Is it Really, "Just a Game"?

Kick Off 2022 Starts Tonight! So forgive me for being a little verclempt (...apologies to Mike Myers). Growing up with an Italian mother who never understood the passion for sports, it was a familiar refrain from her when I wouldn’t come to the table for Sunday sauce until halftime cause OJ was on the loose, or Joe Cribbs was rumbling, or Bobby Chandler and Joe Ferguson were connecting. “Get in here!” She would yell. “It’s just a game!”?Oh man the passion that was embedded in me as I watched 2-12 seasons and then 2-14 seasons. And having Hank Bullough, Kay Stephenson and even worse Rex Ryan break my heart each year. Each year starting with such hope. And ending in the typical tears.

Sure there were some good years. The early 80’s with Fred Smerlas, “The Bermuda Triangle”, the aforementioned Joe Cribbs running in the mud in San Francisco to cement a division title. There were tears when my favorite human on earth, (aside from my mother....??) Joe Ferguson was traded to Detroit. And don’t get me started with the FOUR Super Bowl run (...and losses ??). Losing the first was devastating. The Bills had the best offense and the best defense in the league. 7.5 point favorites. They ‘cant lose’ I thought. Boy, was I wrong. That loss stayed with me for weeks. Sleepless nights. Horrible dreams. I still to this day, when seeing replays of “wide right”, think maybe THIS TIME it will go through.

So why do you ask, do I have such an affinity for this band of ‘losers’ over the years??Its hard to say. Especially all the hard luck and enduring all the painful ways they have lost over the years. “The Lake Erie Curse”. (See Cleveland as well for explanation).?Having a brother that mocked them as well as cousins and friends that followed the Dolphins, Packers and Steelers. Who all just kept winning while the Bills continued losing just made me want them to win even more. How many teams have games named after them? "Music City Miracle" (it was CLEARLY a forward lateral), "Wide Right"... and I'll even throw in "Hail Murray!" and more recently, "13-seconds"!

How does a team that has 5 fumbles in an entire season season, end up with FIVE, yes FIVE in the most important game of the year (Nine turnovers overall if you count Jim Kelly's 2-INT's and Frank Reich's 2 -INT's) in a 52-17 loss to the Cowboys in the 1993 Super Bowl?

And all the pain. All the stinking pain made me try so hard to take Mom’s words and believe them. I kept telling myself “It IS just a game”. These guys don’t give me money. Don’t pay my bills. Don’t do anything for ME!?So why am I so connected?

Losing to the Pats on Sunday Night somehow, up by 9 with 2 minutes left. Impossible to lose this one. Oh Leodis (McKelvin)!

Losing to the Cowboys on Monday Night up by 11 with the clock ticking down, it would be impossible to lose this one. Oh T.O. (Terrell Owens)!

JP Losman’s fumble against the Jets, a pass interference call on Henry Jones on a Hail Mary (Who throws a flag on this!?!?!) and an untimed down TD to Ben Coates to lose. A TD by Jacksonville in the back of the end zone with no time left. Video replays that are so stinkin’ obvious, not over turned. 17-years of missing the playoffs. Dick Jauron, Doug Marrone, Mike Malarcky, REX RYAN. The curse is real my friend. MAKE IT STOP!!

...And then 2017 happened. Brandon Beane. Sean McDermott. And yes, Josh Allen (Drafted #7 in 2018). Living in Massachusetts since 2003, I watched the Pats win EVERYTHING. I endured a 3-30 record against them. Tom Brady! Ugh. Watching everyone celebrate victory after victory and Super Bowl after Super Bowl was horrendous for a fan of a perennial loser. But Beane and McDermott would change that. Not to mention Josh. The QB that was destined to be a bust. ‘You can’t teach accuracy’. Another ‘bone head’ pick they said. Typical Bills. He’s another JP, another EJ. QB after QB waltzed through Buffalo since our man Jim Kelly retired. But Allen was going to be different.

Making that first playoff game in 2017 (with Tyrod Taylor at QB....) was a mini Super Bowl as it got the monkey off our back a tad. Sure the loss hurt. But it was a baby step. Another trip back with our stud QB in 2019 ended in another typical painful loss. Up by 16 at half. Only to lose 22-19 in OT. The media and the ‘friends’ then pile on, on how horrible the QB is. He wont ‘take you anywhere’. Hmmmmmm.

Then in 2020. An AFC Division Championship in our pocket. First time in 25 years!?Record after record for Josh Allen who re-wrote the Bills record books for passing. Most TD’s in a season. Most Yards in a season. Most Total TD’s in a season (37 passing, 8 rushing, 1 receiving). A Super Wild Card Weekend win over the Colts. First playoff win since December 1995! And then.... another loss to the hated Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. Some respect gained, but still to be so close and not reach the prize. The CURSE!

Then in 2021, ANOTHER division crown. First back to back since 1991-1993 era of Bills Football. This was the team to do it! Josh killing it. Demolishing the hated Pats in the 'perfect game'. The #1 Defense, an offense hitting on all cylinders, we CANT LOSE! Or can we? Yet again the CURSE reared its ugly head and the IMPOSSIBLE came true as a 3 point lead with 13-seconds left evaporated, a coin flip and the ultimate loss. MORE HEART BREAK!

Now its 2022. Every prognosticator within ear shot says this is the Bills year. Its the "Year of the Buffalo"! We are no longer the under-dog. Now WE have the bulls-eye on us. How can it be?? The CURSE will be real until this team holds that trophy in their hands and Kyle Brandt is leading the victory parade down Main Street Buffalo! But lets not celebrate yet. “Its just a game”. Oh man. I sometimes wish I ‘billieved’ that. But a city. A fanbase. And my household just can’t swallow that.

I hope this is the year we do it. I hope this is the year they can put the ‘lovable losers’ tag to rest. But to say its “just a game”? No way Mom.

Go Bills!