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Current Issue: Artvoice v7n47, week of Thursday November 20 » back issues

Puck Stop

How to Retire a Number

By now it’s official: #16 Pat LaFontaine and #18 Danny Gare will be awarded the ultimate honor by the Buffalo Sabres organization this season, when their numbers are retired and hung to the rafters for all eternity.

The Sabres held a news conference on October 17 to make the announcement. Separate ceremonies will take place at two Sabres games—Gare’s number will be retired prior to the New York Rangers game on November 22. LaFontaine will have his #16 raised on March 3 when the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town.

When it comes to the retiring of numbers in any sport, there is no set policy or formula; each team is free to pursue its own traditions. What is universally acknowledged is that the hanging of any player’s number is the highest form of honor and recognition, eclipsed only by induction into their respective sports’ Hall of Fame.

An examination of retired numbers and banners around the NHL reveals the entire gamut, from respect and dignity to utter nonsense.

Predictably, the Original Six pay the greatest homage to the displaying of banners. Take the Montreal Canadiens… literally hundreds of the sport’s greatest players have worn their uniform over the past decades, yet their rafters are reserved for but seven of their best, literally Gods of the sport—Maurice Richard and Henri Richard, Doug Harvey, Jean Beliveau, Guy LaFleur, George Vezina and Jacques Plante. The Canadiens just announced that three additional names—Yvan Cournoyer, Bernie Geoffrion and Dickie Moore will be added this season. Add their 24 Stanley Cup banners hanging from the beams, and first time visitors to the Bell Centre can only gape in awe as they stand amidst one of hockey’s great franchises.

Yet some of hockey’s expansion teams have made a mockery of the solemn tradition of banners, and unfortunately, cheapen the entire concept. They are so anxious to display something, anything, that their front office marketing departments come up with some gimmick. An example? At the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, home of the Florida Panthers, their dopey banner reads “Most Wins By An Expansion Team.”

Adding to the silliness is their “weatherboard,” unique to the NHL and touting the weather report for their team and the visiting team, e.g. “Sunrise 79 degrees, sunny; Buffalo 12 bitter.” Of course, last week that sign would have read “Sunrise 60, flooding, power outages, wind—evacuate immediately; Buffalo 52 cloudy.” But we digress.

Up the road in Tampa, the formerly woeful Lightning displayed numerous ridiculous bedsheets at the St. Pete Times Forum, all of which have come down since the team unveiled its Stanley Cup championship banner. They included “Best Attendance,” “Best Attendance For A Playoff Game,” and “Fans #1.”

Ah yes, “Fans #1”… That identical banner appears in Tampa, Columbus, Minnesota, and shamefully, in Calgary, although the Flames get a free pass since fans there rose to the call to save the team a few years back by buying 14,000 season tickets.

And in Buffalo? The Sabres have retired numbers of but four of their greats—#2 Tim Horton, #7 Rick Martin, #11 Gilbert Perreault and #14 Rene Robert. Add banners for founding Sabres owners Seymour and Northrup Knox, Sabres and Bandits titles and that is pretty much it over at HSBC Arena.

We asked Sabres Managing Partner Larry Quinn why Gare, why LaFontaine, and why now? “It’s a generational thing,” replied Quinn, “something that we should pause and look at during a certain era of time and ask who deserves such an honor.”

Quinn indicated that the hanging of banners is something the team takes very seriously. “The bar has to be set very high for such a thing,” said Quinn. He added that there is no formal committee or process within the organization to make such designations. “It’s just the people in the club who know when it’s right.”

And indeed, looking at both players’ careers one could conclude that they have met the standard. Gare made his mark immediately with the Sabres, scoring on his first shift in his rookie season in 1974-75. He was a 50-goal scorer twice while in a Buffalo uniform and holds team records in several categories to this day. LaFontaine is one of the most popular Sabres ever, who along with linemate Alexander Mogilny electrified the Sabres offense in the early ’90s.

Will the Sabres add yet more players’ names to the rafters in coming years? “There will be similar announcements and ceremonies down the road,” said Quinn. “We are actively considering several other names.”

Well, here’s a name that stands out; a player whose accomplishments in a Buffalo uniform match up with any of the names up there now. A league MVP, a scoring champion and a Hall of Famer to boot.

That name? Bob McAdoo. But THAT is a topic for another day!

TARO SEZ…

• Thomas Vanek hasn’t found the back of the net but his presence has certainly been felt here. His seven assists in eight games leads the team (as of 10/25) and he leads NHL rookies in that category.

• Token music note: The Sabres played their annual home game in Rochester on October 26th, and the national anthem singer on that night was Foreigner lead singer and Flower City native Lou Gramm. Hey Lou, when’s the rest of the group coming to town?

• Extra! Extra! Sabres off to fast start!!! They’ve won seven of their first 11 games (at the time of publication) and that is their best start since the 1975-76 club began the season with eight consecutive wins.


Artvoice Blog Headlines

Who Goes Where When Hillary Goes to State?

posted November 19, 12:04 pm on Artvoice Daily

City Hall News has flow_chart that tracks who might replace who, from Hillary’s Senate seat on down (click to expand or follow the link—it’s an awkward shape):

It’s Robert Rich Sr. All High Stadium

posted November 14, 5:05 pm on Artvoice Daily

These new signs properly label the structure. We’ve been reading recent stories in the Buffalo News about sportswriter Tom Borrelli’s terrible fall last week at the old All High Stadium. He’s currently battling life-threatening injuries... (more)

CWM Fined for Violations

posted November 14, 2:41 pm on Artvoice Daily

This week Chemical Waste Management was fined $175,000 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for violating its permits and the state’s hazardous waste laws. I don’t have much to say about that, except it doesn’t seem to me like too much money... (more)

Musical Chairs

posted November 14, 12:51 pm on Artvoice Daily

The AP reports that Hillary Clinton met with Barack Obama in Chicago yesterday, adding fuel to speculation that she might be Obama’s choice for secretary of state. If that happens, it has long been rumored that Brian Higgins would be appointed to her Senate seat... (more)

Paint the Town

posted November 14, 11:06 am on Artvoice Daily

Late last night, at the tail end of one of the few weeks in the past year in which we did not publish anything snarky about anybody, someone threw two gallons of paint on our front doors. Seems a waste; we hadn’t even earned it. Nonetheless, we were cleaning up all morning... (more)

Old Editions Book Shop

posted November 13, 1:58 pm on Artvoice Daily

AV videographer Matt Quinn tours Old Editions, an often overlooked treasure at the corner of Oak and Huron Streets downtown: show enclosure (video/x-flv; 21.29 MB)

This Is Not Today’s News

posted November 12, 9:37 am on Artvoice Daily

But it would be nice if it were. Via the Data Stream, by way of Jon Winet.

This Just In…

posted November 11, 3:28 pm on Artvoice Daily

Always in the vanguard, researchers of the University at Buffalo’s Center of Human Capital have reached a bold conclusion, according to a statement disseminated this afternoon: Although no official determination has been made about whether New York State or the U... (more)

Silver Lining: Edwards Remains a Good Guy

posted November 11, 11:17 am on Artvoice Daily

Marshawn Lynch Amid the anguished finger-pointing, plaintive wailing and resigned head-shaking sweeping the region following the Buffalo Bills’ third straight defeat, Season Ticket would like to apportion a minute sliver of credit. Quarterback Trent Edwards, by most quantitative and qualitative standards, failed miserably at New England on Sunday (not coincidentally, this was also his third consecutive regressive outing)... (more)

Mazzariello’s Ristorante & Martini Bar

posted November 7, 4:30 pm on Chew on This

  Photo taken by Rose Mattrey From Antipasti to Primi to Secondi, Mazzariello’s (114 Bloomfield Ave, Lancaster, 206.0561) has conquered the map of Italian cooking. Your palate will be exposed to an array of spices, herbs, and ingredients indigenous to Northern & Southern Italy... (more)

Post Election Bits & Bytes

posted November 7, 12:02 am on Tech Voice

Election ‘08 is now in the history books - so I figured it’s time to take a look backward, and a look forward at some relevant headlines. Hacking Democracy First, we’ll take a look at one of the best kept secrets of the campaign season, from both sides, care of a Newsweek article published just today... (more)

BNMC Open Meeting Tonight

posted November 6, 1:19 pm on Artvoice Daily

Tonight at 6pm in the auditorium of the downtown library, everyone is invited to attend a public hearing on the Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus—North End Projects. Among the projects planned are a 300,000 square foot Medical Office Building to be owned and operated by Ciminelli Development Company, Inc... (more)

That Pigeon Won’t Fly

posted November 6, 10:05 am on Artvoice Daily

Steve Pigeon Here’s another example, this one two years old, of the way Steve Pigeon’s political committees are alleged to steer money to candidates illegally. On September 15, 2006, the Pigeon-controlled PAC Citizens for Fiscal Integrity paid “RUR Strategy Group” $9,000 in consulting fees, according to CFI’s campaign finance disclosure forms... (more)

SeaBar’s Social Calendar

posted November 5, 12:44 pm on Chew on This

SeaBar will host live jazz and sushi nights starting Friday, November 21st at 8 p.m. (5235 Main Street, Wmsvl, 204.5283). A Cave Springs Riesling Tasting Event will take place at SeaBar’s suburban location on Wednesday, November 9th at 7 p.m... (more)

Artvoice TV: Latest Additions » more on AVTV

Neslon Starr Band w/Jeff Miers

posted November 23, 09:49 am on channel Music

On Saturday night there was a double bill with Bread Gone Wry and Nelson Starr Band at Nietzsche's. Sitting in with Nelson Starr for a couple of tunes was former bandmate and Buffalo News music critic Jeff Miers, featured here.

Bread Gone Wry

posted November 23, 08:04 am on channel Music

We haven't seen Bread Gone Wry for quite some time but they haven't lost their charm. The happy crowd cheered on every song.

Dr. Riyaz Hassanali: The effect Smoking has on your Skin

posted November 21, 4:50 pm on channel Local Interest

Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Riyaz Hassanali sat down with Buffalo actress and television host Lorraine O'Donnell for the first in our series of interviews with area medical experts. Today's subject is the effects of smoking on your skin and appearance. Dr. Hassanali, of Williamsville (626-1593) is a well respected cosmetic surgeon who works internationally, as well as locally. This is the first of six segments from Dr...

Twilight

posted November 19, 1:09 pm on channel Movie Trailers

Movie trailer for Twilight, in theaters November 21. Read M. Faust's review of the film here.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

posted November 19, 1:06 pm on channel Movie Trailers

Movie trailer for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, in theaters now. Click here to read George Sax's review of the film.

Avi Takes Artvoice Shopping for the holidays @ Lexington food Co-op

posted November 19, 11:52 am on channel Food

I met up with Avi of Obviously Avi Catering to learn about classic ways to spruce up some great thanksgiving dishes and some more contemporary ideas for this years holiday season.. Also check out the Co-op this weekend Saturday the 22nd to sample some of the fresh turkeys that u can pick up for your family!

TRAIN DAY! @ the Buffalo Historical Society

posted November 17, 3:07 pm on channel Local Interest

I met with Peter Burakowski from the Buffalo Histroical Society to check out their fantastic train exhibit.. Now I have to be honest I was kinda embarrassed to tell Peter that I Hadn't been to the museum since I was about six years old... But the place looks great and has a lot going on for the holiday season. Check out this clip then head on down to the Buffalo Historical Society!

Mass Appeal: Elmwood Fashion Event

posted November 15, 10:19 pm on channel Events

On Friday night the Elmwood Village Association packed the Lafayette Presbyterian Church with a sold out "Mass Appeal: An Elmwood Fashion Event." The atmosphere was electric in the brightly lit church as models strutted down the catwalk to lively deejay beats.

Buffalo Contemporay Dance

posted November 15, 6:43 pm on channel Events

This weekend we stopped at Alt Theatre, 255 Great Arrow, to check Buffalo Contemporary Dance's 10th Anniversary performance. The little black box theatre in the Great Arrow Industrial Center is exceptionally intimate and provides a that up close experience you won't get at larger venues. Dancers and choreographers Amy Taravella and Leslie Wexler put together a lovely set of dance pieces with a variety of musical styles and an enthusiastic group of dancers...

Old Editions Book Shop

posted November 13, 11:42 am on channel Local Interest

I had a chance to check out the Old Editions Book Shop & Café at 74 East Huron Street, Buffalo.... WOW i was blown away at how any cool things they had on display there....Not just the thousands of books on everything from local authors to rare leather-bounds, but hundreds of maps, prints and other artwork. If you havent been down to the corner of Oak and Huron to check it out i suggest you do!

Off Stage: Conversations with Anthony Chase

posted November 12, 4:50 pm on channel Theater

This week, Artvoice and TAB present Part II of the interview with Road Less Traveled founder, Scott Behrand. This is the second installment of "Off Stage", a series of conversations with the Buffalo theatre community and AV Theatre Editor Anthony Chase.

Happy Go Lucky

posted November 12, 2:08 pm on channel Movie Trailers

Movie trailer for Happy Go Lucky, in theaters now. Read M. Faust's review of the film here.

Quantum of Solace

posted November 12, 2:01 pm on channel Movie Trailers

Movie trailer for Quantum of Solace, in theaters November 14th. Read George Sax's review of the film here.

Flash Party at Essex St.

posted November 9, 10:59 am on channel Events

The annual Flash Party-Griffis Sculpture Park fundraiser at the Essex St. art complex was the raucous gathering of music and art it's always been. With live music by the Ifs, plenty of art and free beer what else would you expect?

Lakeview Effect at Nietzsche's

posted November 8, 4:54 pm on channel Music

When Lakeview Effect crowded into the front bar at Nietzsche's with their keyboards, drums, two guitars, bass and percussion, there wasn't much room left. Nevertheless, people space to jam in and groove to the interesting and often unpredictable tunes. Some even found room to dance.



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