Hi Everyone,

First things first: Game 2 of the Sabres/Senators series is tonight at 7pm. The game is only being shown on the Center Ice package. We will be showing the game at the Blue Moon (75th and 1st) For the last couple of games the crowd has been great, and they serve Labatt Blue! If you can’t make it, I’ll post some other places on our message that I’m told have the Center Ice package. Game 1 was un-bel-iev-able (more on that later) and I STRONGLY encourage EVERYONE to watch this series, even if you only have a passing interest in hockey. Hope to see you tonight!

REMAINING SCHEDULE
Here’s the remaining schedule (TV station):
Wednesday, May 10 at 7 p.m. – Ottawa at Buffalo (Center Ice)
Thursday, May 11 at 7 p.m. – Ottawa at Buffalo (OLN)
Saturday, May 13 * at 7 p.m. – Buffalo at Ottawa (OLN)
Monday, May 15 * at 7 p.m. – Ottawa at Buffalo (OLN)
Wednesday, May 17 * at 7 p.m. – Buffalo at Ottawa (OLN)
* if necessary

Despite the fact that this will most likely be THE most entertaining playoffs series this year, the NHL doesn’t seem it find it important to have the games on national TV. Tonight’s game as well as Wednesday game will ONLY be on Center Ice. Thus I encourage everyone to join us at the Blue Moon. I’ve gotten word the McFadden’s has gotten their OLN connection, so after Thursday you can watch it there (please call ahead to confirm) as well as at Blue Moon.

RECAP TO DATE
On Tuesday May 2nd the Sabres knocked off Philly with a 7-1 victory in Game 6 (in Philly!!). The score tied Philly’s all-time worse home playoff loss and was Philly’s 2nd worse defeat in a deciding game (tops being the 8-0 knockout by Buffalo in 2001). After Ryan Miller’s bid for a 2nd straight shutout was ended by Philly’s only goal, the Sabres responded immediately with a goal 49 seconds later.

Game 1 of the Sabres/Sens series was Friday night. As I mentioned above, it was THE most exciting game I have ever seen. Buffalo scored 35 seconds into the game, meaning they have scored first in EVERY game so far. After that, well, you name it – it happened. The Senators went on top 5 times, and the Sabres tied them FIVE TIMES. Including this sequence in the final 2 minutes – Sabres are shorthanded, down 5-4. Tim Connelly and Derek Roy convert a 2 on 1 to tie the game. Ottawa, still on the power play, scores 24 seconds later to go up 6-5. Buffalo pulls the goalie and Connelly scores his 2nd of the game with 11 seconds left. Then in OT, Chris Drury buries a shot 18 seconds in for the 7-6 win! All of this, mind you, happened in Ottawa’s arena. This is a never-say-die team that keeps making the impossible happen. They’ve scored 14 goals in their last 2 games. Amazing.

OK, hopefully I didn’t just jinx our chances tonight. The game should be tough and hard fought, but if the boy can pull it out, they’ll be up 2-0 with the next two games at home! Remember – tonight and Wed’s games can only be seen on Center Ice at the Blue Moon.

“Ooo, ahh, Sabres on the Warpath…”

Kevin

Hello Sabres and Bills fans!

I’ll keep this short due to the volume of recent Sabres emails. I hope to see many of you tonight!

Sabres tonight at 7pm at the Blue Moon
The Sabres are now 1 win away from the second round after completely dominating the Flyers in a nationally televised game on Sunday afternoon. The game is on tonight at 7pm and we will be showing it at the Blue Moon, 75th and 1st. On Friday we had approximately 30 people at the bar and it was awesome! Even the regular folks having dinner starting watching and cheering with us. If you can make it you won’t be disappointed. If not the game will be shown by OLN and available via radio atwww.wgr550.com.

Draft Wrap Up
Thanks to everyone that made our 5th Annual Draft Party yet another huge success. A whole crowd of Bills fans ate wings, drank beer, and watch a very strange draft by the Bills. Despite the rather curious choices made by the brain trust at One Bills Drive, everyone had a great time. Check out our friends at Bills Daily for a complete wrap up and analysis:
http://www.billsdaily.com/

Here’s hoping for a win tonight because I’m not ready yet for the drama of a game 7!

LET’S GO BUFFALO!!!!

Kevin

Hi Everyone,

Once again, bad news. McFadden’s wasn’t able to get the Center Ice package set up in time for tonight’s game. I feel awful the whole situation and I thank everyone for their understanding. At this point we’re going to hold off on scheduling anything further until we have confirmation that it’s up and running.

One alternate option is to listen to the games via the net. Here’s the link:
http://www.nhl.com/radio/index.html

Beyond that the only thing I know of is ESPNSportszone. If anyone knows of any other bars please let me know.

Again, sorry about all the disappointments. At least they’ve won their last 6 games, so maybe we don’t want to jinx things by actually watching them.

Kevin

Hi Everyone,

The Playoffs are HERE!! The first game starts Saturday night. Here’s the details:

SCHEDULE:
Game 1: OLN: Saturday, April 22nd 7:00 PM
Game 2: CI: Monday, April 24th 7:00 PM
Game 3: CI: Wednesday, April 26th 7:00 PM
Game 4: OLN: Friday, April 28th 7:00 PM
Game 5: NBC: Sunday, April 30th 2:00 PM
Game 6: CI: Tuesday, May 2nd 7:00 PM
Game 7: CI: Thursday, May 4th 7:00 PM
(CI = Game is only on the Center Ice package)

Game 1 – CALL MCFADDENS!
As you may remember from earlier this week, McFadden’s does not currently receive OLN. They have a call into Time Warner cable to get this fixed ASAP but it doesn’t look like it will happen by Saturday. They DO have the center ice package and they are currently investigating to see if it will also be shown on that (since MSG is showing the games in the Buffalo area). I don’t have an answer for you right now so please call McFadden’s on Saturday, ask for the bartender Pete, and he’ll have an answer. The phone number is 212.986.1515. Unfortunately I can’t be much more help with this as I’ll be in an 8 (EIGHT!) hour exam for work all day and evening Saturday.

Games 2 and 3 will be shown only at McFadden’s! Be there! I’ll send out a reminder and more details on Monday.

Enjoy the game tomorrow and I’ll see everyone on Monday!!

Kevin

Hi Everyone,

Some good news and bad news. McFadden’s does not currently get the OLN channel, so they can not show the game tonight. As disappointed as I am not to see everyone and get pumped up for the playoffs, the Buffalo News said that they may rest some key players since the game has no effect on their playoff roles.

Now for the good news – McFadden’s WILL order the Center Ice package if need be, so we will be showing the all the Playoff games!! The response to my last email was very positive so I look forward to creating a great atmosphere on our March to the Stanley Cup.

The playoff picture will be finalized tonight and they TV schedules should be worked out tomorrow, so I’ll let everyone know they schedule later this week. Please email me if you have any questions.

Kevin

Hey Fans,

In honor of the day off many of you may have today (not me!), I’ve prepared a history lesson for everyone. Class participation is required. First Question: Where were you on April 14th, 1996? Hopefully many of you are able to say “Memorial Auditorium”, as 10 years ago today the Sabres closed out the Aud with a 4-1 victory over my hometown Hartford Whalers.

Next question: Where were you May 10th, 2001? I was in my dorm room as a junior in college, long before the NYCBBB was a twinkle in the eye of the Matts. The significance of that day? The last time a Buffalo team competed in the playoffs. “Mr. Cheap Shot” Darius Kasperitis floated the Game 7 winning shot over Dominik Hasek in OT to prevent the Sabres from reaching their 3rd Conference championship in 4 years and I still vividly remember kicking a chair, storming around and generally being as miserable as possible. Almost 5 years, one bankruptcy, one lockout, and countless Bills heartbreaks ago.

Final Question: Where will you be watching the Pride of Buffalo and hottest team in hockey fight for the Stanley Cup? Answer: McFADDEN’S!!! In honor of the best team Buffalo has seen in years we are taking McFadden’s out of summer storage bringing back the spirit of Little Buffalo. Here are the details:

McFadden’s will broadcast every Sabres playoff game this Spring with drink and appetizer specials. The have clinched 4th place in the Eastern Conference and will play either the Rangers, Devils or Flyers. If they play the Rangers or Devils all the games will on local TV and will be shown at McFadden’s. If they play the Flyers, most of the games will be OLN. However, some may only be available on the Center Ice package. McFadden’s is currently exploring the cost of getting Center Ice for the playoffs. Please send me a quick email if you would be interested in watching the games at McFadden’s so I can get a idea of the interest in this.

DRY RUN – TUESDAY APRIL 18th
The final Sabres game on the regular season is Tuesday April 18th at 7pm against the Carolina Hurricanes, the top team in the Eastern Conference. We will be showing the game at McFadden’s with sound AND $3 domestic drafts, domestic bottles, and well drinks and well as 1/2 priced appetizers! This is will serve as a dry run for the specials and atmosphere for the playoffs game so please stop by!!

BANDWAGON INFO
In case you are a late arriver to the Sabres Bandwagon, I’ll include the highlights of this historic season so you can be up to speed for the playoff and get FIRED UP!!

– The Sabres play a fast, high tempo, entertaining game, predicated on causing turnovers and using their speed to attack on offense.
– With 3 games left, the Sabres have already tied the team record for Victories with 49.
– They have 263 goals, their most since 93-94 and 6th most in the entire NHL.
– They have strung together numerous multi-game win streaks this season and are currently on a roll with 4 wins in their last 5 games, including 2 wins over the top seeded Ottawa Senators.
– In the Buffalo News co-captain Daniel Briere is drawing comparisons to Pat Lafontaine, Maxim Afinogenov is being compared to the great Gilbert Perreault (skating ability-wise).
– They have amazing depth, consistently playing all four lines. There have been numerous injuries but thanks to major contributions from rookies and career years from other players they haven’t missed a beat. This depth will be a major asset in the playoffs.

Don’t believe it? Come to McFadden’s and see for yourself!

TICKETS
As mentioned above, the Sabres are guaranteed to play a local team in the first round. I currently don’t have info about how to get tickets in the event the Sabres play the Flyers or Rangers. If they play the Devils tickets should be easy to come by since the Devils almost never sell out. If you have a connection to tickets, or want to organize a caravan to an NJ or Philly (or even Buffalo!) let me know and I will help out any way I can.

Hope everyone has good holiday weekend. See you on Tuesday!!

Kevin

Hello Bills…errr…Sabres fans!!!

Let’s get right to it, Hockey is BACK! (This is a 100% Hockey email, just FYI). Our Sabres are back on the ice taking on the Islanders at 7pm, and we’ll be showing the game at Calico Jacks with a great drink/food special! This ‘Dinner/Drinks and Hockey’ is something new we want to try and probably one of the few times we’ll be able to do this, and if we don’t get a lot of people I doubt we’ll be able to do it in the future. We’ll also have all the playoff baseball games on as well, so don’t worry about missing those. Here’s all the info:

Specials
We’ve arraigned for the following specials, starting at 6:30 and running until the end of the game: $3 margaritas, $3 pints of Blue, and $2 of Domestic Draft Beer pints. There will also be a $20 price fix special which will include a choice of 4 entrees, soup/salad, margarita, desert/coffee. If you plan to stop by please let me know by replying to this email as I’d like to give Calico’s a heads up.

Wait, What’s this Hockey you speak of?

Need to catch up on all that’s happened in the last year? There have been some MAJOR rule changes designed to open up the game and make it even more exciting. Plus, SHOOTOUTs if the game is still tied after overtime! All the major sports websites have tons of NHL features today, including the Buffalo News, which has tons of articles. Here are some links:

https://www.sabrespace.com/
http://espn.go.com/nhl/
https://www.nhl.com/

Blue and Gold is Back?
I’ve saved the best info for last, since I wanted to reward the people that cared enough to make it this far…There are tons of rumors going around today that the Sabres will be debuting new uniforms featuring a modernized version of the Blue and Gold colors! Come to Calico’s tonight to check it out and talk hockey! Hope to see you there.

GO SABRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

— Kevin Smith

Hello 960 Buffalo Bills fans!

Tailgate coordinator Kevin here wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July! The NYCBBB staff hopes everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend. It’s an extra special weekend for us because our very own Matt (Kabel) and Nicole will be getting married on Monday. Feel free to send him well wishes and newlywed advice at mattk at nycbbb.com.

News around the NFL and especially One Bills Drive has been rather slow, but thinking about all the BBQs happening this weekend has got me fired up for some tailgating this season! We have a number a great events planned this season and I wanted to share them with you in enough time to plan your schedules accordingly.

TICKETS
Billsdaily.com is reporting the that individual game tickets will go on sale at 9am on July 16th. They also announced that only single seats remain for the first three of the eight home games. Those games include the opener against Houston, the Sept. 25th battle with Atlanta and the annual rival game with Miami on October 9th. Tickets will be available at the official Bills website, Ticketmaster, by phone at 1-877-BB-Ticks, at the stadium, or the Rochester ticket office. I’ve also heard a rumor that if you register at the official Bills Backers website before July 9th, you’ll receive the password for a special two-hour advance sale the morning individual sales open (7:00-9:00 AM July 16th).

4th ANNUAL NYCBBB TAILGATE PARTY
First and foremost, your attendance is officially requested at Lot 16, Pole C of the Meadowlands on January 1st, 2006 to celebrate the final regular season game before the Bills play their first playoff game in…well too many years! We got lots of great ideas planned, including a New Years Eve party at Tracks Raw Bar and Grill. If you have any requests or suggestions for the tailgate (besides water coolers with Bloody Marys and Mimosas, I’ve got that covered) please feel free to reply to this email. I suggest looking for tickets early, since they are traditionally hard to come by.

2nd ANNUAL NYCBBB BUFFALO TRIP
Once again we are planning a trip to the “Motherland” to watch the Jets and the Bills on Oct 16th. Everyone had a great time last year with a Stadium tour, Happy Hour meet and greet with former players, and the Bills kicking the stuffing out of the Jets. This year plans to be just as much fun. We have also reserved a block of tickets, so if you are interested email Chris at the Bills:
chris.costanzo@bills.nfl.net

Once again, reply to this email with any thoughts or suggestions. Keep in mind this is a great time to invite your NYC friends (including Jets fans) to Buffalo to show them what a wonderful city most of us still call home.

BILLS BACKERS WEEKEND AND HOME GAMES
The Oct. 9 game against the Dolphins has been dubbed “Bills Backers Weekend” by the Bills, and there are a number of events scheduled all weekend long.

Also, I will be at the home opener (Sept. 11th) and the Chiefs game (Nov. 13) tailgating with Kenny and the Pinto so if you will also be there feel free to stop by. It’s always great to see familiar faces.

AWAY GAMES
This year, the Oct. 2nd game in New Orleans and the Nov. 11th game in San Diego have gathered the attention of Bills Backers from around the country. If you are interested in attending either of these games, let me know and I will try to put you touch with folks who know about tickets, Bills Backers events, etc.

That’s all from me. Have a great weekend and keep in mind training camp opens in 72 days!

— Kevin

Greetings all 802 Bills fans!

“Now pinch hitting for Matt Kabel, it’s Tailgating Director…..Kevin Smith.”

Hi everyone! A lot of you already recognize me as “that guy with the chicken wing hat” from the game last week. For those who don’t, allow myself to introduce…myself. I’m a huge Bills fan, originally from CT, who was offered the chance to help out the club at this years Jets tailgate. Obviously I was thrilled at this opportunity and can’t wait to have a blast before, during and after our big win this Sunday.

For more info on me, check out the staff page at:
https://www.nycbbb.com/features/whoweare.shtml

Also my email address is kevin at nycbbb.com. Please email me with any questions you have about this Sunday by replying to this email. Now onto the details for the weekend:

McFadden’s
For those of you who won’t be attending the game, McFadden’s will be running all the usual specials. The game starts at 4pm so the specials will start at 3pm and end when the game is over. As a special incentive to attend, our Staff Photographer Anna Bazzini will be there to document the game. We are also told that McFadden’s will have a bouncer present in case any unruly Jets fan show up and try to cause trouble.

Tailgate
The time has finally arrived for the NYCBBB Legendary 3rd Annual Tailgate Extravaganza! 4 kegs of blue, Sahlen’s hot dogs, Kenny “Pinto Ron”, and hundreds of your favorite fans take over Lot 16, Pole C. While there will be beer and hot dogs donated by McFadden’s, we recommend that if you want food, you should bring your own. There will be plenty of grill space available. Also, fellow member Michael Bly, after driving all night from Oktoberfest in Ellicottville, will be there with his guitar taking requests. The lots open at 9am, and I will arrive with the kegs by 11. If you want to park near us, we are strongly recommending you arrive by 11am, and I will personally fill the first cup for anyone that arrives before I do.

Here is an overhead map showing all the parking lots that should make it easier for you to find us:
https://www.metlifestadium.com/getting-here/directions

Party Bus
For those of you that aren’t driving, why not hop on the Party Bus?!?! McFadden’s will once again be running a FREE round-trip party bus between the bar and the game. Already 45 people have signed up to go. In fact, we’ve now increased our capacity to be able to accommodate 60 people! So if you are still undecided, what are you waiting for? Email me by replying to this email to reserve seats. With your request please include your cell phone number so we can contact you should any problems arise. The bus details are as follows:

Departure:
The bus will leave from McFadden’s at 11:30. I am asking everyone to arrive at 11:15 because as soon as everyone is there the bus can leave. If you are not there and we cannot contact you, we WILL leave without you. Ryan Thompson of Ryan’s Corner fame will be at McFadden’s to check everyone onto the bus, and to lead everyone from the bus parking lot to the tailgate.

Return:
The bus will leave Giants Stadium approximately 1 hour after the game finishes. After the game you may go immediately to the bus and wait there, or you can return to the tailgate. Fellow member Ron Rampino has agreed to lead everyone from the tailgate back to the bus area. Again, if you are not on the bus and we can’t reach you by cell phone we will have to leave without you.

That’s it. Sorry for the long email, especially on a Friday when I’m sure everyone is pretty drained. I look forward to meeting all the tailgaters on Sunday and to witnessing our first victory!!

— Kevin “Talkin’ proud and not going to steal Matt’s joke…oh wait” Smith