TBN: Sabres refusal to salute fans after wins confirmed-Harrington

[Sabre the Win]

Only in Buffalo Sports do we get a standoff between fans and players. Just when I think this franchise couldn't get any lower or darker I log in to see this.

These scars are getting deep that they may always show under the surface even if winning heals them from showing less.

 

[Kublakhan]

I don't know, if I was on the Sabres I'd be embarrassed to say anything to the fans..

 

[Zman5778]

The crowd was fully giving it up to the team after a 7-0 rout and, lo and behold, the players started to head directly off the ice after checking in with goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. But then something was said – couldn’t tell by whom – and the Goatheads reversed course, stopped and raised their sticks before leaving. It wasn’t a full gathering around the circle but at least it was something.

I wonder if it was Erik Johnson who said something. He's the only guy we have that's actually won anything of note. Yeah, Cliffy has been on some good teams, but he doesn't seem the type to say something to the group about this in particular.

It's an absolute shame that EJ is clearly just about cooked.....as he's exactly the type of guy we need more of.

And I'm squarely in the middle of this whole issue. I do think that this kind of lends toward the belief that we need stronger veteran leadership to get us over the hump.................but also I think that ultimately it's a bunch of nothing.

 

[Chainshot]

I wonder if it was Erik Johnson who said something. He's the only guy we have that's actually won anything of note. Yeah, Cliffy has been on some good teams, but he doesn't seem the type to say something to the group about this in particular.

It's an absolute shame that EJ is clearly just about cooked.....as he's exactly the type of guy we need more of.

And I'm squarely in the middle of this whole issue. I do think that this kind of lends toward the belief that we need stronger veteran leadership to get us over the hump.................but also I think that ultimately it's a bunch of nothing.

They need more vets, not less. Some of those will be as guys internally mature but they really have to look at bringing in people in that 25-29 age range who can give them professional play and aren't cooked.

 

[sabremike]

I try to see both sides of every issue. Here I see the two sides blaming each other for their misery instead of taking responsibility for their role in perpetuating that misery.

Did the fans cause the drought? Obviously not. But if the fans had packed the house every night this year, been loud, positive, and supportive even when setbacks happened, it surely could have helped avoid the results we've seen.

Justified or not, empty seats, lukewarm support, and immediately booing and questioning the character of everyone involved at the first sign of adversity only made it harder for the team to overcome that adversity.

On the team side, we've discussed to death all the errors and problems with their approach to this season. No point in repeating them here. Much of the criticism of the team is absolutely justified and they need to own that and do better.

Although I'm not real excited about attending the game I have tickets to in March, I'm going to show up with a good attitude and try to be vocal in my support of the team. That's what I can do to contribute to turning this shit show around.

So when I travel 8 hours by bus up to a game and am rewarded by the team being down 3-0 90 seconds in I should give them a standing ovation?

And another thing that irks me: Fans WERE coming back after last season and how were they repaid? That opening night that was as shameful a night as any in team history and everything went downhill from there.

 

[SundherDome]

I could care less tbh, the salute was cool for about a season. It's the same thing with the national anthem and tribute videos, it's just not needed. Our fans have every right to be grumpy but we also need to understand that while we have sucked for over a decade most of this team has been here 3-4 years. It's like being mad at your current spouse for something a one night stand did a decade ago.

 

[Sabre the Win]

They need more vets, not less. Some of those will be as guys internally mature but they really have to look at bringing in people in that 25-29 age range who can give them professional play and aren't cooked.

Its not like we haven't been banging on the walls of the Keybank Center for Adams to actually do his job. I've been wanting a player like Hertle for ages and I don't give a F who the Sabres give up in Rochester to get him or what this board thinks of Hertle. He's the kind of player who drives a line and can score who has experience and is a vet with many good years still ahead of him.

 

[SwordStanley10]

This is going to get very ugly I think

As sad as it is, I kind of hope this does get uglier. Because I hope that an ugly blowup from something like this finally leads to some changes within the organization. This continued purgatory of terrible teams with nothing being done about it and the organization not caring is even more depressing than finally hitting rock bottom and doing something about it

 

[EichHart]

This is literally insane to me. How does it get to this point? Who in their right mind would even allow this? We literally pay all their salaries lol.

 

[Zman5778]

Its not like we haven't been banging on the walls of the Keybank Center for Adams to actually do his job. I've been wanting a player like Hertle for ages and I don't give a F who the Sabres give up in Rochester to get him or what this board thinks of Hertle. He's the kind of player who drives a line and can score who has experience and is a vet.

Yeah, he's played on some decent teams.............but he hasn't exactly won much either. And why would he waive his NMC to come HERE?

 

[TheBarnIsElectric]

So when I travel 8 hours by bus up to a game and am rewarded by the team being down 3-0 90 seconds in I should give them a standing ovation?

And another thing that irks me: Fans WERE coming back after last season and how were they repaid? That opening night that was as shameful a night as any in team history and everything went downhill from ththere.

Nope. You are totally justified to boo or to stop going all together. You should just understand that your booing isn't going to help, in fact, probably the opposite. That's all I'm saying.

Edit: and likewise, I'd tell the team they are right that the support hasn't been great, but focusing on that and calling fans out in the media is not going to help, in fact, probably the opposite.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Yeah, he's played on some decent teams.............but he hasn't exactly won much either. And why would he waive his NMC to come HERE?

I mean we should be a lot closer to winning then the San Jose Sharks. The current Sharks team is absolute ass and he still has 34 points in 48 games WITHOUT Logan Couture. For anyone to try and say hes a product of good teams is not giving his the respect he deserves. He is a surefire player.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

They had to leak it to Harrington because they don’t win enough for anyone to notice. Classic.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

I could care less tbh, the salute was cool for about a season. It's the same thing with the national anthem and tribute videos, it's just not needed. Our fans have every right to be grumpy but we also need to understand that while we have sucked for over a decade most of this team has been here 3-4 years. It's like being mad at your current spouse for something a one night stand did a decade ago.

3-4 years of failure isnt acceptable to most teams in the league.

 

[Sabreality]

:clutches pearls:

 

[Chainshot]

This has landed like the Dahlin letter last year.

 

[May Day 10]

It's funny. They decided to protest, couldn't win in order to execute their stick raising embargo, got sick of waiting, and had to spill the beans to the media.

What a joke this organization is. Amateur hour. Absolutely nothing to feel good about

 

[Chainshot]

As sad as it is, I kind of hope this does get uglier. Because I hope that an ugly blowup from something like this finally leads to some changes within the organization. This continued purgatory of terrible teams with nothing being done about it and the organization not caring is even more depressing than finally hitting rock bottom and doing something about it

They've gone so long making the wrong choice over and over again, why would we think they will somehow come out of this tempest in a teapot making the right decision?

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

This is going to get very ugly I think

Already has...

 

[jc17]

I understand the frustration, but yeah I'd rather see the players take some ownership if they want to back Don. I don't think them supporting the coach is wrong, I don't even feel like being insulted by the boos is wrong, but you have to address it in a better way.

Regarding Kyle specifically, I don't think he's 'the issue' even though there are certain things he could approach in a better way.

This quote has crossed my mind during the season: https://twitter.com/Matt_Bove/status/1115239169687805953?s=20

 

[HaNotsri]

Stockholm syndrome when they decide to turn against their fans to support Donny.

I'm not against Granato but I think changes are needed. Team culture being like this I would probably try to get rid of a third of the roster and build something new. Could be 3-4 rotten apples led by Okposo, our first and foremost captain of entitlement.

The franchise is so dedicated to losing they sent ROR away and now they have gone 100% loser culture.
I'm happy for great guys like Reinhart and Ullmark hsving success elsewhere.

 

[TehDoak]

What’s funny is the focus on ‘fixing the culture’ I just made it a bunker mentality that can’t handle criticism and is immune of any expectations, from the GM down. When Adams literally laughed when asked if missing the playoffs by a single point to end an 11 year playoff drought was a missed opportunity it just showed the mentality of the front office wasn’t living in any sort of reality.

The reality is to effect any real change you are going to have to turn over 25-35% of the roster if not more. All the vets have accepted losing as the standard. As has the coaching staff. And the front office was always ok with it. There be voices that say ‘this isn’t ok’ They need to stop trading guys who get pissed off about losing and start moving the guys who are docile about it.

 

[jd1970]

Do they salute us on direct deposit day?
I would fully support the owners shutting down the league for the sole purpose of eliminating forever guaranteed contracts.

 

[sabresfan129103]

I understand the frustration, but yeah I'd rather see the players take some ownership if they want to back Don. I don't think them supporting the coach is wrong, I don't even feel like being insulted by the boos is wrong, but you have to address it in a better way.

Regarding Kyle specifically, I don't think he's 'the issue' even though there are certain things he could approach in a better way.

This quote has crossed my mind during the season: https://twitter.com/Matt_Bove/status/1115239169687805953?s=20

He's probably not wrong. To take it a step further, there's a lot of people on here (myself included) who want a hard ass behind the bench to give them a taste of that on a consistent basis. The other side to that is they are too fragile to handle someone like, so they'll just completely fold if they have some constantly "mother f***ing" them.

But yeah, it's no surprise they support the coach. These guys are getting paid millions of dollars to play for a guy who doesn't hold them accountable, who wants to hold hands and sing kumbaya. It's no wonder they love him.

 

[jd1970]

This is literally insane to me. How does it get to this point? Who in their right mind would even allow this? We literally pay all their salaries lol.

I remember Jim Kelly blasting the fans after a bad game and getting pelted by snowballs.
But he was a winner. The Sabres guys are a name that isn't allowed here. Meow.