I always forget why I swear off the Bills Zone. It’s like the Godfather, “Everytime I get out, they pull me back in”.
I totally remove myself from the place and then for some reason I creep back in. Then it takes me weeks to remember that I’m talking to complete strangers. And then I realize, why would I care for one second what these people think? I mean really, what's the sense?
Opinions are like A$$holes, everyone has one and most of them stink.
Why would I care?
I don't. Not anymore. Or at least not until the next time they pull me back in.
And it’s because I love football and the Bills.
Anyway, it’s turning out that I find the Billszone so depressing! I actually pity these realist guys. But the funny thing is, they pity the homers! They'll never understand us, just the same way we'll never understand them.
I long for the days when I was a kid and I didn't worry about salary caps, and personnel decisions and 40 times and 2 gaps and 3 gaps. It was just the guys in the red helmets vs. the guys in the white helmets.
I mean, being a backseat GM is fun to a certain extent, but when it gets to the point where you're not enjoying the action anymore, it's not worth it for me. I mean, it doesn’t make any sense to get angry because the team drafted a guy you didn't want, or refuse to believe that a guy who has struggled will see the light and become a good player, or that maybe that the player you thought was useless may actually be of some service or to get angry they are about to extend the contract of one of the best current DE’s in the league so that it’s just about 100% that he’ll retire with your team. Or maybe just be able to admit you may have made a mistake.
Watch any sports commentary these days, whether it’s TV, radio or print. It’s all the same. Cynicism, Sarcasm and Pessimism rule the day. And the sad part is that it’s permeating into the fan base.
Why is it that nowadays, “what if’s” are frowned upon? When did that happen? When did it become that you can’t say, “if only this play did this, or that play did that or if only we won that one game”? Isn’t that all part of the fun? Sure we lost by 2 TD’s, but if we would have picked off that pass in the first drive and were able to score right before half, it would have been a different game. God I love doing that! But nowadays, it goes against the sports medias mandated trilogy of sacraments, Cynicism, Sarcasm and Pessimism. Heaven forbid we actually entertain thoughts of happier times after a loss.
Am I to believe that:
I’m doing my team or myself a grave disservice if I buy into the GM’s plan?
I’m doing my team or myself a grave disservice if I want to believe that every player my team drafts will turn out to be an all-pro, even though I know in my heart of hearts it’s not going to happen?
I’m doing my team or myself a grave disservice if I’m hoping that maybe this year, the team that surprises the whole football world and rises from the depths of mediocrity will be my team?
I’m realistic enough to realize that most of this won’t happen. And I’m stable enough as a person to be able to live with myself if it doesn’t happen.
I go as high as a kite with the wins but I never go too low with the losses.
One thing I do know is that’s it’s not a good use of my time to sit here all day *****ing back and forth about the 2006 New York Jets with some guy from Virginia. And I’m not blaming anybody but myself for that. Like I said above, I get pulled back in.
I’m sorry I can’t be so wise and realistic like so many on this board. I’m sorry that you can’t understand how fun it is to be one of those guys on the NFL commercials, thinking that, “This could be there year”.
The differences between the “realists” and the “homers” can never really be settled.
In my opinion, the main flaw with the approach of the “realists” is that in trying to be a true “realist” they tend to over-scrutinize their own team. They’ll go to extremes to show you the weakness of their team so that they can say, “See, I told you so”. In the same vein, they’ll gloss over the same weaknesses in other teams. I tend to do the same thing when watching games. If the Bills go 3 and out on the first drive of a game, I’ll think, “Oh boy, we’re in trouble, this is going to be a long day”. Then I’ll watch the 4:00 game and some random team will go 3 and out and I’ll think, “It’s just the first drive of the game, they’ll get ‘em next time”.
The “homers” on the other hand, do turn a blind eye towards some facts. And I can’t speak for all of them, but I know that deep down I know the truth. I know that an Achilles injury is a 2-year injury and most of the times guys never come back from it. But last season, I willed myself to believe that BS from Spikes about being “Bigger, Better, Stronger”. And why not? What does it hurt to actually believe that your guy can make it happen? But deep down, I knew he would have trouble. I just didn’t want to believe it. Then like a true homer, the second he gets shipped to Philly, I think that he’s a bust and will never be back to his old self. Realists would be up in arms over this. But it’s football, it’s supposed to be fun. If a player is on our team, he’s going to be great, but the second he’s off our team, he’s a hack. That’s all part of the fun.
My friends all think it’s hilarious, because no matter how dire the situation looks, I can come up with a scenario for a turn around. And then I can make that believe that it’s possible. Then they get excited and say, “Why do you always do this to us”. Well I do it because it’s football and it’s supposed to be fun.
Anyway, just got sparked to go off on a rant today. It’s obvious that our differences will never be settled. I just think I can find a better use of my time.
That is until the next time I’m pulled back in.
I totally remove myself from the place and then for some reason I creep back in. Then it takes me weeks to remember that I’m talking to complete strangers. And then I realize, why would I care for one second what these people think? I mean really, what's the sense?
Opinions are like A$$holes, everyone has one and most of them stink.
Why would I care?
I don't. Not anymore. Or at least not until the next time they pull me back in.
And it’s because I love football and the Bills.
Anyway, it’s turning out that I find the Billszone so depressing! I actually pity these realist guys. But the funny thing is, they pity the homers! They'll never understand us, just the same way we'll never understand them.
I long for the days when I was a kid and I didn't worry about salary caps, and personnel decisions and 40 times and 2 gaps and 3 gaps. It was just the guys in the red helmets vs. the guys in the white helmets.
I mean, being a backseat GM is fun to a certain extent, but when it gets to the point where you're not enjoying the action anymore, it's not worth it for me. I mean, it doesn’t make any sense to get angry because the team drafted a guy you didn't want, or refuse to believe that a guy who has struggled will see the light and become a good player, or that maybe that the player you thought was useless may actually be of some service or to get angry they are about to extend the contract of one of the best current DE’s in the league so that it’s just about 100% that he’ll retire with your team. Or maybe just be able to admit you may have made a mistake.
Watch any sports commentary these days, whether it’s TV, radio or print. It’s all the same. Cynicism, Sarcasm and Pessimism rule the day. And the sad part is that it’s permeating into the fan base.
Why is it that nowadays, “what if’s” are frowned upon? When did that happen? When did it become that you can’t say, “if only this play did this, or that play did that or if only we won that one game”? Isn’t that all part of the fun? Sure we lost by 2 TD’s, but if we would have picked off that pass in the first drive and were able to score right before half, it would have been a different game. God I love doing that! But nowadays, it goes against the sports medias mandated trilogy of sacraments, Cynicism, Sarcasm and Pessimism. Heaven forbid we actually entertain thoughts of happier times after a loss.
Am I to believe that:
I’m doing my team or myself a grave disservice if I buy into the GM’s plan?
I’m doing my team or myself a grave disservice if I want to believe that every player my team drafts will turn out to be an all-pro, even though I know in my heart of hearts it’s not going to happen?
I’m doing my team or myself a grave disservice if I’m hoping that maybe this year, the team that surprises the whole football world and rises from the depths of mediocrity will be my team?
I’m realistic enough to realize that most of this won’t happen. And I’m stable enough as a person to be able to live with myself if it doesn’t happen.
I go as high as a kite with the wins but I never go too low with the losses.
One thing I do know is that’s it’s not a good use of my time to sit here all day *****ing back and forth about the 2006 New York Jets with some guy from Virginia. And I’m not blaming anybody but myself for that. Like I said above, I get pulled back in.
I’m sorry I can’t be so wise and realistic like so many on this board. I’m sorry that you can’t understand how fun it is to be one of those guys on the NFL commercials, thinking that, “This could be there year”.
The differences between the “realists” and the “homers” can never really be settled.
In my opinion, the main flaw with the approach of the “realists” is that in trying to be a true “realist” they tend to over-scrutinize their own team. They’ll go to extremes to show you the weakness of their team so that they can say, “See, I told you so”. In the same vein, they’ll gloss over the same weaknesses in other teams. I tend to do the same thing when watching games. If the Bills go 3 and out on the first drive of a game, I’ll think, “Oh boy, we’re in trouble, this is going to be a long day”. Then I’ll watch the 4:00 game and some random team will go 3 and out and I’ll think, “It’s just the first drive of the game, they’ll get ‘em next time”.
The “homers” on the other hand, do turn a blind eye towards some facts. And I can’t speak for all of them, but I know that deep down I know the truth. I know that an Achilles injury is a 2-year injury and most of the times guys never come back from it. But last season, I willed myself to believe that BS from Spikes about being “Bigger, Better, Stronger”. And why not? What does it hurt to actually believe that your guy can make it happen? But deep down, I knew he would have trouble. I just didn’t want to believe it. Then like a true homer, the second he gets shipped to Philly, I think that he’s a bust and will never be back to his old self. Realists would be up in arms over this. But it’s football, it’s supposed to be fun. If a player is on our team, he’s going to be great, but the second he’s off our team, he’s a hack. That’s all part of the fun.
My friends all think it’s hilarious, because no matter how dire the situation looks, I can come up with a scenario for a turn around. And then I can make that believe that it’s possible. Then they get excited and say, “Why do you always do this to us”. Well I do it because it’s football and it’s supposed to be fun.
Anyway, just got sparked to go off on a rant today. It’s obvious that our differences will never be settled. I just think I can find a better use of my time.
That is until the next time I’m pulled back in.
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