No one knows suffering better than lifelong Buffalo Bills fans. We always know that it’s going to end badly. The “fun” is in finding out how! Can’t wait for the season to start and to begin the process of having my heart extracted yet again. Go Bills!
"This isn’t routine and it isn’t easy, it’s oddly creative and legitimately hard to do. This is losing as high art." Brilliantly put - though it's a statement that also perfectly describes the act of drinking a Miller Lite while cheering for the Vikings. :)
I grew up in a house of split allegiances: Dad is a Packers fan, Mom a Lions fan. They used to watch in separate rooms when the teams played each other. I avoided both by adopting the Bears, which I'm not sure was much better of a choice.
Similarly to your point (that there needs to be a glimmer of hope to feel real pain) I really felt for the Lions when Barry Sanders retired unexpectedly. Whilst they were never going to win a Super Bowl, even I enjoyed watching Lions games when he was on the field. The second best player to put on a Lions jersey (after George Plimpton).
I have always said be a Lions fan is easy, if they wine 1-5 games they have exceeded expectations this year could be our first real let down, since Barry or Calvin retired early, both of whom are totally blameless for being tired of playing for that team.
Just to give you hope that you will eventually age out of this, I read years ago that age is best seen as a time when you have diminished passions. I have seen it, I am seeing it up close in my 8th decade. Peace awaits.
As a long suffering Bears fan who does have a Super Bowl in my lifetime, though I was young and don't remember much, and have the injustice of spending half of my life living along the Wisconsin/Illinois border dealing with pompous Packer fans, with their Brett Favre then Aaron Rodgers. We have been the epitome of bad NFL play. In a league of QB's, our best is a guy named Sid Luckman who retired in 1950. I feel we deserve our rightful place in the dregs of NFL play. I will agree that the Lions are worse and are the only NFC North team I feel no disdain for, but over the past 20 years the Packers (clearly) and the Vikings have been better. Since 2000, the Vikings have 19 more wins than the Bears.
I grew up a KC Chiefs fan. During decades of suffering we used to be included in these sorts of lists. The lovable losers that can't quite figure out how to get out of their own way. For years, we would find ourselves accidentally making a wild card spot for the playoffs, hopes raised high, only to have them dashed with a humiliated loss. One year I watched as the Titans Qb threw a touchdown to himself. Another Andrew Luck and the Colts staged the most improbable of comebacks. Of course things have changed.
I don't miss being on these lists. Like most Chiefs fans, I enjoy an embarrassment of riches at the moment. I'll be rooting for your Vikings Coggins, that is unless they are playing Mahomes and the Chiefs.
That is an intriguing statement. Either you were a New England fan, and you realized no game is ever over and feel like Brady is the best thing ever. Or you are an Atlanta fan and swore off the game wholeheartedly? Care to elaborate?
Falcons fan, I thought it would be obvious but I see your point. As an Atlanta fan I think there was only one moment where I actually thought they did it. It was probably one play before everything started to go wrong. I almost expected to see the Falcons on this list just for that game but I know they don’t have the same tortured or as long of a history as some of these franchises.
And to answer your question I did not swear off the game entirely but it did make me question why I would care so much about a game and a team I just happen to be a fan of because where of where I was raised.
I would like to interrupt this pity party to remind everyone that the Vikings, Jets, and Bills have played in their conference championship games this century, unlike, say, the Dallas Freaking Cowboys.
No one knows suffering better than lifelong Buffalo Bills fans. We always know that it’s going to end badly. The “fun” is in finding out how! Can’t wait for the season to start and to begin the process of having my heart extracted yet again. Go Bills!
"This isn’t routine and it isn’t easy, it’s oddly creative and legitimately hard to do. This is losing as high art." Brilliantly put - though it's a statement that also perfectly describes the act of drinking a Miller Lite while cheering for the Vikings. :)
Here's to hoping Jordan Love pans out.
(Sorry, David.)
I grew up in a house of split allegiances: Dad is a Packers fan, Mom a Lions fan. They used to watch in separate rooms when the teams played each other. I avoided both by adopting the Bears, which I'm not sure was much better of a choice.
Similarly to your point (that there needs to be a glimmer of hope to feel real pain) I really felt for the Lions when Barry Sanders retired unexpectedly. Whilst they were never going to win a Super Bowl, even I enjoyed watching Lions games when he was on the field. The second best player to put on a Lions jersey (after George Plimpton).
I have always said be a Lions fan is easy, if they wine 1-5 games they have exceeded expectations this year could be our first real let down, since Barry or Calvin retired early, both of whom are totally blameless for being tired of playing for that team.
Just to give you hope that you will eventually age out of this, I read years ago that age is best seen as a time when you have diminished passions. I have seen it, I am seeing it up close in my 8th decade. Peace awaits.
Sorry about BD Nick, but we Eagles fans had suffered decades of disappointment prior to that.
As a long suffering Bears fan who does have a Super Bowl in my lifetime, though I was young and don't remember much, and have the injustice of spending half of my life living along the Wisconsin/Illinois border dealing with pompous Packer fans, with their Brett Favre then Aaron Rodgers. We have been the epitome of bad NFL play. In a league of QB's, our best is a guy named Sid Luckman who retired in 1950. I feel we deserve our rightful place in the dregs of NFL play. I will agree that the Lions are worse and are the only NFC North team I feel no disdain for, but over the past 20 years the Packers (clearly) and the Vikings have been better. Since 2000, the Vikings have 19 more wins than the Bears.
I grew up a KC Chiefs fan. During decades of suffering we used to be included in these sorts of lists. The lovable losers that can't quite figure out how to get out of their own way. For years, we would find ourselves accidentally making a wild card spot for the playoffs, hopes raised high, only to have them dashed with a humiliated loss. One year I watched as the Titans Qb threw a touchdown to himself. Another Andrew Luck and the Colts staged the most improbable of comebacks. Of course things have changed.
I don't miss being on these lists. Like most Chiefs fans, I enjoy an embarrassment of riches at the moment. I'll be rooting for your Vikings Coggins, that is unless they are playing Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Ouch.
Sincerely,
WNY
Phenomenal piece David.
But has your team ever blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl? *sighs from Atlanta*
That was…as bad as it gets.
I was at this game, changed my relationship with football and sports in general forever...
That is an intriguing statement. Either you were a New England fan, and you realized no game is ever over and feel like Brady is the best thing ever. Or you are an Atlanta fan and swore off the game wholeheartedly? Care to elaborate?
No Pats fans are allowed to comment in this space.
Falcons fan, I thought it would be obvious but I see your point. As an Atlanta fan I think there was only one moment where I actually thought they did it. It was probably one play before everything started to go wrong. I almost expected to see the Falcons on this list just for that game but I know they don’t have the same tortured or as long of a history as some of these franchises.
And to answer your question I did not swear off the game entirely but it did make me question why I would care so much about a game and a team I just happen to be a fan of because where of where I was raised.
I would like to interrupt this pity party to remind everyone that the Vikings, Jets, and Bills have played in their conference championship games this century, unlike, say, the Dallas Freaking Cowboys.
Oh poor Cowboys fans who built a dynasty on our idiotic Herschel Walker trade.
It is better to have traded for Herschel Walker than to have voted for him