The long layoff Tweetbag!
No game on Wednesday, no problem... let's catch up!
It’s been forever since I’ve posted a Tweetbag!, and it’s been forever since the Buffalo Sabres played a game.
So here you have, for your entertainment, my musings on issues that you present via tweet. We laugh, we cry, we forget about the sports teams not winning a meaningful game in quite a long time.
One thing to start us off... this was, by far, the most I’ve ever received from you guys. 146 responses means I can’t possibly post and answer all questions, but I have an idea. I’ll post a few tweets with long answers, a few more tweets in rapid-fire, and save five for a segment on the show on Thursday. Some of those five maybe posted here, some may be “deep cuts”.
Ok, so here we go. Hope we have some fun.
*****
Have posed this to @fourtyand0, but if you had to travel the world with only (1) salt & pepper, (2) ketchup & mustard, or (3) your favorite hot sauce to use on any and all food, which would you choose?
— Nick (@rolliefree) November 12, 2019
First lesson of the Tweetbag! is that all condiment questions move to the top.
Second lesson is, I need more specifics for questions such as these. I’m assuming this means that I can only have the condiments I choose, right? I should assume that every establishment will have salt, pepper, ketchup and mustard, so hot sauce is the only answer in that world. This isn’t some place for the psychopaths that claim they would make their own condiments from their spices... we don’t do that here.
Ok, the answer is... ketchup and mustard. If given the choice, of only these the rest of my life, I need the two pillars of the condiment community. I’ll miss hot sauce, I will... but what am I dipping pretzels in? What’s going on a turkey sandwich? I need mustard above all others, and am I able to bring all the mustards? Or just one? Either way, it’s ketchup and mustard. I’m sorry.
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Does Botterill get fired if the Sabres finish the season with under 80 points?
— Andrew Bobeck Jr. (@ABobeck94) November 12, 2019
Great question.
I wouldn’t bet on it, and my answer is going to sound snarky, but it’s how I feel. As long as the Buffalo Bills and Sabres can push the idea of growth and togetherness, they’re going to. It’s the mantra of the whole sports operation in town. In our conversation with head coach Ralph Krueger on Wednesday, he pointed to how good it is that all the players are “buying in” and working hard. Rasmus Dahlin’s play of late is not a concern because he’s working hard. Last year was sold as a success halfway through the season because they were better than last place. The second half went so badly that the coach got fired, and the general manager made it seem like it was a hard decision. Did he even want to fire Phil Housley? Jason Botterill missed the tone of that presser by a country mile, lamenting a coach that may have done more damage to fan faith than the tank years did.
So what’s that mean for Botterill? He’s probably safe. Krueger’s still working on it, right? We’re not a finished product, right? The Rochester Americans are just starting to come along, right? Don’t know enough about how they get sub-80 to answer definitively. If he stands around and watches it happen, he should go. His inaction last year was awful. Just awful.
Also, I’ve said it a few times and I’ll say it again. In hiring Krueger, Botterill hired a man that could be qualified to be his replacement. I don’t know how, or when, but I’ll have my ears open, if things go poorly, for the hockey media world to start openly wondering, “I wonder if the Sabres would consider popping Ralph upstairs.” Krueger is a guy with front office experience or pedigree. Hopefully everything works out and we don’t have to deal with any of this, but I’m just going to keep saying it.
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If the Bills miss the playoffs do they get rid of McDermott?
— Bommer (@BeilNommer) November 12, 2019
Absolutely not. No chance. No way. No how. He doesn’t get fired if they go 6-10. I think Sean McDermott is a good front door to the franchise, and the Bills haven’t had that in a while.
*****
Will Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes haunt us forever
— Z-Man (@Zman3003) November 12, 2019
It will come down to how good the Bills' guy is. If Josh Allen turns out to be great, it’ll all be fine. If Allen flames out, then it will haunt the Bills until they get someone on the level. One thing to consider: if Lamar Jackson wins the MVP this year, that’ll be two MVPs in a row that the Bills passed on when they had a need for a franchise quarterback. We might finally get Brady out of our lives, only to replace it with an OSHA style counter that reads, “Years the MVP has been a quarterback the Bills passed on”. They won’t be alone in that club, of course. You get out of that club once you get a quarterback that carries you out.
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Am I too late for the tweet bag? If not I want to hear your take on Cherry’s firing from Sportsnet
— Chris Dress (@Count_Dressula) November 13, 2019
Warranted.
I see Mr. Cherry brought his exploits to the news network that spends time carefully toeing the line of wrapping bigotry in the flag. That’s what Mr. Cherry did. His claim about “you people” and his anti-immigrant stance was provided cover by talking about supporting the military and veterans. The defenses of Cherry involve, “He wants everyone to support the military” or some version of that. “You people” love “our”... what milk and honey, or whatever he said. His comments create two groups, insiders and outsiders. It’s wrong, and brought about a dismissal that’s probably long been overdue. Sportsnet’s Jeff Blair had a good response about his family that emigrated to Canada, and served in the military... a family full of servicemen and servicewomen...
Watch it here:
"The chances are pretty good that, at some point...someone viewed you and your family as 'you people'."
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) November 11, 2019
- @SNJeffBlair on Don Cherry's remarks made on Saturday night.
On-Demand/Podcast: https://t.co/Q7awNfBps5 pic.twitter.com/PBKzfT4RXt
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Coming out of College, was Buffalo your first choice to be a radio host in or did you have another city in mind as your top pick?
— Donald Lloyd (@TheDonaldLloyd) November 12, 2019
Coming out of college I wasn’t much of a talk show host. I was a guy that had worked in radio, doing a little of everything, and parlayed that into a part-time job at WBEN and WGR. I was a foot-in-the-door guy that caught a couple of breaks along the way. Things have worked out well, and I didn’t have any other options at that time, to be honest. I also didn’t look all that hard. Have had opportunities to go elsewhere since, but I’m pretty good where I am.
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What sports background do you have in terms of playing competitively? Cuz you’ve been dodging my offer of a decathlon for years.
— coachBelly (@DeerewBelica16) November 12, 2019
Competitive is a subjective term. I could make the case I’ve never played any sport competitively... or that I’ve played a few. But I might be game, and if I were to pick half the events, I’d go:
- Golf (Not cause I might win but because it’d be fun)
- Basketball
- Cornhole
- Auto racing - Come on coach, let’s do this
- Flip cup
Your move, Coach Belly.
*****
RAPID FIRE TIME!!!
Will Liverpool run the table and finish top in the EPL
— Dogger (@dogger65) November 13, 2019
Yes.
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What are you watching on Netflix recently
— Steve Gonzalez (@stepgonzo) November 13, 2019
Breaking Bad on the re-watch. Season 4 currently, and the Walt/Gus dynamic is just fantastic.
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Is it harder to root for Arsenal or the Sabres and which team gives you the most hope?
— Nick Bittner (@nickbitt29) November 12, 2019
There is, and I mean this, no hope for Arsenal.
*****
Have you ever played Dungeons & Dragons? I highly recommend it.
— Zach (@Zjaecnhnings) November 12, 2019
Maybe once... but the game we played when I was in high school was called “Top Secret”. Same genre of game, but with more modern idea. It was like Die Hard in a game - someone designed the mission for the agents, and you went from there. My character’s name was John McLean. Yes, seriously.
*****
How many inches of snow have to fall before it's okay to us the snowblower instead of shovel?
— Adam M€G•£dr|€k (@AdamMcG_716) November 12, 2019
Six.
*****
Dipping Doritos in Bison Dip.... party foul?
— andy evans (@deezl19) November 12, 2019
Yes, unless you have your own dip. It colors the dip, and that’s the issue. The Dorito, however, is underutilized in modern society and can be eaten on or with anything.
*****
Would you rather have joe burrow or josh allen?
— Nick Graffeo (@NicoxChicox) November 12, 2019
Not today, Satan.
It goes without saying at this point, but in his quarterbacking life, Joe Burrow is miles better than Allen was at the same time. That’s all. A nice, safe, tame take that will in no way anger anyone. Any issues, take them up with Nick.
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Do you pick up a second “favorite” team in the NHL to pull for when the Sabres are...well, like they always are?
— Mike B (@lazilyme) November 12, 2019
Yes. Last year it was the San Jose Sharks. The year before it was the Tampa Bay Lightning. I place a futures bet in the NHL every year. I pick a team that is good, and has good value.
This year, that’s the Carolina Hurricanes at 30-1. Save your anger. I’m at more than at peace with it. It’s not just the bet... they’re the kind of franchise that earns their fan support. My hate is gone. Now I just accept that they were lucky.
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What's the best move to get out of family obligations to watch the Bills and drink all day with your friends on Thanksgiving?
— Rodey (@RyanIsCamping) November 12, 2019
- Option 1 - Fake illness
- Option 2 - Acquire actual illness
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Best three books you've ever read?
— Dan Borrello (@danborrello) November 12, 2019
- Drunkard’s Walk - How Randomness Rules our Lives
- Unbroken
- American Kingpin
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Favorite movie(s) you've seen this year.
— Ben Mathewson (@Ben_Mathewson) November 12, 2019
Checking my "shmandango" account, I’ve seen four. The answer is Endgame.
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How are you and your family doing?
— Zach Polvino (@zjpolvino) November 12, 2019
We’re doing ok. We have our days, and then we have our days. Thanks for your concern, and support. Our friends and family were wonderful and thoughtful enough to give us an incredible gift to remember our quads. When it’s done, I’ll be very happy to share it with everyone. It is something to be shared. Stay tuned.
*****
That's that. Thanks for all the material.
See you Thursday morning for the "deep cuts" segment.
- Jer