It is designed to break your heart

[Romes]

I know this is in reference to the Rangers and baseball but I feel like it applies really well to the Bills. Its the reason we are so loyal as a fan base. Those 4 Super Bowls, The Forward Lateral, losing to Pittsburgh's second string, no matter how agonizing, has to be a big reason why the fan base is so strong.


As a rule, it isn’t winning a title that usually cements a fan base’s loyalty to a baseball team. It’s almost winning — having victory within your grasp and then having your heart ripped out at the last moment. World Series titles come and go (just ask a Florida Marlins fan, if you can find one), but devastating near-misses stay with you forever.

http://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/31/it-is-designed-to-break-your-heart/

[NOT THE DUDE...]

57000 SEATS!

[Romes]

57000 SEATS!

A loyal base, unfortunately the extra is filled by bandwagon or younger fans which may not remember. Also the economy and other factors may have something to do with slumping ticket sales. It doesn't necessarily mean people's hearts aren't in it.

[BillsFever21]

A loyal base, unfortunately the extra is filled by bandwagon or younger fans which may not remember. Also the economy and other factors may have something to do with slumping ticket sales. It doesn't necessarily mean people's hearts aren't in it.

Every team can say they have a decent percentage of loyal fans. Even the Jaguars who have trouble selling out.

Our problem right now is even a lot of the loyal fans won't fork over hundreds of dollars to attend meaningless games anymore. They are disgusted by the past decade. That's the reason why we sell out the early games but the late games are a 50/50 chance anymore if that.

You can still be loyal but say to yourselves is it really worth spending all this money in a bad economy to go watch a meaningless game when that money could be used better to help pay for essentials or to help build up a liquid account in case you are the next one to see a pink slip? Then there are those that just flat out can't afford it but would like to go.

Our fan base is so disgusted over the past decade and several years that it's going to take more then a few exciting wins early in the season to make them late games almost sure sellouts again or to bring more season ticket holders back. It's going to take extended success of a couple years to bring back the disgusted and make it worth their while to fork over hundreds of dollars late in the season.

You can't really blame ticket sales on bandwagon fans. Teams with bandwagon fans are teams who have won recently and they have a segment of fans that will buy a ticket when they are having another good season or what not. We haven't had a good season in over a decade. It's hard to be a bandwagon fan on a team who only has more wins in the past decade then two other teams in the NFL.

[Romes]

Every team can say they have a decent percentage of loyal fans. Even the Jaguars who have trouble selling out.

Our problem right now is even a lot of the loyal fans won't fork over hundreds of dollars to attend meaningless games anymore. They are disgusted by the past decade. That's the reason why we sell out the early games but the late games are a 50/50 chance anymore if that.

You can still be loyal but say to yourselves is it really worth spending all this money in a bad economy to go watch a meaningless game when that money could be used better to help pay for essentials or to help build up a liquid account in case you are the next one to see a pink slip? Then there are those that just flat out can't afford it but would like to go.

Our fan base is so disgusted over the past decade and several years that it's going to take more then a few exciting wins early in the season to make them late games almost sure sellouts again or to bring more season ticket holders back. It's going to take extended success of a couple years to bring back the disgusted and make it worth their while to fork over hundreds of dollars late in the season.

You can't really blame ticket sales on bandwagon fans. Teams with bandwagon fans are teams who have won recently and they have a segment of fans that will buy a ticket when they are having another good season or what not. We haven't had a good season in over a decade. It's hard to be a bandwagon fan on a team who only has more wins in the past decade then two other teams in the NFL.

You're right, the past 10 years have definitely hurt ticket sales we've sucked, been poorly run and things have not been close. Plus with a bad economy the incentive isn't there to go to the games. But I wasn't referring or thinking about ticket sales when I posted the article. All I was considering is how near championships can unite a fan base.

[trapezeus]

this is the first year in 11 years where the games are actually fun. they didn't just suck the last 10 years, they were painfully boring and just got worse. then you add the jauron hire which we all knew was terrible at the time and that stole a lot of wind out of the sails.

This is the first year we are a middling team in the fight for something bigger. typiclaly were were out by week 4.

and even though we are an enjoyable team, most fans you talk to are expecting the other shoe to drop. It's just the way it is. it's going to take another decent draft and a couple upgrades to believe that the bills can hang with any team. Oh, and the refs have to try and help us out after the stevie johnson no catch catch and the ed hochuli "let's just keep erroneously putting the ball at the 1 yard line."

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

I am actually offended that you would compare the Rangers fan base and the greatness of the Bills fan base.

[NOT THE DUDE...]

when you look at the talent nix has added nelson, roosevelt, jones, pears, urbik, rinehart, hairston, spiller, white, carrington, troup, dareus, heard, moats, batten, shepp, c white, a williams, searcy, j rogers.... and we finally have an above avg qb. we just need another big time pass rusher... we are not that far away...

[Figster]

A loyal base, unfortunately the extra is filled by bandwagon or younger fans which may not remember. Also the economy and other factors may have something to do with slumping ticket sales. It doesn't necessarily mean people's hearts aren't in it.

Poor weather conditions are a contributing factor to the problem of slumping ticket sales during the winter months in my opinion, something a Dome stadium would help solve. Taking the wife and kids out into a snowstorm for 4-5 hours is just not a family oriented outing that most parents are going to attend.

Climate controlled Dome is better for the players, better for the fans, and in the long run better for the owners in my opinion when located in an area that has poor weather conditions through a good portion of the season. Buffalo is the top ranked City for bad weather conditions/ NFL Football. (per the Weather channel I believe)