BEAST MODE BABY! Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) I was born at Rochester General Hospital in 1971. My dad was born in Rochester in 1939 and my mom is from Chicago. Their grandparents immigrated from Italy and Germany and Sweden and came to Rochester and the Michigan UP to work and raise their families. My family grew up with the Protestant work ethic. My parents settled in Rochester after college in 1966. When I was 18 I went to college and only came back to Rochester for a couple of years. I've lived in Rochester, Atlanta, Chicago, Indiana, Connecticut, Las Vegas, Phoenix and LA. Any city outside of LA and NYC usually have an inferiority complex. Rochester certainly had/has it. Buffalo does too. Buffalo has plenty of people that love it. But Upstate NY as a whole has a problem. An image problem. A problem with opportunities. A problem with retaining people who grew up there. They're losing people. And a lot of people who trash Buffalo are from Buffalo. And I'm sure that hurts. Personally, for me, you couldn't get me to move back to Rochester, and certainly not Buffalo. It doesn't have what I'm looking for. I love living in Los Angeles. But some people hate it. C'est la vie. What Buffalo has is an image problem that people aren't effectively addressing. In regards to football, that problem lies at the feet of Ralph Wilson. He's the captain of the ship. Green Bay doesn't have this image problem because they prioritize winning. And maybe, the people in Wisconsin are even crazier than the Bills fans in Buffalo and Rochester. If you don't want Brady trashing the hotels in Buffalo, someone build a hotel. If you want free agents to come to Buffalo, build a winning franchise. Simple. Kinda. Edited March 14, 2012 by BEAST MODE BABY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumby Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Spare me the bashing of politcians and how they ruined the area. These clowns come up for re-election and they are almost all assured to get voted back in. The people of WNY need to accept responsibility for these guys. There was no coup where they seized power the people put them in. And no matter what they do or fail to do they will be voted right back in. In the U.S. people get the gov't they deserve and until the local population pulls their heads out of their collective a$$es nothing much will change. I grew up in Cheektowaga and political discourse can be summed up like this. "Hey he's Polish, I'm Polish too. He says he's for the working man. Hey I'm a working man. He's got my vote." Until that mindset changes nothing else will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFlutie Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I was born at Rochester General Hospital in 1971. My dad was born in Rochester in 1939 and my mom is from Chicago. Their grandparents immigrated from Italy and Germany and Sweden and came to Rochester and the Michigan UP to work and raise their families. My family grew up with the Protestant work ethic. My parents settled in Rochester after college in 1966. When I was 18 I went to college and only came back to Rochester for a couple of years. I've lived in Rochester, Atlanta, Chicago, Indiana, Connecticut, Las Vegas, Phoenix and LA. Any city outside of LA and NYC usually have an inferiority complex. Rochester certainly had/has it. Buffalo does too. Buffalo has plenty of people that love it. But Upstate NY as a whole has a problem. An image problem. A problem with opportunities. A problem with retaining people who grew up there. They're losing people. And a lot of people who trash Buffalo are from Buffalo. And I'm sure that hurts. Personally, for me, you couldn't get me to move back to Rochester, and certainly not Buffalo. It doesn't have what I'm looking for. I love living in Los Angeles. But some people hate it. C'est la vie. What Buffalo has is an image problem that people aren't effectively addressing. In regards to football, that problem lies at the feet of Ralph Wilson. He's the captain of the ship. Green Bay doesn't have this image problem because they prioritize winning. And maybe, the people in Wisconsin are even crazier than the Bills fans in Buffalo and Rochester. If you don't want Brady trashing the hotels in Buffalo, someone build a hotel. If you want free agents to come to Buffalo, build a winning franchise. Simple. Kinda. I'm with you there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoretalk Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Well its been brewing for a very long time to be honest with you, and it blew up while listening to the gr show with Schopp and the Bulldog yesterday..They said something that just made me snap....How long has it been since we were relevant in the NFL news? This is great they proclaimed!!!! If you need to have a bunch of self backslapping media hounds talking about your city to make you feel relevant then we really have our head up our ass...My Grandfather moved here from Sicily in 1906 and when he turned 9 in 1911 he was delivering 20lb blocks of ice to houses to feed his brothers and sisters 18 hrs a day just to get by. Thats the kind of man that built this city!!!! Sure we have hit hard times, we have lost hundreds of thousands of people to better jobs...But for the ones who have stayed and worked through that and made it here, we have to be ridiculed by million dollar football players, million dollar punk ass hockey players because our hotels dont have water shooting up to clean theyre asses...Im sick of it..If we need to have a NFL football team here or a NHL hockey team here to make us feel better about ourselves then the hell with that...I dont want it or need it..They think because they live in a BIG place they can just crap on us....I can tell you this about that man, I guarantee this I worked and sweated harder at Bells Park Edge in 1985 moving carts in the snow when i was 16 than any of the men who talk crap out of theyre pie holes now 8 hrs a day combined in theyre whole pathetic life..And I will sit by no more and take it....I have more sweat on my butcrack from typing this than any of them built up in 10 yrs spouting crap from theyre mouth..... I am with you ... I am proud of Buffalo even though I have been away all too long but it's home! One of the things that drives me nuts about Schlep and Bull is their distaste for anything and everything Buffalo ... so, I just don't listen. But this is also why I really love Stevie ... he doesn't have to love Buffalo but he does. So many Sabres and former Sabres live in Buffalo for all the good things we know about it. But, I will say that the Bills/Sabres give us a unifer that is good for all of us who are living around the globe ... sports teams become an extension of the community. So when the Sabres were playing blue collar hockey it was like a bunch of South Buffalo boys were out on the ice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benderbender Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Army all the way Anyway. I'm from Rochester, which to me is the same thing as Buffalo. I pride myself on where I am from. Who cares if we have nothing to offer except cheap EVERYTHING, great food, and more murders per capita than NYC? It's my home town. I'm used to it and I love it. That being said, I never went home after I joined the Army. I got out of the military and settled in Northern Virginia where I have a great job and a great life. I would never move back to Rochester, because it's just too damn poor and oppressed. I couldn't have the life there that I do here. Amen brother! I will always be proud to have grown up in Rochester and survived all the hard knocks. Moved down to Hampton Roads, and over the years, there have been many chances to move back. A couple of trips back each year remind me of why I pass each time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFlutie Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Amen brother! I will always be proud to have grown up in Rochester and survived all the hard knocks. Moved down to Hampton Roads, and over the years, there have been many chances to move back. A couple of trips back each year remind me of why I pass each time. I enjoy each trip back, and go to all the places I love. Then around about day 3 I'm more than over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#34fan Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) I was born in Childrens Hospital in 1969. My parents were born in Buffalo n the 1940's, theyre parents immigrated from Italy and Ireland and came to Buffalo to work and raise theyre families. My family grew up working from the time they could wipe theyre own ass till they couldnt work anymore. My father moved us from Buffalo to Detroit to Dallas and Back all by the time I had reached the age of 13. Ive lived in the Great Motor City, I lived thru the Big oil boom of the 70's in Dallas. When I was 18 and old enough to serve my country I joined the USMC for 8 yrs. And when I was done I came home, to BUFFALO NY...I am so damn sick and tired of all these people busting on my hometown. Who the hell are you!!! Have you enjoyed your economic coddling of your parents so much that all you have now is the gift of slamming people who work damn hard to live? People who give up big houses big cars big bank accounts big paying jobs to live and fight for a place they love and call home? You who throw these little pebbles should take a big step back and look at yourself..You have no right at all to belittle the life we choose..If having a NFL football team charades ur view of us then take it..I dont need you or anyone else who hasnt walked the walk I do everyday to live here or look down on my family because I live in Buffalo NY...I dont want your approval of my homefront...I dont need it..You live in your glass house you throw boulders from and Ill live in my house I build them in...Go away if you dont want to be here..But GDAM im sick of people trashing my PLACE I LIVE IN..I dont need the Bills or anyone else to make me proud of where the hell I LIVE!!!! SCREW YOU I'm pretty sure this is a John Cougar Mellecamp song, but whatever. Defending one's hometown is a birthright. Listening to people s--t all over a lifetime of good memories, and familiarity can be very hurtful. At the same time, you can't expect people who aren't from there to feel the same way. Especially a guy in his twenties, who's looking for a fun place to spend his millions. Yah, Brady dissed b-lo too. It was an off-handed statement, but people could tell that it came from the heart. Maybe an out-of-towner's impression, can be a good thing if it helps a place to improve. -Which is really what this is about. -Albany's fiscal neglect of WNY as a whole. You can almost bet that if some politician doesn't have a summer home in your town, it won't see any money for improvement. You have a right to take offense, but simply being offended does no good. Why don't you and others take your beef to the state legislators? Wear your Bills jerseys to identify yourselves as Erie county's finest. Btw, have you ever been to Modesto? Good heavens, what a frickin' DUMP. IMO Brady has little room to talk, but talk he did. -But hey, when you're not a member, that's all you CAN do. I'd wear it as a badge of pride. There's lots of things to love about Western New York. The people, the Sports, the wings. Nevertheless, there is much room for improvement. As a native son, you should be willing to embrace that aspect too. Edited March 14, 2012 by #34fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay4481 Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 OK, just so another service is represented in this thread...GO NAVY I am originally from Southeastern Massachusetts and I've seen a lot of the country (and world) through the military. I have been visiting Buffalo yearly (except when deployed) for the last decade or so and I can honestly say that WNY is my favorite part of the country. I love Buffalo, I love the blue collar loyalty, and I love the people. I have made lifetime friends through being a fan of this team. I have such pride in the area and I have never even lived there. When I am done in the Navy, WNY will be my permanent home. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernMan Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Spare me the bashing of politcians and how they ruined the area. These clowns come up for re-election and they are almost all assured to get voted back in. The people of WNY need to accept responsibility for these guys. There was no coup where they seized power the people put them in. And no matter what they do or fail to do they will be voted right back in. In the U.S. people get the gov't they deserve and until the local population pulls their heads out of their collective a$$es nothing much will change. I grew up in Cheektowaga and political discourse can be summed up like this. "Hey he's Polish, I'm Polish too. He says he's for the working man. Hey I'm a working man. He's got my vote." Until that mindset changes nothing else will. Couldn't have said it better myself. As much as the politicians are blamed for WNYs failures, they're ELECTED officials, and the constituency ultimately has to be take responsibility. Didn't want to say it in my earlier post at the risk of being called a Buffalo-basher, but there are a lot of backward thinking residents of the area who still think it's 1946 and are clinging to things like their primary means of communication, the dial telephone screwed to their kitchen wall, and longing for the happier times of Irv, Rick, & Tom, and the Whammy Weenie. Tings dont change much down at da corner bar der - tank gawd. That said, the politics and policies of New York State government isn't helping the situation, and WNYers have only a small part of those decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickydog Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I was born in Childrens Hospital in 1969. My parents were born in Buffalo n the 1940's, theyre parents immigrated from Italy and Ireland and came to Buffalo to work and raise theyre families. My family grew up working from the time they could wipe theyre own ass till they couldnt work anymore. My father moved us from Buffalo to Detroit to Dallas and Back all by the time I had reached the age of 13. Ive lived in the Great Motor City, I lived thru the Big oil boom of the 70's in Dallas. When I was 18 and old enough to serve my country I joined the USMC for 8 yrs. And when I was done I came home, to BUFFALO NY...I am so damn sick and tired of all these people busting on my hometown. Who the hell are you!!! Have you enjoyed your economic coddling of your parents so much that all you have now is the gift of slamming people who work damn hard to live? People who give up big houses big cars big bank accounts big paying jobs to live and fight for a place they love and call home? You who throw these little pebbles should take a big step back and look at yourself..You have no right at all to belittle the life we choose..If having a NFL football team charades ur view of us then take it..I dont need you or anyone else who hasnt walked the walk I do everyday to live here or look down on my family because I live in Buffalo NY...I dont want your approval of my homefront...I dont need it..You live in your glass house you throw boulders from and Ill live in my house I build them in...Go away if you dont want to be here..But GDAM im sick of people trashing my PLACE I LIVE IN..I dont need the Bills or anyone else to make me proud of where the hell I LIVE!!!! SCREW YOU Remember the "Talking Proud" commercial from the '70's ? I think it's on You tube The Buffalo Chammber of Commerace should use your monillog and have Clint Eastwood read it like that "Halftime America: Crysler commercial. Picture Clint whispering your line "I dont need the Bills or anyone else to make me proud of where the hell I LIVE!!!! SCREW YOU" I'd love it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Hansen Forever Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 Army all the way Anyway. I'm from Rochester, which to me is the same thing as Buffalo. I pride myself on where I am from. Who cares if we have nothing to offer except cheap EVERYTHING, great food, and more murders per capita than NYC? It's my home town. I'm used to it and I love it. That being said, I never went home after I joined the Army. I got out of the military and settled in Northern Virginia where I have a great job and a great life. I would never move back to Rochester, because it's just too damn poor and oppressed. I couldn't have the life there that I do here. Where in Monroe County do you hail from? I graduated from Penfield, way back in 1975! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billnutinphoenix Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Spare me the bashing of politcians and how they ruined the area. These clowns come up for re-election and they are almost all assured to get voted back in. The people of WNY need to accept responsibility for these guys. There was no coup where they seized power the people put them in. And no matter what they do or fail to do they will be voted right back in. In the U.S. people get the gov't they deserve and until the local population pulls their heads out of their collective a$$es nothing much will change. I grew up in Cheektowaga and political discourse can be summed up like this. "Hey he's Polish, I'm Polish too. He says he's for the working man. Hey I'm a working man. He's got my vote." Until that mindset changes nothing else will. Totally agreed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark80 Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Contrast that with Cleveland and Pittsburgh which have transformed their cities following the collapse of the 1970's industrial boom. I lived in Pittsburgh and unless something drastic has happened in the last 3 years since I moved (and I don't think it did), that place is kind of a dump. Now, the downtown area is pretty nice, but as soon as you're in the rest of the city it's pretty crappy. Lot's of abandoned industry, the waterfront outside of downtown is non-existent. Also, to live anywhere decent (besides downtown), you have to drive about 30 mins outside the city and with all those f'n hills and bridges the traffic sucks. PNC Park is gorgeous though! And their hockey and football teams are ones to envy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Jone's Toupee Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 So.......Where ya from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bklnpete Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I love Buffalo too, just not blindly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manateefan Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I understand pride in your city, but none of these players are from Buffalo. Mario Williams is just looking for the best situation for his life. It's not a personal offense to the people of Buffalo. He is from NC I think. The Bills haven't been to the playoffs in a decade, and lost 7 straight games last year. I WOULDN'T SIGN WITH THEM! I would sign with a team that has shown some consistency, for similar money. He doesn't owe the people of Buffalo, or the Bills, ANYTHING. Has he even ever played a game here? He isn't out to offend you personally... Years ago there was a kid coming out of college and Buffalo drafted him #1 (but he actually was signed before draft day). Buffalo had aa losing record then. The defense was built around him. Bruce Smith is now in the Hall of Fame. Buffalo is finally making an effort to be competitive. Williams could be the catalist like Bruce Smith. And they are willing to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Pretty cool that people are saying what hospital they were born at. In 1968, I was born at Sister's (Sister's of Charity... Main/Kensington Street) Hospital. Supposedly the day (2-11) my mother went to the hospital, there was a huge snowstorm and my father got a bunch of parking tickets... Supposedly he didn't see them piled up under the snow on his windshield... Yeah right dad! I like living in the south ChicagoLand/Northwest Indiana area because it is very similar to the Buffalo area. I actually live in Illlinois but my children were both born in Lake County Indiana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8-8 Forever? Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I was born at Rochester General Hospital in 1971. My dad was born in Rochester in 1939 and my mom is from Chicago. Their grandparents immigrated from Italy and Germany and Sweden and came to Rochester and the Michigan UP to work and raise their families. My family grew up with the Protestant work ethic. My parents settled in Rochester after college in 1966. When I was 18 I went to college and only came back to Rochester for a couple of years. I've lived in Rochester, Atlanta, Chicago, Indiana, Connecticut, Las Vegas, Phoenix and LA. Any city outside of LA and NYC usually have an inferiority complex. Rochester certainly had/has it. Buffalo does too. Buffalo has plenty of people that love it. But Upstate NY as a whole has a problem. An image problem. A problem with opportunities. A problem with retaining people who grew up there. They're losing people. And a lot of people who trash Buffalo are from Buffalo. And I'm sure that hurts. Personally, for me, you couldn't get me to move back to Rochester, and certainly not Buffalo. It doesn't have what I'm looking for. I love living in Los Angeles. But some people hate it. C'est la vie. What Buffalo has is an image problem that people aren't effectively addressing. In regards to football, that problem lies at the feet of Ralph Wilson. He's the captain of the ship. Green Bay doesn't have this image problem because they prioritize winning. And maybe, the people in Wisconsin are even crazier than the Bills fans in Buffalo and Rochester. If you don't want Brady trashing the hotels in Buffalo, someone build a hotel. If you want free agents to come to Buffalo, build a winning franchise. Simple. Kinda. Completely agree. If Mario ends up taking the same money somewhere else, that will say it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFlutie Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Where in Monroe County do you hail from? I graduated from Penfield, way back in 1975! I was born in East Rochester, grew up in Irondequoit, then Greece, and Fairport. Last I lived in the area I was in Macedon for a few years. ...I didn't graduate from Penfield, but I did go to school in the same building...only it was Charles Finney HS by then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 Everybody has got to be from somewhere. None of us had any choice in the matter. Makes no sense to mock one place over another for that reason alone. An accident of birth gives no license. All we can do is try to make the place we're in a better place than it was before. Sounds like you and yours did your part, stenbar. Well done. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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