It's Not Just a Game

It's just a game. That's what non-football or non-Bills fans will tell you. If you are a Bills fan, then you know what it's like to sit through a game literally wondering if years of your life are being taken off due to the amount of stress you are feeling. I monitor my blood pressure on a regular basis. I know not to take it during a game.

I tell myself every year that I will keep my emotions in check and yet, every year when the pre-season starts I become an overzealous fan, actually screaming at the tv as if they could hear me. Playoffs? That's a whole different level of craziness. Here is a sample from a playoff round a few seasons back when apparently one of my children was taking note of my outbursts.

That's just a little taste of what it's like to watch a game with me. I make no apologies with the exception of scaring my beautiful grandaughter during one of the games. I'm a lot to take in on a daily basis, even more so, during a Bills game. She is the only reason I can keep myself in check during a game. Otherwise, there's no telling what will happen.

I'm not alone. There's more of me out there. We have found each other this week in grocery stores, churches, libraries, you name it. One patron even announced that she wanted to adopt Josh Allen, which I didn't think would go over well with his mother. We have tried to keep each other calm. "Billeve", we say. Be hopeful. It's our time. Enough already with Kansas City.#sorrynotsorry

Yes, I know we are the team that lost the big game 4 times. I am also the one who made cut outs of the Bills team, numbered them and even turned the dough for the kicker so he looked like a kicker. My friend found the cookie after the game and bit his leg off after he didn't make the field goal. Oh, sometimes, the Bills really make us want to really shout". We have grown since then, we have learned a lot and here we are knocking at the Superbowl door.

i wish I wasn't so invested in this game, yet I am. Regardless of the outcome, I'll be back next season and the one after that. (I'm reminding myself of this to stay calm.) If there's one thing you can say about Buffalo Bills fans, it's that their loyalty knows no bounds. We went to a game in Seattle this season, and I could swear half the crowd consisted of Bills fans. The Bills table-breaking mafia donating to Ravens' Mark Andrews' charity? #iykyk That's absolutely incredible.

In a nation so polarized in so many ways, it is good to have a team to cheer for whose fan base is not only fierce but compassionate and forgiving. If I'm honest, that's exactly what I cherish about my own life. I have a group of friends and family who cheer me on, call me out when they need to, show grace and remain steadfast even when my performance is less than stellar. Shout out to the Sharon Mafia!

By the time some of you come across this blog, the game will be over. Some of you might not even be aware of the result because you don't keep up with football. (That's likely beneficial for your long-term well-being.) For diehard Bills fans, come what may, we'll still be here and our blood pressure will go back to normal eventually. In the meantime, "where would you rather be, than right here, right now?" Go Bills!

Coffee talk question:

If you follow football, who's your favorite team and are you an over zealous fan too?