Latest Jerry Sullivan Article Shows Why He Doesn't Get "It", Bills Fans or Buffalo in General

[NyQuil]

Can this guy just ***** off to Massachusetts already?

[Don Otreply]

21 minutes ago, NewEra said:

No…… this is wrong.

 

you don’t get it.

 

this is entertainment. You’re making it more than it is. Maybe one day you’ll understand like I do. 

Oh, by the way, I’m never wrong 😂

[Matt_In_NH]

Sullivan on one hand is smart and has some talent in writing.  However he has some pshycbo/emotional issues that just takes away from his talents.   He is just such a downer.  Everything is from a negative point of view.  

[MJS]

I've never actually read an article of his. I just see what excerpts people post here from him.

 

You know every time you mention his name and post his stuff, he wins...

[ToGoGo]

Just now, MJS said:

I've never actually read an article of his. I just see what excerpts people post here from him.

 

You know every time you mention his name and post his stuff, he wins...

 

Are you reading the comments in this thread? He's not winning, he's repelling. 

[Mr. WEO]

4 minutes ago, ToGoGo said:

 

Are you reading the comments in this thread? He's not winning, he's repelling. 

 

what if that's his goal?

[MJS]

7 minutes ago, ToGoGo said:

Are you reading the comments in this thread? He's not winning, he's repelling. 

He is winning because he is getting attention. The more people talk about him, the more clicks he gets and the more money he makes.

 

People love to hate him.

[DCbillsfan]

I can't remember the last time I read an article by Sullivan.  He's just too negative in his articles.  His writing skills are dwarfed by his negativity.

[Albany,n.y.]

Why would a fan of any age be envious of the younger people in Alen jerseys?  I've been a fan for over 50 years & I wear an Allen jersey too.  I wasn't envious of younger people wearing Kelly jerseys after enduring some of the worst football teams of all time.  If anything when the Bills are good it makes me think how far they've come from the many seasons of frustration.  Back in the 1990s when the Bills were a dynasty, as a fan who put up with a lot of lousy football my feelings were "I deserve this" when I was able to go to Super Bowls .  I never once thought about the fans who only knew good football, I was too busy enjoying watching a good team.  As it turned out we all had to put up with bad & mediocre Bills teams after our glory years of the 1990s.  We're in a good cycle now, let's enjoy it as long as we can because no team remains good or bad forever.  

Edited August 6, 2022 by Albany,n.y.

[Motorin']

2 hours ago, jwhit34 said:

At first I resisted clicking on Jerry Sullivan's latest article, "Josh Allen offers hope that makes Bills fans unburdened by past scars." But I did, and am glad I did. I have been reading his work for decades and like many here at TBD have and so many times just shake my head after reading his columns. He's a good writer but there's something missing in his work. 

 

Today I think I found it: He doesn't get it. For as long as he has lived and worked in the area, he really doesn't understand the community. 

 

Case in point: the following excerpt from the column:

 

That’s it. Once you have the franchise quarterback, all things are possible. Allen has allowed Bills fans to rise above the old fatalism. Sure, the loss to the Chiefs added another chapter to the chronicle of woe. But if anything, it made people more certain Allen would eventually win the big one, and maybe more than one.

 

It beats the alternative — trying to convince themselves that a dysfunctional organization with a parade of flawed quarterbacks might actually shock the world and make a title run, when it became yet another heroic run to 7-9 or 6-10.

 

Anyone who grew up during that 17-year drought must feel envious of those kids in the Allen jerseys today. They probably want to grab them by the collar and say, ‘You have no idea how good you have it! I suffered through Losman and Manuel and Edwards and Taylor and the bad Bledsoe, and Fitz at his worst.’

 

The bolded sentence is what he doesn't understand about us and Buffalo. Us older Bills fans are not "envious of those kids in the Allen jerseys today". We love seeing "those kids in the Allen jerseys today". Buffalonians stay in Buffalo because they love the area, love the people, and despite the challenges the area has had economically, weather, etc., part of that is our bond and our perpetual optimism makes that bond even stronger. Parents stay in the area and raise their kids in Buffalo because they think it's a great place to be and think their kids will have it even better than they did, and they want that for their kids. 

 

And that goes for the Bills and their fans. I am so excited for the next generation to experience hopefully a great run by this current iteration of the Bills, and how cool it will be for all those kids with Allen jerseys. Zero envy.

 

I spent the first half of my life in Buffalo and then moved to Rochester when I got married, and I love Rochester but Buffalo was, is and always will be special to me. It will always be a part of me, helped make me who I am today. The biggest thing I miss are the people. Almost 35 years later I still have my season tickets and love going to the games. I can't wait to one day celebrate a Super Bowl win with our kids, one who is a Bills fanatic. 

 

After all these years, it is too bad that Sullivan has not captured maybe the key component of what makes this community and Bills fans tick, and I find that as the missing piece in his writing. 

 

 

Great post. Seeing all the kids out at training camp and at the Blue and Red scrimmage, I was blown away by how awesome it must be for them. There were a few moments that I can only describe as experiencing joy. 

 

What does it say that Sully expressed resentment at the happiness of others. Of children even? 

 

 

[WotAGuy]

Sully doesn’t need to pay a therapist; he can just read all the threads here for psychic analysis. 

[mrags]

He’s a loser. He likely grew up being a miserable human being. From Boston and during a time when the Pats were as bad or worse than the Bills in their 17 year drought. He knows nothing but losing and cannot accept anything otherwise. 
 

he’s not from this area and I have no doubt he is not happy here. But just like other useless hacks that couldn’t cut it on the bigger stage, he’s miserable here and has no care in the world for Buffalo or the people in the area. 

[Thurman#1]

What in the world are you talking about?

 

That article is overwhelmingly positive and excited.

 

Sully gets it just fine and the article is a good one. Made me remember the Kelly - Thurman - Bruce days.

 

55 minutes ago, Motorin' said:

 

Great post. Seeing all the kids out at training camp and at the Blue and Red scrimmage, I was blown away by how awesome it must be for them. There were a few moments that I can only describe as experiencing joy. 

 

What does it say that Sully expressed resentment at the happiness of others. Of children even? 

 

 

 

 

Could you quick point out where Sully expressed resentment at the happiness of others?

 

Because having read the whole article, I can't find one word to indicate this.

 

What he said was about jealousy (referring to the wish that the Bills teams of his boyhood had been much better), not resentment of the good luck of the young Bills fans of today. He wants those young fans to deeply understand how good they have it, and to enjoy it to the fullest.

 

I'm with him. I've got a 20 year-old nephew who grew up in Boston. He can't even begin to understand what Boston sports fans dealt with for the decades before he started to follow the Sox and the Pats. Now he often complains that it's no fun to follow those teams anymore. He was spoiled silly. I told him much the same thing Sully said here, enjoy the living hell out of this purple patch because it won't last forever. He told me I didn't know what I was talking about. Now he's starting to get it.

 

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by Thurman#1

[Gen2]

I'm going to take what will surely be an unpopular contrarian viewpoint.

 

I've been a fan from the team's inception, I rejoiced when they were the powerhouse of the 60's, was just about suicidal during the 70 and 80's, was ecstatic during the 90's (except for the super bowls), again found myself in the depths of despair during the 17-year drought, I am now riding a crest of high expectations that will hopefully be realized before I give up the ghost, so I've run the gamut of emotions rooting for our team.

 

While jealousy may be too strong of a word, I can't help but to inwardly smile every time I see a young boy or girl half crazed about the current team and wonder if they realize they are setting themselves up for an emotional rollercoaster for the rest of their life. Just like the Pats**** fans whose only memory of a NE QB is Tom Brady, their good times will eventually come to an end, sometimes it takes only a year or two, sometimes it takes a decade, but it will surely end.

 

For those who say he doesn't get the "people of Buffalo", we as a fan base are wayyyyyyyy to quick label someone a non-fan when we cross paths with some stranger who happens to be wearing a Bills cap and he or she answers our "GO BILLS" greeting with a thumbs up and a wink instead of the obligatory answer of GO BILLS or how quickly we as a fan base will deride someone who may prefer ranch dressing on their wings instead of Blu Cheese.

 

I must admit I did NOT read the article because I think Sully is a schmuck and I refuse to add to his "click count" but from what I'm seeing in this thread, other than the use of the word "jealousy" I don't think he's far off.      

Edited August 6, 2022 by Gen2

[FireChans]

2 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

When posters say "At first I resisted clicking on Jerry Sullivan's latest article", it's pretty much an admission that they read everything he puts out.

 

It's right up there with the endless posts along these lines: "if the NFL does (X), then I'm done with them", and "I stopped watching ESPN decades ago----I only watch it now when...."

 

Total BS lol

Jerry Sullivan may actually be the OP in topics like these trying to drum up more business.

 

”I hate Jerry, so when I saw he published a new article, I clicked it instantly.” 

[ToGoGo]

1 hour ago, MJS said:

He is winning because he is getting attention. The more people talk about him, the more clicks he gets and the more money he makes.

 

People love to hate him.

 

I don't think one person in this thread clicked on that article. I know I didn't. Did you? 

[aceman_16]

3 hours ago, Don Otreply said:

Sully consults with Badol & Scottlaw for his articles, they don’t get it either, 😁👍

All this Scottlaw bashing.....I dont get it. I may not agree with him often but at least he can pose a different view (albeit slanted negative). Badol, on the other hand, I don't pay enough attention to his posts to see anything of substance good or bad (probably like mine for 99.9% of the board here).

[Buffalo Junction]

2 hours ago, stevestojan said:

I’m some weird way - and this might just be my Stockholm syndrome creeping up again - I feel bad for anyone who want around for the bad times. Having been tortured by countless instances that would prove there really might be a curse will make that win so sweeter. 

Makes perfect sense…. That touch of extra relief and joy that we saw with Cubs fans a few years ago…. That. 

[BringMetheHeadofLeonLett]

4 hours ago, jwhit34 said:

At first I resisted clicking on Jerry Sullivan's latest article, "Josh Allen offers hope that makes Bills fans unburdened by past scars." But I did, and am glad I did. I have been reading his work for decades and like many here at TBD have and so many times just shake my head after reading his columns. He's a good writer but there's something missing in his work. 

 

Today I think I found it: He doesn't get it. For as long as he has lived and worked in the area, he really doesn't understand the community. 

 

Case in point: the following excerpt from the column:

 

That’s it. Once you have the franchise quarterback, all things are possible. Allen has allowed Bills fans to rise above the old fatalism. Sure, the loss to the Chiefs added another chapter to the chronicle of woe. But if anything, it made people more certain Allen would eventually win the big one, and maybe more than one.

 

It beats the alternative — trying to convince themselves that a dysfunctional organization with a parade of flawed quarterbacks might actually shock the world and make a title run, when it became yet another heroic run to 7-9 or 6-10.

 

Anyone who grew up during that 17-year drought must feel envious of those kids in the Allen jerseys today. They probably want to grab them by the collar and say, ‘You have no idea how good you have it! I suffered through Losman and Manuel and Edwards and Taylor and the bad Bledsoe, and Fitz at his worst.’

 

The bolded sentence is what he doesn't understand about us and Buffalo. Us older Bills fans are not "envious of those kids in the Allen jerseys today". We love seeing "those kids in the Allen jerseys today". Buffalonians stay in Buffalo because they love the area, love the people, and despite the challenges the area has had economically, weather, etc., part of that is our bond and our perpetual optimism makes that bond even stronger. Parents stay in the area and raise their kids in Buffalo because they think it's a great place to be and think their kids will have it even better than they did, and they want that for their kids. 

 

And that goes for the Bills and their fans. I am so excited for the next generation to experience hopefully a great run by this current iteration of the Bills, and how cool it will be for all those kids with Allen jerseys. Zero envy.

 

I spent the first half of my life in Buffalo and then moved to Rochester when I got married, and I love Rochester but Buffalo was, is and always will be special to me. It will always be a part of me, helped make me who I am today. The biggest thing I miss are the people. Almost 35 years later I still have my season tickets and love going to the games. I can't wait to one day celebrate a Super Bowl win with our kids, one who is a Bills fanatic. 

 

After all these years, it is too bad that Sullivan has not captured maybe the key component of what makes this community and Bills fans tick, and I find that as the missing piece in his writing. 

 

If you spent the first half of your life in Buffalo until you got married, then you weren't really a kid during the drought years (if this were West Virginia or Utah it could be a different story).  I'm pretty sure he's saying the smaller kids during the drought years never got that 'Hero QB' that the current little fellas get to grow up with.

Nothing wrong with his take, but not Earth-shattering.  
In Chicago, there are literally 2,000 residents who can rightfully believe they had a Hero QB in their childhood. 

[Rico]

Who lives rent-free in more Bills fans heads, Sully or @BADOLBILZ?

I would have to say Sully, sorry Badol.