As Sabres fans we are entering strange territory. It feels a bit like we’ve been launched into space. There is no ground beneath our feet, and personally, I have no idea which way is up.
Unfortunately, I don’t think we’re at rock bottom yet, and that’s both incredibly depressing and oddly exhilarating. How low can this thing go? What does “low” even mean at this point? Should we be rooting for a draft pick? Is down the only way up?
Who knows.
All I know is that this shit is depressing. As recently as a few days ago I thought we would be fighting against anger. I thought Sabres fans were going to rise up in cartoonish mobs of unreasonable crankiness, pitchforks and torches in hand. Now I know that that was just my Buffalo sports fan inexperience talking. No one is angry. We’re depressed.
We wish. If only it were this easy.
Anger is easy to mock, but depression is a slippery beast. Anger is focused. Depression is murky.
Last night Tyler Myers gave an interview where he was very obviously fighting back tears. He said, “This has been a devastating road trip,” and there was detectable and literal devastation in his voice.
I mean, what the eff, Hockey Gods? WHAT THE EFF. We’re supposed to be able to hate the Sabres when they suck. Last night I wanted to make Tyler Myers a grilled cheese sandwich and then cut off the crust in a way that creates a heart-shape. I wanted to rock him back and forth while whispering, “It’s okay, big guy. You’re going to be okay,” until he fell into fitful sleep. Then, this morning I wanted to put an encouraging note in his lunchbox, and promise him that today will be a better day. I can’t hate Tyler Myers. Hell, I can’t even make fun of him.
ARG! THIS IS NO WAY TO LIVE.
Hey… look at that. I turned my depression into anger and then turned my anger into a joke and now I feel teeny-tiny bit better. At least my vaguely unhealthy coping mechanisms are still intact.
Last night before the game there was a not-insignificant part of me that was hoping the Sabres would lose. The reality is that the more the Sabres lose, the closer they are to a good draft pick and the higher the possibility that someone will finally get fired. Those are the facts. So, I just thought, “Go for it Sabres. Do your worst.” I thought I could handle it, but no matter how much my brain understands that losses are more valuable than wins at this point, my heart cannot understand. Rooting against the Sabres is fundamentally depressing. In between games, losing seems like a tolerable outcome, but watching it live is brutal and sad, no matter what. It’s not for me.
NOOOOOO! Fight, Sabres! FIGHT, GODDAMN IT! *sob*
I guess this is how it is now. These are confusing times. We’re lost in the Swamp of Sadness, and all we can do is wade through the muck.
We’ll get through it, Sabres fans. WE WILL.
Stupid sports.
The Willful Caboose 
Oh, Katebits, it’s true–if we just hold hands & stick together & wait, it’ll get better! Maybe not Stanley Cup better (darn you, TPegs, for saying that & getting everybody all starry-eyed & squirrelly), but better than this. As long as no one’s dead, there’s always hope…
Oh, good lord. The picture from the Neverending Story! That scene devastated my little brother and I. We still talk about how sad that is. Depressing.
(I have nothing of actual worth to add.)
Hmmm. That should be “my brother and me.” Sorry.
The Neverending Story and Beauty and the Beast in one post. You just made my day : )
For years I said “It’s not about how much money you spend but how you spend the money that you have” because the Sabres were a “small market” team and couldn’t go nuts on July 1st.
Oh how that mantra is ringing true.
I just hope that they figure out how to solve the messed up Chemistry experiment that the Sabres have become soon so that the Sabres don’t turn into the Oilers or Islanders.
Reach the stars
fly a fantasy
Dream a dream and what you see will be.
Hey Kate, thankfully we don’t have to root against them because that would imply they actually had a chance to win. Funny how you just knew they were going to lose the last five.
I actually want them to lose every single game for the rest of the year. I think they can do it if they really try, but even this team will probably fall ass backward into a few more wins.
But not only should we all want them to get the first pick when the playoffs are no longer a reality, but I actually want to see if they can go oh-fer the rest of the way with ownership maintaining that R/R belong here. I’m literally afraid that unless the team drums home its ineptitude by losing the rest of its games, ownership will refuse to clean house.
James – sad to say, but both the oilers and the islanders are going to be better than the Sabres for at least the next few seasons unless pegula tears this shit down. Keep vanek, myers, and mcnabb and start over. Everyone else is expendable.
Here’s my thought: If Pegula is going to do anything, I think it will be after tomorrow night’s NJ game and especially if they lose (again). Then the new regime, especially if it includes a coach, has a whole week to adjust before the next game. There aren’t any other breaks in the schedule like that.
It also gives a new GM about a month to work on trades.
I’m a Ruff fan, yes, but a Sabres fan first. I’ve been up and down over Regier, so I’m not as sentimental about his staying. But something has to be done. Something major. If not, the Sabres will be nothing more than a laughingstock.
This is just sad. :(
Also Gaston plays for the Rangers and his name is Brian Boyle, no joke.
It’s crazy how close this is to what I’ve been thinking about the habs lately. Reading your last few posts, we are definitely going through some similar stuff…
However, I noticed I’ve felt incredibly better since I completely gave up on this season and decided every loss was a step towards a better future. I know some people (and probably the Hockey Gods) frown at the idea of tanking, but I have my own little set of rules here:
– They can lose every single game remaining in the season except those against the Leafs and the Bruins.
– Basically, and no matter how it must suck for the players, I just don’t want them to get on a pointless winning streak and lure the GM into thinking he should try to salvage this mess at the trade deadline. The sooner they’re unequivocally out, the better.
– I’m still gonna enjoy it when they win games, like they did yesterday night. In a “ahaha, that’s so cute, they’re scoring goals and trying to win” way.
– I have a few players I want to do well no matter what.
I hope you find your own way to enjoy the rest of this season!
Hey Katebits, I’m sure you’ve listened to this, but if not, check out the audio at the end. Classic Crunchy!
http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2012/01/miller-on-black-im-sure-theres-frustrations-in-his-situation-just-like-there-are-in-ours.html
Hey, I’m a Sabres fan as well. Actually I gave up on the just before last year after the made it all the way to the Conference Semis in 2006 and then sprung up in 09 before fading in 10 and now they’re currently mess here in 11-12.
Sports depression is really a heavy thing for people and yes I’m being serious and not try to laugh about. Example, the Colts and Peyton Manning. I wasn’t initially a believer in the guy and was even less of a believer when Tony Dungy joined them but suddenly I was a fan and 100% believer from Day 730 of Dungy’s run. Lol. Anyway, the whole thing the archrival Patriots showing up in Indianapolis and this during Manning’s final season in Indy is even more than a bit awkward. Here you are a team that nearly won a second Super Bowl in 3 years and then they lose to New Orleans. Followed by Manning miscalculating his injury recovery time during the 2010 season and the complete lack of recovery time during the 2011 season due to the lockout and yet another operation and then the whole mess began.
What makes it even more awkward for me is the Super Bowl rematch where the Giants won in 2008 during what was one of the most disasterous times in my life. Of course the last thing I want to do is relieve this moment since it brings back bad memories. But hey, if casual New Yorkers and Bostonites along with curiously onlookers who don’t even know who Deion Branch might find the rematch entertaining. More power to them. Have all the fun in the world.
Just remember it wasn’t fun for everyone. Most notably the guy who used to play on that field.
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