What was your favorite era of being a Sports fan?

[BillsPride12]

Easily gotta be the decade of the 90s for me...started off with the Bills Super Bowl runs, got to witness MJ and the Chicago Bulls win 6 championships, Sabres were usually at least in the playoffs, there was still a lot of bigtime Boxing matches back then, although not a Sport- Pro Wrestling was still fun to watch back then, NO SOCIAL MEDIA!!!

 

It was a glorious time to be a Sports fan

[Another Fan]

90s as well for me.

 

But I would tell you September 2001-January 2002 was the zenith of crazed sports fandom in my life.  Even as a Mets fan I was glued to the 2001 World Series between the Yankees and Diamondbacks.  I stayed up to watch all 7 games.  I did not witness the 1986 Series so I would tell you that's the best World Series I witnessed.  Especially after 9/11 and all.  Ditto the Super Bowl that year.  It was exiting as hell but um I was rooting for the Patriots that night though 🤮

 

 

Fast forward to today where the Super Bowl means just checking out the Youtube highlights of it the next day and reading about it.  The World Series just becomes a matter of googling the scores to me.  I dont watch either one anymore if I dont have a rooting interest.  

[LabattBlue]

70’s Perreault, OJ & McAdoo. Great time to be a Buffalo sports fan.  Only thing missing from that time frame…a championship.  

[Steve O]

60's

No "strike range" in football, hell, clothesline, wedges were legal, no 5 yard chuck rule, and  Bills AFL champions back to back. Pitchers pitched every 4th day, no pitch count or bat angles, All Star game was a real game, players wanted the winner's portion. No 3-point line in basketball...at least until the ABA.

[DrW]

The current one. I expect the Bills to win the Lombardi Trophy with Josh Allen in his prime, the Sabres will continue their rise, and both of Germany's soccer teams, men and women, will win a World Cup. 

 

My best odds for all of this happening:

1. Bills Super Bowl

2. Germany Women's Soccer World Cup

3. Germany Men's Soccer World Cup

4. Sabres Stanley Cup (well, we are all allowed to dream)

[Bills4everNY]

NFL-  First half of the 90s

NBA -  same

MLB - Last half of the 80s when the Mets were great.

[Doc Brown]

The only time I felt the Bills and Sabres had the talent to win both championships around the same time was the early 90's. and the turn of the century era (No Goal, Music City Miracle).

 

The next five years could be something special for both teams.

[muppy]

Now.

 

I was a fan during the glory years. But the way we as fans have so much more exposure to the team through social media has enhanced my fandom really.

 

I mean don't get me wrong. I loved me some #12 and wore my fandom on my sleeve. I remember forming different strategies on how I was going to handle the super bowl aftermath. The worse was when I brought into the Billsbackers bar a bottle of Centenario tequila with red and blue food coloring for celebratory shots. 

 

It was XXVII and we lost badly. So Intsead of happy drinking it became sad.  I had the WORST hangover Ever. I learned my lesson 

[Gregg]

NHL - Isles fan so the early 80's obviously.

MLB - Yankees fan. I would say the Torre years with Jeter. 

NFL - with the Bills the early 90's and the Super Bowl years. Shame they couldn't win one. Honorable mention the early 80's with the Chuck Knox teams. The Allen years are also fun to watch. Hopefully they can win one at some point.

[BADOLBILZ]

 

1986-1996 Kelly era.   Just because lot's of my teams won championships and the Bills almost did.

 

But the current one is very close and could easily surpass it.   My teams might not be as good but the viewing quality on giant TV's in HD(including some 4K) and the availability and exchange of information is amazing and just what I'd hoped it would be.  

[thenorthremembers]

As a kid the early to mid 90's.   For the same reasons.

 

Outside of that its right now.  I get to share my love of sport with my two sons.   The Bills are good and my entire family is into the games including my wife which makes Fandom a lot easier.

 

My 12 year old loves basketball as much as I did watching the Bulls so alot of that going on in my house. 

 

The Blue Jays have stars at the MLB level we got to watch coming up through the Bisons.

 

Its a good time to be a sports fan.

[May Day 10]

1987-1996.  That was when I was 9-18.  Prime sports fandom ages when everything seems better than it was.  We had a great Bills run in there and the Sabres also had a lot of good teams.  I think the various sports left some good eras behind there too and we transitioned into the modern sports world.  100 RSNs, Sports media, 24 hour news, and so on.  General oversaturation.  The NHL still had a lot of fighting and emotion.  MLB hadnt gone through the steroid era yet.  

 

I wish I could go back to the 1950s-60s sometimes for baseball and football.  I think that would be a really great era for both.  

[Success]

I'd go w/ current.  It's hard for me to think about the Bills SB runs in too positive of a light - I feel like the time since is all about erasing those losses, as much as I loved those teams.

 

Bills are top contenders.  I'm also Yankees/Knicks - I think the Yankees have a great shot this year when they get healthy, and love the team w/ Judge.  Knicks are FINALLY on the upswing, and have a legit top player in Brunson who they can build around.

 

I didn't like baseball (or really get it) until about 7-8 years ago, so the Yankees '90s success doesn't play into my feelings about the question.

 

[Buffalo716]

On 5/14/2023 at 11:46 AM, Steve O said:

60's

No "strike range" in football, hell, clothesline, wedges were legal, no 5 yard chuck rule, and  Bills AFL champions back to back. Pitchers pitched every 4th day, no pitch count or bat angles, All Star game was a real game, players wanted the winner's portion. No 3-point line in basketball...at least until the ABA.

To be fair in the 60s in baseball some managers were absolutely counting how many pitches their pitchers threw usually 

 

It might not have been on the television or radio for everybody to see or hear …. Not an official stat 

 

But some teams absolutely tracked it.., especially younger pitchers 

 

Eddie Robinson who ran the Kansas City Athletics system… Wouldn’t allow young pitchers over 100

 

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Buffalo716

[Gugny]

The 80s. 
 

In addition to baseball and football, tennis (men’s and women’s) and boxing were phenomenal.  Even the Olympics were better. 

[Another Fan]

On 5/14/2023 at 9:29 AM, BillsPride12 said:

Easily gotta be the decade of the 90s for me...started off with the Bills Super Bowl runs, got to witness MJ and the Chicago Bulls win 6 championships, Sabres were usually at least in the playoffs, there was still a lot of bigtime Boxing matches back then, although not a Sport- Pro Wrestling was still fun to watch back then, NO SOCIAL MEDIA!!!

 

It was a glorious time to be a Sports fan

I’d still definitely say the 90s but for out of town fans say of the Bills the team would be harder to follow or find merchandise for pre internet/online shopping.  Today that’s easier to do.

 

 

I miss the newspaper as well from that era being the gospel at least for me when it came to sports.  I’d add it was a lot easier as well to follow sports on a local college/high school level as well.  I’m sure I could find that stuff online but I can’t be bothered 

[Augie]

Reading responses I’ve realized it’s like children, you can’t pick a favorite …….and if you do, just shut the hell up about it! 😋

[BillsPride12]

2 hours ago, Another Fan said:

I’d still definitely say the 90s but for out of town fans say of the Bills the team would be harder to follow or find merchandise for pre internet/online shopping.  Today that’s easier to do.

 

 

I miss the newspaper as well from that era being the gospel at least for me when it came to sports.  I’d add it was a lot easier as well to follow sports on a local college/high school level as well.  I’m sure I could find that stuff online but I can’t be bothered 

Reading the Sports section in the Newspaper to get scores, stats, and all the great articles was a staple of my childhood in the 90s.  Nowadays I'll still occasionally check out the Sports in a newspaper once in awhile but by the time you read anything in there it feels like secondhand news.  

[ArdmoreRyno]

2004-2011 - Mainly because of my Oklahoma State Cowboys. I'm a Texas Rangers & OKC Thunder fan as well living here in Oklahoma. 

 

2004 - NCAA Final Four (Men's basketball)

2004 - NCAA Wrestling Champions

2004 - Women's Equestrian National Champions

2005 - NCAA Wrestling Champions

2005 - Sweet 16 (Men's BB, should have made it to the Final Four that season)

2006 - NCAA Wrestling Champions

2006 - Women's Equestrian National Champions

2006 - NCAA Golf Champions

2009 - NCAA Cross Country National Champions

2005-2009 - Rebuild of the Oklahoma State football program under Mike Gundy

2010 - Texas Rangers AL Champions, World Series

2010 - Oklahoma State's 11-2 football season, two touchdowns away from a BCS Championship (finished 10th)

2011 - Oklahoma State's 12-1 football season, should have played for the BCS Championship v LSU (finished 3rd)

2011 - Texas Rangers AL Champions, World Series

2011 - OKC Thunder - Western Conference Champions

2012 - OKC Thunder NBA Finals

[Royale with Cheese]

Now because I am emotionally invested.  I can watch every Bills game and sports coverage is much more.  Social Media does suck a lot but at the same time, you get to know some players in which makes you more emotionally invested.  Its easy to cheer for likeable guys.

 

I grew up in the 90's outside of Buffalo so I only got to see nationally televised games which was usually 6-8 a year.  We used to get Shout and that would come a week after the game.  

 

Now I see every game.  See instant highlights any time.  Listen to WGR because streaming exists.  

I know our starters in every position, where they went to college and generally what round they were drafted in or team we signed them from. 

When you grow up outside of Buffalo in the 90's, you didn't get any media coverage outside of ESPN few segments.  Now it's literally 24/7.