The Sopranos.

By far my favorite series of all-time. I've watched every episode at least 15-20 times. If it is on HBO on Demand, I'm watching it. A&E on Sunday mornings? I'm bringing my orange juice and eggs to the couch.

One of the biggest subplots for the series was the relationship between Carmella and Tony. Tony constantly cheated on Carmella without any shred of guilt. He did what he did with Russian girls and strippers. You name it, he blazed it up. He lived the life like he was still living in a fraternity house.

Photo by Buffaloobserver.com

I'll just cut to the chase, I'm playing the Bills GM. This has been a series that has been on my mind for quite sometime. If Bucky can be the GM for the Sabres for a day and toss out trades, why can't I? No one will be spared. I'm going to do my best Robin Hood and steal from the rich and give to the poor. We are obviously the poor, Bills fans. I have a hot ass secretary and a stretch limo to get me from point A to point B. Genny light will be the beer of choice because well, Ralph is somewhat cheap.

---A lot has been made about Ryan Miller's comments about being upset with the Sabres trading Paul Gaustad. As I wrote on Twitter, I didn't think it was that big of a deal as star players tend to voice their displeasure whenever a teammate leaves. It was done when Bruce Smith complained about Darryl Talley leaving and I'm sure multiple players and coaches weren't happy when Briere and Drury bounced. This is the same guy he's shared a locker room with for almost 10 years dating back to their days in Rochester. Yes, he's going to miss his little buddy. Is that wrong? I think the people who were displeased about his comments were either media members who have grown tired of dealing with Miller on a everyday basis (Hell, I think the only media guy who likes him is Bucky.) or fans who just don't like him. Sorry, but if Derek Roy said this, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Also, unless they trade the first round pick, the draft pick won't be up in Buffalo until probably 2015. By then, Miller will probably be gone.

I have become immune to listening to athletes from other teams slam the city of Buffalo. Tom Brady doesn’t like our hotels? That’s nice. Brad Marchand doesn’t like the fact that it rains in Buffalo? Sucks for him. Joffrey Lupul doesn’t like looking out the window? BFD. Willis McGahee hates the fact the Bills took a chance on his busted knee and can’t believe he got drafted in the first round by a team whose city doesn’t have attractive enough girls?

Woah. Okay, now we have a problem.

Congratulations Darcy!

How does it feel?

First things first, Joe. I heard your most recent podcast and was a little disappointed to hear you say, somewhere around the 32:45 mark, that you were done with me and you had lost faith in me. Correct me if I’m wrong…Might I add that this was on trade deadline day and I had vastly improved my team! Not to be outdone in negativity-palooza, Mr. Stewart might have outflanked you with his pessimism. But I’m over it so let’s get on with this interview. Now, will you please take your hand off my knee?

Yes, I panicked yesterday with trying to get Q&A's out to Vancouver writers. I emailed everyone who was a mothercanucker! So, I got two questionnaires back about Cody Hodgson. You saw the earlier version and now you get another one from the good folks over at our sister's website for bloguin, The Benched Whale. It is the same questions I asked yesterday about Cody, but different answers. Also, I gave the Benched Whale some info on Kassian.

Everyone has a bucket list. I'm sure some or most of you have a sports bucket list like I do. Rose Bowl, Super Bowl, NBA Finals Game, World Series are on my list, and up until this past weekend the NBA All Star Saturday Night was on that list, and why not? It has pageantry, celebrities, famous athletes, and NBA Superstars doing ridiculous things. Growing up there was nothing I looked more forward to then the Three Point Shootout and Slam Dunk Contest. Jordan, Wilkins, Spud, Ceballos blindfolded, Dee Brown pumping up the Reeboks, Vince Carter, Larry Bird, Craig Hodges,

and.......... Jeremy Evans.

Who?

Exactly.

What we thought we got on Pegula Day 2011 was the long-awaited liberation of a once-hindered duo, nearly brothers who had been around -- and lost -- forever, stuck drifting in this strange journey toward what felt like infinite mediocrity. "The purpose is to win a Stanley Cup," Pegula said, with that awkward inflection, like Stanley was a guy's first name and Cup his last. There it was: all our hopes and dreams realized at once. Darcy Regier, once silenced and shackled,    chained to a pike to be circled by pitchfork and flame. Lindy Ruff, jovial and boundless, making chicken salad out of chicken droppings, but increasingly tired, increasingly cynical, increasingly out of fresh ideas.

One day and one man was going to take an eraser to that proverbial chalk board and give Regier and Ruff the one thing they had been so perennially incapable of utilizing through some or most of the years: Assets. Lots and lots of assets.

Money was going to solve everything. Renovate the arena, hop on fancy jets to far-off lands to woo well-regarded defensemen into coming aboard. It was going to make players want to stay here and more importantly make players want to come here. Hockey Heaven, they'd eventually call it. There it was. Print the shirts, register the trademarks. Cover the town in blue and gold. Make us happy, Terry Pegula. Make us relevant. 

I'll be upfront, I had never heard of Cody Hodgson before the Sabres acquired him. I'm also pretty sure that 3/4's of my Twitter feed never noticed him playing when watching Vancouver games. In the interest of finding out what type of player we have here, I reached out to the Vancouver boys over at Nucks Misconduct to see what the deal is with Cody Hodgson.

Oh what a day! Up until 2:45PM, fans wanted to fire Darcy. After 3:20PM, fans now want Darcy to stay on for another year. Gotta love deadline day, right? Anyways, Talkamania is back...again! Trust me, I'm sick of talking to Matthew Stewart, but we can't shut up about the Sabres. For this edition, we are joined by Zach from Die by the Blade as we discuss the Sabres deadline dealings. Fun stuff. Enjoy and tell a friend.

Talkamania IV: Sabres make some moves by pinzjoe1780000