What it Means To Be a Buffalo Bills Fan

While many fans of NFL teams across the country and around the world cheer for whichever team they decide, there’s one franchise that has the best fans in the world; The Buffalo Bills. You read that correctly, your eyes are not playing tricks on you- Buffalo Bills fans are the best NFL fans of any team, anywhere. The thing with the Buffalo Bills is, no matter how bad the team is playing or whatever bone head decision the front office makes, Bills fans embrace the decisions and the hard times and look forward to the future.

To help better understand, let’s go back to the 2013 season. The Bills had just promoted Doug Whaley to be the new GM of team after Buddy Nix stepped down. They also hired Doug Marrone as their new head coach after he had successfully turned around the Syracuse Orange in the college ranks. He brought with him Nathaniel Hackett to be his Offensive Coordinator and Mike Pettine joined as the Defensive Coordinator. Marrone promised to get the Buffalo Bills back on the winning track and slowly climb their way back into playoff contention. The fans bought into what he said and had faith that this team was finally going back to the playoffs. Sadly, in his first year, the Bills finished with a 6-10 record, last in the division, and got blown out in several games. But even after that dismal season, the fans stood behind Marrone and chalked it up to being his first season as an NFL head coach. What a difference a year makes.

Holding the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, the Bills traded up to select Sammy Watkins. Having drafted EJ Manuel the year before, fans thought that EJ and Sammy would be the second coming of Jim Kelly and Andre Reed. Even after a shaky rookie season for Manuel that ended early due to a knee injury, Bills fans though EJ had the tools to stand behind center every week and give the team the best chance to win. Marrone and Hackett must have felt a different way, because four games into the season, Manuel got benched for veteran journeyman Kyle Orton. We all know what happened from there; the Bills finished 9-7, 2nd place in the AFC East, and only 2 wins away from making the playoffs. Marrone had the fan base energized and excited to get the 2015 season underway. Then, he did what nobody saw coming; he resigned as head coach of the Buffalo Bills. Many fans and players were shocked that Marrone could just walk out on a team he was slowly but surely developing into a serious playoff contender.

In all honesty, that may have been a blessing in disguise; Marrone was unable to find a team that wanted him as their head coach, and the Bills brought in one of the best defensive minded coaches in the NFL with Rex Ryan, formerly an adversary coaching the division rival New York Jets. And with Ryan at the helm, the Bills started making huge splashes around the NFL. They started by trading for star running back LeSean McCoy from the Philadelphia in exchange for young linebacker Kiko Alonso. While many fans were upset to see Alonso get traded, rumors were flying around that he was unhappy in Buffalo and requested a trade prior to the move. And the Bills also got a great upgrade with McCoy in the backfield to the running game. The Bills also signed free agent guard Richie Incognito, looking to clear his name and “bad boy” reputation, as well as signing tight end Charles Clay, wide receiver Percy Harvin, and fullbacks Jerome Felton and John Conner.

With all the moves, the Bills suddenly went from a team on the verge of greatness but stuck in mediocrity, to a team who just became a serious contender and has all the experts believing they’ll be back in the playoffs this season. That should come as no surprise to Bills fans, though. You see, being a Buffalo Bills fan isn’t just about rooting for your favorite football team. It’s about understanding the culture and lifestyle that comes with being a Bills fan.

Bills fans are loyal, compassionate, caring, and proud. As a Bills fan, you not only embrace the team, the players, and the front office; you embrace the community and the people in it. You become not only a member of the family; you become a member of the Bills Mafia. Bills fanatics know how important football is to Western New York; and they’re ready to display their Bills colors proud and for the whole world to see. Because when you’re a Bills fan, it’s not about winning or losing. It’s about Buffalo Pride and the 12th man. It’s about being Kelly Tough and it’s about billieving that one day, in the very near future, the Lombardi trophy will be coming to Buffalo. It’s about braving the freezing cold in December on Sunday to watch the Bills leave everything out on the field. It’s about the all-day tailgating and making new friends in the parking lot. It’s about embracing the changes and looking forward to the future. And now, it’s about Rex Ryan bringing this team back to the playoffs for many years to come. Terry and Kim Pegula have done an excellent job preparing this team and fan base for the future, and players and fans alike will once again be ready to ROCK THE RALPH in 2015 on their journey to the playoffs.

Alex Rugile @alexrugile

Link to: Bills Fanatics FB Group

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