Shaw66 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 The Rockpile Review – by Shaw66 Lament - The 2017 Season Begins I ache. It doesn’t really hurt; it’s just a little ache. It doesn’t keep me from leading a more or less normal life. I can’t describe exactly where it is. It’s kind of all over and nowhere at the same time. I don’t feel it every hour of every day, but sooner later most days I notice it. I’ve had the ache for a long time. Ten or fifteen years or more. I ache for a winner. I think where I ache is in my soul. It’s the same place, or non-place, where I ache for a loved one who has passed away, for a lover who doesn’t share the affection I have for her, for a friend with a fatal illness. Now, before you accuse me of trivializing important life events by comparing them to how I feel about the Bills, wait. I get that these things are different, quantum levels more important, more meaningful, more painful than the feelings associated with being a Bills fan. What I’m saying is that the ache is in the same place as those other feelings. It occupies only a tiny part of that space and is easily crowded out when seriously important life events demand the attention of my soul. Mercifully, my life has not been filled with personal loss and crisis. That’s left time and space for this little ache. It’s a little ache, trivial in fact. I tell my friends about the ache, and they “suffer” along with me. Some of my friends are Red Sox fans, so they know, or knew, what the ache is like. One of my friends is a Mets fan; he gets it. Another worked inside the Jets organization; he really gets it. For eight months a year, I watch the Bills make changes and I hope that those changes will lead to my ache going away. I try to imagine how the changes will make the team better, how players will improve and how the Bills will start winning the games they’ve lost for years. I try to imagine the joy that will replace the ache. For four months a year, I watch as the changes play out, always in a different way, but always leaving the ache behind. It’s happened so long, it seems like the ache will be there forever. Now the 2017 season is about to begin, and the Bills have made another collection of changes. This time, the changes are so big it’s difficult to imagine how the team will perform this year. Some of the best performers from the past few seasons are gone. The quarterback position is, again, unsettled. The team seems thin at certain positions. The new coach has installed new offensive and defensive schemes, and the team has had clear growing pains with each. The general manager is taking the team in a new direction. Where will it lead? It’s difficult to imagine. I’ve become so accustomed to the ache, it’s difficult to imagine that all these changes will finally make the Bills a winner. Still, I can’t wait for Sunday. Maybe this year things will be different. GO BILLS!!! The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were everyday people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richardb1952 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 I feel your pain. Every year I have high hopes that this is the year the pain finally goes away only to discover that moment when you realize that it's still there and will be for another off-season, no matter where we are in this season. I'm glad we have at least chosen a different course of action, radical as it may first seem to be. I couldn't have taken another season of what we went through the last two years. For now I will have high hopes, but there is a part of me that is real nervous about the first game of the year, one the Bills should win, but one they have found a way to lose in the past. I am hopeful this year is the beginning of things being different, maybe this year the ache will begin to subside. Go Bills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r00tabaga Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 HeyeyeyYe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heavy Kevi Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 I hear you, Shaw.... I think that is pretty universal around here. I don't have high expectations this year for just about the first time ever before the season even started. But of course I will watch every minute of every game hoping that someday we will return to prominence. It just has to happen at some point, right? RIGHT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
co_springs_billsfan Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 The Pats* loss last night is like Tiger Balm for my Bills ache Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 You better get yourself a few tubes of Ben Gay. It's gonna be a couple years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Turk Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 (edited) Not going to a pleasant year I feel but I think with 6 picks in the top 100, and add in the possibility to add another 3rd compensatory pick if we make a few roster moves by week 10 and I think we we have positioned ourselves well to pull a Titans "get good quick" move if we use them wisely. Edited September 8, 2017 by matter2003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figster Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 The list of symptoms brought on from being a life long Bill fan is long ranging from anger and sadness to denial and madness causing some posters to become so bitter even the best memories from days gone by become twisted / distorted. This is a quote from Marv Levy on the thought process before the best team in Bills history was constructed: " Bill Polian and I agreed when we 1st came together with the Buffalo Bills that we would bring players only of high character to the team" Polian and Levy went on to build a high character football team that carried them to 4 straight Superbowl appearances. The Bills new HC McD Is leaving no stone unturned even going as far as sitting down for dinner with some of the biggest names in Bills history to gain as much info as possible on what made them so succesful. Men of high Character... Thanks OP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 The list of symptoms brought on from being a life long Bill fan is long ranging from anger and sadness to denial and madness causing some posters to become so bitter even the best memories from days gone by become twisted / distorted. This is a quote from Marv Levy on the thought process before the best team in Bills history was constructed: " Bill Polian and I agreed when we 1st came together with the Buffalo Bills that we would bring players only of high character to the team" Polian and Levy went on to build a high character football team that carried them to 4 straight Superbowl appearances. The Bills new HC McD Is leaving no stone unturned even going as far as sitting down for dinner with some of the biggest names in Bills history to gain as much info as possible on what made them so succesful. Men of high Character... Thanks OP "Polian and Levy went on to build a high character football team that carried them to 4 straight Superbowl appearances." This is categorically false. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antonio Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 For the first time in 10 years I didn´t feel the need to go to my annual Buffalo trip. But I will be watching every bitt of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayjent Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Yeah...it's hard to keep get excited with change, when the change seems to be only a change in the way the same unsuccessful W/L record is achieved not an improvement in the results. As fans we all love to rationalize why this time will be different, while at the same time keeping our guard up as we scrutinize the moves and decision-making looking for that signal to understand how this regime is going to disappoint us. This gets worse each time it happens, until we just have a sliver of optimism and a heavy dose of pessimism. This season seems particularly frustrating because even though a significant majority of Bills fans understood, especially with the hindisght of today, that Whaley and Rex should've been fired, there was an opportunity with a weak division outside of New England and relatively weak batch of AFC contenders to possibly sneak into the playoffs. The GM and coach are looking more long term than that, and that's understandable. However, I am fearful that they are little too prone to throw out the baby with the bath water in disassociating themselves from the players drafted by Whaley and his staff, and that the Beane/McDermott "process" may require more time to be successful than they realistically will get. This is exactly what I was getting at earlier, I'm looking at things and I'm finding flaws. I don't want to be looking for these flaws, but I constantly question whether I should trust these guys. We have learned over 17 years not to trust these guys, and that as fans watching moves unfold and having serious reservations to be proven right in having those reservations. I think the most frustrating thing in a lot of ways since 2010 is that when they start making some progress on one side of the field, they seemed destined as a franchise to constantly throw out the baby with the bath water each time they make a necessary change - that is organization issues at higher levels than coaching and we all see that has been the biggest problem with this franchise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottebillsfan2 Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 I have a feeling after this season your ache's will be gone!!! Lets go Bills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transplantbillsfan Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Love it, Shaw! Great way to articulate our suffering, especially those of us who truly feel suffering after Bills losses. Like you, I've been fortunately spared from personal misery, so that's probably as good an explanation as any for why I feel so much pain when the Bills lose and joy when they win. I've actually never thought about it like that. Nice write-up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottaRun Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 The Pats* loss last night is like Tiger Balm for my Bills ache No kidding. I thought I didn't care about this season. I thought I would be going through the motions. Then last nights game came along and I was yelling at my TV and giving the finger to every sad sack Pats fan they showed. This morning my thoughts of the Bills going 6 - 10 this year have magically turned to thoughts of the Bills going 10 - 6. We haven't even played yet. The Pats losing is one mighty strong tonic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 Are we sharing emotions now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohio bob Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 Really hard to get pumped up for another season. My expectations are low so if the Bills are crappy wont lose any sleep over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABILLBACKER Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 Hey, we can't suck forever...can we? We have to time our completed rebuild with the Bill & Tom retirement. Once this happens we'll have a fighting chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmanfan Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 "Polian and Levy went on to build a high character football team that carried them to 4 straight Superbowl appearances." This is categorically false. . I suppose it depends on how you define character. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaw66 Posted September 9, 2017 Author Share Posted September 9, 2017 No kidding. I thought I didn't care about this season. I thought I would be going through the motions. Then last nights game came along and I was yelling at my TV and giving the finger to every sad sack Pats fan they showed. This morning my thoughts of the Bills going 6 - 10 this year have magically turned to thoughts of the Bills going 10 - 6. We haven't even played yet. The Pats losing is one mighty strong tonic. I feel the same way. We're all crazy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty McFly Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 "Polian and Levy went on to build a high character football team that carried them to 4 straight Superbowl appearances." This is categorically false. Big time falsehood. Idk why everyine keeps pounding that button. We were party animals. Talent is talent no matter how they behave as long as they show up to work on time, play as a cohesive unit and do their job idk why people get so caught up on that. No kidding. I thought I didn't care about this season. I thought I would be going through the motions. Then last nights game came along and I was yelling at my TV and giving the finger to every sad sack Pats fan they showed. This morning my thoughts of the Bills going 6 - 10 this year have magically turned to thoughts of the Bills going 10 - 6. We haven't even played yet. The Pats losing is one mighty strong tonic. Hell yeah it is. I think were gonna win more than 6 and enough to piss away a good draft spot. Doesnt matter tho, do eveything u can to trade up for a QB, this is the year, jus pick a good one Not going to a pleasant year I feel but I think with 6 picks in the top 100, and add in the possibility to add another 3rd compensatory pick if we make a few roster moves by week 10 and I think we we have positioned ourselves well to pull a Titans "get good quick" move if we use them wisely. Those 7 picks in the top 100th are gonna go down to 3 when we trade up for a qb tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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