October 20, 1991
Van Halen plays Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. The opening act, little-known Seattle-based grunge act Alice in Chains, is virtually ignored on stage by rabid VH fans. Two years later, with Seattle the reigning hub of American music, people who attended the show realize they probably should’ve paid attention to the opener.
February 22, 2011
Terry Pegula takes the reigns as owner of the Buffalo Sabres. Gary Bettman introduces him to the masses at (then) HSBC Arena. Two years later, rabid Sabres fans realize that perhaps we should’ve listened more closely to the NHL Commissioner.
Wow. With fans like you we don’t need enemies.
I’m sure the young Sabres as well as Veterans love playing for fans that mock their own team…
Hey, everyone. I was at that VH show, and I loved Alice in Chains. I’m a smart guy, after all. #SmartThings
And I also paid attention to Faith No More at the GNR/Metallica concert.
As for the Sabres, well, hey at least it’s fun watching rookies.
@ScottyMCSS Right with you on both AIC and FNM. Not our fault others didn’t appreciate them. #smart
That VH concert was October 20th–not the 21st. The 21st was a Monday and the Bills hosted the Bengals and trounced them 35-16. I can tell you this first-hand because I was at both the VH concert and the Bills game. But whatever. Funny vid. Wouldn’t surprise me if Bettman and the NHL have an agenda.
@McCabeChris Date corrected. Thanks.
@ScottyMCSS , i wish i were as smart as you. my friends and i booed them off the stage in cleveland a few months before, and we weren’t kind to them in buffalo either. it was a sad, sad day when i realized just how much better they are than VH ever was.
I was at that show, Van Halen is STILL my favorite all time band but I had heard Alice in Chains before and really liked them as the opener. We as Buffalonians weren’t necessarily bad to them but they were ignored. Place was still filling in and the lights were half on, nobody was really paying attention. I personally really enjoyed them and felt bad that they were so ignored. Nobody booed them though.
@cphil271 Cry me a river. What came first, angry fans or a soft heartless soulsucking waste of a season? Listen, send them sympathy flowers if you want, but frankly, any other city…Boston, New York, Philly would never have been as patient, tolerant, and supportive. I was at the top of that list…no more. Time to put up and prove fake Gary Bettman wrong…
@JeremyHewett @cphil271
The last thing I want is to give or receive sympathy.
Having been a Sabres fan for my entire life, I don’t know what it is like to cheer for any other city, but I’m sure that none of them (Boston, New York, Philly) would post a video like that.
While the idea of the video was hate toward Bettman, there is a resounding essence that we have already been defeated.
“You know that this team is predetermined to Fail.” – Fake Gary Bettman.
No, I didn’t know that.
Do you want to be a victor, or a victim?
Would you want a player to be saying things like ‘we are predetermined to fail’, ‘Get used to the phrase Long Time, season ticket holders’,? Joking about it? Having an attitude that even resembles it?
Now imagine being an 18/19 year old first round draft pick. Are you more or less excited about playing for the Sabres after that video?
I know its not meant to be taken literally. But this isn’t the first example in the community that suggests we are already beaten.
Get pissed, show passion, and absolutely don’t have blind optimism or sympathy. Hate Bettman for being a greedy SOB.
Just don’t be your own enemy. There is no god like ‘Fake Gary Bettman’ or supernatural force that is keeping us from anything. So don’t act like it.