For all you veteran Bills fan...

[The Dean]

Some years are diamonds and some years are stones to paraphrase the old song.

 

 

Diamonds and Stones?

[billsfreak]

Just have a question for all you long time bills fans. By long time im talking like 30-40 years. Anyways, my question is: Has there ever been a lower point to be a bills fan? If yes, when? Just curious. Go bills

I have been a die hard since I started going to games in the early 1970's, and in my opinion, the past 10 years have been the worst time to be a Bills fan, with the current being the worse. There have been bad teams in the past, no doubt, but I don't remember us ever being clearly the worst team in the NFL, with the organization seeming like they didn't care either. The 1970's were some lean years, but there was no free agency, and none of the last to first teams like we see every year back then. Back then you really did have to build for the future, nowadays the NFL is a win now league, there is no building for the future, but the Bills haven't gotten that message. Sit back and look, this team has went an entire decade without making one playoff game! That doesn't even seem possible, even the Browns make it every 7 or 8 years by accident. Ralph won't pay for top notch front office personnel or coaching, and if he does by chance get a good one, he chases them out of town. It isn't going to get any better until we have a new owner, who comes in with a commitment to win. Just look at the teams history in the Super Bowl era, we had one good decade out of four? The other 3 decades we pretty much sucked, and nobody can dispute that. We are such a joke around the country, that the Patriots' defense has been getting slammed all week, because they gave up 30 points to the Buffalo Bills (giggle) on every radio show.

Edited October 1, 2010 by billsfreak

[plenzmd1]

As an old timer, I believe now is harder to take just cause we all know so much more. I am 47, been going to games since 1970. Back in the 70's and 80's, we had no clue about the draft etc. Yes, you knew the big names, but with one college game on the tube per week, after the first round no one had any idea who these guys were.

 

in the 84-85 time frame, I was in school and traveling almost every fall weekend for my games. Usually only got to one home game per year at Rich, no internet, no USA Today (maybe just starting if I remember), no ESPN to speak of,no sports bars,so I only got the scores from the paper the next day. All I can remember is owing my coach like $2,000 on Bills bets as we kept going double or nothing on the Bills..thank god they beat the Cowboys!!!

 

So, for me yes this is the worst, but I believe we are pulling out of it now!!!!

[tennesseeboy]

Diamonds and Stones?

yeah...but unfortunately some years are just crap/

[Albany,n.y.]

During the darker periods of the 70s & 80s you had 50-60,000 empty seats at Rich Stadium by the end of the season. In 1985, the second season of back to back 2-14 records, with the exception being the Miami game, the final 4 of 5 games had crowds in the 20 thousands. You'll never see crowds that low again for half the schedule. In 1977 I lived about a mile & 1/2 from the stadium. Money was a lot tighter for me then, I went to the 1st 2 home games & gave up, choosing to listen the games on the radio. I used to do my laundry at a laundromat in Hamburg while listening and would drive right by the stadium on gamedays. There was no traffic and I could see how empty the stadium was.

One of the lowest points, even though the team was on the upswing with Knox as head coach was in 1979 when the Bills lost the top pick in the entire NFL draft to the CFL. Can you imagine if we had the #1 pick next year & he signed with the CFL?This board would explode.

This period is nothing compared to the stuff that went on at One Bills Drive (and the Rockpile before that) before the great teams of the 1990s. I laugh when I see the younger fans talking about how low the franchise has sunk. We old guys know that the mid 1960s and the 1990s were the abberations. Also, for those who think Ralph has lost it, he was pulling the same stuff 30-40 years ago, so there's nothing wrong with him, he's just reverted to Same Old Ralph.

[The Dean]

yeah...but unfortunately some years are just crap/

 

 

To be sure.

 

But I was wondering about the name of the "old song" you were paraphrasing. I went with the obvious.

[GG]

Each year, save '64-'65, '79-'81 and '87-'99.

 

Commitment to mediocrity, baby.

[SwampD]

This is the worst that I can recall. Something about those awful 80s teams was at least fun. Maybe it was because they were still somewhat of a young team. Now, they just kinda feel like they are that old biddy at the end of the bar who's been ridden hard and put away wet. She doesn't realize that her looks have gone and wears clothes that are too young for her. She ain't hooking up with any promising young fellas fresh out of college. She can only land broken down over the hill guys that don't have a place anywhere else.

Edited October 1, 2010 by SwampD

[xsoldier54]

Just have a question for all you long time bills fans. By long time im talking like 30-40 years. Anyways, my question is: Has there ever been a lower point to be a bills fan? If yes, when? Just curious. Go bills

I have been a Bills fan since Day 1. I was 6 years old when my sister brought home the first team photo. She went to Buff State teacher's college and we lived in Hornell. I tacked it up on the wall in my bedroom and watched every game of the old AFL team. Over the years, there have been many low points and many bad teams. There have been good front office teams and bad ones as well. I agree that this current stretch is very discouraging and disheartening, but I do believe that eventually it will turn around. I don't believe we can expect much this year as the first three games have shown that we just aren't a very good team right now. What I will look for as a fan is improved performance and something to build on for next year. I think the offense performed much better last week, but the defense was horrendous. The rest of this year, I will look for some consistency in the offense and improvement on defense. I guess another thing that comes with age is the ability to put football in perspective. That same sister that brought me home the first Bills team photo is currently suffering from stage 4 cancer and the treatments are not working. She is suffering a great deal, so please Bills fans keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Enjoy the games as best you can, but remember, it's only a football game. Go Bills.

[Another Point of View]

Just have a question for all you long time bills fans. By long time im talking like 30-40 years. Anyways, my question is: Has there ever been a lower point to be a bills fan? If yes, when? Just curious. Go bills

 

I rank the present team around number 10 as the worst.

[Bflojohn]

I'll chime in here, because this helps define BAD in the mid 80's. ESPN was doing a "highlights" show and they eventually got to a Bills game where by the end of the game, two fans were doing their own wave(nearly empty stadium)with NO ONE around them!! The Bills fans back then showed their displeasure for THAT team with VERY weak attendance. I honestly believe that was why Ralph finally quit meddling for a while and let Bill Polian build an actual football team starting in 1986 or so!

Note: I think there were 20,000 (approx.) attendance figures back in those days, IF nothing else, the fans today are weathering the storm by showing support beyond the measures of the mid 1980's. Personally, if the Bills are to remain in Buffalo, I think THAT has to remain the case!

Edited October 1, 2010 by Bflojohn

[Tcali]

Just have a question for all you long time bills fans. By long time im talking like 30-40 years. Anyways, my question is: Has there ever been a lower point to be a bills fan? If yes, when? Just curious. Go bills

 

I think this is definitely the low point--and Ive been a fan for 46 years.

Of course the Bills have had several worse teams than this.-I just base my

answer on the fact that the Bills are so messed up at all the wrong positions-solidifying

the perpetual mediocrity they have settled into.

 

Even in 85 we had some good young talent at the right positions..and within 2-3 yrs had a top notch team.

In the late 60s the OJ/Braxton/JD Hill/Bobby Chandler/Ferguson/Ahmad Rashad era of excitement was only a few yrs away.The late 70s mediocrity was followed by some real solid and fun football a couple yrs later under ground Chuck.

 

So while these teams of the past 8-10 years havent been our worst by a longshot-they have been the most hopeless with no QB,bad OTs,bad or overrated DEs,weak LBs.Even if the mgmt of this team makes all the right moves(highly unlikely but lets give them a chance)we are still 2-3 yrs away from having a real team.-Thats a lotttt of time gone by.

[first_and_ten]

Most of the 70's and early 80's!

in 1980 they were 11-5 , and in 1981 they were 10-6..

[DCBongo]

That was AFTER the bad period of the 80's. We don't know what is in store for the Bills in the future, therefore the strange logic is in your post. If you actually want to be fair, you have to look backward, not forward from past losing periods. I can tell you this:

 

From 1976 through 19887, the Bills had exactly TWO winning seasons.

 

Check it out for yourself. Looking strictly at the regular season records, the current period isn't even the 2nd worst period in Bills' history:

 

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/buf/

 

Apparently some have forgotten about back to back 2-14 seasons in the early/mid 80's when SNL in spoofing the Super Bowl shuffle did the Bills and called in "Yeah, we're the Bills, and what are you looking at?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU1M9wHpH6k

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

aren't we in the midst of the longest playoff drought in franchise history at 11 years and counting? And we've yet to hit bottom, let alone improve..

 

In fact, by the time we're done, I suspect we'll have doubled the previous longest playoff drought which stood at 7 years.

 

You old timers are living in the past. This is the worst it's ever been, and this year we'll have the record to show for it.

 

 

Yes and no. Really, the dryest period in team history was 1967-1979 inclusive. 13 seasons, three winning seasons (1973-1975), one playoff appearance (1974). eight seasons with 10 or more losses (1967-1971, 1976-78), two with 9 losses (72 and 79). And note that before 1978, it was a 14-game season. In 1968, and 1971, the Bills won one game; in 1976 they won 2. It is true that the one playoff appearance broke up the awful years, but that is minor. Consider, in this period: No wins against the Dolphins (in Miami between 1966 and 1983, anywhere 1970-1979), Oilers (1966-1983), or against any team on the West Coast (1966-1980).

 

That cavalcade of pain is off the top of my head. The present does not come close. Just keep it in perspective kids.

[RuffMuff]

Apparently some have forgotten about back to back 2-14 seasons in the early/mid 80's when SNL in spoofing the Super Bowl shuffle did the Bills and called in "Yeah, we're the Bills, and what are you looking at?

youtube.com/watch?v=AU1M9wHpH6k

 

Hey - was that Steve Christie?

[ChasBB]

Yes and no. Really, the dryest period in team history was 1967-1979 inclusive. 13 seasons, three winning seasons (1973-1975), one playoff appearance (1974). eight seasons with 10 or more losses (1967-1971, 1976-78), two with 9 losses (72 and 79). And note that before 1978, it was a 14-game season. In 1968, and 1971, the Bills won one game; in 1976 they won 2. It is true that the one playoff appearance broke up the awful years, but that is minor. Consider, in this period: No wins against the Dolphins (in Miami between 1966 and 1983, anywhere 1970-1979), Oilers (1966-1983), or against any team on the West Coast (1966-1980).

 

That cavalcade of pain is off the top of my head. The present does not come close. Just keep it in perspective kids.

Well, 14 straight losses to the Patriots is quickly approaching the 20 straight losses to the Dolphins. It's kind of close, but you are right -- those were dismal times.

Edited October 2, 2010 by ChasBB

[billsfan714]

I kind of think this is worse as somebody in their late 40s. This is the longest stretch without a playoff run and next year isnt going to be much better. We're in a division with the Jets and Pats and thats going to be hard to get past those teams. The Jets are loaded, the Pats have multiple picks in the draft including 2 first rounders next year so they're going to get better especially on D. Miami is no slouch. I just dont see much light at the end of the tunnel for any playoff run for at least 4 years. That would be 15 years with no playoffs. Thats an entire generation of young Bills fans who will have never seen a playoff game at the ralph or on TV. Im not real high on the Chan and Buddy show. This draft other than CJ is a big meh. I think we have the worst front office in football, this drought will push 20 years I think.

[Georgia Bill]

Yes and no. Really, the dryest period in team history was 1967-1979 inclusive. 13 seasons, three winning seasons (1973-1975), one playoff appearance (1974). eight seasons with 10 or more losses (1967-1971, 1976-78), two with 9 losses (72 and 79). And note that before 1978, it was a 14-game season. In 1968, and 1971, the Bills won one game; in 1976 they won 2. It is true that the one playoff appearance broke up the awful years, but that is minor. Consider, in this period: No wins against the Dolphins (in Miami between 1966 and 1983, anywhere 1970-1979), Oilers (1966-1983), or against any team on the West Coast (1966-1980).

 

That cavalcade of pain is off the top of my head. The present does not come close. Just keep it in perspective kids.

Agreed, back in that period of despair, it seemed one simple thing would have elated us fans - a win against Miami. Another poster suggested we are approaching that level of futility with our 14 losses against NE. I have to say, (and I hope we don't see it), but IF we get to 20 straight losses against NE, with no winning seasons or playoffs between now and then, we would be approaching the point where we'd be able to start making the case that we were in the worst years. We ain't there yet though.

Edited October 2, 2010 by Georgia Bill

[billsfan714]

Agreed, back in that period of despair, it seemed one simple thing would have elated us fans - a win against Miami. Another poster suggested we are approaching that level of futility with our 14 losses against NE. I have to say, (and I hope we don't see it), but IF we get to 20 straight losses against NE, with no winning seasons or playoffs between now and then, we would be approaching the point where we'd be able to start making the case that we were in the worst years. We ain't there yet though.

 

If you put that all together. This year and next could equal 84 and 85 in terms of futility(even if you get a top QB next year it would be a rookie starting on a bad team). Pats win again this season thats 15 wins and they're 2 and 1/2 years from taking 20 straight, which seems likely(thats where it hits you in the gut...wow we went a decade without beating a division team). Then to top it off, you would be 13-14 years without a playoff appearance. Call it the triple crown of suckitude. That would indisputably be the worst stretch.

Edited October 2, 2010 by billsfan714