Buffalo Inner Harbor Update

To our readers outside of Buffalo who don't get the daily hub-bub, the news here is that the kooks and obstructionists are coming out of the woodwork to try and derail the exciting plans for the rebirth of the Inner Harbor next door to HSBC Arena.

Our friend Buffalo Pundit has an excellent post which lays out a common sense dialogue to the entire issue. Some excellent posts replying to the main article as well.

Our position is simple... this land has laid vacant and empty for 50 years...a signature retail destination such as Bass Pro, ancillary development which is certain to follow, buildings designed in 19th century wharf style, life and energy and people on the streets year round in a vibrant Cobblestone District. Enough procrastinating... just get it done!!!

Yes it's finally "Play Ball" In Buffalo!

Sun and clouds... temperature 35 degrees... maybe 300 fans in the stands. But after four days of cancellations, it is just GOOD TO BE DOWN HERE!

I left my flash card reader home so no pics to attach... I will add a game recap later.

Bisons 8, Lynx 3
Short game update... the Buffalo Bisons took the Opening Day game with a convincing 8-3 win at Dunn Tire Park, collecting 7 runs on 10 hits in the first three innings. That was enough to make a winner out of starter Adam Miller, who was pretty solid himself, pitching 6 innings and batting out of a bases loaded jam in the 3rd inning.

After the game I asked Manager Torey Lovullo on how the team can maintain its focus after such a lengthy layoff from baseball. "We had the guys down here Saturday and Sunday and tried as best we could to simulate a game in the cages, but actually it is quite nice to get out on the field."

As we walked into his office, Torey greeted the media with a big smile and welcome, and asked "So was it nice and warm up there in the pressbox?"

Heh..heh... Yes it was Torey... but best of all, great to see all the familiar faces and old friends... Mike Harrington, Amy Moritz, Dave Ricci and Bob Matuszak in the press crew... Scorer Kevin Lester... Brad and Jon from the Bisons as well as guys in the game day crew.

One more take... Ben Wagner was totally solid in his first game as Voice of the Bisons. Looks like the team has found itself another blue chip choice!

Die Leaves Die!

It will be Buffalo Sabres and the New York Islanders in the first round.

I got to watch today on TSN, and just shook my head as the Devils tied the score with 0.8 seconds left in regulation, putting a dagger in the heart of Islanders fans and jubilation in the homes and streets of Toronto.

But the game was not over. After the overtime the season for two teams came down to a shootout, and it was Scott Clemmenson for NJ vs Wade Dubieliewicz for NY.

Both teams traded goals in the first round, the Islanders got one in the second while NJ's chance was poke checked away. In the third round with the win on the line, Ryan Smyth missed the net for the Islanders... NJ's last chance ended up with Dubie poke checking the puck off Sergei Brylin's stick, and the celebration was on.

Ted Nolan looked EXACTLY as he did back in 1997 when the Sabres beat the Senators in game 7 of overtime. Just unbridled childlike joy!

And TSN also showed a live shot from Gretzky's restaurant in downtown Toronto... heh heh heh.

10PM update...
Round 1 schedule
Thursday 4/12 8:00 @Buffalo
Saturday 4/14 7:30 @Buffalo
Monday 4/16 7:30 @Islanders
Wednesday 4/18 7:30 @Islanders
Friday 4/20 7:00 @Buffalo
Sunday 4/22 7:00 @Islanders
Tuesday 4/24 TBD @Buffalo

Our weekly series on cool media folks - Meet Stu Boyar

Stu Boyar is a well known personality in Buffalo sports media circles - longtime sports reporter, anchor and producer at WGRZ-TV Ch. 2, Buffalo's NBC affiliate.

And a key supporter of the Ultimate Sports Road Trip.

It was back in 2000 when I first met Stu, again just doing service work at his home in Williamsville, and, striking up a conversation, I told him about our travels, and shamelessly said "gee I think Pete and I would make a good story for Ch 2 sports, no?"

Surprisingly to me, Stu jumped on the idea, and two weeks later, he and his cameraman Ward Fasold were meeting up with us at Dunn Tire Park to follow us around with the camera and interview us. The following weekend the Ultimate Sports Road Trip was featured on "Sunday Sports Extra", and it was that story that became our first ever media appearance.

But since becoming part of the media circle ourselves, our friendship with Stu has grown and grown... and he has emerged as one of our staunchest boosters. He has often dispensed advice on how to function professionally in the media biz, and has encouraged our success on our road trip travels and our news gathering here at home. As the friendship has blossomed, it has evolved to sharing news and warmth of family events and mutual friends, and hearty debates on sports, politics and especially on geopolitical events in the Middle East, an issue on which Stu has strong passions and opinions.

We don't see Stu on camera here as much as we used to, as his duties at Ch. 2 have become more production oriented. That is too bad. At one time he and his colleagues Ed Kilgore and Adam Benigni, augmented by newcomer Matt Pearl offering a younger trendier perspective, went on the air each Sunday night after the news presenting "Sunday Sports Extra", a half hour look at sports stories of the week and lively sports talk and debate. It was an excellent show, but the powers that be at Ch 2, undoubtedly having a massive brain cramp, pulled the program after a long and successful run. But hey! Those infomercials for vacuum cleaners and leg hair removal which now run in that time slot are just sooooooooo much better!

Stu Boyar soldiers on, being the class act that he is, and running into him at the games and hanging out makes our experience in sports media that much more rewarding. Mazal Tov Stu!

Sabres 2, Capitals 0... Buffalo claims President's Trophy

You gotta love Buffalo Sabres fans, who raised the roof today cheering on the team at the Verizon Center.

The Buffalo Sabres today took their spot as the best team in the National Hockey League, beating the Washington Capitals 2-0 at the Verizon Center, and the score is a bit deceiving. Buffalo took early control of this game, and when the Capitals finally made a bit of noise in the 3rd period, Ryan Miller came through with a couple clutch saves to preserve the shutout.

We watched this one on TV... some rapid fire takes...

-Tim Connolly gets his first goal in his first game back! And he pretty much played a regular shift, logging over 13 minutes of ice time.

-Ryan Miller get his 40th win of the season.

-Derek Roy gets his 20th goal of the season, but Jochen Hecht was denied his 20th. Jochen had a golden opportunity to nail an empty netter with less than minute left, but his shot went wide.

-Buffalo Sabres fans once again took over the Verizon Center... loud and proud! How funny was it hearing Ovechkin get boo-ed every time he touched the puck?!

-Drew Stafford was sent down to Rochester, to clear cap room... yes that's how tight the budget is. Will Drew play for the Amerks at Syracuse tonight? We know he will be back in Buffalo on Monday.

The President's Trophy is now ours, and with it home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, and another banner to hang next fall. Tomorrow the guys head to Philly to close out the season, with nothing but pride on the line, a chance to have some fun and face Marty Biron in the Flyers net.

Weather craziness in Cleveland!

They tried to play baseball at Jacobs Field yesterday... and in fact got 4+ innings of play in, before conditions deteriorated to the point that they had to call the game.

Here was the game situation... Cleveland was up 4-0 on Seattle, and starter Paul Byrd was throwing a no-hitter and had the count at 1-2 with 2 outs in the 5th. One more strike and the game would have been official... and a no-hitter, although an abbreviated one, would have counted in the record book!

Cleveland has cancelled today's games, as have the Buffalo Bisons. And it's not just us being affected... Rochester, Erie and Akron have yet to begin their seasons. More of the same tomorrow - sub freezing temperatures. Best bet for baseball here is Tuesday; it's supposed to hit 41 for a high.

The grounds crew is trying to get the field ready for play.


Pitcher Paul Byrd is doing his stuff as the snow flies.


With 4 2/3 innings completed, Tribe Manager Eric Wedge pleads for play to continue.


Photos from the Cleveland Plain Dealer

Speculation on a new home for the Detroit Red Wings

Old school Joe Louis Arena could be the next target for replacement, according to this story in today's Detroit News. While the Ilitch family had suggested a major renovation of Joe Louis at one time, they are now acquiring land and demolishing buildings two blocks away from the Fox Theatre, Hockeytown Cafe and the hub of activity along Woodward Avenue which also includes Comerica Park and Ford Field.

Only their solid fan support saved the Joe from claiming the dubious last spot in the Ultimate Sports Road Trip NHL venue rankings. The Detroit Red Wings got ranked 27th of 30 NHL teams.

The brutal weather continues here in Buffalo

Just in from the Buffalo Bisons media relations office...

"Friday’s doubleheader between the Buffalo Bisons and the Richmond Braves at Dunn Tire Park has been postponed due to snow and freezing temperatures. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8 at Dunn Tire Park to make up the games lost. The teams will play two, seven-inning games on each day with the first games starting at 1:05 p.m."

SAT: Snow showers, high 31

SUN: Snow showers, high 34

This sucks.

The 8th seed - it's either Montreal, Toronto, or New York Islanders

We're eagerly watching as to who will be Buffalo's opponent in Round 1. Here are the scenarios:

MONTREAL--
Controls its own destiny.
Win over Toronto in regulation or OT/SO and they are IN.

Loss in OT/SO means they are IN if the Islanders do not win both their games.

TORONTO--
Win over Montreal in regulation and if the Islanders do not win both their games and they are IN.
Toronto MUST beat Montreal in regulation. An OT/SO win means they are OUT.

Loss in OT/SO to Montreal and they are OUT.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS--
Win over Philadelphia Sat and win over New Jersey Sun a must.
AND
Toronto must W over Montreal either in regulation or OT/SO.

Schedule:
SAT: NYI at PHI, 1pm; MON at TOR 7pm
SUN: NYI at NJD 1pm

Ya think every TV set in Buffalo is going to be tuned into Hockey Night in Canada on CBC this Saturday?

Sabres 4, Bruins 2

The team came onto the ice to a thunderous ovation, and they departed the ice to an even more thunderous ovation. On this, the final home game of the regular season, the Sabres came back from their 10th two goal deficit of the season to take care of business and defeat the Boston Bruins, 4-2. It was the Sabres' 41st sellout of the year... that's right, all 18,690 tickets were sold for every single game this year.

Thomas Vanek is just a sophomore, but in a few years he is going to own this league. He scored two tonight, including the game winner in the third period, where he took it to the net himself and shoved the puck in on the backhand. He later set up a beautiful goal to Derek Roy to put this one away.

In his first game back Maxim Afinogenov looked like his old self, and seemed to gain more confidence as the game wore on, with his patented end to end rushes and his magical stickhandling. Imagine what this team can be like if he shows up for the playoffs.

Coach Lindy Ruff and several of the players took the opportunity to acknowledge the fans and thank the community for their support all season. "You feel it everywhere. You feel it at Tim Horton's, at the gas station, The fever is everywhere... we're living it... We're just trying to stay grounded." said Ruff after the game. Brian Campbell also said "Many a time it has been like a playoff atmosphere in here this year". Maxim Afinogenov enjoyed the postgame salute "It was great for us to be able to show our appreciation to the great crowd tonight."

So now the team hits the road for the final two... at Washington Saturday and then at Philadelphia Sunday, both afternoon games. Still at stake is the President's Trophy, and it is now between Buffalo and Detroit to determine the winner. More great news for Buffalo - Chicago defeated Detroit in a shootout tonight, depriving the Red Wings of a precious point. Buffalo's magic number to clinch the President's Trophy is down to 2.


At the end of the game, the entire Sabres team skated onto the ice to salute the great Buffalo fans for their season long support.