For those who think Golisano is a great owner

**HHURRICANE** · 07-01-2007, 09:42 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

Yeah, it's amazing how people around here were almost ready to consider Buffalo a "hockey town" instead of a "football town."

And this is why it is so important to close the deal when you get close.

**venis2k1** · 07-01-2007, 09:46 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

we all know that buffalo will forever be a bowling town.

**patmoran2006** · 07-01-2007, 09:55 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

I dont know what it is anymore. But Buffalo is either a
A) Strugling town or
B) A town run by me-first sports owners.

For the non-Sabre fans here-- today will be pretty much the equivalant of losing JP Losman and Lee Evans in the same day if you're the Bills.

Buffalo fans in general need to just get used to it.. In every major sport we play, we will compete for a championship ONLY if things fall into place perfectly and we sneak up on some teams.

But whether its the Bills or Sabres- DONT GET USED to the taste of success because when it comes to time to pay the piper for the talent as it emerges, we can say goodbye to them to a team that's willing to pay more money.

It used to be football, now its hockey too. Get used to it I suppose.

This is why I've BEEN SAYING the Bills have a two year window with all this talent under contract now. I suspect STRONGLY the same thing will happen.. When it comes time to pay guys like losman, evans, peters, schobel, crowell the big bucks.. More of them will become players for another team than stay in Buffalo- and we'll be starting over.

The Sabres are going from elitely talented to middle of the pack or lower in the league in just one day. And they could still lose Vanek as well and probably Zubrus.

**Goobylal** · 07-01-2007, 10:04 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

The Sabres were in a tough spot. They don't have enough room under the cap to sign both guys, so they split the difference and gave them both similar contracts so as to not offend the other. In doing so, they'll likely lose both.

**patmoran2006** · 07-01-2007, 10:13 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

In all due respect.

HOrse**** they didnt have the cap room to sign both.

**patmoran2006** · 07-01-2007, 10:21 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/110414.html

Some of the highlights from this commentary:

"What the Sabres have accomplished is rather incredible, really. It’s not easy for a Presidents’ Trophy winner to alienate a large portion of their fan base in six weeks, but the Sabres have. Lately, it’s been difficult walking 10 feet without someone begging for answers. Here you go, in four words: The Sabres blew it.

"Please, spare me the bit about the Sabres having a decent team with a sensible payroll, which comes with a hint that mediocrity somehow became acceptable. People were already rationalizing how the Sabres would be fine, how somebody will emerge as leaders and scorers, how they’ll still be entertaining.

It’s a loser’s mentality, fine for Little League baseball and club soccer but not professional sports, not when every team is working under the same salary-cap restrictions"

Funny, but Grier could see what was coming. It’s why he hit the bricks last summer for the same money. He didn’t like the way Buffalo did business, so he left a good friend and teammate in Drury behind for the same money in San Jose. If the Sabres weren’t attractive enough to keep a third-line winger in Grier, they can forget about drawing other good players without — get this one — overpaying them.

It’s not just Regier. Golisano and Quinn are responsible for this mess, too. You don’t become a self-made billionaire like Golisano without working yourself to exhaustion and understanding industry trends. He knows the importance of swinging a deal at the right time. He invested some $60 million in the Sabres and watched their value double in five years. Quick math says it amounts to $12 million a year. Briere and Drury could have been had for about $13 million.

And yet the Sabres, it appeared, are about to lose two major assets. Golisano should know that his profits are tied directly to fans. Good thing the season-ticket base is strong for next year, but we’ll see where it is in a couple years if the Sabres continue collecting and not properly investing in the very players who created their appeal.
======================================================
There's one line in there that I think is directly the same thing with the Bills at this point.
they can forget about drawing other good players without — get this one — overpaying them.

**TheGhostofJimKelly** · 07-01-2007, 10:26 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

With all due respect to Tom, I really don't think he has his hand in the operations of this team. I have to believe that Regier and Quinn pretty much handle everything that has to do with the Sabres. They probably give Tom a call just to get his opinion on money, but I can't see him being the guy that makes financial calls with the team. I have to believe that Larry and Darcy have a plan and sell him that plan, both financially and talent, and Tom G. gives the thumbs up.

**ddaryl** · 07-01-2007, 10:47 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

Yay another thing for people here to whine cry and ***** about.

they should of negotiated those contracts 2 years ago. It also looks like the NHL lockout did little to change the financial direction of the league, it's still spiraling out of control.

**BillsFever21** · 07-01-2007, 10:49 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

The Sabres had their chance the last 2 years and now their run is over. They were fortunate to hit the jackpot and groom some key young stars but now they are losing two young stars they won't be able to replace without spending the money and if they were willing to spend the money they would be able to keep them anyway.

Originally posted by patmoran2006

Pay attention to what happens to the Buffalo Sabres today.

Watch what happens when you DONT negotiate to extend your best players deal and you allow them to hit the open market.

The lowball, last minute contract offers to Briere and Drury were a slap in the face to both of them. Briere's all-star game MVP and career best 95 points werent even good enough to be offered a pay raise. Drury is one of the clutchest players in the entire NHL-- and he got offered a contract everyone knows will get blown away by another team.

By the way, the salary cap went up to $50.3 million, and the Sabres pretty much have a waiting list for season tickets now. SO whats the excuse?

Point being- say goodbye to our two best players in the next few hours.

I dont want him to be the next Bills owner anymore than I want Wilson currently owning it.

**streetkings01** · 07-01-2007, 10:50 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

What do the Sabres have to do with Buffalo Bills football talk?

**lightningbolt444** · 07-01-2007, 10:51 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

what players stay with any team for their whole career? Not many sure there are a few but that majority dont and the ones that do are usually superstars briere nor drury are superstars good yes but i would bet money that without the sabres system next year their numbers will go down. I love buffalo and the sports teams but SOME people in buffalo need to understand that it is a bussiness first and that players come and go i would hardly call Tom cheap look at this past year we couldnt even call certain players up before the palyoffs because we were so close to the cap. The sabres are building for the future instead of throwing money at 30 something guys they will throw it at 20 something guys like vanek and miller guys that will improve and not guys that have hit a plateau.

**BlackMetalNinja** · 07-01-2007, 10:52 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

So Pat... we should tie over 1/3 of our money up in 3 guys and have nothing left when a slew of important players contracts, including Ryan Miller, come up in the next 2 years?

**patmoran2006** · 07-01-2007, 10:52 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

GOlisano being a potential owner of the Bills after Wilson and a demonstration of the way his team is being run has to do with Buffalo and the Bills.

**BillsFever21** · 07-01-2007, 10:52 AM

Re: For those who think Golisano is a great owner

Originally posted by ddaryl

Yay another thing for people here to whine cry and ***** about.

they should of negotiated those contracts 2 years ago. It also looks like the NHL lockout did little to change the financial direction of the league, it's still spiraling out of control.

There just isn't much money to toss around in the NHL. Their TV contracts are terrible and are on stations where many people in the USA doesn't even get with their basic programming. They aren't on any National TV Networks becuase hockey just isn't very popular as a whole in the USA. I remember hearing that some of their playoff games had lower ratings then re-runs of cooking shows and 5 year old sitcoms. That isn't a good situation for the league to be in.

For those who think Golisano is a great owner

For those who think Golisano is a great owner

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