A view from a fellow blog
When you're a blogger, you read other blogs. Lots of them. We're relative newbies in this blog world but it's certainly been eye-opening to read other views on baseball, the Sabres and (in my former life), local and national college basketball. It's especially interesting when you get some crossover talk.
That's what I found today when I called up Inside Pitch and found several referrals from one of my favorite made-in-Buffalo hockey blogs, Top Shelf (love the URL of Topshelfcookies). Mrs. Top Shelf is the blogger and Mr. Top Shelf is one of her chief commenters (OK. I just gave them those names. They're actually just known as Heather B. and Mark B.). How is Top Shelf referring to this blog? Because they did a night with the Bisons Thursday at BPO night. Pretty interesting observations in that post. It's a long one but worth the read. Here's some of my thoughts on the night, some on her post and some from my own mind:
1). One digression: Heather didn't talk about how much they paid for parking but I heard all kinds of grumbling last night about city lots that normally charge $5-8 for Bisons games pushing it up to $15 or $20. Mayor Brown, where are you to stop the gouging?
2). Now back to her post. I got a few emails this year about the team's red jerseys she talked about. They're actually the alternates, introduced either last year or 2006 (wow, the seasons tend to run together) for Sundays, parts of doubleheaders and special occasions. The standing Buffalo logo was brought out in 2002 as part of the celebration of the franchise's 125th anniversary.
3). Two innings to wait for ice cream? Two innings? I've heard this time and again on BPO night. The Bisons' concession staff simply can't handle a full house anymore. BPO night, late-season Fridays and Fan Appreciation Night are generally the same story. I get e-mails that I waited two innings for a hot dog, nachos, ice cream. The workers just can't be trained for big crowds anymore since there aren't that many.
But that said, when it's a big night, they have to do better. My advice to the folks behind the counter is PICK UP THE PACE and stop strolling like it's a walk through Delaware Park. I think the Bisons should go back to the days when the park first opened where they put spies in the lines with stopwatches. For fans, if you're on the lower level, sometimes you'll have far less of a line if you go upstairs for food but they only really have the basics on the club level. At least it's a thought for next time.
4). Guess I helped her in her Bisons research with my catchers' post earlier in the week. We aim to please!
5). Thankfully all those rumors about a curfew and such apparently weren't true. Super game, super show. There is NOTHING in the summer like BPO Night.
For hockey blogs, we of course want your first stop to be Sabres Edge. But it shouldn't be your only stop. At a time when fans are usually just full of hysteria, Top Shelf is often the area's best voice of reason. It advocates some of the fiscal restraint and player development the Sabres emphasize, even if it is a little Henrik Tallinder-centric for my tastes! And it has a terrific blogroll as well to direct you to many of the area's other places in the burgeoning Buffalo blogosphere.
And maybe next year, Mr. and Mrs. Top Shelf won't miss two innings for one cone!
---Mike Harrington
