Welcome Aboard, Paul Byron

by Anne

Ok, so I've clearly reached critical mass of boredom, I'm finally welcoming Paul Byron aboard the SS Buffalo FailShip.

Here is all the pertinent information I could Google or Wikipedia or Youtube about Paul Byron:

• Born April 27, 1989 in Ottawa (Booo and/or he and Royzie can swap hometown stories)

• Drafted by the Sabres in the 6th round, 179th overall in 2007

• Center, shoots left

• Played in Junior hockey for the Gatineau Olympiques

• This season he finished 4th in the entire QMJHL with 99 points (33+66) in 64 games

• He's a tad on the wee side (great, another one) at his latest physical it appears Pauly was 5'9" 165 lbs. I think when he was drafted he was 5'8" 135 lbs. I don't know about you, but those stats just scream "NHL" to me

• I thought I'd never find him on Facebook but we have 6 mutual friends so he popped up first when I searched his name. Phew?

• I found some strange quote about his bacteria-ridden, smelly equipment. Here's the link I laughed fairly hard when I read it - first because its totally random and second because I'm really tired. Apparently Paul's gear no longer being bacteria-filled and smelly is what lead the Olympiques to win the Memorial Cup or something

• He was the Boston Pizza CHL player of the week for the week of January 27, 2009. I'm sure this was his proudest achievement and I hope he got a golden pizza for his troubles

• Seriously, I'm sure Paul Byron is a great hockey player, but I really could handle reading an article about how beastly and huge and muscular a Sabres prospect is. I could do without reading another article about our tiny prospects. Whatevs, good on, ya Paul.

• According to that article, he seems to have been cut from like every team he has tried out for before Gatineau. Uhhh...?

• I'm just going to pretend he's the next Royzie and call it a day.

• You can listen to him do a smack-talk style radio ad for something called Greco's here

Here's Paul in his peroxide phase, and
Welcome Aboard!

Paul Byron - Not a Poet, a Sabres draft Pick

by Anne

So 6th round draft picks tend to get lost in the shuffle. I couldn't even begin to tell you who we drafted in the 6th round this year. I'll say it was that Jokinen kid and call it a day. There are actually three Sabres draft picks participating in Team Canada's World Juniors Development Camp. Both of our first round picks this year: Tyler Myers and Tyler Ennis and a dude we drafted in the 6th round in 2007 named Paul Byron.

Here are some odd similarities between Mr. Byron and another player you might recall: He lives in Gatineau, he's a forward, and he's damn small, he lead his team in goals to the QMJHL Championship. Sound like anyone we know and begrudgingly still love?

He is the highest drafted player to appear at the camp, the next closest is a Toronto prospect who was drafted 15 spots before him in 2007. That's pretty sweet. I enjoy higher draft picks because much less is expected of them so when they succeed its awesome and if they're not quite good enough, that's fine too. Although I do love higher picks as well, Pie-YAY! was a 1st rounder, as was Staffy, Pommer was a 2nd rounder. Although Goose was a 7th rounder. YAY GOOSE!

Moving on...

If I didn't love Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews so much, I think I'd kill them. Every time I open a hockey related website their little faces are staring back at me. THEY'RE EVERYWHERE! I understand that the NHL seems to think hockey is undergoing a "renaissance" in Chicago (its not, trust me, no one really cares) but must we constantly try to prove to the world that this original 6 team isn't a distant memory to its home city? Maybe once the 'Hawks start winning games the people of the Windy City will start to pay attention, but for the most part, hockey is non-existent in Chicago. Other than the 18,000ish people that come to the games, it's baseball and football. That's what they do. They have 2 baseball teams within like 10 miles of each other for goodness' sake. So as much as I love our hometown boy, I'm pretty tired of reading about him and his BFFL and their goings on in Chicago this offseason. I'm sure it'll only get worse as the Winter Classic approaches and we're innundated with Brian Campbell interviews. OY.

I put too much gel in my hair this morning so I've looked like I just got out of the shower for the last hour and a half. Whoops.

I am THIS much closer to getting a car. See here's the sitch for those who are newcomers:

Back on March 8th, I was awakened by my friend Lindsay who lived upstairs from me letting me know that someone had hit my car. What an understatement. Someone didn't HIT my car they PULVERIZED it. Person was drving in 4 inches of snow just after a snowstorm, there was a spare tire on the front of the car, he was driving the car home for a friend he'd just picked up from work, he was from the Dominican Republic and didn't have a New York State or any State driver's license and he might've been driving on the wrong side of the road. For the record, yes I know "might've" isn't actually a word.

AWESOME. So here's the other fun tidbit, because my parents basically bought me that car, the insurance money goes to them. Dad Jim is not one to willingly part with money and he has tried (in vain) to convince me that public transportation is the way to go. The bus is fine during the summer but once I have an 8am class. AIN'T NO WAY this girl is getting her butt down to the end of the street (like a block and a half) to catch a 7:30 bus in January. Sorry, ain't gonna happen. SO! It appears that by the end of August, I will have myself a car and yet another loan to pay off. AWESOME. BUT it's better than the bus. WOOHOOO!!

I should probably do some actual work since I've been here for almost an hour and haven't really done any yet. Booooo.

Its so nice out, I want to be outside!!