Buffalo and the Sabres

Besides the careless summers of the college student, and home for every Christmas besides one hellish season spent in the throes of holiday hell, I’ve spent the last 8 years of my life outside of Western New York. Still I read the Buffalo News almost everyday, at least when the internet is cooperating. For national news I’m addicted to the Times so mainly I just scam the local sections, editorials, and sports page of our dear local paper. The News’ blogs on their website are also interesting from time to time, which brings me to my point; what’s the deal with these Sabres medallions? I couldn’t believe some of the comments I read about the supply shortage of these medallions- which are being offered in local stores for $2.99 as part of a promotional effort between The News and the Sabres. Buffalonians are some of the most unpretentious, flexible, and humble people anywhere but give us a hockey team with half a decent chance of winning a championship and we lose our senses.

Here are some examples of the editorial outrage behind the medallion shortage, followed, of course, by my comments:

“I feel so sorry for the poor person behind the counter. The news should make amends to all. The only paper in town should know the size of their community. What a shame. I just keep shaking my head with everything that goes on in my home town.”

I’m ashamed of a lot of things about Buffalo too: the new peace bridge hasn't been built yet, they want the taxpayers to pay to put a giant fish store in the old Aud, there’s that stupid skyway that hugs the water front, etc. I am not so sure, however, that I agree with you that a shortage of $2.99 plastic medallions with pictures of hockey players on them makes me ashamed of my hometown. Consequently, It’s a good thing you don’t live Moldova. Can you imagine that stores here routinely run out of flour, milk and eggs? You’d probably kill someone.

“Running this promotion during the upcoming Easter break was a mistake. I had hoped to collect all the medallions, but will be away for 2 weeks on a previously scheduled Easter trip. I guess this is a moot point now that there are none available!”

Why don’t you just cancel your vacation so you can buy all of them then? Oh wait, you’ve already thought of that and then realized it’s a “previously scheduled trip.” Damn, no going back on that one huh? You know, I’m not so sure that I believe that you believe that it’s a “moot point” you can’t buy the medallions.

“First of all, this program should have started in the beginning of the season and sold 1 medallion per week...not 1 per day. A family with 2-3 boys who want to collect these could not afford it. Not to mention the fact that you have to go to the store daily to buy them.”

Wait a second, you have to go to the store to buy these medallions? I smell a rat.

“Of the several different locations I visited, each store has given a different number available. Can a store manager or clerk decide to sell only a fraction of the alloted number to the general public and keep the rest for themselves or preferred people who are not waited in line at 6am. There should be some rule in regards to this, and someone that makes sure the rules are being followed.”

You mean the Buffalo News hasn’t already assigned a “medallion czar” to prevent the trafficking in medallions? I can’t believe that. Nobody is that stupid to put the fate of $2.99 plastic medallions with pictures of hockey players on them in the hands of grocery store clerks.

Wow. Call me a casual fan that the extent of my Sabres mania is signing onto dial-up every morning over my cup of instant coffee to check last night’s scores (I’m currently waiting for the damn page to load so I can see who won the devils game last night) but what the hell are you people complaining about? They’re not running out of Tim Horton’s Coffee over there are they?