Like many have voiced here, this news hit me pretty hard, and in many ways. I was 13 when the Sabres joined the NHL, so 14 when RJ joined the Sabres. I'm 66 now, RJ had been part of my life for 52 years. That's longer than anyone else aside from my parents, my sister and my brother.
I was very fortunate that my uncle had four season tickets to the Sabres from the very first year. So I got to see 5-7 live games a year for quite some time. But on the home front, we were only able to catch games that might have been on local TV. We couldn't afford cable, and and with high school and then my college years during which I lived at home - the only real way to catch the Sabres was the radio broadcast. Usually it was while doing homework or studying. That's where my appreciation for RJ really took hold. I loved listening to the games so much that even after I reached the point that I could afford cable, I didn't bother. I'd listen in the kitchen, out in the garage, outside - wherever I was doing something. I did break down and get Direct TV some time after in the late 90s.
The great calls he made became legendary and have already been discussed. One of the things, though, that I really loved was the way RJ described the action during routine play. You knew who had the puck, where it was on the ice and where it was going. And those changes in tone when something almost or was about to happen just piqued your interest and had you paying full attention. The variety of words he used to describe the movement of the puck were just phenomenal - "ripped, fired, jammed, dumped, poked, punched, shoveled, tapped in, slaps, flipped, rags it, feathers, saucers it, slides it, bounces it, dumps it, drops it, chops it, steers it, hacks it, gathers it, spins it, rattles it, lays it, whips, it, gathers it, reels it, clears it, drags it, tips it, pokes it, swings it, pushes it, slips it - those are all actual descriptions that, along with some variations, RJ used in one of his final games. I just wanted to make a list so I could remember that aspect of his style.
For one of the final games for which he did play by play as he wound down to his final call, my wife noticed that I was not watching the game. She came out to the garage where I was working on something and asked me why I wasn't watching the game. I told her that I wanted to listed to RJs call on the radio one last time - just like I had for all those years - so I could remember how it felt and I have to say, it felt really good and brings a smile to my face. My wife and I were lucky enough to get tickets for RJ night and that was a great night as well. And that last OT goal on his last call couldn't have been scripted any better.
Like so many, I was hoping that RJ would be around for the Sabres return to the playoffs and maybe even a cup - thinking perhaps that he would be invited up to the booth to participate. Then Friday Thursday night, my wife came down to my basement jazz room where I had fallen asleep, woke me up and told me that RJ had passed away. I teared up, then got a text from one of my sons, then from my brother in law in Florida, then another from my brother in PA. It seemed surreal, and I can't believe what a sense of loss I felt. At the same time, there was a feeling of thankfulness that I had the opportunity to hear so many games called by RJ and how much I appreciated his style.
Saturday, my wife and I went down to Alumni plaza, placed some flowers, and read the tributes that had been written and hung. We listened to the highlight loop that was running, then headed over to the Labatt Brewhouse - had a Blue and toasted RJ.
He will be missed.
