Anyone Else Having Trouble Dealing with this Success?

[Shaw66]

36 minutes ago, Buffalo Boy said:

Brother Shaw,

Enjoy it!!!!

Wake up everyday this season with a smile.

Admire Allen’s amazing passes.

Marvel at Diggs’ high pointing and route running and selfless congratulations to all his teammates.

Shake your head in disbelief as Beasely converts another 3 rd and long or goes arse over tea kettle in the EZ for a TD.

Feel SO confident in having Smoke, Davis, Kroft, Knox and more at WR.

Watch an O line repeatedly give JA ALL DAY to find the open guy.

Know that our Defense finally showed signs of life against a very good Raiders offense when we needed them to.

ENJOY! ENJOY! ENJOY!

It’s been a serious chunk of lifetime since we’ve had a SB caliber team.

Oh, yeah, I'm doing all of that.  It's incredible watching.   And I really miss being in the stadium.

 

It's dealing with the rest of the world that has me at sea.  I don't know how to accept congratulations from people.  I don't know how to react when I hear Jim Nantz say "the Bills are for real."  I just have lived in that other reality for so long, that reality where, you know, I'm excited because the Bills at least have a good punter, that I haven't figured out how to live in what's becoming the new reality.  Maybe I'm afraid I'll wake up and discover this is all a dream.   Maybe I died on Labor Day and I went to heaven.   I don't know.  

[Scott7975]

Nope. It feels good to feel confident that our football team can go out there and beat anybody. That's how I feel. 

[Shaw66]

16 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

ZERO problem.

 

I'm happy for you.  Seriously.   I'm enjoying the games.  You're enjoying the full experience.   I'll get there. 

[BuffaloMatt]

I took  it for granted in the 90s. Now I am trying to enjoy it. However, it's hard to shake  the PTSD of the past few decades. 

[QB Bills]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

I have to say I find myself not knowing how to deal with success.  

 

I can't remember what it was like 30 years ago when the Bills last were a good team.  I don't remember how I felt or I behaved.  

 

I've spent 30 years wanting the Bills to be good again, and the early indications are that it is happening.  They could collapse, of course, but I believe McDermott knows what he's doing, and he's building a serious winner.  But as the national media begin to notice the Bills, I don't know if I want or like the attention.  

 

On one of the games last night, one of the announcers said something like "Don't leave Buffalo out of the conversation.  Buffalo is for real."   Something.  I heard it and realized it was the first time I'd heard a genuinely positive comment about the Bills, a full-fledged statement that the Bills are among the best, since the early 90s.   It sounded so unusual, and I realized that I didn't know how to react to it.   A few years ago, I was thrilled just to hear an announcer say the Bills could be trouble for some teams.  But this was different.  This was a statement to the effect that the Bills could beat anybody.  I didn't know how to take it.  

 

Then I pick up my local paper, which covers the Jets, Giants and Pats, and there's an AP article about how there's an offensive explosion going on in the NFL, and the accompanying photo is an action shot of Josh Allen.   In the article, Jon Gruden says this:  "You watch Buffalo's offense, they can do a lot.  The quarterback can complete passes left-handed.  The guy's a beast standing back there.  They got a pretty good attack."

 

I find myself hoping friends won't ask me about the Bills, because I don't know what to say.  One thing I do say is, "I told you this was happening."   But then I quickly add, "they aren't good enough yet."  It's like I don't know how to deal with the success.  It was much easier when no one had any expectations for the Bills; losses weren't disappointing then.   But now if they lose, people will want to know what happened, or people will say, "see, same old Bills."  It all feels so strange. 

 

This is going to take some getting used to.  

I'm in the same boat. BBFS is not letting me convince myself that they are actually a good team. All these years of terrible football has left a permanent scar.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

5 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I'm happy for you.  Seriously.   I'm enjoying the games.  You're enjoying the full experience.   I'll get there. 

 

It was a conscious decision on my behalf. When they sucked, I used to let them make me miserable.

 

At some point late in the drought, I just decided that wouldn't happen any more. I'd enjoy them and have fun and be positive with it.

 

Now, I'm just over the moon.

 

[Pasaluki]

5 minutes ago, BuffaloMatt said:

I took  it for granted in the 90s. Now I am trying to enjoy it. However, it's hard to shake  the PTSD of the past few decades. 

 

It is but perhaps it is finally time now for some catharsis.

[wjag]

I thought the Raiders game could have been the bubble bursting game.  If the Raiders won that game, the National Media attention would have dwindled.  The MVP talk dies down.  From my perspective as a fan, I looked at both @Raiders and @Titans as signature games to determine if the O could continue their torrid pace.  That @Raiders game has me firmly in the camp that this is a legit offense and it is sustainable until we meet that homeless dude's team in NE*..  What Belichick did to Mahomes last night with all the stuff NE* had to deal with was flat out impressive.  6 DBs and 3 down linemen gave Mahomes fits.  If they can continue to get that push with just three down linemen, that will make it tough for Josh to find his receivers.  Bills need a plan for that.  A solid rushing attack in that game would be great, but that is playing right into Belichick's plan. He grounded air Mahomes last night and with a little better QB play, would have won that game.

[teef]

nope.  if it all goes to *****, so be it.  i've been happy and entertained for a least one month so far, and they year i'll take it.

[Don Otreply]

Yeah, the whole thing has got me oddly nervous 😬 I thought that Josh would improve, but frankly not to this degree, the guy is lights out, and I like it 😁👍, 

 

Go Bills!!!

[LabattBlue]

Not to nitpick Shaw, but it's been more like 20 years of sucking instead of 30.  Even the Johnson/Flutie years were competitive.  

[Michael1962]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

I have to say I find myself not knowing how to deal with success.  

 

I can't remember what it was like 30 years ago when the Bills last were a good team.  I don't remember how I felt or I behaved.  

 

I've spent 30 years wanting the Bills to be good again, and the early indications are that it is happening.  They could collapse, of course, but I believe McDermott knows what he's doing, and he's building a serious winner.  But as the national media begin to notice the Bills, I don't know if I want or like the attention.  

 

On one of the games last night, one of the announcers said something like "Don't leave Buffalo out of the conversation.  Buffalo is for real."   Something.  I heard it and realized it was the first time I'd heard a genuinely positive comment about the Bills, a full-fledged statement that the Bills are among the best, since the early 90s.   It sounded so unusual, and I realized that I didn't know how to react to it.   A few years ago, I was thrilled just to hear an announcer say the Bills could be trouble for some teams.  But this was different.  This was a statement to the effect that the Bills could beat anybody.  I didn't know how to take it.  

 

Then I pick up my local paper, which covers the Jets, Giants and Pats, and there's an AP article about how there's an offensive explosion going on in the NFL, and the accompanying photo is an action shot of Josh Allen.   In the article, Jon Gruden says this:  "You watch Buffalo's offense, they can do a lot.  The quarterback can complete passes left-handed.  The guy's a beast standing back there.  They got a pretty good attack."

 

I find myself hoping friends won't ask me about the Bills, because I don't know what to say.  One thing I do say is, "I told you this was happening."   But then I quickly add, "they aren't good enough yet."  It's like I don't know how to deal with the success.  It was much easier when no one had any expectations for the Bills; losses weren't disappointing then.   But now if they lose, people will want to know what happened, or people will say, "see, same old Bills."  It all feels so strange. 

 

This is going to take some getting used to.  

I made an agreement with myself that I won't pay for Sunday Ticket and/or other way of watching the Bills because there have been so many times where they started hot out of the gate and then fell flat, it reminded me of Lucy and the football (and I was Charlie Brown in this narrative).  Now I tell myself I will invest in an AFC East shirt/sweat shirt if they win but in the interim I will try to remain optimistic.  Maybe I am being a jerk, maybe(definitely) I have BBFS.  It is what it is.

[Whites Bay]

While I appreciate the sentiment, threads like these make me roll my eyes and revel in my bald spot.  That's a self-deprecating ageist dig.  I'm not as old as SOME posters on this board, but old enough to remember and unstoppable OJ, as well as the Dolphins treating the Bills like a ball of string some 40-50 years ago.  I've learned never to woof.  The moment you woof as a Bills fan, some douche will hold up 4 fingers, or give you the crack "What does 'Bills' stand for?  Boy-I-Love-Losing-Superbowls".  When they're hoisting the trophy, we can exhale.

 

Enjoy the moment.  Enjoy it.  We'll all be back down to earth in the next few weeks with the first loss, and this board will self-immolate.  It always does.  I just have to hope the first loss isn't a divisional, or even a conference loss. 

 

The difference this year - even over the Super Bowl teams - is that this offense hasn't been figured out yet.  Kelly and the K-Gun were amazing, but the No Huddle often ended up with the Bills getting themselves gassed after multiple 3-and-outs.  This group?  So far this year, they haven't shown any quit.  At the end of the game, I'm not so much worried about the opposing defense.  I'm worried about the clock.  Because this group looks like they can score on anyone.

 

So I'm enjoying it, quietly.  Go Bills.

 

 

[Just Joshin']

Not a bit - it is a blast even with the close finishes where I expect the old Bills to appear.

 

It is even more fun with my Bills flag flying next to the neighbor's cowboys flag.

 

I do think some on the board are not enjoying it - they continue to look for all the blemishes vs the overall beauty of being 4-0.

[MAJBobby]

46 minutes ago, Pasaluki said:

It is surreal. But no fanbase has suffered through what Bills fans have while remaining as loyal. The fidelity of Bills fans to their team and the true undying love of Bills fans for their team is why we deserve this.

It is so Ironic that a year they show they are legit is a year that fans cannot get into the building

[Seasons1992]

1 hour ago, Buffalo ill said:

Obnoxious fans are usually bandwagon fans. 

 

Hey now, I am die-hard AND obnoxious, so you're wrong there!

[BADOLBILZ]

 

There are definitely a lot of folks who can't process the success without giddy nonsense/hyperbole or trying to find people/things to remain angry at.😆

 

It's not very process-like but it's not their fault.........the organization was so poorly run for so long that it created a whole generation of people who don't' know what it's like to have a contending NFL team in town.

 

Gotta' remember that it's a product........it was always fair to hold it to a high standard even if you remain a loyal consumer when it didn''t meet that expectation.

 

Trust THAT process.

 

I can actually remember during the 51-3 rout of the Raiders in the 1990 AFC Championship game thinking about how fun it was being on the precipice of a dynasty and feeling like that team could very well go on a run like the 1970's Steelers.    I was ready.   I never stopped being ready.

 

[1st Ammendment NoMas]

I can feel it coming in the air tonight. I've been waiting for this moment all my life.

That song was popular the last time we were good, so hell yeah I can live with this. I'll take a little Bills worship nationally and suck it in like the aroma of fresh apple cider on a crisp fall morning in Buffalo.

[The Firebaugh Kid]

We were just saying this on Sunday....my friends and I. Its been SO LONG. 

 

[BillsfanAZ]

I am enjoying it and it is nice to have confidence in the Bills. That being said I am not getting too high because I know there will be lows. I like knowing the Bills have the ability to play with anyone offensively but there are games coming where it wont work out. Most of all I like seeing the aggressive nature of the Bills and not sitting on leads. Put the foot on the gas until the game is well in hand.