Tis the season.
Fans of the Buffalo Bills thought they had a roller coaster ride last year.
2023 said “hold my beer”.
As we lurch forward to the final four games of the NFL season, there’s a sense of resignation Buffalo will miss the playoffs and lose the division for the first time in three years. The AFC is the definition of parity with 7-6 teams littered throughout the conference. The opportunity does exist for the Bills to stack some wins and get into the playoffs playing their best ball of the season, because that’s what it will take.
Yet there’s also a nagging sense of despair eroding our mental energy as fans of this godforsaken team.
Figuring out how to square with the reality that players will play on, no matter how insane it seems to just flip a switch and pretend an episode of ‘bad behavior’ never happened seems like an insurmountable task for many of us.
We are all tapped out… kind of like Tre White might feel trying to summon the emotional energy to go through another difficult physical rehabilitation process in order to return to form in the NFL.
Yo… I’m still triggered thinking about what I would feel like today if Kadarius Toney didn’t have clown feet.
This season of chaos has a decidedly existential flavor.
And just when all hope for what is right in the world is lost, our esteemed leader of 26shirts.com, sponsor of our blog is selected as Fan of the Year by the Buffalo Bills and NFL. There is no more deserving soul than Del. I truly feel blessed to be associated with someone I hold in the highest esteem.
At a time when the entire world appears at its most divisive, we find refuge in football as a distraction. We pour our passion and sublimate our anger with every win or loss by this crazy football team. We pat ourselves on the back for being one of the best fan bases in all of sports.
Then a divisive article came along about the head coach and the fan base turns on each other and the expected mayhem ensues. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Despite this exhausting distraction, the football team responds with a big win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
We are left with nothing but hope and our emotional fatigue.
For me this week a little help came along in the form of a meteor shower.
While staring at the night sky in Wyoming, I saw sparkles of light everywhere.
They were coming from a night sky so clear you could see the Milky Way like it was encased in crystal. Streaks of cosmic fire instantly burned the reality of our insignificance into my brain like a hot poker.
In the grand scheme of things, it’s probably not a big deal how the Buffalo Bills’ football season plays out.
There will be chaos and drama no matter which team you choose to follow, if any. Finding sparkles of joy along the way, however you do it is all that matters… that is if you truly want peace in your heart.
In the midst of what feels like the longest season in Buffalo’s history, there are sparkles of light everywhere you look. Del Reid is one of them. If you feel the same way and would like to cast your vote(s) for NFL Fan of the Year:
Being a Bills fan has never been easy, but will always be enlightening.
Editor’s babble: Happy Holidays! May your world be blessed with sparkles in the year ahead. You can find this and more of my nonsense on Xwitter @RobynMundyWYO.
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