Steadfast at the Empire State Games

Hey guys... I know this is short notice but I figured I'd share anyways. Ryan Miller's father Dean and brother Bryce are in town for the Empire State Games to raise some money for The Steadfast Foundation. They have a booth at the Pepsi Center where they are selling autographed Ryan Miller items for very reasonable prices. You can also go and see a continuous loop of Ryan on his webcam talking about MYESPN Highlights over and over and over. (Hey kids, it's Ryan Miller...)

Anyways, I went yesterday to help sell the items and I had a great time helping out and spending time with Dean and Bryce who were very nice and friendly as always!

They are going to be here today (Saturday) and Sunday from around 10 am - 7pm I believe at the Pepsi Center. So be sure to stop by if you're in the Amherst area!


Bryce and I at the boooooooth!

Mind Games

Inception is the movie of 2010 so far... Go see it! It seems lately, a lot of movies have been all about mind blowing special effects, but all too often the plot leaves a lot to be desired. But not only were the special effects fantastic, the idea and storyline behind this movie is unique and thought provoking. Great acting and a great musical score (Hans Zimmer) as well. Leo, you done good.

#30 turns 30

Happy birthday, Ryan Miller!!



Today our all-star goalie turns the big 3-0. This past year has been a great one for Ryan, and he's got a lot to be happy about. He had a career season with the Sabres putting up excellent numbers, he became an ~American hero~ tending goal for Team USA in the Olympics and he earned himself a silver medal, and to top it off he won the Vezina!

He's now entering what happens to be my favorite decade for men... I don't know about you ladies, but I think men in their 30s are in their prime. We all know it takes a little longer for men to mature (and we know deep down that they never really fully do) so once they're in their 30s they've calmed down a little bit and they no longer act like their freshman in college (or sometimes, freshman in high school). Yes, they're wiser and more experienced and they still look good. Yep, men in their 30s are the best...welcome to the club, Ryan.

I hope wherever Ryan is he's celebrating his birthday in styyyyleeee and he's enjoying his day. He certainly deserves it!


Interesting side note, it also happens to be Maya Arulpragasam's (aka M.I.A.) birthday, who is one of my favorite musicians. Her 3rd album, /\/\/\Y/\ was released a few days ago, so if you're into her music you should check it out!

ESPY TYME

The ESPY Awards are this Wednesday and our favorite goalie is nominated for best NHL player! I did my part by casting my vote for him (did you?!) so let's hope Ryan's award winning streak stays alive and he picks up that cute little ESPY trophy. The other nominees are Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Henrik Sedin, and Steven Stamkos... I'm sure most NHL fans are a little sick of Crosby and Ovechkin getting the accolades, and Sedin and Stamkos certainly aren't talked about as much as Crosby or Ovechkin...but Ryan Miller is simply better and deserves to win, amirite?

Thanks to a heads up from Ryan's good friend and event planner, Therese Forton, she informed us on her website and blog that Ryan will be calling in at 8 am on Wednesday to 97 Rock to talk about his ESPY nomination and the upcoming Catwalk for Charity. So if you're an early bird, hearing Ryan on the air would be a nice way to start your morning, don't you think?

Speaking of Catwalk for Charity, I mentioned it in my last post that the date and theme has been announced, and already my head is swirling with ideas on what to wear! I don't know about you, but I love themed parties and events, and I always try and get into them by dressing accordingly. I love thinking ahead and planning on what I'm going to wear, so the last few days I've spent some time thinking about what I'm going to wear. Hell, a few months ago I started thinking about what I should be for Halloween this year (what SHOULD I be?), so it's not really crazy for me to be thinking this far ahead about what I'm going to wear at Catwalk. In my last post I said I wanted to wear one of Lady Gaga's outfits in her Telephone music video, but then I started thinking... While showing up in a studded leather bra and underwear wearing a leather jacket with pop cans in my hair will surely bring me a lot of attention, I'm not quite sure if it's the kind of attention that I would want. Plus, while I think Lady Gaga is fun and all, let's be honest...a lot of her crazy looks can be stemmed back to Madonna. So why would I want to rip off someone's look who already ripped off their look from someone else? ANSWER ME THAT! So I decided that making up my own look would be more fun and a little more original... And so far I've come up with this:




Yeaaah! If I was a 20-something girl in the 80s (or a 20-something hipster in 2010), then this is probably something I would wear. Run DMC were a major part of the hip-hop movement in the 80s and they're one of my favorite rap groups so it makes sense that I would wear one of their t-shirts... I'm thinking about cutting the neckline to make it reveal one of my shoulders for more of an authentic look. And let me tell you, I would feel like one of the coolest, baddest chicks around with my studded belt and chain and my fingerless lace gloves. Hell yeah! Don't you ever wish you could go back in time, but remain the same age you are now? I always wish I could go back and be in my 20s in the 90s so I could go out clubbing while dancing to all those amazing 90s dance and club songs. And now I wish I could go back in time in the 80s so I could strut my stuff in those duds.

One thing I'm probably going to leave out in my look is the hair. I know, I know...hair is an essential part in completing in 80s look. And while it's fun to dress up in past trends, between you and me, I think there are just certain past trends that should be just that...past trends. So I think I'll give my dignity and the ozone layer a break and stay away from that can of Aqua Net.

A Midsummer Update

So it's been pretty quiet around here and I haven't addressed any of the Sabres' free agency moves, because I've been completely enamored by LeBron James and his decision on where to go. But now that his decision has been made, I can finally move on and blog. HA! Just kidding...I don't give a shit about what's his face and his hour-long specials about this groundbreaking moment in sports history.

Anyways... In summary, Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder are no longer Sabres. We've acquired Jordan Leopold and Rob Niedermayer, Patrick Lalime re-signed, and our Buffalo boys are going to salary arbitration for one reason or another. While none of these moves are particularly cutting-edge, Darcy has been a little more proactive than he usually is and I like adding players like Leopold and Niedermayer. It remains to be seen if their stints will be successful in Buffalo, but they seem like solid moves. Darcy doesn't go out and try and lure star players with huge contracts, which some fans hate...but I think it's more logical to make small tweaks and adjustments instead of "blowing it all up". Darcy likes to improve from within, and because of that we have seen players like Vanek and Miller become the players that they are today for our team. And we've got a group of young players like Ennis, Myers, Kennedy, and Gerbe who can hopefully follow lead.

OKAY! Now that I've somewhat addressed the moves that the Sabres front office has made so far, now it's time to talk about much more important (and fun) topics...such as Catwalk for Charity! You know, the event of the year as far as I'm concerned. This year's theme seems to be a rock-star, punk, 80s theme... Looks like I'm going to have to whip out my leather and studs and heavy eyeliner. Sounds good to me. What do you guys think Ryan would do if I showed up looking like this?


I'm k-kinda bussaaaay

Soooo...obviously I look forward to this event every year so I can't believe it's approaching already. You can guarentee as the date comes closer I'll be posting more and more about it and how excited I am for it, but until then you can always click on my "Catwalk for Charity" tag and read all about my experiences from past events, but I'm sure most of you already have.

So with all the recent Sabres news and the announcement of Catwalk for Charity V...I'm feeling preeettaaay, preeetttaaay, preeeettaaaay good about next season. I'm also enjoying my summer a whole lot and I've got the intense sunburn to prove it. SPF-whatever doesn't do shit for me and my fair Irish skin.

I feel like I've got a whole lot to say but I don't really have the time to put it together, so until then my lovely readers, I bid you adieu...

Precious Jewels

Well...I am happy to report that I didn't have to have a Kanye moment! We were victorious my friends! And by we, I mean Ryan Miller and Tyler Myers.






Smiles all around... Look how proud and happy they are! Their speeches were so cute... They both seemed very humbled over the fact that they had won. Ryan seemed a little nervous giving his speech which was both adorable and endearing. It was a fun season to watch the Sabres and especially Ryan Miller. He worked hard to get in the position that he is in right now and he deserves all the accolades that he's getting. I'm so proud! He also won the NHL Foundation Award where he was awarded with $25,000 to go towards The Steadfast Foundation which is awesome.

Overall, I enjoyed the NHL Awards... Myers and Miller walked away with some hardware and I thought the Getzlaf/Ryan bit was really funny. The best part was the painting competition. And I got to see Miller and the rest of the hockey players all dressed up and lookin' snazzy in their suits...and we all know how well Ryan can rock suit which can displayed both here and here.

So congratulations, boys...you two really deserved it. Now go and enjoy your summer!

NHL Awards Are A Go!

In the offseason, you take what you can get... There are three important events that occur in the NHL's offseason: the NHL Awards, the draft, and free agency. If you're more interested in what your favorite team's management intends on doing to try and improve your favorite team in the immediate future and down the road in the years to come, then free agency and the draft is probably your favorite part of the offseason. If watching NHLers stroll down the red carpet pretending they're attending the Oscars and then watching them awkwardly accept awards onstage, then the NHL Awards is probably the most exciting time in the offseason for you. Well where do I stand? I think the answer is obvious...

I actually have to admit that I've never really watched the NHL Awards before. I've seen the pictures of the NHLers looking all snazzy on the red carpet wearing their tuxes with their hot dates or their families...and obviously I've paid attention to who the winners were, but I never really sat down and watched them on TV. But that has all changed now that my favorite 19-year-old 6-foot-8 rookie defenseman and my favorite wonky eyebrowed goalie are up for awards!

Tyler Myers is up for the Calder... Look, if I really wanted to break it down as to why I think Tyler should win, I really could... But I feel like if you're reading this blog then you've probably read arguments for and against Myers all over the place. To sum it up... Tyler Myers was NINETEEN YEARS OLD in the beginning of the 09-10 season without having played in A SINGLE NHL GAME PRIOR. Now bearing that in mind, now take a look at his STATS. I rest my case.

Now...onto my favorite...the main reason why I am so excited for the Awards because it should be a big night for my main main, Mr. Miller. I know falling short in the playoffs was disappointing, but despite that, this season was so much fun for me to watch because Ryan really became a household name and showcased his talent to people all around the world in the Olympics. It really was Ryan's year and he is getting some recognition for it by being nominated for three awards in the NHL. Everyone knows that he's nominated for the Vezina, but he is also nominated for the Bridgestone Messier Leadership Award and the NHL Foundation Award. I think Sabres fans are well aware of Miller's role he plays as a leader on the Sabres and all he does for the WNY community off the ice with his Steadfast Foundation, so it's really nice to see that he's nominated for these two awards and it would be great to see him win.

Obviously, the most important award for him would be the Vezina... I always knew Ryan was capable of being a Vezina candidate, and I would be overjoyed to see him get it. Bryzgalov had a spectacular season too, but I just feel like this is Ryan's award (I'm not even going to bring up Brodeur because I feel like he was just nominated as a filler. It's really between Miller and Bryzgalov). Not only did he have a phenomenal NHL season, but his Olympic run was nothing short of amazing... I know the Olympics shouldn't play into who wins these awards as they weren't NHL games, but let's be real here...they are going to be a factor and I don't have a problem with that because it directly benefits Ryan's chances at winning Ryan's performance in the Olympics benefitted the NHL even though they weren't NHL games.

Honestly, if Ryan doesn't win the Vezina I'm going to have to go all Kanye on their asses. I'll get onstage and be like, "Yo Ilya I'mma let you finish...but Ryan Miller had the best 09-10 season of all time. OF ALL TIME!"


Let's hope it doesn't have to come to this.

The festivities start tomorrow... I'll be sure to report back with everything that happens. And by everything I mean what happens to Tyler Myers and Ryan Miller. Eff everyone else. Especially you stupid Hart Trophy nominees... RYAN MILLER HAD THE BEST 09-10 REGULAR SEASON MVP PERFORMANCE OF ALL TIME... OF ALL TIME!