Want to be a part of the big New Years Day extravaganza at Ralph Wilson Stadium? That’s when the Buffalo Sabres take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the much anticipated outdoor hockey game. Well, if you don’t mind sitting in a partially obstructed seat, then $10 will get you in the door.

WNYMedia has learned exclusively that ticket prices for the big event have been set from $10 for the first few rows of the 100 level seating bowl, which are labeled as obstructed view, to $203 for those heated club seats under the overhang.

We obtained a copy of the pricing chart through an unnamed contact, but were unable to reach Sabres PR spokesman Mike Gilbert this afternoon for verification or further comment.

I suppose we could just post all the info we have right here, but why steal all the hoopla and thunder from the NHL and the Sabres? So we are giving you a taste for now, and like everyone else, will wait to lay out the whole picture and all the story when the league holds its press conference on Monday.

Nonetheless, kind of cool to have this info at WNYMedia, eh? If you were a fan of the old black and white Superman serial, then you’d know that this is what Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen would refer to as “a scoop”!

It was a real zoo down at HSBC Arena today. A fund raiser called the “Heart Walk” was being staged from the arena pavilion; Sabres single game tickets went on sale this morning, and business was brisk. And on the ice it was day three of Sabres training camp, which was open to the public. About 1000 fans were in the stands to watch the show.

I got down early and had a chance to talk with Media Relations Coordinator Chris Bandura, and with absolutely no other media reps around I sort of had the place to myself. I picked up notes and the training media guide and settled in to watch the goings on.

The session started with eight players and goaltender Ryan Miller going through a “practice session” which consisted of calisthenics, stick handling and sprints, all under the watchful eye of Assistant Coach James Patrick. Just watching Patrick do his stuff had me thinking, “why the hell is he still not playing?” He looks like he could suit up today without missing a beat.

Things I wanted to find out were — what’s the poop with the new scoreboard? (No comment). How are plans progressing with the January 1 game at Ralph Wilson Stadium? (The big press conference is Monday and we will learn all we need to know then). When are season tickets going to be mailed out? (Next weekend at the earliest).

The last time I was in this building was in early July when the Sabres had the presser explaining the departures of Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. You remember that don’t you? That’s when Drama Queens Luke Moretti of Ch. 4 and Scott Brown of Ch. 2 somehow finagled their way into the media room to belch out their howls of anguish, and Bucky was playing his “Maybe I know something you don’t” routine. It was a dreary and depressing day back then, but you wouldnt know it now. There was a real sense of energy and optimism in the corridors, in the dressing room and on the ice today, and I got a real feeling that these men are anxious to get down to business.

After interviewing Paul Gaustad, I watched a bit of part two of the show, an on ice scrimmage between blue and gold squads of the team. Adam Dennis and Jocelyn Thibault were between the pipes, the playmaking looked ragged, and the best part of the period was watching Andrew Peters almost level Nathan Paetsch with a body slam type of hit in the corner (no penalty was called… heh heh).

One more ditty, which Tim Graham had posted at the Buffalo News blog the other day. Indeed, Sabres home games will be telecast in amazing high definition, so that is awesome news as well.

Monday is the BIG news conference at the Ralph, called by the NHL, and pretty much everybody is going to be there from the media. That should be round one of the extravaganza, and I am really psyched about seeing this all play out. I’ll have a full report on the presser after it’s over.

Next Monday September 24 the Buffalo Sabres head up to Grand Forks, North Dakota, to play an exhibition game against the Minnesota Wild. For not one, but two Sabres, this will be a homecoming of sorts. Paul Gaustad was born in nearby Fargo, North Dakota, while Drew Stafford played his college hockey for the University of North Dakota. For Gaustad, it will be an eagerly awaited trip.

“Yeah even though I live in Portland, Oregon during the offseason, I still call North Dakota home and have many friends and relatives who live there.” said Gaustad.

Gaustad admitted that there will be a huge contingent of his followers coming to Ralph Engelstad Arena to catch the game. “Most of the people I know live within a half hour drive of the arena, so I’ll be seeing a lot of familiar faces while I’m there” said Gaustad.

And Gaustad’s take on The Ralph? “I’ve been there it’s really one of the nicest arenas anywhere, even better than some of the NHL ones” said Gaustad. I asked Gaustad what the player facilities are like, and he replied “as good as you’ll find in the pros. They even have underwater treadmills in the training area.”

Gaustad says he is 100% healed from his brutal foot injury last spring and is eager to begin the season. “We have such a nice infusion of new talent and the nucleus is still intact. Everyone here is so upbeat about the season and it’s just been two days of camp.”

After an entire week of calibrated “presales”, first to season ticket holders seeking additional seats, then to members of the season ticket waiting list “Blue and Gold Club”, and then on to the “Sabres Insiders”, general sales of regular season tickets finally started this morning at the HSBC Arena box office and online through their ticket vendor, tickets.com.

By 9 AM, there was a long line out the door for fans wanting to be the first to snap up tickets to their favorite games. “We are down to single seats for nine home games as of 10:30 AM” Sabres PR spokesman Mike Gilbert reported. “We’ll never declare a game a sellout unti every last seat is taken, but nine are already down to a scaterred few seats.”

Gilbert predicted that the entire season should sell out soon. “I can’t predict it will be today, or tomorrow, but interest in Sabres games remains very high.”

The variable pricing plan introduced in 2005-06 after the lockout has been a huge success, and other teams are emulating the business model. “We’ve gotten calls and inquiries from other teams about how we do it, and this year the Nashville Predators have joined those teams who offer variable pricing for their games” said Gilbert.

My advice - plan early. Jump on those tickets. I’m betting that there will be nothing left to buy by Opening Day October 5.

The official line is this: “The Jumbotron has been sent out for spring cleaning”. But the chatter around the arena today is that a brand new scoreboard is on the way for fans to enjoy, and should be in place by the season opener on October 5.

The Sabres officially maintain the “no comment” position, while at the same time saying when there’s something to announce it will be announced. In other words no denial. So that’s a good thing.

While we have seen some real amazing hi-def scoreboards in other arenas, I am really hoping that the creative gurus at the Sabres come up with something that is really unique and special and something we can call our own. The Charlotte Bobcats Arena scoreboard is crowned with a replica of their city skyline - the buildings can light up and the backdrop offers all sorts of neat effects like moonlight, shooting stars etc. Remember folks, the snazzy goalie net, the orange ice… the Sabres have a tradition of always thinking outside the box. So when the announcement does come, I will be eagerly awaiting the details!

The Washington Nationals opened their final ever homestand at RFK Stadium last night. Since the franchise moved here from Montreal a few years back, it has been mediocre baseball on the field, a venue with just the most basic and spartan fan comforts and amenities, and on the whole a great deal of public indifference towards baseball’s return to the District.

Moreover, with a 33 year baseball drought between the Senators’ departure in 1971 and the Nationals return, it is not exactly been a glorious baseball run here at RFK.

Yet why are people waxing in nostalgia and a tinge of sadness as the final baseball game is about to be played here?

A good read in the Washington Times examines why baseball is still very much loved in DC, and why the last week of baseball will draw great crowds.

We really enjoyed our official USRT visit to RFK Stadium back in 2005. We too will feel a twinge of sadness when one of the last of the 70s multi-use cookie cutters finally bites the dust.

It’s been one bit of dreary and depressing news after another this past week for Buffalo’s Inner Harbor project. First comes the story that Bass Pro is waving the white flag and moving off of the central wharf, and now looking at the Aud and Donovan sites instead (translation..forget about Bass Pro. Then the ECHDC holds their latest meeting, and lay out a timetable for demolishing the Aud and the Donavan building, and it looks now that 2009 is the EARLIEST that these blocks will even be development ready. The NYSDOT is ready to move on plans to rebuild Route 5 through the Outer Harbor, but nowhere is there a plan and concrete timetable for closing and demolishing the Skyway and building alternative routes.

Depressing, disgusting, pathetic… the two state authorities, the DOT, and our elected officials can’t seem to get out of the way of each other and move things along.

Meantime, over in St. Louis, there’s Ballpark Village, a $650 million mixed-use retail/entertainment and residential district being developed in partnership by The St. Louis Cardinals and The Cordish Company. Ballpark Village will cover six city blocks that will directly connect to the new Busch Stadium, which opened in the spring of 2006. Ballpark Village will feature approximately 450,000 square feet of retail/entertainment, 1,200 residential units, 300,000 square feet of office and 2,000 parking spaces. Located in the heart of downtown St. Louis, MO, Ballpark Village will be a world class district that will redefine the Gateway to the West.

And guess what? They are breaking ground soon on the first phase of the development, which is now a cleared site on the spot where the old Busch Stadium stood.

My question is this? Why is St. Louis able to demolish their old venue, clear the site and have new development shovels in the ground less than two years after the final game was played at the old Busch? Yet here it is, 11 years and counting since the Aud saw its last event, and the boarded up, vacant eyesores still stand, with redevelopment timetables pushed back over and over again.

Pete excitedly texts me last night, saying “we’re getting a new scoreboard!” And indeed, Tim Graham at the Buffalo News reports that a new state of the art video board is in the works for an opening night debut.

Well, we’ve been only beating the drum for state of the art electronics enhancements for about seven years now. We continually sent former Sabres Exec VP Ron Bertovich ideas from our road trips; we pushed for a new board in a 2006 Artvoice Puck Stop column Making Over HSBC Arena. A couple of times we’ve also sent Larry Quinn digital jpegs of scoreboards which blew our socks off.

So upon reading this news, one of my first calls this morning was to Sabres PR Honcho Mike Gilbert to get the details. “Mike, Andrew Kulyk here! I see we’re finally getting a cool new scoreboard. Will the Sabres have an information packet out on this soon? I want to do a story!”

Gilbert’s reply? “What makes you think we’re getting a new scoreboard?” Me: “Well, umm, it was reported last night on the Buffalo News Sabres blog.” Gilbert: “What makes you think everything you read on blogs is true?”

The bottom line - the Sabres have no official announcement. Gilbert twice gave me a firm “no comment” on any details regarding this issue. I thanked him for his time, told him I’d see him down at the arena later this week, and bid him good bye.

We’re hoping Tim Graham’s assumption and source is true. When I get down to training camp later this week I will certainly do my own snooping.

Meantime, wet your whistle with these amazing photographs from Boston and Charlotte, and imagine HSBC Arena with something similar as its centerpiece.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a stat geek/trivia buff when it comes to sports. So when Kevin over at Bfloblog posted a brief review of the ten most recent Bills home openers, it was quite a revelation of all of the heartbreakers that we’ve had here to open the season.

‘98….’02….’04…’07….See the list here.

We are pleased to enshrine four individuals into the Ultimate Sports Road Trip Hall of Fame from the “2007 Texas Class”.

There are four HOF categories… “Family”, “Friends and Associates”, “Sports Franchises”, and “Media”.

In the Friends and Associates category, we honor BRIAN MAGIERSKI of Austin, Texas, who joined us for the Texas Longhorns football game and sprung for the tickets.

In the Sports Franchises category, we honor SEAMUS GALLIVAN of the Round Rock Express, and MATT HICKS and MATT ROGERS of the Corpus Christi Hooks. All three men made our visits to their venues very special and memorable.

The complete list of USRT Hall of Fame enshrinees is maintained at our web site, and can be found HERE.

Congratulations and thanks to all the honorees.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zvs4T4RU30]

Not that the US media covers it, but Rugby World Cup 2007 is underway. Twenty nations, the US and Canada among them are competing in France for the title of finest international rugby team anywhere.

Not that I am passionate about this sport, like anyone else who went to college rugby to me is the sport whose team generally throws the wildest drinking fests on campus and just happens to play a sport as well.

But if nothing else, for my money rugby features the coolest pregame ritual in all of sports. The haka…made into an institution by the AllBlacks(New Zealand) and also done by some other sides in that part of the world. Begun generations ago as a sort of welcome/greetings symbol to the opposition, in recent years it has taken the form of an intimidating war dance that is done while peering directly at the opposition.

Anyone know of a place where one can catch the action? A tavern, restaurant? Anywhere locally?

For my money, nothing tops this for a pregame show….

And by the way. Team USA opened with a 28-10 defeat against defending champion England. A very impressive showing considering we were expected to get a MONSTER ass whoopin’.

At long last, after so many false starts and failed plans, the New York Jets and New York Giants will finally begin work on their long anticipated replacement stadium in New Jersey’s Meadowlands.

The new 82,500 seat facility is scheduled to open in 2010, and will feature many modern day amenities, including changeable subdued lighting which will burn blue or green depending on which team is playing there. A massive Great Wall with louvered murals will also change for their respective teams, as weill massive video boards on the outside of the facility.

The new stadium comes with a price tag of $750-million.

More from the New York Times.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have released new renderings of their new arena, now slated for groundbreaking in spring of 2008 and set to open for the 2010-11 season. Land clearing is underway right now.

The venue is going to make extensive use of glass and bear a “three rivers” theme.

Here is the link to a slideshow on the Penguins website with more photos.

They played the final baseball game yesterday… in Ottawa… and 7468 fans turned out on a picture perfect day to see their Ottawa Lynx bring down the curtain on AAA baseball in the Canadian capital. As the game was winding down the fans stood and cheered, but at the conclusion there were no post game ceremonies, no dedications, just a few players tossing their caps into the stands and racing for the door. That was it.

For the many who turned out, the bitter irony of this last game was not the waiting time to line up to buy tickets, but the hard time patrons had finding parking. Over the years the Lynx have sold off chunks of their parking lots to other developers, to the point that less than 600 spaces exist onsite to service the facility. Trust me when I tell you that the neighborhood is pretty densely built up by now, so spillover parking is not exactly in abundance.

The Ottawa Citizen has the full story here on the last game.

So what happens now? Although there is speculation that an independent team might fill the place of the Ottawa Lynx, the building might become The Steelback Centre of Ottawa. An ambitious plan is being forwarded to convert Lynx Stadium into a sports and entertainment facility with a bent towards soccer rather than baseball.

The Buffalo Bisons were making a desperate push for a wild card playoff berth all weekend long, needing to win at Rochester and get help from Norfolk, who was playing Richmond.

Buffalo News beat writer Mike Harrington was at Frontier Field this weekend covering the showdown series, yet he took the time and trouble to send us regular text messages of all the relevant IL action, keeping us in the loop in real time.

The good friendships and close associations among the Buffalo Bisons media corps is something Peter and I truly treasure. There is no better sports writer at the Buffalo News than our MH!