The Sabres Zone - A Fan's Perspective 

Those of us born in Western New York are fans of both the Sabres and the Bills. There isn't anyone who isn't a fan of just one of those teams and doesn't care about the other. Being a lifelong fan of both teams means that we have undergone more suffering than have the fans in most cities. Both the Sabres franchise and the Bills franchise have given us some pretty great times but, unfortunately, more very depressing times. And don't forget that we are legion; there are literally hundreds of thousands of expatriate Bills and Sabres fans spread out across America. Their love of our teams often has infected their children who have never set foot in Buffalo. What it means to be a Sabres fan after all these dark seasons is to feel like Job being tested by God. I was absolutely sure that we were going to make the playoffs last season. It wasn't even the usual cautious optimism that I had going into the 2023-24 campaign; it was something I would have bet good money on. So this past season was a crushing disappointment. But, like everyone else, I'm still answering the bell as we move toward a new season with a new head coach. What else are you gonna do? True fans don't give up on the team that represents their place of birth. You don't ever divorce yourself from the Sabres or the Bills and join the bandwagon for someone else's successful franchise. No true Sabres fans would ever say, "I've had enough of Buffalo, I'm transferring my allegiance to Eichel and Vegas."

I started following just after the 75 finals.. my Parents started watching them in the finals but I was too young and already in bed.. but the following year, I was allowed to watch games and my fondest memories are from the fall of 75 through the 1980 heartbreak.. it was supposed to be our year and the Isles derailed that and took over for the next 4. I still love when I can pull up a classic game from that stretch from any teams and I remember all of the players.. not just from the sabres.. but Mtl, Bos and all of the rest.. Shortly after the Barrasso rookie year, I got too busy (HS and the extracurricular activities) and they changed TV networks and I could not get the UHF network.. Got back into them in the mid-90's when my life slowed down into being a parent myself..

Grandpa Wayne gives us Sabres fans wisdom when he can. 😉

Great Video, as usual, Wayne.

Wayne just gave 2 minutes to Rosie to be in the next video. I think he made the right call.

I disliked, but, respected those Montreal Canadiens, given the fact that they'd beat My Idol, The Late Great Chicago Goalie Tony O Esposito & Chicago Black Hawks (as they were in those days, before becoming The Chicago Blackhawks), so, I feel your pain. RIP Tony O.

Agree , Adams number 1 priority this off season is to bring in some Veterans with abrasiveness for the bottom 6 forward group. Blue Bombers Wayne?? Really? 🤮 Oskee Wee Wee, Ticats , Eat em raw! Ticats Rule!😜😁 Im like you Wayne been a fan since 1971 , grew up in the Sewage pit aka Toronto but became a Sabres fan as there were 2 games a week on TV back then . Grew up listening to Ted Darling and RJ. Lots of fond memories of the Sabres in the 70s & 80s , especially beating the Make me laughs aka leafs! I remember being so pumped when the Knox brothers hired Scotty Bowman but i was pissed when he traded Gare & Schoenfeld ,two of my all time favourite Sabres to Detroit in 1983. Looking forward to a very interesting off season. Thanks for the videos tonight Wayne.

We sure were primed to win in 05’ 06’ weren’t we…. Ahhh, what a mess!! I met my wife then, sooooooo, it wasn’t the worst year after all 😂😂

I was a young Buffalo Bison fan going to the Aud to watch my favorite player Guy Trottier. Been a Sabres fan since day 1.

You don't get the amount of credit for making the intros to your videos as you should, kudos from sunny La! Still hoping Adams can get Dickinson in the draft. I know, looking to the draft to be a focus instead of watching our boys in a long playoff run sucks, again!

The 80's are the reason i never laughed at the Leafs. Not winning a round was not there sole preserve. And now after a decade of 82 game seasons finishing in April it feels very hollow laughing at playoff failures elsewhere. 🤔

Do you get guff for living in the Montreal area, as I think that you once said, being A Sabres Fan & hating Montreal, or, are your neighbors cool with it. I've always meant to ask.

That no goal was such a turn off to me and NHL I'm still angry disappointed feel cheated robbed and still unable to forgive the NHL since the goal thats not a goal

Wayne guess what,the Kane rumors are already starting ,we just got rid of 71 don't think hes what we need

I don’t like Brad May or his overtime goal, he only has 2 goals in his Sabres career in the playoffs…what bothers me is nobody ever mentions the 5 hall of fame players we had that actually won the series but just mention Brad May, LAFONTAINE, Mogilny, Hawerchuk, Fuhr, Hasek. Brad May was a low talent waste of a first rd pick. Lafontaine I wish he scored it instead of block head, handle the puck with his head down… we swapped first round pics that year with the Winnipeg Jets so we could move up in the draft to get Brad May and then Winnipeg drafted Keith to Chuck Hall of Famer. How did that work out?