Pegulas need to sell one major team

[kp2575]

I just hate this approach to ownership though. If you don't know what you are doing when running a sports organization, hire the right people to do it and learn alongside them. While the Pegulas have been fiddling around trying to figure out this whole sports team thing, fans have dropped thousands on season tickets just to witness a garbage, over-hyped on-ice product and our years with elite young talent like Jack Eichel are wasting away.

It absolutely sucks. It's not like they made a conscious choice to go out and hire the wrong person. With GMTM they thought they were getting a young guy that was ready to run his own show, he wasn't. How many franchises have like long-term stability in their front office in pro sports? 10%? Less? It sucks to continually get punched in the face... But to the pitchforks over the owners here is a bit much.

 

[slip]

They had a gm that tried to spend their way out of bad drafting initially, then hired a GM that tried to trade their way out of it and burnt through assets, now they hired a GM taking a draft and develop approach. (Which should have been the what the second GM did.)

Really? Then explain the Montour trade. Or why we have only 4 picks in the first five rounds in this years's highly regarded draft. Also, explain how forcing Mitts and Thompson onto the roster represents a sound developmental approach.

Watch what they do, not what they say.

 

[Buffaloed]

Oh brother.

Yeah, I wish they’d go back to the Golisano days when our two best players walked out on the same day because we were too cheap to sign them.

The owner isn’t the problem.

We call those the days of Whine and Roses

 

[Waterfowlist]

We cant relieve them of all criticism. I support the hires they've made for the Bills, but they absolutely deserve criticism for the Sabres debacle. They were the ones who hired Botts and Murray, and it's been a ripple effect of **** since those buffoons took over.

Bots and Murray are their attempts to buck the trend of hiring retreads. I commend them for those efforts.

In decision making, you can make the right decision at the time and still have poor outcomes.

The question is what they do next. If they are competent enough to find an NFL coach, I have no reason to believe they can’t find the right NHL coach.

 

[MayDay]

The question is what they do next. If they are competent enough to find an NFL coach, I have no reason to believe they can’t find the right NHL coach.

IMO, the jury is still out on that. McDermott hasn't really proven anything to me yet. The Bills have been mediocre the last two seasons - pretty much the same place that they have spent the last 18 years.

 

[Puppa2Miller]

People should be careful what they wish for.

Im not even from the US let alone Buffalo - but if it wasn't for the Pegula ownership one or both teams might not be in Buffalo anymore...

To answer the OP - I think they ate fine owning both teams. They just need to have a management structure in place for both teams - with one person at the top for each.

Those people at the top need to be the right people & have full authority / control of the respective team operations - including hiring firing of GM/coaches /personnel etc.

This! Having ownership stability in such a small market is a Godsend. I can't believe people are even taking the bait on this thread.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Really? Then explain the Montour trade. Or why we have only 4 picks in the first five rounds in this years's highly regarded draft. Also, explain how forcing Mitts and Thompson onto the roster represents a sound developmental approach.

Watch what they do, not what they say.

I don't know what they're doing. They're all over the place. You can argue both sides, which is why I say with confidence that they don't even know what they're doing.

Forcing Mittelstadt as the #2 center made absolutely no sense to me at all

 

[Goathead]

Pegulas need to sell one major team

Pegulas need to sell both major teams


There, fixed it.

I was reading the comments by Terry and Kim yesterday. Terry said his usual dimwitted nonsense, "let's wait and see" and "I don't know." Despite all the failure, he supported Kim as his Football/Hockey Czar. Laughably, Kim is going around the NFL asking other owners how they do it. Kim, do you really think the other owners will reveal their secrets it took them years to learn and tell you how they do it -- and encourage you to be anything other than a doormat?

Kim basically admitted that she is inexperienced and knows very little and is relying on other owners who help her learn on the job. This is not a good place to start, especially when owning two major league teams, let alone one.

I think they're starting to find out that Buffalo is a tough crowd.

If Kim is seriously doing that it is bush league. My outlook for the future of this team just got a whole lot darker.

Hey here’s an idea... instead of going door to door asking for hand outs hire someone with that experience already.

 

[Sabre Dance]

People should be careful what they wish for.

Im not even from the US let alone Buffalo - but if it wasn't for the Pegula ownership one or both teams might not be in Buffalo anymore...

To answer the OP - I think they ate fine owning both teams. They just need to have a management structure in place for both teams - with one person at the top for each.

Those people at the top need to be the right people & have full authority / control of the respective team operations - including hiring firing of GM/coaches /personnel etc.

Pegulas are good owners, it's not easy to build a winning franchise. I do think they messed up the Sabres rebuild, but they did put a lot of money and resources into the franchise.

 

[5 Minute Major]

IMO, the jury is still out on that. McDermott hasn't really proven anything to me yet. The Bills have been mediocre the last two seasons - pretty much the same place that they have spent the last 18 years.

If McDermott was let go by the Bills after this last season ended I GUARANTEE you that he would have been the most sought after HC on the market.

Again, GUARANTEED.

 

[BowieSabresFan]

As others have said, just hire a good person to run the hockey side of things and everything is fine.

Some of you really need to get a grip. I understand the frustration, but this board has gone insane lately.

 

[OkimLom]

Pegulas are good owners, it's not easy to build a winning franchise. I do think they messed up the Sabres rebuild, but they did put a lot of money and resources into the franchise.

Honestly, put some trust in your GMs, and DON'T get involved in the hiring process. The coaches' jobs aren't how well they get along with the owner, it's how well they can teach the players. Stop being involved in the interview process.

 

[debaser66]

Unless you get an owner who is more savvy and likes to spend its not gonna change...if you get an owner who is cheap, well just travel back to 2007 or watch the Senators situation; we re not better now but at least we have the possibility to keep some talent...

The Sabres need a president to prevent the GM making stupid deals like the RoR trade or hanging the team out to dry because its not time yet...or keeping a high school coach for too long

 

[Buffalo Norsemen]

Will fans from Canada still travel to attend games and buy tickets though? Lol

I hope they sell to an out of market owner who moves the Sabres. Then the real whining will begin.

They deserve criticism but this thread is over the top.

 

[Buffaloed]

We can dig a well and buy the Sabres from the Pegula's! We'll need someone with some spare land to donate the mineral rights. I'm sure we'll hit something valuable if we dig deep enough. Since we're all well qualified all we have to do is draw straws to pick a coach and GM. This is going to be great! I wish I had thought of it sooner.

 

[MayDay]

The Sabres need a president to prevent the GM making stupid deals like the RoR trade or hanging the team out to dry because its not time yet...or keeping a high school coach for too long

If the whole point of hiring a president is to have a smart person to keep your GM from making stupid decisions . . . why not just make that person the GM?

 

[debaser66]

If the whole point of hiring a president is to have a smart person to keep your GM from making stupid decisions . . . why not just make that person the GM?

Its about control and accountability

 

[CaseyMitts37]

If the whole point of hiring a president is to have a smart person to keep your GM from making stupid decisions . . . why not just make that person the GM?

Ask that question to Toronto and Tampa Bay

 

[MayDay]

Its about control and accountability

Please elaborate. How does adding an additional layer of management increase control and accountability?

Again, if the only point of having a president is to keep your GM from doing bad things, forget the president and get a better GM who doesn't do those bad things.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

If Kim is seriously doing that it is bush league. My outlook for the future of this team just got a whole lot darker.

Hey here’s an idea... instead of going door to door asking for hand outs hire someone with that experience already.

Hire someone with experience being an owner?! How is she supposed to do that? The post you quoted says she's asking other owners for advice on being an owner. You can't reasonably hire that.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Please elaborate. How does adding an additional layer of management increase control and accountability?

Again, if the only point of having a president is to keep your GM from doing bad things, forget the president and get a better GM who doesn't do those bad things.

I have the same questions you do. Classically, adding layers decreases control and accountability.

 

[MrMaster]

We can dig a well and buy the Sabres from the Pegula's! We'll need someone with some spare land to donate the mineral rights. I'm sure we'll hit something valuable if we dig deep enough. Since we're all well qualified all we have to do is draw straws to pick a coach and GM. This is going to be great! I wish I had thought of it sooner.

I still own some Bitcoin, maybe i can buy out Okbozo one day.

 

[Paxon]

They sounded lost, in way to deep, with no plan or optimism in comments from AZ tonight with no big picture or focus for the Sabres let alone also running a NFL franchise. I'm starting to firmly believe they need to sell one franchise and focus 100% on one team.

Either they're capable of owning both franchises by hiring the right people to handle the sports end of things or they're incapable of doing that with one franchise. I really don't see the difference. They shouldn't be 'focusing' on either team other than meeting with management to keep abreast and evaluating that management after each season. We don't need them micromanaging either team.

 

[dasaybz]

Completely baffling looking at the crap the Pegulas get. Gollisano and freaking John Rigas were much better owners right? I mean, the Sabres did go to the playoffs with both owners.

The Pegulas have dumped gobs of money into downtown Buffalo, built the Harbor center, kept the Bills from moving, and some posters call them names like children? Cute.

 

[dasaybz]

I agree with you 100%. Pegula was asked if he thinks he would consider one for the Sabres and he straight up said "I don't think so" and then mentioned that he talks to "Botts" sometimes up to 3 times a day.

So that should cover it then. LOL

Folks, we have another Ralph Wilson as the owner now. Not in the same exact ways, but in the way that Ralph was a horrible owner and as long as he owned the Bills, we were going to be crap.

You don't have to believe me; just pay attention.

Not even friggin close dude. Wilson was a cheap SOB that always threatened to move the team. Ralph Wilson is probably the furthest thing from the Pegulas, odd you picked him as a comparison really.