Buffalo Sabres open the "Suggestion Box"

From the Suggestion Box page at the Sabres website:

With the Sabres returning to their original logo when can we expect to see all of the “Slug” logos removed from the arena?

That will happen. While it won’t be possible to remove each “slug” from the arena immediately, they will be phased out as quickly as possible. Like the red wall in the seating bowl, there are some features of the Arena, such as the scoreboard, that cannot be altered or removed until the off-season because of time and access constraints. However, we will revert to our traditional logo and be “slug free” prior to the start of next season.

Ted Black - President

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There's some other great things to come from the suggestion box, such as the painting of the red wall on the 100 level. All in all, I'd say that Terry Pegula and Ted Black "get it" more than Golisano or Quinn ever did, and it's so refreshing to see owners that care. It genuinely feels like the start of a tremendous new era for the Buffalo Sabres and I couldn't be more thrilled. -Drew

Also, an update is forthcoming as Drew Celestino was interviewed by the Associated Press. We will post the article as soon as it is released.

Potential White New Third Jersey ideas...

Alright, now that the Notre Dame alumni, collar popping, real estate developing, Bass Pro shopping, and Buffalo Sabres minority owning Larry Quinn has hinted to WGR radio at the possibility of a full time return and use of the new Third Logo for the team's 40th anniversary, there are a couple things to be aware of so we don't all jump off the cliff like mindless lemmings:

1. How convienient that WGR lost the audio archive of the interview.

2. Quinn only mentioned a switch surrounding the team's 40th anniversary.

3. Would the change go beyond that?

4. That means we need a new white jersey too!

5. Yes, we are now voting with our wallets and making the team more money.

So these comments on the radio was his subtle acknowledgement that this logo even with it's retail success DOES NOT HAVE iconic staying power and brand loyalty with its fans. We'll he has initiated a guerilla marketing campaign all over again.

Dave (Drtuka) and our own Chris (Carpandean) each have come up with very worthy ideas for a Sabres white jersey featuring the new updated third logo. I think if people get a look at these white concepts, they would be even more receptive to the return to the true blue and gold.

Carpandean:


Drutka:

Congratulations to John Slabyk!

There are several people out there who don't know this but for over a year and a half talented freelance designer John Slabyk has been the Art Director for the Barack Obama campaign. I've known since July of 2007 when he first was mulling over taking the job as I was getting ready to launch SabresNotSlugs.com. Most people also know that ever since Fix the logo/Sabres Not Slugs began that both Drew and I strongly supported his well known creative efforts regarding the Buffalo Sabres and the New Blue and Gold project.

Now he is the Art Director for the President-elect of the United States of America. Not too bad!

Obviously this project was far more atmospheric than developing logo and uniform concepts! His visualization of the Obama campaign has been highly praised by peer designers and for good reason. The web design and layout no doubt played a subtle yet highly vital role in the campaign's success. In my opinion the overall Obama web experience was far more appealing, user friendly, focused, and easier to navigate compared to that of John McCain's web page. I know that web design certainly is not an indicator on how competent a president Obama may or may not be, but this design led for a far more effective platform to aid in the dissemination of Obama's message and other information to the American voters. It certainly was an underestimated difference maker in the campaign and election.

Nicely done! John you are a true talent! The sky is the limit now for you in your professional field. John has now forged a solid brand equity and can write his own ticket.

To relate this to the Buffalo Sabres, remember that this is the same guy who in 2003 received an audience with Larry Quinn and passionately inteviewed to be a part of "Change" in the Buffalo Sabres organization as they looked to rebrand with the return to the blue and gold. His ideas for the identity change were promptly dismissed by the team and was never given and feedback or follow up and they went forward(backwards) to release the ass-clownish slug logo as the new identity of the organization.

How to hold a great jersey hostage...

Mr. Quinn, along with the last game at The Aud and The Winter Classic, please do not let these be the last times we see the Buffalo Sabres play in the white vintage uniform. Now we hear your how the Winter Classic maybe the last time fans will see the white vintage on ice. What a terrible selling point Larry...Please don't turn that vintage logo into a relic...Bring it back, put it on the current jersey, or update it (ala New Blue and Gold project)...but you or some other Buffalo Sabres earth shaker need to realize that sewing that embarassing slug logo on a hockey jersey was a terrible mistake.



I don't want this to be one of the last memories of that awesome jersey...

We are all Sabres fans no matter which logo you love.

In all of this and I never wanted to categorize people in different levels of "fandom" in this whole logo dispute nor should anyone be slapping ultimatums on each other and labeling those as bandwagoners...there are slug haters, slug lovers, indifferent fans, and those on the fence. But we are ALL Sabres fans and shouldn't be trying to undermine someone by which version of blue and gold they prefer...but more for me I take issue with the logo and it's poor representation of the team and was only trying to outline there are better alternatives both from the past and potentially in the future if fans who dislike the logo actually extend beyond a message board and do something about it.

Instead of buying slug crap, I spent my time and money and tried to inform others of a pracitical and potentially more profitable and long term solution for the Sabres. A logo that offers an updated throwback look to it, designed by a guy who loves the team. And this has been available since 2003 and somehow is still very popular to this day.

I look at the slug and see no inspiration or emotional connection when I try to imagine the donkey or donkeys who drew it up. It was just an account dropped in some design firm's lap thousands of miles away. Maybe I shouldn't have brought John Slabyk back into the limelight because now all of these people call him some egomaniac. He is a talented man who doesn't need the Sabres logo for his big break. He is very successful on his own accord and I would consider his New Blue and Gold project as his passionate shot at rebranding the team during it's transistion from Adelphia into it's current ownership because he cared and had the talent to try to bring back blue and gold to Buffalo before anyone else. No one solicited me to do this, I was motivated by the lack of insight the Sabres gave fans in this whole process, John's work no doubt, and also offended that his work or a likeness was not used by the Sabres in the update. Drew Celestino as well had over 30,000 people in collective agreement early on with his petition. And while I enjoyed every win, a 10-0 start to the season ignited everyone's amnesia about the issue. Drew stepped back and let people enjoy the season, I enjoyed the season but Larry Quinn said it was alright to yell at him if we didn't like the logo identity he slapped on the team and more or less shoved down your throats. I gave it a year and still didn't like it, I didn't get used to it, or bought it even though I hated it. And so I am yelling now. Politely and constructively.

Besides deep down, how is the managing partner of the team so truly confident in the "new" look that he is quoted last season as saying that they would wear the vintage uniform in a Stanley cup clinching game situation?

I suppose my fatal flaw is that I happen to hold a little more weight that no matter how good or bad a team plays, they have a right to look good whether they play poorly or not. What is a team to do for extra revenue from merchandise if they play like crap and look like it too?! I feel that way about all pro sports teams.

What has always bugged me about the logo is that I hear all the time how fans either hate it and feel helpless about it, don't like it but bought slug merchandise anyway, and those who naysay and offer no constructive comments to the discussion other than, "give it up" or "I hate it but it's here to stay"...only because you LET IT STAY.

Big picture...think about what that logo will mean to the team 10 years from now...look around, our own team and other teams' fans don't even call us Sabres anymore. We are only one year deep in this thing. This RBK Edge Uniform system leap of faith the NHL and RBK Executives are bridge jumping also are expecting a robust shelf life for their new love child. Remember that the Sabres uniform design and logo was the NHL's initial guinea pig for this new uniform "innovation".

The logo draws an embarassing association. We already have folks calling out for the vintage during the Winter classic at the Ralph. I totally agree. Anything with "Classic" in the title should be handled appropriately in my opinion. The current logo is a yellow Bills logo ripoff to me. Can Marshawn Lynch skate and man the crease? Can Ryan Miller run a 65 toss power trap? The current Sabres logo absolutely sucks and ruins what to me is a otherwise fantastic uniform! Whether you agree or not in my eyes does not make people any less of a Buffalo Sabres fan. And whether or not if you choose to buy the slug or vintage gear you can still support the team with or without your wallet.