I'm listening to the Sharks-Blackhawks game on internet radio and Dan Rusanowski, the voice of the Sharks, just interviewed Leafs and Team USA GM Brian Burke. I apologize that I can't get an exact quote but Burke's words were something like, "We can't compete straight up talent for talent with teams like Canada and Russia so what we're looking for on the team are specialists...players who do some things exceptionally well." Although the official Team USA announcement will be made at the Winter Classic between the Bruins and Flyers, I would strongly speculate based on Burke's comments that Paul Gaustad just made the team.

Editor Note:  This is a fantastic fanpost regarding the Sabres broadcasting situation.  Being a broadcaster has been a dream of mine so this topic really hits close to home with me.

Rick Jeanneret has been one of the constants for the Sabres organization almost since its inception. He is signed to broadcast for the team again for the 2009-10 season. He is also 67 years old.  While his love for the game has never been in doubt, his physical ability to handle the constant travel necessary to do his job is beginning to wane. He took some time off last season on a Western trip to recuperate, something he has never done before. While it is painful for any Sabres fan to think this, we have to begin wondering just how long the Jeanneret era can go on and how much more service to this community RJ's body can continue to give us. It is time for Sabres fans to begin thinking the unthinkable: life in the post-Jeanneret era.

So, what I am bringing up are a list of possible candidates to be RJ's successor as the Sabres play-by-play man. Since the Sabres are typically fond of selecting people with some sort of tie to the organization, the first three names I will offer are people who have such ties. Who could be the next Sabres play-by-play man? The list after the jump.

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On WGR Radio, Governor Paterson said, "I have a relationship with Commissioner Goodell and he told me that if things ever get bad [about the Bills leaving], he will call me. He hasn't called me yet."

My questions to my fellow Rumblers are:

A: Is Paterson credible on this issue? If Paterson is telling the truth, is Goodell?

B: If Goodell told him that the Bills were moving to Toronto or somewhere else, what would Paterson do? What could he do?

C: What precisely is the nature of the "relationship" between Goodell and Paterson? Who first sought the other out and why?

D: As Paterson is a life-long downstater, would he use the same sort of regionalist bias towards NYC as many other state political figures have over the last century and actively antagonize upstate? As a Democrat, he can more safely risk alienating upstate and still win election than a Republican or Independent could. Would he do so in this instance?

E: Would Paterson use state funds (presumably by helping to fund a new stadium) to help keep the Bills in Buffalo should the league threaten to move the team?

Discuss.

In virtually every review of the failures of the 07-08 Buffalo Sabres that I have read, we keep hearing the same story: the departure of Drury and Briere killed the franchise and the team couldn't win because there was too great a gap in the offense.

Or was it?

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