SLUG-Fest!

Tonight is Game One of the second round NHL Playoff series between the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres. My beloved Banana Slugs were the best team in the league this year and even won the President's Trophy. They are actually a favorite to win the Stanley Cup.



But as all fans of Buffalo sports know, high expectations are bad expectations. Year after year we hear the hype and we get ourselves set up for some kind of championship and it just never happens. In fact, it usually ends up in heartbreaking defeat. (See exhibits "A", "B", and "C".) We have more nicknames for heartbreaking sports moments than any other city, I reckon.



So though we were the bully of the block this year, it gives me little confidence or comfort. We've been the best in the league before (1990 Bills, for example) and have no hardware to show for it.
So all I can hope is that the Sabres (and I know this is a cliche) "play their game," which means wearing them down with speed, yet being patient and not trying to beat the Rangers (who are red-hot) at their own game. They can't match up to the Rangers' size or brawn, but they can just wait for the Blue Shirts to make a mistake and pounce on it. If they can overwhelm them like they did the Philadelphia Flyers in last year's first round, they could deflate them quickly. But of course, I'm not expecting it. We Buffalo fans are used to low expectations. It's the only way we can handle all that losing. This is my pre-emptive "Aw shucks" post, I guess. Wouldn't it be fitting that the NHL's glamour team -- the Rangers, a #6 seed -- upset the juggernaut Sabres. That would give the NHL a ratings boost, right? Other than the fact that hockey ratings don't really bump up for big-market teams and that Buffalo is the most exciting team in the league anyway. Either way, we're doomed.

Unless...

And I shudder to even type this out for fear of jinxing them, but ...

What if the Sabres really are as good as they say they are?
What if their character really can transcend all else?
What if they can stay injury-free and right the wrongs of last year? (I mean, CAROLINA????)
What if the lackluster play against the Islanders inspires them to break free in this round?
What if Danny Briere, Chris Drury, Ryan Miller and Tim Connolly can redeem the shortcomings of Miroslav Satan, Mike Peca, Dominic Hasek and Stu Barnes eight seasons ago?

What if....

No, I can't say it. I want to, but I can't.

But what if....???



I'm just saying....

Get out there and light those lamps boys. It's time.

Return of Herbdome

It has been approximately six full months since I have recapped my small blogging network, so I thought it was high time to send out some highlights of the last few months. Please feel free to take a gander and comment if you wish, but please be courteous. Remember, these people's families read it too! (I'm talking to you, ECP!) Join me, won't you?

VIDEOS OF NOTE

• For a double-dose of Will Ferrell, you can check out the majestic video for the majestic film Blades of Glory, or one of our great songwriters in the Neil Diamond "Storytellers" video.
  
  
• No, it's not the Change O'Pacers Juggernaut that Willie, Toastie and I used to play on, it's the "Third Coming" of basketball dominance.
  
  
• Bruce Campbell stars in one of the finest non-sequitur commericals we've ever seen. Whatever "IT" is, I sure wish I had some!
  
  
• Our own Willie Moe, and his opus, Bitterness is a Fish You Can Catch, gets mentioned on a Washington, D.C. area sports-blog show! Truly redonkulous!
  
  BEER
  
• Everyone had a little fun at my expense just because no beer as fine as Guinness has ever been crafted. Thank you Danny and Jables.
  
  
• Willie Moe brews up a beautiful Grand Cru, combining my two favorite things in this world: Football and Beer. Well, two of my three favorite things.
  
  SPORTS
  
• Drinking is not really my thing. Neither are games. But yet I love drinking games. Willie shows us how it's done on Bitterness's NFL Draft Drinking game. Dunford comes up with an unusual but intriguing NFL Draft Fantasy-type thing.
  
  
• ECP shows the Schenectady connection in baseball.
  
  
• Mike, as always, is f**king clueless about the NFL Draft.
  
  NEWS
  
• The whole Don Imus affair touched us all in very deep ways. Mike C hates Imus but recognizes the double-standard. ECP calls Imus an anti-dude. Willie let us explore the white people with Nappy Heads.
  
  
• Albany Patroons coach Michael Ray Richardson also said a few stupid things.
  
  MISCELLANEOUS
  
• Mike C doesn't really like women to begin with, and definitely is not diggin' the Hot Chick in the workplace.
  
  
• Coincidentally, two quote-unquote "hot chicks" in their own right (or is it their own minds?! HAHA!!!!!!) -- Tracie and Trish -- start their blogs anew: Tracie rebooting hers, Trish starting from scratch. Tracie, the coquettish flower that she is, talks about taking a dump in a public place and the rules therein. Trish laughs at people falling on their asses, some she caused, some she didn't. Mischievous monkeys!
  
  
• ECP met a Presidential candidate!
  

It's Cheap But It Gets the Job Done

I know, this is gonna be another cheap post just to make sure I get something in for April. I have a really long one (related to rap music) that I've been working on for a couple weeks, but that one's only about half done. Instead, just the crap that's out there right now:

• That South Korean asshole who shot up Va-Tech the other day was clearly a piece of garbage. Just because you are a "loner" doesn't excuse you for being a worthless, cowardly bitch who has start indiscrimnately shooting at unarmed people. And wearing a bullet-proof vest no less! I half-wish I could shoot myself so I could descent down to hell myself and hunt this fucker down and beat his fucking head in with a spiked bat for a half hour. He ended up taking the cowardly way out anyway by blowing his own brains out, so he wouldn't have to deal with any consequences. I personally believe that the names of these shooters should not be made public, because it only gives them the recognition they clearly want. Instead, we should give them pseudonyms: This loser could be the "Wah-Wah Nobody Likes Me Cuz I Smell Like Feces" killer. ("Boo-Hoo" would also work, as long as the news anchor frowns and rubs his or her eyes when saying it.) The Columbine kids should be "Two Faggots." (They would hate that name so much.) The douche who caused the 1927 Bath School Disaster could be the "Tiny Dick Bomber." Since these fuckbags take the easy way out, this is probably the best way to punish them.
  
• Black people: Get over Imus. Get over words. If you told a black man 50 years ago that a washed up DJ saying "Nappy Headed Hoes" (the correct spelling by the way, not "hos") is the worst you would get, I'm sure that gentleman would be thrilled. The double standard has got to stop. Play the song "B**ches Ain't S**t" by Dr. Dre or basically anything by Snoop and you will hear far worse. And where the hell was Reverend Al after charges were dropped in the Duke Rape Case? A case that made three asshole college kids look like martyrs. Or after that thug beat up that old white lady? Or that fight between African-American teenagers during a high school basketball game at Madison Square Garden? Which of these do you think is more damaging to the image of black people in this country? Why does the reverend absolve his own community of pretty serious ills, yet go after a shock-jock for a throw-away comment? You are next, black folks: rap lyrics and comedy routines are going to be held under scrutiny from now on. Or at least they should be.
  
• My Buffalo Sabres were the best team in the NHL this year, and hopefully will be able to fly through the first round of the playoffs. I'm hoping the Game 2 loss to the Islanders will galvanize them to not take any team for granted and not get cocky. The swagger I like; the cockiness not so much. They can beat any team in the league, and they have to learn to do it in the playoffs. If they can stay healthy and keep their scoring mojo going, they will be tough to beat. Oh how a Stanley Cup would bring such joy to my life! There is a 6,000 seat waiting list for season tickets. If Ralph Wilson ever dies, I'm hoping that Tom Golisano buys the Bills. He seems to know what he's doing.
  
• I think I might have to crown Stone Brewery's Ruination IPA as my favorite beer. (You can visit my Beer Advocate profile by visiting my link on the blogroll to the right. You can also feel free to present me with six- or twelve-packs of beer at your leisure.) A little tip for all my female friends out there, especially those of you who don't like beer all that much: try the "Hanami Ale" by Smuttynose Brewery(you can find it in most good beer stores). It has a nice cherry fruitiness and it's quite delicious.
  
• NFL Draft weekend is 10 days away. As many of you know, we have a bit of a blowout planned at my Grant Bully Compound for Saturday and Sunday. It starts at noon-sharp, so chop-chop. There will be libations and lively conversation. If you were not familiar with this event, please get in touch with me on my mobile phone for directions. There will be a couple of door prizes, hopefully only a few dangits, but a hatful of fancy-plays. Oh, and bring as many jerseys as you can: there might be a few surprises in store!
  
• American Idol has one more show to convince me to keep watching. Here is what I can tell you about this season: The judges picked a pretty weak Top 24, Sanjaya is not horrible but he's not good, Haley could not sing at all but had killer legs and a cute smile, Latin and Pop Music weeks were dull as dogshit, I hate Blake and his stupid phony beatboxing, Lakisha might not be bad looking if she dropped 187 lbs and got her teeth fixed, I think Jordin is the dark horse, Phil seems like a dude but also kinda looks like Gollum, I like Chris now that he stopped bobbing his head like an epileptic. This show has got to get better this year, though. The songs are bad, the singers are average. Melinda is the only one who you can count on, and she's so good that it's boring. This could be the year that A.I. finally jumps the shark.
  
• Saw Blades of Glory. Loved every second. Toastie didn't seem as impressed, but I couldn't stop smiling. And the girl who plays Pam on The Office looked surprisingly cute.
  

Okay, that's all I got. I promise when my internet comes back up I'll start crankin' em out again.