metzelaars_lives Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 The one personal downside from yesterday's game is that I may have lost my kids to the NY Giants (or the "G-Men" as we call them around our house). We live in the NYC 'burbs and my kids are 8 and 3, so, as you may expect, they've been swept up in the Giants euphoria around here and were rooting hysterically for them last night. Oh, well, at least they're not Pats* fans or 'Pukes fans and at least they'll be spared our pain, I guess, although it makes me sad to think that we won't be sharing that pain together as they grow older. There may still be hope (or maybe the opposite of hope?) for the little guy--he told me on Saturday that he already "misses the Buffaloes" and that "they're done playing football now. Now they're playing soccer".... Dude don't worry about it. When I was 8 I was absolutely obsessed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of their orange uniforms. Once I became of age, I realized that you that you root for a team because of what they represent- in my case, my hometown. Your son has a ways to go before he ultimately settles on his team. I absolutely rooted for the Bucs to beat the Bills back when I was that age. Now, there's only one team that means anything to me at all- the Bills.
berndogg Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 The one personal downside from yesterday's game is that I may have lost my kids to the NY Giants (or the "G-Men" as we call them around our house). We live in the NYC 'burbs and my kids are 8 and 3, so, as you may expect, they've been swept up in the Giants euphoria around here and were rooting hysterically for them last night. Oh, well, at least they're not Pats* fans or 'Pukes fans and at least they'll be spared our pain, I guess, although it makes me sad to think that we won't be sharing that pain together as they grow older. There may still be hope (or maybe the opposite of hope?) for the little guy--he told me on Saturday that he already "misses the Buffaloes" and that "they're done playing football now. Now they're playing soccer".... That actually reminds me of myself a little bit. I grew up about 20 mins from Giants stadium, my dad is a die hard Bills fan from Buffalo, and I was 7 years old and my brother was 9 when super bowl 25 took place. My brother and I were definitely influenced by the Giants hype leading up to the game and I think we even rooted for them (we were able to do so because our dad was at the game while we were home with our mom who doesn't care about sports). But in the following years we fell in love with those super bowl Bills teams, who were just much more entertaining to watch than the mediocre giants teams of the early 90s and the rest is history. I sill give my dad crap about how I should've just stuck with the Giants and my life would've been so much easier.
MattM Posted February 6, 2012 Author Posted February 6, 2012 Dude don't worry about it. When I was 8 I was absolutely obsessed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of their orange uniforms. Once I became of age, I realized that you that you root for a team because of what they represent- in my case, my hometown. Your son has a ways to go before he ultimately settles on his team. I absolutely rooted for the Bucs to beat the Bills back when I was that age. Now, there's only one team that means anything to me at all- the Bills. Understood, but the "problem" is that my kids are going to most likely grow up in the NYC area (I've been here off and on for over 25 years), so other than me (and their aforementioned grandfather and occasional visits to WNY) they will be "Bills starved" and "Giants/Jets fed". I can't really blame them for going in those local directions if they choose, but it is a bit of a bitter pill to swallow (although probably less bitter than the lifelong Bills fandom we all suffer from)..... That actually reminds me of myself a little bit. I grew up about 20 mins from Giants stadium, my dad is a die hard Bills fan from Buffalo, and I was 7 years old and my brother was 9 when super bowl 25 took place. My brother and I were definitely influenced by the Giants hype leading up to the game and I think we even rooted for them (we were able to do so because our dad was at the game while we were home with our mom who doesn't care about sports). But in the following years we fell in love with those super bowl Bills teams, who were just much more entertaining to watch than the mediocre giants teams of the early 90s and the rest is history. I sill give my dad crap about how I should've just stuck with the Giants and my life would've been so much easier. Now that's funny--I was typing my prior entry before I saw yours. Many thanks for giving me some hope after all!
metzelaars_lives Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Understood, but the "problem" is that my kids are going to most likely grow up in the NYC area (I've been here off and on for over 25 years), so other than me (and their aforementioned grandfather and occasional visits to WNY) they will be "Bills starved" and "Giants/Jets fed". I can't really blame them for going in those local directions if they choose, but it is a bit of a bitter pill to swallow (although probably less bitter than the lifelong Bills fandom we all suffer from)..... Now that's funny--I was typing my prior entry before I saw yours. Many thanks for giving me some hope after all! Take em to Rich Stadium on a September day (while they're still mathematically alive) and get there at 8 AM. If the Bills win, they'll be lifers.
berndogg Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Understood, but the "problem" is that my kids are going to most likely grow up in the NYC area (I've been here off and on for over 25 years), so other than me (and their aforementioned grandfather and occasional visits to WNY) they will be "Bills starved" and "Giants/Jets fed". I can't really blame them for going in those local directions if they choose, but it is a bit of a bitter pill to swallow (although probably less bitter than the lifelong Bills fandom we all suffer from)..... Now that's funny--I was typing my prior entry before I saw yours. Many thanks for giving me some hope after all! Well, don't get too much hope. Jim Kelly and Bruce Smith were a much easier sell for my dad than Ryan Fitzpatrick and Chris Kelsay will be for you! But in all seriousness, in the end I think watching the games and rooting for the team as a family was (and still is) what drew my brother and I to the Bills. Get Direct TV or find a bar with a satellite that's somewhat kid friendly, make sure to take them to see the Bills play the Jets every year at the Meadowlands (being around jets fans will influence anyone towards being a fan of the other team), and enjoy watching the games together as often as you can, that should be enough to convert them. Then they'll be bitter about it 20 years later like I am.
Fan in San Diego Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 My five year old daughter came up to me at the beginning of the game and very sincerely said "Daddy, I really really hope Buffalo wins the game today." I didn't have the heart to correct her, even though we had discussed it before and she knows the Bills season has been over awhile. Awesome!
shane nelson Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 I have lived in NJ for 23 years and have had Giants tickets for 20. I lost my kids to the Giants a long time ago, or should I say the Giants wom them over. Always believe you should stick with your hometown team no matter what and for my kids its the NYG. Better that the NE or Dallas
MattM Posted February 6, 2012 Author Posted February 6, 2012 Well, don't get too much hope. Jim Kelly and Bruce Smith were a much easier sell for my dad than Ryan Fitzpatrick and Chris Kelsay will be for you! But in all seriousness, in the end I think watching the games and rooting for the team as a family was (and still is) what drew my brother and I to the Bills. Get Direct TV or find a bar with a satellite that's somewhat kid friendly, make sure to take them to see the Bills play the Jets every year at the Meadowlands (being around jets fans will influence anyone towards being a fan of the other team), and enjoy watching the games together as often as you can, that should be enough to convert them. Then they'll be bitter about it 20 years later like I am. Oh, we've got the Ticket (so they can watch Daddy swear at the TV, as someone else noted above that's also an autumn Sunday ritual in our household) and I took them to the Bills-Giants game this year (which may have started the G-Men love, actually), so I'm covered there. I guess it's just a bit of a crap shoot what happens from here, eh? I have lived in NJ for 23 years and have had Giants tickets for 20. I lost my kids to the Giants a long time ago, or should I say the Giants wom them over. Always believe you should stick with your hometown team no matter what and for my kids its the NYG. Better that the NE or Dallas Amen to that, brother. They may find out what it's like to sleep outside if they want to follow either of those teams. In fact, I told my son last week that the Pats* and the Cowboys are "evil" (to him, all teams are either "evil" or "good").....
ICanSleepWhenI'mDead Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 I actually was a Giants fan when I was 9 years old, back when they beat Denver in 1986. Christmas of 1987, my dad got me what he thought was a Giants Jersey, but it was a red white and blue #12. (The Bills and Giants jerseys looked so similar those years and it didn't have a name on the back). Once I had the jersey I decided that the Bills were the team that I was going to root for. The following year the Bills are in the AFC title game against the Bengals and I have been a die-hard ever since. I guess what I am trying to say is that I could have been a Giants fan, but my dad totally screwed me over and it is totally his fault that I am a Bills fan, but I guess it was meant to be. Let your kids root for the Giants if they want to - don't make the same mistake that my dad did, it is a much better life. Don't blame your Dad - - I figure you must have pushed little Timmy down the well in a former life and Lassie wasn't around to save him (after all, this is a thread about kids). Maybe all of us are paying for past sins!
San Jose Bills Fan Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 Awesome thread. Love the anecdotes. No clear answers but everyone's life is different and there's no one way to do things. I will say that children should be raised to be happy and enjoy life… but I'll add that cheering for a losing team is not necessarily mutually exclusive of happiness and enjoyment.
ACor58 Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 Don't blame your Dad - - I figure you must have pushed little Timmy down the well in a former life and Lassie wasn't around to save him (after all, this is a thread about kids). Maybe all of us are paying for past sins! That is the most logical explanation that I have heard in my 34 years on this planet.
KD in CA Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 Is there really such a thing as a true Giants' fan? I loved the Giants' owner after the game proclaim how Giants' fans are the best. Really? These are the same fans that turn on a dime, and don't want to buy tickets to a playoff game. Say what?? The Giants have one of the longest and most devoted fan bases in the NFL. It's been a long time since a seat went unsold for a Giants game.
ACor58 Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 Say what?? The Giants have one of the longest and most devoted fan bases in the NFL. It's been a long time since a seat went unsold for a Giants game. He must be thinking of those die-hard Pats fans that have been following them since the beginning in 2001.
machinegun12 Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 (edited) My son is a Steelers fan. He tries to make me feel better by telling me he roots for the Bills when they are not playing each other. He wants me to do the same, but I just can't. The good thing, however, is that he also hates the Patriots. I live in Pittsburgh with my family and aside from perhaps her being kidnapped or suffering a traumatic or deadly injury or disease, my daughter becoming a Squealer fan is one of my biggest worries. Edited February 7, 2012 by machinegun12
Stealth Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 When I was a kid I was an Eagles fan. Than I became a Bills fan still as a kid in the early 90's sb years. The way I look at it is pretty much a wash. The giants I would say are a neutral choice for your kids. Better than them being Jet's fans. The one thing that bothers me about giants fans is that a good percentage of them became Patriot fans due to Parcells/Belichick, than probably switched back and forth over the past few seasons. Other than that at least your kids will have fond sports memories lol
DrDawkinstein Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 At least they ain't Cheatriots fans! There is always that. Kinda sucks but on the other hand maybe they will be spared some of our misery. They'll be back when we play better. My sentiments exactly. If they are from the NYC burbs then technically, the Giants are their hometown team. I don't fault the kids for cheering for them. At least they aren't picking a team from outside.
Cookiemonster Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 My son is a Steelers fan. He tries to make me feel better by telling me he roots for the Bills when they are not playing each other. He wants me to do the same, but I just can't. The good thing, however, is that he also hates the Patriots. My whole fam damily is too, and it is very tough, I always tell them, that when we get one, just one dam it, then I might be a little more passionate about the Stellars, but I just can't now, so I fake enthusiasm. Although i do respect and envy them.
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