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Rockee96

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Posts posted by Rockee96

    I'm heartbroken. Words of comfort?

    in The Stadium Wall Archives

    Posted

    Hi Bills Mafia,

     

    You were so encouraging to me when I openly shared my fears and hopes before the Ravens Game - thank you. 

     

    I honestly really didn't expect us to win today, but I am heartbroken even though I set my expectations low. Also, it's not the fact that we lost but the WAY we lost. I am so mad at  many of the Bills coaches, but I won't go there. I need to move on, but this one really hurts deep. Any Perspective or words of comfort?

    • Like (+1) 2

    How about the health of other guys? (Beasley, Breeland, etc.)

    in The Stadium Wall Archives

    Posted

    I know most of the attention has been on Patrick Mahomes's concussion this week, but I think the status of other key players (on both) teams will matter more than we think.

     

    For example, does anyone know what the word is on Cole Beasley? He is healthier than last week? Gabriel Davis?

     

    How about Bashaud Breeland? I think he's their #2 or #1 corner? If he is out, I think that will give us an advantage. 

     

    I think cumulative effect of having Beasley and Gabriel healthy and having Breeland out will be huge. Thoughts?

     

     

    Emotional attachment to Bills - perspective welcomed

    in The Stadium Wall Archives

    Posted

    Thanks everyone for your responses. I'm go grateful to be part of this community! You've helped me get into a right state of mind before our game. Key takeaways:

     

    1) I am not alone in the way I feel about our team. I'm amazed that so many people here know exactly how I feel during my lows and highs. Knowing this gives me peace, regardless of our outcome.

     

    2) At the end of the day, this is entertainment. Enjoy it. 

     

    3) It's easy to forget how far we've come. Be grateful for this year - we have a bright future ahead for at least 5+years, no matter what happens today. 

     

    4) Bills Mafia is unique in that people here are so sincere, have experienced & overcome hardships, and take nothing for granted. There is so much depth here, unlike the superficiality I see elsewhere. It's our long-suffering and perseverance that binds us together. 

     

    5) Of course we want our Bills to win it all, but just as important are the relationships that people have built in this community. That is lasting and even more meaningful. 

     

     

    GO BILLS!!!

     

     

    Emotional attachment to Bills - perspective welcomed

    in The Stadium Wall Archives

    Posted

    3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

    I am not one who gets overly emotional but I am a Bills fan who is not from Buffalo, has never even been to Buffalo and is not from the US (although I have visited the country for work and pleasure a few times over the years). 

     

    My route to finding my Bills fandom and love of the NFL as an 18 year old in 2002 was a long and winding one. It is a pretty crazy story and my grandmother without knowing it (she was not a football fan) was a central character.

     

    She died on Wednesday of covid aged 92. I have reflected this week on the timing of her death days after I first watched this team I found partly because of her win a playoff game for the first time. Fate is strange some times. Her funeral is the day after the Superbowl. I'd have cried at a Bills Superbowl win in any event but I think I'd be extra emotional if it came this year.

    I am sorry for your loss GunnerBill.

     

    • Thank you (+1) 1

    Emotional attachment to Bills - perspective welcomed

    in The Stadium Wall Archives

    Posted

    8 hours ago, wjag said:

    Older than most on here.  Grew up in Hamburg.  Job moved me to New Jersey and then to Maryland after college.  Was a season ticket holder during the great run of the late 80s and the early 90s.  Drove in for every game over a five year period.  Did not miss a game in five years.  First from Jersey, then from Maryland.  Everyone who knew me in Jersey and knows me in Maryland knows I am a "Buffalo" native and a Sabres and Bills fan, through and through.  But I am a Buffalo, the city, fan first and foremost.  I went to high school in South Buffalo which meant I was riding a metro bus back and forth each day. 

     

    I meet lots of Bills fans in my travels and one of the themes that is most common amongst us expats is a reverence we hold for WNY.  It's hard to describe, but having grown up there it literally is in our blood, part of our DNA.  I keep a second home a few miles from the Rich Stadium (it will always be Rich stadium to me, the place I saw my first football game, the Rolling Stones, and the great runs of the K-Gun offense) and get back to the area frequently as both my wife and I have significant family still there.  When the Bills are doing good, I like to talk about them.  When the Bills are doing bad, I literally abstain from all internet.  While I get it works for some, I have no interest in dwelling on the bad or tearing down the team or player.  I work very hard to keep my written thoughts positive.  

     

    I am absolutely envious of Boston, Pittsburgh, Dallas and places like that.  Those fans do not know how lucky they have it.  If one of their sport franchises is losing, it's likely they have another that will bring home a championship.  What makes us Buffalo fans one of the greatest fan bases is we have not known glory.  Our mooted celebrations are for wide right and no goal.   We don't have a history of excellence.  We do have a history of heartache.  And yet hope springs eternal and we root on our team and our city.

     

    I am not prepared for this season to be over at midnight tonight.  I genuinely believe this team has something very special going on.  The Ravens will get their pound of flesh tonight, but they are leaving to clean out their lockers tomorrow.  Josh and Cole and Stefon and Dion and Matt, and Jordan and Micah and Tre and Mario and and and will find a way.

     

    Go Bills!!!

    Thanks wjag. Yes I think it is the hardship and heartache we've all experienced together for the past 30 years that makes us even more passionate and loyal fans. 

    Emotional attachment to Bills - perspective welcomed

    in The Stadium Wall Archives

    Posted

    16 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

    I think you deal with it by setting appropriate expectations beforehand. This is entertainment. It's fun to watch your team play. A single football game presentation can contain more drama than a season's worth of Real Housewives. Realize that you're team will continue providing you entertainment for years to come and that's all you really need. Don't just acknowledge it, realize it. Get into that frame of mind.

     

    All you need is to be entertained.

     

    That's why even the worst Bills teams were entertaining. It's alright to get riled up during the game. Let it all out. Express yourself in your way. After the game's over do a little meditatation, or whatever helps calm you down, and get back to the right frame of mind. That positive Bills fan frame of mind.

    Thanks LeGoatski for your perspective. I think having this mindset will help me (and many of us) stay grounded, regardless of the outcome. At the end of the day, this is entertainment that is meant to be enjoyed. 

    9 hours ago, Seasons1992 said:

    If by "obsessed" you mean pacing my house for 3 hours every gameday, yes. Count me in.

    Last Saturday aged me a LOT. And I already look like crap for being 42.

    Yes, I've been doing exactly that during games, especially last week. My wife told me I am not a pleasant person to watch games with and that I make her nervous LOL. 

    8 hours ago, Apocalypse Nuts said:

    I often wonder the same thing.  I'm not from Buffalo (but likely in a past life or something) but I've been a fan for 30 years now.  Started just before the first SB and stuck with them through those four heart breakers and the next few decades of frustration.  I really like the underdog mentality of the franchise and the city and I know that my high opinion of Bills fans and Western New Yorkers is a big part of my loyalty.  That Niagara Square rally after the first SB is what finally sold me for life.  Bills fans are just amazing.  This is really the only sports team I follow to this extent and it's just become a part of my life.  My wife gets so tired of hearing about the Bills (esp this season!!!!) but she humors me. 

     

    Part of it is I think we're all obsessed with seeing our Bills win the SB after all those losses in a row.  That was a great era and those teams had some great players that were just good dudes too.  Hard not to root for guys like that.  A lot like we have today again.  And then riding out the next couple of decades of mostly-misery, it kind of becomes a part of you.  You know the way this current team is being built and all the quality people in the organization (esp the Pegulas!) is really something to be appreciated.  If I were just now choosing a team to root for I couldn't imagine one more respectable than the Bills.  Makes me feel like the universe paid attention to all of our collective suffering, yet unwavering loyalty, and might be finally paying us back.  Heck just giving us Josh makes up for a whole lot of those bad season.

    I'm glad we can relate Apocalypse. Thanks for sharing your journey! 

    Emotional attachment to Bills - perspective welcomed

    in The Stadium Wall Archives

    Posted

    18 hours ago, wolfpack78 said:

    I'm with you 100%.  I'm a 35 year old (turn 36 next Sunday as well - hoping to be watching the Bills in the AFC Championship on my birthday!) from Ohio and have no actual ties to the city of Buffalo.  My life is surrounded mostly by Browns, Bengals and (to a much lessor extent) Steelers fans.  Whenever anyone asks me why I'm a Bills fan I have really have no answer.  I originally had concerns that I was a front-runner as a youngster, but my parents reassured me that I latched onto the Bills around the 1988 season, a couple years before the Super Bowl run.  Whatever the reason, I have stuck with them.  For the first time in my adult life, they are actually good.  I love listening to One Bills Live or coming on here to pass the time while working from home during this pandemic.  I'm not ready to stop having that be part of my every day routine yet.

     

    I have a 4.5 year old daughter that loves to do art and color.  Nowadays, before I color with her she always reminds me that I can't just use 'Bills colors' (red and blue obviously) to color that unicorn or Disney princess.  While she is obviously too early to really understand what is going on, I really hope she looks back when in her 20s and 30s and reflects on her own Bills fandom and appreciates that it was these days/this season when it all really began.  I really can't explain it.  My wife thinks I'm obsessed, but I would not have it any other way.  Just dropped some some money on Etsy to further outfit my basement bar with Bills decor.  Damn I am nervous for tomorrow!

    Thanks wolfpack! I have 5 year-old daughter too that loves to color. She's been watching games more games with me this year and understanding football better. I hope that she too becomes a passionate Bills fan too like us!

    18 hours ago, Charles Romes said:

    When Ralph was approaching 90 and it looked like the team was headed to Toronto I would have given anything just to be sure that I had my own team to root for and maybe sniff the playoffs once a decade. I used to beside myself just to inch past .500 in late November every few years. Then I dreamed that Josh would become a legitimate starter, maybe a QB in the league’s top fifteen, who knows maybe even the top ten. This season has been incredible, and more than what I once thought possible.  

    Thanks Charles. Something about the way you wrote this made me realize how grateful we should be right now. It's easy to forget how far we've come and what a bright future we have, no matter what happens today. 

    17 hours ago, Bufflow4 said:

    Today is my 35th birthday and all week I have been much more excited with anticipation for the Bills game rather than for my birthday.
     

    I remember sitting on my Bills beanbag chair as a little kid, right in front of the tv, watching the Bills in the early 90s.

     

    Who would have predicted that the Bills would have only lost 3 games this year with the 5th hardest strength of schedule. That Allen is in the MVP conversation with Rodgers and Mahomes. That since the buy week our offense has been ranked #1 in total yards and our defense #3 in total yards. That we would be absolutely demolishing teams by the end of the regular season. I could go on and on.

     

    More than a few times this season, my wife has laughed at me while I’ve been watching games and commented on how I resemble a little kid in my excitement. This year has been so much more fun than I could have ever expected and this team has outperformed most every expectation. No matter what happens tomorrow, the future is looking bright.
     

    That being said, I want a win so bad. Nothing would make me happier and I really hope my one birthday wish of a Bills win comes true!

    Happy birthday Bufflow! 

    • Thank you (+1) 2

    Emotional attachment to Bills - perspective welcomed

    in The Stadium Wall Archives

    Posted

    Hi,

     

    I am a 39-year old from California who has been a die-hard Bills fan for the past 30 years. It all started when my mother bought me a Thurman Thomas rookie card for my 9th birthday in 1990. I started watching Bills games rooting for Thurman because I wanted the value of the card to go up. The rest is history, as I fell in love with the team, witnessed Wide Right, the Super Bowls, the heartbreak of Music City Miracle, short-lived joys, and long-suffering during the past 3 decades. I've flown to Buffalo from Cali to watch Bills home games only to see them lose over and over until I finally witnessed a win in 2018 (when Josh beat the Titans). I've met great friends during the tailgates who welcomed me with open arms and who still even to this day are so kind to me, 3500 miles away. 

     

    I am writing to you because I want to see if my attachment, passion, or more accurately obsession for the Bills is normal. I feel like I love our team too much, to the point it hurts. There have been many times where I wished that I stopped being a Bills fan because it hurt too much. In fact, there was a week (during the Doug Whaley era) that I tried to psych myself into being a Denver Broncos fan because I was so tired of us losing and being disappointed - that only lasted for 30 minutes. I know deep inside that until I die, I will remain a Bills fan no matter what. But it hasn't been easy. 

     

    This week has been surreal for me. I've never been so happy and proud of my Bills, as they excelled this year and gave me a sense of joy that I haven't felt since I was in elementary school. Yet I never been so petrified and anxious before a game as I have been the past 25 years. I want them to win so bad on Saturday, yet I am trying to be realistic and temper my expectations. I know that if we lose, I will be so disappointed that I am afraid how I will take it. If anyone has any words of encouragement should this happen, I would appreciate it. Is there anyone else that feels as I do, or am I the only one? 

     

    You see, I've tried to understand the psychology, the inner depths, of why I like our team so much. I mean at the end of the day, it's a bunch of athletes in red, blue, and white uniforms who get paid a lot of money to play a kids game. They don't know me personally, they are rich, and have their own lives. I'm not even from Buffalo. Heck, every year new people come and go. I have a good job, have a loving family, and am healthy - I am grateful for the blessings in my life. But what is it about the Bills that causes me to pour out my heart and my soul? Why do they cause me to be so elated, yet so sad? Sometimes, I wonder what is wrong with me and what I can do to overcome my attachment to our team. My friends in California cannot figure out why I love our Bills so much. 

     

    I've been wanting to share my thoughts with you but wasn't sure how this will be received. But I thought I had nothing to lose. I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

     

    Thanks,

    Thomas 

     

     

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    Josh makes hard throws, misses easy ones

    in The Stadium Wall Archives

    Posted

    9 hours ago, BigDingus said:

     

    I know you're not being rude, unfair or mean, but you're going to get attacked for this.

    All year, it's anyone but Josh who's the problem. Whether it's Daboll (most popular scapegoat, as the OC always is), the O-line, the run game, kicking, the defense, WR's, McDermott, drafting, etc. it's ALWAYS going to be anyone but Josh's fault for the majority of people on here.

    Everyone loves his attitude, effort, and leadership so much that they're willing to overlook all major issues and overcompensate by being hyper critical on everyone else.

    And on the flip side, when we win, the threads and comments everywhere are flooded with "Great job Josh!" or "Allen is the franchise!" or "Game ball Allen!" even when he goes long stretches of doing nothing but miss wide open receivers, take bad sad sacks that either kill drives or straight up knock us out of scoring range, etc. and it was the defense that dominated the opponent & even gave us a chance to win in the first place.

    But under those videos and articles, you still just see people giving Josh Allen all the credit in the world, no matter how many turnovers, no matter how many sacks, or how poor is accuracy or stats were. If we won, it's Josh Allen that deserves the praise. He can go 12/25 for 139 yards 1 TD, 1 INT and be called "best QB since Jim Kelly!" even though the defense had multiple turnovers, sacks, and completely controlled an entire game. 

    Sorry, I've rarely seen people just try so hard to will a QB to success, hoping that if they wish hard enough it'll just manifest into reality. All the while, those same people will find ways to dismiss or discredit QB's we passed over in favor of Allen (Mahomes, Watson, Jackson), trying to diminish their accomplishments, explain away their success, or outright say they're overrated, simply to try & overcompensate for Allen's on-field play. 

    The s*** thing is I don't hate the guy at all, and think he's a mid-tier QB that can be a decent starter on teams that are carried by an elite defense. I just don't think he's shown the kind of growth needed to ever be in the category of "franchise" QB. He can look and talk like one all he wants, but on-field play is what matters. 

    You expressed this better than I could have. I think you hit the nail right on the spot. I appreciate your thoughts. 

    Josh makes hard throws, misses easy ones

    in The Stadium Wall Archives

    Posted

    I don't think Josh is our franchise QB. Yes he makes amazing throws, but he consistently misses the easy ones. That is not a recipe for success. I know he has great leadership, personality, and heart, but at the end of the day, you have to make the easy throws. I doubt that at this point, his accuracy will improve. It's not about the receivers, the o-line, or coaching - we're not going to be consistent winners with Josh as our QB. Yes, he is better than the QBs we've had since Jim, but I don't see him winning for us consistently. 

    • Like (+1) 4
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    Josh Allen's Slant Throws

    in The Stadium Wall Archives

    Posted

    Hi everyone, I've been following this board for 20+ years and usually don't post much, but I wanted your thoughts on something...

     

    I watched some game tapes from last year, and I noticed that Josh often underthrows his slant passes. Watch the last Miami game - he underthrew almost every slant throw. Do you see the same thing? Do you think this can be corrected? I think he can make all the other throws, but he seems to struggle consistently with the slant. Thoughts?

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