Ryan Miller, je t'aime

I hope Ryan realizes how proud he's made Americans, Sabres fans, and Buffalonians. There's no one I would want to represent our hockey team and city in the Olympics more than an athlete and person like him. He's done us proud. <3

Stay Gold

Sunday is the moment we have all been waiting for: Team USA is going for the gold against Canada. It's been a pretty crazy ride and I've been loving every second of it. I couldn't be more proud of Ryan Miller and the rest of Team USA, it's been such a joy to watch them get to this point. I especially loved watching them play against the Finns. Despite the fact that they were up 6-0, they were still battling and diving to block shots and make key defensive plays as if it was a 1-0 game. I've been loving their work ethic. Sunday is going to be absolutely crazy and regardless if they bring home gold or silver I have been so proud that these group of guys are representing the United States.

It's also been really funny seeing Ryan Miller getting thrust into a huge spotlight. We've seen it happen to him in Buffalo, and now he has to embrace a much larger spotlight. Personally I am getting a kick out of all this attention he is getting. Getting interviewed by Ryan Seacrest, appearing in tabloids, it's just really funny to me because he is the last guy you would expect to see getting this kind of attention. It's funny for Buffalonians because he's been a celebrity here for a while now, but now that the whole world is watching him, more people want a piece of him and a peek into his private life. It's kind of feel like some fans want to be like, "Hey, world! Back off...we had him first!"

I think he's handling it very well, which shouldn't surprise anyone because he has always been such a class act. Here is a great article by Puck Daddy discussing how Ryan is handling all the attention. I think he appreciates his privacy and never wanted to live the "Hollywood life", but he is acknowledging the attention that the Olympics is bringing him and he's doing it gracefully. I'm glad to see a person like Ryan Miller being such a huge representation of hockey right now. He's modest, hardworking, professional, and smart. The fact that he is American could also go a long way for recruiting new fans in the US. I've already talked to several of my friends from all around who haven't watched hockey before that are now completely captivated. It's funny seeing them update their Facebook status cheering on Ryan Miller and Team USA. I've read on a few message boards where people have said that they have "converted" into a hockey fan...it's awesome.

I think some people might be worried that all this media attention might make Ryan lose focus, but I really don't think that's the case. Buffalonians should know that he's better than that. Right now, he's one of the more talked about athletes in the Olympics, so different media outlets like Ryan Seacrest and Hollywood tabloids are going to want to talk to him, and believe it or not...they may not always be interested in the hockey part of his life. They might want to talk about his romantic life...but exposure is exposure and that kind of media attention won't last. A few weeks after the Olympics have wrapped up, I don't think we'll have to worry about paparazzi chasing him into Wegmans or him grazing the coveres of tabloids exploiting his romantic life. All this national attention may be short lived, so I think we should enjoy the fact that the rest of the world is getting a chance to appreciate Ryan Miller too.

So while his personal life may not always be a topic of discussion on Ryan Seacrest's talk show, all this national attention may open some people's eyes to hockey and maybe we'll get a few more fans out of it.

And as funny as it was to hear Ryan get interviewed by Ryan Seacrest, I think it's pretty funny that an impersonator claiming to be Ryan Miller prank called MSNBC and they aired the interview. Have to say that's pretty damn funny... Here is a video of MSNBC's Willie Geist interviewing the imposter, and then he later apologizes on-air and he interviews the real Ryan Miller, who seemed to be a good sport about MSNBC's gaffe. I wonder what they said to Ryan when he called in to be interviewed ("Okay, so you're the REAL Ryan Miller, right? Right...?).

It's been so great to see Ryan finally compete in the Olympics and I can't imagine how exciting it must be for him... I'm so happy for our little Olympian! Throughout this crazy ride and national attention he's getting, he's remained his classy, humble, professional self. Sunday is going to be one of the biggest games of his life and I can't wait to see how it all shakes out.

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

Miller or Hiller Time?

After I saw Switzerland beat Belarus in a shootout yesterday, I knew that goaltending would be a huge part of today's game. Hiller was absolutely lights out and was much busier than Ryan, but in the end, Ryan and Team USA got it done and indeed, it still is Miller Time...



Ryan also earned a shutout en route to Team USA's victory which now advances them to the semifinals. Very exciting!

This game was certainly nerve wracking and it didn't go without some controversey, a very close call at the end of the second period when the US scored just when time expired and when a goal was waived off in the third period. Zach Parise scored early in the third and then sealed the deal with an empty-netter, which led to a huge sigh of relief by myself and I'm sure many other USA hockey fans.

I think it's so cool how much love Jim Craig is showing Ryan Miller on his Twitter. I think that's a pretty huge honor for Ryan, and the funny thing is it seems as though Craig is just as honored to have Miller be apart of USA hockey.

Speaking of which, here is an adorable interview with that 5-year-old kid who went viral a few months ago for reciting Herb Brooks' speech from the movie, Miracle. To be honest with you I haven't even watched the video of him reciting the speech until I saw this interview...I guess I never got around to it. But in the video the boy says that he recited the speech to Team USA before their big game against Canada, and he even went up to Ryan Miller and told him that he was going to have a great game. It's a really cute interview, the little boy is really adorable and he's so confident in front of the camera!

Semifinal round is on Friday... Go USA! Now onto watch the Canada-Russia game. Should be great...can't believe that one of them is going to go home empty handed.

So Proud

Hey, USA... This is Ryan Miller and he's absolutely wonderful:




So proud of him right now... I'm proud that he's representing the USA, I'm proud that he's the goalie for the Sabres, and I'm just proud to see him getting so much national attention so far because he's a true competitor and he deserves it. Buffalonians all know how great he is, and now Ryan is showcasing himself in front of the whole world whenever he's in between the pipes during these Olympic Games.

The game was absolutely awesome...I can't remember the last time I've watched such an exciting game. It was pretty surreal seeing all those superstars all on the ice at once and it certainly made for an emotional game. I'm so proud of the entire team right now, but obviously I have to tip my hat to my main man... I knew he was capable of being as dominant as he was tonight, and I'm just so glad to see him win.

The Olympics are far from over...but I think most hockey fans were most exciting about tonight's game. Who knows what will eventually happen in the end, but all I know is that I'm overjoyed at the moment and couldn't be more proud of our little Olympian/superstar goalie!

And check this out...Ryan Miller was the number trending topic on Twitter tonight! How funny is that? I got such a kick out of it I had to capture the magic:


Yeah that's right...he was even ahead of the Kardashians. Such a celebrity.

Even celebrities like Joe Jonas and Alyssa Milano were showing Ryan some love. Gotta love it... I thought it was also cool that Jim Craig was tweeting throughout the night giving Miller all kinds of love. Very cool!

Can't wait to see what else Ryan and Team USA is going to do in Vancouver... Only wish I was there so I could celebrate with all of my fellow USA fans, and maybe buy a few rounds for the boys.

Olympic Fever

Well the Olympics are in full swing and I am officially caught up in the Olympic hype! I think the shootout against Canada and Switzerland sparked it. The fact that Team USA is leading their division is pretty damn cool! I'm so excited for the USA-Canada match up on Sunday. I remember when the schedule was released a few weeks ago, I made sure to book off work on Sunday to ensure that I would be able to catch the game live.

Unfortunately I only got to watch the first period the USA-Norway, so I missed the glorious moment when Ryan got an assist! Man, first I was blown away when he made his first Olympic save, but now he has his first Olympic point. It can only mean one thing which is that he is now clearly an offensive threat and Team Canada better be prepared.

Anywayssss.. Aside from the hockey, the other sports that I have been enjoying the most is figure skating and snowboarding. I was real happy for the Chinese pair to win gold, it was a cute story to see how they put married life aside to train in hopes of finally winning a gold medal in their very last Olympics, so it was a feel-good story to see them win. And then there is Shaun White...need I say more? One thing I will say about him is that I am extremely jealous of his hair. One day, I hope I get the opportunity to run my hands through those glorious locks. The locks of a champion!

So perhaps Team USA got a little extra confidence knowing that they are leading their division...and I think some Canadians might be a little nervous seeing their team going to a shootout against the Swiss. It's funny how people overreact to things... Some of my Canadian friends were definitely overreacting saying how Team Canada sucks and so does Brodeur, and the some Americans (myself included) are all , "OMG TEAM USA AND RYAN MILLER! AMERICAN HERO!!" But that's the fun of it all...getting caught up in the hype. It's the Olympics, and anything can happen when it's one game.

By the way, Therese Forton, the woman who organizes Ryan Miller's Catwalk for Charity events every year, has started a blog where she will be reporting from Vancouver and she is giving all of her readers a behind-the-scenes look into all the action. After only a few updates, she's already shared some pretty fun info that you won't get anywhere else. Like how she helped send Ryan off to Vancouver by driving him to the airport and how she cooked him his last meal. She also has really cute pictures up of Ryan's family after the USA-Norway game, where you can see Ryan's mom wearing the coat that she sewed specially for the Olympics that was discussed in this story from the Buffalo News. Looking forward to her updates throughout the Games!

Can't wait for Sunday...

Makes Me Melt

So I have to apologize to all of my friends in advance, but to be honest I have no shame in saying this, but I am going to be a complete Ryan Miller fangirl during these Olympics. I was so excited to see him out there in his Team USA jersey representing the United States. When he made his first save I was all, "RYAN'S FIRST OLYMPIC SAVE!" and I kept saying bullshit like that throughout the game. But you know what? I don't care...the Olympics are every four years and this is the first time that my favorite athlete is competiting in them and I'm pretty damn proud to see him out there. He's earned it, and I can't wait to watch him compete. The Olympics are such a fun time and it's the only time when I can watch fascinating sports like curling and speed skating. Honestly I have watched at least several hours of curing and I still have no idea what the hell is going on, but I keep coming back for more!

Anyways, the main reason I wanted to update is to show everyone this precious commerical. Whether you've seen it or not, I still feel like I need to pass it on because it gets my every time! I already mentioned it on my Twitter, but this commercial just makes me melt every time I see it. It's so sweet and it reminds me why the Olympics are so special.



I could cry every time I see this commercial, it just warms my heart!

Hope everyone is enjoying the magic of the Olympics so far. And a big congratulations goes out to Ryan Miller and the rest of Team USA for their victory against Switzerland yesterday. Tomorrow they'll be taking on Norway. Unfortunately I'll be in class, but my handy DVR will have the action waiting for me.

And for all you Team USA supporters out there, here's a nice site that has updates and cool widgets to keep you involved with all the athletes and events: http://teamusanews.org/

Goalie in Revolt

Over the past few weeks, pictures of Miller's Olympic mask has floated around the internet and I think the overall consensus was that it was a pretty badass mask. The image of Uncle Sam rolling up his sleeves and getting to work is a great representation of Team USA and the vibrant colors will surely make it stand out. Like Ryan's other masks, the back is where it gets the most personal: the slogan "Miller Time" makes its normal appearence, as well as a tribute to his cousin, where "Matt Man" is written... I think I can speak for most fans when I say that I always think it's neat to look at the personal side of a goalie's mask, but apparently the IOC thinks differently...

This article says that Miller's mask has been ruled against Olympic rules. The IOC does not approve of the "Miller Time" slogan, since it's the same slogan as Miller Beer, and I can understand the sentiments behind that... Apparently Jonathan Quick's mask is also under scrunity because it says "Support Our Troops" on the back, because political messages are prohibited by the IOC. But they also do not approve of the "Matt Man" tribute to his cousin, which I really don't understand. The article says that Ryan doesn't really mind that the IOC isn't approving the appearence of "Miller Time" on the mask, but it says that he's petitioning to keep the "Matt Man" tribute.

I say good for Ryan for petitioning to keep it... We all know how much of an impact Matt's legacy has been for Ryan, and I think it would be a shame if he can't showcase a tribute to someone so important in his life in such a large spotlight like the Olympics. Here's hoping that he gets to keep it on his mask.

With all of this mask hoopla aside, I'm very excited to see Ryan compete in his first ever Olympic game tomorrow against Switzerland. I had originally thought I was going to miss the game because of class, but then I found out that Buff State has unneccessarily given us Tuesday off as well so we can have a ~President's Day recess~, rather than having a day off just on President's Day. So thanks, Buff State! I owe you one (actually no, I don't...you will forever be indebted to me every single time you make me late for a class because I can't find a damn parking spot). Channel 2 News is going to have features of all of our Sabres that are going to be participating in the Olympics, and tonight they kicked it off with a feature on Miller and it got me all excited for tomorrow! I'm not sure if the actual feature is posted on their website, but here is a video that shows clips of Miller addressing the media after arriving in Vancouver.

Tomorrow's the big day...

Picking Up Good Vibrations

Well, I think I can speak for most Sabres fans when I say that I was getting a little worried. And it's not to say that all of the Sabres' woes are going to suddenly vanish because of last night's win, but I think a prevailing victory heading into the Olympic break is just what the team needed. Confidence is so essential, and it's just a vicious cycle when a team is losing. The lower they get, the more scared they are going to play which leads to more mistakes which leads to some more tallies in the "L" column.

The break couldn't have come at a better time, and I hope that our players get some much needed rest and they can start off strong in March.

Clearly the win over the Sharks is good for the Sabres, it helps boost their confidence and maybe it reminded them of the good old days when they used to play hockey and when they would actually win games. That would be super. But I also have to say that I'm glad that the Sabres won because I was worrying about our little Olympian...



I think if you're familiar with my blog, you know that I love me some sassy Miller interviews. I've noticed that this season Miller is a lot more composed and even keeled when being interviewed, even after a loss. But after the overtime loss in Carolina, Ryan was, how shall we put it? A little less than impressed with his team. He said he has been pissed off for months and you could clearly see it in his face that he was livid. He's also been part of the problem with the team's losing streak, and I was afraid that our little US Olympian was going to head into Vancouver with a bad attitude and some negative vibes. I know how much the Olympics mean to Ryan and I have to say that I was a tad concerned that our beloved goalie was going to have his Olympic experience a little clouted if he had to go into the Games after a loss against San Jose. So I'm glad that the Sabres looked like their old selves against San Jose and Ryan can head into the Olympics on a higher note. Plus, it will be good for Team USA because he'll have more confidence after of his performance against San Jose and because of the win of course.

Speaking of the Olympics, how cute was the little cermony before puck drop where the little kiddies skated over to our Olympians and gave them jerseys from their respective countries...it was so precious! I loved how the Sabres fans paid homage to Miller by chanting, "U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!" during the last minute of the game. It was so classy and I only wish I was in attendance so I could have joined in.

The Olympic break is officially upon us and as I'm sure you all know, I'm very stoked for them and I can't wait to watch Team USA compete. It's definitely going to be interesting and they have their work cut out for them, but that's the fun of it all. They will be competing against the best in the world and it will be fun to watch regardless of what happens. I know a lot of Sabres fans are worried about Miller in the Olympics because we don't want him getting too run down, and believe me, I'm part of the category. But I am just going to enjoy the Olympics and hope for the best because I think it's great that he's there representing our country. I'm a Sabres fan first and foremost, but the Olympics are something special and they only come once every four years, and it's fun for me to see my favorite athlete compete in them.

So if you haven't had enough of the hype that has been surrounded around Miller and Team USA, here are few things to read, watch, and listen while you're waiting for the Olympic action on Tuesday. Bucky Gleason recently wrote a story about Miller, his hockey roots, and his road to becoming an NHLer and an Olympian which was a good read. Amy from Shots Off The Crossbar posted a link to a video that featured Miller's family, including his mom and his cousins which is especially adorable when they talk to Ryan's little cousins and how cool they think it is to be related to him. And finallyyyy, the other day Miller was on the Jim Rome show, and you can listen (for free, yes really!) to the interview here. It's from a few days ago and Ryan just talks about going to the Olympics and they talk about his mask, but it was pretty cool that he was a guest on the show and I thought he did a good job with it.

Well I hope all of my lovely readers had a nice Valentine's Day, and if you don't have a Valentine, don't forget to tell yourself that you're wonderful and give yourself a big hug. And I think it's safe to say that all of us in Sabreland could use a nice little break from the Sabres, and now is a nice time to sit back and enjoy the Olympics!

Precious Memories

Remember when the Sabres used to play hockey? Remember when they were good at it?

What Kind Of Fuckery Is This?

Here's Rob Ray's reaction to the Sabres' recent shit show stretch of games:



I know, Rayzor...it's been tough on all of us. But something's telling me that it won't last... Well, one can only hope.

Come To Mama

So I didn't watch the Pens game so that's my excuse for not wanting to discuss it...and frankly anything involving Ottawa scares me so I don't want to talk about them either. I'm only kind of looking forward to tonight's game just because the last game I saw was the Boston game (which I attended), so I want to see some Sabres hockey... But mostly I'm just nervous about tonight. It's kind of like wanting to cover your eyes during a scary part in the movie and having someone telling you when it's over.

So enough of the big, bad Sens...let's talk about happier things. Like the fact that I finally got my hands (figuratively speaking, it hasn't arrived in the mail yet) on this thing of beauty:



So excited. I called about every single sports store in Buffalo, e-mailed several online stores, but to no avail...Nike is completely sold out of the Team USA jerseys. I thought I was going to have to make due with the Miller Team USA t-shirt that I got...or I was going to buy a youth jersey and hope that the largest sized would fit...now I have to do none of that. I got the real deal. I was contemplating getting a blank Team USA jersey and then have someone customize it with Miller's name and number, so I went on NHL.com to try and find the exact lettering and numbers Team USA is using. And low and behold, they were now selling the Team USA jerseys! I immediately placed my order and now in a few weeks I'm going to be a proud owner of that baby. I even called NHL.com's customer service to confirm that I had indeed ordered a Ryan Miller Team USA jersey. I was all, "Let me get this straight...I just ordered an adult Nike Team USA IIHF 2010 Road Replica Jersey? That will say "Miller" and "39" on the back? Yes? This isn't a joke?" Sweet, sweet victory. If anyone is planning on buying a jersey through NHL.com, let me know because I have a code to use that will get you 20% off the order.

Anyways, I uploaded the pictures I took at the Sabres-Bruins game last Friday. They're up on my Flickr...here are a few of my favorites:









Hope you like them...

Oh and I'd like everyone to know that I've added NHL Predictions under my favorite websites section of my blog, so if you're into making predictions and betting on NHL games, check this site out.