Say Hello to The Bad Guy

[Karate Johnson*]

It seems that the Sabres are possibly the most hated team in hockey as it stands right now.

If we get McEichel and improve greatly over the next few years and become a contender we are going to be absolutely hated. No fans of other teams will pull for Buffalo, our fans will take a bunch of **** from every other fanbase.


I can't wait.

I would absolutely love to become a powerhouse team that the rest of the world hates. Pass the black hat.

Click to read more...

 

[Butt Ox]

Yes, and according to the moral majority the culture of losing is already so deeply embedded into the Sabres that all of Regeir/Murray' machinations are for naught.

Strange that so many fans of other teams expend so much time and energy on a team that has been in the cellar for so long.

 

[B U F F A L O]

The only reason people will hate the Sabres is because of how much the media has driven this "tank" talk solely because of McDavid and Eichel. If it was Hanifin, Marner and Strome, nobody would give a damn. The Sabres would be "rebuilding".

 

[old kummelweck]

Careful what you wish for. We could also end up being the poster child for not tanking, especially if we hit 29th and get Hanifin. The league would also love to see that. The latter is also more inline with buffalo's willie lowman syndrom.

 

[Jim Bob]

If this team gets McEichel and turns into a big time contender, the bandwagon will overflow.

And if the Sabres win the lottery and McDavid becomes the Next Great One wearing the Blue & Gold, loads of fans all over the continent will rock McDavid Sabres jerseys.

 

[Karate Johnson*]

Teams will still tank even after the draft gets all stupid next year. Nothing is guaranteed and ranking still gives you a better chance.


But this is about being the team everyone hates. So for this exercise we are assuming we get McEichel and it leads to a cup contender.


If that happens I am going to be so obnoxious.

 

[Karate Johnson*]

If this team gets McEichel and turns into a big time contender, the bandwagon will overflow.

And if the Sabres win the lottery and McDavid becomes the Next Great One wearing the Blue & Gold, loads of fans all over the continent will rock McDavid Sabres jerseys.

There will be a lot of that....

But specific to this website, and lots of hockey fans everywhere, will be rooting against Buffalo as they make thier rise to the top.

 

[Jim Bob]

There will be a lot of that....

But specific to this website, and lots of hockey fans everywhere, will be rooting against Buffalo as they make their rise to the top.

Yeah, because their team isn't on the rise.

Haters gonna hate, tank or no tank.

 

[Myllz]

If this team gets McEichel and turns into a big time contender, the bandwagon will overflow.

And if the Sabres win the lottery and McDavid becomes the Next Great One wearing the Blue & Gold, loads of fans all over the continent will rock McDavid Sabres jerseys.

Yup. Gotta keep in mind that LOTS of sports fans are fair-weather and/or casual viewers. They'll support or watch whoever's fun and good at the time, especially if there's an exciting name behind the team. There will be tons of people who won't even know how the team was built, especially five years down the road from now. The backlash of the small number of fans who may have been against the tanking methodology isn't even a concern for me.

 

[Montag DP]

The hate is going to be a lot stronger if we win the lottery and get McDavid instead of Eichel. I can't wait for people to mock us when we don't win the lottery and end up with Eichel, as if we didn't already understand that would probably happen.

 

[HP00]

Most hated is a fun term because it means nothing, lets just hope for fun hockey in the future. What the other fans and media outlets think means jack.

 

[old kummelweck]

The hate is going to be a lot stronger if we win the lottery and get McDavid instead of Eichel. I can't wait for people to mock us when we don't win the lottery and end up with Eichel, as if we didn't already understand that would probably happen.

Lets be honest, Eichel is a consolation price. It's like winning silver at the olympics. I will be hugely disappointed when they don't pull buffalo's ping pong ball out.

 

[Paxon]

The hate is going to be a lot stronger if we win the lottery and get McDavid instead of Eichel. I can't wait for people to mock us when we don't win the lottery and end up with Eichel, as if we didn't already understand that would probably happen.

I've been geared up for that since the beginning of the season. If you watch how other fans talk about us, it's all McDavid. They either pencil in McDavid for us or say things like "LOL all this 4 a guy who has nevar played NHL and u might not even get BUST". People will dance in the streets (...of the main board) when we don't get McDavid, but we'll be dancing in the streets the minute we secure last place (fingers crossed).

 

[TalkingProuder]

I would love it. Buffalo as an evil empire. Let's finish the job this year.

 

[TehDoak]

There's nothing bad or amoral about what the Sabres are doing.

There's nothing bad about rooting for the best interests of your team.

Fans and other owners are mad because they don't have a strong enough market to do it. You don't think in Carolina the GM didn't want to sell off both Staal brothers, buyout Semin and do the free fall? Of course they did. But the owner won't allow it, they'd bleed money more than they already do.

Rebuilding is hard. You need an owner who is willing to take a huge hit in the pocketbook and a strong enough fan base to get through to the other side. You need a GM who is willing to set fire to a roster and sit in front of sports reporters and defend the tear down.

Believe me when I say this has taken a toll on everyone in the organization, from the top to the bottom. This is not fun. But it is necessary.

We aren't the bad guys, we're the pragmatic guys.

 

[Hipcheck13]

Are Lightning and Islander fans the only non basement/bubble team fans that have a real problem with the Sabres tanking? I feel like most of the fans of top teams are fine with it, mostly because their team has done it.

I understand why most if not all fans of teams outside of the playoffs and have been for years get upset about the Sabres, it's frustration and jealousy. I rarely see Pittsburgh, LA, Chicago fans saying anything really negative what the Sabres are doing.(I know they are a few, but they are the minority.)

 

[Clock]

I've been geared up for that since the beginning of the season. If you watch how other fans talk about us, it's all McDavid. They either pencil in McDavid for us or say things like "LOL all this 4 a guy who has nevar played NHL and u might not even get BUST". People will dance in the streets (...of the main board) when we don't get McDavid, but we'll be dancing in the streets the minute we secure last place (fingers crossed).

That was partially why I made that poll about whether we were expecting McDavid or Eichel, assuming Sabres end up in 30th.

McDavid would be incredible, but at 20%, I've mentally prepared myself enough that I'll only be slightly disappointed unless he ends up going to Toronto or Boston or something.

 

[ZZamboni]

Regarding the whole topic of Tanking and McEichel....Maybe I'm taking it the wrong way, but it seems some care (more or less) what other fans, media, cities, owners, GM's, blogging basement dwellers, and message board know-it-all's think of the Sabres. I find that strange I guess. By commenting on what's said and typed, to me, that's showing you care to some degree what's being said.

I couldn't care less.

I will be equally happy with McDavid as I will be with Eichel.

 

[dkollidas]

Kind of makes me hope we get Eichel, and get some big mean wingers and really become a tough team to play against, i.e. the western conference. Become like an LA or Anaheim, where smaller teams are just not strong enough to keep the puck and dominate.

Kane, Eichel, Girgensons, all guys who play that way in the top 9, add two more over the next two years, and that'll make it very, very tough to battle with us.

 

[B U F F A L O]

Are Lightning and Islander fans the only non basement/bubble team fans that have a real problem with the Sabres tanking? I feel like most of the fans of top teams are fine with it, mostly because their team has done it.

I understand why most if not all fans of teams outside of the playoffs and have been for years get upset about the Sabres, it's frustration and jealousy. I rarely see Pittsburgh, LA, Chicago fans saying anything really negative what the Sabres are doing.(I know they are a few, bu they are the minority.)

Which is ironic for fans of those teams to be upset about it. All things considered:

Stamkos, Hedman, Connolly, Koekkoek, Drouin. All top 10 picks going back 7 years. And they got their #1C and #1D in back to back years. I will give credit for their drafting outside the first round unlike the Isles though -- Gudas, Palat, Kucherov, Nesterov, and UDFA Johnson. A lot of credit to Yzerman as a GM.

Okposo, Bailey, Tavares, Niederieter, Strome, Reinhart. All top 10 picks going back 9 years. With a 4 year span in the top 5.

 

[jc17]

Kind of makes me hope we get Eichel, and get some big mean wingers and really become a tough team to play against, i.e. the western conference. Become like an LA or Anaheim, where smaller teams are just not strong enough to keep the puck and dominate.

Kane, Eichel, Girgensons, all guys who play that way in the top 9, add two more over the next two years, and that'll make it very, very tough to battle with us.

I kind of want Eichel too to be honest.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

I love it. So many haters out there calling us a "disgrace". Still, I don't want to gloat because we still haven't clinched anything. Once we are guaranteed 30th, then I will change my stance. As for McDavid vs Eichel; sure I would love to win the lottery and get Connor. But with Buffaluck and the fact that we can't have nice things it's a virtual impossibility that we can get him. Still, Eichel is an amazing consolation prize and easily the third best prospect/draft pick in the last 20 years just behind Crosby and McDavid and on the same tier as Joe Thornton, Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin.

If Eichel becomes like a Regular season Joe Thornton type with more goal scoring... You know a guy who can put up 30-40 goals and 70-80 assists a season I'll gladly take that. To be honest I think the scoring gap between Eichel and McDavid will average out to be 10-15 points at most when it's all said and done. McDavid will be the 120 point player and Eichel the 100-110 point guy.

 

[Hipcheck13]

Which is ironic for fans of those teams to be upset about it. All things considered:

Stamkos, Hedman, Connolly, Koekkoek, Drouin. All top 10 picks going back 7 years. And they got their #1C and #1D in back to back years. I will give credit for their drafting outside the first round unlike the Isles though -- Gudas, Palat, Kucherov, Nesterov, and UDFA Johnson. A lot of credit to Yzerman as a GM.

Okposo, Bailey, Tavares, Niederieter, Strome, Reinhart. All top 10 picks going back 9 years. With a 4 year span in the top 5.

At least some Islander fans have not been as in denial about tanking as Lightning fans have been, I swear every single one has fought against that thought with every fiber of their being.

 

[phosphene*]

I will cry tears of joy if we draft McDavid. He is a berth to the Stanley Cup finals. He gives everyone else on the team room to succeed.

I can't wait to see what Timmy does in the offseason.

 

[Dreakon13]

What really gets my goat are Sabres fans pitting themselves against other Sabres fans on the issue. It just reeks of "I'm a REAL fan, shame on you" self-servicing when fans opposed to the tank will be just as happy if we sucked enough to end up with McEichel after this miserable season concludes.

And thats besides the point... that tanking basically means being a seller in a good draft year these days. But that's been argued to death.