[Vague Title] Fun

[SectionC3]

How do we get back to having it?  

 

It seems like a lot of Bills fandom has been joyless since last January.  It’s not entirely necessary to re-hash, but we’ve been through 13 seconds, the Tops massacre, Kim Pegula, an alleged gang rapist punter, Dane Jackson getting carted off, two blizzards, Murph, Damar Hamlin, the alleged drama involving a former companion of a certain player, the Bengals disaster, Josh/Stef drama, the self-inflicted mess last night, and now this allegation that Terry made a pretty awful comment that, if true, frankly would threaten his standing in the league.  At some point enough is enough and the whole thing is going to fall apart.  

 

So, my question is (fully mindful of the fact that rock bottom always has a trap door), what makes this fun and enjoyable again, for fans and for the team?  I have to say, I’m burned out by it all, and this is just entertainment for me.  I can’t imagine living it on a day-to-day basis.  So how does joy return to Bills football?

[Success]

High expectations are the enemy of fun.

 

Just ditch 'em.  It's not as easy as it sounds, but I'm working on it.  We have a good team - which is more than we could say for 2 decades.  They will win a lot of games. They could get hot in January and go on a run.  

 

It's easy to lose perspective.  This can absolutely be a fun, entertaining team.  The mindset of "I won't be happy unless we win a title" can be debilitating.

 

[julian]

Treat it like you should, it’s a form of entertainment, I’m not a fan a slapstick comedy so I don’t partake.

 

 If being a fan of any sports teams doesn’t bring you entertainment then walk away and find another form of entertainment.

[Simon]

3 minutes ago, SectionC3 said:

How do we get back to having it?  

 

It seems like a lot of Bills fandom has been joyless since last January.  It’s not entirely necessary to re-hash, but we’ve been through 13 seconds, the Tops massacre, Kim Pegula, an alleged gang rapist punter, Dane Jackson getting carted off, two blizzards, Murph, Damar Hamlin, the alleged drama involving a former companion of a certain player, the Bengals disaster, Josh/Stef drama, the self-inflicted mess last night, and now this allegation that Terry made a pretty awful comment that, if true, frankly would threaten his standing in the league.  At some point enough is enough and the whole thing is going to fall apart.  

 

So, my question is (fully mindful of the fact that rock bottom always has a trap door), what makes this fun and enjoyable again, for fans and for the team?  I have to say, I’m burned out by it all, and this is just entertainment for me.  I can’t imagine living it on a day-to-day basis.  So how does joy return to Bills football?

 

You left out Knox's little brother, Dawkin's lady, Morse's concussion, and a slew of injuries.

[MJS]

It's fun when the Bills win (for me, at least). Losses aren't fun, but you just have to move on.

[Dillenger4]

win the next 2 games and then beat Miami at home in week 4. That would be: FUN!

 

Put yer hands on yer face OH NO!

[Success]

And, I would add - to get back to a sense of "fun," I'd recommend tuning out the media and all of the chatter online.  

 

The Bills seems to have acquired all of the hate and ridicule, without having the usual run of title success that generally inspires those feelings.  It's kind of a drag, and I never feel better if I listen to the talking heads or opposing fans out there.

 

[KDIGGZ]

Fun is the parade after the Super Bowl. Every game until then is a battle. Having high expectations is a privilege.

[UKBillFan]

2 minutes ago, KDIGGZ said:

Fun is the parade after the Super Bowl. Every game until then is a battle. Having high expectations is a privilege.

 

But I think football comes easier to those who enjoy it, rather than feel pressure and tension. I definitely think Josh is not enjoying it at the moment; could be another reason he seemed to be seeking hits and heroball yesterday; to get the buzz back. He needs to find another way and fast.

[Success]

2 minutes ago, KDIGGZ said:

Fun is the parade after the Super Bowl. Every game until then is a battle. Having high expectations is a privilege.

 

There is a New England podcaster I listen to once in awhile.  He makes fun of the Bills & their fanbase.   His basic premise is that sports are fun, and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

 

Then, last year, to poke fun at us when we won the division again, he said something along the lines of "real fans don't celebrate division titles."

 

Huh?

 

I celebrate every win during the season. I celebrate every division title.  If a fan is only going to celebrate winning a championship, that is a long, sad life of sports viewing. Even for the most blessed fanbases.

 

And it's why I don't envy Patriots Nation anymore.  They have had a re-set since Brady got there, and it's title or bust for every fan there.  I'm jealous of their past success - but not of how the years ahead are going to be for them.

 

[Jerome007]

That us fans have fun or not is our own choice. Some obviously choose misery ha ha. But for the BILLS to succeed, JOSH needs to have fun. He plays way better when loose. For good or bad, he is a big kid. Tense Josh doesn't cut it. Playground Josh wins games. And I'm... serious. Coaches have to find a way to have him focused, serious, etc. while letting him be relaxed at the same time. IDK how Daboll could chew it up openly yet let him play like a kid, but he did it. Maybe it was other players who could help him chill. IDK but they need to get back to that.

[HOUSE]

We need to blow out some lowly NFL  team like the Raiders

43-0 should work

[Jerome007]

Just now, Success said:

And it's why I don't envy Patriots Nation anymore.  They have had a re-set since Brady got there, and it's title or bust for every fan there.  I'm jealous of their past success - but not of how the years ahead are going to be for them.

I'm not currently like that at all, but watching other NFL games, and remembering many of the recnent dark years, post JA17 might be dull, real dull. So I'm enjoying it now

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

The most fun for me were the seasons before expectations. 19 and then even to a degree 20. The ones where you just don’t see it coming and good things feel nice. After 20, it’s sort of like you can ONLY be let down. It’s win the Super Bowl or be disappointed. I truly hate that feeling. Although we are very close to going back to a no expectations zone…but the reasoning is because we just aren’t good. That’s not the same fun as 19

[BillzFreak]

Honestly I've never gone into a season with expectations, I've learned that anything can happen in the NFL and for that reason I enjoy just rooting for the Bills to win. Literally Aaron Rodgers lasted 4 plays...4 plays after a whole off season of the media crowing the Jets. So for me I just enjoy football. I will root for the Bills win or lose because I enjoy the sport. But I will say this Buffalo finds more and more ridiculous ways to lose games, so I understand why people are hurt and angry after we lost like we did last night and the plethora of other times it's happened.

[The Firebaugh Kid]

Winning 

[Mr. WEO]

Can we not cheapen the losses  the Topps massacre families suffered by bizarrely lumping it in to excuses for the Bills not showing up the for Bengals game last year?

 

for chrissakes.  it's disgusting.

[RunTheBall]

Just win baby

 

In terms of the Bills, it solves everything 

[uticaclub]

The last few years were fun. This year will just be frustrating and fully of misery. This team peaked, simple as that. Too many wasted & missed drafted picks, terrible allocation of FA money and awful gameday management has finally caught up with us. Everything is on Josh and if he isn't Superman, we lose. New coach/New GM/New expectations and it will be fun again

Edited September 12, 2023 by uticaclub

[Lost]

48 minutes ago, Success said:

High expectations are the enemy of fun.

 

Just ditch 'em.  It's not as easy as it sounds, but I'm working on it.  We have a good team - which is more than we could say for 2 decades.  They will win a lot of games. They could get hot in January and go on a run.  

 

It's easy to lose perspective.  This can absolutely be a fun, entertaining team.  The mindset of "I won't be happy unless we win a title" can be debilitating.

 

 

I'd be okay with a good team that loses an occasional close hard fought battle in a hostile environment.  But these very Billsy losses have a cumulative effect on the psyche.   It's hard to endure. 

[Beast]

Lots of alcohol.

 

That’s my answer.

[Low Positive]

I like watching other teams play more than watching the Bills.

[Success]

2 minutes ago, Lost said:

 

I'd be okay with a good team that loses an occasional close hard fought battle in a hostile environment.  But these very Billsy losses have a cumulative effect on the psyche.   It's hard to endure. 

 

I hear that.  It does kind of accumulate after awhile.

 

If we get a title, it will be close to the sweetest of all time because of that.  I think only a few fanbases could really relate (Cubs, maybe the Red Sox).

 

If we don't, well....

 

[BullBuchanan]

Winning a Super Bowl is probably fun. I don't know for sure, but I'd love to try it.

I know for a fact that not winning one is not fun and I've tried that for nearly 40 years. Let's try the new thing and see how it feels.

[BillsFanForever19]

Right now, I'm just of the mind that it was just Week 1. It was gross, for sure. But good teams sometimes take a few weeks to put things together. We're far from the only good team to have lost in Week 1.

 

I find it hard to believe that after the past few years that Josh just can't play anymore. He's got to put it together quickly, but he's still a top QB in this league.

 

So I'm just taking coach speak to heart. "We're on to the Raiders". Last night happened, but don't dwell on it too much. I'm not going to start panicking after 1 bad game.

[rusty shackleford]

[Low Positive]

4 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

Right now, I'm just of the mind that it was just Week 1. It was gross, for sure. But good teams sometimes take a few weeks to put things together. We're far from the only good team to have lost in Week 1.

 

I find it hard to believe that after the past few years that Josh just can't play anymore. He's got to put it together quickly, but he's still a top QB in this league.

 

So I'm just taking coach speak to heart. "We're on to the Raiders". Last night happened, but don't dwell on it too much. I'm not going to start panicking after 1 bad game.

I just keep reminding myself that Joe Burrow threw 4 INTs against the Steelers week one last year at home and they came out OK. 

[Mango]

1 hour ago, Success said:

High expectations are the enemy of fun.

 

Just ditch 'em.  It's not as easy as it sounds, but I'm working on it.  We have a good team - which is more than we could say for 2 decades.  They will win a lot of games. They could get hot in January and go on a run.  

 

It's easy to lose perspective.  This can absolutely be a fun, entertaining team.  The mindset of "I won't be happy unless we win a title" can be debilitating.

 

 

26 minutes ago, uticaclub said:

The last few years were fun. This year will just be frustrating and fully of misery. This team peaked, simple as that. Too many wasted & missed drafted picks, terrible allocation of FA money and awful gameday management has finally caught up with us. Everything is on Josh and if he isn't Superman, we lose. New coach/New GM/New expectations and it will be fun again

 

Thanks to @uticaclubfor the OP and I fully agree with @Success reply about expectations.
 

I do want to add though that even at peak EJ Manuel, JP Losman, or even peak Fitz/Tyrod a 4 (almost 5 with an early whistle) turnover game is an impossible day to have fun as a football fan.

 

Similarly to @Success I’ve tried to relax and enjoy it all this year. I’ve unplugged more this offseason leaning into other sports and the Sabres. I came into yesterday know a loss wouldn’t be the biggest deal, but I had a caveat that we needed to play real NFL football. In the “Keys to Success” I said play the sticks, move the chains, don’t turn the ball over. We did the oppositeS

 

But yesterday was a tough one to swollow in our dumbest years, let alone one with SB aspirations and a very expensive roster. 

[GoBills808]

bills football is always fun for me

 

personally not having fun while Allen is QB is kind of missing the point of being a fan

[Jerome007]

33 minutes ago, Lost said:

 

I'd be okay with a good team that loses an occasional close hard fought battle in a hostile environment.  But these very Billsy losses have a cumulative effect on the psyche.   It's hard to endure. 

The Bills lost 3 games in the regular season last year, by a combined total of 8 points - not exactly getting blown out. And then the bad Bengals loss. If that is too "cumulative", you can only be satisfied with a 20-0 season. Good luck. And already too late for this season. Though we would all wish for 19 straight wins from now on ha ha. 

[Scott7975]

String together a chunk of wins and people will have fun again. The next two need to be convincing wins and people will still say we just beat bad teams.  Beating Miami at home to follow that will bring it back.

[SDS]

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[Freddie's Dead]

Losses which rip the beating heart out of your chest and you die while watching it are not fun.  Losing games you have no business losing is not fun.  Giving away games is not fun.  We get beat?  Fine.  We beat ourselves?  No.

 

Other than the Bengals playoff game last year, the only team beating the Bills is the Bills.

[AuntieEm]

1 hour ago, Success said:

High expectations are the enemy of fun.

 

Just ditch 'em.  It's not as easy as it sounds, but I'm working on it.  We have a good team - which is more than we could say for 2 decades.  They will win a lot of games. They could get hot in January and go on a run.  

 

It's easy to lose perspective.  This can absolutely be a fun, entertaining team.  The mindset of "I won't be happy unless we win a title" can be debilitating.

 

While I would love to see them win the Super Bowl to be honest they don't have to for me.  
To be the best you got to beat the best

 

To be the best you got to beat the best but you also have to play your best as a team.  That means each player doing their job and that includes Josh where it pertains to keeping the football out of harms way when there's no need for  some miracle play to survive.  

Edited September 12, 2023 by AuntieEm

[msw2112]

26 minutes ago, FrenchConnection said:

I just keep reminding myself that Joe Burrow threw 4 INTs against the Steelers week one last year at home and they came out OK. 

But he didn't win the Super Bowl, so his season was a total failure.  (Activate sarcasm meter.)

20 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

bills football is always fun for me

 

personally not having fun while Allen is QB is kind of missing the point of being a fan

 

I sat on the couch together with my brother and my 2 daughters for 3 hours last night.  That would not happen on a Monday night if the Bills were not playing.

 

I'm still hugely disappointed with the outcome of last night's game, but getting together with family, friends, and other Bills fans ("extended family/friends") to watch the Bills is fun and something that adds to my life.

Edited September 12, 2023 by msw2112

[GoBills808]

4 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

But he didn't win the Super Bowl, so his season was a total failure.  (Activate sarcasm meter.)

 

I sat on the couch together with my brother and my 2 daughters for 3 hours last night.  That would not happen on a Monday night if the Bills were not playing.

 

I'm still hugely disappointed with the outcome of last night's game, but getting together with family, friends, and other Bills fans ("extended family/friends") to watch the Bills is fun and something that adds to my life.

thats what its all about 👍

 

the rest is just gravy

[LABILLBACKER]

3 hours ago, KDIGGZ said:

Fun is the parade after the Super Bowl. Every game until then is a battle. Having high expectations is a privilege.

Until they hoist that Lombardi,  it will just be a big tease.  Followed by exhausting stress, heartache and pain.  Wait for it......

[jkeerie]

3 hours ago, Success said:

And, I would add - to get back to a sense of "fun," I'd recommend tuning out the media and all of the chatter online.  

 

The Bills seems to have acquired all of the hate and ridicule, without having the usual run of title success that generally inspires those feelings.  It's kind of a drag, and I never feel better if I listen to the talking heads or opposing fans out there.

 

Opposing fans????  What about the "fans" on this board?  For crying out loud we lose one game and its off with everybody's heads, it's a continuation of last January, etc etc.  Have a little perspective!  I always avoid the media after a Bills loss and I vainly search for the measured assessments and critiques of the team performance on this forum.  Just like McD waits until reviewing the film before leveling anything except an initial reaction to the team's performance, fans need to do the same.  Today...there is more rationality being posted.    We all watched the game.  We all know the Bills lost.  We all saw our QB struggle.  Okay.  It is okay to criticize, but do it without all the flaming and vitriol.  Let's see how the team responds this week. 

[jkeerie]

3 hours ago, Jerome007 said:

That us fans have fun or not is our own choice. Some obviously choose misery ha ha. But for the BILLS to succeed, JOSH needs to have fun. He plays way better when loose. For good or bad, he is a big kid. Tense Josh doesn't cut it. Playground Josh wins games. And I'm... serious. Coaches have to find a way to have him focused, serious, etc. while letting him be relaxed at the same time. IDK how Daboll could chew it up openly yet let him play like a kid, but he did it. Maybe it was other players who could help him chill. IDK but they need to get back to that.

This is a valid point.  I don't like the idea of reeling Josh in and not wanting him to run.  That is part of his essence.  And Josh plays the tightest versus the Jets.  They get in his head.  That last drive where Josh led the team into FG range...was the Josh we're used to seeing.  He played the loosest then in my opinion.

2 hours ago, FrenchConnection said:

I just keep reminding myself that Joe Burrow threw 4 INTs against the Steelers week one last year at home and they came out OK. 

And he looked horrible this week versus the Browns.  It happens.

[Livinginthepast]

Its funny, we won so games last year but it was an exhausting unpleasant season that died with a whimper. Last night when I started to experience the same frustrations at the sputtering offense, the gaffes and the collapse, I felt the same disgust. By the time the game ended with that clusterf$ck of a special teams play, an obvious penalty not called and wimpiest miss of a tackle (by our punter) that I have ever seen by someone not Tom Brady, I just had to laugh. I just hope the rest of the season we can afford the horrors of last night and last season and for once peak at the right time in the playoffs!