We'll Get 'Em Next Year

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The city is in darkness this morning. There is a din of denial and a feeling of emptiness on each and every street. The Bills lost again last night. Four in a row after such a promising start. It seems that all hope is lost. The town will now suffer not only from four straight Super Bowl losses, but also the indignity of having the team with the longest playoff drought in the parity-driven NFL. (Arizona will break their string this year).

So what?

73,000 crazed fans filled the Ralph last night. The place was absolutely crazy for the start of the game. People without shirts, people with painted faces. Signs that proclaimed Buffalo as the number one NFL city.

As I watched the start of the game - I didn't even consider watching the whole thing -(I was gone by halftime) - I thought of the Super Bowl years and how proud I was to see the city represented to an entire world.

I guess now I worry more about hospitals, libraries and museums closing. Yet I'm not Bills bashing here- I'm trying real hard to be optimistic.

The writing appears to be on the wall. The team is in last place with about 6 teams ahead of them for the last playoff berth. They no longer look like world beaters, and yet, there is hope!

In January after the Giants, or the Cowboys, or the Patriots, or the Titans win the Super Bowl (okay my Pittsburgh audience) or the Steelers! - people will start talking about the draft. The Bills will pick in the top 15 and the debate will begin. Then there will be free agents, and the excitement of another training camp. Someone will mention that the team looks good and that the playoff drought is over.

And the games will start and the stadium will be full again. And we will continue to believe here in Buffalo. And it will go on that way until the greed of the league rips the team from us, or the entire city closes down for lack of work. Until then, just dream, baby dream - "We'll get 'em next year!"

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