I finally figured out what’s different about today. The day after a Bills game. I’m happy. As a longtime, long suffering Bills fan. I’M ACTUALLY HAPPY.
Not just relieved, or optimistic, or hopeful….although I’m feeling those emotions as well.
Nope, I’m happy. Emphatically and unequivocally happy.
Not just because the Bills beat the Patriots. But don’t you just love saying that? The Bills beat the Patriots. The Bills beat the Patriots. The Bills beat the friggin’ Patriots.
It’s the way we beat them. We won the kind of game THEY would have won (and did win) numerous times during the now-ended 15-game losing streak. We got four interceptions. (Four! On Brady!) We came back from a 21-point deficit. We got some lucky breaks (An interception in the end zone called back because of pass interference? That’s Brady’s kind of break, not ours) Our players didn’t commit stupid penalties at critical moments. (Hello, Vince Wolfork) An instant replay actually worked in our favor. Our coach DIDN’T have a temper tantrum. Our coach DID manage the clock brilliantly at the end of the game.
Admit it. When the officials called that penalty on Byrd (a really, really bad call….the kind they usually make against the Bills when they play the Patriots) we thought it was coming. The refs were giving the game away. The Pats were going to do what they always do against the Bills. The streak was going to continue.
But who’d have thunk that Brady would throw an interception ON THE NEXT PLAY. That’s when it was clear. This year is different.
Think about it. When was the last time we could say we’re happy? You know, giddy? Jubilant?
I gave that some thought and concluded the last time I felt that way as a Bills fan was when this happened:
Yep, 20 years ago this year. 51-3. We were on top of the world then. We were going to our first Super Bowl. And we knew….we just knew….we were going to win it. But that was before the phrase “Wide Right” would symbolize much more than a missed field goal….it would symbolize an entire cosmic alliance against Western New York.
After that first Super Bowl loss, and the three blowouts that followed, we went from happy and hopeful to praying the Bills wouldn’t get back to the big game again….or at least not embarrass us.
After that...what did we have to be happy about? Flutie gave us hope, but that didn’t last. Bledsoe? Not even one full season of optimism. Wait….there was the time the Bills started out 4-0 in 2008, and we thought Trent Edwards might be the guy….but we crashed back to earth harder than Edwards’ head hit the turf in Arizona.
Nope….mostly it’s been disappointment, anger, embarrassment……mixed with resignation that things might never get better.
We all know that in the NFL as in life, good things don’t always come to those who wait. And 3-0 in September could lead to 0-4 in November.
But it’s good right now. Real good.
So thank you Freddy & Fitz, the no-name receiving corps, and the sticky-fingered defensive backs….thank you Chan and Buddy….even Ralph. (Yeah, why not? I’m in a good mood)
It’s happy time. And doesn’t that feel good?
No comments:
Post a Comment