The Bills losing four straight Super Bowls: Do you consider that to be bad?

[Nelius]

Feels like it would be a lot worse if it wasn't consecutive. Four in a row is total AFC dominance for a unique stretch and something that we may not see again for a long time. But yes ultimately, pain.

[Punching Bag]

1 minute ago, GoBills808 said:

Ok

 

That wasn't the question

 

No but you left it out because it was not the rest of the question and you were Phishing a specific answer.

Phish are so slimy.

[GoBills808]

Just now, Limeaid said:

 

No but you left it out because it was not the rest of the question and you were Phishing a specific answer.

Phish are so slimy.

Take a lap bud 

[GunnerBill]

I consider it worse than winning one. Better than not getting to any. Isn't that obvious?

[newcam2012]

Looking back at this four SBs and the one that really hurts is the wide right. 

 

The Bills were by far the superior team and really didn't execute well. I'd say that were outcoached as well

 

There is no doubt in my mind the Bills should have won. The opportunity was blown badly.  That still stings in the memory bank...       

 

The two Dallas losses although it sucked were results of a great Cowboy team. The Bills stunk up the venue but I don't feel like they had good chances to win either. Maybe others seen it differently.

 

The Wash game was another disappointment. Truthfully, all I really remember is the hype of the "hogs." Seemed like Wash was on a huge roll and had a dream season despite the lack of an elite QB. 

 

I welcome any more detailed comments or corrections. 

[eball]

It was the best four-year period in Bills fan history and I enjoyed every minute of it.  Yes, the SB losses stung, but I wouldn’t give up those memories for anything.

 

The people who only give credit for the “ring” and don’t enjoy the ride are out to lunch, in my opinion.

 

[Charles Romes]

What seems to be lost in history, which no younger people understand, is how dominant the NFC was in that era.  13 straight super bowls. Winning the AFC conference at that time was like winning the AAC, then having to knock off the SEC champion. The Bills accomplishment has grown in stature in the minds of sports historians because the NFC dominance factor has been lost in history.  

[nucci]

27 minutes ago, eball said:

It was the best four-year period in Bills fan history and I enjoyed every minute of it.  Yes, the SB losses stung, but I wouldn’t give up those memories for anything.

 

The people who only give credit for the “ring” and don’t enjoy the ride are out to lunch, in my opinion.

 

That wasn't my point and it was great. The question on the post is , do you consider losing 4 straight Superbowls to be bad. Not directed at you but the question isn't about the Kelly era, the AFC Championships or anything else. Just losing 4 straight. 

[eball]

16 minutes ago, Charles Romes said:

What seems to be lost in history, which no younger people understand, is how dominant the NFC was in that era.  13 straight super bowls. Winning the AFC conference at that time was like winning the AAC, then having to knock off the SEC champion. The Bills accomplishment has grown in stature in the minds of sports historians because the NFC dominance factor has been lost in history.  

 

The Bills’ record against the NFC in games that mattered during that 4-year run was stellar.

 

[GunnerBill]

59 minutes ago, eball said:

It was the best four-year period in Bills fan history and I enjoyed every minute of it.  Yes, the SB losses stung, but I wouldn’t give up those memories for anything.

 

The people who only give credit for the “ring” and don’t enjoy the ride are out to lunch, in my opinion.

 

 

Agree. It's about the climb. 

[SoCal Deek]

Looking back, my overall assessment would be much worse if I hadn’t actually attended the last two. Being at the Super Bowl was an outright blast! It was much easier to take the loss being in the stadium and the fans around us (from both teams) were great. 

[Ga boy]

14 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

Yes, getting your soul ripped out of you 4 years in a row is BAD.

 

That era of Bills football was magical however, and provided plenty of fun and excitement along the way.

 

I do recall though, heading into the 2nd Cowboys SB, thinking that there's just no way we win at this point, for one reason or another.

 

I wasn't wrong.

 

Those SB losses were hard to swallow.  They hit some fans a lot harder than others.

 

 

NFC was dominant those years.  Each of our opponents had some of the best O lines ever assembled.  Our team could’ve beaten many of the SB winners.  Bad timing.  With passing years, I have come to embrace that legacy.  It’s part of our story.

[Stuartjohn]

20 hours ago, nucci said:

That was me....I wasn't saying those times weren't great. I lived in Buffalo and had tickets then. I also went to the first 3 Superbowls,  but how can you say those Superbowl losses weren't bad? We lost 4 Superbowls. How  can that be anything but bad?

I would have preferred going to One Only and Winning! Than be an embarrassment Reminder to the Start of Every FB Season!

[SoMAn]

Overall, there were a lot of great times, many victories, historical team. 
 

The part that is the stickler for me (and many other Bills fans) is that the Bills should have won Super Bowl 25. They would have won 4 out of 5 against the Giants. They were facing the backup QB for gods sake. They had beaten the Giants in NJ after Kelly was knocked out of the game a few weeks earlier. Unfortunately, they faced the Giants after a crushing win 51-3 (blew their wad) and a single week between AFC Championship and Super Bowl to decompress.  That is the ‘one that got away’. We know it. They know it. 
Then, the Bills had the unfortunate timing of playing Juggernauts Washington and Dallas, both of whom were peaking at just the right time. 
The Redskins were an anomaly with Rypien having the best year of his career. The Cowboys drafts from ‘88-‘92 were coming to fruition. Gotta give them credit for making the most of those picks. 
The Super Bowl matchup that never was: Buffalo and San Francisco kept missing each other. If that regular season ‘no punt’ contest the Bills won in SF was any indicator, that would have been a fantastic Super Bowl. 

[ddaryl]

Enjoyed the run. Dissappointed we didn't win one, but I still love that era of Bills football 

Edited June 30, 2023 by ddaryl

[I'm Spartacus]

Bad coaching. Hopefully McDermott doesn't repeat that.

[The Firebaugh Kid]

23 hours ago, Gregg said:

Overall, it was a great time. The Bills won a lot of regular season games and playoff games. You had the Kelly and Marino led battles with the Bills and Fish. But with that said it was frustrating that they couldn't win one. They should have won the Giants game. They really were the better team but credit the Giants as they played the perfect game. Hogging the ball for 40 minutes and keeping it away from Kelly and Thurman (who was on fire that day). Hopefully the Allen led Bills can a bring a championship to WNY. If any fanbase deserves one its Bills fans. My vote was not bad. Bad was the 70's and 1984, 1985, as well as the drought.

I was looking through and pricing my old football cards with my daughter two nights ago.

Daughter: "Dad, who is Ottis Anderson, you have alot of him".

Me: .............

 

[Tanoros]

On 6/29/2023 at 9:56 AM, nucci said:

That was me....I wasn't saying those times weren't great. I lived in Buffalo and had tickets then. I also went to the first 3 Superbowls,  but how can you say those Superbowl losses weren't bad? We lost 4 Superbowls. How  can that be anything but bad?

I think it’s all in regards to perspective. Losing the super bowls themselves was definitely bad, but the whole timeframe in general was not bad (my viewpoint atleast), especially when compared against the 17 year drought. I’d rather lose the Super Bowl every year than not make the playoffs. 
 

The question really comes down to game itself or the season itself. Just depends on how someone interprets the question. 

[billsintaiwan]

4 straight AFC championships.

 

Of course I wish we won one, but that was a feat.

[Mr. WEO]

The question is limited to SB losses.

 

They were all bad beats--1 heartbreaker, 3 embarrassments, so...bad.

[716to540]

I  lived thru it. Yea, it was bad.

[Joe Ferguson]

Teams that party the night before the big dance do not deserve to win Super Bowls.

[Richard Noggin]

Skipped ahead from bottom of page 1 to last page...I'm hoping more posters have since explained that while the experience of living through 4 consecutive SB runs (I was in grades 7-10) was amazing, the end result was trauma and fatigue, especially when the historically relevant, but ultimately futile, era was eventually terminally punctuated by Trace Armstrong in the 1998-99 wildcard game, and finished off by Frank Wycheck and Kevin Dyson in the wildcard round the following season. A legacy of devastating collapse.

 

After Rob Johnson successfully led them down the field to kick the go-ahead FG, and my best friend at college (not much of a football fan) asked me "That's it, right? They did it?" I said, "Nothing's over, yet" like some kind of cynical Rocky Balboa. I partially expected the improbable, unprecedented kickoff coverage collapse. The Bills had broken my heart before any girls really got to it back in 7th grade. They'd continued to build me up and let me down throughout my teenage years (like exactly years 10-20). 

 

I don't understand how peers of similar age walked away without incredible damage. 

[Nextmanup]

8 hours ago, Richard Noggin said:

Skipped ahead from bottom of page 1 to last page...I'm hoping more posters have since explained that while the experience of living through 4 consecutive SB runs (I was in grades 7-10) was amazing, the end result was trauma and fatigue, especially when the historically relevant, but ultimately futile, era was eventually terminally punctuated by Trace Armstrong in the 1998-99 wildcard game, and finished off by Frank Wycheck and Kevin Dyson in the wildcard round the following season. A legacy of devastating collapse.

 

After Rob Johnson successfully led them down the field to kick the go-ahead FG, and my best friend at college (not much of a football fan) asked me "That's it, right? They did it?" I said, "Nothing's over, yet" like some kind of cynical Rocky Balboa. I partially expected the improbable, unprecedented kickoff coverage collapse. The Bills had broken my heart before any girls really got to it back in 7th grade. They'd continued to build me up and let me down throughout my teenage years (like exactly years 10-20). 

 

I don't understand how peers of similar age walked away without incredible damage. 

I was in my undergrad years during the SB run....so I'm a bit ahead of you, and my reaction was about the same  back then.  "Devastation" is a good word to use.

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2023 by Nextmanup

[eball]

On 6/30/2023 at 6:21 AM, Charles Romes said:

What seems to be lost in history, which no younger people understand, is how dominant the NFC was in that era.  13 straight super bowls. Winning the AFC conference at that time was like winning the AAC, then having to knock off the SEC champion. The Bills accomplishment has grown in stature in the minds of sports historians because the NFC dominance factor has been lost in history.  

 

On 6/30/2023 at 6:39 AM, eball said:

 

The Bills’ record against the NFC in games that mattered during that 4-year run was stellar.

 

 

Just for kicks I went back and checked.  From 90-93 the Bills were 14-2 against the NFC, with the two losses coming in meaningless last games of the season in 90 and 91 in which the Bills sat their starters.

 

[Mr. WEO]

7 hours ago, Joe Ferguson said:

Teams that party the night before the big dance do not deserve to win Super Bowls.

[jethro_tull]

Mixed.  That team was lots of fun but also heartbreaking.  

[Beck Water]

You need a third option:

 

”'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, that's life ”

[Eastport bills]

Just a question for fans that feel shame about 4 straight SB losses, how many teams in NFL history have made it to 3 straight SBs? The answer is one other than us. Those Bills  were all time great teams that were clutch, resilient and really talented. The first SB should have been a W but fate had other ideas. The other 3 were remarkable in that we overcame major obstacles to just get there and met more talented teams in the big game. I’m proud of those teams and that feat in the age of FA will never be accomplished.

[nucci]

48 minutes ago, Eastport bills said:

Just a question for fans that feel shame about 4 straight SB losses, how many teams in NFL history have made it to 3 straight SBs? The answer is one other than us. Those Bills  were all time great teams that were clutch, resilient and really talented. The first SB should have been a W but fate had other ideas. The other 3 were remarkable in that we overcame major obstacles to just get there and met more talented teams in the big game. I’m proud of those teams and that feat in the age of FA will never be accomplished.

The question is , do you consider 4 straight Superbowls losses to be bad. It's a simple yes or no. Nothing to do with getting there, nothing against how great those teams were, just a simple question. No one is downplaying how great a time and how exciting it was.

[Dopey]

7 hours ago, Richard Noggin said:

Skipped ahead from bottom of page 1 to last page...I'm hoping more posters have since explained that while the experience of living through 4 consecutive SB runs (I was in grades 7-10) was amazing, the end result was trauma and fatigue, especially when the historically relevant, but ultimately futile, era was eventually terminally punctuated by Trace Armstrong in the 1998-99 wildcard game, and finished off by Frank Wycheck and Kevin Dyson in the wildcard round the following season. A legacy of devastating collapse.

 

After Rob Johnson successfully led them down the field to kick the go-ahead FG, and my best friend at college (not much of a football fan) asked me "That's it, right? They did it?" I said, "Nothing's over, yet" like some kind of cynical Rocky Balboa. I partially expected the improbable, unprecedented kickoff coverage collapse. The Bills had broken my heart before any girls really got to it back in 7th grade. They'd continued to build me up and let me down throughout my teenage years (like exactly years 10-20). 

 

I don't understand how peers of similar age walked away without incredible damage. 

I’m 56 years old and witnessed the 4 losses. Hopefully this doesn’t come off as rude, but the Bills didn’t build you up. You did that. I understand as a young kid, but we should all grow up and mature as we age. That means realizing you have no control over what they do. 
It feels good to watch winning football, knowing we have a top team that has as good of a chance as any team to win the SB. 
After 2 decades of crap, this is fun. For those who claim I have a “loser’s “ mentality, save it. I’m not playing and have no control over the outcome. It’s not me who wins or loses. 
 

[MJS]

Going to four straight was amazing. Losing all of them was not amazing.

 

Yes and yes.

8 hours ago, Richard Noggin said:

Skipped ahead from bottom of page 1 to last page...I'm hoping more posters have since explained that while the experience of living through 4 consecutive SB runs (I was in grades 7-10) was amazing, the end result was trauma and fatigue, especially when the historically relevant, but ultimately futile, era was eventually terminally punctuated by Trace Armstrong in the 1998-99 wildcard game, and finished off by Frank Wycheck and Kevin Dyson in the wildcard round the following season. A legacy of devastating collapse.

 

After Rob Johnson successfully led them down the field to kick the go-ahead FG, and my best friend at college (not much of a football fan) asked me "That's it, right? They did it?" I said, "Nothing's over, yet" like some kind of cynical Rocky Balboa. I partially expected the improbable, unprecedented kickoff coverage collapse. The Bills had broken my heart before any girls really got to it back in 7th grade. They'd continued to build me up and let me down throughout my teenage years (like exactly years 10-20). 

 

I don't understand how peers of similar age walked away without incredible damage. 

If football is giving you trauma, I think you need greater perspective in your life. It is possible to care too much about sports.

[Nextmanup]

10 hours ago, Joe Ferguson said:

Teams that party the night before the big dance do not deserve to win Super Bowls.

Do you think they were dumb enough to do that for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th SBs?  Or do you think they learned their lesson in 1991 down in Tampa?

 

If they were doing that crap in later games, screw them! 

 

And you know, I seem to recall stories/rumors of some of them (Kelly) being out on the town in Minneapolis the night before the Redskins tore us a new one.  So yeah, maybe there were that stupid.

 

 

[CincyBillsFan]

Yes & No.  Sure on Super Bowl Sunday it sucked when the last second ticked off the clock and the Bills had again lost the Super Bowl. 

 

But from early September to the end of January those 4 years were magical.  Winning a lot of games, winning the Division, winning EVERY playoff game in every manner from historic blowouts to the greatest playoff come back in history, and winning 4 straight AFC championships.

 

And even after that last SB loss it seemed to me like no one would ever match what the Bills accomplished.  And over time this has been proven to be true.  Fifty years from now they'll still be waiting to see a team match the Bills and go to FOUR straight Super Bowl games.

 

 

[Eastport bills]

1 hour ago, nucci said:

The question is , do you consider 4 straight Superbowls losses to be bad. It's a simple yes or no. Nothing to do with getting there, nothing against how great those teams were, just a simple question. No one is downplaying how great a time and how exciting it was.

No Nucci, because of what I said in the post. The question is infantile without an explanation. What is it a poll question?

[muppy]

what I remember most about the super bowl losses were the emotional and a couple times liquor induced Hangovers from dashed hopes.

 

Those totally sucked so I voted Bad

[muppy]

no matter what we all voted in this poll we all still are here total diehard Bills fans. The fellowship is priceless and that is not only not bad it is BADASS

 

4 AFC Championships in a row is GOOD. It is easier to look at it the other way for a lot of people I get it. but the non fans can shut their traps as far as Im concerned.

 

Those teams were damn good. 

 

[90sBills]

On 6/29/2023 at 10:51 AM, Limeaid said:

 

Some would never want to be a bat unless they get home AND THEN they would complain and say opposition was weak.

I hear ya there haha. For this analogy let’s pretend this is a virgin man (Bills no superbowls). Not getting home still makes this hypothetical man a virgin no matter how many times he got to third base. Getting to the Super Bowl is third base in this analogy to be clear.

[Punching Bag]

12 minutes ago, 90sBills said:

I hear ya there haha. For this analogy let’s pretend this is a virgin man (Bills no superbowls). Not getting home still makes this hypothetical man a virgin no matter how many times he got to third base. Getting to the Super Bowl is third base in this analogy to be clear.

 

The Zebras are her parents catching in back seat of your car.

[90sBills]

4 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

 

The Zebras are her parents catching in back seat of your car.

Your triggering my ptsd. 😂