Introduce Yourself to DBTB

I’m actually not a Sabres fan. I’m a Leafs fan. (Most would deem that unfortunate. I might agree.) But I’ve been reading the blog for a few months now, and have dropped a few comments. It’s always nice to know the competition.

I have visited Buffalo many times. I usually reach one Bills game a year – I’m a huge Bills fan. Again, mostly unfortunate. I’ve got great memories of the glory years, of losing those Super Bowls. Jim Kelly, Thurmo, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Cornelius Bennett, Steve Tasker…what a team. It’s a damn shame they could never get a ring. I have a deep, deep hatred for the Dallas Cowboys for two of those losses. Nightmares of Aikman and Emmitt.

I have been to one game down in Buffalo, to watch the Sabres and Leafs. It was a few years ago, when Belfour first joined the Leafs. I was a few rows behind the penalty box. The Leafs actually won that night, something they rarely do in Buffalo, and it was a fantastic game. We were heckling Sabres players in the penalty box, Mogilny scored a beautiful short-handed goal, and it was the night Belfour finally became, officially, a Leaf. He was huge in the third period, and my friends and I started the “Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!” chant that night, which would take off in Toronto only a night later. I shit you not.

Anyway, great blog you got here, it’s where I keep tabs on the Sabres, and here I am saying hello. I run my own blog – Sports And The City – where I unequivocally and unapologetically support Toronto’s sports teams.

Good luck in the coming season.

Cheers,
eyebleaf

I am 34 years old and a die hard Sabres, Bills and Yankees fan. I am the manager/writer of Die by the Blade since it began in July 2007. I have been a Buffalo Sabres an for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid I actually named my gold fish Danny Gare and Don Edwards…any guess who my favorite Sabres of all time are?

My first blog was called Buffalo Sports Stampede and was dedicated to all Buffalo Sports but it was definitely slanted towards the Sabres. I contacted SB Nation in early 2007 and eventually became the first hockey blog on SB Nation. It’s amazing that just two years ago I had the only hockey blog on the network and now with the help of James Mirtle every team is accounted for.

I have many vivid Buffalo Sabres memories that will be forever etched in my brain. I still remember going The Aud as a kid and I will always love that building for the intimacy it brought to a hockey game. I love the HSBC as well but it will ever be The Aud (not even in a hundred years).

My first vivid Buffalo Sabres memory came in 1983 in a regular season game between the Sabres and the Quebec Nordiques. Gilbert Perreault scored a natural hat trick in the second period and the Sabres won the game 7-5. There were plenty of playoff games in the 90’s that I attended but the best was game four of the Stanley Cup Final against the Dallas Stars.

Although sports and the Sabres are basically my entire life I do have some other interests. My favorite band of all time is Pearl Jam but I have plenty of other musical interests…Tragically Hip, The Sheila Divine, The Tea Party, STP, The Lowest of the Low, Live, Our Lady Peace, etc…

I don’t get to watch very many movies but I am a huge fan of any movie that has Adam Sandler in it. Outside of Sandler movies my favorites would be A Few Good Men and Young Guns. I was also a big fan of Chris Farley when he was alive. I don’t watch much TV unless it is the NFL Network or the NHL Network (MSG and Center Ice Package in season).

I’m sure I’m leaving some things out but you get the idea. Hope to hear from all of you.

I’m the proprietor of Gobbler Country, SB Nation’s Virginia Tech blog. While my first love is the Hokies and the college oblong, I’m also one of about three people in the state of Oklahoma who loves and follows the NHL.

I discovered Die By The Blade shortly before I made the jump to SB Nation and have had it in my RSS reader ever since. Living in Norman, Okla., means I rely on blogs like DBTB, Sabres Edge and Goose’s Roost to follow the team.

I’m 25 and started following the Sabres when I was young because I was a big LaFontaine fan and enjoyed watching Jeanneret call games on Empire after convincing my parents to buy Center Ice. My first memory of watching hockey was staying up late to watch the May Day goal, which pretty much sealed my fate as a Sabres fan.

Someday I’ll make it up to Buffalo for a game. For now, I have to wait for the Sabres to make road trips to Dallas.

My name is Matt, I’m 22, from North Buffalo (right near Delaware Park) and am, of course, a big Sabres and Bills fan. Unfortunately I cannot lay claim to being a diehard fan for my whole life and, truth be told, I didn’t really follow either team closely until I moved to Boston for school. Since then I’ve been a pretty close follower of both teams, aided immensely by SB Nation.

Growing up I was always a fan of Buffalo sports teams (mostly the Bills, who I’d watch every Sunday with my dad) but I didn’t really follow player transactions, line changes, salary cap issues, etc. until people in Boston decided it would be funny to make fun of the city that had never won a sports championship. I found the best way to counter that was to know more than them about everything, thus proving that they were idiots. That plan has been mediocre so far.

Being in Boston I only get to make it to the 4 (now 3) Sabres games where they play the Bruins in Boston and then an occasional other game or two while I’m home on holidays and what not. I usually make it to 1 or 2 Bills games a year as well, if I can. I have gotten lucky once or twice and gotten tickets either on the glass or in a box to see the Sabres play, good times.

I do try to make sure I see every Sabres game on TV (NHL Center Ice) and I take the trip to the Harp (Bills Backers Bar in Boston, try to say that 10 times fast) whenever I can but college keeps me pretty busy. I also have followed Syracuse Basketball (especially since Harris and Flynn who played ball with a lot of my buddies) and plan on following the T Wolves now that the hometown boys made the jump to the NBA.

I found this place after reading some other Sabres blogs for a while and SB Nation as a whole is, I think, just about the greatest thing to happen to sports since Jim Kelly. Keep up the good work.

My name is Zach, I’m 22 and I come from the Southern Tier in Western New York. I always was a Sabres fan through childhood but became a huge Sabres fan directly after the lockout.

I started with Die By The Blade in January of 09 after writing at my first blog, Dueling Sabres. Since then I have

I am a huge fan of teams that seem to never win anything, Sabres, Bills, and Cubs, which makes me feel that I am in many ways a sports masochist. I

I’m 38, and have lived in Buffalo most of my life, aside from a five year stint in Pittsburgh. I’ve been a Bills fan and a Sabres fan since I can remember, which really started to happen in the mid to late 70’s. With that said, some might question my ability to remember….

I come from Buffalo Rumblings (the greatest…freakin…site…ever). I tip my hat to Galiford over there on a daily basis. Dude runs a good ship, and I figured I could get the same fix from another SB affiliated site for hockey. Hopefully, DO can and will follow the recipe on that one. In my opinion, he’s on track.

Keep up the good work here DO…

I hate Ottawa

Inside jokes for me while watching hockey is what water is to ice – a necessity.

(Troy McClure’s voice)You’ll see me referencing “Spezza(insert name here) is a little girl” and “he’s someones uncle” or classics such as “we have to beat the upper bi-cameral legislature of a non-real country”.

Just laugh and dismiss or add your own – its good times – good times.

I really started watching the Sabres after the lockout – I’ve always been an athelete so I understand most of the the game – just not everything so I will ask questions from time to time. But I do watch almost every single hockey game now – so thats good and fun.

Live in WNY – pretty much go to buffalorumblings more than any other site on SBNation. But I frequent this site during the season.

Tip of the hat goes to D.O. for letting J2 be J2 during last season – I do keep it PG-13 – but I also keep it fun/interesting. More interesting than fun – depending on perspective.

ummmmm Ottawa sucks

I have been a sabres fan for – well – 20 years now – just not an avid watcher as I am now. Its great to root for a team 2 or 3 times a week during the winter. Especially when we are good – so we better go to the playoffs because 2 years of futility is not fun.

See you all from time to time!

Grew up in the Buffalo area and now live in the Roch area.
My favorite Sabres memories : Derek Plante vs. Ottawa. My father had fallen asleep (he had to be up early for work) and I remember trying not to wake him up as that puck trickled in the net. I ultimately wasn’t successful.
The Drury hit game. I’ve never been so fired up during a hockey game.
Jason Wooley scoring in OT to win game 1 of the Dallas series.
Of course, May Day
Mogilny scoring in his first game and Mogilny losing his stick on a power play, so he kicked the puck to a teamate and got an assist
Game 1 vs. Ottawa, Hasek standing on his head and beating the Sens….after that the Sabres dominated the series.

Favorite Sabres
Rick Vaive (no idea why….I just always liked him)
Lafontaine
Hasek
McKee
Foligno
Mike Ramsey
John Tucker

Least Favorite Sabres
Schmelik (I dislike him so much, I’m not even going to check and see if I spelled it right)
Mike Wilson
Kotalik

Someone who could become one of my least favorite Sabres:
Derek Roy – if he shows up a teamate one more time or stops skating and looks at the sky next time he misses a scoring chance, I swear I’m going to……..

I also miss the ambiance of the aud…..as a kid I always worried that if I fell down while going down the steps in the orange section, that I would actually fall onto the ice. Cool place for hockey.

I am also a semi-frequent Rumblings poster as well as a member of the Pats, Jets, Phins boards and an NFL draft board and fantasy sports board……my most frequents ones are Rumblings and DBTB

I guess this makes me the old guy in the group(I’m 45). I grew up in Cheektowaga. My uncle used to listen to games on an old am radio at the bar in his basement (1970, 1971). It was his way of getting away from my aunt and 3 female cousins. He invited me to join him once and have been hooked ever since. I remember going to games (and concerts) in the Aud in the 80’s. What a story that building could tell. I left Buffalo and moved back a couple of times. I now live 3 hours away in Clinton NY. Still consider myself a Buffalonian even though I haven’t lived there in 17 years. Still love the Bills but have always been a hockey nut. I take great pride in being from Buffalo and always will. I play hockey year round and play in a couple of senior leagues in the winter. My favorite Sabres, no question. Jay McKee and Rick Martin.

Hey. I have been a Sabres fan for as long as I can remember. I am 34 now, and some of my earliest memories are the trade that brought McCourt to Buffalo and sent Gare to Detroit. Didn’t know at the time that Foligno would become one of my all time favorite guys, both on and off the ice. I still have my original Foligno Sabres home jersey in size kids small which my daughter will fit in a couple of years from now (she is 2).

I currently live in Toronto, but was born in Brantford (yes the home of the hockey great himself, Chris Gratton. Oh, and Gretzky) My parents grew up in Fort Erie which is probably why I inherited my Dad’s love for the team (even though he can’t watch any more games as he says he is bad luck). I suffer greatly for my love of the Sabres but it is well worth it. I am the lone Sabres fan at my office of 1200 people. The majority are Leaf fans and I hear on a regular basis how much they hate Buffalo. Still, my Sabres pucks hang proudly on my cube wall for all to see.

I am a huge fan of the Bills (Joe Cribbs baby!!!) but I am a hockey fan through and through. I am hoping that one day we will get a true owner that is a hockey man and has a passion for winning because if it is one city and team that deserves a cup, its the Buffalo Sabres. I don’t think this will happen with Golisano unfortunately but what can you do. You might not agree with the war, but you always support the troops. LETS GO BUFFALO!!!!!

I’m Ed. I’m a musician and lifelong Sabres fan from the Rochester area. I was watching on TV when Mogilny scored his first NHL goal and I was hooked. I also remember being sad about Pierre Turgeon leaving but really stoked about getting Pat LaFontaine at the same time. In terms of games, “Oh, now do you believe? These guys are good – scary good!” gave me goosebumps just like May Day did. I’ve only been to two Sabres games, but I tend to go to at least two Americans games a year. ’Twas a true shame when that affiliation ended, but it was great to see Roy / Miller / Stafford / Pominville in person before they hit the NHL.

In hockey’s off-season, my attention always turns to baseball. I’m not a fan of any particular team, but I tend to gravitate towards the midwest teams (i.e. Twins, Brewers, Cubs).

Currently, I teach private lessons (mostly guitar and drums), host a weekly open mic, and play as many shows as possible. I’m the drummer in a power pop band, but I’m looking to go prog-metal with my next project.

See you in October!

49 year old ex-Buffalonian who moved to Rochester in 1995. New to this site bt a Buffalo Rumblings regular

I remember the day Tim Horton died in Crash on QEW and crying.
Schoeny throwing Hodge and Cashman through the Zamboni entrance at the Aud – as a Rookie!
The French Connection! As good as it gets!
Brian “Spinner” Spencer – the Kaleta of his day.
Roger Crozier facing 72 shots versus Bruins and winning!
The first Stanley Cup Finals versus Philly – and the Fog!
Rene Robert scoring in OT versus the Habs.
The fact that Rob Ray, Danny Gare and Mogilny scored on their first shifts.
Ted Darling on TV and Rick Geanerett on the radio.
The LaFontaine, Hawerchuk, Andreychuk, Mogilny led offense of the early 90’s

Guess it’s why we watch – the memories last forever.

Im Andrew (22) and i recently joined a week ago. I love talking hockey and being a player and sabres fan myself i can never get enough of it. Can’t wait to see how the season goes and how Reigers decision of home grown talent plays out.