Who Do I Think I Am??

This one's about the long-suffering.

THE PROMPT: "I deserve a ____________. Finish the statement and write about why you deserve it."

I deserve a trophy, dammit.

Ask any Buffalo sports fan what the one thing they want in their lives is, and they'll tell you in no uncertain terms: they want to see the Bills or Sabres win a championship once in their lives.

Sure, we have Buffalo Bandits lacrosse, which has perennially been a powerhouse. And the AAA Bisons have a couple of championships, but that's the minor leagues, and their parent club New York Mets made a mess out of their proud farmhands.

But our city has endured some downright tragic seasons, coupled with some epic meltdowns, when it comes to our major league franchises. Wide Right, anyone? No Goal, anyone?

Wide Right: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Right_(Buffalo_Bills)
No Goal: http://proicehockey.about.com/od/history/f/no_goal.htm

But why do I deserve it? Like many other fans, I stand behind them though the lean times. I may not be at a sold-out stadium or arena, but I watch and hope (and if you don't believe Buffalo to be a die-hard sports town, then explain why Ralph Wilson Stadium is almost always sold out even though the Bills haven't made the playoffs in over a decade, and First Niagara Center is pretty much sold out for the entire upcoming hockey season). I'm one of the many fans whose next day almost hinges on the outcome of the event the night before.

We don't just watch the games. We turn them into something bigger than they really are, even when we have no reason to. They're a reason for us to come together...when we have nothing else, we've got the game. We buy the merchandise, year-in and year-out. And most importantly, against all better judgement, we hope. When the odds are stacked against us, we find every angle that gives us 1% more of a reason to believe the outcome will be in our favor. Occasionally, we're even rewarded.

I don't deserve a trophy. WE, the city of Buffalo, deserves a trophy. Not just for our own devotion, but for those who came before us to bring, sponsor, support, and ensure we'd still have teams to root for many, many years later.

MUSICAL BREAK:

Totally unrelated, I was flipping through a magazine earlier and came across the mention of this song... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrIy9zm7QY

Right about now, Bills fans have reason to BILL-ieve.

VITAL STATS:

I'm not quite delusional enough to think the Bills are going to contend for the Super Bowl this year, but they had maybe their most important victory in at least the last 10 years today, over one of the best teams in the league over the same period of time. http://wgr550.com/BILLS-BEAT-PATRIOTS-34-31-/11013769

Plenty of optimism and high expectations for the Sabres this year, even though they lost their first game of the preseason today. Hey, nobody goes 82-0 in hockey anyway.

A very sporting entry, but you can't hold it against me. It's been a very, very big day for me and a lot of other people...an emotional day as well. I kid you not when I say we live and die by our teams. Today, we live. GOODNIGHT NOW!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSbBvKaM6sk&ob=av2e