Pegula Interview with AP

Jacob582

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Oct 16, 2012
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Pegula has learned alot since he became owner. He came is as a fan, fell in love with the players, coach, and GM he was rooting for.

He has grown up and realized what it takes to win a championship and that putting a time line on a rebuild is silly.

Yes, for a guy who said he has never fired anyone in his life, employees have left the organization.

Ruff, Patrick, Adams, a scout or two?, plus players traded
 

slip

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Rookie exuberance from Pegula now tempered by a bit of experience and we see a change in commentary. Seems he's gained some wisdom and isn't still following the wrong path.

And best of all, he's still got 3 billion, which I think is about 3 billion more than the hedge funder dude who bought the Panthers yesterday.
 

Lock3Boys

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Aug 16, 2005
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Good, imo. If Vanek wants to re-sign here, get it done. There's little point in re-signing Miller at his age for the money and term he'll be looking for.

This is what I'm hoping for. I would think Miller is looking for 5+ years and 6+ million per year. If that is the case, please walk away Sabres.

I reserve the right to change my mind if Ryan steals games and has the team pushing for a playoff birth though. :) Even then, I don't think I would change my mind.
 

Jim Bob

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This is what I'm hoping for. I would think Miller is looking for 5+ years and 6+ million per year. If that is the case, please walk away Sabres.

I reserve the right to change my mind if Ryan steals games and has the team pushing for a playoff birth though. :) Even then, I don't think I would change my mind.

I'm guessing that Miller might get Mike Smith money if he hits the market (6 yrs $34M).

But, that's if he has a strong year this year. He could get pinched, sort of how Vokoun did a few years ago when he ended up signing the one year deal in Washington.
 

Montag DP

Sabres fan in...
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Having moved to Atlanta two years ago, it's funny how different the level of professionalism in sports journalism is here compared to Buffalo. The TBN reporters are just disgraceful.

That all aside, I like what Pegula is saying. He does sound like he has grown up a bit as an owner and his outlook has matured with it. I think he's also pretty much dispelled the thought that he would be too attached to his players and staff to make big changes. IMO, he has shown a good balance between patience and the ability to see when someone needs to go.
 

Paxon

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I am so over the whole TBN freeze out.

Both sides are acting like small children, IMO.

This is nothing compared to James Dolan (owner of MSG/Knicks/Rangers) and the NYC sports media. He doesn't allow anyone in the front office to talk to reporters outside of occasional press conferences and the last time he addressed the media with respect to the Knicks, I believe, was the press conference for Carmelo Anthony's arrival. Oh, and he just fired his very competent GM yesterday for no good reason (just like he did a couple years ago) only to replace him with a guy who is more of a non-basketball operations guy. We're small time here in Buffalo :laugh:
 

haseoke39

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I am so over the whole TBN freeze out.

Both sides are acting like small children, IMO.

I don't see how its immature to grant interviews to media you respect. TBN doesn't have a right to anything. If they were doing their freaking job half competently, they'd have enough savvy to not piss off the very people they're supposed to get coverage from.
 

SackTastic

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Mar 25, 2011
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TBN did this to themselves. They could have been critical yet professional and never had these problems.

However, they felt the need to go tabloid-esque, and it bit them in the rear. I very much disagree that the Sabres deserve a lot of blame here.
 

ZZamboni

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TBN did this to themselves. They could have been critical yet professional and never had these problems.

However, they felt the need to go tabloid-esque, and it bit them in the rear. I very much disagree that the Sabres deserve a lot of blame here.

Agree. They can be professional and mature. Instead they continually go ignorant, immature and sophomoric sensationalism. And they don't see it, or just don't care as long as they draw a check. Pitiful.
 

Jim Bob

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I don't see how its immature to grant interviews to media you respect. TBN doesn't have a right to anything. If they were doing their freaking job half competently, they'd have enough savvy to not piss off the very people they're supposed to get coverage from.

The problem is that Pegula came in here chastising the local media and saying that their negative attitude affected players like Tim Connolly.

Sorry, but this still has a tinge of "if you don't right puff pieces about my team, I won't give you access" to me.

That is garbage.

This is pro sports and you have to expect the media to call a spade a spade.

While I agree that certain writers at TBN are over the top with their criticism of the team, not all of them are. And even with that, I would prefer that Pegula acts like the bigger person and still talks to them and then doesn't let the garbage get to him.

But, I guess he can't handle that....
 

haseoke39

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The problem is that Pegula came in here chastising the local media and saying that their negative attitude affected players like Tim Connolly.

Sorry, but this still has a tinge of "if you don't right puff pieces about my team, I won't give you access" to me.

That is garbage.

This is pro sports and you have to expect the media to call a spade a spade.

While I agree that certain writers at TBN are over the top with their criticism of the team, not all of them are. And even with that, I would prefer that Pegula acts like the bigger person and still talks to them and then doesn't let the garbage get to him.

But, I guess he can't handle that....

I don't think it's the criticism that turned Pegula off. I think it's the harassment. No other owner in the league gives press conferences regularly, but if Pegula doesn't, they call him all over the carpet. That's just childish. Rather than reporting, they walk into press conferences and start getting into arguments with team staff. I think they could have been professionally critical, even highly critical of the team, and still had access to its owner. They sank too low, though.

And the most pertinent fact is, it's not Terry Pegula's job to give anyone interviews. It is emphatically TBN's job, however, to conduct themselves with the level of professionalism required to maintain a healthy relationship with the people they need to give them information. I feel no pity for those guys.
 

cardiffgiant

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The problem is that Pegula came in here chastising the local media and saying that their negative attitude affected players like Tim Connolly.

Sorry, but this still has a tinge of "if you don't right puff pieces about my team, I won't give you access" to me.

That is garbage.

This is pro sports and you have to expect the media to call a spade a spade.

While I agree that certain writers at TBN are over the top with their criticism of the team, not all of them are. And even with that, I would prefer that Pegula acts like the bigger person and still talks to them and then doesn't let the garbage get to him.

But, I guess he can't handle that....

I could have bought into the Pegula camp being over sensitive until the crap that came out of them the last time that they had access to Terry. It was a presser about the work going into the harbor and they distracted from something good finally happening in that area to ask questions about the team, then attack his public speaking and write an article suggesting that he's a racist when he wouldn't comply.

Nothing good would come out of an interview with Terry and Gleason, Harrington, or Sullivan. Those clowns can't even lift a thoughtful and objective question from this forum (and we know that at least two of them are looking). I don't see what would be gained by Pegula trying to be the bigger person with that crew.
 

BuzzKillington90

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I could have bought into the Pegula camp being over sensitive until the crap that came out of them the last time that they had access to Terry. It was a presser about the work going into the harbor and they distracted from something good finally happening in that area to ask questions about the team, then attack his public speaking and write an article suggesting that he's a racist when he wouldn't comply.

Nothing good would come out of an interview with Terry and Gleason, Harrington, or Sullivan. Those clowns can't even lift a thoughtful and objective question from this forum (and we know that at least two of them are looking). I don't see what would be gained by Pegula trying to be the bigger person with that crew.

Its sad when you name three TBN writers and Harrington is the least hack-ish of the bunch.

Sabres should just stipulate that Vogl gets access... Or to a lesser extent Hamilton... They are competent at their job at least....Vogl is actually good at it.
 

Chainshot

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Its sad when you name three TBN writers and Harrington is the least hack-ish of the bunch.

Sabres should just stipulate that Vogl gets access... Or to a lesser extent Hamilton... They are competent at their job at least....Vogl is actually good at it.

They could also offer it to someone like Graham now that he's returned. He has a substantial knowledge of hockey as Jim Kelley's successor prior to heading to Florida and then returning.
 

Jim Bob

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I don't think it's the criticism that turned Pegula off. I think it's the harassment. No other owner in the league gives press conferences regularly, but if Pegula doesn't, they call him all over the carpet. That's just childish. Rather than reporting, they walk into press conferences and start getting into arguments with team staff. I think they could have been professionally critical, even highly critical of the team, and still had access to its owner. They sank too low, though.

And the most pertinent fact is, it's not Terry Pegula's job to give anyone interviews. It is emphatically TBN's job, however, to conduct themselves with the level of professionalism required to maintain a healthy relationship with the people they need to give them information. I feel no pity for those guys.

If Pegula wasn't giving out ANY interviews and keeping Ted Black as the face of the team, that would be one thing. But, that's not what is happening here.

This is happening enough to be obvious what is going on. That's why people on here are joking about it!

And I don't think that is professional.

We might as well agree to disagree.

I could have bought into the Pegula camp being over sensitive until the crap that came out of them the last time that they had access to Terry. It was a presser about the work going into the harbor and they distracted from something good finally happening in that area to ask questions about the team, then attack his public speaking and write an article suggesting that he's a racist when he wouldn't comply.

Nothing good would come out of an interview with Terry and Gleason, Harrington, or Sullivan. Those clowns can't even lift a thoughtful and objective question from this forum (and we know that at least two of them are looking). I don't see what would be gained by Pegula trying to be the bigger person with that crew.

Being the bigger person is about not asking "what's in it for me" and doing the right thing.

In this case, it's about giving all the usual media outlets the same level of access. But, he's choosing not to.
 

joshjull

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Aug 2, 2005
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If Pegula wasn't giving out ANY interviews and keeping Ted Black as the face of the team, that would be one thing. But, that's not what is happening here.

This is happening enough to be obvious what is going on. That's why people on here are joking about it!

And I don't think that is professional.

We might as well agree to disagree.

I'm trying to understand this. He's a NHL owner and billionaire businessman. What are the professional standards for these folks when it comes to the media? You may feel he should do certain things and that's fine. But I'm not aware of set of professional standards governing this. The ones that do have professional standards are the reporters.
Being the bigger person is about not asking "what's in it for me" and doing the right thing.

In this case, it's about giving all the usual media outlets the same level of access. But, he's choosing not to

Again this may be your desire for how he should act but NHL owners are not under any obligation to do what you wish he was doing. The guys in the organization who are obligated on a daily basis to deal with the local media do so equally.

But I do understand where you're coming from even if I don't share your take.
 

haseoke39

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Mar 29, 2011
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And I don't think that is professional.

Yeah, I just don't think that Terry Pegula is under any professional obligation to give his time to any particular media outlet. He can talk to any of them, and I don't think it has any bearing on his professionalism. TBN isn't a part of the NHL, Terry didn't buy into their company, he doesn't owe their journalists any favors over any other set of journalists.
 

Jim Bob

RIP RJ
Feb 27, 2002
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I'm trying to understand this. He's a NHL owner and billionaire businessman. What are the professional standards for these folks when it comes to the media? You may feel he should do certain things and that's fine. But I'm not aware of set of professional standards governing this. The ones that do have professional standards are the reporters.

Again this may be your desire for how he should act but NHL owners are not under any obligation to do what you wish he was doing. The guys in the organization who are obligated on a daily basis to deal with the local media do so equally.

But I do understand where you're coming from even if I don't share your take.

Where are the standards of prefessionalism for the media, players, GMs, coaches, team executives ala Ted Black, or anyone else documented?

I don't know of anywhere that documents this type of stuff.

It's all personal opinions about how these people should carry themselves.

I happen to have the opinion that if Terry feels like he doesn't have to talk, then that's fine. I think it looks petty when he talks to the AP and not to the News, is all.

Just like I thought it was rather weak that Black had no comment on the generally negative reception from the fans that the new 3rd jersey got.

Black didn't HAVE to respond. But, I thought he should have given his role with the organization and the fact that he's been really accessible throughout his time with the club.

I think it's weak to duck and hide when times get tough.

Just like when fans want players to "stand up and be held accountable" by the media when things go bad, I think the same expectations for the management of the club isn't out of line.

Yeah, I just don't think that Terry Pegula is under any professional obligation to give his time to any particular media outlet. He can talk to any of them, and I don't think it has any bearing on his professionalism. TBN isn't a part of the NHL, Terry didn't buy into their company, he doesn't owe their journalists any favors over any other set of journalists.

We will have to agree to disagree then.

I think the optics are bad, at best.

An owner that wants to build "Hockey Heaven" and he repeatedly avoids talking to the one newspaper in town. That doesn't look good to me.
 

Push Dr Tracksuit

Gerstmann 3:16
Jun 9, 2012
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An owner that wants to build "Hockey Heaven" and he repeatedly avoids talking to the one newspaper in town. That doesn't look good to me.

hey NHLers come to Buffalo where the owner will back you up if you tell TBN to sit on your stick and do a couple laps, sounds like some hockey heaven for the players

Also I doubt TP cares if it looks good to you, reference Darcy and the new thirds
 

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I thoroughly enjoy Pegula blowing off TBN. He has every right to, and there's no standard of professionalism for him to adhere to in the situation. TBN spews biased garbage that isn't even insightful (aside from Vogl), so they deserve the cold shoulder. If Pegula had an across-the-board policy to not talk to ANY media, that would be awkward or inappropriate in certain cases. He has the option to talk to anybody he chooses, and there's nothing wrong with being picky about it.
 

cardiffgiant

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Being the bigger person is about not asking "what's in it for me" and doing the right thing.

In this case, it's about giving all the usual media outlets the same level of access. But, he's choosing not to.

That's not how I meant for it to come across, but re-reading it, I can see why it did. I meant that I don't see what any of us (fans, Sabres, media) can gain by Pegula being the bigger man with TBN.

He can put himself out there all day and those guys will never give him an objective shake. It's just not their MO.
 

FoSotC

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I could have bought into the Pegula camp being over sensitive until the crap that came out of them the last time that they had access to Terry. It was a presser about the work going into the harbor and they distracted from something good finally happening in that area to ask questions about the team, then attack his public speaking and write an article suggesting that he's a racist when he wouldn't comply.

Are you talking about this?: http://www.buffalonews.com/20130414/try_as_he_might_pegula_just_doesn_x2019_t_get_it.html

Pegula's "joke":
“I’m a little confused,” Terry said next. “I’m sitting on the stage between Mayor [Byron] Brown and Ted Black, yet I look over there, and I’m wondering, is something backwards here?”

Sullivan then goes on to say:
Hearing Pegula utter clumsy, off-color remarks on the big day, you understood why Black and his PR troops would be reluctant to set him loose in public. The Black and Brown stuff was fairly harmless. I’m not suggesting that Pegula is racist, just guilty of dubious judgment.

If that's the case, I'd have to agree with Sullivan there. That was a pretty dumb and unnecessary joke to make.
 

haseoke39

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Mar 29, 2011
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Are you talking about this?: http://www.buffalonews.com/20130414/try_as_he_might_pegula_just_doesn_x2019_t_get_it.html

Pegula's "joke":


Sullivan then goes on to say:


If that's the case, I'd have to agree with Sullivan there. That was a pretty dumb and unnecessary joke to make.

I don't really find Sullivan's interpretation of the comment persuasive. When asked what he meant later, he said he was making an inside joke.

I mean, you've gotta interpret him as saying the black man ought to be president on the hockey club, which isn't doesn't even make racist sense. That, and the fact that it's reprinted with this awkward dangling thing ("and then I look over there") that leaves the reader wondering what he says he's looking at, and if there's any context, which it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Jerry left out to try and make the guy look bad. He's a middle school journalist. Or if there is no context, I think the average joe hears that comment, can't make heads or tails of it, and tosses it aside as a non-sequitur. He doesn't write a column trashing Terry personally, even taking his lead paragraph to insinuate the man is a racist, which is just more on the point of these writers being unprofessional. The entire rest of the article is Sullivan lambasting Terry for not "taking the heat" (read: sitting there and letting the press take potshots at you) after the season. That's it. That's what merits that whole article, is Jerry whining about not getting what he wants. What owner in the league grants that kind of press conference? Any?

Would you be doing favors for guys who, for no ******* reason, start publishing articles calling you a racist? Especially when your comments don't speak for themselves - when the writer has to spend more time instructing the reader on how to interpret the comment as racist than it takes to relay the comment itself. I wouldn't. For what? Because he didn't fire Darcy Regier when Bucky Gleason wrote enough "GM for a Day" columns to show that he thought he was better.

Granting someone an interview is doing them a favor. I wouldn't be doing any favors for the guys who call me racist in print and attack me for not giving them special access no other owner in the league gives.
 
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Dex

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I don't really find Sullivan's interpretation of the comment persuasive. When asked what he meant later, he said he was making an inside joke.

I mean, you've gotta interpret him as saying the black man ought to be president on the hockey club, which isn't doesn't even make racist sense. That, and the fact that it's reprinted with this awkward dangling thing ("and then I look over there") that leaves the reader wondering what he says he's looking at, and if there's any context, which it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Jerry left out to try and make the guy look bad. He's a middle school journalist. Or if there is no context, I think the average joe hears that comment, can't make heads or tails of it, and tosses it aside as a non-sequitur. He doesn't write a column trashing Terry personally, even taking his lead paragraph to insinuate the man is a racist, which is just more on the point of these writers being unprofessional. The entire rest of the article is Sullivan lambasting Terry for not "taking the heat" (read: sitting there and letting the press take potshots at you) after the season. That's it. That's what merits that whole article, is Jerry whining about not getting what he wants. What owner in the league grants that kind of press conference? Any?

Would you be doing favors for guys who, for no ******* reason, start publishing articles calling you a racist? Especially when your comments don't speak for themselves - when the writer has to spend more time instructing the reader on how to interpret the comment as racist than it takes to relay the comment itself. I wouldn't. For what? Because he didn't fire Darcy Regier when Bucky Gleason wrote enough "GM for a Day" columns to show that he thought he was better.

Granting someone an interview is doing them a favor. I wouldn't be doing any favors for the guys who call me racist in print and attack me for not giving them special access no other owner in the league gives.

I agree with these comments 100%. That article written by Sullivan was libelous, IMO. If I were Pegula I'd never give the BN another interview.

I simple do not understand why TBN and fans in general feel they are owed direct access to the owner for the purpose of grilling him and "taking the heat" That's what Black and Regier are for.
 

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