It's time for a trip around the internet to see what everyone is saying about the Winter Classic. If you want to read what people are saying about the Winter Classic, head over to BfloBlog where he has posted a link to all the relevant stories. There are a few things that have been said that really struck me as interesting.
I actually got chills reading this post at Goose's Roost and I wasn't even at the game. He also makes mention of the Sabres amazing fanbase...
Simply amazing. It didn't feel like New Year's at all, but it didn't have to. January 1st was Winter Classic Day, and the 71,000+ at the Ralph and another 11,000 or so at HSBC Arena proved it.
That's right, 11,000. Can you believe that? We filled an empty arena with more people than some teams average for real games. Will that ever happen again? I mean, this event really was the perfect storm. An outdoor game played in a city at the pinnacle of hockey fever, its team matched up against the league's brightest star. It was brilliant, and something we may never have the privilege to witness again.
It's pretty amazing that the Sabres fan base is so unbelievably strong after where this franchise was not to long ago. Truly amazing!
James Mirtle gives Buffalo the title of HockeyTown USA...
And I know I've said this before but the fans in Buffalo are really second to none. As far as I'm concerned, Hockeytown USA is just down the QEW.
Do you see a trend here? I think the fans of the Sabres need to give themselves a round of applause. I'm sure a lot of Northern Cities could have sold out 70,000+ tickets to such an event but another 11,000 to watch it at the arena. That number is not including people like me who could not be at either place although I really wanted to.
I completely understand that the game was not the most entertaining because of the weather but it was a Classic nonetheless. It would have been nice to see a better hockey game but the spectacle was well worth it. I offer congratulations the the Sabres, the Penguins, the NHL and most importantly to all the hockey fans in attendance (no matter what your allegiance). It's time to put the Winter Classic to bed and move on with the rest of the season, the Sabres have a lot of work to do.