What was it like to be a Bills fan?

[Bills232]

I was too young....

Were the Bills more relevant? Did they get more primetime games, and fluff from ESPN?

[YardRat]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

ESPN didn't exist in the mid-6o's.

[ddaryl]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

yes, yes and yes

and it was an awesome time. We could be down at 1/2 time by 2 TD's and nobody was really worried.

However even in the glory days the team failed to show up a few games a year... and of course they failed to show up to 2.5 superbowls. We were winning at 1/2 time in our 2nd Dallas SB, and we played well in our 1st SB... our Defense over pursued almost every running play in our 1st SB, but they played well enough to almost win it.

[YardRat]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

yes, yes and yes

and it was an awesome time. We could be down at 1/2 time by 2 TD's and nobody was really worried.

However even in the glory days the team failed to show up a few games a year... and of course they failed to show up to 2.5 superbowls. We were winning at 1/2 time in our 2nd Dallas SB, and we played well in our 1st SB... our Defense over pursued almost every running play in our 1st SB, but they played well enough to almost win it.

Substitute "at 1/2 time by 2 TD's" with "after two periods by 2 goals" and you get an eerie sense of deja' vu.

[Jan Reimers]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

Exactly like it is now. Fun and exciting.

[patmoran2006]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

If your currently a Sabres fan, then this is exactly how it was with the Bills from the late 80's/mid 90's.. Total frenzied fans.

The Bills of that era and the Sabres of today are the most nuts I've ever seen this town. There was an article this past week in the New York Times I think that says Buffalo is the new "Hockeytown USA" a title Detroit used to hold.

There is no doubt Buffalo has become hockey-town. Mainly because of the success- but this team just seems to relate to the fans more than any team I've followed-even the great Bills teams of the Jim Kelly era- not to take anything away from them.

[patmoran2006]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

Exactly like it is now. Fun and exciting.

C'Mon man.

I get that your a "homer", or without sending negative a true-and-true fan. But this is hardly an "exciting" time. This is a team that has been mediocre for nearly a decade, and it takes the MOST optimistic of fans to see light at the end of the tunnel when you look at NE and even the Jets in our division.

I can see if your excited about just having a team to root for, but this is hardly an exciting time to be a Bills fan.. This is a "hope we dont take yet another step backwards" time to be a Bills fan.

[Bills232]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

If your currently a Sabres fan, then this is exactly how it was with the Bills from the late 80's/mid 90's.. Total frenzied fans.

The Bills of that era and the Sabres of today are the most nuts I've ever seen this town. There was an article this past week in the New York Times I think that says Buffalo is the new "Hockeytown USA" a title Detroit used to hold.

There is no doubt Buffalo has become hockey-town. Mainly because of the success- but this team just seems to relate to the fans more than any team I've followed-even the great Bills teams of the Jim Kelly era- not to take anything away from them.

Are you kidding me????

Buffalo?? Hockeytown USA??

The Sabres play in the same state as the New York Rangers bud... In case you didn't know the New York Rangers are the biggest thing in hockey...

[patmoran2006]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

Are you kidding me????

Buffalo?? Hockeytown USA??

The Sabres play in the same state as the New York Rangers bud... In case you didn't know the New York Rangers are the biggest thing in hockey...

The Rangers aren't even the biggest or second biggest thing in their own TOWN, let alone all of hockey.. Are you even remotely serious?

If I look hard enough I can find the New York Times article about Buffalo becoming "HOckeytown USA"...

**UPDATE** Here is the article. Unfortunately, you have to pay to read it as NY Times archived peices aren't free to read. But you can see the start and basically the article states Buffalo has surpassed Detroit as the biggest hockey town in the sport.

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0717FA3A5A0C778CDDAC0894DF404482

[patmoran2006]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sport...dings07No1team

Want more evidence "Bud"? Read that article.

According to ESPN "Sportsnation" the Buffalo Sabres are not only Number one in HOCKEY when it comes to "giving fans the most back for the emotion, money and time they invest in their teams."

But they're ranked number one in ALL OF SPORTS, period.

Except from article

"Larry Quinn, managing partner of the Buffalo Sabres, knows owner Tom Golisano doesn't like him to talk about other clubs' fans, but he just can't help himself. Anytime the Sabres host archrival Toronto, Quinn enjoys watching the thousands of crazies who make the 101-mile trek to cheer their Leafs.

"Jersey-wearing, face-painted, wig-wearing types, not the kind you see at the Air Canada Centre," says Quinn. "It's ironic that Buffalo has become the place where true Toronto fans can express themselves."

Actually, it makes perfect sense. Because when you ignite fans the Sabres way, you're going to spark passion in your opponents as well as in your own faithful. In this fifth edition of our Ultimate Standings, Buffalo ranks No. 1 among all Big Four pro franchises in giving fans the most back for the emotion, money and time they invest in their teams."

So, New York's still "hockey town" huh? I think not.

[Mad Bomber]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

Are you kidding me????

Buffalo?? Hockeytown USA??

The Sabres play in the same state as the New York Rangers bud... In case you didn't know the New York Rangers are the biggest thing in hockey...

You obviously don't know New York. The Rangers aren't even the biggest thing in Madison Square Garden. New York is not a hockey town at all, let alone Hockeytown USA.

[Generalissimus Gibby]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

I was too young....

Were the Bills more relevant? Did they get more primetime games, and fluff from ESPN?

I'm confused by your question. However if you are talking about th 1990s teams yes. They had lots of sunday and monday night football. Kelly, Smith, and Thurm all had nationally telivised commercials. There was the Paup 1800 Collect commercials and there was the snickers commercial with Marv Levy. As for ESPN truth be told only fluff we ever got from them was from Paul McGuire and Berman.

[billsburgh]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

You obviously don't know New York. The Rangers aren't even the biggest thing in Madison Square Garden. New York is not a hockey town at all, let alone Hockeytown USA.

dont feed the trolls

[kinigirly]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

this thread annoys me

[THATHURMANATOR]

Re: What was it like to be a Bills fan?

Are you kidding me????

Buffalo?? Hockeytown USA??

The Sabres play in the same state as the New York Rangers bud... In case you didn't know the New York Rangers are the biggest thing in hockey...

Yeah that is why there were more total viewers in Buffalo watching the Rangers/Sabres series than in NYC even though NYC has over 10 million more people. Don't be a douche. The Rangers are about the 10th biggest thing in hockey