Hockey's holy grail

This video about the Buffalo Sabres' quest for the Stanley Cup, featuring Goo Goo Dolls music, gives out-of-towners an inkling of what the Sabres' success this year means to the people of Western New York. If the Sabres win the Stanley Cup it will be a near-mystical experience.

Shout-out from Buffalo

I'd like to welcome anyone from New Providence High School, Class of '77, who is stopping by today. Buddies for life, as far as I'm concerned.

My story: I've been living in Buffalo, N.Y., for 14 years with my wife, Allison. We have three children: Maddie, 13; Caroline 9, and Greg, 8.

I work as a sports copy editor and occasional writer at The Buffalo News. I previously worked two years at the Boston Herald and eight years at the Star-Ledger in Newark.

Allison is in charge of a global sourcing initiative for M&T Bank. She recently returned from her fifth trip to India.

My job, on the other hand, offers generous free parking and many holidays off.

I'd love to hear from former classmates … especially those who still owe me money. My e-mail is connorsbuf86 "at" yahoo "dot com."

Top five, baby!

Maddie finished fifth in the Buffalo News Spelling Bee today. The top-five finish won her $25, plus some other gifts.

The word she missed on was filiality. She spelled correctly: diorama, formidable, capitulation, prosaic, ambivalent, blithe and cruciferous. They may look easy on paper, but when the real bullets are flying it's a different story.

The contestants were dropping like flies in the seventh and eighth rounds, missing on protrusile, jadeite, sempiturnal, plumicorn, simpatico, adjuvant and caudal. (Notice how I recount that like Alex Trebek, as though I knew all the answers.)

The winning word spelled by the Bee champion was bimillenary.

We're extremely proud of Maddie, who is off to high school next year, and has used up her Bee eligibility. (I thought about redshirting her, but couldn't get a doctor's note in time.)

This guy is good. Scary good.

My friend and colleague at The Buffalo News, Vince Chiaramonte, has been voted the sports designer of the year by his colleagues in a poll at Sportsdesigner.com.

Here is Sportsdesigner.com's video about Vince (several headlines by yours truly included):



Mad props to Vince, whom I figure we'll have working with us for about five more months before he is snapped up by a larger newspaper.

Queen Bee

Congratulations to Maddie for being one of the top 20 spellers in Erie County.

Now we just need to figure out a way to beat those home schoolers at their own game. This isn't going to be pretty, but Maddie's not in this to finish second.

A game for the ages

For Maddie's 14th birthday present, I took her to last night's Sabres game. It was one for the ages.

I will get to the happy recap later today.

Second Person, the new Third Person

You know me, I've always been all about doing what is best for Greg Connors.

And jocks who talk about themselves in the third person have always been all about themselves.

But what are we to make of guys who talk about themselves in the second person?

Tony Dungy on Monday said he will remain as coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

Said Dungy:

"Obviously, you want to come back. You want to defend the title. We've got such a great group of guys, that that's eventually what draws you back every year."

I mean, what's the deal? Is it modesty, false or otherwise? It seems like everyone in sports is doing it now. That don't make it right, though.

Director's Cut

All systems go

I had an unexpected stay at Buffalo General Hospital on Wednesday night, due to some concerns about a possible cardiology "event." The concerns were unfounded, though. I had a nuclear stress test today, in the hospital, and the old ticker seems to be doing a fine job.

I went to give a special shout-out to Dr. Dominic Lipome, who really took charge of things for me in the hospital and got my test done earlier than expected, which allowed me to come home tonight. Nice job, doc.

His brain hurts

Ted Johnson of the New England Patriots told the New York Times about the sad state of his health since retiring from football. Johnson's post-concussion symptoms include depression and memory loss.

Johnson also told the newspaper that coach Bill Belichick went against doctors' recommendations and put Johnson back on the field a short time after the linebacker suffered a concussion.

In a world where everyone makes his own rules

This is a test post sent via e-mail. Have a nice day.

Strictly bidness

The Buffalo News has chosen to end my newspaper column about blogging, but Buffalo's In Da Buff gave me some love this week. You know, buddies for life as far as I'm concerned.

We'll miss you, you big lug

Bill Parcells is out of football again. Why retire now? Jean-Jacques Taylor of the Dallas Morning News says follow the money. Jerry Jones wouldn't give him a contract extension, and he didn't want to coach as a lame duck.

Those Canuckleheads

Our 7-year-old, Greggie, went to his first National Hockey League game last Friday. The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 4-3 in a shootout, before a sellout crowd of 18,690 in HSBC Arena. (Greg, who attended with his friend Rumun, got home at 11:45 p.m.)

The arena was filled with more than its share of Vancouver fans. According to an article in the Vancouver Province, the steep price of hockey tickets at Canadian arenas forces fans to seek out seats in U.S. hockey cities like Buffalo. But what's up with the crack about drinking watery American beer?

The resemblance escapes me

At Caroline's basketball game today (a home loss to Mary Queen of Angels), Tom Gould told me a funny story. Seems he was at Alex's basketball game in Williamsville recently, and he thought he was chatting with me. He was going on and on about how our Maddie has grown so much, how she is doing so well in basketball, and the gentleman he was talking to kept nodding in agreement. Then Tom went back to sit with his wife, Joanne, who asked him: What were you talking to Jim Kelly about for so long?

Tom had been speaking with Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, whose niece was playing in the game. It was nice of Jim to humor Tom by pretending to be me.