http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/colum ... 330388.eceQuote:
For all of our professional differences over the years, Darcy Regier generally has come across as a good and decent human being. His flaws as general manager were one thing in my book, his personality another. He's a nice guy who carried himself as a polite, honest man with integrity.
You can only hope he hasn't lost those qualities over the years in what's often a slimy business, that he has kept his values intact, that he can sleep peacefully at night knowing he didn't fall victim to selfishness and greed. You can only hope he'll do the right thing if he sits down with Terry Pegula and finds he's not wanted.
See, a man in good conscience would resign rather than accept the golden parachute bestowed upon him for being a better soldier than he was a general manager. A sincere man would adhere to his own creed and put the team and its future before himself, which is what he preached while running this outfit.
By now, you know Regier signed a two-year contract extension worth between $2 million and $2.5 million when nobody was looking. The deal was completed right around Halloween, or around the time the Sabres were off to the kind of start that gets GMs fired, not rewarded.
A new contract is usually perceived as good news, a sign of organizational stability and confirmation of a job well done. It's something professional sports teams typically share with a loyal fan base willing to pay good money even when the product failed to justify the price.
But here we are, three months after the ink dried on the contract, and the Sabres still haven't announced the extension. Why?
Well, they knew it would have led to another public-relations nightmare, another layer of status quo, another season of resentment. The irony, or hypocrisy, is that Regier signed a deal during the season. Remember, it was the Sabres who had refused to do the same for the players, a policy that led to their downfall in the first place.
The result was all backward, of course. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff should have received the extension rather than Regier. Ruff's character came through when he declined the organization's offer knowing the future was uncertain.
Looking back at the bad decisions and all that's gone wrong with this organization in recent years, with all the players who were sent packing over money issues after doing their jobs, this tasteless hoodwinking could be the topper. This isn't a blatant lie so much as a nauseating failure to come clean.
Pegula's first order of business isn't buying a power forward or sweeping all the filth out of the building on his first day. It's restoring credibility and class.
It was Regier, I'm told, who in the days after Chris Drury left town after the Sabres reneged on a verbal agreement, and Daniel Briere was kicked to the curb even though he wasn't asking for a raise, worried most about people viewing him as a dishonest man.
Regier didn't return a telephone call Tuesday. No surprise. He has a reputation around the league for being slow to respond to, or ignoring, inquiries from counterparts who are willing to talk trades. NHL management types during All-Star weekend continued shaking their heads over his complacent approach, but now you can see why he's grown so comfortable.
Managing partner Larry Quinn didn't say much when asked about the deal Monday, but his carefully worded response said plenty.
Quinn also insisted several times, once in a roomful of reporters during the World Junior Championship, that Pegula had not signed a letter of intent to purchase the Sabres.
In fact, Pegula did sign the letter of intent. What did they think, it would remain a secret?
At the very least, the Sabres' decision to hide Regier's extension makes you wonder what other surprises Pegula uncovered while scouring the books. There are good people in the organization, but there's a growing list of employees who can no longer be trusted and should be banished from Pegulaville in nothing flat.
Now, the Sabres have scheduled a news conference for Thursday, to discuss the sale and, presumably, the extension.
Pegula has more than enough money to absorb the contract. Yes, it's the cost of doing business. But that's not the point. The seedy deal shouldn't have been offered, not when Golisano and Quinn knew someone with big bucks was interested in purchasing the team.
It shouldn't have been negotiated by Regier, either, not when anybody could see a GM with his record had a tenuous future at best.
Regier has pocketed an estimated $12 million during his tenure in the big chair. You would think it was enough money, but with the current crew it was always about getting more.
What matters now is who will run the show once Pegula sifts through the drivel pouring out of the mouths of employees with agendas separate from the common goal.
Good luck convincing Pegula, who I'm told has a nose for phonies. If he does his homework, it shouldn't take him long before hearing from current and former employees that the front office Regier oversees has become fractured and dysfunctional.
No news there. Look at the results.
Ownership transfer aside, Regier should be sent on his way for his performance alone. The Sabres are in danger of missing the playoffs for the sixth time in nine years. Anyone who believes he deserves a chance under Pegula has ignored the facts or failed to see other GMs, and a good many, accomplish more with less.
Pegula needs to understand the frustration in this town and know people would question his judgment if he keeps Regier beyond this season. The last thing the ticket-buying public wants is more mediocrity that somehow became an accepted standard. Pegula needs to get the word out that he's looking for a new GM. He would be surprised by how many quality people come knocking on his door.
It doesn't appear Regier can save his job, but he still has an opportunity to preserve what's left of his reputation. After all, he remains a good person. It's when times are most difficult in which a man's true character is revealed.
Regier has said it himself.
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