:58I think that might largely depend on whether or not they choose, Lindy Ruff, the coaching staff, chooses to do
08:11anything to upset what has been happening for the last two or three months.
08:16Which is good to mention, Greenway, back at practice today.
08:21That's a player that could serve a role on a fourth line with Beck Malenstein, but now you're taking, what,
08:28Krebs out?
08:30Benson?
08:31Benson's actually in that spot right now.
08:33But I feel like by the time the playoffs get here, Benson will be back up top and Krebs will
08:37be back down there.
08:38So you're talking about probably displacing him.
08:41Because you're not taking Carrick out.
08:43So if they decide to do something like that and lose, same thing as the goalie conversation.
08:50Why do you, you went, you know, 32-6 and whatever here, this stretch of games, why are you messing
08:57with the lineup?
08:58Just because Jordan Greenway is back.
09:01You know, I think, but again, that won't be necessarily, I don't know, people upset about it ahead of time.
09:08But if it blows up on them, then yeah.
09:10And, you know, as good as I think the third pair of defensemen have looked in the last handful of
09:16games since Mets and Stanley got together,
09:18the first time Stanley is caught standing still near a goal, it's going to be, you know, there's going to
09:25be, oh, you know, he's so slow, something, whatever.
09:29Why do they mess with it?
09:30Right.
09:31Well, but he, I mean, he, yeah, right.
09:33Why did you even trade for him?
09:34You were fine with the guys you had.
09:36You were getting Timmons back, whatever.
09:39So there'll be like little, maybe, you know, I'm feeling like these things will be like mosquitoes around my head
09:45on a nice day, mostly.
09:47Because the Sabres are going to be in the playoffs.
09:48And I doubt that any, well, the goaltender could matter.
09:53I don't think moving a Greenway in or someone else out is going to be, like, you know, so impactful
09:59that it costs them anything.
10:01Interesting or interesting.
10:03I mean, that's really, I'm not sure I ever did, but right now I'm not sure I know how to
10:09do, like, a four-hour pregame show.
10:14Right.
10:14Like, really, pucks to the net, score first?
10:17What are the lame things you hear every night on every NHL broadcast?
10:20Like, how am I supposed to, like, make that interesting?
10:24Throw it deep, never pass.
10:28Just got to shoot that.
10:30I mean, I just, I don't know.
10:31It's going to be so boring.
10:32I think probably what's better is we're talking about, like, what songs we want to hear and what we're wearing
10:39and where we're sitting and what are we chanting and what are we eating.
10:44Like, it's more, I don't know how to exactly put that into a nutshell, but, like, there's something about hockey
10:50that's different in that way.
10:52We're never doing that for the Bills.
10:53It's sort of like throwaway stuff with the Bills.
10:57It's, what a Bills lead-up sounds like is, all right, I need this guy today.
11:01I need, I need play action today.
11:04I need, you know, establish the run, whatever.
11:06Like, there's, like, actual, the takes are way better before a football game because I think, and maybe this is
11:13just me, I don't know, but you can speak with some authority on it.
11:17This team is 25th against the run, so run the ball.
11:20Right, right.
11:21They don't defend tight ends well, so come on, Dalton Kincaid today.
11:24Like, that kind of stuff.
11:25Are we rearranging the Sabres' power play the day of game one?
11:28Are we sort of like, what?
11:29Maybe Dahlien should stay two steps over there.
11:31Yeah.
11:32Like, nobody's doing that.
11:33No.
11:34Well, I don't know.
11:35Bring it on, but today we have the tickets.
11:38The Bills might get a little like that with a new stadium this year.
11:41Just maybe a little.
11:43You know, just because it's a different experience, but nonetheless.
11:46Yeah, the hockey, we're definitely not rehearsed in how to handle that.
11:54It's just been a long time.
11:56And it is largely, it has been, I mean, I don't know, like, it's just lazy on my part,
12:03or I'm actually thinking this is the conversation hockey fans are having because it's the conversation
12:09my friends are having with me about hockey, which is where are we going to watch the game?
12:14This is incredible.
12:15I love this.
12:16And, like, so any of these days where you haven't been here recently, like, that's mostly all
12:21I really want to talk about.
12:22It feels very much like just, you know, taking the balls out of the closet and throwing them
12:25on the courts and go play, but it is still, it has been such a long time that it still
12:36feels
12:37so kind of fresh and new to just have, to have a thing back that we are practiced at caring
12:42about,
12:43but we just haven't cared about it in many years.
12:46You know, like, I'm being, the Sabres media department have asked me to come say some things
12:52on camera one night later this, I think, Thursday night, and it's mostly, like, you haven't
12:59had a chance to experience this with your son who loves hockey, which is kind of, because
13:04he's 24 years old, which is kind of insane, but that's, I'm like, a lot of people have
13:10that same sort of thing.
13:11I happen to work on the radio, so they want to, whatever.
13:14Like, every little corner you go around is like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, yeah, this
13:19is cool.
13:20I thought for a second you were going to say you're doing, like, a hype video in the
13:24arena.
13:24I don't know, I know, it's for TV.
13:28I don't know, I was asked to come say some things about the experience.
13:32Speaking to the team?
13:33No, no, God, this is being rolled out sloppily.
13:37It's me, it's me, it's, I don't know, maybe it is a hype video, I don't know.
13:41It's a vignette about, like, Sabres fans reacquainting themselves with the notion of caring
13:46about the team, I think, so I don't know how it will be used, I imagine, on social media
13:51primarily.
13:52Well, my ex-ticket group still exists, I'm not in it anymore, but I was talking to a
13:58couple guys today about the playoff tickets, and there's one thing that I heard that I
14:05think I really like about it.
14:07I mean, of course, you've got to brace yourself for the increases, that's how it goes, and
14:13I don't know, you're welcome to tell us if you think it's fine or if you think it's
14:16terrible.
14:18My one friend said, they really are getting you for the finals.
14:23Okay, well, we'll see if they can make the finals.
14:27I sort of get that, but I did see a copy of the letter that explains everything, and I
14:33believe this is different from when I was last a part of the ticket group for the playoffs.
14:39I remember it as when they clinch, or basically like right now, they want money for the first
14:47two rounds, and if they have a look at home ice, then they'll want money for four games
14:52for each round.
14:52So you have to pay, then anyway, you had to pay for eight games like right away, which
14:57that can be tough, but now they're doing it differently, I think.
15:02Like, once a playoff spot is clinched, it reads, your card on file will be charged for the first
15:09two home games.
15:10From that point forward, you will be charged for home games as they are confirmed.
15:15So that reads like, they make it, once they officially clinch, you're getting dinged for
15:22games one and two, or three and four.
15:24Right.
15:25Whichever it is, that'll cost the same.
15:26And then if they, you know, if the series isn't a sweep, once each team wins a game
15:31in the series, then they get you for five or six, and then eventually seven, although
15:35they might have to turn that around pretty fast, if it's like, a series is three, two,
15:41we don't know if there's going to be a game seven, they're probably going to have to turn
15:43that around faster.
15:44Everybody make sure those cards they have on file are up to date.
15:46Yes.
15:47You don't want to miss out on hockey tickets because your card got compromised, you got a
15:51new one and you forgot that the Sabres had an old card on file.
15:54Can you tell that this just happened to me?
15:57Not with Sabres tickets, but like I, yeah.
16:00Cover your bases, everyone.
16:02And that can be, like I'm saying, like maybe really short notice.
16:05Yeah.
16:07But that's, this is better than, and then if they, I think this is right also, in 06 or
16:12in 07, when they won the first round, then they would bill you for three and four and
16:19and sort of get all your money almost up front for the whole thing.
16:24Whereas again, it reads to me like now that won't happen and that'll be more spread out.
16:29And then of course, like if they don't, if they lose and they don't play those games,
16:33that money, then they have it.
16:35That just goes towards your bill for next year.
16:36Right?
16:37Like that's pretty much how that rolls over.
16:39I don't know if you, you might have a choice.
16:40You might have a choice to get it back if you want, I suppose.
16:42Yeah.
16:42You should have a choice.
16:43Okay.
16:44So that's interesting.
16:47And I have no idea what the fan consensus is.
16:51I think the letters went out yesterday because people were starting to talk last night.
16:54Yeah, I saw a reference to that happening.
16:57Yes.
16:59We're going to talk about the Bruins later.
17:01Fluto Shinzawa from The Athletic will join us, covers the Bruins.
17:06I got into a little bit of a thought last night about the history of the Sabres and the Bruins.
17:12You were talking some yesterday about like Boston has a certain reputation.
17:17Do we always feel like we're kind of like out-muscled by Boston?
17:23And has that really been true?
17:26When the Sabres have beaten Boston in the playoffs, I started to think like, so 99, they did that.
17:3193, they did that.
17:33What was that really like?
17:36And then, okay, well, what about when Boston won?
17:38And that's 2010.
17:40And that's several times in the 80s.
17:43And then it hit me, this is all irrelevant.
17:46I think.
17:47There's nothing about that that matters.
17:48Right.
17:50There's no history between these teams at all.
17:53That tells you anything about a matchup.
17:56No, it's all in your head.
17:58Like, that was the point I was making yesterday.
18:00It's like, I'm looking forward to talking to Fluto Shinzawa to find out really, like, what are the Bruins?
18:06Like, what are they capable of?
18:08How are they capable of playing?
18:10Do you think they'll try to do with Tampa?
18:12I'm assuming this writer knows about what Tampa, you know, the fight-filled 8-7 game.
18:16Everybody in hockey was talking about it.
18:17But, like, is Boston going to want to try that sort of tactic out on a team that's new to
18:24the party here or not?
18:27But it's all, yeah, it's all a construct of, you know, Cam Neely and Lyndon Byers and, like, Bruce Shoebottom.
18:35Like, all these just goons, really, that marred the rivalry, marked the rivalry.
18:42I don't know about marred.
18:43I mean, it was a lot of fun watching these teams go at it.
18:45But the Sabres were usually on the wrong end.
18:48Mm-hmm.
18:50On the ABC broadcast Saturday night, Boston-Detroit, they were doing a If the Season Ended Now grid.
18:56I think it's the same as it was Saturday, where it would be Buffalo and Boston in the standings.
19:02And Brad Park was mentioned.
19:04Right.
19:05Okay.
19:06They talked about the Bruins.
19:07I mean, the Bruins were in the game they were, you know, featuring.
19:10Yep.
19:11But I was kind of a little bit thinking, are we going to be anybody watching this annoyed that the
19:16Sabres are just, like,
19:17not mentioned at all here?
19:19I really wasn't, but it's getting close.
19:23Brad Park.
19:25That was a while ago.
19:271983.
19:29Is that when that was?
19:31I know it was the 80s.
19:33Early 80s, even.
19:35That I know.
19:361983.
19:37Yeah.
19:38Because that was the last year the Sabres won a round until 93.
19:43Oh, right.
19:44Okay.
19:44Beat Montreal in a sweep in the first round.
19:47And then seven with Boston.
19:48That series, for me, is number one, a weekday afternoon game in Boston.
19:54That's not coming this year, is it?
19:55Wow.
19:56I don't remember that at all.
19:57A weekday afternoon game, and our teacher, I would have been maybe in sixth grade, and
20:02the teacher brought a TV in to class.
20:06Solid move.
20:08And I think maybe we lost 9-0.
20:10Not so great.
20:12If that was the same game.
20:13I think they lost a game in maybe game five of that series.
20:16See, what I'm doing is I'm teaching this classroom of eighth graders about disappointment
20:21and how to handle losing.
20:23Well, who knew that was basically going to be your whole upbringing.
20:25Right.
20:27Until present day.
20:28Why in the world was there a weekday afternoon game in the Stanley Cup playoffs?
20:35Maybe there was a Celtics game.
20:36Nutty to me.
20:37Maybe.
20:38Right.
20:38I guess.
20:39I couldn't move it to another.
20:41Wow.
20:41Whatever.
20:41Anyway.
20:429-0 is tough to look at.
20:43Yeah.
20:44In a playoff game, no less.
20:46Yep.
20:48Bob Sove.
20:49Oh, this is not even fair.
20:51Bob Sove.
20:52Two shots on goal.
20:55Two goals.
20:56Pulled.
20:58And Phil Meir went the rest of the way and gave up seven.
21:02Phil Meir, welcome to the show.
21:04Phil Meir?
21:05Phil Meir.
21:06That's tough on Sove.
21:08Game five of the division finals.
21:10Second round.
21:11Two goals.
21:12Maybe he got hurt.
21:13Two goals go in to start the game.
21:15And you're out.
21:18That's tough.
21:203-14 into the first period.
21:22It's 2-0 and they pulled him.
21:23Maybe he was hurt.
21:24Doesn't say on the box score here.
21:26Phil Meir.
21:28I swear to God, if you'd brought up Phil Meir, independent of this, with any attachment to
21:33Buffalo hockey, I would have thought he played for the Bisons in the 60s or something.
21:37I just cannot get over that he was a goalie for them in the 80s.
21:41That was the end of his career.
21:42That just really blows my mind.
21:44Wow.
21:44Might have been his last game.
21:46Wow.
21:46He didn't play beyond that.
21:49That was a long time ago, so I don't want to be too hard on myself, but I just don't
21:52remember that at all.
21:53The afternoon part, the 9-0 part, the Phil Meir part.
21:57I'm 0 for 3.
21:58The Phil Meir part.
22:00The Phil Meir part.
22:00As we go to our first break.
22:02All right.
22:03Let's get in some NFL draft today.
22:05We do have our friend from Boston on the Bruins coming up, Sal Capaccio, will join us at
22:115 Stadium Tour today.
22:12You might be seeing pictures.
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