On being a Bills fan

[northernbillfan]

Being a Bills fan has been a very emotional roller coaster ride for ALL of us. I've been a die hard since the early '80s and I should have realized what a roller coaster ride I was in for when they lost the first game I attended 13-7 to the Patsies in '87.

However that was not the worst moment in my career as a Bills fan. Aside from wide right, the definitive emotional let down was the Music City miracle. For a fleeting moment we were back and then the wind was knocked out of our sails.

What's your biggest emotional let down as a fan?

[Earthquake Enyart]

I could list at least a dozen. :ill:

[northernbillfan]

That's my point. Especially someone with your history as a fan.

Can't you pinpoint just one big let down?

[Jayhawk]

Norwood. nuff said there.

[northernbillfan]

Actually I said besides wide right.

[OpIv37]

For me, it's a toss-up between the Music City Mirage and Wide Right. The Mirage was much more frustrating because the refs screwed us. I saw a replay of the game on NFL Network last year, and there was some dubious officiating at the end of the first half that stalled a Bills drive and continued a Titans drive as well. It's so frustrating that we beat our opponents but got beat by the refs- on top of that, the Mirage created a downward spiral from which the Bills have yet to recover.

Wide Right is disheartening because if that ball had been a mere 2 yards to the left, Buffalo would have reached eternal glory. The word "Dynasty" might slip out even with the other losses. People would take us seriously instead of making us the butt of jokes.

[Pride]

Aside from those mentioned above... how about the Steelers loss in week 17 last season??

Rolling into the playoffs, and we get BEAT by a bunch of 2nd and 3rd stringers... AT HOME!

[Mudflap1]

Besides the obvious Wide Right and Music City Miracle...
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1. Week 17 last season.
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2. Kelly's last game (playoffs vs. Jacksonville). We had them beat.
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3. The three other Super Bowls (obviously).
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4. The '88 AFC Championship loss.
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5. Beating New England 31-0 two years ago, then ending up 6-10.
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6. The Flutie playoff game vs. Miami
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7. Wade Phillips getting fired (2 playoff appearances after 3-13 season).

[HendersonD06]

:Cough,cough: Try being a Jet fan, 1-15, Last superbowl apperance was superbowl 2! :Cough Cough:!

[doomsdayvirus]

:Cough,cough: Try being a Jet fan, 1-15, Last superbowl apperance was superbowl 2! :Cough Cough:!

super bowl 3

at least the jets won, and it was a 'legendary' game thanks to joe namath's big mouth...

[Earthquake Enyart]

Ronnie Harmon fumble.

Joe Ferguson's interception at SD in the playoffs.

Dempsey missing that chip shot FG in the rain to finally beat the fins.

Don Nottingham going about 60 yards on a screen pass against us.

Pat Toomay's penalty for bumping an official in a game agaisnt the 72 fins that killed us. We had them beat. :mad:

Leypolt missing 3 fg's on a Monday night (again against the fins :fury: ) where we lost by 5.

Want any more? :mad: :fury:

[HendersonD06]

Oh yea... D.Briend missed not 1, but 2 FG's to send the Jets to the AFC Championship game... And Vs the Pats, anything could have happend...

Now that Hurts, and not only did he MISS it, but he HIT the CROSS-BAR... Just shows how much the "Football Gods" Hate the Jets... The more I think about it, the more I think the Bills will win this sunday, lol, or with the Bills-Jets Luck... Maybe we will have a tie? And what would a Tie actually do come playoff run time?

[carybillsfan]

Mine was my first road playoff game in cleveland (1988or89) and harmon drops an easy TD about 25ft in front of our 2nd row endzone seats.

[hydro]

This thread give me a weird feeling in my stomach and makes me depressed. Being a Bills fan is hard to handle.

[ddaryl]

I have no emotional let downs.

I watch the game as a form of entertainment. I swallow my prode and feel bad for a day or three after a loss. But after that I just move on.

I just refuse to allow a form of entertainment to have that much of a hold on my emotional well being. That's just ******ed

[justasportsfan]

We are still the only ones in the AFCE who have yet to sniff a playoff. If things do not change soon, we could be the bills of the 70's and early 80's in this decade.

After all the letdowns bills fans have gone through, we are still considered the most passionate fanbase in the entire NFL. This is why we deserve better.

[Captain gameboy]

I've been a fan since 63.

The biggest letdown is not any one thing specifically, it was knowing that in the '67 or so time frame that we were unable to compete-had no chance.

But....the reward is much greater. I have three kids, two who attend college out of our area and last Sunday, when both came home, they related how much they missed the NFL Sunday Ticket Bills games with a psychopathic Bills dad.
They said wathing the Bills/Dolphins was un-missable.

With the entire family here, we all watched, screamed, cheered, used profanity, ate good food and did what we always do on Sundays.

You gotta care about something.

Anyway, I sure hope Buffalo does not become the place where all quarterbacks go when they want to suck.
That would be the bottom.

[Demon]

Beings a Bills fan is like no other. I live and die for the Bills. I love how we demand so much, every year, and get disappointed with loses and how proud we are after wins.

Music City Miracle was tuff to take. But, nothing beats the SB's, or the Billy Joe Hobert game vs Patriots. But, as many cons there is, theres always tons of pros that makes me a proud fan and a fan for life.

[DarbyTheDinosaur]

Obviously Wide Right...I was 10 years old and I felt like I was having a heart attack that night...nobody said a word in my house for the rest of the night.

Music City Mirage...most def.

Plenty of emotional letdowns for me...but they always seem to make me forget them...
Getting blown out by the Oilers in the 1993 playoffs sure was a low feeling. We all know how they took care of that.
Starting out 0-4 last year stank...they sure turned the tide on that.

Being a Bills fan is definitely summed up in the NFL Films documentary "A Town, A Team, A Dream." with Tim Russert and Vincent Gallo...anybody see that one? Good stuff.

[Devin]

Last seasons finale hurt bad, I though we finally had it all clicking. Then Pitt's damn third team whooped us.

The worst with the Bills is their abiliy to get you so much hope then with one fell swoop take it all away. Apart from the early 90's and against the Dolphins we are never consistant.

[Mr. Cynical]

2. Kelly's last game (playoffs vs. Jacksonville). We had them beat.

6. The Flutie playoff game vs. Miami




I agree with yours, especially these two. That playoff game in Jax was the last gasp of our Glory Team and if our FG didn't doink off the upright, we would have had them. And if we get to the next round, we play Denver, who Jax beat. So it would have been Bills/NE for the AFC Champ game and during the reg season we split 1-1. Quite feasible we could have met GB in the SB.

As for the Flutie playoff....wasn't there something screwy at the end of that game as well? I think Flutie got stuffed for the tying TD run in the final secs, but something is bothering me. I can't put my finger on it.

[northernbillfan]

That's the entire point of this threasd Cynical, as Bills fans we have always been subjected to a doink here, a lateral there.

It's just frustrating.

[Historian]

Ronnie Harmon fumble.
Joe Ferguson's interception at SD in the playoffs.
Dempsey missing that chip shot FG in the rain to finally beat the fins.


The Fouts bomb to Ron Smith at San Diego, by far the worst moment.

The Dempsey miss, a distant second.

Missing the playoffs in '73, despite all of Simpson's yards....an honorable mention. If they had beat the Bengals (loss at home, 16-13) that year, or even beaten The Saints, (loss at NO 13-0) the Bills are in and either Cincy or Pittsburgh is out.

[Historian]

wasn't there something screwy at the end of that game as well? I think Flutie got stuffed for the tying TD run in the final secs, but something is bothering me. I can't put my finger on it.

Andre Reed was ruled down at the 1 foot line. When he protested the TD, the ref claimed he bumped him on purpose, flagged him 15 yards, and threw him out of the game.

[Turf]

I have the same lists that all of you have.
The one that gets me weekly, is every damn time in the last couple years when we get a long run, or a run that ices the game away with a first down, there's a damn penalty flag on the ground.
Almost every game this last year going back to Jacksonville last season we lost or almost lost because the referees ALWAYS call a play back that would have allowed us to run out the clock and win the game. Now it's happening in the middle of games. Everytime Willis breaks one there's a flag. That's my big letdown.