I am a Buffalo Bills fan, always have been and always will be.
It’s not that I’m the biggest fan there is, but I have been through rough times with them and there have certainly been plenty.
I describe my fandom as being a like-hate relationship, since the Bills tend to cancel out any momentum they have during the season.
This is not to say that I do not enjoy them. However, as someone who can only recall two winning seasons clearly (last year and 2002), it is a bit of a cynical love that I now accept and almost revel in.
The excitement and hype in 2010 when the Bills beat the New England Patriots was one of my favorite moments as a fan. That season, after a 3-0 start, they would go 3-10 over the next 13 games, finishing 6-10.
I am not saying I have lost faith in my team or anything. The Bills still have a chance at the wild card spot this season; they are 4-4 through eight weeks and hopefully by the time this is published they will be 5-4.
Even if they miss the playoffs this season, I believe they can definitely make something happen next year. Part of what makes being a Buffalo fan so melancholic and gut wrenching is that the team is usually appealing enough every season that the fan base thinks they have a chance at the playoffs.
Bills fans are gritty, working-class and loyal. Quite frankly, New York needs the Bills. As the only remaining NFL team in the state, the Bills are a way for those from around the state to find common ground.
I picture the fans as being similar to the Eagles fans in “Silver Linings Playbook.” They bond over the team, but they will still throw down ,even if it’s with another Bills fan.
Frankly, Buffalo needs to become good again. Last year was a start, but time is running out. No matter how loyal the core is, the fringe fans are the ones that fill out the stadium.
The Green Bay Packers, for instance, have sold out almost every game for the last decade and possibly longer. Coincidentally, the Packers are also a perennial playoff team that is often among the top five teams in the league.
That is why I believe the Bills let fans buy the franchise. Even if Buffalo cannot immediately achieve the success of the Packers, they can emulate the business model of one of the oldest and smallest sports franchises in the United States.
