What was their objective in removing the BBMB?

[blacklabel]

Fair warning: Kind of a long post, just sharing some opinions.

 

So it's been over a month now since the Bills organization deleted their message board (on my birthday, no less) in lieu of them wanting more interaction out of their social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

 

Of those platforms, the only two places I follow them are on Facebook and Twitter. Generally, they don't receive much interaction with Twitter, but on Facebook, hoo-boy. Anything they post on Facebook immediately has a comment section filled with probably 70% negative BS. They'll post an update on Sammy's rehab process and you'll see 50 comments about how he's worthless, made of glass, waste of a pick, can't stay healthy, etc. etc. They posted a small video of the players returning for off-season workouts and there were way too many comments saying, "Look at fat Dareus, that fat !@#$ better pick it up this year, he's stealing millions from us!" Us? Who's us? You got a turd in your pocket or something? We don't pay that guys salary. "These guys make millions, they should be eating, breathing and sleeping football 24/7." I don't know about any of you, but comments like that irritate me.

 

They'll post an update about when the schedule is due to be released and over half the comments are, "Won't matter, 17 years, no playoffs, this team is the worst team that has ever been a team in the history of team sports." The simplest status updates are always met with such vitriol.

 

First off, I get it, we all get it. This team has put its fan-base thru the ringer for the last 17 seasons. I used to be that guy who would flip out every time a negative play happened or every time the opposing team scored or executed a good play. That was years ago before I started watching the game more objectively and with a different appreciation for what these guys do. I love watching the sport, Sundays during football season, my TV has football going from noon to midnight. The Bills are the only team that derive any sense of emotion out of me. Of course I want them to win. But when they lose, I'm not gonna let it ruin my day. I'm not gonna immediately jump online and scream into the void about what should've happened, why Player X isn't any good, why they need to fire this guy, that guy, whatever. At the end of the day, it's a game. These guys beat the hell out of themselves for the entertainment of others. That's why I think it's so lame when people sit on their couches and spew hate and bullcrap as if they have all the answers. Some of the comments made towards these guys come from people who look like they'd get a wheeze from walking their dog. Yet, they seem to be the loudest ones.

 

It's not in my nature to cut people down from behind a computer screen. I think it's weak and shows a lack of character and human empathy... because at the end of the day, these guys are all human. They are very fortunate to be able to play a game for a living and be well-paid for it but I think people forget how much they're sacrificing. Time away from families, constantly dealing with some sort of aches and pains, and when they leave the game when they're "too old" (as if 33 or 34 is too old), if they were smart with their money they'll be set up for life and transition into something different, again, if they're planned accordingly. Some don't and they end up broke. I have a hard time feeling sorry for those guys. Not the guys who get taken for rides by family and friends, but guys who have been advised yet still spend their money like it's never going to run out. And when it's all said and done, they've sacrificed a huge part of their health and well-being for the remainder of their lives. Some of these dudes will wind up in wheelchairs, some may never make it past 50, some may have to deal with CTE or other concussion-induced illnesses. Life after football can be pretty ugly, I'm sure. It doesn't happen to all of them but still, I look at these guys as humans first, players second. And yeah, again, they make great money and many people are quick to say how they'd trade their lives for that of a professional athlete, but that's without knowing everything about the grind these guys go through to stay in the game. And for all the complaining about how much money they make (millions) no one ever seems to say anything about the owners who all make billions.

 

BBMB was a spot I visited daily for 15 years. It was a good spot for discussion and usually the moderators were pretty good at weeding out the knuckleheads. But now, they've ditched the board for their social media platforms which are consistently just full of crap. Most of the time, I see these comments and think, "How can anyone think this team has the best fans in the league? Look at this crap." And a lot of them try to disguise their pessimism as "being a realist." Really? When they announce when the schedule will be released and someone chimes in with, "Doesn't matter, they'll go 4-12, and that's just being real." Well, no, it isn't, because no games have been played so unless you're Miss Cleo.... well, you're still wrong. I understand being bummed out by this team year after year but if it affects you so badly maybe it's time you found a different source of entertainment? I guess I just don't see the need to be constantly negative and try to pass it off as being a realist or a "true fan who just sees through everything." Of course there will be negative things to discuss but I've always believed those negative discussions don't need to come with ridiculous insults and moronic statements.

 

I dunno, just my two cents I felt like sharing after trying to really adapt to their new way of interacting with the fan base. I'm adapting to this place quite well and I hope it continues to grow. Thus far the majority of people who post generally have decent, intelligent things to say. Definitely refreshing when you compare it to the "official" platforms provided by the team.

Edited April 5, 2017 by blacklabel

[jr1]

they want more social media followers

[PromoTheRobot]

They probably couldn't keep up moderating a raging tire dump fire.

[Rockpile233]

My ticket rep called me to apologize in response to an email I sent. Said there was more engagement on social media platforms. Told me they were shocked at how much blowback they got. Also told me Chris Brown's blog a day after the fact adequately alerted fans to the move.

 

I respectfully disagreed with almost everything he said.

[Coach Tuesday]

$$

 

Social media access to fans likely gives them the opportunity to purchase and pursue targeted marketing. They can buy the data (or parts of it) that social media collects about their fans, and use it to make money.

 

Their message board didn't offer that kind of opportunity. It was an expense to maintain, and it was important to quantify the value it provided.

[NewEra]

They probably couldn't keep up moderating a raging tire dump fire.

^^^

[Bill from NYC]

You seem to be very unhappy with Bills Fans. That's perfectly ok but imo, this is your own personal method of coping. It's a lot easier to judge fans in a negative way (and lecture them about what you think they should do) than it is to blame an organization that you care deeply about.

 

Yes, the fans get pretty angry on this board too but fans are not to blame for the inferior product we have invested countless hours and thousands of dollars in.

 

I hope that this post was not overly "realistic" for your tastes. And do continue let us know if you have other ideas about the way Bills Fans should behave and what is wrong with them.

[YoloinOhio]

Because every other team, save a couple late adapters, have done the same. No reason to stay in the dark ages (Berchtold)

[ddaryl]

I concur. the rabid hatred and allowing one to be over consumed by negativity in regards to ones form of entertainment should provoke people to rethink their entertainment.

 

if entertainment makes you angry, frustrated and overall its a negative experience ... then wouldn't change be the answer ?

 

 

I get a bit upset but I just walk away and do other things.... No way will I let any sports event dictate how I feel about life. Sure not going to post hateful crap 1000x's over and then argue and debate it for 25 pages of stupidity

[KellyToughII]

They probably couldn't keep up moderating a raging tire dump fire.

This is it completely. They got tired of the fans getting sick of their ****

[TheElectricCompany]

Some men just want to watch the world burn.

[stuvian]

I also visited the BBMB daily. it was by far my favourite thing on the internet. The move is one more thing in a long line of the corporatization of the league and its teams and not a good one IMO. The underlying message is that fans are irrelevant and that if the teams don't have control what is said, they'd rather shut down the entire medium. We all have our individual and collective tipping points and the team and league and getting closer and closer to mine with each passing day.

[jimmy10]

They probably couldn't keep up moderating a raging tire dump fire.

If that place was "moderated" at all, it was using the loosest possible definition of the term.

 

If BBMB was an animal, it would've been a cat chasing a laser beam while tweaking on low-grade biker crank.

[Meathead]

message boards like this are a dying breed. the explosion of popular social networks allows ppl to decided who and what they consume. we are creating millions of little echo chambers where we decide on the content and who gets to participate on a whim

 

frankly, i think its crippling us, in a way

 

the one great thing about traditional message boards is that everyone contributes and the discussions stay up for a long time, indefinitely if the site is stable and well maintained. that provides a very valuable growth tool for the poster and everyone else to review how they articulate things at a point in time, and how they change their views over time

our superficial transient popular social media communications generally dont have much of that if at all, and its a pretty big loss

[jumbalaya]

Why would anyone say that Sammy can't stay on the field?

[teef]

they felt they needed to strip town and country of his power. it went right to his head. that dude was a bag of dicks.

[likei've]

Wow... Tell how you really feel op.

 

I guess some of the original post was on topic. The rest was a complete blasting of fans.

 

I don't really get these kinds of call-outs. If you see things you disagree with address it then with that person.

 

Don't create a thousand word diatribe about people and then run away.

[Golden*Wheels]

$$

 

Social media access to fans likely gives them the opportunity to purchase and pursue targeted marketing. They can buy the data (or parts of it) that social media collects about their fans, and use it to make money.

 

Their message board didn't offer that kind of opportunity. It was an expense to maintain, and it was important to quantify the value it provided.

ding ding ding

[PaattMaann]

Be happy they got rid of BBMB and now you found this place. This is the best message board not only for the Bills, but in the entire NFL. We have our fair share of trolls and idiots, but it isn't reinforced here daily that we have the smartest football fans in the league.

[teef]

Wow... Tell how you really feel op.

 

I guess some of the original post was on topic. The rest was a complete blasting of fans.

 

I don't really get these kinds of call-outs. If you see things you disagree with address it then with that person.

 

Don't create a thousand word diatribe about people and then run away.

i'm impressed you read it. i was all...tl;dr

[YoloinOhio]

message boards like this are a dying breed. the explosion of popular social networks allows ppl to decided who and what they consume. we are creating millions of little echo chambers where we decide on the content and who gets to participate on a whim

 

frankly, i think its crippling us, in a way

 

the one great thing about traditional message boards is that everyone contributes and the discussions stay up for a long time, indefinitely if the site is stable and well maintained. that provides a very valuable growth tool for the poster and everyone else to review how they articulate things at a point in time, and how they change their views over time

 

our superficial transient popular social media communications generally dont have much of that if at all, and its a pretty big loss

every team has at least one message board, like this one, that isn't "social media" but is independently run. Most teams don't have one anymore on the official team site. That was definitely a dinosaur. Honestly didn't ever visit it once, and forgot it existed except when it was occasionally referenced here. I assumed it was gone a long time ago. Edited April 5, 2017 by YoloinOhio

[papazoid]

What was their objective in removing the BBMB?

 

to hinder and/or stop aiding a forum of constant over the top negative discussion which leads to a loss of financial support (ticket sales)

[jimmy10]

What was their objective in removing the BBMB?

 

to hinder and/or stop aiding a forum of constant over the top negative discussion which leads to a loss of financial support (ticket sales)

Right. I can't believe a place for people to blast the organization, on the organization's dime, existed for as long as it did.

[YoloinOhio]

What was their objective in removing the BBMB?

 

to hinder and/or stop aiding a forum of constant over the top negative discussion which leads to a loss of financial support (ticket sales)

were they hurting in ticket sales? Is that why every other team, including those who don't have a lot of negative discussion, have long since moved on from hosting a fan forum on their official site? I don't think that was the reason. If it was, they wouldn't have waited this long

 

Berchtold was lazy. Not a coincidence that the week Boyko got there he got rid of it.

Edited April 5, 2017 by YoloinOhio

[Chuck Wagon]

So fans should support a garbage product blindly otherwise find something else to do? I shouldn't watch a sport I love watching because I'm fed up with my favorite team shoveling garbage down our throats for two decades?

 

 

It's called being a fan. Being ticked off about a perennial losing team is one of our rights given to us by 'Merica. There's a large section of us who don't encounter many Bills fans in their daily lives and this is an outlet to discuss all aspects of the team, including venting about moves we don't like. If people have a problem that some aren't running around saying "Gee whiz, if we try really really hard maybe we can beat the Patriots and win the division, maybe even the Super Bowl!!!", that's a you problem bub.

[papazoid]

for the most part, the difference is that in this forum we say our thoughts & takes about the team either positive or negative WITHOUT attacking others who differ

Edited April 5, 2017 by papazoid

[WhoTom]

I was a daily BBMB reader (and frequent contributor) too. After it shut down, I checked out a few independent Bills message boards and found this one to be the best. It's really not much different than the BBMB - a lot of good posters with a few trolls chiming in now and then. It doesn't take long to figure out who's in each category.

 

I don't know if their plan to get more people on their social media pages worked in general, but it didn't work on me. The comments on public Facebook pages seem to have a very low signal-to-noise ratio.

[CodeMonkey]

$$

 

Social media access to fans likely gives them the opportunity to purchase and pursue targeted marketing. They can buy the data (or parts of it) that social media collects about their fans, and use it to make money.

 

Their message board didn't offer that kind of opportunity. It was an expense to maintain, and it was important to quantify the value it provided.

Following the $$ is always a good move. But things like FB are a shotgun approach with anyone, anywhere following the team. It's like asking a thousand girls to sleep with you hoping one says yes. Assuming they owned the board, they had the data for every member. That's much more of a focused targeted list of potential customers, both new and upgrades. The money in this case I suspect was like you mentioned, the cost of running the board and maintaining it and maybe being in some way liable for what happened there. Much cheaper and easier to do it the way they are now.

[YoloinOhio]

I was a daily BBMB reader (and frequent contributor) too. After it shut down, I checked out a few independent Bills message boards and found this one to be the best. It's really not much different than the BBMB - a lot of good posters with a few trolls chiming in now and then. It doesn't take long to figure out who's in each category.

 

I don't know if their plan to get more people on their social media pages worked in general, but it didn't work on me. The comments on public Facebook pages seem to have a very low signal-to-noise ratio.

every professional sports team is trying to do this, but imo places like FB are frequented more by the casual fan vs one that spends time on a board like this. They might follow the Bills on there and chime in but usually it's vapid comments vs informed discussion. Another big difference is that on social media your identity is out there. Your comments are tied to your name. Edited April 5, 2017 by YoloinOhio

[Guest NeckBeard]

Somehow I think that Deadspin is going to have a field day with this very issue in the next edition of "Why Your Team Sucks". I can see it now: "what other team shuts down their message board, fires their chaplain, retains EJ Manuel for that long, has terrible drafts every single year, hired Rex Ryan as HC, and continues to retain DW as GM? The Buffalo Bills." That's basically the whole summary, and I don't actually believe I am being hyperbolic on any level.

[wppete]

Happy they shut it down. This is a much better board!!! Social media discussion is much different. Here you will find the hardcore fans.

[Jamie Muellers Ghost]

They are following the corporate PR model now. No accountability.

[Koko78]

they felt they needed to strip town and country of his power. it went right to his head. that dude was a bag of dicks.

 

Yes he was! I did the math one time. Somewhere around 60% of my infractions were from him, and the overwhelming majority were ticky-tack bull **** (admittedly the rest were deserved.)

 

Either way, !@#$ them. This is a much better place.

[PromoTheRobot]

If that place was "moderated" at all, it was using the loosest possible definition of the term.

 

If BBMB was an animal, it would've been a cat chasing a laser beam while tweaking on low-grade biker crank.

 

Either the mods were overwhelmed, inept or they gave up after a while.

[teef]

 

Yes he was! I did the math one time. Somewhere around 60% of my infractions were from him, and the overwhelming majority were ticky-tack bull **** (admittedly the rest were deserved.)

 

Either way, !@#$ them. This is a much better place.

this board is far better. posters know their football and there's a great sense of humor around here. i also enjoy that if someone is going out of their way to be an idiot, they allow a bit of ball busting to temper them back. on the bbmb, it would be infraction city.

 

my t and c fun story...in a thread about bringing mike vick to the bills, i simply responded, "eeewwwww". our favorite mod gave me a non-expiring infraction for going off topic. that's who we were dealing with.

[Eric Moulds on my A**]

Good riddance. This board is a million times better and we're given more freedom of speech. Glad it's gone. The mods over there were high on that pedestal, they were due for it to crumble.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely after all.

[26CornerBlitz]

#OneBuffaloBillsMessageBoard

[Tenhigh]

They are following the corporate PR model now. No accountability.

In their defense, would you voluntarily fund a website who's primary focus was to discuss how every decision you made was terrible and your organization stunk?

[simpleman]

As was mentioned. It is about dollars and control of content. Facebook is meant for for quick comments, not for discussions. It is also about the changing target markets. The boomers were more into serious discussions, longer attention spans. BBs like this have more appeal to an older demographic. We don't have that short attention span of the MTV generation and younger. Many of us like facts, knowledge and information. Younger generations grow up expecting everything to be hand fed in splashy, easy digestible 30 second video bytes. BBS users often want more detail than just quick opinions and comments, we want useful information, proof and depth. The Bills do not want informed fans, they want fans that accept quick excuses and just accept what the corporate interests want to feed them. They want the fans to vent when they are upset, forget about it and immediately move on to another different thought, just happy to have vented. For a team with the Bills lousy record of delivering a quality product, the Bills need fans with very short attention spans,lol.

Edited April 5, 2017 by simpleman

[KermitMcDermott]

It was too much work banning every poster over nothing.