Coaching is Easy!

We’ve heard a lot this season about how Lindy Ruff has been backing off from his normal routine of screaming and yelling.  He claims that he is letting the Sabres lead themselves.  After a bad game, he lets them work it out on their own.  After thinking about this for a bit, I developed an image of Craig Rivet and Mike Grier playing good cop/bad cop in the Sabres locker room.

Mike Grier is the tough task master.  He yells at the slackers, and if he gets really pissed, he roughs them up a bit.  Then, in swoops Craig Rivet and with a few soothing murmers and a bandaid to make it all better, he dries Roy-Z’s tears.  The next game, Roy-Z plays harder in an effort to avoid Grier’s wrath and to gain Rivet’s approval.

Meanwhile, during the time he used to spend coaching, Lindy can just eat bon-bons and waste his entire day checking out his ex-girlfriends on Facebook.

Goalie Thoughts

The first time I paid continual intense attention to the Sabres was during their 07-08 06-07 playoff run.  Obviously I didn’t know much about hockey at the time, but even a total novice could see that by the time the Ottawa series rolled around the Sabres would have lost every game 50-2 without the incredible play of Ryan Miller.  I don’t very often give him credit for helping to make a hockey addict out of me, but I probably should.

Ryan Miller was amazing against the Hurricanes last night.  He was so amazing that I was reminded of those first few hockey games I watched two and a half years ago.  It’s a real treat to watch him when he’s like this, so much so that it could inspire someone to become a lifelong fan of the game.

I reeeeally hope Crunchy’s got the stamina to stay up and running for an entire season (during an Olympic year no less).  Darcy and Lindy, need to find a way to ensure that Ryan Miller gets enough rest.  If they don’t, they suck.  Crunchy deserves better.  He’s playing his ass off right now, but this won’t last forever.  He’s going to need a breather or two, and we don’t want him all deflated and worn down in March.  No, we do not.

This team is still a total mystery, but one thing we know for sure is that in the right circumstances, Ryan Miller is capable of carrying this organization on his back.

The Sabres need a better back-up.  STAT.

4 Scattered Things

I have started and stopped about ten different post today, but I have absolutely no focus or clarity of thought. It occurs to me (and this qualifies as a MAJOR “duh”) that my lack of focus might have a little to do with the fact that I’ve been breathing paint fumes for two weeks, and I’m living in the midst of total chaos.

This is the mess I can see from where I’m sitting right now.

This is the mess I can see if I stand up and turn my head to the right.

So, this is my excuse for my piss poor blogging of late.  Everything is crazy in my house, and I CAN’T THINK STRAIGHT.

1. I read Bucky’s column today and I had two thoughts:

First, Bucky Gleason made me laugh with this line, “By the sounds of things, Ruff was ready to deliver breakfast in bed to his players and thank them for beating the Islanders.”  Heh.

Second, while I liked the column (seriously!  Some of that information was interesting and hilarious!), I disagree with Bucky’s conclusion which seems to be, “FINAL ANALYSIS: Lindy is the best coach Buffalo could ever hope to have”.  I do NOT understand why everything is so black and white when it comes to the Lindy discussion.  In my opinion, a coach’s job performance grade is going to change over the course of a season- possibly multiple times.  Why is everyone around here so eager to be all, “LINDY IS GREAT! CASE CLOSED!” or “LINDY SHOULD BE FIRED! CASE CLOSED!”  What the hell?  If the Sabres play consistently well all season, then Lindy should keep his job.  If they suck, or they fall back into the same old habits they’ve had for the past two and a half years, well, then he should be fired.  We don’t have to decide his fate for life right this minute, in fact, IT’S COMPLETELY DUMB TO TRY.  Right now, I’m perfectly happy with Lindy, but I absolutely will start squawking for his removal if the team takes a nosedive.  If we are thinking critically about Lindy, our opinions will change over time.  Right?

I think an article about how Lindy is taking conscious steps to morph his coaching style is both interesting and relevant, but it’s waaaaay too early to declare that he’s a “better coach” now.  Lindy deserves a lot of credit for the fast start, but let’s just hold our horses, especially in light of the games played over the weekend.

2. The games played over the weekend were worrisome.

3. Adam Mair is on waivers!  Holy Toledo!  Do the Sabres still have a glut of players at forward (I’m seriously asking- I have no idea), or is Darcy laying the groundwork for another move?  It’s a drag for Mair that he lost his job while he was injured, but I don’t mind this move at all.  This is the kind of move we were begging for last season.  Combined with the Paille trade, it’s a shot across the bow of the locker room, “If you don’t play well enough to make the line-up, you’re out of here.”  I like it.  Now, the Sabres just need to trade one of the top six and then I think even Derek Roy might be convinced to start playing hard every night.

4. Finally, just so you don’t think I’ve been sitting around sniffing paint and stewing in my own filth, here are a few pictures of the house progress I’ve made.

Before

After

Before

After

Don’t even get me started on the Sunflowers….

.….they were a major pain in my ass.  But they’re gone now.

5 MORE Surprises of the New Season

1. This is actually Drew Stafford. Everyone assumed this was a fake account until Staffy went and broke the news of the Paille trade on Twitter.  Staffy’s current habit of calling every city “Hot[name of city]” in the style of Hotlanta amuses me.   My favorite so far is Hotronto, but Long Hotsland is pretty good too.  Staffy is a weirdo.

2. Lindy Ruff should NOT be fired (yet).  I’ll admit that I was fully prepared to pick up where I left off last season with the constant “IDON’TCAREIFHE’SAGOODGUY,HISTEAMSUCKS” ranting, but as far as I’m concerned, Lindy can keep his job for now.  Before the season started I was getting annoyed with all the talk about how Lindy went to Canada’s Olympic camp and came back refreshed and full of new ideas, but perhaps there is something to that theory.  Sure, the power play still blows, but Lindy does seem to be enjoying the mojo of renewed inspiration this season.  Maybe he’s been watching lots of Oprah and keeping a journal.  If we could just get Babcock to teach Lindy how to manage a goalie rotation, we might be good to go this year!  Woo!

3. Raking is a LOT harder than I thought it was.  Actually, raking is not that hard, but getting the dumb leaves in the bag is SUPREMELY annoying.  I wish I could just go in the back yard, open a lawn bag and say, “All you leaves, GET IN HERE.”  Yes, I’ve been reduced to wishing for a magic lawn bag.  I’m not ashamed.

4. Jason Pominville has a baby! – actually he has several (pommerdoodles have litters).  TWC has obtained exclusive rights to the first picture of the twins.  I think there were five babies in all, but the family has been referring to these two as “the twins” because they both like beef jerky and watching Mad Men.

I’m not sure which is the evil twin, but the one on the right looks pretty shifty.

5. Like you, I never bothered to look up the definition of “truculence,” but one thing we know for SURE is that it doesn’t mean, “capable of playing hockey”.  Heh, heh, a THOUSAND times, heh.

2 Things: Schopp and the Bulldog Edition

1.Yesterday afternoon Schopp and the Bulldog had one of the most intelligent and logical conversations about Lindy Ruff that I’ve ever heard in the Buffalo media.

As everyone who regularly reads this blog knows, I’ve been harping on the Lindy issue for many months, but one thing I’m still not sure I’ve ever adequately expressed is that my real interest isn’t in seeing Lindy fired.  For me, the most compelling thing about the Lindy conversation is….the actual conversation.

Hearing a radio show where the callers were essentially challenged to make arguments that go beyond the endless repetition of “He’s one of the best in the league,” and “It’s all Larry Quinn’s fault” and “He’s doing the best with the players he’s got” was extremely refreshing.  Extremely. And the callers came through with intelligent responses. (FOR REAL.)  That was the part of the show that really blew my mind.  A guy called in, and defended Lindy with keen observation and a total lack of sentimentality.  I’m not sure I’ve EVER heard someone do that before.  It rocked, and it made me think about the Lindy issue a little differently.

The case for or against Lindy isn’t clear cut.  There’s quite a lot to discuss once we are operating in a conversational environment where Lindy isn’t in some bizarre blameless bubble.  All I really know for sure is that if Larry Quinn is the devil, and Lindy Ruff is a saint, the conversation is useless because it’s pure fiction.  By clinging to these cartoonish characterizations, we’ve been opting out of discussing the Sabres in any meaningful way.

I’ve been perplexed and frustrated that much of the main stream media in Buffalo has (until very recently) appeared to value Lindy’s quotability over reasoned, critical analysis.   Blogs have been clawing at this issue for awhile, but it’s the main stream media that can really effect the tone of the large scale conversation.  There are two perfectly reasonable sides to this story, and if both are approached with levelheadedness, we can elevate the level of dialog.

Hooray!

2. In addition to interesting Lindy conversations, Schopp and the Bulldog have been talking a lot about the impossible pipe dream idea of Martin Biron returning to Buffalo as Crunchy’s backup.  There are a couple of good arguments to be made in favor of this plan, but the most compelling one is something I hadn’t thought about until Bulldog brought it up.

Ryan Miller is almost certainly going to the Winter Olympics this year.  He might even be the starting goalie.  What are the chances that our high-strung, underweight, prone-to-exhaustion, little scarecrow of a goalie can handle the extra workload with ease?  Yeah…I’m thinking not good.

We need a better backup, and Marty Biron ain’t got no job.

Giggling

Bucky Gleason has a new column which I checked out because it was getting some discussion on Twitter, and the first line made me laugh out loud.  The headline is “Ruff Sends the Wrong Message” and the first line is, “Lindy Ruff is one of the best coaches in the NHL, but…..”  The article goes on to criticize Lindy for toeing the party line about the Sabres roster in comments made from prospect camp last week.

It cracks me up how Bucky castrated his entire column FROM THE VERY FIRST LINE with a qualifier which basically amounts to, “Oh, don’t worry, I KNOW Lindy’s one of the best coaches EVAH!  WOOOOO, Lindy!  Go Lindy!  Go Lindy!  It’s your birthday! It’s your birthday!”

Way to take a hardline stance, Buckster!

Sigh

Worst top to bottom review ever.

TWC Top to Bottom Review: Lindy Ruff

(This post is the first in a series which will examine the role and performance of each member of the Sabres organization.  I had intended to start at the bottom, and work my way up through the ranks, but in Lindy’s case, I feel there is a certain….urgency.  Bucky Gleason has been writing about shadowy “rumors” swirling around HSBC arena that Lindy is about to get canned.  I don’t believe it, and I’m reeeeally uncomfortable hoping anything Bucky writes is true, but I want to make sure I got Lindy’s review done with enough time for Larry Quinn to use it in his top to bottom organizational analysis.  I’m just trying to help.)

Name: Lindebald Ruff

Position: Head coach

Length of time in current position: 10 million years

Career high point: Stanley Cup Finals 1999

Career low point: meeting Derek Roy

2008-09 grade: C-   The Sabres missed the playoffs and were generally grody.

Areas of strength: yellow mustache upkeep, basic awesomeness, wry interviews, Tetris, uncanny ability to convince everyone he’s an infallible genius (possible warlock or jedi?), scowling, and salsa dancing.

Areas of weakness: forearms, application of “the system”, getting the Sabres into the playoffs, and adding fractions.

General comments: Lindy Ruff is a beloved citizen of Buffalo, in fact, he may well be the most beloved citizen of Buffalo.  However, after twelve years of uninterrupted adoration, Lindy’s death grip on our hearts and minds has suddenly loosened.  Buffalonians, distraught over missing the playoffs for the second straight year, are suddenly questioning everything they once held dear, and OPENLY saying things like, “Well…..maybe it’s time.”

“Well……maybe it’s time,” may not seem like a significant statement of discontent, but when compared to sweet caress of the velveteen kid gloves Lindy’s enjoyed for the bulk of his career, whispering “Well….maybe it’s time,” is akin to gathering outside his home with pitchforks and torches.  It’s practically a declaration of war.

Lindy’s team has been uninspired, disorganized, and generally fragile for two seasons now.  The reasons for this are many, most of them certainly not his fault, but one cannot help but think, “Well…..maybe it’s time.”   There is no doubt that some portion of the team is ignoring him, and I suspect that there are those who are actively rebelling (hint: Blerek Bloy).  So…..maybe it’s time.

On the other hand, you’re not going to find a more yellow-haired coach in the NHL.  The Sabres should think long and hard about everything that Lindy’s yellow hair brings to the table before they go firing people all willy nilly.

REQUIRED SUMMER HOMEWORK: There is one hope, and one hope only for Lindy Ruff if he wants to continue coaching a team that includes Vanek, Roy, and Pominville.   Lindy must undergo a complete personality overhaul. I know, I know, we like Lindy.  He seems like such a cool guy, but if we want him to stay, some things have got to change.  I’m not saying any of this is his fault, but things are what they are.  The problems with this roster run too deep to suggest that moving a few players would provide enough help.  Lindy’s got to do his part too.

Lindy’s Assignments:

1.  Lindy must dye his hair black, because as much as the fans love his yellowness, he looks like a baby chick.  Derek Roy doesn’t want to be coached by a baby chick, and frankly, I don’t blame him.

2. Lindy must be bitten by a radioactive spider and/or a vampire.  Right now, when Lindy gets angry he has very little credibility with the team.  They are unfazed by Lindy’s hollering.  The only way to fix this problem is to up the ante with the threat of blood sucking and/or a spider-like ass kicking.

3. Lindy must acquire and learn how to use a taser.

4. Lindy must finish his doctoral dissertation once and for all.  It’s an embarrassment and a scandal that the Sabres have been coached for all these years by a non-PhD.

5. Lindy must undergo hypnosis so that he forgets everything he knows about the current Sabres roster.  This is for his own good.

6. Lindy must fight an ogre and win.

____________

If Lindy is able to complete these tasks I feel he would be a changed man and therefore qualified to continue coaching the Sabres.  Otherwise, he should probably be fired so that he can be hired by the MInnesota Wild.  I’ve tried so many times to love the Wild (I’m a native Minnesotan) but due to their extreme Lemairishness, I’ve had a very difficult time wacthing them play.  If Lindy became the coach of the Wild everyone would win.  Lindy would like it in the Twin Cities and the team is nearly as loyal to their coaches as the Sabres, the Sabres would get a fresh start, and I’d still get to enjoy Lindy’s appealing yellowness from behind the bench of a team I enjoy.  Plus, the Wild would get a good coach in Lindy Ruff.

Lindy is a good man, a good coach, and an good guy to have around, but he’s just not clicking with the team that his BFF Darcy Regier signed to long term contracts.  So…..maybe it’s time.  If it’s not time, Lindy needs to get to work on his ogre slaying skills, asap.

5 Things

1. Like almost everyone I know in town, I’ve been recently struck down with the cold/flu from hell.  I’m mostly feeling fine now, but I still have a (really attractive) barking cough, so I’ve been taking a cough suppressant at night. When I first got sick I accidentally threw out the little plastic cup that came with the cough syrup so I’ve been using an actual tablespoon to administer my nightly dosage.  Yesterday, when I opened a new bottle (yes, this is a two bottle level illness…sad times), I had a NEW cup, but I had gotten so used to giving myself two tablespoons of medicine each night that without thinking, I slurped down TWO generously poured little plastic cups of cough syrup.  It wasn’t until about an hour later when I was literally stumbling around my apartment and mentally writing letters to the FDA asking HOW they could make such a ridiculously potent drug available for over the counter usage, that I realized I had taken at least TWICE the recommended dosage.  Oopsies.  I’m lucky to be alive, people.  That was a wild ride.  (Actually, I just went to sleep.)

2. I think it’s interesting that the Sabres have spent the last two days defending Lindy Ruff to reporters.  I’m glad that they realize their suckiness is putting Lindy’s job on the line (at least in the eyes of the press).  Maybe the threat of Lindy getting fired will put a little urgency into their game.  I’m not at all surprised to hear they love and respect him.

3. Lindy himself has been asked to comment on the team and the job he’s been doing, which has caused him to say, “I get pissed when my passion is called into question.”  I think a reporter asked him specifically about his passion, so I’m not judging Lindy for defending it, but…..it’s not Lindy’s passion I question.  His TEAM’S passion is certainly questionable, and that’s why I question Lindy’s effectiveness.

4.  I wish that Spacek had another year on his contract.  I think Darcy is going to be under a lot of pressure to make changes this offseason, and so it might be difficult to justify re-signing Spacek, but of all the older defensemen he might be the one I’m most interested in keeping.  I keep hearing Paul Hamilton on the radio all non-chalantly saying things like, “Well, Spacek is most likely gone next year.”  Really?  I mean, I know he’s not perfect, but that, um, sounds a little scary to me.  We kind of need Spacek, don’t we?  Why couldn’t Lydman or Tallinder be free agents this summer?  Why does it have to be Spacek?!  WHY? *shaking fist at sky*

5. I’m going to the game tomorrow.  It’s the last game of the season for me.  Even though I’ve been complaining mightily about the Sabres recently, I’m sorry to see another season go.  I love going to the arena, and it’s sad to realize I’m most likely done for awhile.

Lindy and Buffalo

“We think, and many people think, that the town needs to win a major sports championship, to correct the inferiority complex in the psyche of the community.”

-Byron Brown, Mayor of Buffalo, NY

This quote from Byron Brown was part of the Sports illustrated article about Chris Drury a few years ago.  When I first read it, I was taking my very first baby steps towards Buffalo sports fandom.  Of everything I read in that article, this is the thing that stood out most to me, and it’s a quote that I have returned to many times since I first read it in 2007.  At the time, I thought it was preposterous, even scandalous, that our mayor would say such a thing.  The idea that we MUST have a championship to correct the inferiority complex in the psyche of the community seemed downright unsightly, and certainly inappropriate for a mayor to admit out loud.

In the two years since then, I’ve come to read this quote quite differently.  It no longer seems embarrassing, or preposterous, or scandalous.

Now, it just seems honest.

________

I’m pretty shocked at the degree of passion I feel over the FIRE LINDY RUFF issue.  It’s not that I passionately want Lindy to be fired, it’s more that I feel as if a lightbulb has flickered on above my head, and suddenly I’m all, “Duh.  Lindy Ruff should be fired.”  The trouble is, very few other people have had this revelation, and for the most part, I find myself ranting alone.

I assure you, it has not gone unnoticed that very few of you are rushing to agree with me in the comment threads.  I know you hate this topic, I know the majority of you don’t agree with me, and I know I am risking alienating a lot of my readers by continuing to harp on this issue….but I can’t stop myself.  I feel strongly about this, and the more I think about it, the more strongly I feel.  Just bear with me for one more post.

I don’t want to argue that Lindy is a bad coach.  I don’t think he’s a bad coach.  All I’m arguing is that he’s getting bad results, and that I think the Sabres should consider firing Lindy.  I’m not even sure I think they HAVE to fire him, but I am sure that it should be on the table as a perfectly reasonable option.  Firing the coach should be on the menu of things we hear about when people discuss the Sabres on the radio and in the newspaper.  That’s all.

But that’s NOT all, because Buffalo has an incredibly strong love for Lindy Ruff.  This fanbase loves Lindy more than we love any one player.  We love Lindy.  He’s important to us, and he’s important to this community.  I’m not discounting that love in the slightest.  I love Lindy too.

On one hand, this attachment to Lindy is incredibly moving.  It’s loyalty, it’s gratitude, it’s respect, and in an interesting way, I think it’s a tribute to how we as a community want to be viewed.  We love Lindy, and we want him to represent us.  I think that’s beautiful.  I can think of very few people I’d rather have representing Buffalo than Lindy Ruff.

But on the other hand, I also think our attachment to Lindy Ruff is a symptom of a deeply rooted problem.  It’s a city-wide inability to let go of some romantic notion of how we want Buffalo to be, and meanwhile, we’re neglecting a whole host of other serious problems.  It’s as if the entire city is enchanted by some mirage, and because of that glimmering illusion, we won’t settle for anything less.  It’s a symptom of whatever it is in our makeup that makes it so difficult to build a much needed new bridge, or a fishing mega-store, or to downsize the government to match the actual size of the population.

I think there is something going on here that runs much deeper than sports.

Whether or not you agree with me that it’s time for a new coach, I think it’s very hard to dispute that this is a conversation that could have started a year and a half ago.  If we had been thinking critically, we would have started this conversation a year and a half ago.  The fact that the entirety of the sports media has been virtually silent about this speaks volumes.  In my opinion, we’re not just reluctant to have this conversation, we’re downright scared of it.

I think Buffalo needs to take a hard look in the mirror and we need to prioritize winning.  And not just in hockey.

I’m not talking about prioritizing winning in some make-believe, warm and fuzzy, Lindy-holding-the-Cup-over-his-head-in-HSBC way.   It’s time to prioritize winning in the forget-the-romantic-ideals, make-the-hard-choices, and get-the-job-done….WINNING way.

I know that this is just hockey.  I know that we fans have no control over any of it, and I know that some of you will think I’m seriously stretching the parameters of a sports blog by writing this post, but I guess I just had to say it.  From the beginning of my romance with the Sabres, above all else, I’ve been drawn to how this town is shaped and effected by its relationship to sports.  I think there are direct sociological lines that can be drawn between how we approach sports, and how we approach the future of our city.

In no way am I suggesting that we should “demand more” from the Sabres- that’s foolishness- but until this week, it was nearly taboo to criticize Lindy Ruff in this town.  Until this week, I had never heard Lindy criticized in the paper or on the radio, ever.  That means something.  We should notice that, and we should think about what that says about our willingness to change and evolve in Buffalo.

Whether or not you agree that Lindy Ruff should have a job for life, this conversation is worth having.  It’s good for us.  It’s good to discuss change and seriously examine our options, and it’s good to question the status quo.  It’s healthy.

And in that way, this conversation is about much, much more than hockey.

_______

Let’s Go Buff-a-lo!