Buftex Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Bills...They're the opposite of the Sabres. These kids weren't around for Kelly, Thurman and the rest...they have no idea how much fun Sundays could be. 808760[/snapback] I think you are on to something. I don't live in WNY anymore, but still make it back every year to visist family...my younger nephews, originally from Austrailia, could care less about the Bills, but the Sabres (even before last year) have always had a lot of appeal for them. When they were younger, I would take them to a Bills game whenever I came home. Now, they would much prefer to go to a Sabres game. To me, the Bills, suck or suck worse, will always be #1, but the Sabres are not far behind. Younger kids today, seem to be gravitating to less mainstream things, sports included. Hockey has a cool sort of video game quality about it (especially when the Sabres are playing the Flyers!!!) that seems to appeal to younger kids. I won't say it is indicitive of shorter attention spans (keep in mind I love hockey), but football is much more complex, and in between the hits, there is not much action. I played little leauge football and in jr high, and it wasn't really until after I stopped playing it, that I started to actually understand it more. Hockey certainly has its' nuance, but, IMO, can still be enjoyed pretty thouroughly, without understanding the whole thing, just following the skill and speed of the individual players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Please don't take this as any disrepect intended towards the Sabres but threads like this are misguided. You shouldn't have to compare two teams you love. I love the Sabres and grew up playing hockey. The Sabres are awesome and definite cup contenders. The Bills seem like they are constant rebuilding mode. And Buffalo is a great hockey town. But no American city is a hockey city over a football city. The fact is Buffalo, like most cities, is a bandwagon hopper. The Bills suck, the Sabres are good, so I like the Sabres. But where were all this Sabres fans during the two years this team missed the playoffs? In fact where were all these fans at the beginning of last year when the Sabres wen on a 5 or 6 game losing streak? There's a difference selling out a 18,000 seat arena for a cup contender and selling out a 70,000 + stadium for a struggling football team. Again, I don't mean to be all high and mighty. But I hate this bandwagonish. In a strange way, I take a sick pleasure in the Bills struggling because I support this team no matter what. I'm proud of what the Sabres are doing and hope they win a championship. But facts are hockey is a blimp on a national radar. We would go crazy here but people really won't care elsewhere. But if the Bills ever become good again, Buffalo would probably burn down and fianlly given some credit as a winner nationwide (not that it matters). Rant over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 But where were all this Sabres fans during the two years this team missed the playoffs? In fact where were all these fans at the beginning of last year when the Sabres wen on a 5 or 6 game losing streak? There's a difference selling out a 18,000 seat arena for a cup contender and selling out a 70,000 + stadium for a struggling football team. But, there is also a big diference in selling out 18,000 seats, to 41 games, stretched out over 6 months...all differnent nights of the week... Again, I don't mean to be all high and mighty. But I hate this bandwagonish. In a strange way, I take a sick pleasure in the Bills struggling because I support this team no matter what. I'm proud of what the Sabres are doing and hope they win a championship. But facts are hockey is a blimp on a national radar. We would go crazy here but people really won't care elsewhere. But if the Bills ever become good again, Buffalo would probably burn down and fianlly given some credit as a winner nationwide (not that it matters). Rant over. 809560[/snapback] I think everyone knows the NFL dwarfs the NHL on a national scale. In Buffalo, however, the gap is not as great. Before the Super Bowl runs, Bills fans could be just as fairweather as Sabres fans were for those two years you reference. Still, I agree, it is possible to follow, and love both teams...people are just a little excited that one of our two franchises looks real good right now. I don't think winning a Stanley Cup would make a dent in the national perception that Buffalo is a, uh.... hard-luck sports town. Only a Super Bowl would change that. Were the Sabres to win the cup, I guarantee you, nearly every reference by the national sports media, would be pre-cluded by some reminder of those Super Bowl losses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loadofmularkey Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 I think everyone knows the NFL dwarfs the NHL on a national scale. In Buffalo, however, the gap is not as great. Before the Super Bowl runs, Bills fans could be just as fairweather as Sabres fans were for those two years you reference. 809670[/snapback] Yeah no kidding. If people are going to ask where all the brand new Sabres fans were three or four years ago, we could also ask how the Ralph suddenly saw 80,000-plus in 1990 when only five years previous it was lucky to be half full. Moral of the story: People like winners. Sabres are winners. Therefore, people like Sabres. The Bills might be winners again someday, but right now it's the hockey team that has the upper hand and, as I stated in a previous post, are doing a great job of capturing the attention of WNY's young fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bozman949 Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 I have always been a Sabres fan, with the advent of NHL.com radio - I have been able to feed the addiction - I live in DC now and I chose to get Sunday ticket instead of NHL Center Ice - also, I can't committ to watching all the hockey games (which is why it is just easier to be a Bills fan) but it is cool to have the game on the internet radio when I am doing stuff around the house. If I paid for center ice, then I'd feel like I needed to get my money's worth. It is awesome to listen to Rick & Jim 400 miles away from home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heitz Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 When you said "Buffalo's other franchise" I thought for SURE you were talking about Mighty Taco... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 I have always been a Sabres fan, with the advent of NHL.com radio - I have been able to feed the addiction - I live in DC now and I chose to get Sunday ticket instead of NHL Center Ice - also, I can't committ to watching all the hockey games (which is why it is just easier to be a Bills fan) but it is cool to have the game on the internet radio when I am doing stuff around the house. If I paid for center ice, then I'd feel like I needed to get my money's worth. 809781[/snapback] I feel your pain....living in a different time zone, and having screwy work hours, I normally tape (of "burn" dvd's) of the Sabres games, off Center Ice, and watch them well into the night. Can't tell you how many times I have been up till 2:30 in the morning wathching the Sabres. I have purchased Center Ice since it has been available (about 7 years now). The last few years, I didn't get it until December or January...this year though, I have had it sice game 1...I feel like I have already gotten my money's worth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 All of WNY has fallen in love with the Sabres, and their style of hockey and blue collar attitude represent everything that is great about living here. If the Sabres win the cup this year, there will be one heck of a party on Chip. But if the Bills ever win a Super Bowl, the whole city will shut down for an entire freaking week. It would be the biggest thing to happen to WNY, probably ever. 808717[/snapback] Very very true. If the Bills win the SB I fly into town from wherever the hell I am and celebrate . Being a fan since 1964-----it would be an unbelievable feeling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Someone let me know when the BILLS have a leader on par with Chris Drury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNRed Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Someone let me know when the BILLS have a leader on par with Chris Drury. 810311[/snapback] Or Daniel Briere. Or Henrik Tallinder (captain of the Swedish junior team at one point). Or Teppo Numminen. Or any of their young players who've shown leadership in the juniors or minors (Roy, Novotny, Gaustad, etc.). The Sabres built their entire roster around character players. They draft that way. It makes a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsPride12 Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 Yeah the Sabres are one intense team that oozes with leadership. It just doesn't come from one or two guys, everybody on the team understands whats on the line. I was at the Philly game sitting right by the glass and the Flyers bench. You could see it after the 3rd goal that the Flyers just gave up because they knew they couldn't keep up with the Sabres. Meanwhile the Sabres were all skating hard and flying all over the ice, you could just see them in the zone MJ style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartshan-83 Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 When I feel depressed about the Bills, I think of this Sweet memories... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oneonta Buffalo Fan Posted October 20, 2006 Share Posted October 20, 2006 When I feel depressed about the Bills, I think of this Sweet memories... 810500[/snapback] wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Bill Posted October 21, 2006 Share Posted October 21, 2006 ... I don't think winning a Stanley Cup would make a dent in the national perception that Buffalo is a, uh.... hard-luck sports town. Only a Super Bowl would change that. Were the Sabres to win the cup, I guarantee you, nearly every reference by the national sports media, would be pre-cluded by some reminder of those Super Bowl losses. 809670[/snapback] I agree that with a Stanley Cup win, the sports media would tie in to the Super Bowl losses. But I think such a win would make a BIG dent in the hard-luck sports town perception. I think a lot of people nationally would like to see Buffalo finally win one, and after that we wouldn't only be known as the little engine that couldn't. I think there is quite a bit of national sympathy to our plight, like I saw when the Boston Red Sox finally won one. Go Sabres! and Bills! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HereComesTheReignAgain Posted October 21, 2006 Share Posted October 21, 2006 Or Daniel Briere. Or Henrik Tallinder (captain of the Swedish junior team at one point). Or Teppo Numminen. Or any of their young players who've shown leadership in the juniors or minors (Roy, Novotny, Gaustad, etc.). The Sabres built their entire roster around character players. They draft that way. It makes a difference. 810317[/snapback] You mean the Tallinder who got kicked off his national team 2 years ago for gang molesting a girl? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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