C Is for Craig

I know this video will probably eat my blog for the next few weeks, but I couldn't resist showing this.

This, ladies and gentleman, is a captain. Not a flavor of the month not the winner of musical captains, a real captain.

When I first heard this news, I didn't know what to expect. I honestly was shocked that Craig Rivet, a newcomer into the Sabre family, has been chosen as the leader for the season. Initially, I thought this was Lindy sending a message to the team that Craig has all the things he wants to see from all of them this season - defensive responsibility, grit, and toughness.

Then I heard that our boys actually voted Craig to be their captain, and I was pleasantly surprised with our bunch of seemingly oblivious Sabres. They realized that "Captain Craig" has all the things that we were missing last year, including the capacity for commanding leadership. This is more than just welcoming the new kid into your group of friends. This is welcoming the new kid by voting him class president.

I feel proud that the younger (and the older) guys were able to put aside their own pride and see that Craig may be the missing piece that could put us over the top. They saw something lacking in themselves that only he could provide for them. In other words, giving Craig the "C" was the hockey way of saying "You complete me" in less sappy terms.

Seeing his interview, all the pieces came together to see why exactly he is our new captain. He realizes the special bond that the guys on this team have, going so far as to call them a family, which I think they really are. He seemed genuinely happy to be considered a part of that family, too.

He also seems to have finally warmed up to Buffalo. We knew you'd come around to loving us someday, Craig. He made a special point to mention the fans and how great we are, and it just seems like he knows how to say the right thing at the right time.

Where other guys talk about making the playoffs, he made it clear that their goal is the Stanley Cup - this year. He also mentioned the fact that he expects 150% from all of his teammates every game. This is the kind of driving force that we as fans love to see and that will keep our boys in line throughout the long season.

In my opinion, this is a great choice. I was already falling hard and fast for Craig, and this did nothing to stop that rapid infatuation. He is everything I love in a player, and he is most definitely challenging the field for Katie's Second-Favorite Sabre. I guess I should probably watch him play a few regular season games first, though.

So Congratulations, Captain Craig. I will now play some Hannah Montana in your honor.