The only positive thing with our recent struggles, for the board

[Eastport bills]

The only positive thing coming out of a season where we miss the playoffs is it will lead to Sean’s dismissal. Why aren’t more people blaming him for “12men on the field “. He’s the HC, everything is his fault. How about allowing Josh’s funk to last so long which killed our season.

[Scott7975]

On 11/17/2023 at 3:25 PM, Mango said:

Maybe I am wrong, but I think some of it is Pegula fatigue. I know a few years ago I was down to watching maybe a dozen or two Sabres games per year. Not that it is a conscious decision, but if this franchise starts to pick up some of the same stench as the Sabres, the Pegula's have already trained the fanbase to bail. 

Granted the NFL is a different beast. it prints it's own money, the season is much much shorter, and your team basically plays a couple of Sundays per year at the same exact time on the same exact TV station, then they disappear for 8 months. But I do think ownership is part of some of the undercurrent. 

 

EDIT: That said. I don't miss Bills games. I don't leave games early. 

 

 

I am definitely a fair weather Sabres fan.  I have only watched one Sabres game since the team let both Brier and Drury walk the same year.  I couldn't believe it. That one game I only watched because my kids got tickets for my birthday to go.  Inside I was upset because it was on the same day as a Bills game haha.  I pretended to appreciate it and I did enjoy my time with the kids anyways though and I still caught half of the Bills game.  

 

The Bills though?  I have watched them and cheered them on for 40+ years.  I ain't going anywhere.

[PBF81]

19 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

Did I state that it was unreasonable?  I simply said the place is more negative as people’s expectations are not fulfilled.

 

Unreasonable has to be defined that way.  Obviously many take issue with it being unreasonable, hence the length of the thread.  

 

But you started your thread by saying this ... 

 

Quote

Is that it's becoming clear who the fair weather fans are. ... 

 

Spin it any way that you want to, but you're assault is on a very good and likely majority of our fellow fanbase.  

 

It is what it is.  

 

Why go there?  Why misplace your anger (or irritation or whatever you choose to call it in your play of semantics) onto fellow Bills fans?  

 

Otherwise, your first two paragraphs launch into the fans.  In the third you boost and promote yourself in contrast to those that you slam thereby attempting to place yourself in a morally superior position.  That always goes well here.  LOL  In the fourth you say that you're not calling out critical fans, but many of those are the ones stating that they're only going to watch the games if it's convenient.  So what?  Why should you even care, whether they post here or not.  

 

In your last paragraph, you directly criticize any and all fans that aren't as avid as we are and don't spend as much time as we do, either independently analyzing the team as many of us here do, or otherwise posting here.  Most don't have that kind of time for one or more reasons.  This just in, many of the fans that sit in that stadium and have bought STs and likely even more so luxury suites, don't spend nearly as much time as we do here, with us here having it be a little bit, or a lotta bit, more than a simple pasttime, hobby, or pleasure in life.  They're there at the games though, right?  They pay their money, more of it than many of us here that analyze the team do even, with many of us not being in a position to buy seasons, either financially or logistically, right?   Who is anyone to criticize them.  

 

As for me personally, here's what I don't get.  The NFL is a business they say.  So when Pegula implies that he's moving the team if doesn't get subsidies from NY State, aka the taxpayers either directly or indirectly, that's fine, and it's a business.  When players say that they want their money or they'll go elsewhere, with many of 'em not even earning it here after they get it, that's fine, and it's a business.   The exorbitant concession prices, parking, soon-to-be STs that cost approximately twice what they're running now, in WNY, with PSLs on top of that, it's a business.  

 

But when the team sucks, the players don't play to their contracts, the owner that insisted on getting free public monies to not relocate the team cannot wait to give his coach and GM extenstions, but blindly extends them despite a catastrophe of a season in play that he could have easily waited out, and thereby putting himself into a precarious position as such, not to mention that same head coach destroying any semblance of the pretty much the exclusive thing he's known for, that ill-defined "winning culture," all while taking a rare generational talent that we as fans only dreamed of having, and contributing to beating him into the ground mentally and emotionally, losing to a bunch of teams that aren't even nor ever were in contention for making the playoffs much less advancing in them, while nearly losing to another, we as fans are supposed to treat it as something more than a business then?  

 

It's not right to insist that everyone treat this team and their affections for it the way that you do.  Many here take time out from their lives to spend 3-4 hours every Sunday, time away from kids, grandkids, other pursuits in life, perhaps making more money that they need.  I know people that don't make a lot of money in life, yet they spend a good chunk of what they do earn on going to a Bills game or two during the season.  Now with the team, its coach, and everything else associated with it, coming into the WNY family room, and taking a huge dump in the middle of the floor, perfect loyalty, interest, passion, and attention are expected from all fans far and wide by you and others?  

 

Does that truly sound like a rational approach to you?  

 

 

[PBF81]

44 minutes ago, Eastport bills said:

The only positive thing coming out of a season where we miss the playoffs is it will lead to Sean’s dismissal. Why aren’t more people blaming him for “12men on the field “. He’s the HC, everything is his fault. How about allowing Josh’s funk to last so long which killed our season.

 

Many of us have connected the dots in the seasons before this.  Others continue to have insisted that McD is a much better coach than he is.  It always unfolds like that.  The downside for the apologists is that the day of reckoning typically comes hard and unmistakeably, which is the case this season.  

 

You know that I am among the critics, but dang if I saw this coming.  I figured 10-7, possibly 11-6, maybe 2nd in the division, and either a Wild-Card or Divisional Round loss to an inferior opponent with more coaching gaffs.  I figured that would be enough to swing the balance of support pro/anti McD away from him.  What's going on now makes that look great.  

 

People take things way too personally in the forums, pretty much any forums.  Instead of merely discussing the team and agreeing to disagree, there's way too much focus on being right.  Who cares.  No need to slam people for being wrong, but it often happens because the people that end up being wrong hammered others for not harboring their opinions, before they were proven incorrect.  If people were simply allowed to discuss the team in disagreement often, then these situations wouldn't arise.  

 

It's very likely that those fellow fans are trying to cope with all of this themselves, and in some cases continuing on the tack that they held prior to their narrative collapse, by redirecting it at others.  Or their simply struggling to come to grips with the fact that what they believed was false.  That's just the nature of forums.  It also doesn't mean that they deserve to be slammed either though.  

 

 

[Eastport bills]

14 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

 

Many of us have connected the dots in the seasons before this.  Others continue to have insisted that McD is a much better coach than he is.  It always unfolds like that.  The downside for the apologists is that the day of reckoning typically comes hard and unmistakeably, which is the case this season.  

 

You know that I am among the critics, but dang if I saw this coming.  I figured 10-7, possibly 11-6, maybe 2nd in the division, and either a Wild-Card or Divisional Round loss to an inferior opponent with more coaching gaffs.  I figured that would be enough to swing the balance of support pro/anti McD away from him.  What's going on now makes that look great.  

 

People take things way too personally in the forums, pretty much any forums.  Instead of merely discussing the team and agreeing to disagree, there's way too much focus on being right.  Who cares.  No need to slam people for being wrong, but it often happens because the people that end up being wrong hammered others for not harboring their opinions, before they were proven incorrect.  If people were simply allowed to discuss the team in disagreement often, then these situations wouldn't arise.  

 

It's very likely that those fellow fans are trying to cope with all of this themselves, and in some cases continuing on the tack that they held prior to their narrative collapse, by redirecting it at others.  Or their simply struggling to come to grips with the fact that what they believed was false.  That's just the nature of forums.  It also doesn't mean that they deserve to be slammed either though.  

 

 

Very insightful analysis, can also be applied to the polarized political environment. As you mentioned the resolve to be right as if it defines us, takes away from the objectivity needed to understand a trend that is indisputable.

[PBF81]

18 minutes ago, Eastport bills said:

Very insightful analysis, can also be applied to the polarized political environment.  

 

Indeed 

 

Good rule of thumb, never discuss politics online.  LOL 

 

Thanks BTW! 

 

 

18 minutes ago, Eastport bills said:

As you mentioned the resolve to be right as if it defines us, takes away from the objectivity needed to understand a trend that is indisputable.

 

True, but at the same time, grace needs to be extended to those that were wrong for purposes of continued civil discussion.  

 

As an example, there's a prominent poster that's been on me like white on rice in our all but diametrical view of McD.  And I'm not the only one, just using me as an example.  He's put up one of those "red X's on just about every post even remotely critical of mine re: McD.  But not once have I made a "see I told you so post."  Why not?  He sees it too.  No need for me or anyone to hammer it in.  

 

Now if he continues on his path of support for McD, he's only asking for ardent opposition to it.  So far he hasn't, so again, he's sees it too.  

 

If we had made the Super Bowl despite McD, with Dorsey leading the O, as I thought it would lead to record-setting scoring production, then McD, right or wrong, would have cemented himself as being a great coach.  That's simply how narratives are.  Those of us critical of McD would have to deal with it.  Of course a Super Bowl win would have greased the skids of dealing with that situation nicely.  LOL  

 

 

[DrPJax]

On 11/17/2023 at 2:55 PM, Bills fan since 87 said:

Is that it's becoming clear who the fair weather fans are.  It's amazing how many posts I am reading saying things along the lines of "If I watch the game it will be out of morbid interest" or "I'm not bothered by losses anymore, I can now skip watching and do other hobbies on Sundays"

 

Does our current situation stink?  yes.  Do things need to be done better by the organization? yes.  But to say you're not going to bother watching or don't care on a message board specifically created for talking about the Bills?  that seems ridiculous to me.  Why are you even on here then?  What can you hope to contribute to the board if you in fact do not watch the games.

 

I was here for the 80's, I was here for the drought, I was here for our recent success and I will be here until the end.  Not just when it feels good to say my team is great.

 

I get the negativity and the complaining.  This forum provides a great place to vent frustrations, both valid and ridiculous.  It's therapeutic.  Things are not rosy at all right now and we have a right to demand more.  I'm not calling out the critical or hyper critical fans.  It's the ones who are saying  "I'm not going to watch" or "my weekends are free now" why bother posting in the first place?  If you don't even watch your opinions are thus rendered useless.

 

When I was sure we were going to win the Super Bowl after smoking the Rams and Titans to begin last season I thought how I would be disgusted by those "Bills fans" that wore the colors but couldn't tell you what position Dawson Knox played or who was in the AFC east.  I feel those people are much in the same as those saying they are "done watching" or "have better things to do".  To me that "fan" simply does not care enough to be considered true Mafia.  You either celebrate AND suffer with us or you are not one of us

 

Sorry for the rant.  Go Bills

      Some word association:  mandates; cancel culture ; sheeple; shaming; judging; myths; straw man argument;biased;rose colored glasses;homer;  dark tetrad; hypocritical.  Just had some words come to mind after reading “ I’M NOT CALLING OUT THE CRITICAL OR HYPERCRTICAL FANS”.  HMMM, REALLY?  Fans are who ever they chose to be regarding a team or sport. If only your criteria are THE CRITERIA TO BE A FAN, there are some great vacation spots to consider ; North KOREA, CHINA, Russia ; and there are so many more like them , great places filled with great fans of their great leaders who are  masters in thought control and they are all about freedom of choosing your lifestyle and happiness!

 

   You are probably the GREATEST BILLS FAN EVER, so when the off season comes around , take a well deserved break and take in some cultures that ,,,well,,somehow make me feel you might enjoy so much you might stay awhile after explaining how to be the loyalist fan ever!  But at least you weren’t being critical and that’s really being an open minded fan.  ( last word association; oxymoron).   It is a great thing to be the perfect fan because that determines so much about how your team plays !  Hmm,,,5-5 must mean,,,,lol. 

[AuntieEm]

On 11/18/2023 at 10:15 AM, Steve O said:

Must have been an end of the rack that caught the bottom corner of the windshield, front door was dented but would open, back door wouldn't even open, and there was a piece of his tail left on the tail light. Friggin thing still ran off after all that. Bet he had one hell of a headache though. Guessing he probably died at some point but he got away from the accident.

I can guarantee the deer will die at  some point whether or not the accident is the underlying cause Iis the only thing that isn't certain.

Edited November 19, 2023 by AuntieEm

[Bills fan since 87]

18 hours ago, DrPJax said:

      Some word association:  mandates; cancel culture ; sheeple; shaming; judging; myths; straw man argument;biased;rose colored glasses;homer;  dark tetrad; hypocritical.  Just had some words come to mind after reading “ I’M NOT CALLING OUT THE CRITICAL OR HYPERCRTICAL FANS”.  HMMM, REALLY?  Fans are who ever they chose to be regarding a team or sport. If only your criteria are THE CRITERIA TO BE A FAN, there are some great vacation spots to consider ; North KOREA, CHINA, Russia ; and there are so many more like them , great places filled with great fans of their great leaders who are  masters in thought control and they are all about freedom of choosing your lifestyle and happiness!

 

   You are probably the GREATEST BILLS FAN EVER, so when the off season comes around , take a well deserved break and take in some cultures that ,,,well,,somehow make me feel you might enjoy so much you might stay awhile after explaining how to be the loyalist fan ever!  But at least you weren’t being critical and that’s really being an open minded fan.  ( last word association; oxymoron).   It is a great thing to be the perfect fan because that determines so much about how your team plays !  Hmm,,,5-5 must mean,,,,lol. 

 

It's simple.  If you can't be bothered to watch the games your not much of a fan.  That's my point.  Do you disagree with that?

[Steve O]

19 hours ago, AuntieEm said:

I can guarantee the deer will die at  some point whether or not the accident is the underlying cause Iis the only thing that isn't certain.

yesterday may have been the smoothest trip home I've had in the 50 years I've been going to games. 

[AuntieEm]

8 hours ago, Steve O said:

yesterday may have been the smoothest trip home I've had in the 50 years I've been going to games. 

Certainly helps there's no snow covering grass so the deer don't have to wander as much in search for food. 

I believe there's a El Nino effect that will keep snowfall lower than normal in ny.  Don't know how accurate that will end up. I lived thru many if the blizzards we've had.  77 being the big one.

 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by AuntieEm