It's A New Day In Buffalo

On May 11, the Buffalo Sabres introduced their new general manager in Jason Botterill.

- Mark Ludwiczak

Less than 24 hours later, the Buffalo Bills introduced their new general manager in Brandon Beane.

After a flurry of potentially franchise defining moves, you could understand if Terry and Kim Pegula want to stay out of the spotlight for a while.

“Yeah, maybe 15 years from now we’ll talk again,” Terry Pegula cracked after it was all said and done.

That may be a bit optimistic, given the rate of turnover in professional sports. But it’s clear that the Pegulas see their new hires as potential long-term solutions after a state of constant flux.

This is Bills Digest, not Sabres Digest, so we’ll focus on the football side of things. But there’s a common theme among all three of their hirings — Sean McDermott, Beane and Botterill. All three come across as intelligent, self assured and humble. They all seem comfortable in their own skin. And they all recognize the need for a long-term fix that doesn’t paper over the cracks in favor of a short-term boost.

The real verdicts will come once the transactions start pouring in and the games are played for real. It could, of course, prove to be lip service. But all three hires were rational and reasonable decisions involving young executives and coaches on the rise.

Beane, in particular, should feel right at home with McDermott in Buffalo.