Detroit Red Wings' Jimmy Devellano adds some spice to the lockout

Sixty-nine year old Sr. Vice President of the Detroit Red Wings, Jimmy Devellano, did a one-on-one interview with IslandSportsNews the other day adding newsworthy quotes to an otherwise quiet lockout period.

Devellano has a long and impressive resume' that includes 13 professional championship rings at various levels of hockey, and one as Vice President for the 2006 American League Champion Detroit Tigers. He has been in hockey for 45 years with 30 years of service in the Wings organization and is credited with transforming the "Dead Wings" to "Hockeytown" during his tenure. Very few, if any, hockey men are more respected than him, and during his interview with Scott Harrigan he was pretty candid despite the gag-order insisted upon by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Whenever Devellano speaks, anyone with any interest in hockey should take notice. And notice they did as the major media outlets are grabbing one answer from the interview and seem to be running inflammatory headlines.

CBSsportsline uses this in the title to the article: Red Wings VP refers to players as 'cattle,' says the owners 'own the ranch.'

Yahoo's Puck Daddy also headlines with, Red Wings VP Jim Devellano calls players 'cattle,' torches Flyers for Shea Weber signing. Greg Wyshinski's article mainly focuses on many other aspects but the 'cattle' part is in the headline without a direct reference

John Vogl of the Sabres Edge starts out his blog, Red Wings executive refers to players as 'cattle' at the owner's ranch with, "Mooooo-ve over Gary Bettman. NHL players have a new league executive to target." Gotta love Vogl using with the Moooo reference.

And it's pretty convenient for them to leave out a very important part of Devellano's quote. This is the full quote:

"The owners can basically be viewed as the Ranch, and the players, and me included, are the cattle."

Ya see that bolded and underlined part? Yeah, he includes himself as part of the 'cattle' on the ranch.

Regardless, Bettman had his gag order and today the NHL fined the Detroit Red Wings for Devellano's remarks saying, "The Detroit Red Wings’ organization and the League agree that the comments made by Mr. Devellano are neither appropriate, nor authorized, nor permissible under the League's By-Laws. Such comments are neither constructive nor helpful to the negotiations."

Once you get over the cattle thing, Devellano has some pretty interesting insight into various aspects of the NHL.

On Gary Bettman and the owners:  "I think it should be clear up front that Gary Bettman works for the owners, not the players. The owners direct him on what to do...these owners aren't dumb guys and they are very aggressive men who run multi-million and multi-billion dollar companies. They want results and don't want to hear excuses and complaints as to what their employees may want."

On why Bettman is generally hated:  "I think he is battling what many people battle once they get in someones "doghouse"...in his early years as commissioner, he may of come across as arrogant and condescending, but probably not intentionally. And early on I would say he dressed down a few guys (reporters) and got their backs up [and it became personal.] . If he does one interview with a guy and if that reporter felt slighted, he'll continue to write about it for months after the initial interview. Well, you do that a thousand times from city to city and you can see how it would spread."

On Ron McClean of Hockey Night In Canada:  "He always asks agitated and sometimes exaggerated questions, not for the fans, or to get an answer, but to make what he thinks is good, bloody TV! So he thinks he's above the show, the game, and a lot of times has his own agenda...a lot of these guys in the media today are looking out for their own popularity and to hell with the real story."

On the Shea Weber offer sheet:   "They (Philadelphia) operated within the CBA and it's totally legit to do. Having said that, I will tell you there is an unwritten rule that you don't do that, but they did, and just like everything else in life, some people are great to deal with, some aren't. If you are asking me if it's right, I would say there is, again, an unwritten rule...we all know it in the NHL, but not everyone follows it."

The set-up for as well as the 'cattle' quote:  "There is just too much cost involved in running and owning a team. It's very complicated and way too much for the average Joe to understand, but having said that, I will tell you this: The owners can basically be viewed as the Ranch, and the players, and me included, are the cattle. The owners own the Ranch and allow the players to eat there. That's the way its always been and that the way it will be forever."

On how hockey related revenues should be split:  "Let the players take 43% and let the owners take 57%. Just reverse it from where it is now and let the owners run the rest of their business and manage their expenses."

On the relationship between billionaire owners and millionaire players:  "Yes, they are billionaires. Good on them, they deserve it, but they also make their employees millionaires. Not a bad trade off for a guy like Lucic getting what, 6 million dollars a year? I mean good on him too, but he should be grateful. Understand though that these players want for nothing...its first class this, first class that, meal allowances, travel money on the road, the whole shebang."

On what hockey fans should do during the lockout:  "Fans of the game should go see their AHL, ECHL or other minor pro team, or more importantly, to the best of your ability, support your local junior and minor hockey teams. Show these kids how much you really care for hockey. The NHL situation will get sorted out, but its complicated - I'm in the middle of it and its complicated for me too - and may take some time. Until then, go out and enjoy the game at the grass roots level and have some fun."

The NHL and NHLPA can reach an amicable 50/50 split in two years

I have no qualms with the two parties concerning the NHL lockout. They're doing what they do. Why they do it is another story, but that's how they're playing it.

Whatever.

Originally, this was to be about taking sides. Let's forget about the last lockout and look towards the present and future (if you must know, I'm on the players side, if only because I hate bullying tactics.)

The most important thing to think about right now is that the NHL is (was) on a serious roll (see the value of NHL franchises below.)

And nothing will kill it like an extended lockout.

If we cut through all the B.S., it would seem that the best way to keep things going now--while maintaining the health of the league in the future--would be for the owners and players to be at roughly a 50/50 split in revenues. And there's a way to hit that within two years.

Former NHLPA rep Paul Kelly was on WGR this morning and he had a workable solution, keep the total take by the players at the present $1.87B in year one of the contract. He deduces that if the current growth rate of the NHL continues, the league will bring in about $3.5B in revenue which effectively cuts the percentage of players salaries down to 55%.

That makes for sound reasoning. In terms of the owners, they're getting a bigger piece of the pie. In terms of the players, they're not effectively giving up anything that they don't already have. But he deviates from that original idea by saying that the players give back 1% until they reach that 50/50 mark.

Is there any reason why the owners and players could not continue his original line of thinking by extending it one more year?

Kelly presumes an approximate 6% growth rate in revenues year over year. Staying with his original premise, total NHL revenues would go up from $3.5B to $3.71B in year two. By keeping the players salaries at $1.87B, it would mean that players end up with roughly 50.4% of the pie.

That 50.4% should be a target throughout the remainder of the contract.

Locking in the $1.87B for the players is a give to the owners. And there's no reason that the owners can get their collective arses together to help the weaker franchises land on solid ground. In that scenario, the NHL would have a projected $400M windfall if the league grows at the projected rate (let Gary Bettman and the owners battle it out as to how they disperse it.)

As of right now the players would be taking a hit, but only in future salaries over the first two years. In essence they're giving back 7% (maybe more) over those two seasons, but they're not giving back anything right now. They're maintaining their present quality of life.

In year three and beyond, if revenues are higher, the players will see their salaries go up relative to their 50.4% take. If they are below, $1.87B remains the status quo until that ratio is reached.

In this scenario, the impetus would be on both parties to grow the sport as much as possible in the first two seasons.

For the owners the more top-line revenue they bring in, the bigger the bottom line. As for the players, the more the sport grows, the more they'll get heading into year three.

If projections continue at the 6% year over year revenue increase, the players take of $3.94B in year three would be $1.98B. A modest 5% increase, but a sound increase none the less.

Kelly's base idea is simple, yet sound, and would make for a strong jumping off point.





Nice work by the following website concerning NHL franchise worth.
DaveManuel.com has a breakdown from the year before the '04 lockout up until last season and the percentage increase via Forbes.com (link included.) Here's the list:

Pittsburgh Penguins, $264 Million, 161.4%
Montreal Canadiens, $445 Million, 128.2%
Edmonton Oilers, $212 Million, 103.8%
Vancouver Canucks, $300 Million, 102.7%
Washington Capitals, $225 Million, 95.7%
Calgary Flames, $220 Million, 89.7%
Toronto Maple Leafs, $521 Million, 86.1%
New York Rangers, $507 Million, 79.8%
Chicago Blackhawks, $306 Million, 71.9%
Carolina Hurricanes, $169 Million, 69.0%
Buffalo Sabres, $173 Million, 68.0%
Anaheim Ducks, $181 Million, 67.6%
Ottawa Senators, $201 Million, 60.8%
Atlanta Thrashers, $164 Million, 54.7%
Nashville Predators, $163 Million, 46.8%
New Jersey Devils, $181 Million, 46.0%
San Jose Sharks, $211 Million, 41.6%
Boston Bruins, $325 Million, 37.7%
Detroit Red Wings, $336 Million, 35.5%
Florida Panthers, $162 Million, 33.9%
Minnesota Wild, $213 Million, 30.7%
Los Angeles Kings, $232 Million, 20.2%
Tampa Bay Lightning, $174 Million, 16.0%
St. Louis Blues, $157 Million, 12.1%
Philadelphia Flyers, $290 Million, 9.8%
Columbus Blue Jackets, $152 Million, 9.4%
Phoenix Coyotes, $134 Million, -1.5%
New York Islanders, $149 Million, -6.9%
Dallas Stars, $230 Million, -11.2%
Colorado Avalanche, $198 Million, -19.5%

Source: Forbes.com - The Business of Hockey: Team Values Hit All-Time High

Yeah, no NHL news to speak of, no pro football team to speak of either

It's taken a while to fully digest the disaster that was the Buffalo Bills in the Meadowlands. Nearly everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for Buffalo, except for RB C.J. Spiller and his 169-yard, one touchdown performance after Fred Jackson left the game due to injury.

Ugly, was the one word title used by WGR's Bulldog in summing up the game. Perhaps he omitted a letter, it was F-ugly.

GR's Whiner Line was, as usual, over the top. Which was to be expected. The callers hated everyone--Ryan Fitzpatrick, Chan Gailey, Mario Williams, perennial whipping boy Leodis McKelvin. Reasoning ranged from simple analysis to downright anal cysts of the mouth. So far reaching was the blame, I was a bit surprised it didn't include President Obama, Rob Johnson or Ryan Miller.

I haven't been that disappointed by a Bills game since Super Bowl XXVI when Mark Rypien smoked the Bills d and the Washington Redskins d put the clampdown on future HOF'er Jim Kelly and his "K-gun" offense.

Many a Bills fan was psyched up for that game thinking that the near miss the year before would hopefully lead to success in their second try. The 37-24 loss was much more lopsided than the score indicated. Much like the Bills 48-28 loss on Sunday.

Much maligned Redskins QB Mark Rypien was the Super Bowl MVP with a stat line of 18-33, 292 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT. Much maligned Mark Sanchez was 19-27, 265 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT.

And if you thought Ryan Fitzpatrick's performance this past Sunday was poor--18-32, 195 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT--this is the line for Jim Kelly in that Super Bowl:  28-58, 275 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT. And, by the way, they both threw INT's on the team's first possession.

Parallels can also be drawn between the two teams when it comes to preparation. Neither the 1992 Super Bowl Bills--as evidenced by RB Thurman Thomas missing the first two plays because he couldn't find his helmet--nor last Sunday's Bills were prepared. While on the other side, Washington's Joe Gibbs and the Jets Rex Ryan were totally ready to shut down the Bills offense and exploit their highly skilled, yet soft defenses.

I will say one thing in defense of the '92 Bills defenders, at least they didn't whine about getting punched in the face.

There's been a big uproar over Mario Williams' post game comments on how he was literally getting smacked around and he called out the refs for not calling anything. The $100M man (or in this case, boy) didn't fight back and was held to one tackle and no sacks in his Buffalo Bills debut.

Former NFL lineman Damien Woody, who publicly trumpeted the Bills, had this to say, "For him to blame replacement officials as the reason he got dominated yesterday, I think that's pathetic," Woody said. "There's no ifs, ands or buts about it.
"You're the big free agent. You're the $100 million man going up against a guy that was on the practice squad and inserted in the starting role just a couple weeks ago. I saw a lot of times Mario was one-on-one and couldn't do anything."

We all bought into the hype. When Williams was brought in, it was thought that he could help change the Bills defense. He and fellow free agent Mark Anderson were to bring on a strong pass rush that would help the secondary. It didn't happen vs. the Jets as Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sporano game-planned a quick strike pass attack the left the Bills looking for their collective jock straps.

Buying into the hype is what Jerry Sullivan started off with yesterday on the Howard Simon Show. "That was pretty startling what happened yesterday," he said, "and I think I fell for it...about Mario Williams."

Hype is what doomed the 1992 Buffalo Bills Super Bowl hopes. They were supposed to win that one, because they came so close the previous year and had the great Jim Kelly vs. a journeyman.

That team, like this team in Week One, couldn't handle the expectations.

So, other than Fitzpatrick, Williams and the game-plan, what else?

WR TJ Graham was drafted to stretch the feild with his speed, he didn't dress. Why? Gailey said he didn't feel as if Graham was ready. Like someone on WGR pointed out, how ready do you need to be to run as fast and far as you can to stretch out the d?

The WR's couldn't get open. Stevie Johnson did very little (although he did catch a TD pass in "garbage time",) but ya gotta believe he's nursing a very sore groin. Donald Jones had five catches including a touchdown when the game was already determined. David Nelson had some catches, then caught a bad break when he tore his ACL and is now out for the season.

TE Scott Chandler had a TD reception late in the third quarter, but was never used properly until the game was out of reach. If receivers can't get open and you're QB's having a tough day, your TE can be the QB's best friend, just ask Tom Brady.

As mentioned Spiller was a bright spot, but Fred Jackson never got anything going before leaving with a sprained knee which will keep him out 3-4 weeks.

And the Bills' "Mr. Wildcat," Brad Smith, never entered the game. What a waste of a uniform.

On defense, the Bills secondary got torched, the linebackers looked lame, the pass rush was a complete dud and they couldn't manage to stop the Jets when it counted on third down as NY was 10-14 on third down conversions.

The punt team allowed a 68 yd. punt return for a TD that put the Jets up by 21-0 less than three minutes into the 2nd quarter.

F-ugly.

Defensive Coordinator Dave Wannstedt had a gameplan based upon a four-man rush and he barely wavered from that. Why? *shrugs* Who the hell knows.

F-ugly.


*************

There is tension in the air in Buffalo with many either hitting the panic button or cloaking their panic.

WGR's Mike Schopp is sure that a Harsh reality is looming concerning the Bills. He makes the case that the Bills have two-time castoffs at QB--Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen and Tavaris Jackson. He states that the Bills have brought in dead end players and coaches--Shawn Merriman, TO, GM Buddy Nix, Gailey and former coach Dick Jauron.

In a typical Schoppian reach where he tries to make a point that rests on shaky ground and has inadequate tie-ins, he seems to yearn for the Tom Donohoe era Buffalo Bills stating that the 2002 and 2004 Bills teams are probably the best. "Donohoe didn't win here," he writes, "but at least in his five years [in Buffalo] the Bills availed themselves to top talent."

After a 3-13 season in Donohoe's first year as GM, Schopp seems to be alluding to the parade for Drew Bledsoe who was traded from the NE Patriots (thus opening the door for Tom Brady) to the Bills for a 2003 1st round pick.

I can't remember who else he brought in that year, but the team did go 8-8. Maybe that's what Schopp's alluding to.

But what ailed the Bills throughout the '00's was poor drafting, exemplified in the Tom Donohoe era.

First round picks Nate Clemens (#21, 2001,) and Lee Evans (#13, 2004) ended up with solid careers. But Donohoe is also responsible for one of the biggest busts ever in T Mike Williams (#4, 2002) while he took a gamble on an injured Willis McGahee (#23, 2003.)

His signature move, though, was trading away their first round pick in 2005 to Dallas to nab QB J.P. Losman. Losman would loose his starting job to journeyman Kelly Holcomb after only three games and was out of the league four years later.

While the two coaches under Donohoe have the best single season records for the Bills over their 13-year playoff drought, both proved nothing more than excellent coordinators.

Greg Williams spent three years in Buffalo, his only head coaching position. He went 3-13, 8-8 (2002) and 6-10 for a combined 17-31 record. Mike Mularkey went 9-7 in his first season yet followed it up with a 5-11 record.

Just after the 2005 season, Donohoe was fired, January 5, 2006 and it was that day, according to Schopp, "that the Bills stopped competing the way other teams do."

Sorry, Schopp, but a 31-49 record competing as "other teams do" is cause for a change.

Donohoe took the Bills for a ride after Ralph Wilson gave him complete control. After that debacle, is it any wonder that Wilson pulled back and started over by reaching back for someone he could trust? Marv Levy?

In the five years not doing business "as other teams do" post-Donohoe the Bills compiled a, lo and behold,  31-49 record.

Sorry, Schopp. Doesn't work. Try again.

Say hello to kickoff 2012. Or...

the Bills are a welcome panacea for the conundrum that is the NHL labor negotiations.

The NHL had some great momentum at the end of last season. The ball was really rolling for the league, but...the knuckleheads seem to be well on their way to bringing it to a halt with the impending lockout.

Was talking to a fan in Columbus, on who just started following hockey about a year and a half ago. She said that she was glued to the TV for the playoffs last season.

And just how many new fans felt the same way? My guess is that there are plenty more.

The NHL and the NHLPA need to get their act together.

The Buffalo Bills kick of the 2012 season in New Jersey with a game with the J-E-T-S, Te-bow Jets, and there's cause for optimism heading into this season.

Questions remain, as with any up and coming team, and predictions for the team range from 6-10 to 10-6 on the season.

Since hockey related news is hard to come by, a look at the Bills.

The overall schedule looks to be one of the easiest in the league. Once you get by the first nine games.

Six of the first nine are on the road including four of five surrounding the bye week. Also included in those first nine are two games against New England and a road game vs. San Francisco.

Beatable teams in the first nine are Kansas City, Cleveland, Arizona and Tennessee with the Jets and Houston as toss-up games.

Coming out of that stretch at least 5-4 would go a long way towards ending a 13-year playoff drought.


The team breakdown.


The Bills plugged quite a few holes this past off season, most of them on defense, which means they're going with the same offense that got off to a ruckus 5-2 start only to tank en route to a 6-10 record last season.

Injuries and lack of depth killed them last season.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is the general at QB. Whether he ends up being Patton or Custer is the big question.

There's no doubt he can run Chan Gailey's offense. He has the mental capacity to pick apart a defense but his arm strength and accuracy, at times, are question marks. Stretching the field is a necessity and hitting speedy 2012 draft pick TJ Graham will go a long way towards opening up the field.

One of the keys to Fitz being able to stretch the field will be the offensive line, especially rookie Cordy Glenn at left tackle. The line was decimated by injuries last season and seems to be fairly healthy to kick off this season. Gailey has always been able to hide flaws with his line so it will be interesting to see how he protects Glenn in the scheme.

RB Fred Jackson is healthy and CJ Spiller got some quality playing time last season after Jackson went down. Both those guys can catch the ball, whether it's Jackson coming out of the back field or Spiller lining up in the slot as a wide out. Jackson was having an All-Pro/MVP-type season last year before going down to injury. No reason to think that he won't do the same with a healthy offensive line in front of him.

Many clamored for the Bills to bolster their receiving corps in the off-season. They did not.

Stevie Johnson leads the group with Donald Jones as #2. Solid if unspectacular, with plenty of upside, define the WR corps. Add in Scott Chandler at TE and they could do some damage.

On defense the defensive line should strike fear into the opposition.

Mario Williams and Mark Anderson book-end former #3 overall pick Marcell Dareus and Pro Bowler Kyle Williams.

The secondary was bolstered by #10 overall pick Stephon Gilmore and the group back there should be solid, especially if the d-line can put pressure on the QB.

In the middle of the field, though, is a linebacking corps that could spell problems for the team. They seem average at best.

Will new Defensive Coordinator Dave Wannstedt be able to hide their flaws like Gailey does with the offensive line? Bills fans better hope so.

The defense last season was weak and put the offense into tough situations throughout the year. And that's where Fitzpatrick got into trouble. Playing from behind is a recipe for disaster, and when you took out Jackson, as well as losing C Eric Wood, it's no wonder Fitz had 23 interceptions last season.

All-in-all, the Bills should be a much improved team. Fifty percent more wins this year would equal a 9-7 record and on the playoff bubble, and is something that should be achievable this year.

What it comes down to is how they fare in the first nine games. A 5-4 record should be a springboard to at least a 10-6 record and almost an assured playoff spot.

It all begins with the Jets today. A big test on the road to start off the season.

Notes as we say goodbye to Summer, '12

It's the last day of August, thankfully. I can't remember a slower off season.

Despite the fact that the start of the NHL season might be in jeopardy due to the Sept. 15 expiration of the collective bargaining agreement, there have been some things to occupy our attention recently.

Jordan Ebelrle re-upped with Edmonton to the tune of $42M over seven years. The $6M per season equalled the contract of fellow top-line winger Taylor Hall who recently inked a 6yr./$36M contract.

Eberle came off a sparkling season in which he scored 34 goals and had 42 assists in 78 games. He bucked the "sophomore slump" by significantly increasing all of his numbers including going from a minus-12 to a plus-four.

Eberle was taken with the 22nd pick in the 2008 draft, four spots ahead of the Sabres' Tyler Ennis.

************

Ennis and the Sabres are presently negotiating a contract extension. Will Eberle's contract come into play? Possible. Is it warranted? Somewhat, but not really.

That Eberle had a stellar sophomore season is a given. But, the jump from $1.16M to $6M is a huge jump, and possibly a huge leap of faith on the part of the Oilers. Even Hall's $6M is a bit of a reach considering the fact that he's had injuries his first two seasons..

Make no mistake, the Oilers have some incredible talent with Hall, Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as well as 2012 #1 overall pick Nail Yakupov as four of their top-six.
But none of this should have any affect upon the negotiations between Ennis and the Sabres.

A more comparable contract would be that of Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene and his $3.5M cap hit. Both have comparable numbers, but question marks remain as to whether Ennis can play a top-six center role on the Sabres.

If we go back to Drew Stafford's first post-entry level contract for a $1.9M cap-hit, place Ennis below Duchene at $3.5M and add in some inflation due to the Eberle contract, Ennis should end up tucked right under Duchene, something similar to a 3yr./$10M contract.


************

Speaking of Edmonton and Buffalo, word on twitter is that the Oilers "#2" center, Sam Gagner is headed to the Sabres to take over the third-line center role.

Not sure exactly why, though. And can't understand the infatuation with a "playmaking center" who's had rather pedestrian numbers over the course of his NHL career.

Sure, the Sabres will need to replace some of the scoring they lost when they traded Derek Roy. But as seen in Roy's case, scoring doesn't necessarily lead to team success.

One should probably look somewhere else for the #3 center role and they may need to look no further than their own Zemgus Girgensons.

Colorado's Ryan O'Reilly made the immediate jump after being drafted #33 overall in the 2009 draft. Girgensons, like O'Reilly has a big frame, plays a two-way, north/south game and has has a ton of grit and toughness.

Gagner has very little of that.


************

Sabres Owner Terry Pegula is continuing with his hockey mission.

The first thing he did after selling his company two years ago was donate $88M to his Alma mater Penn State, for a D-1 hockey program.

He followed that up with the purchase of the Sabres then spent an off season sprucing up the First Niagara Center.

This past Wednesday it was announced that Pegula was the "preferred developer" for the Webster block, downtown close to the arena.

Artists rendition of Pegula's proposal

HARBORcenter Development, LLC, a Buffalo Sabres entity, announced plans for a $123M development which included two ice rinks and a hotel plus restaurant and retail space.

Groundbreaking is set for May, 2013 with an opening September, 2014.

Pegula has put the sport of hockey, the Sabres and now Buffalo on a much higher level with his passion for the sport and his strong financial commitments. Sabres fans should be thankful for an owner willing to do this. Also, not to be forgotten, fans should be thankful that former owner Tom Golisano rejected offers and settled on Pegula and his commitment to the Buffalo Sabres.


************

Pegula has oodles of money. And that's great. It allows his charges to dish out lavish contracts to free agents.

As shown in the contracts signed elsewhere this off season--from UFA's like Ryan Suter and Zach Parise to the re-signing of Hall and Eberle--the price of doing business went up in hockey.

The NHL and NHLPA are wrestling with a new CBA and, like all major sports, it's a battle between millionaires and billionaires.

WGR's Paul Hamilton was on the station Wednesday chiming in on the CBA.

Eventually everything will work itself out, but you're amiss if you think that any sense of "the real world" will add common sense to the negotiating process.

The logic has been used before:  owners and players should get into the real world.

Let's get one thing straight. Pegula will make more on the interest from his $3B net worth than Average Joe will make in multiple lifetimes.

Jordan Eberle and his $6M contract will make more in one game ($73,100) than most fans make in an entire year. In fact, at 20 mins per game, Eberle will be making roughly $3600 per minute, which is more than the many Average Joe's will make in a month.

Like with all entertainment, salary is relative. Owners and players, just like movie studios and actors are on a supremely higher level than Average Joe.

You can try to use "real world" as much as you want, but the fact of the matter is, tons of money is being thrown around, way more than Average Joe will be able to get their hands around and grasp.

"Real world" and major sports collective bargaining should never be used in the same sentence. The realities are just too extreme.


************

Hamilton spent the first half of the segment talking about the Bills and the back-up QB situation as well as the battle at WR.

Buffalo was in Detroit last night for the final preseason game. All NFL rosters need to be cut down to 53 players by 9PM tonight.

A few notes:

• The Bills first team offense really did nothing until their first (and only series of the game) drive of the last preseason game at Detroit. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick went 5-for-5 and lead the team on an 11-play, 83 yard march culminating with a 3-yard TD pass to Stevie Johnson.
• Should Bills fans consider that the real tune-up as opposed to Game-3 of the preseason? Yes. It matters not if they were blown out in Game-3 vs. Pittsburgh and eventually went 0-4. They came out relatively injury-free and this offense, which has been together for well over a year (with the benefit of a training camp this year as well) should be ready to roll in 10 days.
• The defense will take some time, though. The line is strong and should only get better. The defensive backs are a work in progress. But, the linbacking corps is looking real shaky right now which could prove real troublesome should none of them step it up.
• Can somebody please tell me what the obsession is with "wild-cat" QB/7th WR Brad Smith is? The Bills thought they could use his versatility and signed him after the Jets "low-balled" him in 2011. In his first season with the Bills he averaged 4.4 rush yards per attempt, and scored one TD on the ground. Not very wild, is it? For the year he had 23 receptions and one TD. And he attempted one pass. Not sure why they're so enamored with him.

************

A look at the 2008 NHL draft class thus far:

#1--Steven Stamkos, two "Rocket" Richard trophies for most goals in the season (2010, 2012.) Record for most goals in a season for Tampa Bay--60, 2012

#2--Drew Doughty, Stanley Cup Championship with Los Angeles 2011-12 season

#15--Erik Karlsson, Ottawa, 2012 Norris Trophy winner

A number of players log upper level minutes including Alex Pietrangelo (#4, St. Louis,) Tyler Myers (#12, Buffalo,) and Jordan Eberle (#22, Edmonton.) Others are starting to make their mark--Zach Bogosian (#3, Atlanta/Winnipeg) and Tyler Ennis (#26, Buffalo.) While like Cody Hodgson (#10 Vancouver, traded to Buffalo) and Michael Del Zotto (#20, NYR)  are making significant contributions.

Although it's not close to the 1979 or 2003 draft classes, it's shaping up to be a pretty solid one.


************

R.I.P Neil Armstrong.

One of the highlights of this summer was visiting the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum near Lima, OH.

I remember watching Armstrong setting foot on the moon on our old black and white TV set and was just enamored with it. It was a world-wide event.

Everything that ever could be said about Armstrong has already been said, but do yourself a favor, if your ever in the area, go check out the museum. Well worth it.

Evander Kane...

(A fictitious phone call between Sabres GM Darcy Regier and Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff.)

*DR takes a sip of his new summer drink, Sex On the Beach as the phone begins ringing on the other end*

KC--Hello, this is Kevin Cheveldayoff, General Manager of the new Winnipeg Jets...I'm unable to answer your call right now so please leave your message.

DR--Uhhh, yeah, Kevin? This is Darcy Regier and we need to talk...

KC--Darcy?

DR--huh?

KC--Ha. Gotcha.

DR--Ummmm...yeah...that's pretty funny, Kev...the old live, leave a message thing.

KC--Yeah, I like to do that every now and again. Haven't heard from you in a while, how's the pina colada's?

DR--Haven't had those in a couple of years, Kev. Yeah, ummm, don't have a lot of time so I'd really like to cut to the chase.

KC--What's on your mind, Darce?

DR--We, and that includes the boss, want Evander Kane.

KC--OK

DR--Are you interested in a trade?

KC--Is Tyler Myers available?

DR--No.

KC--OK. But I really don't think I'd be interested.

DR--Understood. But...ya know, boss-man really likes Evander. And...ya know, when he decides he wants something, he goes after it, money be damned.

*a sense of heightened tension is discernible on the other end*

DR--He really likes Evander and he'd really like to make a trade for him.

KC--But, he's not on the block and we're negotiating a new contract with them right now.

DR--Yeah, I know. But word is you're still pretty far apart and rumors...

KC--Rumors?...Really?...Rumors?

DR--Well this kind of stuff has been festering for nearly a year now.

KC--And what kind of "stuff" are we talking about, Darce?

DR--Well...there's the fans and the dine and dash thing...

KC--A non-issue, Darcy. Been debunked, just some hooligans trying to stir up some trouble.

DR--Sure, Kevin, that happens. But, ya gotta admit, something's amiss. It would seem as if he's...ummm...that the Winnipeg fans are really scrutinizing him.

KC--He's a star player Darce, of course that happens.

DR--Anyhow. Let's forget about the Kane vs. the haters in Winnipeg thing.

KC--There's no "thing," Darce. Nothing to it.

DR--Kevin. When a headline reads, Kane entitled to rights as a citizen, something's not right. There just seems to be a lot of acrimony. Some may even say--and let's be clear, I'm not one of them--that there may be some racial overtones involved.

KC--I don't think there's any truth to that.

DR--Even though the author had to shut down the comments section? Your star is black, ya know.

KC--I'd prefer African-Canadian, Darce. And besides, why would we want to trade him? We're looking long term.

DR--It seems as if he wants to be traded, Kevin.

KC--No truth to that. Don't believe the tweets.

DR--They go back to last fall, Kevin. Gotta be something there, you know, smoke, fire.

KC--Nothing there last year and nothing there this year.

DR--Somethin's not right. Been a lot of this stuff going on recently.

KC--Tweety-birds, Darce. Tweety-birds. Social media is a scourage. Kane is ready to sign here for a number of years, despite the percieved "fishbowl existence." He will be a Jet for a long time despite the rumors that the city doesn't like him. We like him, he's a big part of our future.

DR--Well, Kevin, not if we have any say.

KC--You don't, Darce. No Myers, no jumping off point.

DR--Well then, this is just to let you know that if we cannot work out a trade, the Buffalo Sabres are prepared to offer-sheet Kane.

KC--Oh really?

DR--Yes. Really.

KC--This is not you Darcy. Never thought I'd hear that from you. Have you forgotten about the Vanek sheet.

DR--No, I haven't. And no, this is not how I would do things, but boss-man doesn't have any ties to Vanek, nor does he really care how he gets players, he wants them, has the money to pay them and is willing to pay well over market price.

KC--That's pretty rough, Darce.

DR--Sorry. You know my contract's up this fall, eh?

KC--No I didn't.

DR--Boss-man wants something done this off season. He signed off on the Doan contract offer and he's willing to sign off on this one as well...We'll be offering Evander a sizable contract. One that will out-do recent signings. You're boy with the Free Press got it all wrong. Kane doesn't need to take your offer, there's always plenty of time for an offer sheet, and let me tell ya, Kev, it'll be a whopper. If your owners are gonna match, it'll cost 'em.

KC--So you're going higher than Tavares? Skinner? And Taylor Hall as well.

DR--You are correct.

KC--You're crazy.

DR--See Shane Doan.

KC--You know our owners will match. The only thing this would do would be piss them off, as well as the rest of the league.

DR--Well, I did come to you first with a trade in mind.

KC--Fine. What are you offering?

DR--Thomas Vanek, Luke Adam and either Andrej Sekera or 2nd round pick this year plus a mid-level prospect.

KC--That's not even close to Tyler Myers.

DR--It's not supposed to be.

KC--It's not enough. We'll wait for the offer-sheet.

*click*

"It was the Flyers style of play that got me into it."

Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber
are just two Flyers from the
1970's that helped Sabres
owner Terry Pegula get into
hockey.

That little nugget from Terry Pegula was culled from a November 30, 2010 piece by the Buffalo News' Bucky Gleason.

It's something that may have been overlooked when first printed, but it's something that may have a long-standing impact upon the team.

Make no mistake, Pegula is the owner. He may have kept GM Darcy Regier on and may have allowed him to stay the course during the transitionary period, but when all's said and done, it's Pegula's vision.

Regier had his chance to prove that his (or was it former owner Tom Golisano and Managing partner Larry Quinn's?) vision was a viable template for building a Cup contender, but it was a failure. As constructed, the team did not have what it took to even make the playoffs with "the core" at the helm. (It should be noted that Lindy Ruff handed over the keys to the team naming all "Rochester Guys" as captains.)

Just as the 2011 off-season was a landmark financial/philosophical departure from the previous regime, the Derek Roy for Steve Ott/Adam Pardy trade should be construed as a harbinger of things to come when it comes to rebuilding the forward group.

Ott is known for his rugged, north-south, work your ass off style of play and would have fit right in with the Flyers of the early/mid 70's. Roy...not so much. And as the team retools, it's Ott's "tough to play against" style that will supplant a group of forwards that was widely regarded as "easy to play against."

Regier was on the right track and the 2009 draft exemplified that. Their three top picks that year, Zack Kassian (#13,) Brayden McNabb (#66,) and Marcus Foligno (#104,) are all big players with various skill levels. And all were brought in because the Sabres were widely regarded as an easy team to play against.

The first one of that group that will probably stick with the team for a full NHL season is Foligno. He's an Ott-type player--rugged, unafraid of the "dirty areas," will get a bloody nose for a goal, nasty on the forecheck. He had a stellar introduction to the NHL--14 games, 6 goals, 7 assists--and was on a line with Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford that bordered on unstoppable at the end of the season.

And should he settle into a top-nine/top-six role on the team, Foligno would be considered one of the faces of "the new core."

That type of player, one that's tough to play against, would fit into Pegula's vison of a "Flyers style of play" type team that he seems to want.

The Philadelphia Flyers have always been a rugged team--win at all costs, battle every minute, take one on the chin for the team. From the Broadstreet Bullies to today, they've always had an intense forecheck from their forward ranks and they always seemed to draft and/or sign players who used work ethic to enhance their skill level--from Bobby Clarke to John Leclair to Mike Richards to Claude Giroux.

In Sabreland, look no further than the drafting of Zemgus Girgensons as a player in that mold. The team traded up to get him and wasted little time in signing him to his entry level contract.

"The Latvian Locomotive" could easily fit right in with the Flyers organization. As a 2012 draftee (#14,) there's nothing but speculation as to where he'll ultimately end up in the grand scheme of things. But his profile oozes grit and character and is very "uncore-like."

The typical Regierian draftpick in the first round is a "skill player." And they did that with the drafting of center Mikhail Grigorenko (#12, 2012) two spots ahead of Girgensons. Not that Grigorenko is a bad pick. He's a player with top-five talents who dropped to them at #12. They did well by picking him. And Regier did an outstanding job trading up to land a player that was probably number one on their list to begin with in Girgensons.

But if you look at the Regierian "skill" philosophy going back to their first post-lockout draft, "skill" seemed to trump "will" when picking in the first round--Marek Zagrapan (#13, 2005,) Dennis Persson (#24, 2006,) Joel Armia (#16, 2011,) and the aforementioned Grigorenko pick.

The lone departure from the norm was with the pick of "rugged, power forward tough-guy" Kassian in 2009. The fact that he's no longer with the team shows just how ill-prepared the team was when looking towards that type of player.


The 1975 Stanley Cup Finals Captains:
Bobby Clarke (l) and Gilbert Perreault (r)

In defense of Regier, the Sabres like almost every other team worth a damn, will always take the best player available when it comes to mid-lower first round draft picks. And one must also take into consideration the strengths of the organization at the time. Picks like the two Tylers--Myers (#12, 2008,) and Ennis (#26, 2008)--seem like solid picks with plenty of upside and lean heavily towards the skill side of the equation, yet still have an edge to their game. 2010 pick (#23) Mark Pysyk will get his first taste of the pro ranks this season and will have the opportunity to showcase his stay-at-home style and leadership qualities in Rochester. But he uses savvy on the back-end more than anything else (which is not a bad thing.)

This is not to dismiss the "skill" side of the equation either. You realistically can't win the Cup these days with a bunch of muckers and grinders, even with one of the greatest goalies of all time. Skill is a necessary ingredient.

And the Sabres from Day-One always have had highly skilled teams. From "The French Connection" (a team that Pegula also loved,) to Pat LaFontaine/Alexander Mogilny to "the Ferrari" that was lead by Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, there's always been excitement and end-to end rushes. That's part of the Sabres culture.

In Gleason's article he also mentioned that Pegula in the mid-70's was torn between the Broadstreet Bullies and the French Connection. "It was the Philadelphia Flyers' style of play that got me into it," Pegula said after presenting Penn State with the largest private gift in the university's history. "Then I moved to Western New York, and I became more or less a Buffalo Sabres fan. ... The Flyers and Sabres played for the Stanley Cup, and it was difficult. I liked both teams."

The Flyers' Bill Barber (l)
and Sabres Gil Perreault at
the 1990 Hall of Fame
Ceremony.

It wouldn't be too inconceivable to think that Pegula has a 1975 Stanley Cup Final hybrid in mind when it comes to team-building.

And it goes back to what he said at the press conference February 22, 2011 when he was introduced as the owner of the Sabres, "I want to keep not only statistically good players, but winners, gritty players."

From Foligno's first NHL goal on March 10, to the drafting of Girgensons on June 22, to the July 2 trade for Steve Ott,  it would seem as if Pegula's vision is just beginning to take shape. Will he be able to mold a hybrid of his two favorite teams in the 70's?

Only time will tell, but it would seem as if he's directed his charges to begin molding a team that has some tough, old-school, Flyer-like characteristics that he was introduced to in the 70's.

How far they head in that direction is yet to be determined, but we do know one thing, "the core" is being torn down as they add grittier, anti-core players.

And, that's a good thing.