sicknfla Posted September 21, 2013 Author Report Posted September 21, 2013 Do you ready think that if the Bills won a Super Bowl or two in the early '90's that would make things easier today? If the Sabres win the cup in '99 does that make suffering now easier? I don't think so. The year that we win it would be like no other. It would be incredible. It would make for great memories. However, no way in hell does that change how we would look at the present. If anything it would only make us want it more.
Rico7 Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 Do you ready think that if the Bills won a Super Bowl or two in the early '90's that would make things easier today? If the Sabres win the cup in '99 does that make suffering now easier? I don't think so. The year that we win it would be like no other. It would be incredible. It would make for great memories. However, no way in hell does that change how we would look at the present. If anything it would only make us want it more. Answer to your first question: absolutely. Same answer to your second question. Rebuttal to you conclusion: sorry, but you are wrong. Only way it affects the present is it sets the bar higher.
TrueBlueGED Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 I got my one. I follow three teams religiously: the Sabres, the Bills, and the Angels. The Angels finally had their magical season in 2002 (after a history filled with nothing but disappointment) and being a fan has been MORE fun since then. The pressure is off. Even when they suck, I still know we have our perfect, storybook season to look back on. It changes everything, but for the better. Simmons is probably just confusing winning with his delayed realization that now there's basically no difference between his team and their rivals that he hates ("Evil Empire"). It's probably a very personal thing, to be honest. If the Bills had won the Super Bowl, for me, it wouldn't have made the past 15 years any better at all--and that doesn't diminish how awesome that one win would have been. Past happiness doesn't make accepting current misery any easier to me. I'm very much an in the moment person, and tend to get over the past (good or bad) pretty quickly.
TheMatrix31 Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 Is the alternative 10 straight years in the playoffs with a chance at the Cup, but no guarantees? I've long said I would prefer to be perennially relevant like Detroit rather than a one year wonder like Carolina. I think if you're in the conversation every year the odds are good you'll get that one magical run, plus have years of entertaining hockey surrounding that year. Absolutely the way I feel. I'm a Braves fan. I'd MUCH rather be a Braves fan with 14 straight divisional titles from 1991-2005 and one World Series win in 1995 versus the Florida Marlins, who have two World Series wins and stripped the team down after each and are probably worst run franchise in sports. We forget that sports are ALSO about entertainment. There's nothing entertaining about having any 10 year stretch of no playoffs even if you have a championship to look back on. I'd much rather take perennial contention with the chance of winning one one of those years than one followed by a decade of irrelevance.
Claude_Verret Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 It's pretty much a no-brainer. True, you need to get into scenarios involving physical pain, embarrassing tattoos and homosexual acts to gauge someone's true breaking point.
sicknfla Posted September 21, 2013 Author Report Posted September 21, 2013 Absolutely the way I feel. I'm a Braves fan. I'd MUCH rather be a Braves fan with 14 straight divisional titles from 1991-2005 and one World Series win in 1995 versus the Florida Marlins, who have two World Series wins and stripped the team down after each and are probably worst run franchise in sports. We forget that sports are ALSO about entertainment. There's nothing entertaining about having any 10 year stretch of no playoffs even if you have a championship to look back on. I'd much rather take perennial contention with the chance of winning one one of those years than one followed by a decade of irrelevance. Well said. I don't think anyone can argue with your example. They still will though.
Sabres Fan in NS Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 After 40+ years of not that much to be happy about ... I'd take one cup even if it meant the Sabres never made the playoff again, ever.
deluca67 Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 Absolutely the way I feel. I'm a Braves fan. I'd MUCH rather be a Braves fan with 14 straight divisional titles from 1991-2005 and one World Series win in 1995 versus the Florida Marlins, who have two World Series wins and stripped the team down after each and are probably worst run franchise in sports. We forget that sports are ALSO about entertainment. There's nothing entertaining about having any 10 year stretch of no playoffs even if you have a championship to look back on. I'd much rather take perennial contention with the chance of winning one one of those years than one followed by a decade of irrelevance. Would you rather be a Braves fan with 24 straight Division Titles and no World Series Championships? As a Red Sox fan I can say without question that winning the World Series in 2004 changes a fan's outlook. I can now watch highlights of Dent's homer or Buckner's error without cringing. Your perspective changes once the ultimate goal is achieved. It turns from "suffering" to "paying your dues as a fan". It makes everything that transpired previous to the Championship seem worth it. IMO, Carolina and Florida are poor examples to use. You are talking about to two fanbases that had their teams payoff pretty quickly. As Claude said, it's been 42 years. You have to keep that in mind.
Claude_Verret Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 Well said. I don't think anyone can argue with your example. They still will though. In 28 out of 42 seasons the Sabres have missed the playoffs or been bounced in the first round. Give me a cup. And if you look at the 9 year stretch from 83-92 the Sabres either missed or were out in round one (essentially the same thing in my book), so we've already pretty much endured the drought from the OP without a cup to show for it. 10 out of 11 seasons fit the above criteria from 81-92 as well (a round 2 exit in 82).
Robviously Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 It's probably a very personal thing, to be honest. If the Bills had won the Super Bowl, for me, it wouldn't have made the past 15 years any better at all--and that doesn't diminish how awesome that one win would have been. Past happiness doesn't make accepting current misery any easier to me. I'm very much an in the moment person, and tend to get over the past (good or bad) pretty quickly. This sort of implies that happiness from the team's performance something like a linear 1-10 scale. And you'd rather have a bunch of 8's (Conference Finals appearances) than one 10 (Stanley Cup) followed by ten 1's (10th overall finishes). I don't think of happiness with the team as a moving average. A championship season is perfect, and it's value never diminishes. Any other season is flawed and not nearly as memorable. To go back to the Angels, the 2002 season is still infinitely more valuable than their more recent ALDS wins against the Yankees in 2005 and the Red Sox in 2009 (both of which were spectacular at the time). It's the last thing we have left to experience and it's also the best thing we have to experience. Would anyone here really like to go their entire lives without seeing the Sabres win the Cup and never know what that feels like? All the playoff appearances in the world wouldn't make up for that. Do you ready think that if the Bills won a Super Bowl or two in the early '90's that would make things easier today? If the Sabres win the cup in '99 does that make suffering now easier? I don't think so. The year that we win it would be like no other. It would be incredible. It would make for great memories. However, no way in hell does that change how we would look at the present. If anything it would only make us want it more. Definitely yes. And I'm speaking from experience. Absolutely the way I feel. I'm a Braves fan. I'd MUCH rather be a Braves fan with 14 straight divisional titles from 1991-2005 and one World Series win in 1995 versus the Florida Marlins, who have two World Series wins and stripped the team down after each and are probably worst run franchise in sports. We forget that sports are ALSO about entertainment. There's nothing entertaining about having any 10 year stretch of no playoffs even if you have a championship to look back on. I'd much rather take perennial contention with the chance of winning one one of those years than one followed by a decade of irrelevance. Well said. I don't think anyone can argue with your example. They still will though. Both options in his example have at least one championship season. One championship changes everything. Otherwise, your life as a fan of that team only gets an "I for Incomplete" (at best).
TrueBlueGED Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 After 40+ years of not that much to be happy about ... I'd take one cup even if it meant the Sabres never made the playoff again, ever. Age matters. I've been a sports fan for probably 23 years, really don't remember anything before that. And I've only been a hard core fan for probably 15 years or so. The prospect of being one of the worst teams possible for the next 50 years is not something I would take even if it meant a Cup this year.
Stoner Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 True, you need to get into scenarios involving physical pain, embarrassing tattoos and homosexual acts to gauge someone's true breaking point. That makes it even no-brainier.
Claude_Verret Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 That makes it even no-brainier. I'm assuming you mean in the other direction, but remember there is a whole spectrum of things that could fall under each category.
IKnowPhysics Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 That's more like it! I'd lop off my left pinky toe for a Cup without hesitation. I think we're all on the same page here. It'll be the weird deformity that all Sabres fans have in common, and it'll be the mark of a champion. Eventually, it'll become a ritual performed during infancy, like a bris.
Stoner Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 Would you do what Andy Dufresne did to escape Shawshank Prison (the climax of the escape, I mean)?
Claude_Verret Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 Would you do what Andy Dufresne did to escape Shawshank Prison (the climax of the escape, I mean)? Would I have immediate access to shower facilities and a full spectrum of antibiotics afterwards? If so, then yes.
Sabres Fan in NS Posted September 21, 2013 Report Posted September 21, 2013 Age matters. I've been a sports fan for probably 23 years, really don't remember anything before that. And I've only been a hard core fan for probably 15 years or so. The prospect of being one of the worst teams possible for the next 50 years is not something I would take even if it meant a Cup this year. Hey, doc. Is that your polite way to tell me that you think that I'm an old guy? :P And you're right.
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