BigDingus Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 I've been thinking about this a lot lately. The modern greats like Smith, Thomas, Kelly, Reed, Bennett, Talley, Tasker, etc. are highly regarded, all-timers to us Bills fans. Even though they were a part of teams that lost 4 straight Super Bowls, Bills fans have worn that like a badge of honor. Those are the "glory days," with the rest of our history being that of failures, soul crushing plays like the Music City "Miracle," and getting smacked around by Brady & the Pats for 2 decades. We're the only AFCE team with 0 x Super Bowl wins. We had the longest active playoff drought in North American Sports. Our best player was our punter for years. Now, we're faced with a team that is competing for a Super Bowl win. It's something we've all dreamed of, but never seemed obtainable. IF it happens, it almost feels like everything I've honored as a Bills fan gets thrown on its head. The little man syndrome, Bills PTSD, and the underdog pride kinda goes out the window. We'd be the reigning Super Bowl champs. We'd be front-runners. The team's legends are now eclipsed. Allen leapfrogs Kelly. The former greats with no rings who represented us are no longer our identity. People won't be shocked to see me in Texas wearing Bills gear. I already get questions this year about "were you always a Bills fan?" or comments like "funny to see Bills fans coming out of the shadows!" even though I've always been wearing them... Which leads to the inevitable influx of new fans, a new generation of front runner kids who are drawn to the team...something unimaginable just a few years ago. Simply put, the entire legacy of the franchise changes in the minds of those on the outside. Will you guys feel different being fans of the frontrunner team, the reigning champs? Will the new guys be elevated above the current legends in your mind? I think the common response would be "I'll always appreciate what they did, nothing will replace them" but will it feel weird having Allen & Co. leapfrog them in terms of success? I hate to admit it, but it feels weird to me! Not used to this kind of attention & spotlight on the team, and I'd always be thankful for the success the legends brought to us in the 90's, but after a Bills SB win (fingers crossed), history will look back & shine attention on THIS group first & foremost, not the previous one. We will be the team that gets every opponent's best shot. It's a foreign dynamic that doesn't feel real. We haven't reached that point yet, but we're eerily close. Here's hoping we get to experience it 😁 1 2
Starr Almighty Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Say we won there's no one better than Bruce, Thurman and Biscuit so they keep their spots as legends.
Marv's Neighbor Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Now that we know that we will face KC, We absolutely do need to beat them because they kept us out of SB I. In SB !, Our opponent would have been Green Bay. Now if GB can beat Tampa, we will face the same team that we would have faced in SB I. GO BILLS!! 1
djp14150 Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Winning a super bowl does not change anything about the past ri se and repeat
Tcali Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 58 minutes ago, Starr Almighty said: Say we won there's no one better than Bruce, Thurman and Biscuit so they keep their spots as legends. ?? OJ?...or do you mean this present team?
Big Turk Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 20 minutes ago, Marv's Neighbor said: Now that we know that we will face KC, We absolutely do need to beat them because they kept us out of SB I. In SB !, Our opponent would have been Green Bay. Now if GB can beat Tampa, we will face the same team that we would have faced in SB I. GO BILLS!! I would rather beat KC and face the Bucs so Allen can lambast him and return 20 years of misery in a single game. 2 1
NoHuddleKelly12 Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Different eras, different season of my life—the 90’s teams will always have a special place in my heart, no matter what the future holds with the current squad. Josh & co will hold another special place as well, and that’s good too. I’m at peace with all of it! 4
Warcodered Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 I mean I guess they could go ahead and lose if it makes you feel better. 😉 3
FireChans Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Josh Allen wins 1 SB and he's the best player in franchise history by a mile and half.
Doctor Duck Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Winning everything isn't everything; it's the only thing.
Paup 1995MVP Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 I loved the Bills of yesteryear. And I love the Bills today. We were a great team then, and we are finally a great team again. Its great memories over many decades..Past and present. Enjoy it bro. Over analyzing things is not necessary. 1 1 1
Big Blitz Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 (edited) Would those 90s teams become instantly overshadowed or their accomplishments diminished by a team that won it all? Nope. I feel like WHEN we win it all in 3 weeks, the entire franchise, fan base, and players past all become champions. That's the family/fraternity that exists here. Edited January 18, 2021 by Big Blitz 2 1
Southern_Bills Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Win one then worry about it. I highly doubt anyone who seen the 90s team play will ever discredit what they did. Younger people who never seen Kelly and the boys lace them up? Yeah they probably will but that's life. As an Alabama fan I can say the bandwagon thing sucks but it's easily ignored.
Paup 1995MVP Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 4 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said: Different eras, different season of my life—the 90’s teams will always have a special place in my heart, no matter what the future holds with the current squad. Josh & co will hold another special place as well, and that’s good too. I’m at peace with all of it! You summed it up perfectly NHK12. I was a young man just trying to make my way in the world during the Super Bowl era. Decades later, I am way middle age, divorced for years, 3 grown kids, owned a business for over a quarter century and have chronic knee and shoulder pain. But I am still as passionate about the team and the game of football as I have ever been. Its our time baby!! Go Bills!! So frikin excited.. All those losses over the past two decades. This feels so sweet. I was at the Music City Miracle, the first and 3rd Super Bowl losses, the loss to the Fish in the playoffs at Miami when Flutie was sacked at the end by Trace Armstrong when we were going for the winning score. The Roland Hooks Hail Mary catch vs NE in 1981 at Rich Stadium. My first game was November 1977 in frigid temperatures against the Baltimore Colts. I think I was 12 then. Fergy was sacked 10 times by a great Colts defense. We sucked. I have paid my dues. Watched all the Kelly years. Seen it all since the Juice in the mid 70's. I am so stoked for next Sunday nite. Let's go Buffalo!! 3 1
Success Posted January 18, 2021 Posted January 18, 2021 Those guys laid the foundation, and most of them are still very invested in the overall success of the Bills. The success of the current team is everyone's success. If we get the SB win, I think they'll celebrate as much as us, and as much as the current players. I'll certainly raise a toast to all of them if we pull it off. Bills for life. 1
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