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MENDOLA: Grading the Trading
(WGR 550) -- Another year, another trade deadline in the NHL, and this one was one of the worst ever. Not for Buffalo, but for hype. Three relatively big names -- Ilya Kovalchuk, Dion Phaneuf and Olli Jokinen -- were shipped almost a full month or more before the deadline, and no real surprises came out of the blue.
But that doesn't really matter in the long run as much as who got better relative to the rest of the league.
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MENDOLA: Crosby's gold hurts Pittsburgh (Seriously)
(WGR 550) -- It won't be this year, and it won't be next, but there's one thing I can guarantee when it comes to Sid the Kid's future in Pittsburgh.
He won't spend the entire prime of his career there.
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So You Wanna Make a Deal?
(WGR 550) -- With the clock creeping toward Wednesday's 3 p.m. NHL trade deadline, it's time to evaluate Darcy Regier's pieces before you even worry about "who's out there?"
There are a few things to consider about the Sabres.
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A look back at the just-completed Olympics
It's been less than 12 hours since the Winter Olympics came to a close, and Nick Mendola thinks Canada ponied up to provide one of the most memorable Olympics in his life.
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MENDOLA: The Home of The Brave
(WGR 550) -- The Canadian slogan for the Vancouver games was "With Glowing Hearts," a shining nod to a proud song. The American hockey team may have fallen at the hands of the favorites on Sunday in British Columbia, but it's a phrase from the Yanks' anthem that'll ring in Nick Mendola's head once the bitterness of defeat dissolves.
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Storytime -- What the Sabres aren't doing
(WGR 550) -- As I type this, it's the second intermission of another underwhelming Sabres game, so before their forwards decide to check and defense decided to defend for a third period where they score twice to force overtime and lose in a shoot-out, I wanted to share a story that I think underlines the Sabres problems.
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Deciphering Coach-speak 101 at OBD
Bills head coach Chan Gailey helped introduce and reintroduce some coaches into Buffalo football on Thursday at One Bills Drive. Nick Mendola was there to delve through the discussions between the media and offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins, defensive coordinator George Edwards and special teams coach Bruce DeHaven.
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Did Super Sunday Say Anything About Bills?
Nick Mendola was asked to react to Gregg Williams winning a Super Bowl, and took it in an entirely different direction. How do some players the Bills undervalued work for other teams, and what can an almost brand new front office do to not let good players leave town?
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Hardware, Not Hat Tricks
After two substandard Sabres losses and a stirring Sunday third period between the Capitals and Penguins, Nick Mendola thinks Buffalo needs to make a big move to get right for April and/or May.
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Thought Kovalchuk would return more??
(WGR 550) -- My first thought when I heard that Atlanta had shipped Ilya Kovalchuk to New Jersey for Niclas Bergfors, Johnny Oduya, Patrice Cormier and a first-round pick was that the Thrashers had either gotten just enough for their star, or perhaps a little too much.
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Lost Spoiler Alert: Final Season, Ep One
I have a love/hate relationship with "Lost." If you watch the show, please help me hate it a little less.
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MENDOLA: Sabres' Second-third report card
Unfortunately, 82 isn't divisible by three, so 55 games is as close to two-thirds of the way through the Sabres season as you can get (besides 54). Even after back-to-back losses to Pittsburgh and Ottawa, should we be having a positive discussion about this team?
Yes, but not without it's share of negatives. Nick Mendola gives the Sabres grades on games 28-55, and looks ahead to what's next on the plate for the blue-and-gold.
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SIGNING DAY: One of nation's top RBs on UB list
(WGR 550) -- While four local players in Jeff Quinn's first UB recruiting class jump out at first glance, the Bulls list of 2010 recruits goes even deeper.
Running back James Potts was rated by Rivals the No. 24 incoming running back in the country, and is headed to Buffalo after being pursued by Oregon, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and...
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MENDOLA: Leafs awake, but Sabres weren't sleeping
(WGR 550) -- If you're on any sort of message board or radio talk box today, chances are you're reading/hearing a lot about how Brian Burke acquired two key pieces to the Maple Leafs' rebuilding puzzle. Dion Phaneuf and J.S. Giguere are massive stabilizing blocks in the wobbly tower that is Toronto.
But if you're one of those thinking/writing that the Sabres and other teams were sleeping on the deal, you're sorely mistaken.
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MENDOLA: First look at Bills picks Nos. 1-3
(WGR 550) -- As an ancillary piece for my "3-4" column, I thought I'd give my guts a shot at where the Bills first three picks are going.
Assuming New England doesn't go for my much-desired trade offer -- which works out on the value chart...
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Another nod to the 3-4?
(WGR 550) -- Two things to glean from the Bills' reported hiring of Giff Smith as outside linebackers coach, and I think both are entirely reasonable.
1) They are going to a 3-4.
2) There's a good chance they'll take Derrick Morgan with the No. 9 over all pick if he's available.
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TRADE GATE: 37 Days
With five-plus weeks until the trade deadline, it's close enough to evaluate which teams might be buyers and sellers. Instead of just giving you five players who would help the Sabres -- like Nick Mendola did last year -- how about he looks at some deals that could behoove not just the Sabres, but the rest of the league (Hint: Obviously, he's made some calls around the league's media markets to see what might work for Buffalo).
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Immediate Reactions: Gailey Press Conference
They were here after the draft, every game and the firing of Dick Jauron, so why not another edition of Nick Mendola's "Immediate Reactions," this time listening to Bills general manager Buddy Nix and new head coach Chan Gailey wax over the WGR airwaves as the author drives to Ohio?
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MENDOLA: The Kids Are (Now) Alright
(WGR 550) -- Three football-related things are screaming at Nick Mendola this Sunday evening, and only one doesn't involve the precarious immediate future of the Buffalo Bills. The loudest one involves the transformation of a team willing to identify a quarterback, ignore the veteran b.s. and let him be the guy from Day One.
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Sabres' first-rounder Zack Kassian traded, suspended
In case you missed it, it's been a whirlwind week for Canadian tough guy/Sabres first-round pick Zack Kassian, a week that culminated with a suspension after a vicious hit you can view inside.
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Nick Mendola's 2010 Whiney Recap
When your boss asks you to type about a night that involved good food, great friends, evening gowns, hockey jerseys, various aged beverages, locker room tales, bar room humour, music, memorabilia and the sport of iced hockey, you say, "Yes."
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Who's in first? Sabres/Leafs Friday
(WGR 550) -- Lindy Ruff told The Howard Simon Show that Sabres No. 2 backstop Patrick Lalime will get a start in one of the two home contests this weekend, but will it be against the divisional foe they've dominated or the Western Conference for they rarely see? We'll give you all the ammunition to fire your opinions away in the comments section.
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States upset Canadians to win WJC Gold
(WGR 550) -- For the second time in a week, the United States coughed up a two-goal lead to the host nation Canadian squad. To quote Dennis Green, it appeared that Canada was who they thought they were, and the U.S. let them off the hook.
Luckily for America, appearances can be deceiving. John Carlson's overtime winner took the shine off a two-point performance from Canadian player and Sabres prospect Luke Adam, and the States emerged with a 6-5 victory and the gold medal.
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Should the NFL stop teams from sitting starters?
Before you read this, Nick Mendola wants you to know that he hates the Jets more than any team in the NFL, and that it pains him to type this column.
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Immediate Reactions, Wk17
Photo caption: The Bills win over the Colts wasn't all smiles, as Buffalo fan Denis Pirincci forgot to take off his jersey before burning it for warmth (Not really). Nick Mendola gives a full-wrap on Buffalo's beatdown of Indy's second-and-third string.
Game Report: Bills Rout Colts 30-7 in Season Finale
Wild Card Match-ups set for Saturday and Sunday
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The 2000s so far: Moment No. 1
(WGR 550) -- We here at WGR Sports Radio 550 have asked each of our staff members to submit their opinions on their five most memorable events or moments in this decade of Buffalo sports history. The hope was to create a Top Ten, and Moment No. 1 is unquestionably the best Buffalo sporting event in the decade that was.
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The 2000s so far: Moment No. 2
(WGR 550) -- We here at WGR Sports Radio 550 have asked each of our staff members to submit their opinions on their five most memorable events or moments in this decade of Buffalo sports history. The hope was to create a Top Ten. Moment No. 2 isn't an emotional one, but it made a major impact on the landscape of Buffalo sports.
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The 2000s so far: Moment No. 3
(WGR 550) -- We here at WGR Sports Radio 550 have asked each of our staff members to submit their opinions on their five most memorable events or moments in this decade of Buffalo sports history. The hope was to create a Top Ten. Sadly, there are more bad moments than good, and No. 3 kicked off this decade with the force of a cannonball to the ribs.
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The 2000s so far: Moment No. 4 (tie)
(WGR 550) -- We here at WGR Sports Radio 550 have asked each of our staff members to submit their opinions on their five most memorable events or moments in this decade of Buffalo sports history. The hope was to create a Top Ten. So, thriving on hope, we did. The second of our moments tied for No. 4 was not very hopeful at all.
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