Bills or Sabres?

[Sabretooth73]

let me 1st say im a die hard bills and sabres fan..... anything buffalo or WNY for that matter...but when you compare apples to apples, (bills success vs sabres success) i have to say id prefer the bills winning it all...... i guess to most people football comes 1st and it truly is "americas game" right now...... that aside, if the sabres win it all, i would be so elated and relieved that i wouldnt care half as much the next bills season.... i just want one major championship, just one, is that asking too much? Man this sabres team better do it, what a let down it will be if they dont. I know thats asking a lot, but this is THE team in the NHL this year, its got to be our year, right?

Im sick of being pessimistic as are probably all WNY sports fans. Comments?

[BetweenThePipes00]

I love the Bills just as much, but I would MUCH rather have the Sabres win it all. i understand the other side, but for me I would prefer a Stanley Cup. First of all, there is nothing like the two months of fun that comes with a Cup run ... games every other night, not just once a week, the roller coaster that comes with it because they can't win every game ... a Super Bowl run does not compare. 3 wins and it's over. We've been through both (without the desired result) since I have been old enough to appreciate it, and the Super Bowl years were amazing and I was at all the hope playoff games, but still it was nothing like the Sabres in 99 or even last year. The time off in between games was torture.

Also, and again this is for me personally ... even if the Bills somehow went undefeated and won a Super Bowl next season, I would always be left with the feeling that the 1988-96 Bills were still a better team. It's not possible to build a team like that and keep it together anymore, and I have to admit part of me would feel bad for so many players on those teams who never won a championship ... granted it can be argued you are what you are and they were never good enough, but they were a hell of a lot better than most champions in this salary cap era.

But either way, if I am lucky enough to have either team win in my liftime, I'm sure I will cry tears of joy for a good week after.

[Two or less]

What a tuff question. I love both teams equally.

 

If i had to choose one, i'd say the Sabres. Winning the Stanley Cup would be something amazing, the expierence of winning the 4th game in the Eastern Conference Finals would be awesome and then each game, let alone each win in the Finals would be special and then the hype the night before the deciding game, the day of the game, the night after, and the few days fallowing it, would be amazing.

 

But, i mean the 2 weeks before the SB would be incredible also and actually winning it, would be amazing too. But, if i had to pick, i'd say the Sabres, Stanley Cup means more to me.

[Sabretooth73]

i understand both arguments.....and man its a tough question

i just want something for the city of buffalo, thats all

i live in NC now and went up for the Bills game vs JAX and even though it wasnt a sellout just being there and feeling the intensity....its not something you see down here with sports...and no, neckcar isnt a sport

if the sabres or bills win it all i will be up there for the parade...and i hope its this coming june

 

my father in law, who lives in $hittsburgh" was asked by my wife a few days ago of what he thought of buffalo and he said "its a dirty city"....i almost went off on him but thought twice of it bc well, he is my father in law...to me buffalo will always be my hometown no matter what, and dont like anyone sayin bad things about it..... if they can ever clean up and do something with that waterfront area and the main street area.....it would be awesome, the suburbs are booming, just get some more people downtown, and the weather isnt THAT bad, cmon, people live in detroit, chicago, minneapolis, boston, not like the winters there are like south beach or something, comments?

[SCSabresFan!]

my father in law, who lives in $hittsburgh" was asked by my wife a few days ago of what he thought of buffalo and he said "its a dirty city"....i almost went off on him but thought twice of it bc well, he is my father in law...to me buffalo will always be my hometown no matter what, and dont like anyone sayin bad things about it..... if they can ever clean up and do something with that waterfront area and the main street area.....it would be awesome, the suburbs are booming, just get some more people downtown, and the weather isnt THAT bad, cmon, people live in detroit, chicago, minneapolis, boston, not like the winters there are like south beach or something, comments?

 

Living in Pittsburgh and calling Buffalo a dirty city? Hello Pot, meet Kettle!

[wudden]

I think a lot of that depends on what "team" you're talking about... I look at the 2006-2007 Sabres differently than I look at the 1996-1997 Sabres. Same as I look at the 90 Bills differently than I look at the 2006 Bills. I guess going back, I would rather see the 90's Bills win the Superbowl(s) because of the stature of the team, rather than their 2006 counterparts.

 

Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, Andre Reed, etc... If they won the Superbowl, there would have been a collective "aww, those guys deserve it." However, the same does not apply to this years team. Say they get lucky (ok, thats an understatement) and go all the way this year and win it. JP Losman, Willis McGahee, Takeo Spikes, Lee Evans... Zzzzzz... If they won, people would say, "Wow, the Patriots really choked, wow, the chargers really choked, the Bills got lucky..."

 

I hope I'm not rambling, but what Im trying to say is the 2006-2007 are LOVED by the fans like no other sports team I have ever seen. That is why them winning a Stanley Cup would be so special.

[Done]

If the Bills went to the Super Bowl, I could see myself spending $1500 on a ticket to watch it.

 

If the Sabres made it to game 7 of the Finals, I could see myself spending $500 to watch it.

 

 

Bills win.

[hopeleslyobvious]

I couldn't care less about the Bills. On the other hand I've been watching about 95%+ of the Sabres games for years. I would much rather see the Sabres win.

[thesportsbuff]

I love both teams, but Hockey is just more of my thing. Plus, the excitement in a cup run surpasses that of the NFL playoffs/Superbowl, despite all the media coverage the NFL gets.

[Sabretooth73]

good point, i guess like last years sabres team wouldve been sweeter than the 1999 sabres for me, at least

 

scfan, right on with $hittsburgh, thats the filthiest city ive ever visited, i despise that city, its disgusting, and there are a lot of filthy people too, and their stupid accents "yins" "hos" (house", and "don ton" (downtown".....WTF!

 

$hittsburgh=largest sewer in the united states as far as im concerned

[Corp000085]

I love both teams, but Hockey is just more of my thing. Plus, the excitement in a cup run surpasses that of the NFL playoffs/Superbowl, despite all the media coverage the NFL gets.

 

 

the sabres run surpasses the nfl playoffs because the bills haven't been in it for a LONG time... Trust me, if the bills were in it, the entire western new york would be going ape, just like last year for hte sabres.

 

 

As for my personal preference, its pretty much equal. Since the sabres have a better chance this year, my vote would be with the sabres, but if the sabres sucked and the bills were on the verge, i'd be rooting more heavily for the bills. It's a toss up that's impossible for me to pick. However, i'd love to see both teams win the championship in my lifetime. That's all i care about.

[BetweenThePipes00]

I grew up in Buffalo and lived in Pittsburgh for a long time and I love both places ... Buffalo more of course, it will always be HOME, but both get a bad rap.

Dwight, I kind of hear you, but if either team wins, I want to be in Buffalo when it happens. And a ticket to a Cup-clinching game IN Buffalo would be PRICELESS ... no Super Bowl ticket could compare to winning the Cup IN Buffalo.

[hopeleslyobvious]

I think the average WNYer would prefer it if the Bills won. Just looking at the attention the Sabres got when things weren't going so well compared to the attention the Bills get when things aren't going so well.

[Doohickie]

You've got the wrong mindset:

 

Bills AND Sabres!

[apuszczalowski]

I think the NFL playoffs can be more exciting cause you can't have a bad game. If you do, your out. You have to win every game and since its only one game a week, you have an entire week of suspence waiting for the next game. In the NHL, you can lose 3 games in a Series and still win, so you can go into a mini slump or not play at your best and still win.

 

For me, I would rather see both, but a SB win would get alot more attention to the city of Buffalo then a Stanley Cup win only because the NFL is the top sport in the Country while hockey is barely considered a proffesional sport across the country compared to others

[Knightrider]

Very interesting question. For me, the fact that I have to think about this tells me that the NHL and the Sabres have gained on the NFL and the Bills. I grew up a much bigger fan of the Bills than the Sabres. I did not play organized hockey. I played Football. My grandparents lived less than 2 miles from training camp in Fredonia. My grandfather was a charter season ticket holder for the Bills, and my mother was at the Rockpile to see the Bills win the AFL championship. And yet, ...

 

The Sabres are so impressive. Their players are likable and respectable. They are the face of the new NHL, and the new NHL is so much more entertaining.

 

The Bills, on the other hand, seemed to have been strangled by market forces, poor decisions, and poor officiating. On the field, this team has not been fun since 1998.

 

Edit:

 

Oops, never actually answered the question. The 1990 Bills team is the only one I rather see win a SB than see the 2005 - 2007 Sabres win the Cup.

[eball]

The Bills winning a Super Bowl is still my ultimate sports dream, but the Sabres winning a Cup is second by a hair. Nothing else comes close -- not even my Tar Heels winning a Nat'l Championship (which I've seen twice as an adult).

 

1(a) -- Bills/SB

1(b) -- Sabres/SC

[big gap]

2 -- UNC/Nat'l Champ in BB or FB (Hello, Butch Davis!!)

3 -- Mets/WS

 

Nothing else grabs me.

[That Aud Smell]

I think a lot of that depends on what "team" you're talking about... I look at the 2006-2007 Sabres differently than I look at the 1996-1997 Sabres. Same as I look at the 90 Bills differently than I look at the 2006 Bills. I guess going back, I would rather see the 90's Bills win the Superbowl(s) because of the stature of the team, rather than their 2006 counterparts.

 

Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, Andre Reed, etc... If they won the Superbowl, there would have been a collective "aww, those guys deserve it." However, the same does not apply to this years team. Say they get lucky (ok, thats an understatement) and go all the way this year and win it. JP Losman, Willis McGahee, Takeo Spikes, Lee Evans... Zzzzzz... If they won, people would say, "Wow, the Patriots really choked, wow, the chargers really choked, the Bills got lucky..."

 

I hope I'm not rambling, but what Im trying to say is the 2006-2007 are LOVED by the fans like no other sports team I have ever seen. That is why them winning a Stanley Cup would be so special.

 

This is a great point -- take the '99 Sabres as another for instance. I mean, I would've been out of my gourd had that team won the whole thing -- but did I feel about that team the way I feel about this one? No way. If this particular team wins it all, my head will frickin' explode.

 

I also think there's something to be said for that faction of fans who feel a certain way about the game of hockey and the Cup (exclusive of the NHL - think about those amateurs who wanted to play for the Cup during the lockout), and all the other pomp, circumstance and tradition that goes with those two things.

 

For those kinds of people who feel that way, and I am on one them, there can be no comparison between the Super Bowl and Stanley Cup -- the Cup represents something authentic, something real, something genuine. The Super Bowl has become the biggest frickin' three-ring circus of capitalism and merchandising there is. Nothing wrong with that particular circus -- it just doesn't speak to the 9 year-old boy in me.

 

(I mean that last part figuratively, now - so please don't call the law.)

[inkman]

Most. Depressing. Thread. Ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I come to this place to avoid all the damn Bills talk.

[Hawerchuk]

Lord Stanley is my first love and it shall be my last!!

 

I'll take The Stanley Cup over Vince Lombardi anyday..... anyday!! Sure, the NHL is small potatoes to the commercial laiden NFL, but hockey is about 4 playoff rounds, speed and tons of passion. No other trophy compares in my book. Besides, the Bills shoulda won one already - dammit!!

 

Buffalo Sabres and Lord Stanley is my vote!

[JujuFish]

You've got the wrong mindset:

 

Bills AND Sabres!

:thumbsup:

[Kristian]

Sabres, I don't care for football.

[Orange Seats]

:doh: this is the kind of question they'd tortue a buffalonian with :wallbash:

 

For me: Stanley Cup

 

For the city: Lombardi (national exposure)

 

 

I don't care which happens first, I just want to see both before I die.

 

We could also go for the trifecta in which the Bisons get an expansion to the AL or NL and then win the World Series.

 

Maybe UB will win the BCS too.

 

 

Here's something to think about though:

 

Which championship would bring more $ into the city? NFL is bigger and has wider exposure.... but NHL playoffs are played in home city. Super Bowl is a huge event, but since Buffalo has a better chance to win the SB than to host it, we'd never see any of the hospitality money.

 

So which is financially better?

[wjag]

I love both teams. And normally I would say the Bills, but there is just something about the last 300 days of these Sabres that has gotten under my skin.

[bob_sauve28]

Bill who? :D