A new generation of Bills fans

[LGB]

Since playoffs performances cast with real stars in Buffalo NY have become a thing of the past during the last decade, the Bills organization has faded to become a not-ready-for-prime-time players club in the town of Orchard Park, where average ability is the common thread amongst most of the current cast members and past directors have been nothing more than stage props that have been programmed to respond with simple sentences in response to the critics. Nothing against Brian Moorman, but when the punter is the best player on the team, well…what was once finely run production with great talent has evolved into a bad off-Broadway show.

 

True fans are loyal – yes, but is it too much to maybe ask that loyalty be rewarded somehow? If you used to like a restaurant that had really good steak and seafood and some of your friends used to go there, but slowly over ten years the place started only serving cold oatmeal and for more money, how long are you supposed to show up and eat there? Especially when your friends have found better uses for their dollar somewhere else in a tough economy?

 

It seems the marketing department is the only thing that has been above average as the faithful fans have always come back for more. Partly because there is no other show in town and limited engagement performances under the lights of Toronto have reduced the number of “home” games by one. The Bills faithful audience waiting patiently for better performances and has turned to searching for reruns of better-Bills-games-gone-by on TV Football Classics to remember how things used to be.

 

The owner has seemingly has it on cruise control and is someone who feels that he has rewarded western NY merely by keeping the team here, but he has not gone as far as ensuring that this will be the case when he is gone. This is a kin to reaping all the profit for the only theatre in town and then telling the customers that they should not only buy tickets; but also as taxpayers, subsidize the business even more.

 

The lure of a new Bills season is one of optimism and hope. On any given Sunday – right? Past performance is no prediction of future performance – right? (Except during the last decade in Buffalo) Maybe the coaching carousel will finally stop and the latest staff will get things headed in the right direction.

 

Here is hoping that the patrons of the bad football arts are finally rewarded with a winning season and a whiff of post-season play. After all, there is a whole new generation of fans that have never seen a NFL playoff game in WNY and it would be great to have them experience some post-season excitement. Let's play to win, not to lose and go over .500! Go Bills!

[bowery4]

When you said Brian Moorman was the best player on the team I stopped reading, last year it was Byrd, excellent playmaker > excellent punter.

 

I like that at the bottom you get optimistic (ok ok I did skim read it)

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Let's play to win, not to lose and go over .500! Go Bills!

Go Bills…not much of a pre-game speech though, as far as firing up the troops.

[LGB]

When you said Brian Moorman was the best player on the team I stopped reading, last year it was Byrd, excellent playmaker > excellent punter.

 

I like that at the bottom you get optimistic (ok ok I did skim read it)

You are right that last year Byrd was a better play-maker, but for the last few years, it seems like Moorman was the standout. Hopefully Spiller and others excel this year and the young fans have less to heckle about - as the Bills are due to perform better.

[CodeMonkey]

I can't speak for all young fans, but my 3 (aged 11 and under) are already Spiller fans (as you can see from my avatar!). Due in no small part to how great training camp is run.

Hmmm. Maybe I need to take CableLady's advice and get them all Spiller jerseys (albeit Chinese ones)

Edited August 26, 2010 by CodeMonkey

[LGB]

I can't speak for all young fans, but my 3 (aged 11 and under) are already Spiller fans (as you can see from my avatar!). Due in no small part to how great training camp is run.

Hmmm. Maybe I need to take CableLady's advice and get them all Spiller jerseys (albeit Chinese ones)

My nephews live near Clemson and have been big Spiller fans. It makes total sense that Spiller was an excitement pick and with the injuries this team has seen and so often in the NFL at RB, we should be glad to have a good if not great stable of RBs.

 

Jackson, Lynch, Spiller and now Joique Bell showing some potential, the 2010 Bills might have the best RB corps in the AFC East.

[mpl6876]

LGB, I really enjoyed reading your post. It was filled with great insight and analogies.

[BillnutinHouston]

Not sure what your point was, but I did get the "Go Bills" part.

[LGB]

LGB, I really enjoyed reading your post. It was filled with great insight and analogies.

 

Thanks, there is no question that Buffalo has great fans and based on the last decade might deserve a better product on the field but at the end of the day, this is a business and just happens to be an entertainment business that to the Ralph bean counters is probably no different than the rest of Wilson Industries.

 

 

Not sure what your point was, but I did get the "Go Bills" part.

 

The Bills are a product that you can choose to buy or not buy and Bills fans have always done their part and are well on their way to another supportive season - already selling out the first few games. My point is that maybe it is time for OBD to do their part and do what it takes to put a better product on the field? What has been tried in the last ten years has not gotten it done, so maybe it is time to try something else?

 

Sure, a proven head coach would have been nice or maybe replacing Tom Modrak or Jim Overdorf for a real clean house would have been good, but for most fans, showing some improvement after three 7-9 seasons followed by a 6-10 season would be a step in the right direction. If most everyone is okay with the status quo, then fine, Go Bills!

 

But for one afternoon at training camp we saw a new generation of Bills fans express their passion for better performances. Sure, they might have gone overboard or acted like the 11 or 12 year olds that they were, but moving forward to achieve more is a great thing and here is hoping we do not see another 3 and out on the Bills coaching staff or more bad QB choices. (in other words, don't get stuck dead in the water or just spin the wheels - if you are going to suite up and play, play to win - like every game will make or break you...show some killer instinct - move forward and make the playoffs!) Go Bills! (hope that helps)