Who’s More Popular, the Bills Or Sabres?

It’s that time of the year. The temperature starts to cool down, football kicks off and hockey is not far behind. Lately I’ve been involved in several discussions about which Buffalo sports team is more popular? Is it the Bills, or is it the Sabres?

I asked that question on our facebook page. Here are some comments:

Michelle Brennan Totally the Sabres!!! :)

Sam Martinez - sabers but I'm excited about football season not the bills

Julianne Lobsinger - Both!

Jessie Mcnerney - Sabres

Elizabeth Kwiecinski - Sabres!

Tim Scherer - Go Sabres!

Jim Korleski - SABRES!!!!!!

Maureen Casali - SABRES!!!

Back in the day, when the Bills were marching towards four straight super bowls everybody talked about the team. You couldn't go into a Tops supermarket and not see everybody in a Bills parka!  Merchandise was at a premium, and the Monday morning buzz about the game was intense. The Sabres took a back seat. Buffalo was a football town that happened to have a hockey team.

Ten years of not making the playoffs can change things dramatically. I’ve been going to Bills game since 1982. So I’ve been there through good times and bad. Remember the Hank Bullough-Kay Stephenson years, ouch!

Now is not the time for the Bills to be making enemies of their fan base. The new parking plan will get its first real test this Sunday at the home opener against Oakland. I will be at the game, and I’m predicating disaster trying to get into the stadium. Alcohol continues to be a problem, because when you’re a losing team, long time football fans stay home. But the party crowd always shows up.    

However the Sabres are in high gear! Tom Golisano  may have saved the team, but new owner Terry Pugula has kicked it into high gear. So far he’s done everything right. From signing big free agents to bringing the Rochester Americans back into the Sabres family.

So the pendulum has swung the other way. Buffalo is now a hockey town that happens to have a football team. Now if the Bills take care of Oakland this week like they did with Kansas City last week, things could get interesting! Go Bills and go Sabres!