granitestatebillsbackers Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 When they're infants, it's just cool to dress them in the colors. If you go to the Bills Backers photo section on the Bills site, you'll see the little dude wearing Bills sweatpants. But there is another, more important reason Sean is going to be raised a Bills fan--and its not just because Dad is a life-long fan (and NH-based uncle and grandfather are Pats fans). He is going to learn sportsmanship: how to win graciously; and how to accept defeat the same way. He is going to understand what it means to be part of a team. He is going to learn why its not good to jump on a bandwagon, because when they unhitch the horses, you're left stuck in the middle of the road. When he was born, I told my brother-in-law and father-in-law not to bother buying the little sprat Patriots gear because it would either get tossed or sit in a drawer. At first, they kind of laughed and said "whatever," but now they get it. They like to taunt about the Patriots doing so well and the Bills...well, take a look at last week and you can imagine what they were like. I just smile and say, "It's all cyclical, guys, and there are dark days coming for you." In my 20 years being in New England, my observation is that Patriots fans--more than most other teams' fans--are the most obnoxious, disrespectful and downright annoying people when it comes to fans of other teams. That goes for in the stadium, in the parking lot, in the office and wherever. When they were losing year after year, these fans were invisible. But when the Pats started winning, they fell over each other to get jerseys, bumper stickers, etc. and then turned their years of frustration on whomever was supporting another team. Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't scream your head off at the other team at the game or in a sports bar. I'm also not suggesting that you shouldn't engage in a little good-natured (or even heated) banter with fans of other teams. As long as it ends with a laugh, a handshake and a beer, no harm no foul. That's what makes this so entertaining. But the fans around here have taken it to another level--right down to the guy at our sports bar who, even when the room had 20 Steelers fans and eight Bills fans and nobody else--insisted on keeping the Pats-Carolina game on a big screen with no sound. (The Steeler fans got the other big screen with sound, and we watched a smaller monitor.) In my experience (living in Buffalo for the first 23 years of my life) Bills fans are different, on the whole. Maybe it's because we have had an up and down history, or maybe we learned some humility when we lost four Super Bowls in a row. Whatever the reason, there is an air of class around Bills fans, win or lose. Are there exceptions? Absolutely. There are some Bills fans who are a-holes about the whole thing, just like there are Pats fans who have celebrated their successes and endured their bad years just like we do. I'm talking in generalities, but if you took a group of 100 random Bills fans from outside of the Buffalo area, and a group of 100 random Pats fans, you would see the difference when you started talking to them. My son is too young to appreciate any of this now. But when he is a little older, he is going to experience the Bills having winning seasons, and after that, see them slide back into mediocrity again. And so on, and so on. What he will get from me, from folks at Ralph Wilson Stadium, and from being a Bills fan is an understanding of what it means to be a FAN. If he grew up a Patriots fan, he'd never learn that lesson. There aren't a lot of good role models around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 When they're infants, it's just cool to dress them in the colors. If you go to the Bills Backers photo section on the Bills site, you'll see the little dude wearing Bills sweatpants. But there is another, more important reason Sean is going to be raised a Bills fan--and its not just because Dad is a life-long fan (and NH-based uncle and grandfather are Pats fans). He is going to learn sportsmanship: how to win graciously; and how to accept defeat the same way. He is going to understand what it means to be part of a team. He is going to learn why its not good to jump on a bandwagon, because when they unhitch the horses, you're left stuck in the middle of the road. When he was born, I told my brother-in-law and father-in-law not to bother buying the little sprat Patriots gear because it would either get tossed or sit in a drawer. At first, they kind of laughed and said "whatever," but now they get it. They like to taunt about the Patriots doing so well and the Bills...well, take a look at last week and you can imagine what they were like. I just smile and say, "It's all cyclical, guys, and there are dark days coming for you." In my 20 years being in New England, my observation is that Patriots fans--more than most other teams' fans--are the most obnoxious, disrespectful and downright annoying people when it comes to fans of other teams. That goes for in the stadium, in the parking lot, in the office and wherever. When they were losing year after year, these fans were invisible. But when the Pats started winning, they fell over each other to get jerseys, bumper stickers, etc. and then turned their years of frustration on whomever was supporting another team. Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't scream your head off at the other team at the game or in a sports bar. I'm also not suggesting that you shouldn't engage in a little good-natured (or even heated) banter with fans of other teams. As long as it ends with a laugh, a handshake and a beer, no harm no foul. That's what makes this so entertaining. But the fans around here have taken it to another level--right down to the guy at our sports bar who, even when the room had 20 Steelers fans and eight Bills fans and nobody else--insisted on keeping the Pats-Carolina game on a big screen with no sound. (The Steeler fans got the other big screen with sound, and we watched a smaller monitor.) In my experience (living in Buffalo for the first 23 years of my life) Bills fans are different, on the whole. Maybe it's because we have had an up and down history, or maybe we learned some humility when we lost four Super Bowls in a row. Whatever the reason, there is an air of class around Bills fans, win or lose. Are there exceptions? Absolutely. There are some Bills fans who are a-holes about the whole thing, just like there are Pats fans who have celebrated their successes and endured their bad years just like we do. I'm talking in generalities, but if you took a group of 100 random Bills fans from outside of the Buffalo area, and a group of 100 random Pats fans, you would see the difference when you started talking to them. My son is too young to appreciate any of this now. But when he is a little older, he is going to experience the Bills having winning seasons, and after that, see them slide back into mediocrity again. And so on, and so on. What he will get from me, from folks at Ralph Wilson Stadium, and from being a Bills fan is an understanding of what it means to be a FAN. If he grew up a Patriots fan, he'd never learn that lesson. There aren't a lot of good role models around here. 449247[/snapback] Right on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 You really hate Pats fans don't you... That's kewl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
granitestatebillsbackers Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 Honestly, I didn't have a problem with them until I actually moved to New England. With very few exceptions, I am not impressed. New England Patriots. They're the new Miami Dolphins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mile High Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 New England Patriots. They're the new Miami Dolphins. 449356[/snapback] I'll second that. Not so much the Pats to me though it's more their fans. True True True. In my 20 years being in New England, my observation is that Patriots fans--more than most other teams' fans--are the most obnoxious, disrespectful and downright annoying people when it comes to fans of other teams. That goes for in the stadium, in the parking lot, in the office and wherever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
granitestatebillsbackers Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 That's actually true. Bill B. and his staff are very businesslike, and you don't really hear Patriots players trash talking about the opposition. Maybe the coaching staff should have a seminar for Pats fans at Gillette Stadium. Pats fans are bottom-feeders at best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Coli Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 I've said it before on this board. The people who think we shouldn't hate the Pats have never lived amongst their "fans". Great post, man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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