BuffaloBill Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 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 Another thought that hit me - based on living in Knoxville (total of 7 years) where the University of Tennessee has a huge and very passionate following there are two conditions that do not exist in Buffalo - 1) No competition from other sports outlets. Arguably Buffalo has its "hands full" (maybe better said as wallets emptied) supporting two major pro sports. 2) The traditions and rivalries associated with SEC football are second to none. A third possible tie missing for UB is family history around the support of the college and its sports programs - My guess is that UB does not have many instances of two or three generations of hardcore (and I mean die and bleed orange - in Tennessee hardcore) suppport the way some of these major college programs do. I know Bills fans are loyal but i would argue from what I witnessed SEC fans are even more loyal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 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... Yeah, it's really UB's fault that Drew Willy had to graduate. Those bastard coaches! Clearly, having your starting QB go on to the NFL is a horrible thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I honestly thought this was about voting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Yeah, it's really UB's fault that Drew Willy had to graduate. Those bastard coaches! Clearly, having your starting QB go on to the NFL is a horrible thing. Having your roster turn over every year is no way to win over an NFL-weened fanbase... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 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? I think it's called LAKE EFFECT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Having your roster turn over every year is no way to win over an NFL-weened fanbase... It's college football. They only have so many years. Every college's rosters turns over significantly from year to year. You cherish the years where you return 15 starters or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 It's college football. They only have so many years. Every college's rosters turns over significantly from year to year. You cherish the years where you return 15 starters or more. So what makes that fact appealing to an NFL-atuned fan base? It's triple-A baseball with shoulder pads, IMO... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndZoneCrew Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 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....I actually disagree with you. The media may not give them the credit they deserve, but from my circle of friends, I have only heard positives about where the UB program is going. In fact, I know of at least 20-25 people who said they were getting season tickets, and this is from people who never talked about UB before! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted June 9, 2009 Author Share Posted June 9, 2009 Good post....I actually disagree with you. The media may not give them the credit they deserve, but from my circle of friends, I have only heard positives about where the UB program is going. In fact, I know of at least 20-25 people who said they were getting season tickets, and this is from people who never talked about UB before! Thanks for the support. While we are talking about UB stars, we're forgetting RB James Starks and WR Naaman Roosevelt, two local kids that Mel Kiper already has ranked for the 2010 NFL Draft. In fact Starks is projected to be a first-day pick. Please take note of my signature. Single game tickets for UB go on sale July 8. I hope you all come out to the Pitt home opener. Tickets are cheap, parking is free and they allow tailgating on campus (keep it within reason...no Pinto Ron affairs). A perfect warm up to Bills season IMO. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 So what makes that fact appealing to an NFL-atuned fan base? It's triple-A baseball with shoulder pads, IMO... COLLEGE IS 4 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO DO, FAIL THE KIDS SO THEY CAN STAY LONGER? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 COLLEGE IS 4 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO DO, FAIL THE KIDS SO THEY CAN STAY LONGER? You keep missing my point. Yes, college is four years. IMO, that's precisely why the Bulls will have trouble making headway with NFL-centric fans in WNY. The appeal of pro sports is that fans get to 'know' the players and have a degree of certainy as to what the roster will look like from season to season. That's a very doubtful expectation at the level UB plays at, and will be even harder to achive should Gill move on to bigger and better things. A fun afternoon for those who like the UB/college atmosphere, but a real long shot to ever command a fraction of the interest that even the Bisons generate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 You keep missing my point. Yes, college is four years. IMO, that's precisely why the Bulls will have trouble making headway with NFL-centric fans in WNY. The appeal of pro sports is that fans get to 'know' the players and have a degree of certainy as to what the roster will look like from season to season. That's a very doubtful expectation at the level UB plays at, and will be even harder to achive should Gill move on to bigger and better things. A fun afternoon for those who like the UB/college atmosphere, but a real long shot to ever command a fraction of the interest that even the Bisons generate. It seems like the rosters in pro sports turn over almost as fast today. The days of getting to know players are a thing of the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 It seems like the rosters in pro sports turn over almost as fast today. The days of getting to know players are a thing of the past. While FA has led to more turnover, I'd guess that 85% of an NFL roster returns from year to year, meaning 7-8 new guys (compared to 2-3 times that many on a college roster). And, with the media attention even 7th round and undrafted pros get, they become 'I've heard of him' names that even casual NFL fans can relate to. Plus, there's always the celebrity-fixated segment of the fan base, which I doubt UB will ever attract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 You keep missing my point. Yes, college is four years. IMO, that's precisely why the Bulls will have trouble making headway with NFL-centric fans in WNY. The appeal of pro sports is that fans get to 'know' the players and have a degree of certainy as to what the roster will look like from season to season. That's a very doubtful expectation at the level UB plays at, and will be even harder to achive should Gill move on to bigger and better things. A fun afternoon for those who like the UB/college atmosphere, but a real long shot to ever command a fraction of the interest that even the Bisons generate. You act like no college football team has NFL fans. Every college plays under the same rules, therefore, if other colleges can have NFL fans playing under the same rules UB does, there is no reason why UB can't either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 You act like no college football team has NFL fans. Every college plays under the same rules, therefore, if other colleges can have NFL fans playing under the same rules UB does, there is no reason why UB can't either. If you want to hold your breath about Buffalo ever being even a moderately-interested college sports town, go right ahead. IMO, that train left town in the '60s with the decline of Little 3 basketball (and arrival of the Bills). Just curious--are you a UB alum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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