Lots of thoughts after the NLL Finals

I jokingly tweeted last night that I had about 9,000 thoughts and none of them could fit into 140 characters.  My buddy Tim suggested I blog about it.  This is my first blog since October of 2014 on here, so I obviously haven't been very good at this.  That being said, if people want to read my thoughts, maybe I'll keep these going.

First, we'll look at the Bandits 2016 season. I remember fending off tweets from people about the roster that Bandits GM Steve Dietrich had put together.  People felt something more needed to be done to get the Bandits over the hump and make themselves a competitor in the NLL.  Some of this may have been fueled by peoples' exhaustion from finishing behind the Toronto Rock and Rochester Knighthawks for years in the NLL.  Bandits fans may have had a bit of a "little brother" feeling to those two East Division rivals.  Furthermore, the Bandits dropped back-to-back games to the previously winless Rock and the Georgia Swarm and dropped to 4-4 on the year.  Concern was high, perhaps rightfully so.

But then this team went on a tear.  They didn't lose again until a bit of a "stinker" (as Ryan Benesch called it) about two months later to the Rock.  The Bandits finished the regular season 9-1 after their 4-4 start and sealed the top seed in the NLL.  Adding to the successful season that the Bandits had was the surprising struggles the Rock and Knighthawks faced.  After sending Buffalo out of the playoffs for the past 8 years or so, they both missed the postseason and finished in the bottom of the East Division.

There were a ton of achievements for the Bandits in 2016, as well.  Goaltender Anthony Cosmo broke the all time saves record and the all time record for minutes played by an NLL goaltender.  Dhane Smith smashed just about every offensive record in the book and was scoring at a pace of 8+ points a game.  The Bandits also set a new record for regular season wins, aided by the now 18 game season.

The Bandits swept the New England Black Wolves in the second round of the playoffs and showed why they deserved to be in the championship, scoring 20 goals in the last game of the East Division Finals.

Let's switch gears to the Champion's Cup series,

Buffalo came into the series having scored 25% of their goals off the sticks of non-forwards.  The Bandits defense seems to be built of players who are quick to get the ball up the floor in transition and finish at the other end.  The Saskatchewan Rush were able to negate that transition game from Buffalo for the most part, which I think is the biggest reason they hoisted the Cup again.

There were a lot of frustrations with the way game 2 panned out, but I think the bigger loss was game 1 at home.  If all went to plan, Buffalo wins game 1 and has a bit of wiggle room knowing that home floor advantage was still in their favor.

Buffalo came up just short in game 1.  When the score was 8-8, shots were 39 apiece.  When the score was 9-9, shots were 44 apiece.  The game couldn't have been closer.  Buffalo just failed to hang on to a late lead and it cost them.  More significantly, back to the transition point, I can only recall one goal scored in transition of the 9 Buffalo scored.  Dhane had a good night with 3G, 3A against perhaps the toughest defensive unit the NLL has to offer, but the secondary scoring didn't come from the usual suspects pushing numbers up the floor.

Game 2 was a similar story. No team ever led by more than 2 goals at any point.  Tight doesn't begin to describe the game or the series.  Unfortunately, the game came down to a bounce with seconds to go.  Buffalo had possession with about 27 seconds to go on the shot clock and about 32 seconds on he game clock.  A shot attempt early in the possession took a hard bounce off the back boards and Jeff Cornwall found himself on a 2-on-0 break.  He never looked to pass and instead buried his shot far side with 12 seconds to go.  The Bandits got the ball on a faceoff procedure (I think the ball got stuck in the back of Jeremy Thompson's stick, which is a violation) with 8 seconds to go but failed to tie the game.

Were there goals that Cosmo and defense would've liked to have back?  Certainly.  Were there chances that the Bandits offense could have and should have buried?  Definitely, lots of credit is due to the series MVP, Aaron Bold here.  I'm sure the coaches and players would say that themselves.

Ultimately, if you try to think of the reasons the Bandits lost, you might go insane.  I think the bigger factor than Buffalo losing the series was the Rush winning the series.  I know, I sound like an idiot but bare with me.  Over the course of 2 games, the Rush were 3 late goals better than Buffalo.  If the games were 15 minutes longer, I bet the Bandits either win by one or two or lose by one or two.  By no means was either team going to run away with the games.  They were too evenly matched.  The Rush proved to be a *little* bit better in both games.

Undoubtably, the two best teams met in the NLL Finals.  It was an amazing display of the best that the NLL has to offer: speed, scoring, physicality, goaltending and competition.

What a great season it was and the future is bright for both the Bandits and Rush.

Steve lives in Tonawanda with his wife.  He's been attending NLL games for over 20 years and has covered the league for eight seasons.

Mind-numbing Sabres fans

I love hockey.  I REALLY love hockey.  No other sport provides what hockey does.

First off, hockey is the only sport which requires a human being to come completely out of their element.  Artificial hands - a stick.  Artificial feet - skates.  Artificial surface - ice.

Watching top notch hockey talent is a spectacle.  Who doesn't remember watching Dominik Hasek contort his body to make saves that no one else in the world could make?  There was a feeling of honor when you watched him play. ( I might listen to someone argue that same thing for Ryan Miller in his prime.)

Hockey also offers a sound that no other sport can.  The ice reflects every sound from the rink.  In what other sport can you hear player chatter?  Lindy Ruff whistle for a line change?  A goalie slap his stick on the ice to signal the end of a penalty?  A linesman scream "no" to signal the play is onside?  The puck hitting the boards or the post?  The skates gliding along the ice and scraping as a player stops?

Enough sentiment.

Let's talk about our beloved Buffalo Sabres.

This team has been bad for a long time.  Even in years (post Drury/Briere) when they were sniffing at the playoffs and we had high hopes for Stanley Cups, they were a bad team.  Many years of finishing in 9th place still ring in the chasms of my brain.

Something is different now.

This team is losing differently.  They aren't vying for 9th place, they're vying for last.  They have a legitimate shot at a generational player in Connor McDavid.

McDavid would absolutely turn this team (and this city) around.  Look at flipping Sidney Crosby.  That guy may just be leading the resurgence of hockey in the United States.  I can't stand him, especially since the Ice Bowl...and the Olympics...and every time Pittsburgh plays Buffalo.  But none of that can change the fact that he's an amazing talent.

For those of you who say that draft picks don't guarantee cups, you're right.  But don't forget about Chicago and Pittsburgh.  Toews?  Kane? Crosby?  Malkin?  Fleury?  (Fleury isn't great, but has been a winner!)

The sheer quantity of draft picks that the Sabres own should guarantee a winning team.  Between prospects that are already in the system like Armia, Grigorenko, Girgensons, Pysyk, Ristolainen and Zadorov (DON'T FORGET ABOUT JUSTIN BAILEY!) and the 3 first rounds picks they have this offseason should help...and help a lot.  Even if half of these prospects pan out, they'll have a handful of stars on this team.  Stars win games and attract free agents.

For those of you who say "losing doesn't guarantee McDavid," kindly shut your trap.  This team is not going to win a Stanley Cup.  This team won't sniff a playoff spot.  Then stop rooting against them losing and having a great chance and drafting McDavid.  What are you going to say if they are the worst team and lose the lottery?  "Haha, I told you so?"  That would be stupid.  EVERYONE IN THIS CITY SHOULD WANT CONNOR MCDAVID.

One of my twitter followers gets it.  Derek (@dkask716) realizes that even if they don't get McDavid, they'll get Eichel, and that's a very good thing.  Absolutely right, Derek.

I read on a Facebook comment from some bump-on-a-log Sabres fan "I hope McDavid and Eichel both get career ending injuries so people will stop rooting for the Sabres to lose."

Shut up.

No one is rooting for the Sabres to lose.  We're all rooting for them to win.  In fact, we're rooting for them to win a Stanley Cup.

Steve
@SteveBermel
pjfan201@gmail.com

Thoughts on the steroid era.

While driving around today, I heard Jim Rome give some insight into the steroid issue of baseball.  I'm pretty much stealing what he said because I agree with it, so these thoughts aren't entirely my own.

Those who used steroids should not be permitted into the Hall of Fame.  They cheated.  Plain and simple.

A lot of people have told me things like "you still have to hit the ball."  Okay, I agree.  And hitting a 92 mph slider might be the toughest thing to do in any sport.  That being said, you are giving yourself an unfair advantage over the competition around you by pumping roids.

What about the kids in AAA who are hoping for their chance to go up to the Bigs who didn't pump up?  How is it fair for them to get trumped by the guy that they watch next to them juicing?  What if they have more talent but get beat out for that spot by a roider?

How about the guys who didn't juice?  They're watching all of their records get watered down by those who cheated.  Jackie Robinson?  Hank Aaron?  Mr. October?  How should they feel?

Now, if baseball were, for some reason, to make steroids legal, maybe my attitude would change.  But for the time being, I can't stand behind McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, Clemens, Bagwell, A-Rod etc...

I do love baseball, but I don't love cheating.  The beauty of sport is competition, and I feel it should be a level playing field for all competitors.

Quick post-lockout thoughts.

My wife has told me several times already, "Don't buy us hockey tickets, I don't want to go."

She's pretty upset with the whole situation.  She also gets upset about how much athletes get paid.  Hence, she supports the NLL where most players have to work another "real" job to get by and playing a sport doesn't make them rich.

I don't have an issue with how much athletes get paid.  I understand the supply and demand economics of it all, but watching billionaires argue with millionaires was really frustrating to me.  Especially because the real losers in these situations are the little guys.

The ushers at the arena making $50 a night.

The street food cart owners.

The parking lot attendants.

The local businesses and hotels.

THE FANS.

When you're a fan of something, it's not just a sport.  Last night we went over to our friends' house for the BCS Championship game.  My buddy is a HUGE Notre Dame fan, the biggest fan I know.  He was upset.  I understand his pain.  Last night wasn't just a game with a team.  It was a CHAMPIONSHIP game featuring HIS team.

There are emotional ties to a team if you're a true fan.

I definitely have an emotional tie or two to the Buffalo Sabres.

My wife bought us Sabres tickets for Valentine's Day a few years ago.  Little did we know at the time of the purchase that it would be "Pegula Night."  Seeing the French Connection skate out to center ice and seeing Terry in tears with his arms around them gave me goosebumps.  My eyes welled up.

Before the puck drops at a Sabres game or before an opening faceoff at the Bandits' games, I get butterflies.  My palms get sweaty.  Am I silly?  I don't think so.  I'm a sports fan.

With all that being said, I am not upset with Mr. Terry Pegula, nor am I upset with the Buffalo Sabres organization.  I am upset with the NHL and a few owners and players, but not enough to deter me from the sport that I love.

Let's drop the puck, let's go Buffalo, and oh yeah..."The Sabres are gonna win that cup, ya know they're gonna win that Stanley Cup."

So, This Marrone Guy...

My thoughts on the hire of Doug Marrone?  Well, I'm trying my hardest not to have any yet.

Why?  We've been down this road before.  Many times.  We've heard the same thing put so many different ways over the years.  All of the incoming coaches at One Bills Drive have had some sort of success somewhere with some ideas that make us excited as fans.

I've devised a solution.  I'm not going to make any evaluations of him as a coach until I see something from him.

I always liked Chan.  I liked his mentality at first.  I remember a reporter asking him "What did you say to Ryan Fitzpatrick after he threw that interception?"  Gailey's answer was "Go out there and get us a touchdown on this next drive.  That's a same thing I tell him after he throws a touchdown pass, too."

I liked that idea.  He was even keel.  He was football smart - or so it seemed.

Boy did this last season prove all of those things wrong!  He outcoached himself.  He tried so hard to be smart, he ended up being dumb.  He constantly tried to do things to trick the other teams' defenses versus bringing our best plays and players to the field every down.

How is someone like Rian Lindell supposed to feel?  I know he's "just the kicker," but you put him out there to try a 52 yarder, and then what?  You pull him back to the sideline of course.  No faith in him.  Chan said after the game he had faith in the defense to make a stop after the punt.  If you really trusted your defense, Chan, you'd trust them to make a stop if Rian misses the field goal, right?

Sorry, this turned into a rant about Chan.  I still have so many thoughts about him time here in Buffalo.

Marrone, on the other hand, I'm going to wait to have thoughts about...