Why are you still a fan?

[Bufftp]

It has been 8 years since the Playoffs. Crappy teams, crappy moves. False expectations, dashed hopes. It is begining to look like Moses's time in the desert was a walk through lush gardens compared to being a Bills fan.

For me I am fan by birthright. I was born in the Buffalo area to family of Bills and football fans. I have fond memories of my grandfather, father brothers, and family friends watching Bills games, pre-game week expectation and conversations. It is in my DNA.

No one season determies my loyalty. A season is just another brick in the long wall that makes up my experiance as a Bills fan.

I also have natuaral affinity to rooting for (helping) the underdog, the downtrodden and abused. Probably helps me in rooting for the Bills.

Sure I am frustrated. Today I have no great expectation of anything positive occuring Sunday in New England. The realities of both teams only lead to the expectation of the Bilsl being on the recieving end of a blood bath. No mercy and all pain.

Yet once Friday comes something will change. A little ember of hope will be sparked. No rational reason, it will just occur. The winds of Saturdays college football will fan that ember and by Sunday there will be roaring flames of irrational exubrance for the BILLS.

GO Buffalo!

[Stewie]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

I'm a fan because its the Bills, duh.

[casdhf]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

There isn't another team, imo.

[mybills]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

I'll be a Bills fan until I get an ulcer, which I won't, because I don't get pissed off the way so many people do. If I got to that point, I'd stop watching. Besides, football & beer go good together, but beer & anger doesn't. Looks like I'll be a fan till I die, even if it's from alcohol poisoning.

[eyedog]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

I'm used to it. If you were around in the 70's and mid 80's you know what I mean. No turning back now.

[BlackMetalNinja]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

You pretty much summed it up for me as well Ted. Except the rest of my family are Rams fans before Bills fans.

[bigbub2352]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

i bleed red white and blue always!!

[gr8slayer]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

Hell yeah I'm a fan...... Doesn't mean I have to like all the decisions made by the team.

[M]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

Because there is nothing worse than a fair weather fan.

[The King]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

Theres no point in waivering, but when the team plays like this there no point in planning my Sunday around them either.

[Gunzlingr]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

There isn't another team, imo.

I agree.

I don't get worked up if they win or lose, and watch when I can. It is just a game afterall, it doesn't affect my everyday life (tho it would be nice if they could start winning like they did in the early 90s but with a Superbowl win or 4 ). Hopefully next year I get to go to the Ralph for the Bills-49ers game. It will be like my hijira (sp?) to Mecca.

[BillsPride12]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

For any poker players out there, I think I have to refer to the term "pot-committed". At this point I've put so much into it, so many heartbreaking losses, so much smack talk from others, being at so many depressing games, so much money spent on tickets and merchandise, there just is no turning back. I've invested too much into this team to turn my back on them now. I'm in it for the long haul

[OpIv37]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

I'll be a Bills fan until I get an ulcer, which I won't, because I don't get pissed off the way so many people do. If I got to that point, I'd stop watching. Besides, football & beer go good together, but beer & anger doesn't. Looks like I'll be a fan till I die, even if it's from alcohol poisoning.

to me, this is counterintuitive and illogical. You say you're a fan, but you don't get pissed if they lose? You don't get pissed when the team makes stupid moves or whe the same players continuously fail to perform? All these prevent you from getting what you supposedly want: Bills victories. But you don't care when they happen? I don't understand how you can want good things to happen to the Bills but blow it off when bad things happen.

as far as the question at hand, it's getting harder and harder for me to answer it. I grew up in Rochester watching the Bills during the glory years. It seemed like more than just football- the entire city had a buzz about the Bills and I wanted them to win the Super Bowl so bad. Ever since, I just can't imagine not watching the Bills. I've been a fan for something in the 17-18 year range and I'm not about to give up now.

What makes it difficult is that it's become less and less gratifying. That sense of hope seems to be getting continuously dimmer. Even against Denver, I figured we would lose but thought we had at least some chance of winning. Weeks like last week and this week are tough for football because it feels like we have no chance of winning whatsoever. I watch the games anyway, but it makes it really hard to get excited about the games.

[MikeInRoch]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

Here's the worst part. Let's say that Elam misses the kick and we win against Denver. What is the emotion? For me, the biggest emotion would have been relief - relief that we didn't blow it, relief that we aren't going to start the season with an 0-X record (and it looks like X might get pretty big), etc.

It's not just that game. Wins don't make me happy any more, especially wins against bad teams.

[OpIv37]

Re: Why are you still a fan?

Here's the worst part. Let's say that Elam misses the kick and we win against Denver. What is the emotion? For me, the biggest emotion would have been relief - relief that we didn't blow it, relief that we aren't going to start the season with an 0-X record (and it looks like X might get pretty big), etc.

It's not just that game. Wins don't make me happy any more, especially wins against bad teams.

I hear ya- the reason for that is because the team has given us no reason to think the wins are going to get us anywhere. We finished last season 6-4. We finished 04 7-2 and had a 6 game win streak in there. But it still doesn't get us to the playoffs. It just delays how long it takes for us to crash and burn.

If we had won at Denver, it would have been a crappy game that we lost on opponent's mistakes. Don't get me wrong- I'd much rather have the win, even a crappy win. But beating Denver in that fashion would not have been encouraging and we still would have gone on to get stomped by Pitt. And we would have known that we'd get stomped by Pitt by how we played against Denver, even with the victories.

Or, to simplify: when this team does win, they're not the kind of encouraging wins that inspire confidence for the upcoming games. It's more like "oh, man, it took a lot of luck to pull that one out."