Well, I did it. I went a full month - a little over a month really - with a major cutback in Twitter usage and media intake. Oh, sure I broke my own rules a few times. But I remained true to the spirit of the blackout. I read very, very little Sabres coverage. If I missed a game or parts of a game, I didn't fret about it. If I wasn't in the mood to give the game laser focus, I didn't. Sometimes I fell asleep during games. Sometimes I paid more attention to what I was reading. Sometimes I sat down in front of the TV having no idea who we were playing or who exactly was going to be in a Sabres uniform that night. (Although with all the injuries I think we all felt like that at some point in December.) And when the final buzzer sounded, I moved on to something else and didn't give the Sabres much thought until the next game. I didn't sweat the bad games, I tried to take pleasure in small things - admittedly,sometimes VERY small things - and I didn't get involved in very many hockey debates or arguments. It was pretty much the opposite of how I've gone about being a fan for the last few years.
It was wonderful.
Seriously, it was. It was just what I needed. I highly recommend giving yourself a little part of the season - a week, a couple of weeks, a month - where you just care a little bit less about the Sabres. The season is certainly long enough for it. This was the first time I've felt truly comfortable in my fandom skin in quite a while, going back to last season really. This month really clarified some things for me about how I'm taking in sports. One of the things it clarified for me is that it's time for me to quit blogging here about the Sabres.
I've really been struggling with this since I went back to school about a year and a half ago. Between a full class load and two part-time jobs, my time is really limited. I can count on one hand the number of Sabres games I've seen in entirety this season. The rest have been missed - some partially and many completely - because of my other commitments. Every time I've started to shut things down before, something has come up that's made me push on a little longer. A Blogger Summit with Ted Black? Awesome! Would I like to ride in a limo with a couple of Sabres? Yes, I would, thanks! Press box access? Might be cool for a couple of nights, sure! And sometimes it was more simple things: a really interesting and thought-provoking conversation about fighting in hockey, an unexpected and delightful email about something I'd written, or one of those rare games that just seems like perfection in a 60 minute package. But this past month, I have to admit, was a relief. It was a relief to let something go so I had a little more breathing room. Something needed to go. I love, love, love hockey, and I even love the ol' dumbass Sabres, but I just don't have the time, energy, or desire to spend as much time thinking and writing about them as I did when I first started writing here close to five years ago. I've been beating myself up for a while about not watching enough and not writing enough and that's pretty darn silly. Blogging is like sports. If it's not fun, what's the point? In this period of my life, I need to embrace a more casual fandom. I've been afraid to do that for some reason, but it's time.
I was originally planning on celebrating the end of my blackout with a night in the press box. Even after I decided I wasn't going to be continuing here, I thought it might be fun to do it anyway, a last hurrah, kind of a commentary on how far blogging has come since I started. Ultimately, however, it didn't really feel like the right way to go out. Top Shelf has never been about being legitimate or getting press access or anything like that. I have nothing against those things. I think a lot of us would agree that sports coverage in Buffalo is kind of stagnant. New voices and points-of-views are more than welcome, and I'm happy the Sabres are encouraging that. It's just not what I was ever about. I've always wanted this blog to be a reflection of what it's like to be a fan. Irrational love and loyalty to a player even when he sucks. Irrational hatred and disgust for a player even when he doesn't suck. The crazy joy of a game-winning goal and the staggering, dagger-like pain of a loss in overtime. The hours spent arguing about everything, things that matter and things that don't matter. The annoyance with the guy in the press box who sometimes seems to have forgotten what it's like to feel everything deeply and sincerely, to live and die with a team. Ending my hockey blogging time spending the evening as one of them, suppressing all my reactions and emotions? Gross.
When I first started Top Shelf, I wasn't very familiar with hockey or Buffalo. It is not at all an exaggeration to say that falling in love with one helped me fall in love with the other. In 2006, I realized how wonderful hockey can be and through that I realized how wonderful Buffalo can be. Perfect? No. Wonderful? Oh, yes. So many of my favorite memories of the last five years involve hanging out and watching and talking about hockey. When I think about all the amazing people I've met through this blog - some of my favorite people in the world- it really does choke me up a little bit. I'm so blessed. I'm so thankful for all of you. It would be a lie for me to say that I've been writing this blog all this time just for me - if it was just for me, I'd write it in a notebook and stick it in a drawer - but it does still boggle my mind a bit that anyone who isn't related to me has found anything I've written here to be even the least bit interesting or entertaining. If you've ever commented on a post, or tweeted a response, or sent me an email, thank you. If you've just been quietly reading and enjoying, thank you. I can't even tell you how much I've appreciated it. You helped me find my place here. You helped make Buffalo home. You really did. Sports are so incredibly powerful that way sometimes. It's really amazing how something that doesn't really matter can matter so much.
I'm not going away completely. I'm already thinking about a non-hockey blog, one where I can talk about whatever ol' thing I want without feeling the pressure to stick to any kind of timetable. And I'll still be on Twitter, and I'm sure I'll still be railing about how we need more defensemen who play defense among other things. After all, there's no going back now. Buffalo and the Sabres are a part of me whether I like it or not.
As the great Fozzie Bear once said, "Somehow I know, we'll meet again. Not sure quite where and I don't know just when. You're in my heart, so until then, it's time for saying goodbye."
Let's go Buff-a-lo! no comments
It was wonderful.
Seriously, it was. It was just what I needed. I highly recommend giving yourself a little part of the season - a week, a couple of weeks, a month - where you just care a little bit less about the Sabres. The season is certainly long enough for it. This was the first time I've felt truly comfortable in my fandom skin in quite a while, going back to last season really. This month really clarified some things for me about how I'm taking in sports. One of the things it clarified for me is that it's time for me to quit blogging here about the Sabres.
I've really been struggling with this since I went back to school about a year and a half ago. Between a full class load and two part-time jobs, my time is really limited. I can count on one hand the number of Sabres games I've seen in entirety this season. The rest have been missed - some partially and many completely - because of my other commitments. Every time I've started to shut things down before, something has come up that's made me push on a little longer. A Blogger Summit with Ted Black? Awesome! Would I like to ride in a limo with a couple of Sabres? Yes, I would, thanks! Press box access? Might be cool for a couple of nights, sure! And sometimes it was more simple things: a really interesting and thought-provoking conversation about fighting in hockey, an unexpected and delightful email about something I'd written, or one of those rare games that just seems like perfection in a 60 minute package. But this past month, I have to admit, was a relief. It was a relief to let something go so I had a little more breathing room. Something needed to go. I love, love, love hockey, and I even love the ol' dumbass Sabres, but I just don't have the time, energy, or desire to spend as much time thinking and writing about them as I did when I first started writing here close to five years ago. I've been beating myself up for a while about not watching enough and not writing enough and that's pretty darn silly. Blogging is like sports. If it's not fun, what's the point? In this period of my life, I need to embrace a more casual fandom. I've been afraid to do that for some reason, but it's time.
I was originally planning on celebrating the end of my blackout with a night in the press box. Even after I decided I wasn't going to be continuing here, I thought it might be fun to do it anyway, a last hurrah, kind of a commentary on how far blogging has come since I started. Ultimately, however, it didn't really feel like the right way to go out. Top Shelf has never been about being legitimate or getting press access or anything like that. I have nothing against those things. I think a lot of us would agree that sports coverage in Buffalo is kind of stagnant. New voices and points-of-views are more than welcome, and I'm happy the Sabres are encouraging that. It's just not what I was ever about. I've always wanted this blog to be a reflection of what it's like to be a fan. Irrational love and loyalty to a player even when he sucks. Irrational hatred and disgust for a player even when he doesn't suck. The crazy joy of a game-winning goal and the staggering, dagger-like pain of a loss in overtime. The hours spent arguing about everything, things that matter and things that don't matter. The annoyance with the guy in the press box who sometimes seems to have forgotten what it's like to feel everything deeply and sincerely, to live and die with a team. Ending my hockey blogging time spending the evening as one of them, suppressing all my reactions and emotions? Gross.
When I first started Top Shelf, I wasn't very familiar with hockey or Buffalo. It is not at all an exaggeration to say that falling in love with one helped me fall in love with the other. In 2006, I realized how wonderful hockey can be and through that I realized how wonderful Buffalo can be. Perfect? No. Wonderful? Oh, yes. So many of my favorite memories of the last five years involve hanging out and watching and talking about hockey. When I think about all the amazing people I've met through this blog - some of my favorite people in the world- it really does choke me up a little bit. I'm so blessed. I'm so thankful for all of you. It would be a lie for me to say that I've been writing this blog all this time just for me - if it was just for me, I'd write it in a notebook and stick it in a drawer - but it does still boggle my mind a bit that anyone who isn't related to me has found anything I've written here to be even the least bit interesting or entertaining. If you've ever commented on a post, or tweeted a response, or sent me an email, thank you. If you've just been quietly reading and enjoying, thank you. I can't even tell you how much I've appreciated it. You helped me find my place here. You helped make Buffalo home. You really did. Sports are so incredibly powerful that way sometimes. It's really amazing how something that doesn't really matter can matter so much.
I'm not going away completely. I'm already thinking about a non-hockey blog, one where I can talk about whatever ol' thing I want without feeling the pressure to stick to any kind of timetable. And I'll still be on Twitter, and I'm sure I'll still be railing about how we need more defensemen who play defense among other things. After all, there's no going back now. Buffalo and the Sabres are a part of me whether I like it or not.
As the great Fozzie Bear once said, "Somehow I know, we'll meet again. Not sure quite where and I don't know just when. You're in my heart, so until then, it's time for saying goodbye."
Let's go Buff-a-lo! no comments
I missed almost all of the first period thanks to my regular babysitting gig. I watched the second and zoned out for much of the third. The TV was on and I was kind of paying attention, but it was clear it wasn't the Sabres' night, and I wasn't sitting in front of Twitter so I curled up on the couch with my Kindle and focused more on what I was reading than what I was watching. And then when the game was over, I put on a TNT movie I'd recorded and didn't give the Sabres game a second thought. (The movie is Scott Turow's Innocent and so far it's, well, a TNT movie. I read the book a couple of years ago, but really I'm watching because Richard Schiff, who played my sweet, funny Toby Ziegler on The West Wing is in it. And he's good. I love him. He's one of the most appealing and charismatic not-that-good-looking guys ever. Like Charles Bronson. Or Tommy Lee Jones.) I have to say, it was kind of nice to 1) turn off the part of my brain that cares that much about the Sabres and 2) not care what everyone else thought about the Sabres. While I definitely can't do this forever, I am enjoying it in the short-term.
Anyway, even if the Sabres COMPLETELY sucked ass tonight - and it's possible because like I said, I wouldn't have noticed - I'm not sure I really have it in me to panic at this point. It's the end of November. We're 24 games in. The team was probably going to need some time to gel anyway, especially on the back end, and that process has been interrupted by of the number of injuries in the last couple of weeks. I've never been a big fan of the "Injuries aren't an excuse!" school of thought because sometimes injuries ARE an excuse. The Sabres have 27 points. The best team in the league has 32 points with one more game played. That's not terrible especially for a team that again, has had 8 to 9 regulars out in the last couple of games including the starting goalie. Is the team perfect? No. Are they a total disaster beyond all hope of redemption? Probably not.
Some small picture enjoyment: Zack Kassian's first NHL fight and Brayden McNabb hitting the hell out of people. Even more enjoyable than those things were Rob Ray's reaction to Kassian's fight and Mike Robitaille's reaction to some of McNabb's hits. Seriously, how cute were those two? You'd think they'd died and gone to hockey heaven. I think Roby would have hugged McNabb had he walked across the set after the highlights. Also, JOCHEN HECHT IS A GERMAN SCORING MACHINE! Jochen scoring means my world is pretty a-okay. (Take that, all you, WHO NEEDS JOCEHN HECHT ANYWAY? people! TAKE THAT!)
(I spent 45 minutes watching clips of The West Wing on YouTube. I could have easily gone all night.)
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Anyway, even if the Sabres COMPLETELY sucked ass tonight - and it's possible because like I said, I wouldn't have noticed - I'm not sure I really have it in me to panic at this point. It's the end of November. We're 24 games in. The team was probably going to need some time to gel anyway, especially on the back end, and that process has been interrupted by of the number of injuries in the last couple of weeks. I've never been a big fan of the "Injuries aren't an excuse!" school of thought because sometimes injuries ARE an excuse. The Sabres have 27 points. The best team in the league has 32 points with one more game played. That's not terrible especially for a team that again, has had 8 to 9 regulars out in the last couple of games including the starting goalie. Is the team perfect? No. Are they a total disaster beyond all hope of redemption? Probably not.
Some small picture enjoyment: Zack Kassian's first NHL fight and Brayden McNabb hitting the hell out of people. Even more enjoyable than those things were Rob Ray's reaction to Kassian's fight and Mike Robitaille's reaction to some of McNabb's hits. Seriously, how cute were those two? You'd think they'd died and gone to hockey heaven. I think Roby would have hugged McNabb had he walked across the set after the highlights. Also, JOCHEN HECHT IS A GERMAN SCORING MACHINE! Jochen scoring means my world is pretty a-okay. (Take that, all you, WHO NEEDS JOCEHN HECHT ANYWAY? people! TAKE THAT!)
(I spent 45 minutes watching clips of The West Wing on YouTube. I could have easily gone all night.)
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-- As I mentioned before, I got a lot of great responses to my post about cutting back on social media and really, media in general. One of the most interesting conversations I had about it was with Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. Mike and I have had many good conversations over the past few years, and he seemed both interested and perplexed by the idea. If anyone has a love/hate relationship with Twitter, it's probably sportswriters. The thing he seemed to get the most stuck on was, "But where are you going to get your information?" I came up with a list: I have a husband who is still using Twitter and reading the paper, I'm not avoiding Twitter during the day, I email and Facebook with Sabres fans, and if all else fails, well, I find out when I turn on the TV and the game broadcast starts.
Last night, a few minutes into the second, I decided I wasn't in the mood for the Sabres. I went upstairs, turned on some Christmas music, and curled up with my Kindle. It was hours before I knew Robyn Regehr got injured. (I found out via Facebook.) Tonight, I had no idea Stafford - or any mysterious forward - was out until I came down to watch the game, a few minutes into things. I had not one clue who Paul Szczechura was or where he came from. (Proving this point, I orignally typed his name here as "Jason Szczechura.") (One of the highlights of the game was my brother-in-law calling during the second just to ask, "Who the heck is 58?) And you know what? Not only is the lack of information not that big of a deal, it's kind of fun. Again, I'm sure when the year is up and this experiment is over, I'll go back to taking in a lot of stuff, but it's a nice reminder to myself that I don't have to have every piece of info RIGHT AWAY AS SOON AS IT BREAKS. I probably could stand to cut back on my Internet intake.
-- This game was hi-larious. Between the call-ups in the last couple of weeks (Tropp, Brennan, Kassian) and the numbers that, for whatever just won't stick in my head without a few seconds thought (Adam, Ellis), I generally had no idea who was on the ice. Things were so mixed up that I was seeing 10 and thinking "Hank!" which I'd finally stopped doing. A couple of people suggested that one of the best things to do to remind yourself why you love hockey is to go see an AHL game. We all kind of did that tonight and it was a hoot and a half.
Let me tell you, there is nothing better for a hockey-stressed soul than seeing babies score their first NHL goals. I've said this before, but there is something so sweet about them when they're still young enough and inexperienced enough that they're incapable of hiding their emotions. I also love how even the veterans get into the spirit, sometimes seeming as happy as the goal-scorer. I think it's been even funnier because between T.J. Brennan's skeevy mustache and Zack Kassian's lack of teeth and crazy hair, well, those are babies that only a mother can love. And love 'em I do. This is exactly the kind of small picture within in the big picture I was rambling about a few posts ago.
-- In light of all the (justified) complaining about how soft the Sabres are, it's interesting to see some of the kids up. Kassian and McNabb especially are BIG boys, and they don't seem to have a problem throwing some of that size around. I don't need them to be fighters - I don't really care for straight up fighting that much - but I don't think anyone would argue that the Sabres don't need to be a little meaner. Ted Black intimated that there's a three-year plan of some sort in place, and thinking down the road, keeping a few of the current veterans, mixing in some of these kids... this could be a very interesting team. I'm not like, declaring them future Cup winners or anything, but looking at the size in Rochester, it seems that management is at least aware of the weaknesses of the current squad. Whether the patience pays off, we'll see, but color me intrigued.
-- Is Chewie the best nickname ever? If your nickname is Chewie, aren't you obligated to rip an opponent's arm off after every loss? And celebrate every win by waving your arms over your head and letting loose your best Chewie roar?
-- More small picture: Jochen Hecht scoring on a shorthanded breakaway with Alexander Ovechkin chasing? Does it get any more delightful than that? I posted this bit about Sabres who I'm thankful for during the Blue Jackets game which was poor timing to say the least. It might be more appropriate to read it now, especially that last part. I love Jochen Hecht.
-- The Caps are super, super bad. I mean, wow are they bad. I knew they were struggling but wow. Whew. It's easy to throw around "coach-killing" when a team is struggling so much but that reaaaaally looked like some first-rate coach-killing
-- Boy, Ian McKellan was really, really wonderful in the Lord of the Rings movies, wasn't he? Gandalf is not my favorite character (Samwise in a landslide, Boromir a pretty solid second) so I kind of took him for granted the first time around. There are moments though when he gets such a softness and warmth in his eyes. Just really great stuff. (Sorry, I went straight from the game to a LotR marathon so that's been on my mind.) (In another life, I was a hobbit.)
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Last night, a few minutes into the second, I decided I wasn't in the mood for the Sabres. I went upstairs, turned on some Christmas music, and curled up with my Kindle. It was hours before I knew Robyn Regehr got injured. (I found out via Facebook.) Tonight, I had no idea Stafford - or any mysterious forward - was out until I came down to watch the game, a few minutes into things. I had not one clue who Paul Szczechura was or where he came from. (Proving this point, I orignally typed his name here as "Jason Szczechura.") (One of the highlights of the game was my brother-in-law calling during the second just to ask, "Who the heck is 58?) And you know what? Not only is the lack of information not that big of a deal, it's kind of fun. Again, I'm sure when the year is up and this experiment is over, I'll go back to taking in a lot of stuff, but it's a nice reminder to myself that I don't have to have every piece of info RIGHT AWAY AS SOON AS IT BREAKS. I probably could stand to cut back on my Internet intake.
-- This game was hi-larious. Between the call-ups in the last couple of weeks (Tropp, Brennan, Kassian) and the numbers that, for whatever just won't stick in my head without a few seconds thought (Adam, Ellis), I generally had no idea who was on the ice. Things were so mixed up that I was seeing 10 and thinking "Hank!" which I'd finally stopped doing. A couple of people suggested that one of the best things to do to remind yourself why you love hockey is to go see an AHL game. We all kind of did that tonight and it was a hoot and a half.
Let me tell you, there is nothing better for a hockey-stressed soul than seeing babies score their first NHL goals. I've said this before, but there is something so sweet about them when they're still young enough and inexperienced enough that they're incapable of hiding their emotions. I also love how even the veterans get into the spirit, sometimes seeming as happy as the goal-scorer. I think it's been even funnier because between T.J. Brennan's skeevy mustache and Zack Kassian's lack of teeth and crazy hair, well, those are babies that only a mother can love. And love 'em I do. This is exactly the kind of small picture within in the big picture I was rambling about a few posts ago.
-- In light of all the (justified) complaining about how soft the Sabres are, it's interesting to see some of the kids up. Kassian and McNabb especially are BIG boys, and they don't seem to have a problem throwing some of that size around. I don't need them to be fighters - I don't really care for straight up fighting that much - but I don't think anyone would argue that the Sabres don't need to be a little meaner. Ted Black intimated that there's a three-year plan of some sort in place, and thinking down the road, keeping a few of the current veterans, mixing in some of these kids... this could be a very interesting team. I'm not like, declaring them future Cup winners or anything, but looking at the size in Rochester, it seems that management is at least aware of the weaknesses of the current squad. Whether the patience pays off, we'll see, but color me intrigued.
-- Is Chewie the best nickname ever? If your nickname is Chewie, aren't you obligated to rip an opponent's arm off after every loss? And celebrate every win by waving your arms over your head and letting loose your best Chewie roar?
-- More small picture: Jochen Hecht scoring on a shorthanded breakaway with Alexander Ovechkin chasing? Does it get any more delightful than that? I posted this bit about Sabres who I'm thankful for during the Blue Jackets game which was poor timing to say the least. It might be more appropriate to read it now, especially that last part. I love Jochen Hecht.
-- The Caps are super, super bad. I mean, wow are they bad. I knew they were struggling but wow. Whew. It's easy to throw around "coach-killing" when a team is struggling so much but that reaaaaally looked like some first-rate coach-killing
-- Boy, Ian McKellan was really, really wonderful in the Lord of the Rings movies, wasn't he? Gandalf is not my favorite character (Samwise in a landslide, Boromir a pretty solid second) so I kind of took him for granted the first time around. There are moments though when he gets such a softness and warmth in his eyes. Just really great stuff. (Sorry, I went straight from the game to a LotR marathon so that's been on my mind.) (In another life, I was a hobbit.)
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Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm thankful for all the replies I got to the last post, and I'm thankful that everyone received it in the way I meant it. After I posted it, I was a little concerned that it came across as anti-Twitter, and that certainly wasn't my intention. I love Twitter. I just got in too far and let it (and other things) kind of overtake my own opinions and feelings. I said this in the comments in case you didn't read them, but I'm sure I'll be back. I think cutting back this month will give me an idea of what I really enjoy and what I'm doing because everyone else is doing it and who I really enjoy and who I'm listening to because they're there.
Anyway, I meant to put this up yesterday, and I completely forgot. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here are three Sabres who I'm really thankful for right now.
1. Ryan Miller
Ryan Miller's taken a ton of crap this season. I think the criticism of his play is more than fair. It probably should have started more intensely last season. I think the criticism of his off-ice demeanor is less fair. Or maybe it's fair and it just doesn't bother me that much. I'd like for him to occasionally take more direct blame - I feel like he used to be better at that - but the thing I really love about Ryan is that he's an open book, baby. If he's tired, it shows. If he's cranky, it shows. If he's proud, it shows. If he's happy, it shows. If he's upset, it shows. He gets annoyed with the media. I would too. Yes, I realize it's part of his job to stand there and answer questions. It doesn't mean it's fun and it doesn't mean it never gets tedious. He probably gets annoyed with fans. I would too. Yes, dealing with us and how we feel is part of his job. It doesn't mean it's not occasionally difficult to get booed when you're trying your best or when you're as frustrated as fans are.
How many times do we complain that athletes are always giving us pat answer? (Easy to do when they're getting asked the same questions over and over and over.) All the time. But when a guy gives an honest answer, we hate that too. Ryan does not give pat answers. That means that sometimes his answers are difficult or annoying and occasionally even uncomfortatable. But it also means that sometimes they're awesome, and funny, and thoughtful. I love the fact that Ryan hasn't hidden who he is behind a wall of three word answers. He's still a real person. That's pretty unusual for a pro athlete of his stature.
2. Jason Pominville
For most of his time in Buffalo, I've been pretty neutral on ol' Jason Pominville. I didn't particularly love him, I didn't particularly hate him. I thought the people in both of those camps were a little off their rocker. I think part of that is the way he plays: hard-working, unspectacular, dependable. (Although usually I love those guys - see below - so I have no idea why Pommers stayed under my radar.) I think part of it his personality: cute, sweet, but hidden behind those pat answers I talked about just a couple of paragraphs ago. Nice guy, didn't seem particularly deep or interesting.
By the end of last season, I'd completely flipped on him. I have no idea when Jason Pominville became the heart of this team, but it's pretty clear that he did. I was there the night he got slammed into the boards toward the beginning of last season. The mood in the arena completely changed, and the fans were not the only ones affected. The team looked devastated, shaken up and out of it. They never shook that the rest of the night. The same thing happened when Pommers got hurt in the playoffs. I think the injury in the playoffs also highlighted how important his steady play is. Losing him and Tim Connolly killed the penalty kill and that's still an undermentioned difference in that series, I think. Like that, the Flyers went from struggling to score on the power play to scoring on the power play pretty easily. And again, the team's focus and stability seemed tied to Pommers. When things are right with him, things are right with the team. When things are off with him, things are off with everyone. I'm not the least bit surprised he's the one wearing the C. He's like, a real grown-up now.
3. Jochen Hecht
When you're a kid, there are players who just make you happy. I don't know what changes when we're adults - we see too much, we become too focused on outcome, we're just not as innocent. I don't know, it just seems to happen less. But for reasons I can't entirely explain, Jochen Hecht just makes me happy. I like the way he plays. There is nothing spectacular about it. He's very good at certain aspects of the game - especially on the defensive side - but other parts of his game are very workman-like. But more importantly, I like him. I just do. Something about him tickles me. He's all bashful and mumbly. He does all his interviews while mostly looking at the ground. Those few times he scored in the shootout, he skated off the ice as quickly as he could, like he was afraid they'd change their mind and take the goals away. When he's really, really excited, maaaybe a half smile creeps across his face. He gets to me.
Every team needs a Jochen Hecht. I've jokingly told Kate a few times in the last few months, "Just wait until Jochen gets back!" but I kind of meant it a little bit too. When he's hurt or not playing well, I think it really hurts the team and I think his absence is always underrated. I'll tell you that Jay McKee was my first real favorite Sabre but he was on his way out as I was really falling in love with hockey. When I think back on my first handful of years as a real fan, I'll think of the three players that I unabashedly loved no matter how they played or how they struggled: Henrik Tallinder, Toni Lydman, and Jochen Hecht. Jochen's the last man standing, and I don't know how much longer he'll be around. I'm going to enjoy him while I can. I'm really thankful he's back and looking good. I got your back, Yo-Yo. no comments
I'm thankful for all the replies I got to the last post, and I'm thankful that everyone received it in the way I meant it. After I posted it, I was a little concerned that it came across as anti-Twitter, and that certainly wasn't my intention. I love Twitter. I just got in too far and let it (and other things) kind of overtake my own opinions and feelings. I said this in the comments in case you didn't read them, but I'm sure I'll be back. I think cutting back this month will give me an idea of what I really enjoy and what I'm doing because everyone else is doing it and who I really enjoy and who I'm listening to because they're there.
Anyway, I meant to put this up yesterday, and I completely forgot. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here are three Sabres who I'm really thankful for right now.
1. Ryan Miller
Ryan Miller's taken a ton of crap this season. I think the criticism of his play is more than fair. It probably should have started more intensely last season. I think the criticism of his off-ice demeanor is less fair. Or maybe it's fair and it just doesn't bother me that much. I'd like for him to occasionally take more direct blame - I feel like he used to be better at that - but the thing I really love about Ryan is that he's an open book, baby. If he's tired, it shows. If he's cranky, it shows. If he's proud, it shows. If he's happy, it shows. If he's upset, it shows. He gets annoyed with the media. I would too. Yes, I realize it's part of his job to stand there and answer questions. It doesn't mean it's fun and it doesn't mean it never gets tedious. He probably gets annoyed with fans. I would too. Yes, dealing with us and how we feel is part of his job. It doesn't mean it's not occasionally difficult to get booed when you're trying your best or when you're as frustrated as fans are.
How many times do we complain that athletes are always giving us pat answer? (Easy to do when they're getting asked the same questions over and over and over.) All the time. But when a guy gives an honest answer, we hate that too. Ryan does not give pat answers. That means that sometimes his answers are difficult or annoying and occasionally even uncomfortatable. But it also means that sometimes they're awesome, and funny, and thoughtful. I love the fact that Ryan hasn't hidden who he is behind a wall of three word answers. He's still a real person. That's pretty unusual for a pro athlete of his stature.
2. Jason Pominville
For most of his time in Buffalo, I've been pretty neutral on ol' Jason Pominville. I didn't particularly love him, I didn't particularly hate him. I thought the people in both of those camps were a little off their rocker. I think part of that is the way he plays: hard-working, unspectacular, dependable. (Although usually I love those guys - see below - so I have no idea why Pommers stayed under my radar.) I think part of it his personality: cute, sweet, but hidden behind those pat answers I talked about just a couple of paragraphs ago. Nice guy, didn't seem particularly deep or interesting.
By the end of last season, I'd completely flipped on him. I have no idea when Jason Pominville became the heart of this team, but it's pretty clear that he did. I was there the night he got slammed into the boards toward the beginning of last season. The mood in the arena completely changed, and the fans were not the only ones affected. The team looked devastated, shaken up and out of it. They never shook that the rest of the night. The same thing happened when Pommers got hurt in the playoffs. I think the injury in the playoffs also highlighted how important his steady play is. Losing him and Tim Connolly killed the penalty kill and that's still an undermentioned difference in that series, I think. Like that, the Flyers went from struggling to score on the power play to scoring on the power play pretty easily. And again, the team's focus and stability seemed tied to Pommers. When things are right with him, things are right with the team. When things are off with him, things are off with everyone. I'm not the least bit surprised he's the one wearing the C. He's like, a real grown-up now.
3. Jochen Hecht
When you're a kid, there are players who just make you happy. I don't know what changes when we're adults - we see too much, we become too focused on outcome, we're just not as innocent. I don't know, it just seems to happen less. But for reasons I can't entirely explain, Jochen Hecht just makes me happy. I like the way he plays. There is nothing spectacular about it. He's very good at certain aspects of the game - especially on the defensive side - but other parts of his game are very workman-like. But more importantly, I like him. I just do. Something about him tickles me. He's all bashful and mumbly. He does all his interviews while mostly looking at the ground. Those few times he scored in the shootout, he skated off the ice as quickly as he could, like he was afraid they'd change their mind and take the goals away. When he's really, really excited, maaaybe a half smile creeps across his face. He gets to me.
Every team needs a Jochen Hecht. I've jokingly told Kate a few times in the last few months, "Just wait until Jochen gets back!" but I kind of meant it a little bit too. When he's hurt or not playing well, I think it really hurts the team and I think his absence is always underrated. I'll tell you that Jay McKee was my first real favorite Sabre but he was on his way out as I was really falling in love with hockey. When I think back on my first handful of years as a real fan, I'll think of the three players that I unabashedly loved no matter how they played or how they struggled: Henrik Tallinder, Toni Lydman, and Jochen Hecht. Jochen's the last man standing, and I don't know how much longer he'll be around. I'm going to enjoy him while I can. I'm really thankful he's back and looking good. I got your back, Yo-Yo. no comments
I've really, really struggled with blogging this season. Part of the reason that I set the goal to blog every day in November was in hopes that it would jump start me. It uh, hasn't, in case you haven't noticed. I've had conversations with four or five people about whether or not it was time to shut Top Shelf down. I don't really want to, but it's seemed like such a chore lately. Some of it is the time constraints of being in school full-time while working two part-time jobs, but some of it is just the blahs. I've been feeling more and more like I hate hockey and I hate the Sabres. But then I realized, no. I love hockey, and I actually kind of like this Sabres team, warts and all. What I hate is us.
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I've been hesitant to go anywhere near the Penn State story these last few days. Child abuse in any form is horrible. I've worked with a lot of kids who have been severely damaged by things like what allegedly happened with Jerry Sandusky. I just... I can't even imagine. But I also hate the nonstop chatter, the endless picking apart, the increasingly noisy race to out-anger and out-outrage everyone else that's been going on on the Internet the last few days. It's a horrible and yes, kind of fascinating story, but I don't know. Everything about the story makes me uncomfortable.
I will talk about the column that Bucky Gleason wrote today about Terry Pegula's statement. The whole column is right here, but here's the part that really jumped out at me:
Pegula could have called a news conference or, if that wasn't possible, set up a conference call. The organization has said many times it wants to be more transparent with open lines of communication. Presumably, it meant in good times and bad.
His prepared statement addressed certain issues, but I'm not sure it was the right message. It wasn't what I expected from someone known for his human touch and strong leadership. Leaders immediately stand up in the face of turmoil and speak against what they perceive as wrongdoing or, in this case, much worse.
That seems terribly unfair to me. I doubt that when Pegula promised transparency and open communication that he was talking about his entire life. If this had anything to do with something going on in the Sabres organization, then yes, I would absolutely hope to hear from him and if it was something this horrific I would want his words to be swift and forceful. But this? Maybe I'm in the minority because I wasn't really clamoring for Pegula to comment in the first place, but this is not something that I think he has to explain or justify or open up to us if he doesn't want to. It doesn't have anything to do with his relationship with Sabres fans.
I think I also have a problem with the implication that leadership is always fast and loud. That's not necessarily true. I don't know Pegula obviously, but he seems like a man who likes to examine things and think them over. He certainly seems like a soft-spoken guy. Bucky acknowledges earlier in the column that Pegula was probably waiting for details, waiting to see how the school reacted, taking time to sort out his own emotions before he made any kind of public statement. But then Bucky turns around and suggests that while all of the above things make perfect sense, it was the wrong way to react? I don't know. To me those things - slowing down, thinking - are also things that leaders do. There's so much noise out there around this already. Do we really need one more angry voice in the crowd, rushing to judge everyone and everything? What does that accomplish for us, for Penn State, for Pegula, or for anyone involved? I thought Pegula's statement was straight-forward and honest, and that's just fine with me.
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I will talk about the column that Bucky Gleason wrote today about Terry Pegula's statement. The whole column is right here, but here's the part that really jumped out at me:
Pegula could have called a news conference or, if that wasn't possible, set up a conference call. The organization has said many times it wants to be more transparent with open lines of communication. Presumably, it meant in good times and bad.
His prepared statement addressed certain issues, but I'm not sure it was the right message. It wasn't what I expected from someone known for his human touch and strong leadership. Leaders immediately stand up in the face of turmoil and speak against what they perceive as wrongdoing or, in this case, much worse.
That seems terribly unfair to me. I doubt that when Pegula promised transparency and open communication that he was talking about his entire life. If this had anything to do with something going on in the Sabres organization, then yes, I would absolutely hope to hear from him and if it was something this horrific I would want his words to be swift and forceful. But this? Maybe I'm in the minority because I wasn't really clamoring for Pegula to comment in the first place, but this is not something that I think he has to explain or justify or open up to us if he doesn't want to. It doesn't have anything to do with his relationship with Sabres fans.
I think I also have a problem with the implication that leadership is always fast and loud. That's not necessarily true. I don't know Pegula obviously, but he seems like a man who likes to examine things and think them over. He certainly seems like a soft-spoken guy. Bucky acknowledges earlier in the column that Pegula was probably waiting for details, waiting to see how the school reacted, taking time to sort out his own emotions before he made any kind of public statement. But then Bucky turns around and suggests that while all of the above things make perfect sense, it was the wrong way to react? I don't know. To me those things - slowing down, thinking - are also things that leaders do. There's so much noise out there around this already. Do we really need one more angry voice in the crowd, rushing to judge everyone and everything? What does that accomplish for us, for Penn State, for Pegula, or for anyone involved? I thought Pegula's statement was straight-forward and honest, and that's just fine with me.
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Reading is in my blood. From the time I was very young, my mom faithfully took me and my little brother to the library every other week. I can't count the number of times I wandered by her room at night and saw that she'd fallen asleep with a book in her hand. Long after I was married and working a real job, every time I went to a bookstore with my grandmother, she slipped me $20. When she made her annual summer visit, we would all pile in the car and head to the library and we'd come home with bags full of books. If you made me boil my childhood down to one place, it would probably be the library.
The medicine chest of the soul.
— Inscription over the door of the Library at Thebes.
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The medicine chest of the soul. — Inscription over the door of the Library at Thebes.
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I had to work tonight so I missed the game which makes it awfully hard to write anything today. So for now, enjoy this photo of Robyn Regehr contemplating whose ass he's going to kick next.
(This photo was taken by my buddy Schnookie from the awesome, awesome seats we sat in - along with Kate and Schookie's sister, Pookie - for the Columbus game. Thanks for letting me borrow it!) no comments
(This photo was taken by my buddy Schnookie from the awesome, awesome seats we sat in - along with Kate and Schookie's sister, Pookie - for the Columbus game. Thanks for letting me borrow it!) no comments
Now, isn't it nice, what a good win can do? After cooling off after the last game and reading some other thoughts on Ryan Miller - I especially recommend checking out Joe's thoughts - I want to clarify that I have no desire to see Ryan Miller traded, and I don't even think he should suddenly lose his starting spot. I would like him to play better, however, and I would like him to maybe occasionally just say, "Hey, I sucked" instead of being all prickly and defensive. I think some people are way too hard on him, but I think some people are way too easy on him. Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Jason Pominville, all those guys have taken more than their fair share of abuse over the years. Ryan can suck it up and take some lumps too.
After the Philadelphia game there was a lot of discussion in my Twitter feed about booing and by "discussion" I mean people criticizing fans for booing. I just don't get that. I'm not a big booer myself. If I'm at a game where people start booing I'll often give a small, short boo and and an "eh, get outta here" wave of my hands. But if others want to boo, boo away, man. There are only so many ways we have to make our feelings known to players and coaches, you know? Mike Schopp always talks about people being so angry all the time, but to me, booing isn't necessarily anger. Sometimes it is, but sometimes it's disappointment, sometimes it's frustration, sometimes it's disagreement. It's just hard to express those things in a game environment. You can't simultaneously yell, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? AFTER LOSING TO FREAKING FLORIDA YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE UP TWO GOALS IN WHAT FEELS LIKE 45 SECONDS?" so you boo. You can't yell, "I PAY LOTS OF MONEY FOR THIS EXPERIENCE AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DECENT CHANCE AT SEEING A WIN!" so you boo. I think the booing in that game was about a lot more than just Ryan Miller. For the last three or four years, these guys have been, for whatever reason, incapable of playing consistently good hockey in Buffalo. That means that the home crowd is seeing the worst efforts and in some cases, we're talking REALLY bad losses. I'm sorry, that freaking blows. I go to three or four games a year, and that blows. If I dropped thousands of dollars on season tickets and watched loss after loss after loss - especially when those losses are then followed by the same awful platitudes about PRESSING TOO MUCH and TRYING TO HARD FOR THE HOME CROWD - I'd be feeling a little surly too. You can't demand that a crowd be engaged when things are going well and then shut off its emotions when things aren't going well. The flip side of being irrationally excited and proud when a team or player is doing well is being irrationally upset and annoyed when they're not. I think booing can actually be a pretty fun emotional release, but I can at least understand not liking the idea of it. What I can't understand is any fan - or journalist, or talk show host, or ANYONE - telling another fan that he or she is doing it wrong. There's no right way to be a fan.
At any rate, I think tonight is all any of us want - a simple, straight-forward effort which leads to the occasional win. Drew Stafford acting very serious while wearing a golden helmet helps.
More in-depth thoughts tomorrow night. Maybe. no comments
After the Philadelphia game there was a lot of discussion in my Twitter feed about booing and by "discussion" I mean people criticizing fans for booing. I just don't get that. I'm not a big booer myself. If I'm at a game where people start booing I'll often give a small, short boo and and an "eh, get outta here" wave of my hands. But if others want to boo, boo away, man. There are only so many ways we have to make our feelings known to players and coaches, you know? Mike Schopp always talks about people being so angry all the time, but to me, booing isn't necessarily anger. Sometimes it is, but sometimes it's disappointment, sometimes it's frustration, sometimes it's disagreement. It's just hard to express those things in a game environment. You can't simultaneously yell, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? AFTER LOSING TO FREAKING FLORIDA YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE UP TWO GOALS IN WHAT FEELS LIKE 45 SECONDS?" so you boo. You can't yell, "I PAY LOTS OF MONEY FOR THIS EXPERIENCE AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DECENT CHANCE AT SEEING A WIN!" so you boo. I think the booing in that game was about a lot more than just Ryan Miller. For the last three or four years, these guys have been, for whatever reason, incapable of playing consistently good hockey in Buffalo. That means that the home crowd is seeing the worst efforts and in some cases, we're talking REALLY bad losses. I'm sorry, that freaking blows. I go to three or four games a year, and that blows. If I dropped thousands of dollars on season tickets and watched loss after loss after loss - especially when those losses are then followed by the same awful platitudes about PRESSING TOO MUCH and TRYING TO HARD FOR THE HOME CROWD - I'd be feeling a little surly too. You can't demand that a crowd be engaged when things are going well and then shut off its emotions when things aren't going well. The flip side of being irrationally excited and proud when a team or player is doing well is being irrationally upset and annoyed when they're not. I think booing can actually be a pretty fun emotional release, but I can at least understand not liking the idea of it. What I can't understand is any fan - or journalist, or talk show host, or ANYONE - telling another fan that he or she is doing it wrong. There's no right way to be a fan.
At any rate, I think tonight is all any of us want - a simple, straight-forward effort which leads to the occasional win. Drew Stafford acting very serious while wearing a golden helmet helps.
More in-depth thoughts tomorrow night. Maybe. no comments
I spent most of the day running around, crowing that someone with the Sabres reads my blog since not only was Mike Weber set to play against the Flyers, he was going to play with Robyn Regehr. I was also totally stoked for tonight's game because the later start meant it would be one of the few games I saw in entirety without the use of DVR. This game was... not what I was expecting.
Sitting here, it's kind of weird. I feel like I have SO much to say about the Sabres but I also feel like I have no idea WHAT to say. I feel like it's still way too early to panic or jump to any conclusions but I also feel like we're all going to be really let down this season. I feel like in the long run, the team will be just fine and I'll mostly enjoy them but I also feel like I want to walk down the line and punch everyone in the nose. (Okay, Vanek, Pominville, Regehr, Sekera, and Adam are excused.) I am, in a word, conflicted.
Below is the latest podcast that Joe and I recorded (featuring special guest start Dave Davis of The Sabres Observer who was awesome.) In it, we talked about the goalie "controversy" and whether it was really a controversy among fans or something that's kind of been started or exacerbated by the media. We agreed that neither of us was particularly eager to see Jhonas Enroth play more and no real people we know felt like that. And just like that, I miiiiiight feel differently.
Ryan Miller feels wrong, doesn't he? Am I off-base? I'm not going to blame it on his poor, beleaguered wife (correaltion does not equal causation), but he doesn't seem to be completely in on hockey which might be my biggest surprise so far this season. I'm in the camp that thinks he wasn't particularly good last season. At times he hurt the team more than he helped and even in the playoffs he flipped between being awesome and being awful, with little in-between. But I also know he was hurt and that even little injuries can really nag at and affect a goalie for a long period of time. There were a lot of unknowns coming into this season - How would Ville Leino do at center? How would the new defense gel? - but the one thing I knew for SURE was that Miller would come back, ready and raring to go. He had to know that he wasn't good enough last season, and it just seemed very him to use that as motivation. I totally saw him having an awesome bounceback season. I'm... concerned.
Miller is a complicated piece of the puzzle. Goalie is such an important position that a coach almost has to be willing to go with the goalie that's playing well. If it seems clear that a goalie is just having one of those years, why drag down the whole team with him? You can roll a struggling forward or d-man out there without him hurting the team TOO much, depending on the talent around him, of course, but a struggling goalie can sink the ship. However, Miller was such a central piece of the team's psyche that it wasn't as easy to pull him out. It was his team really. Joe and I talked about this last season and Tim Thomas and the Bruins, and I argued that Miller had a very different role on the team than Thomas had on the Bruins. Even if he wasn't playing well, Miller was the heart of the team. It's hard to healthy scratch the heart. I'm not sure I'd really say that's true anymore though. I'll probably blog about this more at some point this month, but in the last couple of years I think Jason Pominville has really become the beating heart of the team and Vanek has shown himself more capable of carrying the team when needed. Maybe now you can scratch Miller for a handful of games and tell him to get his head together without freaking out the rest of the team too much. I don't know. It's very perplexing.
Okay, here's the podcast. Thanks again to Dave for joining us. Check him out at The Sabres Observer over at Kukla's Korner and follow him on Twitter at @DaveDavisHockey.
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Sitting here, it's kind of weird. I feel like I have SO much to say about the Sabres but I also feel like I have no idea WHAT to say. I feel like it's still way too early to panic or jump to any conclusions but I also feel like we're all going to be really let down this season. I feel like in the long run, the team will be just fine and I'll mostly enjoy them but I also feel like I want to walk down the line and punch everyone in the nose. (Okay, Vanek, Pominville, Regehr, Sekera, and Adam are excused.) I am, in a word, conflicted.
Below is the latest podcast that Joe and I recorded (featuring special guest start Dave Davis of The Sabres Observer who was awesome.) In it, we talked about the goalie "controversy" and whether it was really a controversy among fans or something that's kind of been started or exacerbated by the media. We agreed that neither of us was particularly eager to see Jhonas Enroth play more and no real people we know felt like that. And just like that, I miiiiiight feel differently.
Ryan Miller feels wrong, doesn't he? Am I off-base? I'm not going to blame it on his poor, beleaguered wife (correaltion does not equal causation), but he doesn't seem to be completely in on hockey which might be my biggest surprise so far this season. I'm in the camp that thinks he wasn't particularly good last season. At times he hurt the team more than he helped and even in the playoffs he flipped between being awesome and being awful, with little in-between. But I also know he was hurt and that even little injuries can really nag at and affect a goalie for a long period of time. There were a lot of unknowns coming into this season - How would Ville Leino do at center? How would the new defense gel? - but the one thing I knew for SURE was that Miller would come back, ready and raring to go. He had to know that he wasn't good enough last season, and it just seemed very him to use that as motivation. I totally saw him having an awesome bounceback season. I'm... concerned.
Miller is a complicated piece of the puzzle. Goalie is such an important position that a coach almost has to be willing to go with the goalie that's playing well. If it seems clear that a goalie is just having one of those years, why drag down the whole team with him? You can roll a struggling forward or d-man out there without him hurting the team TOO much, depending on the talent around him, of course, but a struggling goalie can sink the ship. However, Miller was such a central piece of the team's psyche that it wasn't as easy to pull him out. It was his team really. Joe and I talked about this last season and Tim Thomas and the Bruins, and I argued that Miller had a very different role on the team than Thomas had on the Bruins. Even if he wasn't playing well, Miller was the heart of the team. It's hard to healthy scratch the heart. I'm not sure I'd really say that's true anymore though. I'll probably blog about this more at some point this month, but in the last couple of years I think Jason Pominville has really become the beating heart of the team and Vanek has shown himself more capable of carrying the team when needed. Maybe now you can scratch Miller for a handful of games and tell him to get his head together without freaking out the rest of the team too much. I don't know. It's very perplexing.
Okay, here's the podcast. Thanks again to Dave for joining us. Check him out at The Sabres Observer over at Kukla's Korner and follow him on Twitter at @DaveDavisHockey.
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