Ravenweb Blog

Super Bowl week can be tough on Bills fans. On the one hand, the coverage and retrospectives force reflection on probably the greatest run in the franchise, but one that did not end with a championship. Lately, Super Bowls are a reminder of how irrelevant the Bills have become and how far they are from even competing for a playoff spot, let along reaching a Super Bowl. It’s now been twelve years since the Bills last played a playoff game. This was the “Music City Miracle” against the Tennessee Titans that was played on January 8, 2000. Think that was long ago? The last time the Bills appeared in a Super Bowl was eighteen years ago, in Super Bowl XXVII, when the Bills lost to the Cowboys, 30-13. The date of that game was January 30, 1994. Since then, seventeen Super Bowls have been played, with another one coming this Sunday. To crystallize the long run of Bills futility and remind everyone how long it's really been, I’ve listed 46 facts about 1994. One for each Sup...

After sharing the Buffalo and Cleveland post that compared sports failures between the two cities, I wanted to follow up with something positive. I've been tossing some ideas around when a co-worked forwarded me this great clip from the 1978 NBA All-Star game featuring Randy Smith (a former Buffalo Brave) going on a tear and hitting shot after shot. When I saw this, I knew immediately this was what I wanted to post. Enjoy!

I'm a Buffalo sports fan, but I found myself acutely disappointed when LeBron James choose the Miami Heat over the Cleveland Cavaliers. You see, it's not easy being a Buffalo sports fans, with the Bills' four Super Bowl losses and the Sabres' inability to win the Stanley Cup. I've always felt that the only fans who truly understand the continual disappointment and ache of no championships are Cleveland sports fans. So, somewhere along the way, I've become a stand-in Cleveland fan, and I always cheer for Cleveland teams to win when they make the playoffs (excepting on the rare occasion when the Browns and Bills meet in the post-season, when I root for the Bills). This year was no different, and I really thought it was the Cavs' year and LeBron would lead them over the top. It was obviously not to be, though. But the Cavs' loss to the Celtics and LeBron's decision to play for Miami got me thinking about other famous sports letdowns and disappointme...

I am an optimist. I believe that people are basically decent, and I believe in the kindness of strangers. I feel that despite the immense challenges of climate change, we will all come together and figure out a way forward. I believe that in the U.S. we will reduce the deficit and eventually make health-care work for everyone. I sense that my daughter and others in her generation will find new ways to solve old problems. I know that there really are second chances and people can succeed when they are determined and work hard. I believe in spring dawning and the promise of a new day. I suspect that it's not a coincidence that people with a positive outlook have more good luck than their more negative counterparts. I embrace sport, and truly believe that there's always next year, and next season. I believe that you play to the end , and keep your head held high, no matter the score. I resist misery loving company, and never cheer against a team that hasn'...

I never post about sports, but I had to post something about Terrell Owens signing with the Bills [1]. My first reaction was utter shock and disbelief. Terrell Owens is a high-maintenance, bright lights, football celebrity. Buffalo is the last place one would expect him to land. Granted, it's a business and money is a powerful lure, but it's still surreal, like a philosophical category mistake: green ideas sleep furiously. Or, in football parlance, epicanthic footballs prevaricate fulsomely. [1] For those of you who don't know me, I reside in Buffalo, NY.

Congratulations to former Bills running back Thurman Thomas for being elected today to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Thomas was a consummate Bill and the linchpin of the great Buffalo teams from the late 80s and early 90s that won four straight AFC titles before losing in each Super Bowl. Though Thomas had some tough moments in big games, including when he misplaced his helmet in Super Bowl XXVI and when he fumbled in Super Bowl XXVIII, he had a great career, amassing 12,074 yards rushing and 16,532 yards from scrimmage. He always played hard and gave everything he had. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is richer for his inclusion.