X-Era
04-23-2006, 09:56 AM
Why be a Bills fan?
First and foremost, I must admit that I am a Bills fan because they are my local team. Thats a cheesy excuse to support any team. I mean the team is made up of players from all over the country, not just local talents. The coaches, front office, even many administrators arent even from this area. But, theres something basic, a primal instinct that draws people to root for their home team. Its a basic need to feel supremacy over other areas of the country. Its putting your heart into a team that represents your slice of the world that you call home. And maybe its something deeper, a drive to defend it from invaders. Sounds a bit barbaric for sure. But I cant help but give a big fat finger to Fin fans that come up here all cocky with their city glitz and glamor, dark melanomas, and sassy city attitudes. It feels good to trounce them on the field and be able to "finger" their way of life. Maybe its not too much different than Greeks vs. Romans, or Muslims vs. Islamists. Only we get to play out our "war" in safe confines of a stadium.
So thats all well and good and can explain some of my love for the Bills. But theres a heck of a lot more. If you love professional sports, chances are good you love to root for the underdog. I just cant get the thrill out of a Yankees world series win they way I can when the US wins the olympic hockey gold. To me they are not on equal footing as far as accomplishment. Now, my love for the Bills started in the late 80's, early 90's. Yes, many of us fans have been here much longer. I must admit I wasnt a big sports fan until later on. But I got hooked on football and started watching. Maybe its a faint memory, but it seems that in 89, we had just lost our last game of the season and as Reed walked off the field, the commentators said that they just got the feeling this team was about to do something wonderful. And then it happened.
I cant tell you what it felt like to be a rural hick by most standards and watch your hometown team blast down the field and score on anyone they faced. At that time, I knew many people from cities and remember, this was BEFORE the salary cap. This big city teams that they root for, and all there money and players, the so called "dynastys" would play us and watch us make them look like Pop Warner teams. It wasnt just a good offense to watch, it was an absolute domination. Furthermore, that offense was able to score in what seemed like seconds. In our first Superbowl trip, our ease of scoring was our downfall. Bill Parcells simply controlled the clock and kept the ball out of our hands. Our defense wasnt the best in the league back then and the Giants simply ate the clock up. We still almost won it, but the kicker blew it.
Enough of the history, you all know it. This is the core of what drives me and many Bills fans. This team represents all that is good to us; hard working blue collar people, a smaller, closer, simpler way of life, an intense sense of pride for where we are from. Its not a NYC boasting obnoxiousness, its a subtle, humble, modest sense of love for our homeland. That strength was what sucked so many of us fans in. We then watched our small market hometown team go to four straight Superbowls. Our already deep seeded love for our team became an intense passion. But it was also coupled with a bit of spite. We LOST all four of those Superbowls. Our collective guts wrenched at it. Its was like watching Mother Theresa get run over by a drunk driver. It seemed like the greatest of travisties.
Then, all of us had to stomach the past decade or utter mediocrity. Maybe its a good thing in a way. Maybe it put enough distance between the frustration from those losses so that we can reach a calm again and be able to weather the next storm; what doesnt kill us makes us stronger or something.
But, the passion is still there. It drives us to claim we will sell our season tickets if we dont get ____. It makes us say we are done with this team. It makes us wear bags over our heads. We bash each other like three year olds because we are so passionate that our "special" plan will take us to glory and right our wrong. We act like people who are still grieving over a deep loss; and many of us are.
Personally, I just want to see the glory days again. I dont want a Dilfer-esque one and out Superbowl appearance. I dont want a Pats like team built of nobodys. I may be wrong and probably am. Its just my version, or my secret master plan for the Bills. As I already stated, each of us has one. But, I sure would like the next "core". I want the next "big three". I want to march up and down the field on anyone at anytime. Its fun to watch the Colts. It is. They arent my team, but it reminds me of the SB Bills. I dont want Peyton Manning, well, lets be serious, ANY team would want him. What I mean is, I want the next Jim Kelly. A brash, field general, who plays like a LB, not a porcelain figurine (see Rob Johnson). Losman sure seems to have some of that mojo. To be honest, i really cant think of any other young QB's inthis league who more resemble Kelly. Why? Why does it need to be the next Kelly? Isnt a quiet leader good enough? Sure. But for all the reasons I previously stated, how much BETTER would it be to win that Superbowl if it was someone that reminds you of Kelly? Maybe it helps to make it all right. Its part fo why I root for Losman. Its dumb, I agree. But its there. I will admit it, I hope that many of the rest of you JP fans will admit it too.
Anyways, its not just about him. Screw JP if he cant get it done. Id love for him to do it. But if he cant, I dont care if we get the dullest QB ever, lets just get the guy who can. Cutler? he doesnt act like Kelly. But the small school product sure lends itself to our small market mentality. Young? again, hes not a Kelly. But, hes going to be exciting to watch for sure. I cant get over that passion for the big three. Whos our next Reed? Moulds? He may have been. But the pieces were never there for him. I feel bad for him. Evans? man I like him more and more every time I watch him. He was said to have the best hands out of all the WR's last year. Add in the speed to beat anybody deep, it could be great. Vernon Davis? hes not a WR. But is he someone who will get the tough yards? someone who can drag DB's and even LB's into the endzone for TD's? Is he someone that will represent our tough, hardworking, mentality? Maybe. Whos the next Thurman? McGahee? he doesnt really remind me of him. I remember Thurman going into these giant 8 man scrums, disappearing into the mass of mass. And then squirting out from it somehow to gain another 10 yards. He was amazing. McGahee doesnt do that. Hes not that type of runner. Can he be a gamebreaker who blasts through holes and runs for 70 yards and a TD? maybe, but we havent seen it yet. DeAngelo Williams? reminds me of an Tomlinson and at some level a Thurman. He seems like a guy whos gonna get yards no matter who is blocking or not blocking for him. Barry Sanders was that way. I just cant say that for McGahee. To me having a ligsaw puzzle piece to someone elses puzzle is a waste. If McGahee isnt a fit for US, move him and get OUR guy. The puzzle wont look right or even BE right without the right pieces.
Now, we also may never again have a Bruce Smith either. It just plain feels good to hear the fans roar out "BRUUUCCCE". Whos the next guy that we can do that with? Schobel? I just dont see it in him. Could you hear Kiwi? Elvis? maybe.
And yes, we dont have a House Ballard or a Kent Hull anymore either. Whos the next guy we can label a "house". Charles Spencer? Whos the next guy who will be the bodyguard for his QB, Mangold?
My point is only this. I have a deep love for the Bills. Its a thing that started with unfinished business back in the early 90's. Its a love for a dominant offense made up of stars that come together and play like parts of a well machined Ferarri. We havent had that in the last decade. Its time to get there again. Im rooting for us to get impact players who fit our Bills mold. Im rooting for us to get guys in this draft that will become jigsaw puzzle pieces for our new Bills. I dont want guys that are all about themselves. I dont want sleepers who will never wake up. I dont want big men just because they are big. I want players who will play. I want guys who will make us want to watch. I want players who will form a core team that will drive us to right the wrong and win us that Superbowl.
Thats where my head is at. Thats why I get excited about the prospects of dominant players like Vernon Davis and DeAngelo Williams. Its also why I feel a bit ho-hum, or OK, lets wait till next year to get excited, when we talk about Ngata's. Like I said before. Its just my secret plan for the Bills. What the TRUE SB winning Bills look like? I have no frikkin clue. And, if Ngata turns out to be the next Sapp, I can promise I wont be here complaining about the pick. But theres no way around feeling like we dont have the core players yet to firmly get behind and support or THE guys to take us anywhere. If we dont, lets get those damn players NOW. We have the 8th pick. We need alot. I wont be ticked if we take a DT, OT, S. But man Id LOVE to land the next Thurman, Reed, Kelly, or Bruce. Players who will make an impact INSPITE of things like the OL, the schemes. If things go right we may not be this high again in the draft for a while, lets make the most of it.
Its just one Bills fans take. I love the Bills, the passion wont die, but I am getting anxious for that SB win.
First and foremost, I must admit that I am a Bills fan because they are my local team. Thats a cheesy excuse to support any team. I mean the team is made up of players from all over the country, not just local talents. The coaches, front office, even many administrators arent even from this area. But, theres something basic, a primal instinct that draws people to root for their home team. Its a basic need to feel supremacy over other areas of the country. Its putting your heart into a team that represents your slice of the world that you call home. And maybe its something deeper, a drive to defend it from invaders. Sounds a bit barbaric for sure. But I cant help but give a big fat finger to Fin fans that come up here all cocky with their city glitz and glamor, dark melanomas, and sassy city attitudes. It feels good to trounce them on the field and be able to "finger" their way of life. Maybe its not too much different than Greeks vs. Romans, or Muslims vs. Islamists. Only we get to play out our "war" in safe confines of a stadium.
So thats all well and good and can explain some of my love for the Bills. But theres a heck of a lot more. If you love professional sports, chances are good you love to root for the underdog. I just cant get the thrill out of a Yankees world series win they way I can when the US wins the olympic hockey gold. To me they are not on equal footing as far as accomplishment. Now, my love for the Bills started in the late 80's, early 90's. Yes, many of us fans have been here much longer. I must admit I wasnt a big sports fan until later on. But I got hooked on football and started watching. Maybe its a faint memory, but it seems that in 89, we had just lost our last game of the season and as Reed walked off the field, the commentators said that they just got the feeling this team was about to do something wonderful. And then it happened.
I cant tell you what it felt like to be a rural hick by most standards and watch your hometown team blast down the field and score on anyone they faced. At that time, I knew many people from cities and remember, this was BEFORE the salary cap. This big city teams that they root for, and all there money and players, the so called "dynastys" would play us and watch us make them look like Pop Warner teams. It wasnt just a good offense to watch, it was an absolute domination. Furthermore, that offense was able to score in what seemed like seconds. In our first Superbowl trip, our ease of scoring was our downfall. Bill Parcells simply controlled the clock and kept the ball out of our hands. Our defense wasnt the best in the league back then and the Giants simply ate the clock up. We still almost won it, but the kicker blew it.
Enough of the history, you all know it. This is the core of what drives me and many Bills fans. This team represents all that is good to us; hard working blue collar people, a smaller, closer, simpler way of life, an intense sense of pride for where we are from. Its not a NYC boasting obnoxiousness, its a subtle, humble, modest sense of love for our homeland. That strength was what sucked so many of us fans in. We then watched our small market hometown team go to four straight Superbowls. Our already deep seeded love for our team became an intense passion. But it was also coupled with a bit of spite. We LOST all four of those Superbowls. Our collective guts wrenched at it. Its was like watching Mother Theresa get run over by a drunk driver. It seemed like the greatest of travisties.
Then, all of us had to stomach the past decade or utter mediocrity. Maybe its a good thing in a way. Maybe it put enough distance between the frustration from those losses so that we can reach a calm again and be able to weather the next storm; what doesnt kill us makes us stronger or something.
But, the passion is still there. It drives us to claim we will sell our season tickets if we dont get ____. It makes us say we are done with this team. It makes us wear bags over our heads. We bash each other like three year olds because we are so passionate that our "special" plan will take us to glory and right our wrong. We act like people who are still grieving over a deep loss; and many of us are.
Personally, I just want to see the glory days again. I dont want a Dilfer-esque one and out Superbowl appearance. I dont want a Pats like team built of nobodys. I may be wrong and probably am. Its just my version, or my secret master plan for the Bills. As I already stated, each of us has one. But, I sure would like the next "core". I want the next "big three". I want to march up and down the field on anyone at anytime. Its fun to watch the Colts. It is. They arent my team, but it reminds me of the SB Bills. I dont want Peyton Manning, well, lets be serious, ANY team would want him. What I mean is, I want the next Jim Kelly. A brash, field general, who plays like a LB, not a porcelain figurine (see Rob Johnson). Losman sure seems to have some of that mojo. To be honest, i really cant think of any other young QB's inthis league who more resemble Kelly. Why? Why does it need to be the next Kelly? Isnt a quiet leader good enough? Sure. But for all the reasons I previously stated, how much BETTER would it be to win that Superbowl if it was someone that reminds you of Kelly? Maybe it helps to make it all right. Its part fo why I root for Losman. Its dumb, I agree. But its there. I will admit it, I hope that many of the rest of you JP fans will admit it too.
Anyways, its not just about him. Screw JP if he cant get it done. Id love for him to do it. But if he cant, I dont care if we get the dullest QB ever, lets just get the guy who can. Cutler? he doesnt act like Kelly. But the small school product sure lends itself to our small market mentality. Young? again, hes not a Kelly. But, hes going to be exciting to watch for sure. I cant get over that passion for the big three. Whos our next Reed? Moulds? He may have been. But the pieces were never there for him. I feel bad for him. Evans? man I like him more and more every time I watch him. He was said to have the best hands out of all the WR's last year. Add in the speed to beat anybody deep, it could be great. Vernon Davis? hes not a WR. But is he someone who will get the tough yards? someone who can drag DB's and even LB's into the endzone for TD's? Is he someone that will represent our tough, hardworking, mentality? Maybe. Whos the next Thurman? McGahee? he doesnt really remind me of him. I remember Thurman going into these giant 8 man scrums, disappearing into the mass of mass. And then squirting out from it somehow to gain another 10 yards. He was amazing. McGahee doesnt do that. Hes not that type of runner. Can he be a gamebreaker who blasts through holes and runs for 70 yards and a TD? maybe, but we havent seen it yet. DeAngelo Williams? reminds me of an Tomlinson and at some level a Thurman. He seems like a guy whos gonna get yards no matter who is blocking or not blocking for him. Barry Sanders was that way. I just cant say that for McGahee. To me having a ligsaw puzzle piece to someone elses puzzle is a waste. If McGahee isnt a fit for US, move him and get OUR guy. The puzzle wont look right or even BE right without the right pieces.
Now, we also may never again have a Bruce Smith either. It just plain feels good to hear the fans roar out "BRUUUCCCE". Whos the next guy that we can do that with? Schobel? I just dont see it in him. Could you hear Kiwi? Elvis? maybe.
And yes, we dont have a House Ballard or a Kent Hull anymore either. Whos the next guy we can label a "house". Charles Spencer? Whos the next guy who will be the bodyguard for his QB, Mangold?
My point is only this. I have a deep love for the Bills. Its a thing that started with unfinished business back in the early 90's. Its a love for a dominant offense made up of stars that come together and play like parts of a well machined Ferarri. We havent had that in the last decade. Its time to get there again. Im rooting for us to get impact players who fit our Bills mold. Im rooting for us to get guys in this draft that will become jigsaw puzzle pieces for our new Bills. I dont want guys that are all about themselves. I dont want sleepers who will never wake up. I dont want big men just because they are big. I want players who will play. I want guys who will make us want to watch. I want players who will form a core team that will drive us to right the wrong and win us that Superbowl.
Thats where my head is at. Thats why I get excited about the prospects of dominant players like Vernon Davis and DeAngelo Williams. Its also why I feel a bit ho-hum, or OK, lets wait till next year to get excited, when we talk about Ngata's. Like I said before. Its just my secret plan for the Bills. What the TRUE SB winning Bills look like? I have no frikkin clue. And, if Ngata turns out to be the next Sapp, I can promise I wont be here complaining about the pick. But theres no way around feeling like we dont have the core players yet to firmly get behind and support or THE guys to take us anywhere. If we dont, lets get those damn players NOW. We have the 8th pick. We need alot. I wont be ticked if we take a DT, OT, S. But man Id LOVE to land the next Thurman, Reed, Kelly, or Bruce. Players who will make an impact INSPITE of things like the OL, the schemes. If things go right we may not be this high again in the draft for a while, lets make the most of it.
Its just one Bills fans take. I love the Bills, the passion wont die, but I am getting anxious for that SB win.