If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

[Skooby]

We are Mostly all Bills fans here & became fans for a reason, what is it ??

[SquishDaFish]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

I was watching football with my dad when I was little and he is a Dallas fan so I dont know just picked Buffalo because of the colors. But been a Bills fan since then.

[ServoBillieves]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

Born in Watertown, lived 1 year in Liverpool, then moved to York PA, and from 2nd grade to end of college I lived in Pittsburgh (hell), now for the past year I've lived in Charlotte. Family has lived in Western NY for generations above me, I stick with tradition

[Billz_fan]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

Born in Rochester in 1959 lived in the area for 37 years. The first game I went to was a Bills game. Been a fan since then. Around 1974 or so.

[methos4ever]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

Grew up in Brooklyn, didn't like Jets or Giants. Moved to Eastern PA and now live in Pittsburgh...

[Crisis]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

I grew up in Town of Tonawanda, family moved to Texas during my Soph year of high school. Bills/Sabres are in my blood.

[Beebe]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

I've always lived in L.A. all my family is a RAIDER or COWBOY fan I just wanted to like a different team.Since 1988, BIG time DON BEEBE FAN, my family nickname is BEEBE,only my family calls me.

[Figster]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

Born in Buffalo, lived all over the US, currently about 40 miles south of Erie, PA. I started watching Football/Bills at an early age. I had to figure out what was so special about this number 32 fella that nobody seemed to be able to stop. He sure had a way of making my Dad and older brother pretty excited. I would see him sometimes on my television running through an airport, jumping over obstacles like a Superman, seems like nothing could stop him, and the man had a smile that could just light up the world.

Imagine that, my biggest childhood hero, OJ Simpson...

[Skooby]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

I lived between Otto's & Captains Cove, near the airport. Schooled there & everything I learned there has been applied to make my life better.

I love all the Buffalo teams, always have. Biggest hero growing up was Jim Kelly, he was a man amongst boys.

[SpillerThrills]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

Born in Warsaw, NY and my father grew up in Buffalo. I spent all my summers growing up in Java Center at my family's camp ground. My father has always been a big Bills and Sabres fan so I just followed in my dads footsteps.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

While I'm not a Bills fan per se, I can share you my story. I've lived in WNY my entire life, grew up with my early years in the era of the Bills' four straight Super Bowl losses. It was hip to be a Bills fan back then, and my whole family was (and still is).

Then, when I started playing youth football, I was on a team where orange was the predominant jersey color. One day our school had a "NFL colors" day. Not having a lot of money, I just threw on an orange jersey and blue jeans, and my parents informed that those were the colors of the Denver Broncos. I followed the Broncos for a while-- got interesting when the Bills and Broncos played each other-- and got to witness Elway finally win the big one, not once, but twice. I was a fan after Elway's retirement, which didn't exactly fly with a lot of my youth-ball teammates, most of whom were bandwagoners.

Eventually, I started to grow more and more distant from the NFL teams in particular. The last straw came not too long ago, when the Broncos decided to bench Peyton Hillis, then trade him away for a third-string quarterback. I'd always been impressed with Hillis, and I still believe that his being a white running back played a role in the decision to kick him to the curb. It was something that was tremendously disrespectful in my opinion.

As evidenced by my presence here, I still follow the Bills, due to living in WNY and the fact that I'm still close to my family. After the past decade, I simply can't see how anyone can logically be a true fan of this team. However, I've followed alternative football a lot since the days of the XFL and the arena ball's Destroyers, and in the early 2000s I picked up a fandom of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. I figured, hey, it's only a few more miles away than Buffalo and I'm close enough to pick up the radio broadcasts. Sure, the Ti-Cats haven't been much better than Buffalo, but it's a league where you at least have a realistic shot at the playoffs every year, which is something you can't say about Buffalo and the NFL. There's much less frustration, and it's far easier to maintain your fandom, when hope springs eternal that way. There is a realistic "maybe next year" in Hamilton, not so much in Buffalo. Honestly, I think Buffalo would be a much better fit for a smaller league like the CFL than it does the big-money, limited-access NFL, and that drives a lot of my opinions here about wanting the Bills to leave for greener pastures. I will always root for Buffalo and Western New York as a region to be a better place, for its teams to make progress. I've always been a Sabres fan, and I don't imagine ever not being one. But I'm also aware that we're getting to the point where it's impossible for the Bills to succeed in this environment, and I'm of the belief that if the Bills can't succeed, then it hinders the region as a whole, and maybe it's time to move onto something else.

So there you have it, that's how an outside "Bills observer" sees things.

[T-Long]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

Born and raised in Steeler country in NW PA....and my Dad took me to my first NFL game when I was 7...Bills vs. Colts. We went with about 10 people and my Dad got me a coat, hat and a football...been diehard ever since.

[elltrain22]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

Grew up in Jamestown, NY, and was always a Bills fan. If your born in western New York you understand that its not just about loving this team, but its about the area. We're loyal, hard-working, never say die, and never quit kinda people. That same mentality carries over towards your passion for this team. Even though I live in NC now, you always have to remain true to your roots.

[Skooby]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

Sorry about yesterday, seems like you might have some hard realities to deal with soon as well.

While I'm not a Bills fan per se, I can share you my story. I've lived in WNY my entire life, grew up with my early years in the era of the Bills' four straight Super Bowl losses. It was hip to be a Bills fan back then, and my whole family was (and still is).

Then, when I started playing youth football, I was on a team where orange was the predominant jersey color. One day our school had a "NFL colors" day. Not having a lot of money, I just threw on an orange jersey and blue jeans, and my parents informed that those were the colors of the Denver Broncos. I followed the Broncos for a while-- got interesting when the Bills and Broncos played each other-- and got to witness Elway finally win the big one, not once, but twice. I was a fan after Elway's retirement, which didn't exactly fly with a lot of my youth-ball teammates, most of whom were bandwagoners.

Eventually, I started to grow more and more distant from the NFL teams in particular. The last straw came not too long ago, when the Broncos decided to bench Peyton Hillis, then trade him away for a third-string quarterback. I'd always been impressed with Hillis, and I still believe that his being a white running back played a role in the decision to kick him to the curb. It was something that was tremendously disrespectful in my opinion.

As evidenced by my presence here, I still follow the Bills, due to living in WNY and the fact that I'm still close to my family. After the past decade, I simply can't see how anyone can logically be a true fan of this team. However, I've followed alternative football a lot since the days of the XFL and the arena ball's Destroyers, and in the early 2000s I picked up a fandom of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. I figured, hey, it's only a few more miles away than Buffalo and I'm close enough to pick up the radio broadcasts. Sure, the Ti-Cats haven't been much better than Buffalo, but it's a league where you at least have a realistic shot at the playoffs every year, which is something you can't say about Buffalo and the NFL. There's much less frustration, and it's far easier to maintain your fandom, when hope springs eternal that way. There is a realistic "maybe next year" in Hamilton, not so much in Buffalo. Honestly, I think Buffalo would be a much better fit for a smaller league like the CFL than it does the big-money, limited-access NFL, and that drives a lot of my opinions here about wanting the Bills to leave for greener pastures. I will always root for Buffalo and Western New York as a region to be a better place, for its teams to make progress. I've always been a Sabres fan, and I don't imagine ever not being one. But I'm also aware that we're getting to the point where it's impossible for the Bills to succeed in this environment, and I'm of the belief that if the Bills can't succeed, then it hinders the region as a whole, and maybe it's time to move onto something else.

So there you have it, that's how an outside "Bills observer" sees things.

[Ginger Vitis]

Re: If you don't live in Buffalo anymore or never have, what's your connection?

I live 2 hours from Toronto and a guy I met a work who became my best friend was a hardcore Bills fan so gradually over time I became a die hard as well