What Defines a Successful Season IYHO?

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

A great post by JDG raised the question for me of how one defines success.

 

I think folks in American society unfairly rag on the Bills for losing 4 SBs in a row and never winning the SB when in my view pulling off this fear was actually far harder to do than winning merely 1 SB.

 

Particularly as a fan as much fun as winning is, I would take making it to 4 straight (and the great SB parties we had) and losing them all over making it to one and winning it (an experience I had being a died in the wool Bears fan for the 85 SB win until I adopted the Bills when I married a Buffalo gal and moved here to God's country in 1989).

 

At any rate I think a key to assessing the work of HCs and the fortunes of your team is what do you define as a successful season.

 

I added other to include any definitions I did not think of in this poll and because I think it is a fair answer for a player to consder simply making hucreds of thousands of bucks in salary (and goo gobs of free drinks, meals, and women in addition) to merely play a boys game makes every season a success regardless of results.

 

However, as a fan W/L is the ultimate measure for me so I choose getting the playoffs Ws associated with making the conference championships to define a successful season,

 

I\m curious what folks think and if you wish why. Thanks.

[scribo]

No Bills fan shuold ever answer ''making the Super Bowl."

[Matt in KC]

I chose Other.

 

You need to play well enough that you can respect yourself, and earn respect from your opponents. Whether you win or lose, this is far more important. Every circumstance and opponent is different.

 

Given the Bills' current situation (young QB, new coaches) I think a winning season would be a success in 2006. In a more typical year I'd expect the playoffs, and if we were selling the future (cap-wise), I'd want even more than that to call the year a success. Of course, these are the outcomes. I think what the Bills put in is much more important to earn my respect.

[dib]

Improvement

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

I chose Other.

 

You need to play well enough that you can respect yourself, and earn respect from your opponents.  Whether you win or lose, this is far more important.  Every circumstance and opponent is different. 

 

Given the Bills' current situation (young QB, new coaches) I think a winning season would be a success in 2006.  In a more typical year I'd expect the playoffs, and if we were selling the future (cap-wise), I'd want even more than that to call the year a success.  Of course, these are the outcomes.  I think what the Bills put in is much more important to earn my respect.

581413[/snapback]

 

I can relate to what you are saying. If a team is getting better I definitely feel success there. However, I guess I like it when we always try to make what we can touch exceed what we can grasp and thus I like the Final Four standard.

 

On the other hand, I really respect my father-in-law becaise h lives a life where he is good at everything he does because he only does what he is good at.

 

This really works out well for him because he is actually good at a lot of things, but there is a certain efficiency to knowing what you don't know and staying away from being in charge of those things.

 

Its a great way to avoid screwing up!

[MavBavButav]

you changed teams for a girl?

 

God help me if I'm a bears fan after i get married.

[Lofton80]

I agree with dib. Give me improvement as a first step. As a ND fan, the biggest thing Charlie Weis did was make the team watchable again. If he can coach the team over the hump that Malarkey could not, it is an acceptable first step.

[tennesseeboy]

I said making the playoffs. I think we were actually much better than our record indicated last year, but not a playoff team. I can't imagine we won't draft and free agent our way to a much better o-line and d-line and I (apparently in the minority) think WM and Losman can play much better with the help that the revamped o-line can give. I'd consider making the playoffs next year a minimum for a successful season.