Why the Bandits are better than the Sabres (or Bills)

[buffmattky]

chime in with your own reason but here's a few:

1. fans are more supportive and more into the game (I've been to recent Sabres playoff games and they are BORING compared to Bandits REGULAR SEASON games, let alone last night's playoff game)

2. the players are actually there to play, not just to get paid: I'll take John Tavares, Rich Kilgour, or either Goalie (Thompson/Montour) over Ryan Miller, Chris Drury, Danny Briere, etc. ANY DAY

3. the NLL is everything the NHL wishes it could be: more scoring, better hitting, faster action, WAY BETTER FIGHTING.

4. I spend $22 for a seat two rows from the glass to watch REAL athletes as opposed to suckers spending $60 or more to watch players who suck and make excuses like "oh, we didn't play a full 60 minutes tonight...." what a load of crap.

I don't care what anyone says: IF YOU WERE A REAL BUFFALO SPORTS FAN YOU WOULD BE A BANDITS SEASONTICKET HOLDER....

[shotgun]

thay score more goals! lol

[Darksyde]

I like the Bills, I like the Sabres......but I would be more dissappointed to see the Bandits leave town than either of the other 2. There's just something about the bandits that the other 2 don't have. I get more hyped,anxious,nervous,crazy and just plain excited at a Bandits game. I have been to alot of Bills and Sabres games.....just not the same. However the Bills are closer to it than the Sabres. Too many suits in the crowd txt'n on their blackberry's and Treo's not enough diehards.

[SabresFan220]

Well the Bandits have won 2 championships and have an undefeated season to their credit.

[Darksyde]

Well the Bandits have won 2 championships and have an undefeated season to their credit.

22 wins in a row.....those were the days

[shotgun]

Well the Bandits have won 2 championships and have an undefeated season to their credit.

thats 3 championships,. 92-93-96

[atomheart]

They employ a goalie who probably couldn't run a mile without dying. Now that SCREAMS Buffalo

[charbs]

It's the NLL and no one watches it really. I support the Bandits because I am from Buffalo. But it's not a major sport and we can't pretend that they are on the same level as the NHL or NFL. An NFL franchise can be worth over a billion dollars. Its like comparing Nascar with go karts. Come on now..

[24Impala]

:rofl:

[The Philster]

As far as my love of the sports goes
1. Bills
2. Bandits
3. Sabres

I could say that the NLL players are more easy to talk to than NFL players or NHL players and that's true because they unwind with the fans after the game. At the same time, you have to wonder that if the NFL (and NHL for that matter) were a more grassroots league, it might be the same way. I really think the fans are, as a whole, responsible for NFL and NHL players seeming to be less accessible. Some NFL players are just as down to earth as anyone else. Over the years, I've talked to a lot of Bills players that've come across as down to earth to some extent...because I talked to them like a person...not as some type of hero worship.
The advantage of the NLL being a smaller league, with the players holding down real jobs during the week, is that the players aren't generally full of themselves because they don't have as many fans putting them up on pedestals

[billsfan69]

As far as my love of the sports goes
1. Bills
2. Bandits
3. Sabres

I could say that the NLL players are more easy to talk to than NFL players or NHL players and that's true because they unwind with the fans after the game. At the same time, you have to wonder that if the NFL (and NHL for that matter) were a more grassroots league, it might be the same way. I really think the fans are, as a whole, responsible for NFL and NHL players seeming to be less accessible. Some NFL players are just as down to earth as anyone else. Over the years, I've talked to a lot of Bills players that've come across as down to earth to some extent...because I talked to them like a person...not as some type of hero worship.
The advantage of the NLL being a smaller league, with the players holding down real jobs during the week, is that the players aren't generally full of themselves because they don't have as many fans putting them up on pedestals

That's the thing. If you treat most NFL or NHL players like normal human beings, they will seem down to earth. Unfortunately most fans just drool over them, and will go interrupt them when they are out to dinner.

[The Philster]

That's the thing. If you treat most NFL or NHL players like normal human beings, they will seem down to earth. Unfortunately most fans just drool over them, and will go interrupt them when they are out to dinner.

Exactly. BRUCE Smith, when he was playing, used to go to Big Tree after a lot of the games...didn't usually get hassled for autographs because people knew better. I've said hi to him...great game..shook his hand...stuff like that plenty of times....no problems...he was real cordial. But I remember in 1998, after a preseason game, he had just walked in and some lady started bugging him for an autograph. He didn't even wait for his drink...he just left. I couldn't blame him. He wasn't there as part of a post game party to meet and greet the fans..he just wanted to unwind

[MacRazor]

I love 'em all really but the Bandits do give me more bang for the buck. Do I wish the NLL was up there with the NFL/NHL? Not really, simply because it doesn't need to be huge. It's fine the way it is right now.

[BanditsRock11]

The Bandits franchise has been far more successful than the Sabres, and thats a fact. The fans are way better too. Louder, more knowledgeable, and better support. The Sabres have the biggest bandwagon, lame fans I've ever seen.

I went to a Sabres game the year after the lockout, in January, and my friend and I were the only people in our section, and now, everyone is a "huge Sabres fan" and has always been one. Yeah, ok.

[MacRazor]

answer me this...can 9300 Sabres fans bring as much noise as 9300 Bandits fans?

I know, it's a trick question...answer to follow soon!

[Darksyde]

Thats not a fair question. It's hard for suits holding blackberrys to clap.

[M76]

yea all 11,000 fans at the semi finals game on a sat night, what is the excuse

[BanditsRock11]

yea all 11,000 fans at the semi finals game on a sat night, what is the excuse

Easy.

They drew 16,000 at the last home game in the regular season, and averaged 15,200 all season long.

The playoffs in the NLL are always a tough draw. First of all, you only have a week to 6 days to promote the game, because you don't know where, or if you'll be playing so you can't really adverstise it. League wide attendance is usally lower the first round, then a little bit more the second round, and a big turn out for the finals.


With all the bandwagoners in this city, once they hear theres going to be a championship game played in the HSBC, and a chance for the first title in 12 years in the arena, they'll come.

I expect lots of ads and TV time this week, and expect a sellout on Saturday.

[MacRazor]

To expand a bit...

We drew well during the season because of the promotions. In the playoffs it's a different animal really. 1st the Sabres don't like to spend money so ad $ is limited and with no "run-up" time it's even harder. Relying on 3 local TV stations to get the word out isn't very good either because Buffalo NEEDS to know all about the Bills undrafted free agents and what color laces are in Pommer's skates. Good lord how could i ever get to sleep without that info?

I don't expect a sellout but it'll be close and my butt'll be there. Not sure if your hating on us there M76 but you might have a new favorite team to root for after Saturday if ya just give it a go.

[The Philster]

300s are open

[buffmattky]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVoZia3J8qU&feature=related

you so-called Buffalo sports fans can have your "I go 'cause it's cool to go" Sabres....

I'd rather watch a team of players who play for the love of the game not the money and be with fans who love the game just as much.

LET'S GO BANDITS!!!

[buffmattky]

oh, and that fact that my tickets aren't being raised to an average price of $48.75 :D

[Buffalo87]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVoZia3J8qU&feature=related

you so-called Buffalo sports fans can have your "I go 'cause it's cool to go" Sabres....

I'd rather watch a team of players who play for the love of the game not the money and be with fans who love the game just as much.

LET'S GO BANDITS!!!

...cool dude...

[stevesy]

Is there really such a shortage of people who care that you are inclined to come onto the Sabres message board to provoke people? I respect that you like NLL and the Bandits so much but really, you're gonna need to get over the fact that no one else cares.

Well, as I've said before, outside of the small niche of fans on this board and the small followings of teams in the cities that host them... Why not go discuss it with them? Invade some shitty NLL team's board and brag about the Bandits. I'm sure they'll care marginally more than I do.

[mosuavea]

Tape delayed

[Darksyde]

Merged the 2 threads, there was no need to jump into the sabres forum with it.

[Mouldsie]

i dont get this thread

[buffmattky]

Is there really such a shortage of people who care that you are inclined to come onto the Sabres message board to provoke people? I respect that you like NLL and the Bandits so much but really, you're gonna need to get over the fact that no one else cares.

Well, as I've said before, outside of the small niche of fans on this board and the small followings of teams in the cities that host them... Why not go discuss it with them? Invade some shitty NLL team's board and brag about the Bandits. I'm sure they'll care marginally more than I do.

And it's because of people like you that can't get into something if it's not "mainstream" that even creates the "no one else cares" argument.

If people who call themselves "real" sports fans in this town actually WERE real sports fans, they'd make more of an effort to care.

though I will agree with you that placing my original post in the Sabres board probably wasn't necessary and yes, I was doing it just to create an argument so I do apologize for that...

and now, back to what really matters:

LET'S GO BANDITS!!!

[stevesy]

And it's because of people like you that can't get into something if it's not "mainstream" that even creates the "no one else cares" argument.

If people who call themselves "real" sports fans in this town actually WERE real sports fans, they'd make more of an effort to care.

I don't live in Buffalo. I did for a number of years when I was younger, but I'm not a pure Buffalo sports fan. I'm a Bills and Sabres fan that lives in Virginia. I have to work hard and spend good money to even get Sabres and Bills games on TV.

As for it being "people like me" that can't get into something that's not mainstream. I watch NHL hockey and live in southwest Virginia. That's pretty far from mainstream where I live. I get told that people don't care about hockey all the time. And you know what, outside of the markets for hockey, it's pretty much true. Check the ratings. Shockingly (not really), people care even less about NLL.

It seems to me that you think you're pretty freakin' cool for liking something that's not mainstream. Good job, you enjoy NLL and the Bandits. Your obscure sports taste surely makes you cooler than people who do not enjoy it. It's people like you that enjoy things partly for the sake of being different. You seem to enjoy it not just because of the sport, but because only a small number of people enjoy it and one of your main sources of fun is rattling off reasons to others why your favorite sport is better than theirs. You know how I know you're one of those people? Because instead of legitimately trying to get people on here to enjoy the Bandits and actually wanting more people to watch the sport, you start off with the mindless, accusative posts laying out why lacrosse is better than Sabres hockey or Bills football. You gloat about the athletes being better, having more heart, and the season tickets prices being cheaper. News flash: Being an arrogant asshat of a fan is not how you gain more fans for your sport. So somehow I could come to the conclusion that wasn't your motive.

Go Bandits?

[ArlieKoz13]

And it's because of people like you that can't get into something if it's not "mainstream" that even creates the "no one else cares" argument.

If people who call themselves "real" sports fans in this town actually WERE real sports fans, they'd make more of an effort to care.

though I will agree with you that placing my original post in the Sabres board probably wasn't necessary and yes, I was doing it just to create an argument so I do apologize for that...

and now, back to what really matters:

LET'S GO BANDITS!!!

...Why does it have to be a competition? Why does one sports franchise have to be better than the other two? I like all three sports teams, because I am a Buffalo fan.

[buffmattky]

I'll be honest: yes, I have always been someone who likes to support what's not the mainstream. I can admit that to be a flaw of mine.

I can also admit when I speak out of turn: I did not to look at your location, Stevesy, to see that you are in Virginia and so my comment towards you was out of line and I apologize.

My argument is more for the people who do live here in Buffalo and don't think that the Bandits are worth supporting because they're not in a "top-tier" league. I do want more people to support the team and that was my motivation behind starting the thread. I didn't go back and re-read what I originally posted. Maybe if I had I would have changed some (maybe all?) of how I wrote it....I'm taking the time to write this in defense of who I really am as a sports fan since, as your responses show, I've obviously misrepresented myself and perhaps other Bandits Fans which is not my intention. I wanted to make a point to those who think that only the "big" sports deserve attention that they are wrong (in my opinion of course): there was even a local tv sports guy who came out in a blog a said the championship would not be "real" championship. Since, however, I put out my opinions here as a start to a thread rather than a response to a thread that may have contained the sentiment that I was arguing against, I can see how you reading my post on the other end have come to the opinion you have about my post in the context that you were reading it.

I don't want to seem like one of those guys who just spouts off ALL THE TIME on message boards just to post crap and start crap (as evidenced by the fact that I've posted less than 200 times in 5 years on this board)....I hope you can accept my apology for posting in a way that attacked you when clearly I didn't have all my facts straight....

and hopefully it's still cool that I like the Bandits better than Sabres :D