New Year’s Eve was going to be very different.  I wasn’t able to hang out with my friends for the first time in a number of years.  A few of them actually went to New Hampshire while others just drank at home.  I spent New Year’s Eve with my parents, my brother and his wife and son.  Morning was going to come quick.  7:15am was our departure time and we actually left on time.  We had some snow to deal with, but for the most part it was clear the entire way to Buffalo.  A friend of my that I graduated High School with works for WGR 550 in Buffalo NY and he is somewhat known as the voice of Buffalo Sports.  He was doing a live pre-game show from Ralph Wilson Stadium so I said to my brother (who was driving ) I am going to call him and get on the air.  I did just that.  I had to wait about 20 minutes, but I got on.  The phone call was quick, but he remembered me and said it was good to hear from some of his high school buddies.  When we arrived in Buffalo the traffic was crazy.  We waited about 30 minutes on Abbott road.  When we pulled up to the stadium and pulled in the parking lot all you could see was tailgaters.  Limos, campers, SUVs all tailgating.  Burn barrels and grills dominated the parking lot while some fans played football and others booed Penguin fans as they walked by.  I was like a young boy on Christmas morning.  I wanted to get over to the stadium, buy some stuff and walk around.  They had tents of merchandise, food, and vendors in lot C for the offical Buffalo Sabres Tailgate party.  We actually made it for the last half hour, but didn’t partake in any festivities.  We basically just walked around.  (you can see pictures of this and the game on my flickr site) When 11:00am hit we got patted down and it was off to our seats for a two hour wait for the game to begin.  However there was entertainment provided by Kevin and the guys from the shootout, not to mention getting the crowed pumped to go live with CBC and NBC.  Everything was great.  Our seats were great (we sat in 307 near the jumbo-tron), the game was great, and the fans were great.  Yes, the Sabres lost, but it wasn’t about winning or losing.  It was about playing the game of hockey outdoors like the players use to when they were younger.  This will be a day that I will never forget.  I will however forget the 2 hour wait to get out of the parking lot.  That was HELL! Lets do it again Buffalo.  I’m ready and I know the Buffalo Fans are always ready.  Next Year? My friend asked me the other day what is the big deal with the Winter Classic.  We play outdoors every game (he is a season ticket holder for the Buffalo Bills) he says.  You hockey fans play outside once every 5 years and you think your so special. Bunch of girls I think you are.  Gotta play hockey inside, its to cold outside.Any thoughts on this?