Wild 5, Sabres 1

Somber. Depressing.

That was the mood in the building, the pulse of the game and the thick air of defeat in the locker room after the Minnesota Wild made their tri-ennial visit to HSBC Arena and gave the Sabres a good old fashioned beatdown.

A beatdown? Buffalo did put 36 shots on net, but prospect goaltender Josh Harding made 35 saves, and only Mike Ryan's late tally messed up what would have been Harding's third shutout since his callup to the NHL.

The Sabres really didn't play poorly... there just seems to be no zip or magic in their play the last two games.

Everyone thought Ty Conklin would get his first Sabres start tonight, but when the lineup sheets were handed out, it was Miller between the pipes. Conklin did get into the game when Miller was pulled after the Wild got their fourth goal. He made several saves in the unspectacular category, then got beat on a shorthanded breakaway as the game wound down.

I asked Ty if he expected the start tonight and also was he disappointed... he said no and not to believe the blogs and papers about his much heralded start, but as he spoke I was reading between the lines and thought he was indeed disappointed. Lindy Ruff did address this in his post game comments, sayng he has sat down with Conklin, gone over the game schedule and told the press that Conklin knows exactly when he is going to play and what is expected of him. That being said, it will be Ryan Miller in goal tomorrow vs New Jersey.

Miller was nowhere to be found after the game... me thinks the jeers he heard from the crowd didn't sit too well with him.

And speaking of jeers, things are starting to get ugly with these so called fans at HSBC Arena... this team really needs the 7th man in the building, but the energy and the passion in the stands has really been lacking these last two nights. Next, now that Nicholas Picholas has been truncated to spot duty on the jumbotron, the derision is starting to turn towards lead national anthem singer Doug Allen.

So a couple takes here - First, having been to every NHL venue, I have experienced some God-awful anthem renditions in some of the yee-haw hockey markets, and all that does is make me appreciate that much more what a solid job Allen does with the two anthems.

Second, can't Sabres fans save their jeers and heckling for the visiting teams and leave the home town people alone? What the hell is going on with some of these people in the stands they are behaving like morons!

So now we turn towards tomorrow night and it is New Jersey coming to town... win and our boys make a great statement for who should be number one in the East. Lose, and it means taking the stench of this dreary homestand onto what will be a difficult road trip.

The puck drops at 7PM... Pete will be covering tomorrow night. I will be in the stands wearing my Sabres jersey, enjoying a couple cold ones and cheering my ass off.

Oh no! Not another Silverbacks logo!!!!!

Remember the big flap last summer about the new nickname and logo for Buffalo's ABA club? When the name Silverbacks was announced with a red gorilla as a logo, some community leaders hellbent on creating a crisis where there was none cried foul over the notion of a basketball team (read: predominantly African-American) having a gorilla for a logo.

Personally, I thought this to be quite silly. The logo and name was the idea of Modie Cox, player and assistant coach of the club. He liked the idea of an aggressive and powerful animal such as a gorilla for a logo. I'm darned well certain that his race wasn't part of his decision making.

Shortly thereafter, the club caved in to pressure and changed the logo to a panther/hyena type animal with a silver back....yawn.

Well, while Andrew is off at the Sabres game, I went on a random search to see if any other teams had picked up on the Silverbacks original idea....let's just say those community activists that had a bee in their bonnet over this could be busy for a while if they so chose...

Let's start with hockey....the BCHL'S Salmon Arm Silverbacks

how 'bout arena football....the CIFL's Miami Valley Silverbacks

and while we're at it, how about soccer....the USL's Atlanta Silverbacks

nope, not done yet! Minor league football! the NAFL's London(Ont.) Silverbacks

Look at all of these nasty and racist logos...how dare they! heavy sarcasm here

Notice the racial diversity of the teams involved here is at all ends of the spectrum, some teams have little or no African Americans, some have many. In the end I'm certain that the teams saw the nickname and logo in the same light that Modie and his organization did, simply a really cool nickname and logo representing a physically intimidating, ferocious, and intelligent animal. Nothing more.

Too bad some folks here in Buffalo didn't see it the same light....

Note: I'm very "pc" when it comes to offensive sports logos....but this was utterly ridiculous...

Our weekly series on cool media folks - Meet Yvette Casares Willis

(Photo above - Peter and Yvette at Minute Maid Park in Houston, 2002)

It's been a while since we've seen Yvette, but she is always just a phone call or an email away. Willis is the Promotions Director for the Houston Astros, and every time we made it to that city, she played a role in making our visit there truly extraordinary.

Back in 2001, we did our "official" visit to then Enron Field, and it was Yvette who took the time out of her busy schedule to give us the VIP tour of ballpark. She introduced us to Astro's owner Drayton McLane down on the field, and we missed the Mother of all Photo Opps by 5 minutes when we vacated the playing surface, only to turn around and see Drayton chatting it up with none other than former Prez George H.W. Bush, who is a ballpark regular in Houston.

In 2002, we dropped by Yvette's office just to say hi.. we were in town to see the Houston Rockets at the old Summit, er.... "Compaq Center". Yvette picks up the phone, calls her counterparts at the Rockets, and BAM! Media passes and floor passes waiting for us at will call. And again in 2004, she invited us up to a party suite in the left field corner of Minute Maid Park, to enjoy a nice food spread and some warm conversation.

Yvette is just a down to earth Texas girl, yes she is a former cheerleader (check the photo... ya think?) and one of the nicest people we have ever met in our journeys.

Whenever we hear the song "Deep in the Heart of Texas", the signature "add on" song to the Astro's 7th inning stretch, we think of Houston, the 'Stros and we think of Yvette. One of those USRT cities we will be happy to return to again and again.

Today's rundown on the Pittsburgh Penguins

Lots going on regarding the proposed relocation of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Here's a quick rundown:

-Penguins co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle are meeting today in Philadelphia with the Governor and heads of city and county governments to reopen discussions on keeping the team in Pittsburgh. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is taking part.

-The Penguins talked yesterday with representatives of the Sprint Center in Kansas City. Rumor has it that KC has upped their offer which already includes free rent and half of the building's revenues for the Penguins.

-The Penguins had a meeting with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. Most likely the discussion centered on the lack of a suitable facility for the team. The Thomas and Mack Center is not adequate and doesn't even have an ice floor.

-Houston has pulled out of the Penguins derby. The NBA Houston Rockets are the major tenant at the Toyota Center, and it seems they are not anxious to break the bank for the privelege of having the NHL.

Online updates here at the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Avalanche 3, Sabres 2

I came down to the arena tonight and felt strange.

At the end of one....felt strange.

End of two, same...game ends....the whole night just seemed a little off, I don't know why.

The game started well with Paestch's goal, and a couple more great chances that coulda, shoulda, woulda, didn't....then the power play that resulted in a shorty by Colorado.....the peculiarity continued from there. Colorado evened the score...funny how the red light never went on.

Avs score right off the bat to start the second.....I didn't even get back to my seat when that happened....Sabres even it on a goal off of a skate. Then Colorado scores the game winner in similar fashion. (Joe Sakic scored this one, regardless of what the scoresheet says.)

Not to blame officials for any call or such, but 25 minutes without a man in the box? Why are these people out there again? Seems like clutching and grabbing were back in vogue tonight.

Good news....Drury is back, with a big red blotch in his right eye and all....Peters may be soon to follow.

Stat of the night: Paul Stastny (yes, Peter's son) scored a point in his seventeenth straight game. As the saying goes, the apple don't fall far from the tree...

Minnesota Friday, if you thought this game was dull you haven't seen anything yet.

And tell Leaf fan to quit chanting "Go Leafs Go" when their team is not in the building. As if Loser....errr... Leaf Fan wasn't annoying enough!

Coca Cola Park - 2008 opening in Lehigh Valley

The AAA Ottawa Lynx are moving to Allentown, Pennsylvania after this season, where they will be known as the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Their new ballpark, under construction in East Allentown, now has a new name, according to this article in the Morning Call.

Interestingly, this is the first venue in the country that will bear the Coca Cola name. At 7000 seats, it will be the smallest ballpark in the International League. By comparison Buffalo's Dunn Tire Park can accomodate over 17,000 patrons.

Mr. "7 Train" is back in the news

And that buffed bod of his is all thanks to good genes, plenty of exercise and a disciplined weightlifting regimen.

Umm... yeah... right.

All of a sudden, the ice is getting crowded

Sights and sounds from the Sabres morning skate at HSBC Arena...

-Back skating on the ice were Chris Drury, Jaroslav Spacek, Ales Kotalik and Andrew Peters. Drury is set to play tonight against Colorado. Spacek and Kotalik are at least a week away, says Head Coach Lindy Ruff, although Spacek was giving his injured hand some work during the drills. It was funny seeing Peters wear the red "no contact" jersey during the skate, considering his size and strength. Ruff joked "his upper body is coming along nicely."

-Ty Conklin is expected to get a start during the three game homestand, though when I asked Lindy when that might be, he replied he was still thinking about it and offered no more specifics.

-Conklin is adjusting to his new life in Buffalo very nicely. "The guys took me out and showed me around town, I'm feeling very welcome here." Conklin played on the Stanley Cup finalists Edmonton Oilers last spring, and I asked him for the comparisons between our team and that squad. "The mark of a contender and a champion is that they can get the job done no matter how dire the circumstances are" replied Conklin. "That attitude is prevalent in this room and it is something not to be disregarded as inconsequential." Conklin was the last guy off the ice this morning, and in true Marty Biron fashion, obliged some of the fans attending the skate at the arena with autographs.

-And speaking of fans in attendance, that is a nice thing the Sabres do allowing the fans in like that. Being a school day the crowd was smaller than usual. Interesting that at the point of the skate when Lindy calls the team around him for a discussion, the crowd gets very quiet, hoping to listen in.

-The season ticket renewal deadline came and went this past weekend, and PR Director Mike Gilbert tells me "the response has been overwhelming". Customers who renewed by the deadline get a reduced rate for first round games and a shot at reserving additional playoff seats. Gilbert said that they are still tabulating the orders and should have some numbers to report by next week.

I'll be home watching, while Peter will be at the game tonight covering, and he will post his game wrap up afterwards.

One awesome promotional giveaway!

The Buffalo Bisons announced their action packed promotional lineup today, and once again there will be something for everybody for another fun filled season at the ballpark.

So what jumped out at me? Hands down, it's August 8, when the team will give away replica ballparks of War Memorial Stadium to the first 4000 fans through the Swan Street gate that night.

I like bobbleheads, but quite frankly, I'm a bit bobbleheaded out as my shelf is full of statuettes. But being a huge fan of venues, I love these replica ballpark giveaways. Last year the Bisons gave away a replica of Dunn Tire Park in a similar promotion, and it was no ordinary trinket. The piece weighed almost a pound, was stunning in detail, and has earned an honored spot in my display of sports collectibles.

I have fond childhood memories of the Rockpile - seeing the Bills bumble and stumble in those early OJ days. My first baseball game in 1970 - Bisons v Mud Hens. It was a grey drizzly day in a nearly empty stadium, my neighbor took me, I collected a foul ball and for me as a little boy the experience was magic. A month later the Bisons were gone to Winnipeg and I was devastated.

So good luck and congrats to the 3999 of you who come down to the ballpark and snare yourselves a cool souvenir. I say 3999 because one of those Rockpile replicas has my name on it, come hell or high water!

HERE is all the information you will need on the Bisons' 2007 promotional schedule.

Shall we dance? Niagara is IN!

It took Niagara 35 years to make it back to the NCAA tournament when they downed Rider in an emotional win at HSBC Arena two years ago. Now two years later they are going dancing again... beating Siena 83-79 in the MAAC finals in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Freshman Tyrone Lewis picked the team's biggest game to come up with his biggest performance, netting 24 points and earning game MVP. In the hours leading up to the game, much was made about Siena's two regular season wins over Niagara, then aided by Niagara's shortened bench. But after the offensive clinic the Purple Eagles put on in the semi's, you knew this was going to be a different type of game.

This Sunday we will find out who Niagara's opponent will be in the NCAA's. In 2005 they went in as a 14th seed, but all the bracket watchers and pundits are listing them as a 15 or 16 this year.

Congrats to Joe Mihalich and his boys... we are all proud of you!