Endzone Animal Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 If you're a long time devoted Bills fan who feels your differences with Ralph Wilson are now irreconcilable, and as a result have decided the time has come to officially resign as Buffalo Bills fan, this is the thread for you. We will talk about the pain that's felt in breaking up with the owner of the team after so many years, the anger we feel, and offer suggestions on how to best move on. This thread is NOT for those fans who remain unconditionally supportive of Ralph Wilson's Bills. If you are offended by the idea that fans like us have decided to break up with Wilson's team please take your opinions elsewhere. We get that you consider yourself the "real fan", we know you will "remain loyal" no matter what Wilson does or says, so don't feel the need to use this thread to express those sentiments. We really don't want to hear it, don't care how much of a "Superfan" you are, and thank you in advance for respecting this request. For those of you deciding to end your relationship with Wilson's Bills, the thread is yours to discuss your personal history as a fan following the team, when you started to become conflicted about continuing to support them, and sharing ideas of how to move forward now that that relationship is over. It can be a strange and lost island for those of us who have now left our Bills days behind, and we all still carry a lot of intense, hard feelings of betrayal, anger, sadness, and confusion of what to do next. Hopefully, this thread will be a place for us to try and work all that out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endzone Animal Posted December 31, 2008 Author Share Posted December 31, 2008 Personally, I've been a Bills fan since I was born in 1967. I attended games in the Rock Pile as a tot when the Bills were terrible, and then Rich Stadium through the Lou Saban/OJ years, the disastrous Ringo year, the O-FER the 70's against the Dolphins era, the Chuck Knox/Talkin Proud era of rebirth, the dreaded Stephenson/Bullough era of collapse, the Levy era of rebirth, playoffs and crushing Super Bowl losses, and all of the subsequent misery that has followed since. I was a fanatic, never missing a game, wearing all the Bills gear, tailgaiting, in short, I was a complete die-hard maniac. However, all that began to change the past couple years due to the way Ralph Wilson, never a particularly beloved owner to begin with, essentially mailed it in. He had enough of Buffalo, enough of the fans, enough of trying to put out a winner, and enough of even pretending to care how that affected the people who are fans of the team. Bad enough that the team was atrocious, the decision to not put a clause in his will to give matching rights to keep the team in Buffalo began my slide out of fanhood. The flirtation with Totonto and subsequent scheduling of games under the phony "regional outreach" money grab began the slide out for me, and when he badmouthed Buffalo and refused to soothe fears and rumors of future relocation, well, that became really hard for me to digest. I felt odd all year watching the team, like it was an act now, forced, dressing up in meaningless costume and watching games without any of that fire I'd had for almost 40 years of being a fan. Something didn't seem right. When the Bills went to Toronto, watching that game was like being out-of-body, like seeing your wife who you suspected of cheating having sex with another man on TV for everyone to see. I was nauseated and had to turn the channel for good at halftime. The glib comments and laughter by Ralph Wilson to the media after the Toronto abomination was like a punch in the gut. I started to wonder how I could root for this guy and his team, it felt very, very wrong to just act like everything was still OK. It wasn't, and I new it, and as it turns out it never would be again. The decision to retain Jauron was just the final confirmation of what I already new. I was done as a fan of anything associated with Ralph Wilson and came to grips with the fact that I was now moving on for good. I'm not sure where to go from here, but I do know this: I will never, ever be a fan of this team so long as Ralph Wilson is the owner. After he dies, if the team stays in Buffalo under a new owner I will open up my heart again, but until that time the balcony is closed and I'll just be in a wierd football limbo. How about you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zonabb Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 I already told my season ticket rep (four seats) that I'm done, not to waste the stamps and paper trying to get me to renew. I've said it in other threads and I'll say it again here... spending even one penny on this team is not somethiing I am willing to do so long as this moron owns the team. Here's a cheap, disconnected, ignorant, condescending a-hole who has run one of the top 5 worst franchise in the last 50 years. As a former season ticket holder and unfortunately still Erie County taxpayer (de facto supporter), I'm appalled. I can't wait until RW is no longer the owner. If that means the team moves so be it. Mark my words, this team will not return to the playoffs in his lifetime. His main concern now, in the final years of his life, are maximizing the profit for his family. Don't think for one second that's not the case. He makes $20-$25 mil a year (a close friend with connections had breakfast with him a couple years ago and he said as much) and that's his first and foremost concern. Winning, the fans, the city, the players, the coaches are all secondary, maybe tertiary after his family. He's a bona fide loser of 4 Super Bowls and more losing seasons than winning, by far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Byrd Man Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Anyone visiting this thread read my post on the stop complaining and cancel your tickets thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endzone Animal Posted December 31, 2008 Author Share Posted December 31, 2008 Anyone visiting this thread read my post on the stop complaining and cancel your tickets thread. Why should you care if many of us have decided to leave Wilson's Bills? If we cared what you think about shutting up we'd have asked for your opinion. We don't, but since you only care about yourself, thanks for stopping by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endzone Animal Posted December 31, 2008 Author Share Posted December 31, 2008 I already told my season ticket rep (four seats) that I'm done, not to waste the stamps and paper trying to get me to renew. I've said it in other threads and I'll say it again here... spending even one penny on this team is not somethiing I am willing to do so long as this moron owns the team. Here's a cheap, disconnected, ignorant, condescending a-hole who has run one of the top 5 worst franchise in the last 50 years. As a former season ticket holder and unfortunately still Erie County taxpayer (de facto supporter), I'm appalled. I can't wait until RW is no longer the owner. If that means the team moves so be it. Mark my words, this team will not return to the playoffs in his lifetime. His main concern now, in the final years of his life, are maximizing the profit for his family. Don't think for one second that's not the case. He makes $20-$25 mil a year (a close friend with connections had breakfast with him a couple years ago and he said as much) and that's his first and foremost concern. Winning, the fans, the city, the players, the coaches are all secondary, maybe tertiary after his family. He's a bona fide loser of 4 Super Bowls and more losing seasons than winning, by far. So, where does that now leave you? Will you watch football without a particular rooting interest? Stop watching altogether? Pick another team? Maybe you're like me and not quite sure what the answer is yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Jabber Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 I'm not sure if I will really root for another team or just casually watch football looking for a good game to watch on Sunday's. Ralph's comments to Ed Kilgore was the nail in the coffin for me. Until Ralph either sells the team or Ralph dies and someone else owns the Bills, I'm done devoting myself to the Bills. I'll watch the highlights and read the articles, but I'm done going to games and watching the Bills on tv. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endzone Animal Posted December 31, 2008 Author Share Posted December 31, 2008 I'm not sure if I will really root for another team or just casually watch football looking for a good game to watch on Sunday's. Ralph's comments to Ed Kilgore was the nail in the coffin for me. Until Ralph either sells the team or Ralph dies and someone else owns the Bills, I'm done devoting myself to the Bills. I'll watch the highlights and read the articles, but I'm done going to games and watching the Bills on tv. I live outside of Ft Lauderdale now and have the Dolphins locally. I'm definitely going to root for them in the playoffs, even thought about going to the game this Sunday. Not ready to go to their message boards, buy jerseys, or get my heart and soul into them, just too tough being from Buffalo and all. Probably will be a casual fan picking out teams that interest me from one year to the next, maybe lean more to the Dolphins as time goes by. Of course, all this is biding time for when Ralph drops dead. I'll return to the Bills provided the new ownership keeps them in Buffalo, and if not I'll probably just drift for good into being a casual Dolphin fan who roots for other teams depending on the season. This coming season my favorite team will be whoever is playing Wilson's Bills. I want them to go 0-16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphadawg7 Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 If you're a long time devoted Bills fan who feels your differences with Ralph Wilson are now irreconcilable, and as a result have decided the time has come to officially resign as Buffalo Bills fan, this is the thread for you. We will talk about the pain that's felt in breaking up with the owner of the team after so many years, the anger we feel, and offer suggestions on how to best move on. This thread is NOT for those fans who remain unconditionally supportive of Ralph Wilson's Bills. If you are offended by the idea that fans like us have decided to break up with Wilson's team please take your opinions elsewhere. We get that you consider yourself the "real fan", we know you will "remain loyal" no matter what Wilson does or says, so don't feel the need to use this thread to express those sentiments. We really don't want to hear it, don't care how much of a "Superfan" you are, and thank you in advance for respecting this request. For those of you deciding to end your relationship with Wilson's Bills, the thread is yours to discuss your personal history as a fan following the team, when you started to become conflicted about continuing to support them, and sharing ideas of how to move forward now that that relationship is over. It can be a strange and lost island for those of us who have now left our Bills days behind, and we all still carry a lot of intense, hard feelings of betrayal, anger, sadness, and confusion of what to do next. Hopefully, this thread will be a place for us to try and work all that out. So leave...why are you still posting? You are like that ex wife that still follows you around on your dates after the divorce... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endzone Animal Posted December 31, 2008 Author Share Posted December 31, 2008 So leave...why are you still posting? You are like that ex wife that still follows you around on your dates after the divorce... Why do you care that we are done with Wilson's Bills? Why are you coming into a thread where you know you aren't wanted? Do you think your opinion matters to us? Go away, "Superfan". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts