Back to Business

It's time to get back to business - on so many levels.

After a summer of job-hunting and resume-writing, I've finally settled down at a job I love: writing and editing educational books for children. Now that I feel settled in this crazy new life, I'm ready to get back to making this blog the best it can be.

After tonight's preseason game, it looks like the Sabres are ready to get back to business too.

A 9-3 rout of the Flyers was exactly what I needed to get back into the swing of blogging. It may have only been a preseason game, but it felt close enough to the real deal. The crowd was chanting, "Sweet Caroline" was playing, and it felt good to be back at the arena after an offseason that felt too long once again.

The best part of the game wasn't Stafford's highlight-reel goal. It wasn't even Kaleta's fight - as thrilled as I was to see my first fight of the season. It was getting to share it with two of my best friends and watching one of them experience a game at the arena for the first time. Explaining all of the best parts of the game I love so much and sharing the fun of seeing a game like that in person reminded me of why I love blogging. Writing this blog is another way of sharing all of the parts of the game I love with some pretty fantastic people. It's a way to celebrate games like tonight's and commiserate together over the bad games that are sure to come.

As I left the arena tonight, the goal chants still ringing in my ears and the smile still on my face, only one thought was left in my mind. It wasn't which defensemen were going to make the opening night roster, and it wasn't whether or not Stafford has turned a corner. It was: Is it Friday yet?

It felt good to be back. It felt a lot like coming home.

The Terrible Twos

Today, Muckers and Grinders turns two!

I know, boys, I'm excited too!

I know this year has been an uneventful one around these parts, and I honestly feel awful that I didn't post more. Between internships, jobs, and finishing up my final year in college, I would always be late to even think about a post, and, by then, someone else would have already said what I wanted to say a thousand times better than I ever could.

Well, now I'm done with school. Forever. My last exam at Canisius was Wednesday, and I graduate the 22nd. Hopefully, this means that I will actually have time to be a legitimate blogger again, even as I frantically search for a job. (If anyone's looking to hire someone with great editing skills, let me know!)

Lots of changes will be taking place in my life in the coming weeks and months, and I hope that they're positive ones - especially for M&G. To those of you who still read my stuff, thanks for sticking around.

Deadline Day Fun!

Today is one of my favorite days of the year, so of course I would wake up feeling like I've been hit by a truck. I don't know how coherent I'll be to keep you updated on all the deadline fun, but the guys from The Goose's Roost are hosting a live chat with a bunch of us Buffalo bloggers all day. I'm going to try and stop in and comment whenever I can, and I'm sure everyone reading this already knows that The Roost is the place to go for great commentary on pretty much everything.

So basically, as I go drink more tea and blow my nose for the 800th time today, you should check this out:

The Decade's Best

The new decade is upon us, and what better time than New Year's Eve to recap the best Buffalo sports moments of the last decade. It's been an up-and-down kind of decade for us as fans - no playoff football, no hockey at all for a year, Stanley Cup playoff runs, and some miracles on and off the playing field. Being a Buffalo sports fan this decade was interesting to say the least, and there was always something to talk about. So for today, I am choosing to focus on the 10 most positive things that happened in the Buffalo sports world over the last 10 years.

As a disclaimer, these are my personal top moments, and they were compiled after much internal deliberation and much discussion with noted experts (ie. my dad). Without further ado, let the happy trip down memory lane begin!

10.) A trio of memorable games: Bills beat Pats 31-0, the Ottawa Brawl and Game 5 of the 2007 EC Semifinals. All three of these games provided something that seemed to be missing a lot in Buffalo sports over the last decade: excitement. When the Bills shutout the Pats to open their season, it was the most excited I've been during a football game this decade. The Ottawa Brawl added even more spark to a rivalry that has defined the decade in a lot of ways for the Sabres, and it proved that we have a coach in Lindy Ruff who is a man with a tough, Buffalo mentality through and through. And I had to include that game against the Rangers because I was there. I saw the Plaza teeming with screaming fans, I heard the car horns in the streets, I felt the energy radiating from every corner of the arena. Here's hoping that the excitement provided in these three games is reflected in the next decade in far more contests and with even more chills, hugs, and cheers.

9.) The Bisons Win the Governor's Cup. In 2004, the Buffalo Bisons took home the Governor's Cup, the championship of the International League. Being there during their postseason run was extremely memorable because I love baseball, and I love when it feels like an important sport in the WNY community. Though the team has struggled lately, for that year they were the best, and isn't that what we always dream of for our sports teams in Buffalo?

8.) March Madness Comes to Buffalo. I was lucky enough to get to see the first round NCAA Tournament action at HSBC Arena in 2007. To see so many people from so many places enjoying what our city had to offer was fantastic, and it was even cooler to see some of the most amazing talents in college basketball right in front of me. As a devout Duke Blue Devils fan, seeing them at their open practice and in a game was an experience I will remember forever. And for the many out there who don't like Duke, I'm sure you will always remember the upset they were handed, one of the most shocking of the past few first rounds, and it happened right in Buffalo.

7.) Bills Hall of Fame Inductees. Though the Bills didn't see the postseason these past 10 years, we were all able to relive a little bit of the Glory Years with the inductions of Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, Ralph Wilson Jr. and Mary Levy into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I give Thurman the honor of having the best speech - it was funny, moving, and eloquent. While the present looked dim this decade for the Bills, during those days at Canton fans got a reminder of just how proud we should be to be Bills fans.

6.) Bandits Win the NLL Championship. I'm still a little bitter that this came in 2008, the season before I got my season tickets. But when it happened doesn't matter, what matters is that it did happen. In a decade of futility for most of the Buffalo sports scene, the Bandits brought a championship to the city. Lacrosse fans are some the most passionate fans I've ever seen, and it makes me happy to know that they were rewarded with such a great team and a great outcome. I only wish I could have been in the arena to see it happen.

5.) The 2008 NHL Winter Classic.

Need I say more? For one day, the world took notice of our city and liked what it saw. We were passionate, beautiful, and perfect. Even though the game didn't turn out right, the atmosphere of the day was amazing, and it's something we'll all be telling our kids about someday.

4.) Kevin Everett Walks Again. It was a miracle - plain and simple. He should have been paralyzed - or even worse. But there he was, Kevin Everett, walking on the sidelines of the 2008 season opener.

There was no better moment for the Bills this decade, and I don't even know if a trip to the postseaon could have topped it in my eyes.

3.) UB Wins MAAC Championship. The entire 2008 season of UB Bulls football was an incredible journey to behold. From losers to winners, from embarrassed to respected, one season changed the face of college sports in Buffalo like no other. It made Turner Gill a hero and a Buffalo legend, and even though he has deservedly moved on, he will always be remembered for what he did for that program, that season, and the hopes of college football fans in this city.

2.) The Sabres President's Trophy Season. Think about it - what other season this decade had this city so excited from start to finish? We knew from the first 10 games that it was going to be special, and that team didn't let us down until the very end. Did it end poorly? Yes. Does it sometimes hurt to think back on it? Yes. But it was still the happiest I remember this city during the 2000s for such an extended period of time. From the opening win streak to the Ottawa Brawl and Drury's goal with 7.7 seconds left, they took the city for a ride that season - one that brought crowds to the Plaza and brought people together like I never remember seeing for a hockey team before. It was truly something special - something magical.

1.) Pominville's Shorthanded Goal Sends the Sabres to the 2006 Conference Finals. I know this wasn't the best moment of the decade, or maybe even the most memorable. But I think it was the most positive, the happiest. That goal symbolized that entire season - a player no one had heard of, one who everyone else had written off, scored a goal that never really should have happened. But it happened - just like that whole postseason run never really should have happened if you asked people coming out of the lockout about the "new" Sabres. From the looks on the players faces to the cheers coming from living rooms all over WNY, the joy in that moment was the purest joy of the decade in terms of sports. There was nothing to lose in that moment, no downside or doubts. There was only that "scary good" team that changed the perception of hockey in Buffalo - made it important again. Watch the video of it again, and think if there was any other moment this decade, in terms of Buffalo sports, that made you that ridiculously happy. For me, I know that this was it; the hope I felt after that goal was greater than any other time - I thought they could take on the world, and they did their best to put up one heck of a fight to the end.

What were your top moments of the decade? Think I'm crazy for my picks? I'd love to hear your choices!

My Christmas List this Year

Dear Santa,

I'd like to think I've been a good girl this year. I even sacrificed blogging to do big-girl things like get an internship and write a thesis. I try to be nice (except when it comes to Chris Neil), and I try not to overreact (except when properly labeled "Overreaction Central"). I've even stopped throwing things at the TV during Bills games (which may have more to do with apathy than actually being good, but that's beside the point).

With those things in mind, I hope you have it in your heart to deliver at least one of the things that I, as a Buffalo sports fan, am dreaming of this Christmas.

I would like a Sabres win against the Senators on Saturday. Any variety of win would do - I'm not picky. I would just like to see Chris Neil and Jarkko Ruutu, who are always naughty boys, lose to nice ones like Paul Gaustad and Ryan Miller for once.

I would like a young, passionate new coach for the Bills next year. Again, I'm not picky, but someone outside of the current organization would be nice.

I want Paul Gaustad to make Team USA like I haven't wanted anything since that Barbie Dream House when I was seven years old.

I want this year's Bandits season to be even better than last year's, and I want those passionate lacrosse fans to get rewarded with many big wins by their team.

I'm wishing like crazy for Ryan Miller to stay healthy for the rest of this season and for Patrick Lalime to continue to play well so Miller can get some rest.

I want more intermission features like last night's Festivus one with Drew Stafford. I love when the team and Lindy show how much fun they can be because you know that they are in a good place.


And Santa, I would like to send a wish from all of the long-suffering Buffalo sports fans out there. We've been very good and very patient for a very long time. We believe in our teams with the blind faith that kids have in you. I can only hope that, someday, we are rewarded for that undying faith with a championship. Please, Santa, all we're asking is for a reason to believe again.

Finally, I really want nothing more than a happy, safe, and healthy holiday season for all of the fans, bloggers, and readers out there. They and their families deserve the merriest of Christmases.

~Katie

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a very happy holiday season!

What I've Learned

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've posted. I've been a terrible blogger this semester, but it's finally over now. I think I learned some valuable lessons in the past month, too:

* I learned that I cannot balance a senior honors thesis, an internship, being a regular college kid, and having a blog. Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that I've been over-my-head in literary analysis for the past few months, but I'm so glad that it's done. It seemed like every time a game was on, I had to use that free time to work on things for school. I've missed so much - especially in the last month, so thank you to all the amazing bloggers that I read who keep me caught up on what's been going on in Sabre-land.

*I learned that my fantasy hockey scouting is unparalleled when it comes to goalies. Who knew Ryan Miller would have this kind of season? Oh yeah...I did. Thanks (almost single-handedly) to Millsie, "Kane's Taxi Co." is going strong. In actuality, I always pick Sabres over most any other player of equal (or sometimes greater) talent, so I can't claim any psychic powers. I really just learned that my admiration of Ryan Miller knows no bounds, and that there are no more words to describe how much he means to this team.

*I learned that I still love Goose as much as ever. My dad got a hat autographed by him for me yesterday, and now my father won't stop gushing over how genuine he was and how personable he seemed. I think Goose is now challenging Pat Kaleta for a spot in my father's heart!

*I learned that I hate missing games, even parts of them. I teach at the dance studio until 8 every Friday, and it kills me to come in after the game has already started. I miss the anticipation, the excitement, and the fact that I could actually go to Friday games when I had the money.

Hopefully I'll be able to find my stride again over this break. I plan on going to at least one morning skate and one game (not sure which yet) before classes start again. I am also making this known on here so you all can help me stick to it: I plan to blog at least five times a week - I have lots of catching up to do and thoughts to share!

Speaking of thoughts - Did anyone else have trouble wiping the smile off of their faces after seeing Lalime get the win in net tonight? He was so happy, the team was so happy, and I am still so happy.

Birthday Recap Part II

Three posts in less than 24 hours - I must say that I am very proud of myself!

To conclude the Muckers and Grinders birthday festivities, I bring you a collection of some of the "bests" of the past year of blogging:

Most Hopeful Post: "The Bills Make Me Wanna..." (Nothing like the start of a season to remind you of what it means to be a Buffalo fan)

Best Title: "Paul Gaustad has Given Me Unrealistic Expectations About Men" (Need I say more?)

Most Emotional Posts: "At a Loss" and "Everything We Needed" (The swing in emotions from despair after the crash of Flight 3407 to that euphoric Sabres statement game against the Sharks still gives me goosebumps to think about)

The Best of "Overreaction Central": "In Denial" (Ryan Miller's injury and the team's response to it still gives me this same reaction)

The Best of "Emo Blogging Time": "Waking Up" (Langston Hughes gets Buffalo sports fans like no other poet)

And now, the moment I know you've all been waiting for:

The Best of Google Analytics:
People have found this blog searching for some pretty amusing things. Sure there's the obligatory "jason pominville paul gaustad," "pat kaleta girlfriend," and "paul gaustad shirtless" searches, but there have been some downright fantastic ones as well:

"sports writing locker naked"
"alex ovechkin cannibal bit ear"
"craig rivet's dad"
"jarome iginla good deed"
"jason pominville's favorite color"
"stupid birthday comments"
"their just really good at hockey" (great grammar here as well!)
"when can jason pominville leave the sabres?" (NEVER!!)
"cheap muckers"

Hope you enjoyed those as much as I did!

As a final birthday treat for myself, I started a Twitter: twitter.com/kak01. Feel free to follow even more of my random thoughts!

Birthday Recap Part I

Today, Muckers and Grinders is officially one year old. As I said last night, I still can't believe that people actually have been reading my overly emotional take on the Buffalo sports world for so long.

To celebrate, what goes better with a birthday party than stats! Before you start making a list of all the things that are (which better include Paul Gaustad), I promise, most of these are pretty interesting.

*I've had 10,926 separate visits to my blog this year, with 14,896 pageviews. I know that, to some, this is not the greatest number, but for someone who is often slow to update and has very little creative impulse to make my work stand out among the other awesome blogs out there, this is a lot. So thanks for reading everyone, and I hope you keep reading my rididculous thoughts for another year!

*People from 42 countries have visited this blog. The majority come from the U.S., with Canada coming in second. There are some other cool international visitors, though, like readers from Germany, Finland, India, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Latvia.

*In America, my highest percentage of readers are obviously from this area, but Virginia ranks second.

*Call me obsessed, but I love when I see returning readers from East Lansing or Portland. I like to pretend that people in contact with Ryan Miller and Paul Guastad like reading about how much I love them.

*Out of all the blogs out there, the most readers come to my site from The Goose's Roost. Thanks for bringing some of your readers my way, guys!

*My most popular post in terms of readers was the Class of 1970 Reunion post I wrote about the Canucks-Sabres game back in October. It had 151 pageviews, which leads me to believe that I have some readers from Vancouver that I should cater to more often!

* Most popular search label: Ryan Miller with Paul Gaustad and Jason Pominville rounding out the top three. It's good to see that I'm not the only one out there who wants more info on The Trio.

Later today I'll recap the best of Google Analytics because nothing says Happy Birthday like hilarious searches!

Tomorrow's a Pretty Big Day

One year ago today I decided that I would start my own hockey blog. It took me another day to actually write something for it, but I consider May 13 to be almost as big of an anniversary around here as tomorrow will be.

I know that sometimes I don't keep this blog updated as much as I should, and it kills me when I have something really important to write about but I can't because school or work or some other ridiculously boring thing takes me away from what I really want to be doing.

A year ago, blogging looked so easy. I credit all of my fellow Sabres bloggers out there that I read religiously (you know who you are) with making it appear that way. I've learned a lot in a year, though:

I've learned that it takes a lot of skill to recap a game that everyone has already seen in a way that makes people want to read

I've learned that it's really hard to give an interesting opinion on a topic that's been beaten to death. I've also learned that it's even harder to put a new opinion out there for everyone to pick apart.

I've learned that blogging isn't as easy as it appeared 365 days ago, and I give all of you bloggers credit for keeping your sites updated and interesting far more often than I do.

Most importantly, though, I've learned that I really love blogging. I love having a place to celebrate when my teams do well and a place to vent when they let me down. I love being part of the Buffalo sports blogging community. To those of you out there whose blogs I've come to love, thanks for bringing me into the fold. I honestly love reading your work, and it always brings a smile to my face to see a comment from you guys on things I write.

I still can't believe that people out there actually read this thing. I started this blog with really no expectations, so to think that there are actually people interested in what a college girl from West Seneca says about sports still blows my mind. I always try to be honest, and I know that sometimes it may make me seem like a gushing teenybopper or a whiny kid. However, my goal a year ago was to start a blog that was really in my voice, and if I accomplished nothing else, I know that I never try to sound like anyone but me (no matter how annoying I can be at times).

I suppose I should have saved this for tomorrow, but I have a couple of posts planned already. I know - more than one post in a day - that's got to be a record for me!

A lot has changed in my life since the night of May 13, 2008, but I'm glad that I have this to remind me that some things don't change. I still love my teams. I still love to write. I still wish I was as good a writer as many of my fellow bloggers.

One year ago, I was just a fan sitting in her house ranting about sports. The only thing that's changed is, for some crazy reason, I have people reading my ranting now. I couldn't be more thankful for those of you that do. You're the reason I'm so glad that I got myself into this world and the reason I'm not leaving any time soon.