Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills resurgence has captivated Buffalo sports fans and kept the city from thinking hockey-first. While the Sabres will lose top billing for the time being, they will benefit from a shared spotlight.
Just six and a half short months ago Terry Pegula looked down at Gilbert Perreault and cried. That action galvanized nearly every sports fan in Buffalo. It was an act that began to turn Buffalo into a true hockey town.
Pegula immediately put his plan into action to create Hockey Heaven. As the season wore down his team clawed their way into the playoffs and pushed the defending Eastern Conference Champions to the brink of elimination.
Once the summer hit, Pegula kept rolling. He unleashed Darcy Regier, who quickly brought in high-priced troops to improve the Sabres roster. Pegula’s team began a massive remodeling of the locker facilities in the First Niagara Center. Renovations were made to the concession areas and every slug logo, short of the ones on the banners, were stripped from the arena. Life in Pegulaville was in full swing.
All of this action swept Sabres fans off their feet while the NFL lockout was in full effect. Now, the “lockout” was a complete sham and only a few pieces of the NFL offseason were lost. There was never a threat of games being missed. However, the exasperated Buffalo fan base was just about ready to push the Bills aside, as a roster of undrafted free agents and no-names opened training camp.
The Bills were moving well into the periphery of the Buffalo sports scene. Pegula’s winning attitude had begun the transformation. Then the Fitzmagic show began.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson and Stevie Johnson – along with the rest of the Buffalo Bills – broke off 41 points and whooped on the Kansas City Chiefs in week one. They followed it with two remarkable comebacks in weeks two and three. The second comeback against the mighty New England Patriots and their feathery-haired, Ugg-wearing quarterback.
Ryan Fitzpatrick saved the Bills from becoming an afterthought, he may have also kept Buffalo from becoming a city that thinks hockey first and football second.
By no means is this a bad thing. I love the Bills more than most things in the world. The Sabres, hockey and the NHL will always hold a higher place in my heart, but that is just the way I was brought up. Still, the institution of Bills football in Buffalo should never suffer – God forbid if the team were to leave.
The fact of the matter is, the Bills had become a tired joke of a franchise. They made bad draft choices, rarely re-signed players and often thought bottom line over offensive line. After 11 years out of the playoffs the fan base almost seemed to accept the fact that the team was just here. They weren’t going to push for the playoffs, let alone a Super Bowl, and they would probably be in the running for a top-five draft pick.
Meanwhile, Pegula & Co. were leading a dynamic overhaul of a team that, while slightly more competitive than the Bills, often looked to the bottom line before considering the on-ice product. With the changes and excitement at the F’N Center, it was easy to jump on the Sabres bandwagon. They’re a team that is going places. The Bills, quite simply, were stuck in neutral.
But the Beard managed to wrestle top billing away from the Sabres. Now national outlets have to take a good, honest look at Buffalo, rather than piecing together old stereotypes. The excitement over the Bills – and Sabres – has bred a healthy sports scene in Buffalo, that is the best thing for both teams.
The Sabres are expected to be very good this season. They have made significant improvements along the blueline and added a key offensive cog. Ryan Miller finally has a capable backup and will greatly benefit from a stout defensive corps and additional rest. Had the Bills stumbled out of the gate all of the focus would be on the Sabres. While on-ice success would eliminate any pressure, a slow start from the Sabres would have the fans a media brandishing torches on Washington Street. If the Bills had failed Buffalo would officially be a hockey town and the Sabres would have no room for error.
The Bills hot start kept them relevant and may shield the Sabres from unnecessary scrutiny. The 2011-12 season will not be like others. The Sabres will not linger in the background while the Bills get top billing prior to their official elimination from the playoffs. Expect the teams to share the spotlight. The Bills will get quite a bit of attention as the season progresses, but the Sabres facelift has made them a serious attraction in Buffalo, they won’t go long without major attention.
Hockey season started early in Buffalo, but the Bills could be hanging around until January. In no way is that a bad thing.
Two in the Box 