This place has become poisonous

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

In a nutshell, if you lived through the climb from mediocrity to contention, to the 4 superbowl loses, then the erosion into has beens, and eventual drought, you recognize what missed opportunity looks like, you know what a team peaking looks like and you’ve seen what repeating the same thing hoping for a different result looks like. 
 

Fast forward to today….  This franchise was arguably ascending until late season this year…add the playoff no show on both sides of the ball, the fact Allen could well be 50% through his career and seems to have regressed mentally, the cap situation, the lack of contribution (no excellent players seemingly) from the recent drafts, the money tied up in mediocre defensive front, and an apparent stead fast commitment to stay the course…. The “we understand what tweaks we need and will be there next year” lost credibility it used to have

 

none of the reactions and overreactions are surprising 

[Augie]

1 hour ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Same here, but my vasectomy in '86 was successful.  Still have the damned cough. 🤨

*
Blessings and good karma to you on the rescue. 🙂

 

Please, tell us more about your vasectomy! 😋

 

I’d rather read about that than another “proposed trade” that will never happen, or who we should have drafted two years ago in the third round now that some poster got to see “the other guy” make a riveting Pro Bowl appearance. Oh, and don’t get me started on the “fire everybody” crowd. 

 

Good luck with the cough. Try turning your head, it may help. Doctors seem to think so. 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

16 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Please, tell us more about your vasectomy! 😋

They weren't happy with the quality of my self esthetician skills.

*
The doctor must have been getting paid by the job, not the hour.  The local freezing hadn't even taken effect before he picked up the scalpel and diagonal cutters, and 'KA-KLUNK', there goes the polywog conduit. 😳

"That wasn't so bad was it?" says the doctor.  "Jesus, couldn't you wait for the local to take hold?!" says I.  Then, as most of us are blessed with two, repeat the process, with even more haste on the starboard side. 😳😬😮

Edited February 11, 2023 by Ridgewaycynic2013

[Augie]

4 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

They weren't happy with the quality of my self esthetician skills.

*
The doctor must have been getting paid by the job, not the hour.  The local freezing hadn't even taken effect before he picked up the scalpel and diagonal cutters, and 'KA-KLUNK', there goes the polywog conduit. 😳

"That wasn't so bad was it?" says the doctor.  "Jesus, couldn't you wait for the local to take hold?!" says I.  Then, as most of us are blessed with two, repeat the process, with even more haste on the starboard side. 😳😬😮

 

Well, that was a lovely diversion. I didn’t really expect…….oh, never mind.

 

Maybe @mead107 would like to inspect the Doc’s handiwork? 

[4th&long]

A lot of us off most have been on message boards for more than a decade, some even longer. This is nothing new. Why people need to get on here and cry about it, it’s worse than anything else. Let people vent, ignore it and move on. 

Edited February 11, 2023 by 4th&long

[strive_for_five_guy]

1 hour ago, Aesop said:

“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”

So are we in the midst of hard times or good times right now?

[Eastport bills]

5 hours ago, Dr. K said:

I've been a member of this community since the very beginning, in 2001. 

 

Through the depths of the drought, I've never seen so much whining and anger and lashing out as what goes on daily on this board right now. Not everybody is guilty of this—there are a good number of eminently sane people who post here frequently—but the percentage of people acting like three-year-olds having temper tantrums is as high or higher than it has ever been.

 

I went away for the last weeks since the loss to the Bengals thinking that of course people are going to act out their disappointment; it's natural, I thought, let them get it out of their system. But it's as bad this morning as ever. I've tried blocking the worst offenders but the list would be too long to comprehend at this point. If the Bills were to take one fifth of the hysterical suggestions that are made every hour on this board, they would be out of the playoffs for the next twenty years. 

 

I realize this is likely my problem, not yours. So I'm giving it a pass at least until the draft, and maybe until training camp.

 

I hope some of you will get out of the house now and then and breathe some fresh air. 

Your problem is that you are perfectly fine with the level that the team has reached and it is beyond your capacity to understand the perspective of devoted, long suffering fans who understand the urgency in winning a championship while our franchise QB is under our control. The complaint that most objective observers have is that progress stopped after Dabol left. Our offense has become Joshcentric and predictable. Our defense was formidable when Von and the threat of his pressure made everyone better. When he went down, we couldn’t pressure and our young injury riddled secondary was exposed. Coaching and personnel couldn’t make things better. Now things are not great because other teams are getting better and we are fully dependent on Beane improving the roster with cap restrictions. So between questions about our coaching and making the roster better, they’re things to be concerned about. When you’ve experienced decades of lean times you realize how short lived this huge opportunity with Josh can be. Don’t be misled with playoff berths and early rd wins. We’re not there yet.

[Freddie's Dead]

 

[wppete]

56 minutes ago, 4th&long said:

A lot of us off most have been on message boards for more than a decade for more than a decade some even longer. This is nothing new. Why people need to get on here and cry about it, it’s worse than anything else. Let people vent, ignore it and move on. 

Yup agree. It’s amazing to hear people cry about people venting and giving an opinion they don’t like. It is a message board after all. 

[Dr. K]

6 minutes ago, Eastport bills said:

Your problem is that you are perfectly fine with the level that the team has reached and it is beyond your capacity to understand the perspective of devoted, long suffering fans who understand the urgency in winning a championship while our franchise QB is under our control. The complaint that most objective observers have is that progress stopped after Dabol left. Our offense has become Joshcentric and predictable. Our defense was formidable when Von and the threat of his pressure made everyone better. When he went down, we couldn’t pressure and our young injury riddled secondary was exposed. Coaching and personnel couldn’t make things better. Now things are not great because other teams are getting better and we are fully dependent on Beane improving the roster with cap restrictions. So between questions about our coaching and making the roster better, they’re things to be concerned about. When you’ve experienced decades of lean times you realize how short lived this huge opportunity with Josh can be. Don’t be misled with playoff berths and early rd wins. We’re not there yet.

I attended my first Bills game in 1966. Though I don't know how old you are, I suspect I've suffered with this team for longer than you've been alive. I recognize that the team has problems--a person would have to be blind not to see that.  Find a post anywhere here when I ever said anything even approaching the words you are putting in my mouth. 

 

Read what I wrote, not what you assume about me. 

 

 

I wish you the best. I'm not interested in fighting with you about any of this. 

 

[Maynard]

Should have kept Daboll!!! 😆

[Augie]

2 minutes ago, Dr. K said:

 I attended my first Bills game in 1966. Though I don't know how old you are, I suspect I've suffered with this team for longer than you've been alive. I recognize that the team has problems--a person would have to be blind not to see that.  Find a post anywhere here when I ever said anything even approaching the words you are putting in my mouth. 

 

Read what I wrote, not what you assume about me. 

 

 

I wish you the best. I'm not interested in fighting with you about any of this. 

 

 

I think I remember seeing you there!!! You were short? With hair? 

 

 

People are getting mad like somebody stole something from them. I want to address our obvious shortcomings, improve, and advance further in the playoffs. But I also appreciate a team that can be expected to win 12 or more games on a regular basis.

[Eastport bills]

10 minutes ago, Dr. K said:

I attended my first Bills game in 1966. Though I don't know how old you are, I suspect I've suffered with this team for longer than you've been alive. I recognize that the team has problems--a person would have to be blind not to see that.  Find a post anywhere here when I ever said anything even approaching the words you are putting in my mouth. 

 

Read what I wrote, not what you assume about me. 

 

 

I wish you the best. I'm not interested in fighting with you about any of this. 

 

Alright, I understand you’re sensitive to the wild knee jerk ideas that are irrational. The reality is that most fans are pretty passionate and objective, but even the over the top crowd deserve a forum to vent frustration. That’s what these boards are about . We’re a community and some residents are given to extreme and immediate fixes. It will all be forgotten when we win it all.

[Augie]

6 minutes ago, Eastport bills said:

Alright, I understand you’re sensitive to the wild knee jerk ideas that are irrational. The reality is that most fans are pretty passionate and objective, but even the over the top crowd deserve a forum to vent frustration. That’s what these boards are about . We’re a community and some residents are given to extreme and immediate fixes. It will all be forgotten when we win it all.

 

Too much extremism can be a bad thing. I’m sure of that. 

[Einstein]

63 years and waiting.

 

It takes a toll.

[JohnNord]

6 hours ago, Dr. K said:

I've been a member of this community since the very beginning, in 2001. 

 

Through the depths of the drought, I've never seen so much whining and anger and lashing out as what goes on daily on this board right now. Not everybody is guilty of this—there are a good number of eminently sane people who post here frequently—but the percentage of people acting like three-year-olds having temper tantrums is as high or higher than it has ever been.

 

I went away for the last weeks since the loss to the Bengals thinking that of course people are going to act out their disappointment; it's natural, I thought, let them get it out of their system. But it's as bad this morning as ever. I've tried blocking the worst offenders but the list would be too long to comprehend at this point. If the Bills were to take one fifth of the hysterical suggestions that are made every hour on this board, they would be out of the playoffs for the next twenty years. 

 

I realize this is likely my problem, not yours. So I'm giving it a pass at least until the draft, and maybe until training camp.

 

I hope some of you will get out of the house now and then and breathe some fresh air. 

The emotion and overreaction in the Bills fan base is off the charts.  FIRE EVERYONE

[Augie]

25 minutes ago, Einstein said:

63 years and waiting.

 

It takes a toll.

 

It only takes the toll we allow it to take. Enjoy the ride. Soak in the great plays, the nice wins. There are far more wins than losses these days. And we have a team of “Good Ass Guys!”   😂    (JJ Watt reference there.)

 

Only one team walks away happy. That’s more than a cliche, that’s the truth. What then? I can live with being a top 5 team and having a shot every year. One year, it will be our turn. 

20 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

The emotion and overreaction in the Bills fan base is off the charts.  FIRE EVERYONE

 

Do I get two weeks notice? 

Edited February 11, 2023 by Augie

[Tanoros]

6 hours ago, Success said:

Fans in general get too negative.  

 

If you no longer have hope - why continue being a fan? If I was really hopeless about this team, or McDermott, or whatever, I'd just move on.  But I'm not; we got some bad breaks this year, but we'll be back.

 

I plan on enjoying every second of Allen's career, and feeling excited as long as we have him at QB.  We probably won't get another guy like this in my lifetime, and we're very fortunate to have him.

 

Exactly. Being a fan of course we want our team to win it all, but we became fans of a team that’s never won it all. Meaning we obviously enjoy the team/game enough despite not winning it all (much less the drought years), so there are plenty of things to enjoy while having Allen and team that’s winning the division year in and out. 
 

I know I’m personally loving the McDermott/Allen era. We know we have a chance to win any game, and it wasn’t always that way. 
 

Thank you to everyone who keeps a level headed perspective. I really enjoy reading the different perspectives, and analysis. 

[WideNine]

18 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

I think I remember seeing you there!!! You were short? With hair? 

 

 

People are getting mad like somebody stole something from them. I want to address our obvious shortcomings, improve, and advance further in the playoffs. But I also appreciate a team that can be expected to win 12 or more games on a regular basis.

 

It is an interesting phenomena and I would blame millienials because that is why they exist

BUT older fans seem to be chiming in as well about an inability to endure critical dialogue ... it is a bit mind blowing on a board because you literally can ignore posts or certain posters if they rub you the wrong way. Sure there are folks that just want to B-word and offer little else, ignore it or join in if you just want to vent. That is literally why folks are drawn to places to chat about their teams.

 

I like to look at player, coach, game, and draft planning, performance, and comparisons and don't mind saying this or that needs to be better, and like to find threads where folks can agree or disagree on those things. I have no issues saying this player is a great person and locker room presence, but I wish he did this better on the field. I think both can be true.

 

Of course I appreciate how many wins the Bills were able to scrape together and if that was the point of each season I guess I would walk away fairly satisfied, BUT if the goal is to position this team to win a championship I feel like we may have reached a point where we are spinning our wheels a bit as a franchise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wppete]

1 hour ago, Dr. K said:

I attended my first Bills game in 1966. Though I don't know how old you are, I suspect I've suffered with this team for longer than you've been alive. I recognize that the team has problems--a person would have to be blind not to see that.  Find a post anywhere here when I ever said anything even approaching the words you are putting in my mouth. 

 

Read what I wrote, not what you assume about me. 

 

 

I wish you the best. I'm not interested in fighting with you about any of this. 

 

Dr. K you need to take a break. This board is getting to you.