Get ready for Pats love-fest

[Charlie68]

I am really getting sick of the media coverage of the streak, bellicheck the genius, Brady the wonder qb, the Pats great team with no stars , blah, blah, blah

 

I expect the game coverage to be pats, pats pats, gushing how good they are, unless and until the Bills take a lead

 

I am really sick of all the dumb questions being asked to Bills & Pats players and coaches along the lines of "why do you think the Pats are so great?"

[buckeyemike]

Thanks for the warning. I have a feeling this prediction comes true...

 

Mike

[Campy]

Wouldn't be entirely different than the Bills Love-Fest NBC broadcasted every Sunday during the early 90's.

[Nanker]

Wouldn't be entirely different than the Bills Love-Fest NBC broadcasted every Sunday during the early 90's.

53185[/snapback]

 

You beat me to that!

 

Somehow it does seem like it's a lot thicker now though than it was then.

Even in the hayday of the Levy era, the Bills had a lot of detractors.

Guys like Madden and all the NFC announcers were disrespectful and only grudginly gave them the kind of credit they gush onto NewenGland. Actually winning two SBs definitely plays a part in that, but the praise never flows for Buffalo from the mouths of the NFC announcers. Forget about ABC. Michaels and Madden - now there's a pair of goons.

 

And most Bills games back in the day seemed to be covered by Paul McGuire's group.

So he (although he was loving their success) did on many occasions go out of his way to point out some of their weaknesses.

[JAMIEBUF12]

the pats have earned it.untill people like the bills and other teams find ways to beat them the love fest will continue.hey they have won 2 superbowls,and still have a solid football team ,not to mention that they do have a first rate coaching staff.i am not a patriots fan ,but i do respect them,plus they do seem to get a few key calls here and there.every major sport the "good teams" or "superstars " always get the benefit of the doubt.i don't think michael jordon ever fouled out of a game,and greg maddux always got the questionable call over the opposing pitcher who was only a .500 pitcher.so untill the pats get knocked off it is just the way that it is.hopefuly this week we knock them off and maybe get a little confidence,and go on our own little win streak! go bills

[MDH]

I am really getting sick of the media coverage of the streak, bellicheck the genius, Brady the wonder qb, the Pats great team with no stars , blah, blah, blah

 

I expect the game coverage to be pats, pats pats, gushing how good they are, unless and until the Bills take a lead

 

I am really sick of all the dumb questions being asked to Bills & Pats players and coaches along the lines of "why do you think the Pats are so great?"

53175[/snapback]

 

The only way to stop the love fest is for opposing teams to start beating the Pats. If opposing teams can't do it then the gushing is justified, isn't it?

[Paco]

Wouldn't be entirely different than the Bills Love-Fest NBC broadcasted every Sunday during the early 90's.

53185[/snapback]

This is true except for one caveat.

 

If the roles were reversed, we would undoubtedly enjoy the fun. BUT...if the roles were TRULY reversed, and the Bills were on a streak and the Pats were struggling, you wouldn't find a Pats fan around for miles. They'd be sitting at home flipping through their Red Sox media guide, hoping a day would come that they could overcome a lifetime of mediocrity.

 

Look at our team right now. We've done nothing but struggle for the past few years. And yet we're heading straight into our 10th consecutive home sell out.

 

Sure, it's easy to give the team credit for it's streak. To do otherwise is just ignorant. But the true test of a team of where everybody is at when the team is down.

 

And where are the Buffalo fans? In the fuggin' stands.

 

Where would the Patriot fans be if they were in the same shape as the Bills?

 

Probably registering on TBD and announcing they have a new favorite team.

[Hollywood Donahoe]

Where would the Patriot fans be if they were in the same shape as the Bills?

 

We were WORSE than the Bills are now as recently as 2000. I know that I certainly didn't jump ship, nor would I ever. None of the fans on the Pats board I frequent abandoned the team, either. Pro Football Weekly voted the Pats the least likely team to win a Super Bowl in the next ten years, but we just sucked it up, turned to the draft, and hoped that next year would be better. But no one that I know of switched teams or anything like that.

 

Bottom line, you're always going to have some lame bandwagon fans that disappear when the team sucks, but don't generalize. I, and all the Pats fans that I talk with, stick with the team through good and bad.

[RunTheBall]

  I, and all the Pats fans that I talk with, stick with the team through good and bad.

53337[/snapback]

 

All three of you are the exception the proves the rule. Next to New York fans, Boston fans are the biggest bandwagon jumpers around. We'll wait for NE to suck again and you'll all disappear like you did before the Pats were good.

 

RunTheBall

[ATBNG]

All three of you are the exception the proves the rule. Next to New York fans, Boston fans are the biggest bandwagon jumpers around. We'll wait for NE to suck again and you'll all disappear like you did before the Pats were good.

 

RunTheBall

53339[/snapback]

 

You're not correct. The Pats have sold out every home game for 11 straight years and have a season ticket waiting list (which requires a yearly fee to stay on) longer than the list of actual season ticket holders (more than 50,000 people waiting). They also have the most expensive tickets in the NFL.

 

The early 1990's aren't coming back RTB. This is a football area now. It isn't only because they're winning either - they had good teams in the 70's and 80's but still football was not very popular here. The key was 1993-1994 when for the first time in team history we had stable ownership, a Super Bowl winning icon coach who captivated the fandom, and a franchise #1 QB. Once all those factors drew people in, they were hooked on the NFL (as they should have been all along) for good.

[Thurman's Helmet]

You're not correct. The Pats have sold out every home game for 11 straight years and have a season ticket waiting list (which requires a yearly fee to stay on) longer than the list of actual season ticket holders (more than 50,000 people waiting). They also have the most expensive tickets in the NFL.

 

The early 1990's aren't coming back RTB. This is a football area now. It isn't only because they're winning either - they had good teams in the 70's and 80's but still football was not very popular here. The key was 1993-1994 when for the first time in team history we had stable ownership, a Super Bowl winning icon coach who captivated the fandom, and a franchise #1 QB. Once all those factors drew people in, they were hooked on the NFL (as they should have been all along) for good.

53348[/snapback]

 

 

Actually, the Pats season ticket waiting list requires a ONE TIME fee of $50 to get on the list.

 

If Boston fans are such bandwagon fans, why does Fenway Park sell out every single night despite the team not having won for over 86 years?

 

Why did Foxboro Stadium sell out every single game for 10 years before the Patriots ever won anything?

[Kelly the Dog]

Actually, the Pats season ticket waiting list requires a ONE TIME fee of $50 to get on the list. 

 

If Boston fans are such bandwagon fans, why does Fenway Park sell out every single night despite the team not having won for over 86 years?

 

Why did Foxboro Stadium sell out every single game for 10 years before the Patriots ever won anything?

53419[/snapback]

Ummmmmmmm... because there are 70,000 seats and there are 70,000,000 people within a few hours drive?

[ATBNG]

Ummmmmmmm... because there are 70,000 seats and there are 70,000,000 people within a few hours drive?

53421[/snapback]

 

Using that logic (and ignoring the absurd 70 million number - divide it by 10), what happened in Los Angeles? Shouldn't they have a successful team based on population alone?

[Paco]

Ummmmmmmm... because there are 70,000 seats and there are 70,000,000 people within a few hours drive?

53421[/snapback]

They have a ridiculously difficult time remembering any of this. They want us to believe they'll be there through thick and thin...but we all know that's just not the case. They think selling out a stadium in their area is a tremendous feat. They want to think they know what being a fan is all about, and yet the Raiders, who only won FOUR GAMES last year, sold more team merchandise than the Super Bowl Patriots.

 

Of course, they probably just use their entire allowance to get in line for a season ticket and can't afford a jersey or hat anymore.

[Paco]

Using that logic (and ignoring the absurd 70 million number - divide it by 10), what happened in Los Angeles? Shouldn't they have a successful team based on population alone?

53432[/snapback]

 

Any idea why Los Angeles can't keep a team? Ever been to Los Angeles for any length of time? Anyone even close to getting to the stadium is not from Los Angeles. Half the world moved there from another state, and if they're a football fan, they stick with the team they left behind. You can't drive down the interstate without seeing license plate frames or window decals from virtually every team in the league. The other half are there illegally AND follow the Raiders, who didn't leave Los Angeles for any other reason than to be a prick.

 

Trying to find a native Californian interested in football is like trying to find Brady celebrating after a touchdown without his right hand doing that gimpy tea-cup holding thing he does.

 

You're just going to have to accept the fact that without that monstrous population, the Patriots wouldn't be able to fill a stadium even WITH two SB rings. It's the nature of the people from that area. Very, very apathetic.

[ATBNG]

They have a ridiculously difficult time remembering any of this. They want us to believe they'll be there through thick and thin...but we all know that's just not the case. They think selling out a stadium in their area is a tremendous feat. They want to think they know what being a fan is all about, and yet the Raiders, who only won FOUR GAMES last year, sold more team merchandise than the Super Bowl Patriots.

 

Of course, they probably just use their entire allowance to get in line for a season ticket and can't afford a jersey or hat anymore.

53434[/snapback]

 

Again, ridiculous - the Pats were the second leading NFL team in terms of merchandise sold out of 32, and you're somehow saying that this means we're poor fans?

 

If I said that Ray Lewis was the best middle linebacker in football, and that Takeo was second, would it follow that I thought Takeo stinks? Of course not!

 

Lots of people seem to have this view on here - that the Pats' fans are fleeting. Would it have been correct in 1992? Absolutely. However, a lot has changed in the last 12 years. In pretty much every economic aspect (ticket price, franchise value, merchandise sales), the Pats are at or near the top of the NFL.

 

This is in large part due to the team's tremendous fan base.

[ATBNG]

You're just going to have to accept the fact that without that monstrous population, the Patriots wouldn't be able to fill a stadium even WITH two SB rings. It's the nature of the people from that area. Very, very apathetic.

53435[/snapback]

 

Not only is this statement not remotely factual, there is no evidence that you could ever come up with to support it. These "apathetic" sports fans pay the highest ticket prices in the country in 2 sports and sell out every game. Now that is a fact.

[Paco]

Lots of people seem to have this view on here - that the Pats' fans are fleeting.

53438[/snapback]

That is because Bills fans are probably some of the most knowledgeable fans around from virtually every aspect of the game. And you just have to rely on the fact that if a Bills fan believes something about a Patriot's fan, then it's probably right long before it's wrong.

 

I've followed this game for a long time. Not just the Bills, but the game itself. Few fans tuck and run when the going gets tough like Fish fans and Patriots fans. There will come a day when your team is stinking up the joint. Maybe it's after your coach retires...or moves on. Who knows when. But it will happen. And when it does, the point we make about Pats fans will only be proven to ourselves because none of you guys will be around long enough to have a conversation about it.

 

It's kinda like when you won the Super Bowl the year of the Tuck Rule. You all stand around saying "Oh, that was the right call." But a true fan of their team might take a moment and say, "You know what...that was kind of a BS call, but we did go on and win the big game!"

 

You never hear Bills fans talk about the great Comeback Game against the Oilers without discussing a few plays (like Beebe stepping out of bounds, then returning to the field to catch a TD) that probably shouldn't have happened. That's was a real fan does.

 

But none of you guys ever admit how much luck you had on your side. Ever.

 

When you start losing...you WILL disappear. Mark my words.

[Paco]

Not only is this statement not remotely factual, there is no evidence that you could ever come up with to support it. These "apathetic" sports fans pay the highest ticket prices in the country in 2 sports and sell out every game. Now that is a fact.

53440[/snapback]

Right, and while it has been a while, just WAIT to see what your stadium looks like when your team starts losing. People go home so fast the refs turn off their microphones making a call because there's no one around to hear him other than the players.

 

THAT's the point. When the going gets tough, the Pats fans get going...home.

[ATBNG]

But none of you guys ever admit how much luck you had on your side. Ever.

 

When you start losing...you WILL disappear. Mark my words.

53441[/snapback]

 

I'm perfectly willing to admit that the Patriots have been very fortunate to win their two Super Bowls. They've gotten lucky breaks left and right. Luck is a big part of all sports. They have been able to get bounces and breaks when they need them most. So there's one for you.

 

When the "tuck" rule play happened, my friends and I thought the game was over. But hey - should we not be proud that outside of that call, the Pats stopped the Raiders on 2 and 1 twice to prevent them from running out the clock? Should we not be proud that our kicker made the greatest kick in the history of the NFL to extend the game? The "tuck" play doesn't diminish those acts of courage in my mind. But sure - the "tuck" play was very, very lucky - no doubt.

 

I don't see how being a Bills' fan for a long time makes you an expert on whether the Pats' newfound popularity is fleeting. At any rate, you're miscalculating on this one. I can assure you that this area has transformed itself into a great NFL area in the last 12 years. All the numbers don't lie.

 

I give Bills' fans a lot of credit for supporting their team in a small market as well as knowing their stuff (else why would I post here?), but this does not mean that the fans in this larger market do not care or are fleeting fans.