The Downfall of Western (New York) Civilization

Bills Fanatics BF
Aug 21, 2014
4 min read

I get it. I really do. For Bills fans, the past 14 years seem like an eternity. The Bills haven't seen the playoffs since the 1999 season and haven't seen 8-8 or better since 2004. I get it. It's frustrating. It's infuriating. It's improbable. It's our Buffalo Bills.

The Bills have drafted exactly 30 quarterbacks since 1961 and only 3 of those have been drafted in the first round. Those 3 being the great Jim Kelly in 1983, J.P. Losman in 2004 and, the latest, EJ Manuel in 2013. In 1986 (Kelly's first NFL season after electing to play in the USFL for two seasons before it folded), Kelly threw the ball 480 times completing 59.4% of such passes for 3,593 yards with 22 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 16 games.

Those numbers don't exactly inspire the masses yet he continued to improve and went on to lead the Bills to a NFL record 4 straight Super Bowls then eventually went on to the Hall of Fame. In J.P. Losman's 2nd season for the Bills (the first season he saw the field), he threw the ball 228 times competing 49.6% of his passes for 1,340 yards with 8 touchdowns and 8 interceptions (plus 6 fumbles) in 9 games.

Terribly inconsistent play eventually led to Losman parting ways with the Bills after the 2008 season. He's no longer in the NFL. EJ Manuel, pressed into starting action due to an injury to Kevin Kolb, passed the ball 180 times completing 58.8% of his passes for 1,972 yards with 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Again, those numbers didn't inspire the masses, but they weren't far off from his predecessor Jim Kelly's first season. Now, like Kelly did, Manuel needs to improve.

I absolutely get the frustration though. The 14 year playoff drought, which is the longest active streak in the NFL, has gone on longer than a third of an ancient Egyptian's average lifespan. Bills fans have every right to be impatient and edgy after fielding the likes of Alex Van Pelt, Rob Johnson, Travis Brown, Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Levi Brown, Tyler Thigpen and Kevin Kolb to name a few. But Bills fans must understand this: out of the 14 year playoff drought, the front office from GM down to the coaching staff has only contributed 1 year of your misery. If there's anyone to point a finger at, I'd say it's Russ Brandon.

This guy has been a high-level executive for the franchise since 2006 and got promoted to CEO despite the team's woes and lack of progress. He's the only constant that really has a say. Like they say though, if you point a finger at someone, you have more fingers pointing back at you.

Wait... the fans are to blame? Not really, but we can do better for a team we're so passionate about. I've spoken to the fans, a lot of them, and many of these “die hard Bills fans” refuse to attend the games—especially the colder ones. In 2013, Buffalo's home attendance percentage was 90.7, which doesn't sound too bad but was only good for 24th in the NFL. We, the fans, ranked 26th in 2012 and 29th in 2011 and 2010. Sure they've gone 28-52 over that span, but we can do better for a team we're so passionate about. No fan wants to see the Bills move to Toronto yet we can't even fill the stadium here in Buffalo. It's sad, but true. We're better than that.

So, to conclude my rant, I'm going to be extremely blunt. I get why we Bills fans are acting like any struggle of the team is the downfall of Western New York civilization. It's because the Bills are the center of the Western New York civilization. True, they have been bad for a long time but that has nothing to do with the team that is in front of you now.

MxPx Slowing Going the Way of the Buffalo

It has nothing to do with Doug Whaley, Doug Marrone, Nathaniel Hackett or EJ Manuel. Those guys just got here like a half a second ago and are always under scrutiny despite clearly giving the appearance of progress. Instead of spending so much time criticizing the franchise, spend more time cheering for them. Support them. Remind the NFL what Buffalo's 12th man is all about. Don't be that bitter fair weather fan. As a die hard Bills fans, I want to see smiles and my brother's and sister's faces. So be patient. Don't contribute to the Bills Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo. In case you missed the reference, the theme was inspired by one of my favorite albums by MxPx entitled Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo. I listen to that CD whenever I'm in a good mood because it reminds me of good times. Check it out and maybe it'll help you sit back, relax and enjoy the show. LET'S GO BUFFALO!