NFL fans claiming to be a loyal fan of a team but switch teams, your thoughts

[MJS]

42 minutes ago, CoffeeDrip said:

My husband was a loyal Browns fan from when the franchise was revived. Through thick and thin, he endured, until they traded for Watson. That was the day he renounced his Browns fandom and became a full fledged member of our Bills community. However, living in WNY and being married to me, he’d always had a good knowledge of and love for the Bills anyway, so it was a natural transition. 

That's understandable.

[The Frankish Reich]

4 hours ago, Logic said:

Perhaps when one's fandom is not innately related to the region in which they were raised, it's easier to switch allegiances. I've met people over the years who particularly liked one specific player, and would follow that player from team to team, and thus switch allegiances

True. 

Team allegiances are formed when you're young. I lived in Buffalo as a kid, I became a Bills fan, the Bills never left Buffalo (even though I did) ... I'm still a Bills fan.

The Sabres were brand new when I was little. They're still my NHL team. But ... when it's like the Bills drought years, you soon develop a 1A and 1B allegiance. So I follow the Avs more than the Sabres now. Until 2023-24 (there's hope!)

I was a Buffalo Braves fan. They left. My NBA favorite teams have changed over the years as I've moved.

We never had MLB in Buffalo (came a little close once), so my baseball teams were first those with a national following (the Reds when I was a kid), and later the teams where I lived.

[Albany,n.y.]

It's a lot easier for fans who never go to games and only watch on TV to switch teams.  I've been to 264 Bills games and it's way too late for me to get another team.  

[SoMAn]

3 hours ago, NewEra said:

I guess I can relate.

 

The backstory:  I’ve always been a huge basketball fan. The UNC Tar Heels beating Georgetown in the 1982 title game was the game that really got be excited.  I fell in love with the Tar Heels and James Worthy that game.  I also formed a dislike for Patrick Chewing. 
 

I didn’t have an nba team at the time so when worthy was drafted to the lakers, they became my team. As Worthy retired, in came Kobe a year later.  I would consider myself die hard for sure. I’d take off work in order to watch playoff and finals games.  I went to a couple playoff games.
 

They remained my team until the Lakers signed dwight Howard.  For whatever reason, I had always hated. Dwight howard.  I thought he was a joke (albeit a very good rebounder and defensive player) that didn’t want to be great and I couldn’t take him seriously.  they also traded for Steve nash and named Mike dantoni the HC.  3 moves that I couldn’t get behind and found myself not being able to root for them.

 

While at the same time, my favorite UNC basketball player, supposed Tar Heel savior and #1 rated HS player, Harrison Barnes  had been drafted by the warriors that same offseason. I’d watch both teams’ games to start the season. After a couple weeks I found myself not watching laker games and watching every GS game.  OT just happened. 30 years of being a laker fan was over and I was a big warrior fan.  I went  to 3x as many warrior games as I did laker games over the next 4 seasons.  Wore their gear.  Took off work to watching playoff games. I was all in on those teams.  I was die hard for sure…..until Barnes rebuffed the warriors contract extension, wanting more $ while also choking on his in the finals and forced the team to move on and snag KD.  
 

Barnes signed Dallas and they drafted luka after a couple bad season.  I watched their games and Luka became one of my favorites. I liked the team, but wasn’t really excited about them.  Then Dallas traded barnes to Sacramento where he and the team had wallowed in its suck for 3 years before finally getting things together this year.  Since the trade, I had been rooting for Dallas and Sacramento for the last few years but I seldomly watch regular season games.  Definitely not die hard for either team.
 

So I know what it’s like to be a die hard and a casual.  I know that it’s possible to be die hard for 2 different franchises playing in the same league (but not at the same time of course). I have definitely been a die hard lakers and warriors in my lifetime.  
 

If Buffalo still had an nba team, everything would’ve been different.  Rooting for your home town team is different.  If you don’t have a home town team and love the sport you can find a way to become die hard for a team….. but without the family roots, I don’t think that bond is very strong and can easily be broken.  
 

living in Vegas for the last 20+ years, i can’t stand the VGK or the Raiders.  I’ll always be a Bills and Sabres fan as long as they remain in Buffalo.  Eager to see if I jump to the A’s (when they arrive in Vegas) and leave the Yankees behind.  🤷🏻‍♂️ 

Sounds like you’re more a ‘player fan’ than a team fan. I know a lot of people with no connection to WNY started following the Bills because of O.J., Kelly, Bruce, or someone else. I’m sure the Edmonton Oilers gained a lot of fans when Gretsky was Mr. Hockey. 
Nothing wrong with that route to following a team. 
To answer the OP- like so many WNYers, I was exposed to Bills football as an impressionable kid, and they were and always will be my only team. I’ve lived in Atlanta most of my adult life and have absolutely zero interest in the Falcons. 

[Punching Bag]

1 hour ago, CoffeeDrip said:

My husband was a loyal Browns fan from when the franchise was revived. Through thick and thin, he endured, until they traded for Watson. That was the day he renounced his Browns fandom and became a full fledged member of our Bills community. However, living in WNY and being married to me, he’d always had a good knowledge of and love for the Bills anyway, so it was a natural transition. 

 

Your husband might know some friends of mine.  Multigeneration Browns fans who sat in the "Dog Pound" during years Cleveland was without a team.

[NewEra]

17 minutes ago, SoMAn said:

Sounds like you’re more a ‘player fan’ than a team fan. I know a lot of people with no connection to WNY started following the Bills because of O.J., Kelly, Bruce, or someone else. I’m sure the Edmonton Oilers gained a lot of fans when Gretsky was Mr. Hockey. 
Nothing wrong with that route to following a team. 
To answer the OP- like so many WNYers, I was exposed to Bills football as an impressionable kid, and they were and always will be my only team. I’ve lived in Atlanta most of my adult life and have absolutely zero interest in the Falcons. 

I’m a hometown fan. If it’s not a Buffalo team, then I’ll root for my favorite players and teams that enjoy watching.  I’ll always stick with the Bills and Sabres.  With regards to the NBA, it starts in college.  I root for Carolina players in the NBA.

 

With Barnes on his way out and (and not being very good rofl) I think my next NBA team will be whichever team drafts Elliot Cadeau in the 2025 draft.  

[StHustle]

1 hour ago, Limeaid said:

 

I can understand that if their team made a morally objectionable decision and they could no longer be a fan of that team.

I know several Browns fans who got rid all of their stuff for Browns with one of them being a Browns fan prior to moving to Baltimore and being fan of no team in interim period.

I know some Washington fans no longer being fans anymore with one who burned their jersey and hangs it as a flag on their car.

I can understand some not agreeing with their stances but their definition of ethics is probably different.

 

I agree but no way I could become "diehard" for another team. My love for the Bills runs too deep. If I had to abandon ship because of a moral issue, I could see becoming a casual fan of another team, or even multiple teams, but not diehard. 

1 hour ago, Gugny said:

When rumors were heating up that Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez were going to buy the Mets, I was 100% prepared to dump the Mets if it came to fruition. 
 

My mind was made up that I’d switch to the Red Sox (because Fenway is the same distance from me as Citifield and I love Fenway) and only switch back if the team was sold to someone else. 
 

Luckily, it didn’t happen. 
 

Had it happened and I jumped ship, I would not consider myself disloyal, given the context. 
 

 

 

Becoming a fan of another team, I get that. Becoming a diehard fan of another team is still weird for me regardless of the situation. Are you saying youd become a true diehard fan of the Red Sox, then if Mets have a new owner, flip flop and go back to being a true diehard Mets fan again??

[97bills]

For 35 years it’s been all about the bills for me , I don’t miss a game and watch every second, I no some fans just have the tv on , and when  there team scores they look. That’s what I do after the bills games, unless it’s a big AFC match up on. I do watch Thursday. And Monday night.. GO BILLS 

[Coffeesforclosers]

Straight up. If the Bills ever moved, i was tossing a coin. Heads = Baltimore, Tails = Pittsburgh. 

[benderbender]

For the better part of two decades you HAD to be a fan of football to still watch NFL knowing our seasons were usually over by Thanksgiving. 

 

I tried picking an XFL team and USFL team this year to get more into it but none seem appealing. I’ll wait for expansions I guess.

[PonyBoy]

4 hours ago, Dr. Who said:

This whole thread a a quiet neck tattoo brag.

 

Maybe.... LOL!! 

 

 

[That's No Moon]

33 minutes ago, Coffeesforclosers said:

Straight up. If the Bills ever moved, i was tossing a coin. Heads = Baltimore, Tails = Pittsburgh. 

If they ever move or moved I'm out. I don't watch football apart from the Bills unless I'm gambling on it and gambling isn't fandom.

[Patrick Duffy]

30 minutes ago, Coffeesforclosers said:

Straight up. If the Bills ever moved, i was tossing a coin. Heads = Baltimore, Tails = Pittsburgh. 

 

Ok, but do you think you could feel the same way for one of those teams as the Bills?

 

For me if Bills moved I'd have no other team, ever. I'd be a lot less interested in NFL all together. I'd probably tune into playoffs that would be about it

[Coffeesforclosers]

6 minutes ago, Patrick Duffy said:

 

Ok, but do you think you could feel the same way for one of those teams as the Bills?

 

For me if Bills moved I'd have no other team, ever. I'd be a lot less interested in NFL all together. I'd probably tune into playoffs that would be about it

 

Won't know until it happens and I hope it never does.

 

But if I was going to choses a team, it was going to be a team with Lombardis, from somewhere roughly in the northeast, that didn't play in the AFC East. 

[RunTheBall]

It’s different when you are from Buffalo. No other fan base has the depth of love/passion for their team than the Buffalo Bills.

I was born in WNY but have lived away for 25 years. My kids were each born in New England and within minutes of popping out of their mom they had a small Bills football next to them on the C-section table. My girls are now 16 and 18 and are the definition of die hard - wearing Bills jerseys to school in Rhode Island throughout most of the drought when Pats dominated us and when we finally broke it they knew what it meant to be a real fan through thick and thin.

 

I love the Sabres. Not like the Bills but I watch most games and follow them closely. Don’t care about Basketball (Braves left when I was real young), don’t care about baseball. Went to Syracuse so I follow the Orange. Went to grad school at UB so I follow the Bulls. That’s it.

 

It’s the emotional connection to my hometown and our teams that mean something. I can’t imagine just picking a team and saying “this is who I root for”.  There’s nothing wrong with that, I just don’t get it.

 

[Matt_In_NH]

I feel so attached to this team I cannot fathom “switching”.  I truly don’t understand how you can.  IMO you are not a “die hard” if you can switch.  At times during the drought I felt trapped in a way.  I cannot not care about this team.  I literally watch every play n every game no matter the score or situation.  

[Gugny]

2 hours ago, StHustle said:

 

I agree but no way I could become "diehard" for another team. My love for the Bills runs too deep. If I had to abandon ship because of a moral issue, I could see becoming a casual fan of another team, or even multiple teams, but not diehard. 

 

Becoming a fan of another team, I get that. Becoming a diehard fan of another team is still weird for me regardless of the situation. Are you saying youd become a true diehard fan of the Red Sox, then if Mets have a new owner, flip flop and go back to being a true diehard Mets fan again??

Nah. Not a diehard. Just a place holder. 

[section122]

2 hours ago, NewEra said:

I’m a hometown fan. If it’s not a Buffalo team, then I’ll root for my favorite players and teams that enjoy watching.  I’ll always stick with the Bills and Sabres.  With regards to the NBA, it starts in college.  I root for Carolina players in the NBA.

 

With Barnes on his way out and (and not being very good rofl) I think my next NBA team will be whichever team drafts Elliot Cadeau in the 2025 draft.  

I think the NBA lends itself to following players more than other leagues because its 1 out of 5.

 

Basketball and football are my 2 sports and im a lakers fan because of magic.  I will always follow and root for them over every other team that said there are a ton of players I love to watch play.  I won't say I root for them but I enjoy watching them.

 

Kd, jokic, jamal murray, steph curry, lebron among others are all a blast to watch play.

 

There are also players I hate the way they play like Harden comes to mind for 1.

 

To the op i think people care too much about others rooting interest.  I don't care if people switch teams.  I would never blame a commanders fan for switching.  Or even a pats fan following brady and rooting for tb too.  It's all entertainment in the end.

[SinceThe70s]

2 minutes ago, RunTheBall said:

 

It’s the emotional connection to my hometown and our teams that mean something. I can’t imagine just picking a team and saying “this is who I root for”.  There’s nothing wrong with that, I just don’t get it.

 

 

As an out of town Bills fan this is kind of what I did. Grew up on Long Island with a father from Chicago and a mother from Boston so no local allegiance. I ended up 'rooting' for whichever team won the SB until my father called out my BS. Took it to heart and kind of  'just picked a team' cuz OJ was amazing, Bills were from NY and except for a hobbled Joe Namath the Jets and Giants had no star power.

 

I've never looked back, don't regret it and am thrilled that my two sons are big time Bills fans despite growing up out of market. 

[BigAl2526]

I figure fans can like whatever team they want, and change when they want.  I've been a Bills fan since 1969, but I won't hate you if you became a Bills fan 2 years ago, were a Patriots fan for five years before that, and will become a New Orleans Saints fan next year. 

[Another Fan]

To each their own when it comes to sports teams and rooting interests.  Life happens…. I don’t hold it against fans who root for more than one team or switch allegiances.

 

However jumping on teams bandwagon is weak AF.  Just driving the other day I passed a house with a KC Chiefs flag flying on it.  I mean really? 

[Buffalo Super Fan]

I think this all baloney Buffalo Bills diehard loyalty what is that? To this Buffalo Bills fan it’s a lot of hot air if one was to ask me. Here is a better example Buffalo Western New York through hypothetically climate change becomes a 15 million people metro area by 2050. The Buffalo Bills under Terry Pegula PSE continue to be incompetent hypothetically. Because of Buffalo size we get another NFL team or let’s say because America grew by 100 million people by 2050 as they predict another major football league pops up whatever Buffalo receives another major football franchise the Buffalo Wings anyway. The new Buffalo Wings NFL team hypothetically wins 7 Super Bowls in a row play in a hypothetical Buffalo Wings domed Vikings style stadium downtown and food, drinks are Atlanta Falcons prices. Still loyal to the Buffalo Bills in 2050 tailgating in Orchard Park with PSL’s or do you follow both which is what I would do if I am even still alive. Forget loyalty to one Buffalo football team the NFL owners or the management and players aren’t as loyal to you the fan. The Buffalo Bills would become what happened to the New York Baseball Giants that once was New York City toast of the city baseball wise until this guy named Babe Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees so there is your loyalty what have you done for me lately just win baby. I don’t think Buffalo in that same position is any different than New York, Chicago or Los Angeles in my opinion. Go Bills! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[Talley56]

On this note, I do wonder how many people have seen me with my Bills gear on over the last few years and wondered if I was just a bandwagoner.  I'm not in the Buffalo/WNY area so I'm sure some stranger has seen me with Bills gear on and assumed that about me ever since the Bills have been good (of course, would have to be someone who didn't know me before).  I guess the important thing is I know I was a fan during the drought years and I know I'm not a bandwagoner and I've earned the right to enjoy the success we have seen lately.

[Bubba Gump]

Just ask Pats fans....or former Pats fans. To many of them, Tom Brady is all they know.

[SinceThe70s]

6 hours ago, Gugny said:

When rumors were heating up that Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez were going to buy the Mets, I was 100% prepared to dump the Mets if it came to fruition. 
 

My mind was made up that I’d switch to the Red Sox (because Fenway is the same distance from me as Citifield and I love Fenway) and only switch back if the team was sold to someone else. 
 

Luckily, it didn’t happen. 
 

Had it happened and I jumped ship, I would not consider myself disloyal, given the context. 
 

 

 

To each their own, but my loyalty to the Mets runs far deeper. The thought of those two clowns owning the Mets was equal parts horrifying and nauseating. But, I lived through the Wilpons and more to the point hated players like Vince Coleman.  I may get disgusted by my team, but I'll never abandon them.

 

As to the Bills - had they left Buffalo I have idea how I would have handled that. Football is the only sport where I can watch a game between two games that i don't gaf about. Not sure how that would change if i didn't gaf about any team.

[Gugny]

4 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

To each their own, but my loyalty to the Mets runs far deeper. The thought of those two clowns owning the Mets was equal parts horrifying and nauseating. But, I lived through the Wilpons and more to the point hated players like Vince Coleman.  I may get disgusted by my team, but I'll never abandon them.

 

As to the Bills - had they left Buffalo I have idea how I would have handled that. Football is the only sport where I can watch a game between two games that i don't gaf about. Not sure how that would change if i didn't gaf about any team.

I absolutely despise Rodriguez. Having the most prolific cheater in MLB history own the Mets is something I just would t be able to be onboard with. 
 

You know how much I love the Mets, but I just knew there was no way I could do it. 
 

I’m happy it turned out to be moot. 
 

Had the Bills left Buffalo, I’m not sure what I’d have done. My hunch is that I’d have stuck with them.  Choice B would have been to switch to the Giants, since they’re only a few hours away from me (Buffalo is about 5 hours). 
 

Happy that turned out to be moot, too. 

[SinceThe70s]

1 minute ago, Gugny said:

I absolutely despise Rodriguez. Having the most prolific cheater in MLB history own the Mets is something I just would t be able to be onboard with. 
 

You know how much I love the Mets, but I just knew there was no way I could do it. 
 

I’m happy it turned out to be moot. 
 

Had the Bills left Buffalo, I’m not sure what I’d have done. My hunch is that I’d have stuck with them.  Choice B would have been to switch to the Giants, since they’re only a few hours away from me (Buffalo is about 5 hours). 
 

Happy that turned out to be moot, too. 

 

I absolutely despised Vince Coleman before he became a Met. Took a few months to warm up to him - and just when I did he had the firecracker incident. Hated the player, still loved the team. Same with the Wilpons, hated the owner, loved the team. I have a hard time believing I'd have walked away from the Mets if those other two clowns had bought them.  

[JoPoy88]

11 hours ago, Patrick Duffy said:

 

I have to think this has happened to quite a few ppl here before at some point or other.....

 

Anyways, to quickly set the scene for you just a bit, stopped for gas while I was out running some errands and have one of my many Bills shirts etc, and have a smaller 3-4in tattoo of Bills charging buffalo on the back of my neck people notice sometimes that often is the first thing they comment on getting my attention starting a little football talk....

 

Told him I was a loyal die hard Bills fan for almost 40 years now and he was a die hard fan of the Packers for however many years, but at some point is now a die hard Raiders fan lol 

 

So how can one be a "loyal die hard" fan when you switch teams like that? I could never do it, I can't imagine myself being a fan of any other team besides Buffalo. 

 

 

 

 

I mean it’s not a competition, people can root for whomever they want. Obviously they have a different definition of what “die hard” means though.

[Zag20]

I think it’s honorable to not take sports too seriously, considering you have nothing to do with the outcome. So if you want to switch teams because of one player that went to your college, or you like the logo or the uniforms, then fine. People switching teams seems very petty, but it’s all relative to how big of a fan you actually are. That being said, if you don’t feel something when you see the logo of your team, you’re not really a die hard fan. When I see the charging buffalo, I feel pride and hope, but also a bit of sadness, and I feel all those things at a fairly intense level. The last few (semi) successful seasons have been extremely cathartic after having spent thousands of dollars and sacrificing countless hours to watch every single game over the years. Not to mention it’s so much easier to see every game now. I grew up and live in Seattle and when the Seahawks win, I’m happy for my friends and family.  But when they lose, I’m laughing inside because this town is full of bandwagon jumpers and fair-weather fans. I’m pretty comfortable in saying I’m the biggest Seattle born Bills fan. If the Bills moved or disappeared I wouldn’t watch the NFL at all. When the Sonics left Seattle in 2008, that was it for me. Haven’t watched a full NBA game since. 

[BillsPride12]

6 hours ago, Zag20 said:

I think it’s honorable to not take sports too seriously, considering you have nothing to do with the outcome. So if you want to switch teams because of one player that went to your college, or you like the logo or the uniforms, then fine. People switching teams seems very petty, but it’s all relative to how big of a fan you actually are. That being said, if you don’t feel something when you see the logo of your team, you’re not really a die hard fan. When I see the charging buffalo, I feel pride and hope, but also a bit of sadness, and I feel all those things at a fairly intense level. The last few (semi) successful seasons have been extremely cathartic after having spent thousands of dollars and sacrificing countless hours to watch every single game over the years. Not to mention it’s so much easier to see every game now. I grew up and live in Seattle and when the Seahawks win, I’m happy for my friends and family.  But when they lose, I’m laughing inside because this town is full of bandwagon jumpers and fair-weather fans. I’m pretty comfortable in saying I’m the biggest Seattle born Bills fan. If the Bills moved or disappeared I wouldn’t watch the NFL at all. When the Sonics left Seattle in 2008, that was it for me. Haven’t watched a full NBA game since. 

Where do you stand on the Seattle Kraken?  Just curious 

[Radar]

My thoughts? Could care less.

[Chaos]

Fandom loyalty tests are crucial.  It certainly is more important that fans stay loyal to a team, than say the players.  I have been a life long Bills fan.  If Josh Allen were to leave the team, I don't know if I would become a fan of his new team, or if he would be an arch enemy.   But I suspect many fans, especially those who have only been a fan during the free agent era, follow their favorite players to new teams. 

Edited May 24, 2023 by Chaos

[Ethan in Cleveland]

11 hours ago, RunTheBall said:

It’s different when you are from Buffalo. No other fan base has the depth of love/passion for their team than the Buffalo Bills.

I was born in WNY but have lived away for 25 years. My kids were each born in New England and within minutes of popping out of their mom they had a small Bills football next to them on the C-section table. My girls are now 16 and 18 and are the definition of die hard - wearing Bills jerseys to school in Rhode Island throughout most of the drought when Pats dominated us and when we finally broke it they knew what it meant to be a real fan through thick and thin.

 

I love the Sabres. Not like the Bills but I watch most games and follow them closely. Don’t care about Basketball (Braves left when I was real young), don’t care about baseball. Went to Syracuse so I follow the Orange. Went to grad school at UB so I follow the Bulls. That’s it.

 

It’s the emotional connection to my hometown and our teams that mean something. I can’t imagine just picking a team and saying “this is who I root for”.  There’s nothing wrong with that, I just don’t get it.

 

We have great fans and a great connection to the city but so does Pittsburgh, Chicago, Green Bay, Seattle, KC, Cleveland, and several others. I'd say we travel better than any other franchise, but that may be in part because so many of us have left WNY already. 

And that is just NFL. 

Baseball in places like St Louis are just as linked as the Bills are to Buffalo. 

[mjt328]

To be a true fan of a team, you stick with them through everything... regardless if they are winning or losing.

 

I'm fine with bandwagon jumpers, as long as they don't get involved in trash talking.  

If you can't stick around and take it when your team is bad, then you don't have the right to dish it out when they are good. 

 

I just about blew a gasket with my brother-in-law during the Miami playoff game.  He doesn't root for a particular team.  But still couldn't shut-up all game long about how much the Bills sucked.  He is no longer getting invited over to watch football at my house.

[ddaryl]

15 hours ago, Beast said:

See, I’m the opposite. I’m a big football and hockey fan. If either the Bills or Sabres moved they’d still be my favorite team, though I wouldn’t live and die with them like I do now.

 

Kind of like Alabama football. I’ve rooted for them for over 45 years but I don’t have the connection to them that I do Buffalo teams.

 

 

 

 

I was born and raised in Hamburg. Been to Bills games when OJ was runing the football for us, so I grew up and have emotional attachment to the Bills and Sabres because they have Buffalo in the name. I am just physically incapable of maintaining that emotional attachment without them being attached to my hometown.

 

 

I live north of Seattle these days, but I plan on moving back to the Buffalo area in about 4 years..... I can't even folow the Seahawks, Mariners or the Kraken and I have been out here for over 25 years. Even If I try the emotional attachment to the local teams out here just does not exist.

[Marcus Aurelius]

You'll see a lot of Bandwagon fans here in the Rochester  area ... they're pathetic 

[SMAKCruiser]

15 minutes ago, Marcus Aurelius said:

You'll see a lot of Bandwagon fans here in the Rochester  area ... they're pathetic 

Agreed.   10 years ago, I was one of the few people at Wegmans on Sunday before a game wearing Bills gear and lately it seems like 90% of the store has something on.   

[teef]

15 hours ago, msw2112 said:

 

No doubt.  New York State has very good universities, but lacks a "flagship" school and lacks a school with a big time sports program.  Syracuse is the closest thing, but it's a private school and doesn't contain the state's name in its own name.  UB has an occasional jaunt into the top-25 in football or basketball, but then its coach moves on to a more major program and things regress.  And as far as branding, when they tried to market UB sports as "New York" it went over like a lead balloon and they went back to "Buffalo."

if i'm not mistaken, they were trying to brand the entire SUNY system, and not just buffalo.  something about galisano willing to give over a large sum to the university programs, and part of that was the name change from SUNY to something involving New York.  the state didn't like it and that was the end of that.

21 minutes ago, Marcus Aurelius said:

You'll see a lot of Bandwagon fans here in the Rochester  area ... they're pathetic 

i don't find that to be the case.  i see bills gear everywhere...especially during the season.  years ago you would notice a lot of pats gear when they were on top.  it seem to be a certain age group who are now in their mid-30.  they great up watching the dominant team and became fans.  there's nothing worse than a pats fan from wny.

[The Frankish Reich]

11 hours ago, Gugny said:

Had the Bills left Buffalo, I’m not sure what I’d have done. My hunch is that I’d have stuck with them.

For me, I might have stuck with them for a few years, until the players I cared about retired/moved on. 

I lived in LA for a time, and there was nothing stupider than the transplanted New Yorkers who claimed to be Dodgers fans because of the historical connection to Brooklyn - a place they had abandoned in the 1950s.

It's to the NFL's credit that they recognized this when they decided that we'd just pretend that the New Cleveland Browns were the Old Cleveland Browns for purposes of franchise records, etc. It seemed ridiculous at the time. Now nobody even notices.

Edited May 24, 2023 by The Frankish Reich

[machine gun kelly]

People can do what they want.  Having said that, it speaks to what a real fan they were of the original team.  
 

I’ll never leave the Bills.  If I can survive 17 years of drought and even before the melodrama Flutie, and RJ, and the crappy mid 80’s, I’m confident I’m not changing.

 

Now I do have a second team, but not as passionate, but I’ve lived in Tampa since 5 days before the Bills/Giants SB down here in Tampa.  My kids are huge Bucs fans and all of my friends living here.  Everyone knows I don’t nearly have the passion I do for the Red, White, and Royal Blue.  Besides for me I have my AFC team, and my NFC team, and when they play each other in Tampa, I’ve proudly gone to every Bills/Bucs game every 8 years since 93 in my Bills jersey.