Bills are NFL’s most popular franchise worldwide? Really?

[Sierra Foothills]

26 minutes ago, GASabresIUFan said:

So the Germans can march in the shade.

How can you identify a French Army Knife?

I give up.

 

[Augie]

On 8/4/2024 at 11:58 AM, BillsPride12 said:

Normal behavior for a Buffalonian 

 

The only real question is, is she just getting started early or has this been going all night? Anything goes in an airport bar! I LOVE those places! 😂 

[GASabresIUFan]

22 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

I give up.

 

It contains a fork, a cork screw and a white flag.

[BigDingus]

There is zero chance anyone in Mongolia is tuning in to watch NFL games... especially not for the BROWNS.

[GASabresIUFan]

Just now, BigDingus said:

There is zero chance anyone in Mongolia is tuning in to watch NFL games... especially not for the BROWNS.

 

I'm sure someone has a photo of a yurt with a Bills Mafia flag on it.

[WotAGuy]

[Blackbeard]

This is actually fairly interesting.  The Bills being in Buffalo as a franchise it’s important to revenue. 

[hondo in seattle]

36 minutes ago, GASabresIUFan said:

It contains a fork, a cork screw and a white flag.

Just so you know...

 

My grandfather was French.  He won a Croix de Guerre in WWI for single-handedly holding off a German company with a heavy machine gun.

 

When the Germans invaded France again in 1940, he went to a local police station - along with some other WWI vets - and demanded weapons to fight the Germans as a civilian.  He didn't wave a white flag in WWII either.  

 

My late mom, just a teen at the time, and her family helped the Resistance move Jews around Paris to avoid arrest and deporation (to extirmination camps) by the Nazis.  Several of my mom's cousins, aunts, and uncles died fighting or otherwise serving their country in the two world wars (with about 2 million other non-flag waving French casualties).  

 

I'm half-French, proudly led American soldiers into combat, and the only white flags I ever saw were being waved by our enemies.  

 

No one in my family will get your joke about French Army Knives.  

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 5 by hondo in seattle

[GASabresIUFan]

11 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

Just so you know...

 

My grandfather was French.  He won a Croix de Guerre in WWI for single-handedly holding off a German company with a heavy machine gun.

 

When the Germans invaded France again in 1940, he went to a local police station - along with some other WWI vets - and demanded weapons to fight the Germans as a civilian.  He didn't wave a white flag in WWII either.  

 

My late mom, just a teen at the time, and her family helped the Resistance move Jews around Paris to avoid arrest and deporation (to extirmination camps) by the Nazis.  Several of my mom's cousins, aunts, and uncles died fighting or otherwise serving their country in the two world wars (with about 2 million other non-flag waving French casualties).  

 

I'm half-French, proudly led American soldiers into combat, and the only white flags I ever saw were being waved by our enemies.  

 

No one in my family will get your joke about French Army Knives.  

 

 

 

 

 

I apologize and I appreciate your family’s bravery and service.

 

My grandfathers’ emigrated to the US in the 1920’s. Their families that stayed behind were mostly murdered in the holocaust.  In fact, the Nazi’s came into my families’ village in Lithuania in Sept 1940.  Of the 3500 people in the village, only 5 survived the war.  I donated my family’s correspondence with relatives in the village to the Holocaust Memorial in Israel.   The Archivist told me that my letters, cards and photos were the first records that had of the Village’s residents.   
 

Overall I had two other cousins that survived Auschwitz.  One married another survivor and raised their family in Israel.  
 

I get it.

[Jay_Fixit]

It’s called bandwagon.

 

none of these people are actually fans. 

[BillsPride12]

1 hour ago, Augie said:

 

The only real question is, is she just getting started early or has this been going all night? Anything goes in an airport bar! I LOVE those places! 😂 

Haha very true, could easily be either one and I agree there's really nothing quite like the airport bar!  Have had some amazing conversations with complete strangers in those places over the years

[hondo in seattle]

1 hour ago, GASabresIUFan said:

I apologize and I appreciate your family’s bravery and service.

 

My grandfathers’ emigrated to the US in the 1920’s. Their families that stayed behind were mostly murdered in the holocaust.  In fact, the Nazi’s came into my families’ village in Lithuania in Sept 1940.  Of the 3500 people in the village, only 5 survived the war.  I donated my family’s correspondence with relatives in the village to the Holocaust Memorial in Israel.   The Archivist told me that my letters, cards and photos were the first records that had of the Village’s residents.   
 

Overall I had two other cousins that survived Auschwitz.  One married another survivor and raised their family in Israel.  
 

I get it.

 

Thanks for this.

 

I don't think my mom's family suffered as much as your grandfather's.  Imagine - that village and all it's residents with all their loves, hopes, and dreams would have been forgotten if not for your donations.  Fantastic work.

 

20th century France had some crap strategists and politicians who embarrassed the country, but there were good and brave people in the population, too.  My mom was a humble, selfless lady who rarely talked about the war.  But when I prodded her, some of the stories were heart-wrenching and/or hair-raising.  

 

One that stands out for me, because she was at the heart of it, was the time when she was 14 or 15 and escorted two young Jewish boys to a safe house when the Resistance had learned the Jewish family's home was about to be raided.  She was stopped by a couple of German soldiers (Gestapo?) at a metro station who instructed French gendarmes to inspect the kids' belongings.  The kids looked Jewish while my mom, pretending to be their older sister, had blond hair and blue eyes.  The police found Yarmulkes in their bags but pretended not to see them and reported to the Germans that there was nothing amiss.  

 

I asked my mom what would have happened if the Germans had seen the Yarmulkes.  She shrugged, "I suppose we would all have been arrested and shot."   But she poo-pooed any talk of heroism.  Lots of people took risks to help others during the war, she explained.  Many did much more.  The street she grew up is now named "Rue Jacques Jorissen" after the boy across the street who joined the Resistance and was soon thereafter shot by the Germans.  

 

When I was 14, I played street or sandlot football nearly everyday, fantasizing I was Bobby Chandler.  I didn't appreciate how coddled I was compared to some 15 year olds back in my mom's day or even today.  

 

 

 

[GASabresIUFan]

53 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

When I was 14, I played street or sandlot football nearly everyday, fantasizing I was Bobby Chandler.  I didn't appreciate how coddled I was compared to some 15 year olds back in my mom's day or even today.  

But that’s why our families came here.  They came for a chance to raise their families in peace.  They came so that they could raise their families without fear and so that their kids, grandkids etc could have a better life.  We honor them by telling their stories and instilling the bravery and work ethic into our children and grandchildren.  
 

My great-grandmother came over on a ship by herself at 13.  She was supposed to travel with her older sister, but she got sick on the boat and was put off in England.  My grandmother completed the crossing by herself.  I am named for her and you can bet my kids know her name and story.  
 

 

[Bad Things]

For what it’s worth, a couple weeks ago I wrote on this board about how excited I was to run into the very first Bills fan that I’ve seen after 19 years in New Zealand. 
There is no way we’re the most popular team in the world.  
 

Let’s go Buffalo!!!

[Sierra Foothills]

7 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

Reminds me of the old joke, "Why is the Champs Elysees lined by large oak trees?

 

6 hours ago, GASabresIUFan said:

So the Germans can march in the shade.

How can you identify a French Army Knife?

 

6 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

I give up.

 

5 hours ago, GASabresIUFan said:

It contains a fork, a cork screw and a white flag.

 

5 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

Just so you know...

 

My grandfather was French.  He won a Croix de Guerre in WWI for single-handedly holding off a German company with a heavy machine gun.

 

When the Germans invaded France again in 1940, he went to a local police station - along with some other WWI vets - and demanded weapons to fight the Germans as a civilian.  He didn't wave a white flag in WWII either.  

 

My late mom, just a teen at the time, and her family helped the Resistance move Jews around Paris to avoid arrest and deporation (to extirmination camps) by the Nazis.  Several of my mom's cousins, aunts, and uncles died fighting or otherwise serving their country in the two world wars (with about 2 million other non-flag waving French casualties).  

 

I'm half-French, proudly led American soldiers into combat, and the only white flags I ever saw were being waved by our enemies.  

 

No one in my family will get your joke about French Army Knives.

 

@hondo in seattle, I owe you an apology too. I meant no disrespect to your heritage.

 

Just so you know, my people are often times the butt end of jokes too.

 

My family came to this country in 1954 after enduring 2 wars. My paternal grandfather led the resistance against imperialistic occupiers until he was captured and died in a prison camp of ulcers... he was given water but no food. During the time my grandfather was underground trying to organize the resistance, his wife, my grandmother was interrogated and tortured by the occupiers, trying to find out my grandfather's whereabouts. After the torture interrogation my grandmother said to the interrogators "you might as well kill me but I will never give away my husband... is your wife as strong as me?"

 

My people's country didn't win many wars but they were brave and courageous like many people.

 

Again, no offense intended.

 

 

[Pete]

11 hours ago, GASabresIUFan said:

 

I'm sure someone has a photo of a yurt with a Bills Mafia flag on it.

Genghis Khan would love Bills Mafia.  
 

Bills Mafia and Genghis Khan would be an amazing combination.

 

There would be a world wide folding table shortage at the very least

Edited August 6 by Pete

[aristocrat]

45 minutes ago, Pete said:

Genghis Khan would love Bills Mafia.  
 

Bills Mafia and Genghis Khan would be an amazing combination.

 

There would be a world wide folding table shortage at the very least

 

Genghis Kan spread his genes like nobody else. We'd truly be the world's most popular team.  Also, he'd probably kill all the other teams fans. 

[JP51]

On 8/3/2024 at 5:25 PM, RobbRiddick said:

I bet a HUGE amount of young fans have hoped on this franchise purely because of Josh Allen. This guy is so great to watch, people just love seeing him play.

 

I've said this before and I'll say it again, when he finally retires I'm going to be at a real loss because the guy completely reignited my passion for this team and this sport. The second we drafted him I was excited and as soon as he leap frogged Barr I was hooked. The thought of going back to a 'regular' QB is really depressing.

I think JA has a lot to do with this for sure.. Pretty charismatic kid out there with his actress/Model/Whatever Girlfriend ... I dont think that is the only thing, but it sure helps to have kind likeable face of the franchise. 

[hondo in seattle]

13 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

 

 

 

 

@hondo in seattle, I owe you an apology too. I meant no disrespect to your heritage.

 

Just so you know, my people are often times the butt end of jokes too.

 

My family came to this country in 1954 after enduring 2 wars. My paternal grandfather led the resistance against imperialistic occupiers until he was captured and died in a prison camp of ulcers... he was given water but no food. During the time my grandfather was underground trying to organize the resistance, his wife, my grandmother was interrogated and tortured by the occupiers, trying to find out my grandfather's whereabouts. After the torture interrogation my grandmother said to the interrogators "you might as well kill me but I will never give away my husband... is your wife as strong as me?"

 

My people's country didn't win many wars but they were brave and courageous like many people.

 

Again, no offense intended.

 

 

 

@Sierra Foothills - I appreciate the apology.  I know the words were meant to be humorous and not offensive.  I hear these jokes from my friends sometimes, even ones who knew and adored my mom.  

 

I do worry though that jokes sometimes perpetuate stereotypes and false narratives.  And when I thought about the hardships my mom and her family experienced, I had to say something.  I'd be a disloyal POS if I didn't.  

 

Your family's stories are more dramatic than mine.  Your grandparents were heroes.  I love your grandma's attitude: "Is your wife as strong as me?"    

 

Yesterday was my daughter's first day of med school.  Apparently, it was a 'hard' day.  She began the day at 8 am and didn't return to her off-campus apartment until 10 pm, with tears in her eyes, asking, "What did I get myself into?"   I was tempted to tell her stories about my mom working 12-hour shifts in terrible conditions as an unpaid student nurse at the end of the war.  Or my grandfather's stories of fighting in the trenches in WWI.   Somehow, hanging out in clean, air-conditioned classrooms with actual and aspiring physicians on a college campus doesn't sound like a bad gig when you have the right perspective.  

 

I guess a lot of us have relatives who have gone through hell.   Maybe so we wouldn't have to.  

 

 

[BillsPride12]

5 hours ago, JP51 said:

I think JA has a lot to do with this for sure.. Pretty charismatic kid out there with his actress/Model/Whatever Girlfriend ... I dont think that is the only thing, but it sure helps to have kind likeable face of the franchise. 

It's absolutely the biggest factor in the Bills recent era popularity.  I mean the crazy fans are part of it too but our fans have always been like that and nobody was jumping on the bandwagon when we sucked cuz of the wild fans lol