Buffalo Booster or Hockey Fan? Tie to the city or the game...

[millbank]

Hoping this does not across as confrontational or rude to anyone, but over time in reading this forum while most clearly enjoy hockey and exchanging views on latest game, its my opinion that many of you are more Buffalo boosters following team because it is based in Buffalo and for many to still have a connection with your former community, rather than enjoy the game itself. Many of you rather than be hockey fans can be more correctly called Buffalo boosters. Its said in cities like New York for instance when the local teams are in play, people pay attention to the game, but once local teams are out, most move on to another sport or activity featuring locals, simply New York generally interested in New York. This is how I see Buffalo . The above is not meant to be a knock , just a observation a "is" if you will,

[LabattBlue]

I can honestly say that if Buffalo did not have the Bills and Sabres, I would become much more of a casual fan of the sports, who may watch a game if I have nothing else going on, I wouldn't be discussing hockey/football on internet message boards, etc...

[spndnchz]

 

I love hockey and Buffalo. Would I pick Toronto to cheer for if the Sabres weren't here? No. Would I still watch hockey? Yes.

[NowDoYouBelieve]

Hoping this does not across as confrontational or rude to anyone, but over time in reading this forum while most clearly enjoy hockey and exchanging views on latest game, its my opinion that many of you are more Buffalo boosters following team because it is based in Buffalo and for many to still have a connection with your former community, rather than enjoy the game itself. Many of you rather than be hockey fans can be more correctly called Buffalo boosters. Its said in cities like New York for instance when the local teams are in play, people pay attention to the game, but once local teams are out, most move on to another sport or activity featuring locals, simply New York generally interested in New York. This is how I see Buffalo . The above is not meant to be a knock , just a observation a "is" if you will,

 

I definitely understand where you're coming from. A lot of Sabres and Bills fans are quite open that they'd stop following the NFL or NHL if the teams no longer existed. Nothing wrong with that.

 

Me personally, I love hockey. The experience simply wouldn't be the same without the Sabres of course, but I'd try to develop a rooting interest in another team. Probably Winnipeg. I've heartily enjoyed watching the enthusiasm of their home crowd this year.

[millbank]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwsw6oVw1Cg

 

I love hockey and Buffalo. Would I pick Toronto to cheer for if the Sabres weren't here? No. Would I still watch hockey? Yes.

 

that another evident fact, many of you detest anything Toronto and i suspect would be fans of anything that would beat down or knock Toronto. Having said that that my question had nothing to do with Toronto. Good start so far, hoping i have not been taken as being adversarial, not my intent

(my skin is not thin, i get it i not a favorite of many and just barely tolerated. I am ok with that and do tread carefully in what is a clearly Buffalo rooting site. ) :)

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Buffalo #1

 

That's the only way it can be. That's why I get so critical. We are emotional shareholders, plain and simple.

 

I still would watch hockey. When I lived in Miami I would go to Panthers games. I had season tickets to the Dolphins and the Bills, just so I could tailgate and watch some football.

 

The only team I have a rooting interest in not from Buffalo are the Braves. That's because half of my family lives down there and all the games were on TBS when I was a kid. I went to my first game at the old Launching Pad with Dale Murphy and Bob Horner. After the lockout though, I lost interest over time.

[Weave]

that another evident fact, many of you detest anything Toronto and i suspect would be fans of anything that would beat down or knock Toronto. Having said that that my question had nothing to do with Toronto. Good start so far, hoping i have not been taken as being adversarial, not my intent

(my skin is not thin, i get it i not a favorite of many and just barely tolerated. I am ok with that and do tread carefully in what is a clearly Buffalo rooting site. ) :)

 

There is a Sabres-Leafs rivalry. Of course we knock Toronto. We knock Philly too for the same reason.

 

Well, not really. Probably the biggest reason Toronto gets no love is because of all the raucous Leaf fans that come to the arena and get real vocal in our barn. It makes a Sabres fan root even harder against all things Leaf. Add in a Tie Domi or Darcy Tucker and you've got to expect folks to hate on your team. On the internet I find that Leaf fans are 2nd only to Red Wings fans in obnoxiousness. That isn't a dig at you, but a generalization. And certainly adds to the hate on Leafs. Your city now has 2 Bills games each year. Buffalo HATED that.

 

There are lots of reasons for Buffalonians to develop a heated rivalry with their northern neighbors. But it isn;t real genuine hate. You say you aren;t being thin skinned but it is coming off that way.

[Claude_Verret]

I'm with chz. Love my hometown and hockey, but if the Sabres no longer existed I'd still enjoy the sport but I wouldn't have an intense interest in any team winning or losing. This is evident down here in Canes country and I believe is the source of a lot off the tension that exists between the fan bases, alot of Canes fans just don't get why Sabres fans won't at the very least root for the Canes when the Sabres aren't playing them. Then there is another subset who believe that you can and should turn your fandom on and off based on geographic location. Absurd. This attitude existed down here even before the now infamous 2006 playoff series.

[millbank]

There is a Sabres-Leafs rivalry. Of course we knock Toronto. We knock Philly too for the same reason.

 

Well, not really. Probably the biggest reason Toronto gets no love is because of all the raucous Leaf fans that come to the arena and get real vocal in our barn. It makes a Sabres fan root even harder against all things Leaf. Add in a Tie Domi or Darcy Tucker and you've got to expect folks to hate on your team. On the internet I find that Leaf fans are 2nd only to Red Wings fans in obnoxiousness. That isn't a dig at you, but a generalization. And certainly adds to the hate on Leafs. Your city now has 2 Bills games each year. Buffalo HATED that.

 

There are lots of reasons for Buffalonians to develop a heated rivalry with their northern neighbors. But it isn;t real genuine hate. You say you aren;t being thin skinned but it is coming off that way.

 

so be it.. to be clear , i live in stratford ontario, about the same distance away from Toronto that Buffalo is toToronto. Just one comment regarding Toronto, the rivalry entirely one sided, Toronto people in general do not give Buffalo any attention at all. the Toronto - Buffalo rivalry only in some Buffalo folks eyes. And you know seeing you are going to take shots at me, for many outside who read this site a number of you come across and arrogant and obnoxious. Fact is such people can be found in any fan base, generalizing and demonizing a select few , is small minded, narrow and flat out stupid.

 

Frankly over the past 10 years of posting on both sites i have done my level best to be respectful to everyone of you and have quickly apologized when necessary. If he consensus be that i am seen to be thin skined ect. , i may be a slow person being 71 years old and all, but i will get it and you will not hear of me again.

(having said that, over the years have met and got to know many fine folk i consider friends via frequenting both sites and will continue to do so in It is clear to me over the past few years a new generation has taken over both sites, as such i very infrequently post. Again I posted a question doing my best not to illicit any ire,

[dEnnis the Menace]

If the Sabres weren't around, I'd still watch Hockey, but probably not as closely...at least NHL hockey. I'd probably only follow RIT/D-I hockey

[ROC_exEMT]

Not from Buffalo and have no ties to it. Actually I have no real "love" for most NY teams. Can't stand the Yankees. Mets, Giants, Jets, meh. Grew up a Steeler fan. Bills? Well lets just say their fans deserve better.

 

Sabres? Not a long-time fan but over the past few years I've found myself rooting for them more and more as I've re-found an intererst in hockey again. That's why I lurk here in this forum; I enjoy reading some of the comments on various Sabre topics but feel intimidated in posting as I'm not that long-time fan and I haven't bled blue-n-gold (or green if it mixed together) for 40+ years. They're close to me so I can take in a few games a year (went Friday night in fact), games available on TV, their affiliation BACK to the Amerks (I live outside Rochester) and perhaps the biggest reason - I don't feel as if I HAVE to be Sabres fan just because I live in WNY which is the feeling I get from many Bills fans.

[millbank]

Not from Buffalo and have no ties to it. Actually I have no real "love" for most NY teams. Can't stand the Yankees. Mets, Giants, Jets, meh. Grew up a Steeler fan. Bills? Well lets just say their fans deserve better.

 

Sabres? Not a long-time fan but over the past few years I've found myself rooting for them more and more as I've re-found an intererst in hockey again. That's why I lurk here in this forum; I enjoy reading some of the comments on various Sabre topics but feel intimidated in posting as I'm not that long-time fan and I haven't bled blue-n-gold (or green if it mixed together) for 40+ years. They're close to me so I can take in a few games a year (went Friday night in fact), games available on TV, their affiliation BACK to the Amerks (I live outside Rochester) and perhaps the biggest reason - I don't feel as if I HAVE to be Sabres fan just because I live in WNY which is the feeling I get from many Bills fans.

 

good for you . appreciate your comments and sincerely hope in time you made feel welcome. There are many fine folk who frequent the site .....

[Weave]

And you know seeing you are going to take shots at me, for many outside who read this site a number of you come across and arrogant and obnoxious. Fact is such people can be found in any fan base, generalizing and demonizing a select few , is small minded, narrow and flat out stupid.

 

I said very explicitly in my reply that I was NOT taking a shot at you personally. Please don't take it that way as it wasn't intended that way.

 

Frankly over the past 10 years of posting on both sites i have done my level best to be respectful to everyone of you and have quickly apologized when necessary. If he consensus be that i am seen to be thin skined ect. , i may be a slow person being 71 years old and all, but i will get it and you will not hear of me again.

(having said that, over the years have met and got to know many fine folk i consider friends via frequenting both sites and will continue to do so in It is clear to me over the past few years a new generation has taken over both sites, as such i very infrequently post. Again I posted a question doing my best not to illicit any ire,

 

You haven't raised anyone's ire here and you have nothing to apologize for. You've said nothing disrespectful as far as I can tell. I was just giving you an honest forthright reply. I apologize if you took it as ire on my part.

 

And please, stick around. Don't leave on my account. I meant no disrespect and you haven't angered me. To be honest, I would feel very badly if you left because of something I posted here.

[Jeanbe]

I can honestly say that if Buffalo did not have the Bills and Sabres, I would become much more of a casual fan of the sports, who may watch a game if I have nothing else going on, I wouldn't be discussing hockey/football on internet message boards, etc...

 

If the Bills left I would be a casual fan of the game and cancel my Directv NFL thing since I only watch the Bills. As to hockey, I am also a Leaf fan since that was my team of youth. I am from the west side (Fargo and Vermont area) and the Sabres didn't come into my life until I was 10. So I also follow the Leafs.

 

I would miss the Sabres more then I would miss the Bills. But still die hard fan of both.

[nfreeman]

Frankly over the past 10 years of posting on both sites i have done my level best to be respectful to everyone of you and have quickly apologized when necessary. If he consensus be that i am seen to be thin skined ect. , i may be a slow person being 71 years old and all, but i will get it and you will not hear of me again.

You haven't raised anyone's ire here and you have nothing to apologize for. You've said nothing disrespectful as far as I can tell. I was just giving you an honest forthright reply. I apologize if you took it as ire on my part.

 

And please, stick around. Don't leave on my account. I meant no disrespect and you haven't angered me. To be honest, I would feel very badly if you left because of something I posted here.

 

Milbank -- I will echo's Weave's request -- please keep posting here. I have never detected any indication of thin-skinnedness. Your contributions and your manners are well appreciated.

 

As for the original question -- I've become much less of an NFL fan over time, partially because IMHO the Bills as an organization have stopped trying to compete, and partly because I've become less comfortable over time with the price the players are paying in sacrificing their well-being in order to entertain the paying customers. I would no doubt jump back on the bandwagon if the Bills turned into a real franchise again, but it would be more a Buffalo thing than an NFL thing.

 

As for the Sabres, it's probably 50/50 Buffalo and hockey. I really like the sport -- watching it, attending games, talking hockey, etc. The players also seem like a better bunch of guys than those in the other major sports. While I would never relinquish the Sabres as my favorite team, I live in NYC now and have become somewhat of a Rangers fan as they've gradually become a better-run franchise over the past 3 years or so. I I moved to, say, Nashville, or some other city with a decently-run NHL team, I would probably get season tickets or share them with someone and become a fan of that team as my #2 team. I wouldn't do that with another city's NFL team.

[Eleven]

Both, for me.

 

I wouldn't say the same about pro football. I wouldn't watch that watered-down game if it weren't for the Bills.

[Taro T]

Millbank,

 

Your original question is a fair one. Please don't take any talk of TO rivalry personally. And please do keep dropping in here. Your posts are always appreciated.

 

As to the question, if the Bills leave Buffalo, the NFL is dead to me. Which will be extremely annoying as my wife will continue to watch the Denver Donkeys (whom I already hold a disdain for - dating back to Pat Bowlen trying to steal Bruce Smith) and I will do my best to ignore the NFL altogehter.

 

The question about the Sabres is far more theoretical, as I don't see the Sabres leaving anytime soon (though if we had a poorer owner AND Hamilton had a team I think eventually they might move). If the Sabres did leave, I would still watch hockey. I even know which team I'd cheer for (and it wouldn't be the relocated guys - THEY'D be dead to me, nor would it be the guys in blue & white).

 

But I've always been a hockey fan, and can't remember ever not being one. When I lived in the south, I'd buy tickets for friends to the NHL preseason games in Houston to try to get converts; and was fairly successful - I could usually drag a couple of people with me to watch the playoffs at a local sports bar. I also would drive an hour each way to be able to play roller hockey. I'd also take my vacation in September so I could beat the heat, catch a Bills game, and catch training camp at Sabreland. So, though I'd probably swear off the game &/or NHL, I know deep down I wouldn't mean it.

 

If the Bills left, it would be the equivalent of MLB cancelling the world series or the Braves leaving - I'd view it as the NFL turning its back on me and would respond likewise.

[carpandean]

Combination of location and love of the game. I grew up an Amerks fan due to location and because I liked playing street hockey. Strangely enough, though my brother was a Sabres fan, I was actually a Blackhawks fan in my youth. Got away from both in high school since there wasn't a hockey team at my school and I had a lot of other sports/activities occupying my time. In college, my friends and I started playing roller hockey and later some casual ice hockey, and we also went to our University's hockey team's games. This got me back into loving the game of hockey. I started paying attention to the Amerks again (and the Sabres to a lesser degree), and after the lockout when most of the Amerks went up to the Sabres, I really started following them. I have become a die-hard fan since.

 

If the Sabres went away, I would still love watching and playing (beer league and with my brother/nephews on his backyard rink) hockey. I'd probably follow the Amerks more closely, as well as RIT's team. Eventually, I might find an NHL team to support, though it would be tough not to be able to watch the games regularly. Who knows, if MSG carried all of the Rags' games, then I might become a fan of theirs (I just threw-up a little.) My older nephew likes them as his second favorite team, so that might help the transition.

[james duncan]

If the Bills leave Buffalo, I'd be completely done with football. No question.

If the Sabres left town, I'd be crushed but would also still be watching a game a night on my Center Ice and rooting against the Fly-boys. .

[ParkMeadow]

Millbank - very fair and provacative observation.

 

I left Buffalo in 1978 but will always be a fan of both local pro sports teams. My kids grew up in NH but are also Buffalo fans first, although a couple couldn't resist jumping on the Boston bandwagon to have fun cheering for winning teams. Who can blame them?!

 

I am a fan of hockey, whether it is college, Juniors, AHL or NHL. Drives my wife nuts, so I have to watch my own TV. I appreciate the nuances of the game, as do the vast majority of regular posters here. There is definitely a strong overlap of a love of hockey and civic pride for my hometown in rooting for the Sabres.

 

Isn't that what being a true fan is all about?

[Bmwolf21]

I'm both a Sabres fan and a hockey fan. Like Taro said...if the Sabres ever moved I would find another team to follow (probably Colorado, Tampa or maybe Columbus) but the Sabres (or whatever they become) would be dead to me.

 

Bills fan first, football fan 2nd. I'd probably focus all my energy and passion towards college fb if the Bills left WNY. (Yes, that includes moving 90 miles north to Toronto.) The NFL would be dead to me for a long time.

[Weave]

I am a fan of hockey overall but if the Sabres were to ever leave I would have difficulty following the sport. I am a cheapskate when it comes to television. I purchased the least expensive package that allowed me to get MSG. I don't do Center Ice or NHL network or any of that. I don't even get Versus. I follow hockey online through various fan websites and I follow the Sabres via TV. If the Sabres left I doubt I'd spend the money to get Center Ice so my viewing options would be almost nil. I could see myself not paying attention to hockey any more with no games to watch.

 

I divorced myself from the Bills about 4 quarterbacks ago and am not even a casual NFL fan at this point. If the Bills ever commit to being competitive I might jump back on the bandwagon.

 

Now that I'm being challenged to think about it, I guess if we ever lost the Bills and the Sabres it would be easier for me to become a football fan than a hockey fan, just because of my viewing options.

[Marvelo]

I'm a sports fan and Buffalo booster. I've been in Boston since '97. Can't say that I like any of the Boston teams...never have and never will. I like to see the Buffalo teams do well -- when the teams win it seems it gives a boost to the city and I like that feeling because Buffalo truly needs a boost.

[thesportsbuff]

I am both. I love the Sabres first and foremost, but I love hockey in general. If Buffalo somehow lost the Sabres, I would obviously be heart broken, but I would still follow the sport (though I would have a hard time committing to another team; I would probably "root" for Toronto due to proximity and respect for their tradition. Also Tim Connolly). The footnote to that, though, is that if not for the Sabres, I might have never gotten into hockey at all. If the Sabres had relocated in 1995 or something, I wouldn't be half the hockey fan I am today.

 

Football is a different story. I love the Bills, and through years of following the Saints through my dad, I have a soft spot for them, too. But if Buffalo lost the Bills, I honestly probably wouldn't even watch the NFL. And on the flip side, if Buffalo had a pro basketball team or a pro baseball team, I would probably care a whole lot more about those sports than I do now... which is, I don't.

[millbank]

I said very explicitly in my reply that I was NOT taking a shot at you personally. Please don't take it that way as it wasn't intended that way.

 

 

 

You haven't raised anyone's ire here and you have nothing to apologize for. You've said nothing disrespectful as far as I can tell. I was just giving you an honest forthright reply. I apologize if you took it as ire on my part.

 

And please, stick around. Don't leave on my account. I meant no disrespect and you haven't angered me. To be honest, I would feel very badly if you left because of something I posted here.

 

Will admit to being a lilttle less patient today , had a patient call at 2:00 am so had little sleep. My apologies to all for my little hissy today. You know sometimes you look in mirror and see a weenie looking back , guess today i didn't look close enough. (talk about needing rockets,lightening and flares :blush: .) I am certain you a excellent man, of course your opinions are respected and appreciated. Will do level best to not be such a pain in the behind.....