Is anyone else less invested in this season than normal?

[nickrage]

On 9/1/2020 at 8:44 PM, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

If the Bills players kneel are you going to watch ?

I will purposely miss the beginning of every game just to not see it

[Bill from NYC]

59 minutes ago, Coach Tuesday said:

But you know that isn’t the issue.  We have had about 100 threads about “keeping politics out of sports.”  Here.  On a sports message board.  We have had about 100 threads about “I’m tuning out sports.”  Here.  On a sports message board.  Do you really fail to see the irony?

I see it to a point but remember, we are the biggest fanatics. Some people actually don't want their neighborhoods burned down and would rather their friends and loved ones not get attacked as in Rochester. Others are sad when their neighborhood streets are jammed with moving vans. This is real Coach.

 

I don't know you personally and don't know if you condone the above. Obviously, I hope not.  Others are upset to think that the NFL is condoning this behavior (I am not saying that it is solidly behind it) and have lots of decisions to make. Watching football is one of many. 

 

I don't know the OP either and just think that he wanted to discuss something in these trying times. That's all. 

Edited September 7, 2020 by Bill from NYC

[Coach Tuesday]

5 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

I see it to a point but remember, we are the biggest fanatics. Some people actually don't want their neighborhoods burned down and would rather their friends and loved ones not get attacked as in Rochester. Others are sad when their neighborhood streets are jammed with moving vans. This is real Coach.

 

I don't know you personally and don't know if you condone the above. Obviously, I hope not.  Others are upset to think that the NFL is condoning this behavior (I am not saying that it is solidly behind it) and have lots of decisions to make. Watching football is one of many. 

 

I don't know the OP either and just think that he wanted to discuss something in these trying times. That's all. 

No Bill, I do not condone lighting businesses on fire.  Neither does the NFL.  There is an argument to be made that allowing people to protest peacefully - even if their message and timing offends you - lets off steam and helps prevent more destructive forms of expression.  Saying that is not the same as justifying it.  As for the OP, he has made his feelings about the protests known here and elsewhere and IMO this thread was a totally unnecessary multiplication of this tired discussion in which no one ever convinces anyone else of anything.  Minds are made up, including it seems yours.

[NewEra]

I will be if we sign Lamar miller

[Bill from NYC]

8 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

 Minds are made up, including it seems yours.

No, I am flexible. I am not the one in this thread insulting a poster because of how he feels. I also do not think it up to me (or get this.....even you) to silence him, get nasty, or give him orders.

My favorite college team, the Crimson Tide had a team march. They had a few banners that said "Black Lives Matter."  I am against BLM and view it as a domestic terrorist organization. That said, it was a peaceful march with Coach Saban leading it, rather than a blue haired, nose ringed paid miscreant ready to cause pain and destruction. Furthermore, I highly doubt it the Alabama players are Marxists and lacked any intent to destroy homes and business. Many are future millionaires. Therefore, I was fine with the march. 

 

Is it OK that I feel this way, or use it as an example of how I feel on a football message board? Or, do you have a particular line that I am supposed to toe?

Edited September 7, 2020 by Bill from NYC

[Unforgiven]

On 9/1/2020 at 8:35 PM, 716er said:

If JA's accuracy doesn't improve Diggs may have to make a lot catches like this.

[Poleshifter]

On 9/1/2020 at 5:07 PM, Cal said:

I don't know. I'm not as excited for football as normal. Maybe it's the political bs that we are going to have to see, listen too before and after each game or the other stuff we have to deal with nowadays. Also the no preseason and games with no fans.

 

We've had season tickets for 50 years in my family, will be the one of the first ones in when they allow any amount of fans. I really don't care as much. We've seen the NBA ratings are not great with limited sports on. People may be fed up and sports is no longer a outlet. Is it just me? 

 

Nevertheless. Go Bills!

I understand how you feel, to a degree. I only get to watch from home, but it will be strange to see no fans in Bills Stadium. Very strange.

 

NASCAR has its political BS, too, so I quit watching most of their stuff. MAV TV has local stock car racing from Oswego and lots of small towns. Real people, not the corporate Nascar crap. Actual fun racing.

 

2020 NFL season will be weird, if it even gets off the ground.

 

[LeGOATski]

2 minutes ago, Poleshifter said:

I understand how you feel, to a degree. I only get to watch from home, but it will be strange to see no fans in Bills Stadium. Very strange.

 

NASCAR has its political BS, too, so I quit watching most of their stuff. MAV TV has local stock car racing from Oswego and lots of small towns. Real people, not the corporate Nascar crap. Actual fun racing.

 

2020 NFL season will be weird, if it even gets off the ground.

 

It's already off the ground. They drafted, completed camps...first game is in 3 days.

[WildBills]

I'll be watching them every Sunday that they play but I haven't followed the off-season at all. I'm normally on this board and another checking in on the happenings everyday. 

[LeGOATski]

1 minute ago, WildBills said:

I'll be watching them every Sunday that they play but I haven't followed the off-season at all. I'm normally on this board and another checking in on the happenings everyday. 

This. Other stuff has taken priority this spring/summer as well as new distractions. 

 

But when it comes to game day, I don't understand how any real Bills fan can be less invested. Sundays are what it's all about.

[716er]

7 hours ago, Unforgiven said:

If JA's accuracy doesn't improve Diggs may have to make a lot catches like this.

If Diggs catches the inaccurate passes JAs completion percentage goes up without any improvement from Allen

[Success]

As we get closer, it's probably even more important to me than usual.

 

Watching the other sports - it's just as tense.  The NBA playoffs are insane; there is almost no difference. Even though their season was cut way short, I don't see an asterisk for the eventual winner. Same w/ MLB.

 

This is a big season for us.  When was the last time the Patriots were not clearly the best team in the division?  It would be a dispiriting exercise for me to think of all of the things that have happened since the last time - things like "getting email on my handheld."

 

Time to erase some demons.  I'm 100% stoked.

 

[Shaw66]

8 hours ago, Unforgiven said:

If JA's accuracy doesn't improve Diggs may have to make a lot catches like this.

They got Diggs because thats what angood receiver does.

[TheFunPolice]

I think feeling a little less excited is due to not seeing any camp reports, preseason games, etc. They usually build the hype and give us glimpses of the team 

 

Once Thursday Night football airs this week it'll be on! 

 

 

 

[Greg S]

I never thought I would say this but I missed preseason football. I realize it means nothing, the games are boring, and the only thing we hope for is no injuries. But the one thing preseason football does is it builds up the hype to the season as the games are back. I can't wait for Thursday night. With all the BS going on in 2020 it will be very nice to have football back.

[The Frankish Reich]

4 hours ago, Greg S said:

I never thought I would say this but I missed preseason football. I realize it means nothing, the games are boring, and the only thing we hope for is no injuries. But the one thing preseason football does is it builds up the hype to the season as the games are back. I can't wait for Thursday night. With all the BS going on in 2020 it will be very nice to have football back.

I have to agree. It's not so much that there's no (or limited in some places) attendance at games.  I think the NFL blew it by allowing teams to lock down practices and information coming out of training camp to an almost absurd degree. That tamped down interest. It's not so relevant in WNY, but there's also the fact that for the first time in history all of the North American Big 4 (MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL) are going at the same time. So imagine the classic preseason local TV spot for someone living in, say, Denver (my local market). You can lead with the Nuggets or (until a few days ago) the Avalanche, with game video. You even have a highlight reel (occasionally) for the Rockies. And all you have for the Broncos is talk, along with tape from last year. It's hard to compete for attention.

Edited September 8, 2020 by The Frankish Reich

[Don Otreply]

14 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

They got Diggs because thats what angood receiver does.

This ^^^
 

This team, in the all to recent past has had receivers that were not, shall we say,  skilled at making a play on the ball, and catching it, which frankly  is a requirement for any good receiver, now we have three starters that poses that skill. This alone makes a huge difference...
 

Go Bills!!!

[CodeMonkey]

My interest has been at zero for years except for the Bills.  I watch at home so fans or no fans makes no difference at all to me.

Some say they have lower interest this year because of more important things going on, but news flash, it's a freaking game so there is literally always something more important going on every sunday every season.

 

So in short, my interest level is no different this year versus previous years and my "investment level" is still the same, watching the Bills games every week and that's pretty much it.

[Jerome007]

BLM and SJW crap are very offputting, I won't lie. I'm not even American and can't stand the made up agenda shoved down our throats. Sports is great at uniting people from different income classes, creed, "races", backgrounds, etc. and it"s like they want to divide us. Makes no business sense. Of course, because of all the restrictions, there were no preseason games, no build up, etc. It has happened a few times in the past for me I wasn't fully on board but from the 1st game I was back fully hooked. The no-crowd thing won't help though. Thankfully this Bills team is stacked and super exciting! Which makes it doubly weird that a lot of us are "meh" at this point. Hopefully we all get back in it big time once the season starts. I actually WANT to be hooked ha ha.

 

 

[Jerome007]

On 9/7/2020 at 10:03 AM, Coach Tuesday said:

No Bill, I do not condone lighting businesses on fire.  Neither does the NFL.  There is an argument to be made that allowing people to protest peacefully - even if their message and timing offends you - lets off steam and helps prevent more destructive forms of expression.  Saying that is not the same as justifying it.  As for the OP, he has made his feelings about the protests known here and elsewhere and IMO this thread was a totally unnecessary multiplication of this tired discussion in which no one ever convinces anyone else of anything.  Minds are made up, including it seems yours.

People can protest, make their own minds as they wish. Why does it have to be displayed during a sports game though? Politics and social issues have always been happening. You think that's new? But they were NOT shoved down our throats during entertainment, sports events, etc. The NFL in particular made sure no jerseys had any messages on them,  nor signs were shown by the players. Football was an unifying factor. We only ask for stuff outside football to remain outside football. Is that too much to ask?

 

I often use Dana White of the UFC as a great example. He has been a Trump supporter from day 1, has spoken at the RNC of 2016 & 2020. Yet that's on "his own time". He doesn't inject any political BS inside the UFC events, ads, promos, etc. You couldn't tell if he leans one way or the other by watching the UFC, as it should be. And their ratings are higher than ever. Why piss off a good chunk of your fanbase? It makes no sense. And it won't change a damn thing how things evolve "in real life".