Garion Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 So I was at today's game against the Vikings. This was my first game since 07 and I believe only my third since moving away from upstate NY in 1999. We moved back now and I got a chance to go to the game with two of the guys I saw the 1993 Houston comeback game with. I was shocked by some of the changes The good 1. The stadium is much nicer looking then I remember it compares fairly well to more modern stadiums. 2. The new scoreboards actually do add a lot to the game giving you extra stats and replays that I have been accustomed to watching on TV. 3. Getting out of the lots wasn't bad at all we were on 219 in under 30 minutes. Maybe we got lucky but it feels like the lots were emptying better. The bad 1. Had the serial drunk fights two rows in front of me. Two guys get tossed (one arrested) and five minutes later two more guys from the same groups (and one woman) start it up again resulting in two more ejections. . .though two of the guys came back so not sure what happened. 2. It seems like fans just didn't know how/when to cheer. Almost no one around me including folks in full bills gear were making noise on defence ..including 3rd downs and several folks were cheering/making a ton of noise while the Bills were on offense (pre snap) including on the game winning drive. We were in the lower bowl near the corner of the end zone Watkins made the final grab in row 26 and several people around me were making a ton of noise every time were in our end zone. With a rookie QB in a tight game against t a nasty pash rush noise could have been a huge factor The last point really got me. Admittedly it was a different era when I was going to games but the fans understood how we could contribute to the game or at least how not to make it harder on our offense. It really seemed like folks didn't get it at all. It used to be that we were a savvy fan base I didn't see that today at all.
RyanC883 Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 It does seem that people at football games forget when to make noise. (i.e. stay quiet on offense unless there is a big play); be very loud on D. I see it in various stadiums. The biggest problem is being too quiet on D. Fans don't realize they do effect the game.
mrags Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 I agree about the fan base. Guys in my end zone were trying to get chants going and banging on bleachers with less than 2 minutes left. The fans of this team are freaking idiots and they really ruined my experience today.
Garion Posted October 20, 2014 Author Posted October 20, 2014 Just so disappointing I feel like our fans need a primer on when to cheer. Maybe a social media campaign or someone handing out flyers. Okay it sounds crazy but folks decked out head to toe in Bills gear didn't know when to make noise what the hell is going on. Oh a third change that I noticed - the lack of Jill's. It does make a difference at the game.
youngjebrey Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 I don't know what you're talking about but I was at row 6 section 136 right near Watkins catch and I was surrounded by great fans that knew exactly when to cheer and be quiet. We were loud as hell on on defense and totally manageable for the offense. It's a stadium packed with 70k people. It's going to be loud no matter what.
MarkAF43 Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 I noticed idiots around us yelling and I quote " throw to CJ, he will score", in the 4th quarter with our Defense on the field. And I can't believe the people behind me whining to sit down please. Sorry, not happening. Deal with it.
mrags Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 Hate to say it, but just like the Sabres when they got good during the Presidents Trophy year, this is what you get for fans. Now the Teenie bopper Sabres fans are gonna hop on the TPegs band wagon and start showing up. Claiming they were huge Bills fans all along. I dealt with it yesterday myself. Bills fans are about to get really stupid people.
MarkAF43 Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 Hate to say it, but just like the Sabres when they got good during the Presidents Trophy year, this is what you get for fans. Now the Teenie bopper Sabres fans are gonna hop on the TPegs band wagon and start showing up. Claiming they were huge Bills fans all along. I dealt with it yesterday myself. Bills fans are about to get really stupid people. we had two girls in front of us yesterday in Bills gear that watched about ten seconds of the game, they were taking selfies and talking the whole game. I made it a point when our D was on the field to yell as loud as I could right between them so they couldn't hear.
mrags Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 we had two girls in front of us yesterday in Bills gear that watched about ten seconds of the game, they were taking selfies and talking the whole game. I made it a point when our D was on the field to yell as loud as I could right between them so they couldn't hear. haha. I had a friend and fellow season ticket holder in front of me. He brought a new buddy to the game this week. Not that I was happy for an injury, but I was mentioning how excited I was to finally see Brown. And of course I wouldn't be honest if I didn't mention that CJ sucks. This kid didn't leave me alone the rest of the game. Constantly turning around trying to argue with me. I finally had it and told him to turn around and watch the game (he probably missed an entire quarter). He felt like I was threatening him. I actually had to tell my friend to tell his friend to turn around and shut up. Then at the end he was trying to high give me after the Sammy TD. Yeah... I don't think so kid. He was also doing the same things. Selfies half the game. Could barely stand the other half. Getting loud and obnoxious with people. The fans are going to be terrible going forward because of Pegula. Whatever. I'll take it. We have a team because of him. But all the teenie bopper Sabres fans that were 17 when they had their Presidents Trophy year are all the sudden going to start getting into the Bills because of TPegs.
May Day 10 Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 (edited) Huh? I dont get this equivalency between "teeny bopper fans", Pegula, the Presidents Trophy, and yesterday's crowd. The game yesterday was an awful game. It was boring. The Bills stunk. Minnesota stunk. Average Viking drive start was like on the Bills' 40. Not too mention the Vikings are probably the most uninteresting opponent I could think of and most (me included) expected the Bills to win by multiple touchdowns.... My section sat more than I ever seen in 10 years as a STH (I sat a lot too). I still have a voice today for the first Monday after a home game all season. Edited October 20, 2014 by May Day 10
CodeMonkey Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 For a lot of people it is all about the social gathering/party, not the game. Which explains the drunken fights you saw as well as the seemingly lack of understanding when to make noise. It's not that they didn't know, they just didn't care.
mrags Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 Huh? I dont get this equivalency between "teeny bopper fans", Pegula, the Presidents Trophy, and yesterday's crowd. The game yesterday was an awful game. It was boring. The Bills stunk. Minnesota stunk. Average Viking drive start was like on the Bills' 40. Not too mention the Vikings are probably the most uninteresting opponent I could think of and most (me included) expected the Bills to win by multiple touchdowns.... My section sat more than I ever seen in 10 years as a STH (I sat a lot too). I still have a voice today for the first Monday after a home game all season. if you don't understand at all after my comments I'm not going to bother explaining it further.
May Day 10 Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 (edited) i read it again and it makes zero sense... so a friend brought some "kid" who argued with you about Spiller and he took a few "selfies"... that means that everybody who was 17 in 2007 when the Sabres won the Presidents Trophy (who would be 24 years old now?) have infiltrated Ralph Wilson Stadium because Terry Pegula bought the team and managed to destroy the gameday atmosphere in one week's time? Sorry, it sounds crazy to me and I cant make the same connection. Edited October 20, 2014 by May Day 10
May Day 10 Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 when and if the Bills get good enough to warrant a "bandwagon", then we will get a lot of "phony fans", but let's be honest... our teams need them. I have little doubt that when/if the Bills become a playoff team, they will need to cap STH and have a waiting list. We are going to see a lot of the "thing to do" crowd. The new indoor stadium will do the rest in killing the atmosphere. Yesterday's crowd was poor, but that game was deflating.
Marv's Neighbor Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 It can be difficult to know much of anything, much less when to cheer, after 4 hours of tailgating. For them the party is already over!
sodbuster Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 I've seen, in other stadiums, graphics in the jumbotron or the ribbons around the stadium that say "quiet" when the offense is working. Why don't we have that? Or do I just not notice them? I've noticed ones that say when to get loud.
LabattBlue Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 Huh? I dont get this equivalency between "teeny bopper fans", Pegula, the Presidents Trophy, and yesterday's crowd. That makes two of us.
JÂy RÛßeÒ Posted October 20, 2014 Posted October 20, 2014 I don't know what you're talking about but I was at row 6 section 136 right near Watkins catch and I was surrounded by great fans that knew exactly when to cheer and be quiet. We were loud as hell on on defense and totally manageable for the offense. It's a stadium packed with 70k people. It's going to be loud no matter what. That's cause section 136 is reserved for the smartest fans.
Garion Posted October 20, 2014 Author Posted October 20, 2014 I was in section 137 row 26 so pretty close to you and I am pretty sure no one around me was making any noise when we are on defence. It looked like the rows ahead of me were getting it better including several folks making the quiet it down signal when we were on offense. But it says a lot that they had to do it. Again it was great to be at the game I had a ton of fun but how do folks decked out in Bills gear presumably more then a "hey I got free tickets from somebody at work want to go" group not know when to make noise? It was nothing like the crowd in the nineties or even in 06/07. Maybe it was just the section but really that stadium as whole sounded was much quieter then it used to be on third down.
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