At the same time, though, you have to start learning how to win. Otherwise, even top end draft picks become a waste. You don't go from a perpetual lottery team to a championship team overnight.
- buffalofan19

That's a good post there 19!!!!

At the same time, though, you have to start learning how to win. Otherwise, even top end draft picks become a waste. You don't go from a perpetual lottery team to a championship team overnight.
- buffalofan19

The 49ers drafted Nick Bosa 2nd overall and went to the Super Bowl the following season.

“Learning how to win” and “culture” are over used cliches.

Get the most elite talent you can at any position and you will win.

The Patriots had the worst work place culture quite possibly ever and were a dynasty.

See Bills doing exactly that
- Michael Pachla

I do agree with him in that if you're not going to make the playoffs, you might as well be really bad instead of just "not very good". If the Bills don't come out of this McDermott-Beane era with at least one Lombardi trophy, it will (and should) be more a disappointment than people want to admit.

It’s easy to have fun when your expectations are low.

When you are expected to win, and you fall short. Then that is not fun, at least for me personally.

I’m not sure any Tampa Bay Lightning fan was thrilled getting swept by Columbus last year after having one of the best regular seasons later.

Happy for them this year to get their ring, and I’m sure at this point winning that ring is the only thing that mattered to Lightning fans.

How many times do you think Washington fans would celebrate getting knocked out of the first or second round of the playoffs every year for the better part of a decade ? They finally got their cup when Ovi was in his 30’s but how many of those playoff appearances before that would you think they got together and celebrated and had beers and said “hey let’s watch us choke again with a President Trophy team and reminisce”.
- Pegullaville

I'm pretty sure lightning fans had a lot of fun from October-April while we were stuck in hell. This fatalistic attitude that only the way it ends matters is antithetical to my sports experience. I don't get it.

And further, don't you think that experience helped the lightning win the cup a year later?

I'm pretty sure lightning fans had a lot of fun from October-April while we were stuck in hell. This fatalistic attitude that only the way it ends matters is antithetical to my sports experience. I don't get it.

And further, don't you think that experience helped the lightning?
- jcragcrumple

Yes and no. I kind of touched on it with the Sabres in the mid 2000s.

2005-2006 was far more fun because, like he said, expectations were low. Or at least they were unknown. The vibe was "we could win it all". 2006-2007 was "we better win it all". And that's okay. We should be a fanbase that demands to be good, not just hopes for it. I have to imagine, after multiple seasons of being at or near the top, the vibe in Tampa was more like the Sabres of 2006-2007 than 2005-2006.

I'm not debating the merits of the 2015 tank. That was a good idea. I reject the idea that the Sabres are better off because they picked 8th this year instead of losing in the play-in round. I also reject the "if ya ain't first, you're last" philosophy. To say nothing of how good it would have been for this team to taste anything remotely like success, it would have been fun (sports are supposed to be fun) to watch them play and we wouldn't be on month 10 of no Sabres hockey.
- jcragcrumple

Now name the time the best team in the league in 2007 didn't get to the cup finals but the 7th ranked team in the EC coming within 2 games of beating the best team in 1999 because they (frank)ing cheated.

Guess we should have just tanked 99.

I'm pretty sure lightning fans had a lot of fun from October-April while we were stuck in hell. This fatalistic attitude that only the way it ends matters is antithetical to my sports experience. I don't get it.

And further, don't you think that experience helped the lightning win the cup a year later?
- jcragcrumple

No trading for Blake Coleman, Barclays Goodrow, signing Pat Maroon, Vasilesky being able to stop the beachball he couldn’t stop the year prior and having 3 elite and one border line elite talents in Kucherov, Point, Hedman, and Cirelli.

What in the Frank did San Jose’s 17 playoff apearances get them. I’m sure they had the best lockerrooom culture in the sport this year as the barrelled to a bottom 5 finish.

It's the same poop with being happy that the Sabres were outside the 24-team playoff so they get a higher pick. Im in it for the meaningful games in whatever the (frank) month matters this year. No more high picks. Just win some friggin games. You don't need to win the cup, just win more than you lose so I can at least stomach the idea of watching the Devils and Islanders a combined 16 times because at least the Sabres are good.

No more tanking



- jcragcrumple

C'mon man!
Just
One
More
Time!

Check out that beast of a LhD in Owen Power....6'5" 220 Dman...would look good in Blue and Gold!
Sabres 22-24-10 ... finish in 3rd draft spot...hope for Lottery Day Magic ... One. More.Time!!!

It’s easy to have fun when your expectations are low.

When you are expected to win, and you fall short. Then that is not fun, at least for me personally.

I’m not sure any Tampa Bay Lightning fan was thrilled getting swept by Columbus last year after having one of the best regular seasons later.

Happy for them this year to get their ring, and I’m sure at this point winning that ring is the only thing that mattered to Lightning fans.

How many times do you think Washington fans would celebrate getting knocked out of the first or second round of the playoffs every year for the better part of a decade ? They finally got their cup when Ovi was in his 30’s but how many of those playoff appearances before that would you think they got together and celebrated and had beers and said “hey let’s watch us choke again with a President Trophy team and reminisce”.
- Pegullaville

I'm pretty sure that they were disappointed, but didn't despise their team because they never made the playoffs. Your opinion is yours, that's fine, but the world has plenty of bad ones, and this is a bad one, imo sir. Being a sports fan is living the highs and the lows. It's literally in the the definition. If you aren't into that, then how can you be into sports?

Now name the time the best team in the league in 2007 didn't get to the cup finals but the 7th ranked team in the EC coming within 2 games of beating the best team in 1999 because they (frank)ing cheated.

Guess we should have just tanked 99.
- TheSabresTaco

Should have traded Hasek at the TDL for picks and drafted Patrik Stefan 1OA

St. Louis traded 3 firsts to acquire their top-6 centers who won the cup. Creating a winner is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.
- jcragcrumple

Kinda like winning football games?

Kinda like winning football games?
- Michael Pachla

Draft and stop the draft

Oh he did. You bringing up the seats made me think back to that time.
- Buff36

They were friggen cold. And the open end of the stadium faced west allowing that cold wind to come in and swirl it's way down to the field.

I do agree with him in that if you're not going to make the playoffs, you might as well be really bad instead of just "not very good". If the Bills don't come out of this McDermott-Beane era with at least one Lombardi trophy, it will (and should) be more a disappointment than people want to admit.
- buffalofan19

I'm here for the ride, because I'm a sports fan, and so are all of you. I will be disappointed if we don't win, and I will also not revoke my love for the Bills because 'welp they (frank)ing lost in the super bowl'

Christ. What are we even talking about here.

I do agree with him in that if you're not going to make the playoffs, you might as well be really bad instead of just "not very good". If the Bills don't come out of this McDermott-Beane era with at least one Lombardi trophy, it will (and should) be more a disappointment than people want to admit.
- buffalofan19

Yeah. I can get on board with that. Their window is opening and it's pretty exciting.

Should have traded Hasek at the TDL for picks and drafted Patrik Stefan 1OA
- jcragcrumple

What irks me the most about this conversation is the entire use of past tense to defend tanking if you're not the best. Like, oh, look, they lost 17 years in a row, might as well not try.

Like for (frank) sakes.

Yeah. I can get on board with that. Their window is opening and it's pretty exciting.
- Michael Pachla

It's not exiting because they're not the best team so they should tank and we should be excited about drafting before the Jets.

Jefferson is a Diggs clone just younger and inexperienced.
- Pegullaville

and if the vikings move on from cousins he could have pedestrian numbers the next three years



diggs will have all pro numbers with allen for the next three years



assuming we would have taken jefferson which is a reach

I'm here for the ride, because I'm a sports fan, and so are all of you. I will be disappointed if we don't win, and I will also not revoke my love for the Bills because 'welp they (frank)ing lost in the super bowl'

Christ. What are we even talking about here.
- TheSabresTaco

Is being consistently good actually a good thing? The answer may surprise you. Tune in at 11. Also, Rick from Cheektowaga will tell you how Cookie Gilchrist won the 1964 AFL championship and how that applies to the 2020 Bills

Yes and no. I kind of touched on it with the Sabres in the mid 2000s.

2005-2006 was far more fun because, like he said, expectations were low. Or at least they were unknown. The vibe was "we could win it all". 2006-2007 was "we better win it all". And that's okay. We should be a fanbase that demands to be good, not just hopes for it. I have to imagine, after multiple seasons of being at or near the top, the vibe in Tampa was more like the Sabres of 2006-2007 than 2005-2006.
- buffalofan19

Learning how to win indisputably includes learning how to win as a favorite, which is much more difficult than coming out of nowhere as an underdog.

I saw OJ play downtown. What was the name of that field?

War Memorial. How could I forget that?
- mes418

I saw the guess who and america play there after a bison game

St. Louis traded 3 firsts to acquire their top-6 centers who won the cup. Creating a winner is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.
- jcragcrumple

You need an elite QB in net to build around. That is The Only Way.

Is being consistently good actually a good thing? The answer may surprise you. Tune in at 11. Also, Rick from Cheektowaga will tell you how Cookie Gilchrist won the 1964 AFL championship and how that applies to the 2020 Bills
- jcragcrumple

"I've been a fan since their inception and Joe Ferguson........"

"Ok Gary, thanks for the call... Hi Rick, you're on the air"

Draft and stop the draft
- jcragcrumple

Niceeeeee!

Is being consistently good actually a good thing? The answer may surprise you. Tune in at 11. Also, Rick from Cheektowaga will tell you how Cookie Gilchrist won the 1964 AFL championship and how that applies to the 2020 Bills
- jcragcrumple

Was he a run goer or run stopper?