SDS Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 By Gerry Granovsky Following that game I fielded a few messages from the diaspora comrades. Somehow this loss was different. The messages were, “I’m finally out.” The guys who were die hard fans, dedicating each fall Sunday afternoon to watching the team for over 30 years, were giving up. “Why should we bother to give up most of our Sundays,” they asked, “When the team obviously doesn't care.” Their financial commitment isn't the same as flying to Buffalo and buying game tickets, but the time and emotional commitment is the same. http://www.twobillsdrive.com/articles/from..._painful_years/
buffaloboyinATL Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 By Gerry Granovsky http://www.twobillsdrive.com/articles/from..._painful_years/ Great read. I think that sums it up well.
bigskyfan Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 "Of course, I wasn’t the only one. It was great to watch Bills’ away games in sunny climes and hear a huge roar from the visiting crowd when something good happened to Buffalo. When DirecTV surveyed its Sunday ticket customers this year, it found that Bills fans were among the largest and most loyal among the displaced fandom in the sunbelt. The Bills dispora is large and is everywhere. " As another displaced billsfan in Montana, I thought this was an interesting quote considering buffalo is considered a small market. I agree, this article nails it, am not enthused about renewing sunday ticket, and this year for the first time did not make an annual trip back to watch the bills. I have been a bills fan since the beginning (47 years),, but hard to get excited about a team that does not have a commitment from the owner to win.
TheChimp Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 That suddenly empty feeling was later amplified upon hearing louder cheers for a Dolphins first down at a December “home” game. Otherwise, the Rogers Centre crowd elicited the sound of empty seats dressed up in US dollar green. Best line of the piece.
Hirly5 Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 As Troy Aikman would say, "I totally agree with you Joe." This is a well written piece that sums up the whole problem without being mean or taking cheap shots at anyone in the organization. Well done.
Golden Wheels Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 This article is a must read for every Bills fan. The growing sense of alienation from the team and its management cannot be ignored.
BuffaloBill Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 By Gerry Granovsky http://www.twobillsdrive.com/articles/from..._painful_years/ Very well written piece
Just Jack Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 Why bother with the nearly $300 Sunday Ticket sticker price shock [waiting for Fez to explain how to get it cheaper]
Kelly the Dog Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 I think GG's just getting old, bitter, frustrated, stubborn and stupid. Just like, um....
Dan Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 Excellent article. There was an idea to get a Billboard, I'd say take out a 1 page add in several newspapers and run this article.
Lori Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 That's the insightful commentary I've missed since you cut back on your writing, Gerry. And while I know which way I'm leaning, I'm not sure what decision I'll make when that season ticket invoice shows up. This, after 106 consecutive home games, emphatically NOT counting Toronto. Right now, there's only one thing stopping me from joining the crowd telling Ralph to get stuffed ... the friends I've made here, in Lot 1, and on our road trips. Honestly, at this point, I'd miss the tailgates more than the games.
Endzone Animal Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 Great, great article, GG. Thank you for pinning this thread, Mods.
MRW Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 I have to say, this article represents my feelings almost exactly. It's eerie. I don't make the sacrifices in time or expense that season ticket holders do, but it's gotten to the point that I question even spending what I do on something that is supposedly entertainment but hasn't entertained me in years.
Run Stopper Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 Gerry, To quote Meatloaf: "... you took the words right out of my mouth." ... one small interlude since the merger; and the rest of this franchise's history is full of falling short, indecision and insecurity at the top. This is Ralph revisiting his Detroit mafia all over again following Saban's success... without the success.
bflobarry Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 By Gerry Granovsky http://www.twobillsdrive.com/articles/from..._painful_years/ Great post. Like many others, this is me too. I grew up "Talkin' Proud" and remember when Chuck Knox's Bills finally broke the Dolfags oh-for- the 70's malaise. I went to Pasadena and Atlanta to watch our beloved Bills lose those Super Bowls. I fly up at least once a year (I live in Tampa now) to watch a game, and I have Sunday Ticket just to follow the Bills. But since about mid season, I would settle in for each game w/ little to no enthusiasm, expecting a poor quality game and always getting one. Even against the Jets and Broncos, early in both games we were getting killed. They say a fish rots from the head down. Well, Ralph is all about the benjamins, not about the wins, and his team reflects this. Look at his "inner circle": Himself, his accountant Littman, Russ Brandon the marketer. And, oh yea, the part time scout who lives and works in Florida, Modrak. That's 3 non-football guys and one part time scout running the team. We are stuck w/ this set up, and there is absolutely no reason to expect the on field product to improve. It's depressing, but them's the facts. The many thousands of local and far flung Bills loyalists deserve a better fate, but I'm afraid we are at the whim of a totally dysfunctional organization, and the ultimate kick in the stomach will come soon when Ralph dies and the team moves. It is depressing.....
BillsVet Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 Well, Ralph is all about the benjamins, not about the wins, and his team reflects this. Look at his "inner circle": Himself, his accountant Littman, Russ Brandon the marketer. And, oh yea, the part time scout who lives and works in Florida, Modrak. That's 3 non-football guys and one part time scout running the team. We are stuck w/ this set up, and there is absolutely no reason to expect the on field product to improve. It's depressing, but them's the facts. The many thousands of local and far flung Bills loyalists deserve a better fate, but I'm afraid we are at the whim of a totally dysfunctional organization, and the ultimate kick in the stomach will come soon when Ralph dies and the team moves. It is depressing..... That's an excellent point about the four who gathered to review the season in Detroit this week. I didn't get to see much of the 02-05 Bills because I was in the military, but it's amazing to read from fans both young and not as young how they are tired of this. I have to respect those who've followed this team before the SB years, because it was lean in the 70s, then between Know and about 88. And it seems like more of them are saying enough is enough.
Catholic Guilt Posted January 1, 2009 Posted January 1, 2009 Great article Gerry. As a displaced WNYer with many WNYer friends I can tell you we all feel the same way. When the Bills come to Carolina next year, its going to be tough for me to root for them.
The Dean Posted January 1, 2009 Posted January 1, 2009 I miss GG's articles from GoBills.com. Always well written and to the point. I don't share his apathy, and can't agree with every point...but, I certainly understand. Thanks for the article. I wish it didn't take a situation like this to get you to write a piece , though.
lets_go_bills Posted January 1, 2009 Posted January 1, 2009 Great article, from the heart of a Bills fan to the heart of a Bills fan. As the losses and mediocrity mount, it is certainly getting harder and harder to come back each year. Perhaps Ralph's mind truly has begun to deteriorate with his age. His poor decisions and rationalizations are really hurting the team and the fans. This management is alienting their fans. And that's what's most important: the fans. We the fans are the only truly "good" thing left about this franchise and now it seems our loyalty and dedication are being tested like never before. I can honestly say that I will renew my season's tickets, but right now I'm in a very sad place because of this team. One day I may walk away from my season's tix, but not from this team. I love them too much. But it is just not fair the way we are being treated. But after free agency and the draft and camp and as the new season approaches, we will all feel better because time heal all wounds. After all, each new season brings about renwed hope and renewed optimism. Go Bills.
SwampD Posted January 1, 2009 Posted January 1, 2009 Great article. I think we are only apathetic as a defense mechanism. I've been so pi$$ed for so long that I have had to turn to apathy at the risk of going completely insane. My problem isn't that the Bills are losing. They've been doing that for a long time, I know how to deal with that. It's that the Bills are losing what it means to BE a Bill: -An away "home" game - that one speaks for itself -practicing indoors - both the fans and team used to have to suffer the elements together. I remember before cold weather games, Bruce Smith and Darryl Tally would be on the field with no pads and just their long johns reveling in the cold going through their warm-ups. -not having the wind in the fourth - this one is inexcusable. I thought Jauron should have been using his timeouts at the end of the 3rd against NE like it was the end of the game, but he just doesn't get it. As crazy as it sounds, in the past I felt like I was a part of this team and we were going through these struggles together. I just don't feel that way anymore.
Recommended Posts