What is it about Buffalo that makes it need misery?

[PromoTheRobot]

I was just reflecting on the current off-season of both the Sabres and Bills. The current level of woe, self-pity and despondance is typical. Then it struck me: Buffalo sports fans, if not Buffalonians in general need to be miserable! It's like a drug to us. Our misery defines us. We have this myth that a dark cloud hangs over us and the gods conspire to hold us down. That nothing, NOTHING good ever happens to us. Even when good things happen we ignore them just to cling to the myth.

 

Here's proof: UB has a magical football season. They were picked to finish last. Not only do they win the MAC championship, but they do it improbably fashion...they upset an undefeated nationally-ranked team to win it...They come from 20 points down in the 4Q to clinch the MAC east in OT....They survive a 4OT nail-biter in Akron...They come from 14 points down in the 4Q to beat Army....They beat Temple on a last-chance hail mary that is shown over and over nationally....They go to their only bowl game on the 50th anniversary of the 1958 team.

 

Any one of these games would make a season, yet we had a one season full of them. But if you ask any Buffalo sports fan about UB's season, you'd get a mild "oh yeah, that was cool" if they could tell you anything about it at all.

 

Were not talking about a local high school team. UB was on national TV a bunch of times. So why don't people show a little pride in that accomplishment instead of wallowing in the misery of the Bills and Sabres endlessly?

 

It's an addiction, I tell you.

 

PTR

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I was just reflecting on the current off-season of both the Sabres and Bills. The current level of woe, self-pity and despondance is typical. Then it struck me: Buffalo sports fans, if not Buffalonians in general need to be miserable! It's like a drug to us. Our misery defines us. We have this myth that a dark cloud hangs over us and the gods conspire to hold us down. That nothing, NOTHING good ever happens to us. Even when good things happen we ignore them just to cling to the myth.

 

Here's proof: UB has a magical football season. They were picked to finish last. Not only do they win the MAC championship, but they do it improbably fashion...they upset an undefeated nationally-ranked team to win it...They come from 20 points down in the 4Q to clinch the MAC east in OT....They survive a 4OT nail-biter in Akron...They come from 14 points down in the 4Q to beat Army....They beat Temple on a last-chance hail mary that is shown over and over nationally....They go to their only bowl game on the 50th anniversary of the 1958 team.

 

Any one of these games would make a season, yet we had a one season full of them. But if you ask any Buffalo sports fan about UB's season, you'd get a mild "oh yeah, that was cool" if they could tell you anything about it at all.

 

Were not talking about a local high school team. UB was on national TV a bunch of times. So why don't people show a little pride in that accomplishment instead of wallowing in the misery of the Bills and Sabres endlessly?

 

It's an addiction, I tell you.

 

PTR

 

I think it's pretty simple...a lot of people have no connection to UB. I'm from Buffalo but my parents went to Penn State and I go to Cornell, so those are the two schools I root for. You'd probably hear a lot of similar stories if you asked around.

[Guest dog14787]

I was just reflecting on the current off-season of both the Sabres and Bills. The current level of woe, self-pity and despondance is typical. Then it struck me: Buffalo sports fans, if not Buffalonians in general need to be miserable! It's like a drug to us. Our misery defines us. We have this myth that a dark cloud hangs over us and the gods conspire to hold us down. That nothing, NOTHING good ever happens to us. Even when good things happen we ignore them just to cling to the myth.

 

Here's proof: UB has a magical football season. They were picked to finish last. Not only do they win the MAC championship, but they do it improbably fashion...they upset an undefeated nationally-ranked team to win it...They come from 20 points down in the 4Q to clinch the MAC east in OT....They survive a 4OT nail-biter in Akron...They come from 14 points down in the 4Q to beat Army....They beat Temple on a last-chance hail mary that is shown over and over nationally....They go to their only bowl game on the 50th anniversary of the 1958 team.

 

Any one of these games would make a season, yet we had a one season full of them. But if you ask any Buffalo sports fan about UB's season, you'd get a mild "oh yeah, that was cool" if they could tell you anything about it at all.

 

Were not talking about a local high school team. UB was on national TV a bunch of times. So why don't people show a little pride in that accomplishment instead of wallowing in the misery of the Bills and Sabres endlessly?

 

It's an addiction, I tell you.

 

PTR

 

I was happy to see UB do well, but I have no real connection with them personally. I actually thought folks seemed fairly optimistic about the Buffalo Bills upcoming season, especially considering the last decade has been a rough one. Between the Bills and the Sabres, I'm not sure how you could expect much different though.

 

Promo, you seem unusually fidgity, maybe its a sign of good things to come.

[C.Biscuit97]

I was just reflecting on the current off-season of both the Sabres and Bills. The current level of woe, self-pity and despondance is typical. Then it struck me: Buffalo sports fans, if not Buffalonians in general need to be miserable! It's like a drug to us. Our misery defines us. We have this myth that a dark cloud hangs over us and the gods conspire to hold us down. That nothing, NOTHING good ever happens to us. Even when good things happen we ignore them just to cling to the myth.

 

Here's proof: UB has a magical football season. They were picked to finish last. Not only do they win the MAC championship, but they do it improbably fashion...they upset an undefeated nationally-ranked team to win it...They come from 20 points down in the 4Q to clinch the MAC east in OT....They survive a 4OT nail-biter in Akron...They come from 14 points down in the 4Q to beat Army....They beat Temple on a last-chance hail mary that is shown over and over nationally....They go to their only bowl game on the 50th anniversary of the 1958 team.

 

Any one of these games would make a season, yet we had a one season full of them. But if you ask any Buffalo sports fan about UB's season, you'd get a mild "oh yeah, that was cool" if they could tell you anything about it at all.

 

Were not talking about a local high school team. UB was on national TV a bunch of times. So why don't people show a little pride in that accomplishment instead of wallowing in the misery of the Bills and Sabres endlessly?

 

It's an addiction, I tell you.

 

PTR

 

 

Good post. People like to just focus on the negative. I think this is going great year for Buffalo pro sports and UB is shaping into becoming a legit college program. People love to rag on Buffalo but there are so many things to do every weekend here. I love my love here right now.

 

I just finished grad school and unfortunately, I'm facing the decision of wheter or not to leave the area for a job opportunity. If you asked me a few years ago, I couldn't have waited to leave. But now, I really don't want to go. It is a special place. It's jsut a shame that too many people just choose to dwell on the negative. Life is what you make it.

[Lurker]

So why don't people show a little pride in that accomplishment instead of wallowing in the misery of the Bills and Sabres endlessly?

Show of hands:

 

How many people in the Buffalo area can name the Bulls starting QB for the up coming season? The top defensive star?

 

IMO, the lack of identity other than the HC being 'somebody I've heard of' is the biggest reason.

[bills44]

People seemed pretty happy during the Sabres' '05-'06 & '06-'07 seasons.

 

Same thing goes for the Bills in the early-to-mid 90s.

 

Give the people something to cheer about, as opposed to a mediocre product, and they'll cheer. I'm pretty sure that Bills fans would rather see the team make the playoffs than see the team go 7-9. Likewise, Sabres fans would rather see the team finish in the upper half of the Eastern Conference, rather than in 9th or 10th place.

[The Senator]

Geez, Promo - I don't remember you waxing on about the UB football program when that Cornell bum Jim Hofher was head coach

[Chef Jim]

I was just reflecting on the current off-season of both the Sabres and Bills. The current level of woe, self-pity and despondance is typical. Then it struck me: Buffalo sports fans, if not Buffalonians in general need to be miserable! It's like a drug to us. Our misery defines us. We have this myth that a dark cloud hangs over us and the gods conspire to hold us down. That nothing, NOTHING good ever happens to us. Even when good things happen we ignore them just to cling to the myth.

 

I'm wondering if this is only for people still living there. I moved away many years ago, pretty much right after high school. Because I was raised in WNY and all my family is still there I have a very strong tie to the area. Reason number one why I post here and mostly here and PPP, very rarely on the Bills Forum. Seeing I've been gone so long I really don't feel a tie to the Bills only the area. I'm proud of my home town and never shy away from telling people where I'm from. But to address your point of needing to be miserable, I'm not sure how much sarcasm is in what you say. But I do not share the need to be miserable, as a matter of fact I go out of my way to make my life wonderful and it has been for many years. But you have a point. I really notice the difference in attitudes of the people I live and work with here and the people I visit with back "home". WNYers are much nicer and genuinely sincere but damn are you people depressing at times. Why is that?

[ans4e64]

Show of hands:

 

How many people in the Buffalo area can name the Bulls starting QB for the up coming season? The top defensive star?

 

IMO, the lack of identity other than the HC being 'somebody I've heard of' is the biggest reason.

 

Ask the coaches at UB those same questions, and they won't have an answer. It is friggen June. The starting QB last season is gone, and the position is up for grabs. Of course no one knows who it is, because one hasn't been named yet!

[Lurker]

Ask the coaches at UB those same questions, and they won't have an answer. It is friggen June. The starting QB last season is gone, and the position is up for grabs. Of course no one knows who it is, because one hasn't been named yet!

You just made my point.

 

Continual player turnover is a big hurdle to get over if you want fans in an NFL city to buy into this level of football. IMO, WNY football fans like knowing who the players are without having to check the roster, and then seeing them graduate just when they've figured out how to pronounce their name. Same reason Big 4 basketball has declined in popularity over the past two decades...

[buckeyemike]

Good post. People like to just focus on the negative. I think this is going great year for Buffalo pro sports and UB is shaping into becoming a legit college program. People love to rag on Buffalo but there are so many things to do every weekend here. I love my love here right now.

 

Change "Buffalo" to "Cleveland" and I could say the same exact thing. I really believe that there were a lot of people here who wanted to see the Cavaliers falter so they could indulge in the "woe is us" mentality. It's why I stayed away from sports talk radio for several days after the loss to the Magic.

 

How silly this "nothing but failure for us" mentality is. I can't speak for Buffalo, but I see that it's almost taken on a life of its own in my hometown. It's probably a self-defense mechanism, but there was no real heartbreaking loss this time. The Magic were just better, and it was a poor matchup for LeBron and the James Gang.

 

Enough said.

[Buftex]

Good post. People like to just focus on the negative. I think this is going great year for Buffalo pro sports and UB is shaping into becoming a legit college program. People love to rag on Buffalo but there are so many things to do every weekend here. I love my love here right now.

 

I just finished grad school and unfortunately, I'm facing the decision of wheter or not to leave the area for a job opportunity. If you asked me a few years ago, I couldn't have waited to leave. But now, I really don't want to go. It is a special place. It's jsut a shame that too many people just choose to dwell on the negative. Life is what you make it.

 

 

I know you have been on a "negative Nancy" campaign for the last few months. I think you are mistaking the way some of us feel about the Bills, and Sabres, for the way we think about Buffalo. I love Buffalo, and would move back there in a heartbeat, if I felt like I would have the opportunity to make a living there. My parents, and three of my sisters still live there, and, I will say, I think they could all do better for themselves elsewhere. But, I know why they stay...

 

People don't "like to focus on the negative"...sometimes it is just hard to ignore it. You seem to feel that anyone who questions anything Bills management does, is somehow, not a fan. They have such a stellar track record as of late, I can understand your position.... I guess I am too analytical not to be a little dismayed with the state the team is in right now... but, then I realize, it is just a game for me to watch, and a product for the franchise to sell. So why should I care so much what they do?

 

I have been a faithful Bills fan my entire life... before the Super Bowl era, I never had any real aspirations that the Bills would win a championship, but I was happy to see them play every week, win or lose. Growing up, when my family had season tickets, my dad would ask me which two games I wanted to go to (we had 8 kids, not everyone could go). I would look at the standings from the previous year, and try to figure out which were the worst of their upcoming opponents. I knew the Bills were only going to win so many games every year, I just wanted to go to a game I thought they could win...I remember the despair that permeated the air, after a loss...it was a long drive home...when they won, it was like Christmas morning...

 

 

When they made the playoffs in the early 80's, it was so unusual...I started wanting a little more.

 

I think maybe that magical run of the early 90's may have spoiled many of us, to a degree. I know for me, I have always been fairly optimistic about the Bills. But something changed for me, this offseason, and I sense it in quite a number of others here too. It is just the realization that we, as Bills fans, have had to lower out expectations so much, that simply having a team to cheer for is supposed to be enough for us... I just think we deserve better than we are getting from both of our pro franchises.

[Buftex]

Change "Buffalo" to "Cleveland" and I could say the same exact thing. I really believe that there were a lot of people here who wanted to see the Cavaliers falter so they could indulge in the "woe is us" mentality. It's why I stayed away from sports talk radio for several days after the loss to the Magic.

 

How silly this "nothing but failure for us" mentality is. I can't speak for Buffalo, but I see that it's almost taken on a life of its own in my hometown. It's probably a self-defense mechanism, but there was no real heartbreaking loss this time. The Magic were just better, and it was a poor matchup for LeBron and the James Gang.

 

Enough said.

 

 

Mike, I wanted the Cavs to win, because, I have always had an empathy for that city...the similarities to Buffalo are hard to ignore...I can tell you, if the Bills were ever to leave Buffalo, and assuming I still followed the NFL, I will very likely be a Browns fan...

[ricojes]

Everyone I talk to is really excited and upbeat about the Bulls. TG has brought some really excitement and national exposure to the program. Some of my friends that would never have gone with me to a UB game in the past are all asking me to get them tickets for the upcoming season. I don't know where you're getting the "everyones down on the Bulls" from, but I haven't seen any of it. I am ready to go to another bowl game...GO BULLS!!!

[Gordio]

I think it's pretty simple...a lot of people have no connection to UB. I'm from Buffalo but my parents went to Penn State and I go to Cornell, so those are the two schools I root for. You'd probably hear a lot of similar stories if you asked around.

 

I agree. I have no affiliation to UB. I went to Syracuse & Canisius for grad school. I mean I am glad UB had a good year, but I would not lose any sleep over it if they did not.

 

Promo, if Canisius won their conference & went to the NCAA tourney, I bet you could care less right? Same thing with most people around here & UB if you did not go to that school.

[BuffaloBill]

PTR

 

If I recall you are a UB grad so you have a nexus with the school. Many do not. If the Bills ever leave Buffalo my guess is that UB football will benefit. Right now though the Bills and sabres have a lock on the sports psychie of the region.

[PromoTheRobot]

Thanks for your responses, but I was really talking more about ignoring a good sports story more than supporting UB sports. I was just using UB as an example of a very positive local sports story that got little play in a town that feels it has a black cloud over it sports-wise.

 

I'm curious about the comments about "not having a connection to UB." I doubt most Syracuse natives attended SU but they still follow the teams. To me carrying the city name on their chest is enough connection. They give ESPN a reason to focus on our region, just like the Bills and Sabres do.

 

PTR

[PromoTheRobot]

If I recall you are a UB grad so you have a nexus with the school. Many do not. If the Bills ever leave Buffalo my guess is that UB football will benefit. Right now though the Bills and sabres have a lock on the sports psychie of the region.

Actually not a grad. Left after two years to finish at SU. Athletics where almost non-existant at UB in the late 70's. But I never liked SU and actually learned to loathe the place. My UB-boosting really comes more from my love of the city and all things connected to it than to the school itself. It also comes from wanting the program to progress to a higher level so that local sports fans have more fun stuff to see. If there is hope for UB to join a BCS conference, area fans that aren't connected with the school need to become fans.

 

PTR

[ricojes]

Thanks for your responses, but I was really talking more about ignoring a good sports story more than supporting UB sports. I was just using UB as an example of a very positive local sports story that got little play in a town that feels it has a black cloud over it sports-wise.

 

I'm curious about the comments about "not having a connection to UB." I doubt most Syracuse natives attended SU but they still follow the teams. To me carrying the city name on their chest is enough connection. They give ESPN a reason to focus on our region, just like the Bills and Sabres do.

 

PTR

There is something to the whole "black cloud" attitude. In the Cleveland v Orlando series, LeBron made a comment the sums it up perfectly. IIRC, it was after Lewis his a 3 pointer to take the lead with 1 second left in the game. He said he looked in the stands and everyone had the "here we go again" look on their faces. Of course the Cavs go onto win that game, but I know exactly what he meant by that. I can't tell you how many times I hear "It's Buffalo", relating to the Bills or Sabres misfortunes. It's almost expected that a Buffalo sports team will fail, maybe it eases the pain for some. I for one am the eternal optimist and usually end up getting crushed, maybe I should just say "It's Buffalo" and sleep better at night. I don't know...

[shrader]

Thanks for your responses, but I was really talking more about ignoring a good sports story more than supporting UB sports. I was just using UB as an example of a very positive local sports story that got little play in a town that feels it has a black cloud over it sports-wise.

 

I'm curious about the comments about "not having a connection to UB." I doubt most Syracuse natives attended SU but they still follow the teams. To me carrying the city name on their chest is enough connection. They give ESPN a reason to focus on our region, just like the Bills and Sabres do.

 

PTR

 

UB athletics were basically non-existant up until now. Rabid support from a fan base doesn't just appear over night. They're going to have to continue to build on this success for that kind of local support to show up. Your Syracuse doesn't really translate here since there are no major professional programs in that area. Some people may be Buffalo fans and others will be NYC fans, but SU is the one thing that is actually theirs. Then there is also the history of their program.