Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

[Mitchy moo]

He sucked years ago and has been on a team that made him look great. His confidence has been raised through the roof and he is surrounded by a cast that makes him look fantastic. The Sabres have a very stocked team and opponents cannot focus on him alone during the game. If he leaves for a less talented he will drilled and look like ****. He also has taken a few injuries and had to sit for long stretches, so he is not inhumanly solid.

I hope he takes his bigger money from another team because in the long run his career gets shortened by 5 years thanks to the abuse he will sustain and with even less of a chance for the cup. He would of made at least $5 Million during the end of his career even on the decline and that's $25 Million he will need to make up. That's 12.5 more seasons at the higher price he takes now, so by moving away he is screwing himself.

He also saved himself during the playoffs for his payday and didn't play that hard, sleepwalking through most of it. That's why Drury got a $1 M more a season offer from the Sabres, he took pucks to the face to help us win and Briere just let us fans take it in the ass.

[Dr. Lecter]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

I can't agree with that Skooby.

The Sabres and Briere, financially, are probably not a good fit right now. He can get ~6-7 million somewhere for 5-6 years while the Sabres, who still have a talented young nucleus (Miller, Tallinder, Campbell, Stafford, Pominville, Roy, Vanek, Max, etc.) have to be careful with screwing up future seasons by blowing their load this season.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

I can't agree with that Skooby.

The Sabres and Briere, financially, are probably not a good fit right now. He can get ~6-7 million somewhere for 5-6 years while the Sabres, who still have a talented young nucleus (Miller, Tallinder, Campbell, Stafford, Pominville, Roy, Vanek, Max, etc.) have to be careful with screwing up future seasons by blowing their load this season.

That talent surrounding him is the thing that will get him 5 more years down the road, he just doesn't know it yet. These guys see bigger numbers and think it's all about that but it's really not.

Ask a few boys from the 90's Bills great lines that left for a bigger payday, sitting on their asses within 2 years of leaving with at least 8 more years of paydays if healthy. Messier is a prime example of being on a stocked team for a long time and extending his career, think about it.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

I wouldn't go as far as say he is an a-hole, but when he opened his big yap last year and criticized this organization that they are not commited to winning and pleaded for them to keep this team together I lost respect for him. When he turns down a fair offer (long term) he now joins the list of players I hate. He will be booed by me when he plays here. He can still rectify the situation and do the right thing, but that doesn't look like it is going to happen.

[Michael82]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

I wouldn't go as far as say he is an a-hole, but when he opened his big yap last year and criticized this organization that they are not commited to winning and pleaded for them to keep this team together I lost respect for him. When he turns down a fair offer (long term) he now joins the list of players I hate. He will be booed by me when he plays here. He can still rectify the situation and do the right thing, but that doesn't look like it is going to happen.

fair offer?

[ddaryl]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

His value is at its highest and this is his chance to set himself and his family up for the rest of his life.

money talks BS walks.... it's the American way.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

fair offer?

You heard me.

[Michael82]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

You heard me.

how is an offer where there is no pay increase at all....a fair offer? Especially when that player had their best season ever and was the MVP of the All-Star game and had the most points in a season for the Sabres in many many years?

[Dr. Lecter]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

What does MVP of the All-Star mean? That shoudl mean nothing in arriving at a contract.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

how is an offer where there is no pay increase at all....a fair offer? Especially when that player had their best season ever and was the MVP of the All-Star game and had the most points in a season for the Sabres in many many years?

It is a long term deal, that is guaranteed money. He is the one that opened his mouth and talked about team first. If he never said a word I would probably be in the same boat as you. I will tell you that he will not be the same player in another organization. I am fine with the offer, I think it is fair, and apparently so does the Sabres organization.

[Michael82]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

What does MVP of the All-Star mean? That shoudl mean nothing in arriving at a contract.

yeah i know. i should have just said an All-Star.

[pyrrhonist]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

It is horrible to see a player who did so much for this organization slapped in the face by the front office of the team that employs him, and then stabbed in the back by the very fanbase who once worshipped the ground he walked on. I forget---Did Briere single-handedly lead Ottawa to victory over Buffalo in this year's ECF? Did he make the ultimate mistake in last season's ECF to help Carolina advance?? Then Briere must have done something egregious to deserve all the hate he gets from some of us here on this forum....

No, he just should have gotten the offer Darcy gave him at the 11th hour last season, not this season. Danny is a great player, and he deserves to be paid. Perhaps if Regier would've started negotiating with him prior to a few days ago, this conversation wouldn't even be an issue.

But let's not go around acting as if Briere is the spawn of Hell because he wants more than the deal that's a year late. Regier could've offered that deal last season, but no, he played the roulette wheel by letting it go to arbitration, and now we're all seeing the ill effects of that foolish decision.

[Michael82]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

It is horrible to see a player who did so much for this organization slapped in the face by the front office of the team that employs him, and then stabbed in the back by the very fanbase who once worshipped the ground he walked on. I forget---Did Briere single-handedly lead Ottawa to victory over Buffalo in this year's ECF? Did he make the ultimate mistake in last season's ECF to help Carolina advance?? Then Briere must have done something egregious to deserve all the hate he gets from some of us here on this forum....

No, he just should have gotten the offer Darcy gave him at the 11th hour last season, not this season. Danny is a great player, and he deserves to be paid. Perhaps if Regier would've started negotiating with him prior to a few days ago, this conversation wouldn't even be an issue.

But let's not go around acting as if Briere is the spawn of Hell because he wants more than the deal that's a year late. Regier could've offered that deal last season, but no, he played the roulette wheel by letting it go to arbitration, and now we're all seeing the ill effects of that foolish decision.

Excellent post, man!

[Dr. Lecter]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

Crappy hyperbolic post.

Nobody is calling Briere the spawn of hell or anything close.

Saying a guy is not worth 6 million + (One report had him asking for 7) is not a terrible insult. Trying to build a team where3 players do not have over 1/3rd of the salaries is not evil either.

[pyrrhonist]

Re: Personally, I think Briere is an A-hole

Come on, Dr. Lecter, there are plenty of people here who turned their backs on Briere in the playoffs, even though he was a team leader during the failed run. Briere was labelled a bust in the playoffs, but yet the entire team more or less got jobbed by the Sens. I don't see how we can applaud yet another installment of "Cheap Sabres". Sure, many of us *****ed & complained last season when McKee, Grier, and Dumont were let walk, but letting Briere, Drury, Zubrus (Ok, no one expects him back, he was a rental), and possibly even Vanek go is a huge kick in the head to this team's skill level were they to get away.

I guess I'm just not ready to go back to a mediocre team after this team looked serious enough to make a run for it the past 2 seasons. I sometimes forget that going against the organization is not too popular on a site that frequently takes the front office's side against the players who carry the team to its success.