Fellow Cuse/Bills fans

[adk(roc)CUSE]

We're a suffering bunch aren't we? My disgust with the Bills might be at an all time high, so much so that I gave up my season tickets this year. I still intend to make it to 2 or 3 games and I will be in front of the TV living and dying every Sunday as I will be on Saturdays with our Orange. It's been an impossible amount of time since the two teams in my favorite sport have mattered. Thankfully there has been a spattering of lower tier bowl games in this nearing two decade stretch of futility; I loved the Pinstripe Bowl wins and it was fun to pull out the Texas Bowl late. But that's it, that's all we've had. FAR too little.

I love the direction Babers seems to be taking us and McDermott is the exact opposite of the circus we've had in Buffalo the last two years. With that said expectations are still low for the upcoming seasons. Which of our teams do you think has the better opportunity to over achieve and maybe surprise us? I'm leaning towards Cuse but the schedule is brutal (as is the Bills I suppose).

Death is the only thing that will pry me away from either team as I will be there win or lose (and lose and lose) but we really do have it rough. People talk about cursed cities in sports but no one is more cursed than the Bills/Orange football combo fan. See ya at either the Dome October 6th or at one of the Bills games I go to this season. God bless us all.

 

[orangenirvana]

My disgust with the Bills might be at an all time high

Why? This is the best I've felt as a Bills fan since moments before the Music City Miracle 17.5 years ago.

 

[OrangeBlood]

McDermott is refreshing. Charasmatic, unlike Marrone. Disciplined, unlike Rex. Young, unlike Chan.

But Dino has made me believe that we can compete in the ACC. Seemed impossible 3 years ago.

 

[adk(roc)CUSE]

Why? This is the best I've felt as a Bills fan since moments before the Music City Miracle 17.5 years ago.

It just seems it is never going to change. It's more the weight of 17 years than anything else. Firing Whaley made it better but while the new regime shows promise I've been down that road too often. I need wins, starve for wins. And as I said. I'll be living and dying with every play below my Bills shrine when the season arrives.

 

[dan7800]

Party at the Pinto

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I think both programs are in a decent spot right now, looks like better days could be ahead, but cautiously optimistic would be a bit of an understatement. I actually feel better about the Bills than the Orange as I think Syracuse has so many hurdles to get over to truly be competitive regardless of who the coach is. Really like the GM/HC combo with the Bills. Still think they need another WR and maybe a better QB but I am willing to hang in with Tyrod at least for another year

Could be worse, Dino might win 5 games this year and still be trending in right direction, Bills 9 and the same

 

[bnoro]

Bills Mafia

 

[UnknownOrange]

Bills Mafia

Bunch of dorks

 

[Tobias Funke]

Pats fan here checking in. thats all just wanted to acknowledge that it been pretty damn great

 

[adk(roc)CUSE]

Pats fan here checking in. thats all just wanted to acknowledge that it been pretty damn great

Boooooooo

 

[bnoro]

Pats fan here checking in. thats all just wanted to acknowledge that it been pretty damn great

I've always appreciated the Bills for the pretty regular 2 wins per season

 

[orangenirvana]

I think both programs are in a decent spot right now, looks like better days could be ahead, but cautiously optimistic would be a bit of an understatement. I actually feel better about the Bills than the Orange as I think Syracuse has so many hurdles to get over to truly be competitive regardless of who the coach is. Really like the GM/HC combo with the Bills. Still think they need another WR and maybe a better QB but I am willing to hang in with Tyrod at least for another year

Could be worse, Dino might win 5 games this year and still be trending in right direction, Bills 9 and the same

Yeah I feel better about the Bills' future than SU Football's as well. And I don't expect much from the Bills this season and have a man-crush on Babers. But once Clark was disqualified my hopes basically crashed into pieces and I feel like SU will never compete against their conference peers no matter how good Babers is and any semblance of success and Babers will high-tail it out of here as he should.

 

[orangenirvana]

I've always appreciated the Bills for the pretty regular 2 wins per season

"pretty regular" is way too kind

 

[OrangeFoo]

I feel like both franchises seem cursed... statistically speaking, just out sheer dumb luck both franchises should have been more relevant since their glory days of the 90s as defined by playoff appearances by the Bills and top 25 rankings for Syracuse. I think both franchises suffered the same problem for the last two decades that have led to where we are today: a lack of financial investment and the lack of a clear vision or system to enable success.

With the Bills it's because Ralph was cheap, not sure if he was cheap but he didn't spend heavily on coaching and front office talent either which led to constant coaching turnover which led to constant strategy turnover which led to constant roster turnover which led to losing. With Syracuse its because the admin never really invested in the program from an infrastructure or coaching talent perspective.

I like the latest moves by both franchises. You could say this last offseason, Pegula finally got rid of the last vestiges of the Ralph era by hiring a new coach and a GM who is perceived as an up and comer. I have no idea if/when these moves will lead to results on the field but Pegula spent a LOT of money to get these guys so he is definitely changing the direction of the franchise. Now the Bills just need to stick w/ McDermott for the next 5 years and see where things go. For Syracuse I love the Babers hire and I am glad to see that practice center was built. SU is definitely upping the financial investment but in college football at least the gap between Syracuse and the trues power is so great that I'm not sure it can ever be made up.

For the Bills the goals are easy... playoffs consistently and Super Bowl contender and actually make the game twice a decade or so. For Syracuse I'm not sure what the goal is, I'd say 8-4 and a decent bowl game but I suspect that the bowl games are going to go the way of the dodo bird given that players entering the draft are going to start pulling out of the game making it pretty much a meaningless exercise with about as much value as the spring scrimmage. I think we as fans are going to figure out what success means.

If I was making predictions I think the Bills have bottomed out and are a solid Buy based on the front office reorg even if it will take a couple of years for the results to translate on the field. The talent at the skill positions seems to be at its lowest point in a very very long time and team depth just seems lacking across the board. I've never heard of 75% of the roster and I'm pretty sure the QB of the future is on the roster. My hope is that this year the D starts to gel so we can trade both 1st round picks for one of the QBs who would seem to be in the draft next year. The most important reason I'm bullish on the Bills is because they went from having one of the "poorest" owners in the league to having one of the "richest" and money can cure a lot of ills.

I am still a Weak Hold or Sell for Syracuse. I question whether SU can hold onto Babers... the seeming disappearance of any chatter about a dome refurb is ominous to me. I'm not one who thinks the dome needs to be rebuilt, I think doing whatever it takes to draw more fans is a better investment and focusing on investing in player amenities. The KPI I will look at with regard to investment is what is the total salary pool for coaches and how many coaches as that seems to be the new arms race. I think we have something for the next few years with Babers but I question whether its sustainable or whether its a last flicker in the night before the lights go out.

 

[Trueblue25]

Go Phins.

 

[BuffOrange]

I feel like both franchises seem cursed... statistically speaking, just out sheer dumb luck both franchises should have been more relevant since their glory days of the 90s as defined by playoff appearances by the Bills and top 25 rankings for Syracuse.

This is definitely true. I remember ruing the luck at the beginning of the drought. When 11-5 for New England was good enough for a bye in the Tuck Rule year - two years after 11-5 for us was good for a road wildcard game vs a 13-3 team. Since then a consistently mediocre 7-9 team you would think would have a bit more variance with a couple 10-6's sprinkled in with some top 5 picks. But no, 7-9ish with the 12thish pick in the draft. Every year like clockwork.

But ya, bad management hasn't helped either. I like Whaley being out and what I've heard about the new admin. But I don't know, the pieces they have right now don't have me too excited for this year, even by "normal Bills" standards. The most exciting player is a RB whose best years they've already wasted at a relatively unimportant position in the first place. Not picking up Watkins' option I think is a red flag that he may never be completely healthy and that really sucks because they really need that AJ Green type. Maybe the defense will be better but whatever, we've seen plenty of decent D's on 8-8 or worse teams before.

Anyway good for you OP giving up the same tix. The older I get the less time/$ I wish to and wish I have invested in them.

 

[Pyle]

no one is more cursed than the Bills/Orange football combo fan.

I call and I raise.

2005-2008

I had to deal with both Grob and Matt Millen with the Lions for almost half of a decade together. The same year SU lost to Akron the Lions also went 0-16. The Lions have 0 Superbowl appearances, you at least have 4. We have 1 playoff victory since we won the NFL Championship in 1957. ONE! There are worse curses.

 

[KaiserUEO]

I call and I raise.

2005-2008

I had to deal with both Grob and Matt Millen with the Lions for almost half of a decade together. The same year SU lost to Akron the Lions also went 0-16. The Lions have 0 Superbowl appearances, you at least have 4. We have 1 playoff victory since we won the NFL Championship in 1957. ONE! There are worse curses.

you didn't just raise, you won.

anyone who has stuck with the Lions over the years has my respect.

and pity...

 

[Pyle]

you didn't just raise, you won.

anyone who has stuck with the Lions over the years has my respect.

and pity...

I graciously accept your respect and pity and put them in my brown paper bag....

 

[orangenirvana]

I call and I raise.

2005-2008

I had to deal with both Grob and Matt Millen with the Lions for almost half of a decade together. The same year SU lost to Akron the Lions also went 0-16. The Lions have 0 Superbowl appearances, you at least have 4. We have 1 playoff victory since we won the NFL Championship in 1957. ONE! There are worse curses.

I'm sorry, but I just don't buy it. Regarding the 0-16 season...I would take 0-16 every year over perpetual 7-9/8-8.

Over the last 27 years, is there anything more hammer-to-the-testes painful than being a Bills fan? Consider the following...

17 straight seasons (and counting) without a playoff appearance. The longest streak of the four major sports.

Oh, and this was our last memory of a postseason...


That was nine years after losing our first Super Bowl appearance where we were double-digit favorites and lost in the following fashion...

Yes, finishing in second place is technically better than anything the Lions have accomplished since at least the merger. But please don't underestimate the devastation of a Super Bowl loss. There's a reason why no team that has lost a Super Bowl has returned to that game since 1993.

Oh, and they lost the Super Bowl the next year. Two straight Super Bowl losses isn't twice as painful as one Super Bowl loss. It's at least 10x more painful.

Oh, and then they lost the Super Bowl the next year.

Oh, and then they lost the Super Bowl the next year.

And smack dab in the middle of these "glory years" the franchise's all-time greatest player and pride and joy wasn't quite who we all thought he was...

 

[adk(roc)CUSE]

This both hurts and is thereputiac to read through. Cheers my fellow Bills/Cuse brothes...and you to Lions fan.

 

[Toga]

I call and I raise.

2005-2008

I had to deal with both Grob and Matt Millen with the Lions for almost half of a decade together. The same year SU lost to Akron the Lions also went 0-16. The Lions have 0 Superbowl appearances, you at least have 4. We have 1 playoff victory since we won the NFL Championship in 1957. ONE! There are worse curses.

Jesus - only one since 1957. Come on!

 

[KaiserUEO]

Jesus - only one since 1957. Come on!

incredible isn't it.

even the lowly pokes have 2 playoff wins since 1997.

and that likely wont change for decades.

 

[sufandu]

I'm sorry, but I just don't buy it. Regarding the 0-16 season...I would take 0-16 every year over perpetual 7-9/8-8.

Over the last 27 years, is there anything more hammer-to-the-testes painful than being a Bills fan? Consider the following...

17 straight seasons (and counting) without a playoff appearance. The longest streak of the four major sports.

Oh, and this was our last memory of a postseason...


That was nine years after losing our first Super Bowl appearance where we were double-digit favorites and lost in the following fashion...

Yes, finishing in second place is technically better than anything the Lions have accomplished since at least the merger. But please don't underestimate the devastation of a Super Bowl loss. There's a reason why no team that has lost a Super Bowl has returned to that game since 1993.

Oh, and they lost the Super Bowl the next year. Two straight Super Bowl losses isn't twice as painful as one Super Bowl loss. It's at least 10x more painful.

Oh, and then they lost the Super Bowl the next year.

Oh, and then they lost the Super Bowl the next year.

And smack dab in the middle of these "glory years" the franchise's all-time greatest player and pride and joy wasn't quite who we all thought he was...

But consider the fun/hope/anticipation leading up to the superbowls in the '90's. It may have hurt in the end, but the journey was better than what a Lions fan has endured. The only silver lining for them were Barry Sanders highlights.

 

[sdhall01]

I would have sympathy for you guys, but I'm a Bengals fan that was born in 88. I literally hate two of the best players on my defense, and I haven't seen us win a playoff game since we beat the Houston Oilers when I was five. Ugh . . . at least when we were clean and mediocre I could enjoy the games.