nice...espn (fwiw) had secretariat in their top-50 athletes of all time...
but that photo of him some 32 lengths ahead in the race is impressive
- Michael Pachla
That's impressive, no doubt. Smarty Jones once blew an 8 length lead at the home stretch of the Belmont, which cost him (or his owner) the Triple Crown.
That's impressive, no doubt. Smarty Jones once blew an 8 length lead at the home stretch of the Belmont, which cost him (or his owner) the Triple Crown. - jmatchett383
Smarty Jones ran a strong race in defeat in the Belmont in spite of the ineptitude of his jockey.
Location: I Know Nothink ... NOTHINK! Joined: 07.27.2007
May 22 @ 1:53 PM ET
Taco- so if Ror scores the game 7 or winner if the Stanley cup, he won't be more relevant?
That doesn't compute - Boss34
Here's my sense:
ROR is a really good player. He was intended to be, and could have been, an element of the core for the forseeable future. But - like Jack, like Dahlin, like any other individual player you want to include the the Sabres core going forward - ROR wasn't able to do it on his own, and the core such as it was never reached the critical mass necessary to make the difference between losing and contending.
We were (and are) still in the process of building when ROR made THAT STATEMENT. Whether it was just him trying to be honest, or him engineering a way out of the franchise, or it was a dumb statement that really pissed off the franchise, his time here was done.
But I don't think his time here was done because of a failure in the quality of his play. If his failure to turn the team into a winning franchise was the grounds for him being sent off, we shouldn't have ANY players on this roster.
Our coach is on every Tuesday morning during the season. - TheSabresTaco
Right, a regularly scheduled program with softball questions on a network partially funded by the PSE. Phil and JB were not good with the media. Already seems like we'll get better from Ralph.
Location: I Know Nothink ... NOTHINK! Joined: 07.27.2007
May 22 @ 2:06 PM ET
Right, a regularly scheduled program with softball questions on a network partially funded by the PSE. Phil and JB were not good with the media. Already seems like we'll get better from Ralph. - Lunaion
Put it this way, if aliens landed on our planet today, I would suggest sending Ralph to find a way to communicate with them.
Location: For me. jack Eichel is bobby ryan….that's it. - Octavarium, NY Joined: 05.05.2011
May 22 @ 2:07 PM ET
Right, a regularly scheduled program with softball questions on a network partially funded by the PSE. Phil and JB were not good with the media. Already seems like we'll get better from Ralph. - Lunaion
Well, I mean, you did say it was hard to get the coach on there, had nothing to do with the softball questions, which I agree with you.
I don't feel JB is bad with the media at all. I feel he's as honest as he can be.
The morning show gets the coach on Tuesdays and the afternoon show gets the GM on Friday home games. Do you really want to hear more softball questions more times per week?
Jeremy, Howard, Mike and Chris have no allegience to PSE. Instigators do, though.
What bothers me about those 4 is they'll talk poop about a coach when things are going bad, then they barely have the balls to ask a half ass challenging question.
Put it this way, if aliens landed on our planet today, I would suggest sending Ralph to find a way to communicate with them. - Der Kaiser
It's takes like this that make me feel a lot better about the hire. Honestly, didn't know anything about him other than he was a manager for a soccer club and coached the Oil Slicks for a season.
Honestly, and correct me if I'm wrong, I don't remember Housley being talked about as highly by people around the league. Kind of seems like folks came out of the woodwork to support Ralph. Not that Housley was being dogged, but just not as positive.
Location: For me. jack Eichel is bobby ryan….that's it. - Octavarium, NY Joined: 05.05.2011
May 22 @ 2:23 PM ET
It's takes like this that make me feel a lot better about the hire. Honestly, didn't know anything about him other than he was a manager for a soccer club and coached the Oil Slicks for a season.
Honestly, and correct me if I'm wrong, I don't remember Housley being talked about as highly by people around the league. Kind of seems like folks came out of the woodwork to support Ralph. Not that Housley was being dogged, but just not as positive.
Good. - RhinoFan
There was plenty of support for Housley, but it was for working with an elite group of defensemen and coaching kids successfully. Ralph has a much wider array of global success and support. Coaching, and reaching, professionals as a head coach, for a long time. I know hindsight is 20/20, but I feel Housley was a product of the talent and the individuals, and Ralph's teams (like the Swiss Natl Team) are a product of his abilities, and the abilities of the coaches he surrounds himself with. He seems to be very in tune with what he is and isn't capable of, and is more than willing to bring in the best talent available to surround himself with.
Bill Hajt's son did nothing here, and Steve Smith was brought in to replace him. I'm hoping that entire step is skipped, and they bring in actual, accomplished assistants. Enough of the inexperienced, unprovens. Especially at assistant coach.
ROR is a really good player. He was intended to be, and could have been, an element of the core for the forseeable future. But - like Jack, like Dahlin, like any other individual player you want to include the the Sabres core going forward - ROR wasn't able to do it on his own, and the core such as it was never reached the critical mass necessary to make the difference between losing and contending.
We were (and are) still in the process of building when ROR made THAT STATEMENT. Whether it was just him trying to be honest, or him engineering a way out of the franchise, or it was a dumb statement that really pissed off the franchise, his time here was done.
But I don't think his time here was done because of a failure in the quality of his play. If his failure to turn the team into a winning franchise was the grounds for him being sent off, we shouldn't have ANY players on this roster. - Der Kaiser
Well, I mean, you did say it was hard to get the coach on there, had nothing to do with the softball questions, which I agree with you.
I don't feel JB is bad with the media at all. I feel he's as honest as he can be.
The morning show gets the coach on Tuesdays and the afternoon show gets the GM on Friday home games. Do you really want to hear more softball questions more times per week?
Jeremy, Howard, Mike and Chris have no allegience to PSE. Instigators do, though.
What bothers me about those 4 is they'll talk poop about a coach when things are going bad, then they barely have the balls to ask a half ass challenging question. - TheSabresTaco
True, meshing a few of my longstanding complaints into something non-related.
PSE funding programming for WGR creates a conflict of interest that hurts us
JB and Phil are always canned and boring
I like Ralph
Lindy and GMTM were interesting
I thought it was really cool to get an interview with Maurice
Location: For me. jack Eichel is bobby ryan….that's it. - Octavarium, NY Joined: 05.05.2011
May 22 @ 2:41 PM ET
True, meshing a few of my longstanding complaints into something non-related.
PSE funding programming for WGR creates a conflict of interest that hurts us
JB and Phil are always canned and boring
I like Ralph
Lindy and GMTM were interesting I thought it was really cool to get an interview with Maurice - Lunaion
I agree, this was well done. I think since there's no hockey going on for Maurice, he's just another guy. Credit where it's due, but it's not like we're calling Craig Berube or Bruce Cassidy for commentary about Ralph (hypothetically).
Also, I feel Mike and Chris have a better line of questions for the GM than Jeremy and Howard have for the coach. Then again, I personally feel the GM is always a more interesting listen. Murray was always fun. But when you're talking to the GM, you get to talk about GM things as well as on ice product, where as when you're talking to the coach, it's simply the individual and team performance. Which, lately, has been ass.
There was plenty of support for Housley, but it was for working with an elite group of defensemen and coaching kids successfully. Ralph has a much wider array of global success and support. Coaching, and reaching, professionals as a head coach, for a long time. I know hindsight is 20/20, but I feel Housley was a product of the talent and the individuals, and Ralph's teams (like the Swiss Natl Team) are a product of his abilities, and the abilities of the coaches he surrounds himself with. He seems to be very in tune with what he is and isn't capable of, and is more than willing to bring in the best talent available to surround himself with.
Bill Hajt's son did nothing here, and Steve Smith was brought in to replace him. I'm hoping that entire step is skipped, and they bring in actual, accomplished assistants. Enough of the inexperienced, unprovens. Especially at assistant coach. - TheSabresTaco
I definitely agree Housley was more of a product of environment. Also that our Asst. Coach decisions will play a big part in our success or lack thereof.
I just don't remember the glowing remarks around the league for Phil. Like the Paul Maurice take. I don't remember other coaches around the league talking about Phil like this. Maybe I'm wrong, but feels like the outside community, in hockey, is more impressed by Ralph.
Location: I Know Nothink ... NOTHINK! Joined: 07.27.2007
May 22 @ 2:52 PM ET
I definitely agree Housley was more of a product of environment. Also that our Asst. Coach decisions will play a big part in our success or lack thereof.
I just don't remember the glowing remarks around the league for Phil.Like the Paul Maurice take. I don't remember other coaches around the league talking about Phil like this. Maybe I'm wrong, but feels like the outside community, in hockey, is more impressed by Ralph.
You can get a good look at the goods by sticking your head up a giraffe's ass, but wouldn't you rather take the zookeeper's word for it? - jcragcrumple
Depends on the zookeepers previous employment record
