ajzepp Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 I haven't read through this entire thread, but I wanted to say that, as Bills fans, there are two things that are a certainty: 1) It's often necessary to vent about our frustration in order to keep our sanity. 2) No matter how much or how often we vent, and no matter how appealing the thought can be about rooting for another team instead, we're Bills fans and we'll ALWAYS be Bills fans. So Mike, don't fret. Get it all out, man, cause we understand. Soon the Bills will be again making moves that give us hope going into the season, and sooner or later those moves will result in a playoff-bound team.
Beastly Dareus Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 You are right Cabe... It is totally staggering to see what the drop out rates have become. Now granted, my father was born during the depression and only went to grade 8... Seemed that generation corrected itself by having their children attend more school... Yet, IMO as we slip more and more back into that conservative frame of mind/society and political mentality... That drop out mentality seems again to gaining ground. Sorry for my political commentary... I sense some sarcasm Because the drop out rates have decreased dramatically year to year since the 70's... as evident by statistics from the National Education site: http://nces.ed.gov/FastFacts/display.asp?id=16
Wiz Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 Found video of TBarrett and his friend's first day of college link
BillsVet Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 To quote Kent Dorfman, a.k.a. Flounder: "Oh boy is this great!"
Beastly Dareus Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 Found video of TBarrett and his friend's first day of college link "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt" "Insults only make people stronger" -I like the insults, keep them coming... Just shows peoples immaturity
Sisyphean Bills Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 yes your totally right: even statistics disagree with you: http://nces.ed.gov/FastFacts/display.asp?id=16 -And yes im 21 (Correct on 1 thing), Graduated in 2007. Lowest ever drop out rate year Maybe she was referring to these... http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2667532&...TC-RSSFeeds0312 http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/05/dropout.r...tudy/index.html
bartshan-83 Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt" "Insults only make people stronger" -I like the insults, keep them coming... Just shows peoples immaturity
BillsGuyInMalta Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 Hey, can anyone help me with my currency exchange homework?
Dan Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 I know this is a little off topic because I'm not mentioning "Stripes" or "Fletch" to add to the must see list, because I don't want to insult some kid that obviously has no social life apart from the nerds he hangs out with and don't realize that GPAs are not given as percentiles, so before I digress, let me say to the OP... I think too many people get hung up on the perceptions of reality. You say that your biggest fear is that we gete another hot coordinator and, therefore, undergo 3 more years of sucking. But, why? The reality is that the Ravens, the Falcons, the Steelers, the Cardinals, the Saints, even the Jets and Miami now, all have first time HCs that were previously hot coordinators. So, why is it a foregone conclusion that a hot coordinator will fail here? You believe, as many do, that we absolutely have to have a proven commodity to be good again. But, do you realize that the Redskins tried that with Gibbs and it got them no where. So the perception doesn't always lead to the reality. You view the owner as meddlesome, because so many people around here tout it as though they know Ralph personally. But, do you think he's any more involved in the team's daily activities than Jones, Snyder, Kraft, Davis, or any jsut about any other owner. How many times do you see Ralph on the sidelines during games? How many times have you see Ralph interviewed saying this coach or that player has to do something? The truth of the matter is, yes, Ralph has input on who is hired/fired/played. But, so does every owner in the league. And there's absolutely zero evidence that Ralph is any more or less involved than any other owner out there. So, again, the perception doesn't always lead to the reality. We put ourselves through the emotional roller coaster of hope-reality-despair each year because we're fans. It's as simple as that. Sure you could go find another team, but you and I both know you'll never be as emotionally invested in that team as you are the Bills. It's both a blessing and a curse. But, just think about it, things are always darkest jut before the light. The Bills aren't as bad as many on this board and in the national media perceive. Yes the Raiders have been in the Superbowl this past decade, but then they followed that with 7(?) consecutive 10+ loss seasons. Yes, the Cowboys are in the playoffs, but the reality is they've won just has many playoffs games as the Bills since 1996. Yes, the Redskins just hired Shanny and will once again be talked about to make the Super Bowl, but the reality is they were talked about just as highly last year and they finished with a worse record than the horrible Bills. And we oould go on. Again, the perception is that all these teams are so much better, but the reality is they're not really all that much better, if at all. Yes, it's tough being a Bills fan. Believe me, we all know. But, being a Bills fan is more than watching a team. It's more than cheering for a winner. It's about being part of something that's bigger and greater than all of us. It's about being part of this community; it's about holding onto your dreams; it's about who you are as a person. And deep down, without the Bills there is no football, there is no reason to watch this game. So, enjoy the moments, dare to dream, and bleed Bills blue (whatever shade that is anyway). Why? Because there is no other way.
streetcarp77 Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 Going with a new team will never be an option while the Bills are still in Buffalo. Too much history, much of it bad, to walk away from. We are what they think we are. The most tortured fans in sports(with the exception of cubs fans). I could never pick a new team and watch that team win a superbowl. I would never be able to convince myself that i actually gave a **** about anything other than a BILLS superbowl win. It would be like breaking up with the ugly girl in school only to see her on the street a few years later hotter than hell(that is if they ever start winning again).
bbb Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 I still don't have an NBA team that I root for (the only sport, college or pro, that I don't) since the Braves left town.
cåblelady Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 Maybe she was referring to these... http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2667532&...TC-RSSFeeds0312 http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/05/dropout.r...tudy/index.html Uh-oh You'll probably get a PM with the link to the nces.ed.gov link again.....just in case you missed it.
PromoTheRobot Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 Either you are extremely bull-headed, or you are simply incapable of carrying on a conversation. Hmmm...that Robot moniker is suddenly taking on new significance.... No, I have just been on this board long enough to know the drill. People scream and yell and complain...but they never ever actually leave. There is no conversation to hold. Everything that's been said has been said a million times. The Bills will never be a great team as long as Ralph Wilson owns them. But the flip side is the minute he stops owning the Bills is probably when the Bills leave town. So as a fan you can choose to put up with the constant disappointment, become a fan of another team, or you can stop being a fan altogether. PTR
turftoe Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 Hey tbarrett 2030, If you watch all those movies do you think they will still let you graduate summa cum-nieve?
Mike in Syracuse Posted January 9, 2010 Author Posted January 9, 2010 yes your totally right: even statistics disagree with you: http://nces.ed.gov/FastFacts/display.asp?id=16 -And yes im 21 (Correct on 1 thing), Graduated in 2007. Lowest ever drop out rate year Barrett, This is not an insult so please don't take it as one. When you're in your 40's, as many of us are, you're going to think back to the time when you were 21 and do you know what you're going to think??? You're going to think something along the lines of "When I was 21 I thought I knew everything. In fact, I didn't know anything and it's amazing that I was able to leave my house without killing myself." And just as an FYI, I've been a Bills fan longer than you've been alive.
Clippers of Nfl Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 I got into a conversation last night with one of my neighbors who is also a Bills fan. We were talking about this year's disaster and the futility of the last 10 years. We discussed the coaching search and I told him my biggest fear is that we get another hot coordinator and it turns into another one of these 3 year disaster stints. We also discussed why someone like Cowher might not want to coach the Bills. We love this team and we think that it should be a great job for every coach. As fans of the team we have trouble seeing through our own bias but when you stand back and look at the last 15 years it's not hard to understand. After an amazing SB run everyone responsible for that team is either fired or leaves prematurely. The only one that stuck around was Levy. Our owner is regarded as meddlesome and our management structure is laughable. Added to that pile of issues is the fact that our owner is 90+ years old and we have no idea what will happen to the team when he passes. Every year I put myself through the emotional roller coaster of hope-reality-despair. Why do we continue to punish ourselves? In the end, we both agreed that life would be simpler if we could just cut ties and jump to another team. The problem is that being a Bills fan isn't something you decide, it's something you are. Rooting for another team might give me hope but it just feels dirty. So how to cope when your team is in disarray........................ sorry to get in between the argument. in response to the thread: i have tried that. i said to myself. "this year you will love the broncos, dammit". but by week # 2 im back to following the bills....so honestly if u are a true bills fan, you wouldnt be able to jump to another team. it should be impossible. by the way what has worked for me in the past is to just NOT watch footbal period. (which only happened once in 20 years) they went like 3-13 that year. they were so sloppy that i gave up all together by like week 5. i watched the playoffs that year and of course the big game. so that is my suggestion mike in syracuse. dont abandon your team. just take a break if u need it.
wardigital Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 I got into a conversation last night with one of my neighbors who is also a Bills fan. We were talking about this year's disaster and the futility of the last 10 years. We discussed the coaching search and I told him my biggest fear is that we get another hot coordinator and it turns into another one of these 3 year disaster stints. We also discussed why someone like Cowher might not want to coach the Bills. We love this team and we think that it should be a great job for every coach. As fans of the team we have trouble seeing through our own bias but when you stand back and look at the last 15 years it's not hard to understand. After an amazing SB run everyone responsible for that team is either fired or leaves prematurely. The only one that stuck around was Levy. Our owner is regarded as meddlesome and our management structure is laughable. Added to that pile of issues is the fact that our owner is 90+ years old and we have no idea what will happen to the team when he passes. Every year I put myself through the emotional roller coaster of hope-reality-despair. Why do we continue to punish ourselves? In the end, we both agreed that life would be simpler if we could just cut ties and jump to another team. The problem is that being a Bills fan isn't something you decide, it's something you are. Rooting for another team might give me hope but it just feels dirty. So how to cope when your team is in disarray........................ I think about it too. But loyalty is a hard thing to break. I was probably at my wits end when Jauron was brought back to start this season, but I held on. There's just something about growing up with and continuing to follow a certain team that becomes a part of one's identity. I know it's silly because, in the end, we're just rooting for a color scheme and a logo. The Bills don't "love us back", as they say, but being a sports fan is essentially saying, "The teams I root for are an extension of what I am, they are the embodiment of my feelings and outlook on certain things." So to leave them for another team for a real sports fan would almost seem like a high treason. It is easy to just always root for winners, and I suppose for a short time it would make games more fun. But in the long run my relationship with the Bills as a fan has existed because at a young age I came to believe that your sports teams were a small part of your actual being, and that abandonment is one of the riskiest, worst things one can do.
Beastly Dareus Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 Uh-oh You'll probably get a PM with the link to the nces.ed.gov link again.....just in case you missed it. You cant argue statistics
Sisyphean Bills Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 Uh-oh You'll probably get a PM with the link to the nces.ed.gov link again.....just in case you missed it.
Dan Posted January 9, 2010 Posted January 9, 2010 Barrett, This is not an insult so please don't take it as one. When you're in your 40's, as many of us are, you're going to think back to the time when you were 21 and do you know what you're going to think??? You're going to think something along the lines of "When I was 21 I thought I knew everything. In fact, I didn't know anything and it's amazing that I was able to leave my house without killing myself." And just as an FYI, I've been a Bills fan longer than you've been alive. But then again, some of us kill so many brain cells along the way that we actually did know more when we were 21. Oh, if only I knew now what I knew then, what a simpler life this could be again.
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