A quick look at what's happening today in Western New York

by Corey

It’s going to take some time to put this all together, so lets at least start at the beginning. Its a very good place to start, right?

When I used to play the NHL series of games from EA Sports, there were people I immediately attempted to trade for – Chris Drury and Robyn Regehr. Almost ten years later my adolescent plan is finally coming to fruition.

Well, maybe not quite, but Regehr is something the Sabres have been lacking for a long time. He’s the replacement for Jay McKee in the rough and tumble department. At least that’s what I’m expecting from him, and honestly that’s what his reputation implies. Sandpaper, reliability, and some leadership on the back end. Frankly it’s been needed for a while.

Lets think about this from the taking heat off of Ryan Miller perspective. I no longer expect Miller to have to punch anyone in the head to defend himself.

We’ve always expected Mike Weber to be the kind of guy who would step in for Miller and defend him, and he is starting to grow into that role. He’s also still young, and might be traded to the New York Jets for some all beef dogs by the time this summer is out. He’s a ProtoRegehrMcKee. Also, let’s not forget Tyler Myers decided to explore the nasty space during the first round loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Add to this Regehr and you have potentially three dudes who could stone cold knock a sucker flat.

Butler goes in the deal for Regehr. Maybe some day he will be a good NHL defenseman. He isn’t that right now. Regehr is, and the Sabres are all about Right now. We get Kotalik? I can’t stand him, but his most productive years were here in Buffalo, and he isn’t guaranteed a spot to play even though I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the blue and gold.

The mentality shift is pretty dramatic from the talent acquisition view point, but we can leave this discussion for further dissection later. We have all summer, after all. What interests me with this is that the Sabres are beginning to practice what they preach. Lindy Ruff will mention that goals are hard to come by in the NHL. That implies defense makes life tough for skilled players – denying shot lanes, taking the body when possible, and being a general pain in the ass. The Sabres had drafted heavily anticipating league where skill would be key to victory, especially on the defensive end (Sekera/Butler/Persson/Brennan.) When the league corrected back to a tighter game a few years after the lockout, the Sabres had to adjust again (Kassian/McNabb) to get big and tough. Now though with money becoming a valid tool instead of a liability for the team, they can get their needs now rather than waiting to groom specific players.

The Sabres had to be good at drafting and growing talent because they had no other practical options. They couldn’t start in free agency to fix gaps in their lineup or correct in free agency if they made a mistake after the fact. With the faucet open now from Pegula McMoneybags, the Sabres can use those groomed players as assets to trade for better players now and recover in free agency if they need to. They have multiple outs. They went from being the Royals to the Red Sox overnight.

Are we cool with this? Like, are we prepared to completely deconstructed the image we have made of ourselves – small market, tenacious underdogs. Underdogs we are not, and never will be again.

Its a whole new game out there now. We might as well burn it all down with a flamethrower and take what we can get.

Local police and federal agents were among those involved in the roundup of seven people Thursday morning, as well as a short standoff at a Falls home.

Norman Baker also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor state income tax charges.

Martel Jones remains free on bail and will be arraigned in Buffalo City Court July 14 on the charges.

Anne Adams was also granted court permission to reapply to the state Motor Vehicles Department for a conditional license.

Sabres' addition of another high-profile defenseman adds to the feeling that Buffalo is becoming a destination city for NHL players.

So I’m feeling extremely depressed after reading today’s awful news from the labor front. I’m becoming very concerned we’re not going to have football in 2011.

In my despair, I turned to Youtube in search of something to cheer me up. And boy, did I ever find it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBg8RJdcSEs&feature=player_detailpage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piEHDtG1emU&feature=player_detailpage

(I’d usually just embed the video…but that doesn’t seem to be working right now. Sorry.)

A few thoughts on the video here:

… [visit site to read more]

This week Peter and mark are joined by Joe Ciffa by phone to talk about Night of Champions. Later on in the first segment Victor DeGeorge of Victor’s Bar and Grill brings in some food to sample and talks about his restaurant with the guys.

Download audio file (063011officiallyyours.mp3)

In The second hour Jim Nowicki comes in to discuss the Subaru Chase race and his officiating career. Later on in the hour Scott Mcneal calls in to talk about the history of the Gus Macker Tournament.

Download audio file (063011officiallyyours02.mp3)

In the final hour of the program Mike Gentile, Associate Professor of the University at Buffalo and former NCAA compliance officer. Peter talks to Mike about his officiating career as well as various compliance issues, including the recent troubles at Ohio State.  Finally Division I official Mike Conlan is on the phone to discuss his officiating career and the College World Series.

Download audio file (063011officiallyyours03.mp3)

Well, this is a kick in the groin. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen is reporting that today’s round of negotiations between the NFL owners and players did not go very well today and that both sides are a bit discouraged.

… [visit site to read more]

A Washington D.C.-based group, the National Organization for Marriage, says it’s pledging $2 million to reverse the law and remove the lawmakers who voted in favor of it. Freshman Republican Senator Mark Grisanti is one of those lawmakers being targeted by the group. YNN’s Kevin Jolly talked with Grisanti about this latest development and the impact it could have on his political future.

Buffalo Beer Week is over.

Our TTB application, while not officially approved, soon will be.

The Words With Friends tournament progresses, but nears its conclusion without any of us.

You would think that we would be resting. Complacent. Not so! Buffalo Beer Week was an undeniable success, and while planning for next year will begin soon enough, there will be less than 51 weeks of effort beforehand. Hopefully you’re forgiving.

A surprisingly accurate stock photo

Rudy is hard at work perfecting the recipe for In C, our flagship pale ale. The homebrewers in the audience know this already, but beer is made from a recipe that is every bit as important as one for a meal. The backbone for the beer is there, and we think it’s quite solid. Currently, Rudy’s fiddling with the minutiae: what if he used X instead of Y? Hops, malt, ratios, yeast, temperatures: they all make a difference, and they all will be explored to make the best beer we can.

The TTB will soon be granting us our Brewer’s Notice, it’s true. This is big: the biggest accomplishment Community Beer Works has had to date. And yet, to be fair, it is but one step in the process. We’re not done. (If in doubt as to where we are, consult the timeline at the top of the site) Up next is the New York State Liquor Authority, and work has already begun on that application.

It has to shine, you see. Our TTB application took more time than we’d like, and our ducks were firmly in rows. We had dotted the i’s, crossed the t’s and polished that application until you could see your reflection in it. Even so, there were small mistakes. It’s the nature of being human, especially when dealing with a sufficiently large bureaucratic document. We’d be fools to downplay the importance of the SLA application, and believe me: we’re no fools.

Well, I mean, I ate one of the “Armageddon” wings from Duff’s today. So some of us can be mildly foolish, some of the time. But not when it counts.

Also fairly accurate!

Then of course there’s the matter of our building: 15 Lafayette is one hell of a headquarters, and it will soon be one hell of a brewery. But it is currently at the start of its training montage: soon a enthusiastic rock song will play and it will begin to be whipped into shape, with a series of clips ending in a knowing smile and a thumbs up before the big race.

I think I might still be a little loopy from those wings.

What I’m trying to say is that although we’ve come a long way, there’s still more work to be done. We’re plodding along, ever onward and we won’t rest until our beer is in your hands.

The number of blast injuries and burns spikes around the Fourth of July, especially in children between ages five and 10. In addition, firefighters say half the fires reported during the Fourth of July holiday are directly linked to fireworks.

Officials from TitanX Engine Cooling say they’re expanding the operation and creating new jobs. Through the Empire State Development Group, the company will receive a $1.5 million grant, as well as more than $6 million in tax benefits.

There are new developments in the ongoing Peace Bridge expansion project. As YNN’s Antoinette Bryant reports, officials say the new plans include a plaza design that would free up traffic on the bridge and help the economy.