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I absolutely hate the Bills and would never with them success
However, it is incredibly sad what is going on up there and the limbo that Ralph Wilson has left that team in ......... the fans deserve a better owner and at least a chance of hope
It would be awful to see that team move ..... Ralph needs to come up with a better plan than "own until I die and then let the highest bidder have it" .... He owes it to the city and the fan base to start looking now for the next owner, someone who is committed to making it work in buffalo and can regain the ties to the community and grass roots support that once used to be so prevalent in the area
As much as I dislike the Bills, I enjoy having them around and I completely detest when franchises with long term support and community ties get submarined by a stretch of horrible ownership
I absolutely hate the Bills and would never with them success
Since you made the effort to make this point known in a seemingly otherwise well written post, could you at least explain why you harbor these feelings.
There's several teams I don't care for as well, and I could give reasons for each one, but when you make a comment like the one you did, it leads me to believe there exists a much higher level of resentment for one reason or another.
I grew up about 2 hours from Buffalo and simply cannot stand their franchise, a lot of their former players and found a lot of their fans annoying
As I got older I learned that's just a part of football on pretty much all accounts
However, growing up and hearing nothing but buffalo talk, bills this, jills that, blah blah it moved what would otherwise be indifference to a high level of distaste
I think it's fairly typical though of fans from out of market teams to generally have little love lost for the local team
I also was there during their main time of prominence, which lead a lot of bandwagon types as well - the loud, obnoxious, uninformed type that has been pretty much weaned from the pack
So looking back with adult eyes I'm a little more understanding, forgiving and wise .... however, growing up as a kid I found the whole scene to be pretty much insufferable
Thread closed for moderator review. Will reopen a little later tonight.
I'm going to go against my better judgement and let the posts stand here. I've said it many times before and will state it again here; "Team threads are set up for fans of those teams to participate in team discussion of upcoming games, injury reports, and other related football business. Fans of opposing teams can post on team threads so long as the conversation falls along the line of these subjects."The opening comment regarding the Bills is really straddling the fence with me on this issue. But I'm good with the explanation. Thanks to Ditchlights who not only showed restraint on this but also asked a valid question to keep the post on topic.
I'm not positive, but I'm 90% sure that the time of the "Bills prominence" that Finger Laker is referring to is the 1988 to 1994 "Marv Levy era."
I go back a long ways with pro football so I'm going to take a shot at the era of the 1960's. (yea, I'm old all right) The Buffalo Bills were one of the charter members of the American Football League. From 1963 to 1966 they were among the elite in the eight team league, tying for the 1963 division championship (eventually losing to the Boston Patriots), winning the 1964 and 1965 AFL Championship, and winning the eastern division again in 1966. If not for the victory by the Kansas City Chiefs, it would be the Buffalo Bills who would represent the AFL in Super Bowl I. It is this era that I identify with the Bills regarding "prominence."
In fact, this subject I touched on in post #216 of the "Most memorable game thread" that is a "sticky" at the top of the forum page.
HH - you're absolutely right, but also kind of reinforce my point a little bit
I threw out my opening line not in an effor to stir the pot ..... as my user name points out I definitely have ties to upstate NY .... I didn't want to have a sympathy post come off as if I was speaking as a Bills fan or taking an obvious position as someone with roots in the area
The AFL days are before my time, but Wilson in a fashion not unlike al davis has become a detriment to the team.
Although Buffalo wasn't his first choice for a location and the fact that he still keeps his home residence in MI he did a lot for that franchise and that city. He also did a ton for the league in it's early stages setting the ground work for what the sport is today.
However, pretty much since the firing of Polian it seems like everything has passed him by - no shame in that, he's an older guy and all ... unfortunately he doesn't seem to recognize it
From refusing to put a corporate name on "his" stadium (but being more than willing to sell the naming rights to his parking lots - to toyota of all companies) to mishandling the toronto situation to having no real future plan ......... it's just a sad state of affairs.
There is no reason that stadium should ever have 20,000+ empty seats
Many franchises have had to deal with bad ownership - sometimes it's crippling, sometimes the transition even within the family can help get things on track ....... however, it's difficult when there has only be one owner and he's run the spectrum from being one of the tops to one of the worst
I don't like it when people try to indict Buffalo as a football city based on recent history, say that it can't support a team, should move completely to toronto or LA, etc.
There just isn't any merit to it ........ you give them competant ownership, quality facilities and hope and they will continue to pack in one of the larger stadiums in the league like they have for the past 40-50 years
I definitely feel that ownership is the most important aspect of team sports and i've seen it happen time and again with teams that I follow - including watching the sonics leave town ....... it quite frankly sucks
As things get deeper in people will use games like this past weekend to point out how the apathetic fans didn't care and couldn't even show up to watch them blow out a team with a winning record featuring one of the most intriguing players in the game ........ reality couldn't be anything further from that statement though
I really hope someone gets his ear and they figure out a way for him to transfer ownership to someone committed to the local market .... because as much as I despise the bills, I couldn't imagine a league without them
As most people know, I've been a Bronco guy since day 1 of the AFL. During the early super bowls, I always rooted for AFL teams. To this day, I'm always good when an AFL team is having a good season. I'll admit, I'm a history guy of sorts. I care about its past, and look forward to its future.
I got to meet a few ex-Buffalo Bill players who finished their careers here in Denver when Lou Saban coached the Broncos from 1967 to 1971. I belonged to the Bronco Quarterback Club, a fan booster club of sorts and there were several "meet and greet" functions with Bronco players, most of them occurring in exhibition games. Those ex-Bill players included Cookie Gilchrist (1965)and Butch Byrd, Booker Edgerson, Haven Moses, and George Saimes (early 70's).
I can understand your frustration regarding the owner situation, I can. Denver went through the same thing during the AFL-NFL merger. Denver came close to losing their franchise until Gerald Phipps came in and bought controlling interest of the club. Pete Rozelle had two different sets of parties interested in buying the Broncos and moving them. I know about dwindling attendance at the gate. I know.
I'm hoping someone can step up and keep the franchise where it's at. I also realize Buffalo has problems, big problems. Starting with people leaving town to find jobs. The Bills earlier this season looked like a club ready to turn it around, and I remember the lukewarm response the city gave Chan Gailey when he was named head coach. And then fast forward to Sunday's game and the 20,000 empty seats. It IS a tad shocking to see that many empty seats, but keep in mind other NFL clubs are in the same boat such as Jacksonville, Miami, and Oakland. Denver plays Kansas City Sunday. I've been to several games at Arrowhead, but not in the last few years. I have a high school buddy who lives in the KC area, I asked him how often do the Chiefs sell out games. He just looked at me and laughed. The Broncos played at Arizona a little over a year ago (I was there) and had no problem latching on to a ticket. Just two years previous they nearly beat the Steelers in the Super Bowl. So yes, other teams are in the same boat.
For attendance. Ownership is most likely a different story But back to Buffalo, no-I don't like to see the situation the way it is up there.
Just a note on the cardinals, tickets are easy to get but the stadium is always pretty full..... every game in the new building has sold out .... bill bidwill is an awful owner .... no coincidence his son michael led the charge to get it built and helped build a team that is generally competative
As a seahawks fan i witnessed it as well .... great fan support and decent teams under the nordstroms ..... behring butchered the franchise and the vans were going to anaheim .... then paul allen stepped in, saved the franchise, rebuilt the trust and things are great again
Buffalo has had hard times, but it has stabilized a lot ...... things werent great there in the 90s and they did well
Right now though there is just no trust or connection .... really who would get excited about chan gailey? .... they also had a good start and fade a couple years ago .... the team responded by doing nothing to take the next step
Just a note on the cardinals, tickets are easy to get but the stadium is always pretty full..... every game in the new building has sold out .... bill bidwill is an awful owner .... no coincidence his son michael led the charge to get it built and helped build a team that is generally competative
As a seahawks fan i witnessed it as well .... great fan support and decent teams under the nordstroms ..... behring butchered the franchise and the vans were going to anaheim .... then paul allen stepped in, saved the franchise, rebuilt the trust and things are great again
Buffalo has had hard times, but it has stabilized a lot ...... things werent great there in the 90s and they did well
Right now though there is just no trust or connection .... really who would get excited about chan gailey? .... they also had a good start and fade a couple years ago .... the team responded by doing nothing to take the next step
Just something odd about hating the Bills...heh...hating the Bills? How do you possibly hate a team that never won anything? I can see hating the Yankees, or hating the Lakers or the Steelers,Cowboys..so on///but the Bills?
I'm a Dolphin fan and I've always respected the Buffalo Bills. They are a team in a small market, but have been tremendously successful. Keep on truckin' Bills fans.
I'm a Dolphin fan and I've always respected the Buffalo Bills. They are a team in a small market, but have been tremendously successful. Keep on truckin' Bills fans.
We do... oh yes we do... love the Dead reference there.
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