Ended up going to the game last night after moving back to buffalo a few short weeks ago for a total of 1 dollar for two tickets and boy oh boy did I waste money.

Here are my thoughts about what I saw in person if anyone cares

1. 4 out of every 5 passes were either wiffed on or the player could not receive it properly. (Bush league doesn't even cover it).

2. Larson and Nolan are not just bad, they might be some of the worse player I have ever seen live. Having them on the power play is the biggest tank move out of all the years of tanking ive seen.

3. Risto plays too much, plain and simple. Good D just no supporting cast.

4. Scandella and Painville were awful, straight hot garbage last night.

5. Ghule, reinhart, and oreilly, did they even play last night.

By the end of the second there might have been 3,000 people left in the arena. Just my thoughts on everything and hopefully some good conversation out of it.

Also obviously I want dahlin but Id be stoked for either of the big Z's
- zombres

It's an atrocity seeing them on a pp. But tell me, who the F else is supposed to play there? It's a matter of need, not want. And I'm sure as poop Housley knows that.

He does not have the offensive talent the other two have. But he's going to be a great player like his brother.
- TheSabresTaco

I would take a clone of his brother and be pretty happy. Prob will be close to 60 pts and adds grit (current one).

I'm so torn!

Pach and Jeremy White have been going back and forth on twitter about this trading up thing

I tend to agree with Pach but I understand what White is thinking

Send a 2nd this year and a 3rd next year for Foles and build a damn roster

or

Send the two 1st this year and probably a 2nd or 3rd this year and a 1st next year to move up and take the QB you want?

I am just glad I am not in charge over there
- Stripes77

Stripes, good news is it doesn't feel like there is a wrong answer.

Good thing you weren't being interviewed at the combine.
- Hatboro_Swords

Andy who cares if a person is gay it doesn’t change their skill level


And They love me

It's an atrocity seeing them on a pp. But tell me, who the F else is supposed to play there? It's a matter of need, not want. And I'm sure as poop Housley knows that.
- TheSabresTaco

Off the top of my head, girgs and Baptiste should have been on anytime they thought about playing Nolan. Hell having pouliot on the fourth line center and not having girgensons there. Obvious tank move. I get it we are bad, but there were solutions

Who was better until Rice came on the scene? Marks bros hay day was just before me so I didn't watch them in their prime. First Super Bowl I watched was Bengals/Niners. John Taylor TD Super Bowl
- Hatboro_Swords

Who were their contemporaries that were better?
Besides Rice, these are the Hall of Famers:
Largent, James Lofton, art monk, Andre Reed, Charlie Joiner, Tim Brown, Michael Irvin, Chris Carter, John Stallworth

So those 10 are pretty much unarguable

Now if someone like Al Toon had Marino throwing him the ball, or Irving Fryar was on the Dolphins...
and the Marks Bros had O’Brien or Tony Eason throwing them the ball...
and i think there’s a pretty big group of other WRs I’d put in that next group which would include Duper & Clayton

Stripes, good news is it doesn't feel like there is a wrong answer.
- Hatboro_Swords

Unless they see Foles as the long term answer (i certainly hope not)...
then it would be pretty dumb to trade picks for a guy to only start 1 year for us

Would make more sense to just sign someone that’s a UFA

Who were their contemporaries that were better?
Besides Rice, these are the Hall of Famers:
Largent, James Lofton, art monk, Andre Reed, Charlie Joiner, Tim Brown, Michael Irvin, Chris Carter, John Stallworth

So those 10 are pretty much unarguable

Now if someone like Al Toon had Marino throwing him the ball, or Irving Fryar was on the Dolphins...
and the Marks Bros had O’Brien or Tony Eason throwing them the ball...
and i think there’s a pretty big group of other WRs I’d put in that next group which would include Duper & Clayton
- jdfitz77

IMO Fitz is the second best wr of all time


more often than not he had a blah qb

Ended up going to the game last night after moving back to buffalo a few short weeks ago for a total of 1 dollar for two tickets and boy oh boy did I waste money.

Here are my thoughts about what I saw in person if anyone cares

1. 4 out of every 5 passes were either wiffed on or the player could not receive it properly. (Bush league doesn't even cover it).

2. Larson and Nolan are not just bad, they might be some of the worse player I have ever seen live. Having them on the power play is the biggest tank move out of all the years of tanking ive seen.

3. Risto plays too much, plain and simple. Good D just no supporting cast.

4. Scandella and Painville were awful, straight hot garbage last night.

5. Ghule, reinhart, and oreilly, did they even play last night.

By the end of the second there might have been 3,000 people left in the arena. Just my thoughts on everything and hopefully some good conversation out of it.

Also obviously I want dahlin but Id be stoked for either of the big Z's
- zombres

Great post 🤙🏻

Endurance run to the end of the season here.

I watched one minute in the second where 23 rang it off the pipe then saw Larsson on the half wall on the pp and switched to Netflix.

I am excited to watch playoff hockey, there’s going to be some killer match ups.

Off the top of my head, girgs and Baptiste should have been on anytime they thought about playing Nolan. Hell having pouliot on the fourth line center and not having girgensons there. Obvious tank move. I get it we are bad, but there were solutions
- zombres

micro tank moves? You think Housley is sitting there trying to conceive ways to be worse off than we already are? I highly doubt it. We have a lot of significant injuries, along with absolutely nothing on the left side. Girgensons on the PP is as useless as Nolan. We're in bad shape. We have no depth. That's on past and present management.

2014 and 2015 was a clear tank, however was defended by saying all expiring contracts must go. There was no desire to bring in anyone of relative talent.

This year they tried to win and couldn't. They wanted to build on last season, which shouldn't have been too hard. They brought in a couple depth players in Beaulieu and Pomminville (needed to in order to take Scandella) along with Pouliot. There was no mass sell off of talent for picks, except for Kane, who the Sabres had no intention of bringing back next year. There's no evidence of the team walking into this year prepared to lose. You don't hire Phil Housley and try adding a couple pieces to intentionally lose. I will never get on board with that line of thinking.
- TheSabresTaco

Moulson for 17 games
Tennyson
Pouiliot
Griffith
Pommer ( who I like, but hasn't played well in years)
Letting gianta and his 15 goals walk
Josefson
Dude named cristcolio
Nolan
Bowl u ( 3rd within a division)
Antipin being a rookie
Gorges even playing 1 game
Keeping lehner/ signing chad
Hiring a rookie soft spoken coach
Getting rid of the top pp coach
Keeping Guhle/ ullmark in rochester
Playing Sam at center
Not playing Sam with jack until game 45
Not naming a captain
Getting rid of toughness in d-low and foligno- making us easier to play against

No signs of trying to lose?

Then making no trades for better players except a 5th for Wilson?
Keeping the same disgruntled flawed team together after the deadline.


What signs of trying to win were/Are you seeing?

Unless they see Foles as the long term answer (i certainly hope not)...
then it would be pretty dumb to trade picks for a guy to only start 1 year for us

Would make more sense to just sign someone that’s a UFA
- jdfitz77

bump.

bump this until the draft is over.

IMO Fitz is the second best wr of all time


more often than not he had a blah qb
- homiedclown

There’s an argument to made for him,
that’s for sure

Moulson for 17 games
Tennyson
Pouiliot
Griffith
Pommer ( who I like, but hasn't played well in years)
Letting gianta and his 15 goals walk
Josefson
Dude named cristcolio
Nolan
Bowl u ( 3rd within a division)
Antipin being a rookie
Gorges even playing 1 game
Keeping lehner/ signing chad
Hiring a rookie soft spoken coach
Getting rid of the top pp coach
Keeping Guhle/ ullmark in rochester
Playing Sam at center
Not playing Sam with jack until game 45
Not naming a captain
Getting rid of toughness in d-low and foligno- making us easier to play against

No signs of trying to lose?

Then making no trades for better players except a 5th for Wilson?
Keeping the same disgruntled flawed team together after the deadline.


What signs of trying to win were/Are you seeing?
- Boss34

There's nothing you have written that defines tanking. It defines moves that have not worked out for the Sabres in varying degrees. I could easily defend every single one of these players in one way, shape or form that made sense at the time. Please note that doesn't mean I support all of those moves, foresight and hindsight included. But I can understand why every one of those moves were made.

I'm hungry. I'm going to lunch. But maybe when I come back, I'll provide an explanation for every single player and move listed.

micro tank moves? You think Housley is sitting there trying to conceive ways to be worse off than we already are? I highly doubt it. We have a lot of significant injuries, along with absolutely nothing on the left side. Girgensons on the PP is as useless as Nolan. We're in bad shape. We have no depth. That's on past and present management.
- TheSabresTaco

I guess you're right, that game just wrecked me last night.

micro tank moves? You think Housley is sitting there trying to conceive ways to be worse off than we already are? I highly doubt it. We have a lot of significant injuries, along with absolutely nothing on the left side. Girgensons on the PP is as useless as Nolan. We're in bad shape. We have no depth. That's on past and present management.
- TheSabresTaco

Yeah good point.
Why would Housley want the first pick in Dahlin?

Oh wait - bad point. Of course he wants better players here.

Opposite of Ted. He's in on it .

Moulson for 17 games
Tennyson
Pouiliot
Griffith
Pommer ( who I like, but hasn't played well in years)
Letting gianta and his 15 goals walk
Josefson
Dude named cristcolio
Nolan
Bowl u ( 3rd within a division)
Antipin being a rookie
Gorges even playing 1 game
Keeping lehner/ signing chad
Hiring a rookie soft spoken coach
Getting rid of the top pp coach
Keeping Guhle/ ullmark in rochester
Playing Sam at center
Not playing Sam with jack until game 45
Not naming a captain
Getting rid of toughness in d-low and foligno- making us easier to play against

No signs of trying to lose?

Then making no trades for better players except a 5th for Wilson?
Keeping the same disgruntled flawed team together after the deadline.


What signs of trying to win were/Are you seeing?
- Boss34

I have not back read, but it sounds like you are saying it does not seem like we are trying to win.

The way we are trying to win is, holding assets (young players / picks) to be better in the future. How many FA's last year could we have gotten to make us better? How many trades (that were made) would you have done to get certain players? (my answer is a very low number, maybe 1-2, if that)

Young D are not cheap, we ended up getting Scandella (and Pominville salary dump) for Ennis and Folingo. If GMJB just started trading picks for roster players that will demand $3+ mil / year contracts, would we even be ahead or happy with that? Would that get us to 14th place and still not make the playoffs? It is hard to take, but we are rebuilding again, but have a few pieces that are young enough to move forward with, but lots of the roster needs overturn.

I guess you're right, that game just wrecked me last night.
- zombres

It's so easy to say welp, the org is tanking after games like that. But there's no way it's true based on the patterns of this org over the past year.

I hate this team. I demand something is done. But we're just flat out bad and depleted. There is no other answer.

There's nothing you have written that defines tanking. It defines moves that have not worked out for the Sabres in varying degrees. I could easily defend every single one of these players in one way, shape or form that made sense at the time. Please note that doesn't mean I support all of those moves, foresight and hindsight included. But I can understand why every one of those moves were made.

I'm hungry. I'm going to lunch. But maybe when I come back, I'll provide an explanation for every single player and move listed.
- TheSabresTaco

Enjoy lunch.
Perhaps tacos?

Great post 🤙🏻

Endurance run to the end of the season here.

I watched one minute in the second where 23 rang it off the pipe then saw Larsson on the half wall on the pp and switched to Netflix.

I am excited to watch playoff hockey, there’s going to be some killer match ups.
- washedup20

Outside of it being a real bad game, it was interesting being there, just to hear fan reactions to this game.
Some people in the first period kept saying pull lehner. When it was obviously not him. Or people saying that I guess zhitnik or kotalik was back since we couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.
Had some good laughs and some good tears

Yeah good point.
Why would Housley want the first pick in Dahlin?

Oh wait - bad point. Of course he wants better players here.

Opposite of Ted. He's in on it .
- Boss34

Ugh. This is getting to the point of trolling.

18% chance of winning. Or 18.5, whatever.

Enjoy lunch.
Perhaps tacos?
- Boss34

Tacos tomorrow. Diner today.

It's so easy to say welp, the org is tanking after games like that. But there's no way it's true based on the patterns of this org over the past year.

I hate this team. I demand something is done. But we're just flat out bad and depleted. There is no other answer.
- TheSabresTaco

The sabres have a history of tanking?

This makes zero sense. Are you trying to prove my point?

Off the top of my head, girgs and Baptiste should have been on anytime they thought about playing Nolan. Hell having pouliot on the fourth line center and not having girgensons there. Obvious tank move. I get it we are bad, but there were solutions
- zombres

That's Housley refusing to play Pouliot in the top 6. I hope everyone remembers RORs LW this year has consisted on Wilson/Girgs for large chunks.

Inb4 "he should make them better," he actually did make Wilson better. Girgensons is hopeless

Unless they see Foles as the long term answer (i certainly hope not)...
then it would be pretty dumb to trade picks for a guy to only start 1 year for us

Would make more sense to just sign someone that’s a UFA
- jdfitz77

There are pros and cons to Foles I am not going to act like he is in the top tier with Brady Brees Big Ben

But what he did in the playoffs and the Super Bowl wasn't just luck

He is in the tier with Cousins and Alex Smith

It's the same thing I said a few days ago

Foles for 4-5 years during that time period in the next 2 drafts build a team that is really strong all around him. Then in year 3 use future picks to move up and draft your guy.

At least that's how I think I would do it.

But like it was said there is no right or wrong answer (unless you draft the wrong QB and mortgage your future)