Mark from Albany

Canisius College, 1982

Buffalo / 45 / Loudonville, NY

44 going on 16

I laughed so hard reading this, I just had to share it. Remember that right after Christmas, the Albany newspaper published my letter to the sports editor about the lack of local Bills coverage? Keep in mind that my intent was to tick-off the program director of the local radio station that is supposed to air Bills’ games but somehow finds a way to pre-empt a third of them. However, someone was SO upset that he actually took the time to type me up a letter, look up my address in the local phone book, and send me a response. With no return address. For your enjoyment, I’ve retyped the letter, preserving the author’s typos, lack of punctuation and line breaks, just so you can get the full effect. Dec. 26, 2004 I read your Buffalo Bills comments in today’s Albany Times-Union n ewspaper. First of all Albany does not think it’s 120 miles south somewhere in Rockland County. For decades sports fans in Albany have followed New York City prof essional sports teams. We generally have little interest in any Buffalo sports franchise. We also have no interest in Syracuse University sports. As I am sure you are aware there a re more than a handful of New England Patriots around here. New England starts about 3 0 miles east of Albany. Buffalo is 300 miles west of Albany. I remember January of 1991 when the New York Giants won their seco nd Vice Limbardi trophy. Residents of New York’s capital city were very proud of the G=Men’ s second NFL Champhionship. Now the New York Giants have their summer training camp here at SU NY-Albany. This past August was a specialday when the Giants hosted New York’s other NFL team , the Jets, for a joint practice. Almost 10,000 local Giants and Jets fans came out to su pport their respective teams. Pity your Buffalo Bills are Four-Time Super Bowl LOSERS!!! [This was sentence was highlighted in yellow and “losers was underlined three times.] Why sh ould Albany Area pro football Fans replace the Giants and Jets with your LOSERS bills? The FEW Buffalo Bills in the Albany area I have discovered are ban dwagon fans. They seldom go to Bills home games. Giants Staduim is a pretty easy drive to get to from Albany. Can’t say the same for Buffalo. The few area Bills fans also wear outdated Buffalo Bills jackets, sweatshirts, ect. You want the Buffalo Bills? Move to Binghamton or Syracuse!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEW YORK GIANTS SUPERBOWLS XXI AND XXV CHAMPIONS !!! Sincerely, George Pataki Governor of New York State and New York Giants Fan Hmmm. Guess guess he's told me off.

Albany Times Union, Dec. 26, 2004 All Area Media Ignoring Bills Although I share the frustration of fellow Buffalo Bills fan Alyssa Jung ("Give the Bills their fair share," Sunday, Dec. 19), I've long given up hope for any type of fair coverage -- from any local media. Even the radio station that promotes itself as the "Home of the Bills" preempts one-third of the season's games in favor of the Yankees and, for some reason beyond my comprehension, other NFL games that have no local interest. Coverage on television? Forget about it. Local sports editors and producers think Albany is located about 120 miles south. At least we still have www.twobillsdrive.com. MARK GENOVESE Loudonville