No more Skid Marks

After going 0-3-1, losing to Florida (6-2), Boston (2-1 in OT), Ottawa (5-3) and Washington (2-0) the Sabres seem to have found their game winning their last two. In those two games they scored 9 goals and only allowed 3. The 4-2 victory over the Fliers on Black Friday was particularly enjoyable to watch, Tim Connolly finished with four points as Buffalo beat Philadelphia for the second time in two weeks. The Fliers scored both their goals with under a minute to go in the first period with about 32 seconds and 3 seconds respectively. The down side to the victory, it was a very physical game which resulted in the suspension of Patrick Kaleta for two games for this hit:
http://www.nhl.tv/team/console.jsp?catid=-3&id=52761

So here's what I've decided is bothering me this week, not just during Sabres games, but in all of sports: advertising. It's not enough to sprinkle in five minute ad sessions during breaks in the game, it's certainly not enough to line the boards and the fields with the logos of the companies, but now the broadcasters more and more work in plugs sometimes slyly but usually shamelessly.
Buffalo Sabres hockey during the month of November is sponsored by Dunkin Donuts...Why not? HSBC Arena serves neither coffee nor donuts during hockey games and for those of us watching at home, clearly thats the snack of choice during a hockey game. When I have people over to watch a game they tend to nag when I do not put out the bear claws and cappucinos. It seems like a perfect fit. On top of that the Power Play is brought to us by Napa Auto Parts. I always thought the power play was brought to us by the player who committed the penalty, but upon further reading into the rule book, the power play occurs everytime Napa decides to throw some money at the team (or give the players free oil changes). This one kills me: during the game, little cutouts of a law firm in New York called Celino and Barnes pops up to remind me that while the players on the ice fight, they will fight for me in court. I can not take it, the ads are everywhere. Keep commercials in commercials!
During the break I watched a lot of college football. How many times did the broadcasters on ABC have to remind us that V is all new and on prime time during the week. I think to be fair the actors in these less than mediocre shows they are forced to plug should work into their dialogue the upcoming games that weekend. "We are aliens we come in peace. If we do attack we will make sure to wait until after rivalry week on ABC. I flew 6 billion light years to see if Weis can right the ship against Stanford at 8p.m. human eastern standard time."


Buffalo travels to Toronto tomorrow night. If you do not have center ice, the game will be airing on Versus. Regardless of where the teams find themselves year after years in the standings this matchup is always a good one due to the geographic and divisional rivalry.

P.S. Any volleyball fans? A really good friend from high school, Sara Sage, plays for UCLA. They host the first and second rounds of their region in the NCAA tournament. You can watch the first match against Long Beach State on Friday for free online here: http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/w-volley/ucla-w-volley-body.html
Check out the roster as well. I think the two criteria to play for the Bruins is 1. Be a ten and 2. Be a ten.