Western New Yorker’s love Buffalo sports. While other areas of the country may ignore this great city, many locals are infatuated with its’ regional teams. So here it is: The BV’s take on all things Buffalo sports.
Sabres
Oh yes, the Sabres. The worst team in the Atlantic Division. The worst team in the Eastern conference. The worst team in the NHL.
Well, hopefully the all-star break gave Buffalo at least a little rejuvenation, but at a 14-31-3 record, the season seems all but lost at this point. The Sabres started the second half Wednesday night as they traveled to Calgary and fell to the Flames 4-1. You can euphemize it as “rebuilding,” but truth is Buffalo hockey is at an all-time low.
The Sabres will return to the Queen City on Thursday, Feb. 5 to host the St. Louis Blues. Expect domination, and not in favor of the home team.
UB Men’s Basketball
The Bulls have continued their strong season with a win against Western Michigan last Tuesday, 77-71, improving to a solid 13-6 (4-3) record.
But hold on there, UB’ers, the Bulls’ 7-0 home record gets a little less impressive when compared to their road record of 6-6. If UB wants to contend in the Mid-Atlantic Conference tournament, they must get over their fear of hostile crowds. Remember when the Bulls came to the Reilly Center? They sure didn’t seem like a top-60 college basketball team then.
The Bulls will be on ESPNU tonight at 10 p.m. as they take on conference-rival Kent State. Luckily for the Bulls, the game will be held in Amherst.
Bisons
The Blue Jays affiliate made a fan-friendly headline this month, as Toronto signed the charismatic – if mediocre – Munenori Kawasaki to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training.
At age 33, the utility infielder batted .258 and managed a 0.6 WAR last season with the Blue Jays. While he may not be anywhere near an all-star caliber player, Kawasaki does provide a sense of excitement and clutch-hitting to a Bisons team that finished third in the International League North, with a 77-66 record – and excitement in never a bad thing in sports.
Kawasaki should provide Buffalo reporters with some unusual quotes to break up the riveting conversations we all know minor leaguer ballplayers have with reporters.
