To be a Buffalo Bills fan is tough for a number of reasons. Some may say it has to do with their four straight Super Bowl losses from 1990-1993. Others may say it has to do with the fact that they are in the same division as the New England Patriots and are constantly battling for second place. And lastly, there’s the infamous fact that they wear the crown for the longest number of consecutive seasons without making the playoffs in all of professional sports.

Whatever the case may be for Buffalo fans, it certainly isn’t easy.

Growing up in Boston, Massachusetts in the early 2000s, I was surrounded by sports success. At times it was overwhelming. The Patriots were in full swing of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady dynasty that was forming and had won three championships in four years from 2001-2004. The Red Sox had won their first championship in 86 years in 2004 after surmounting one of the greatest comebacks in sports history against their rivals in the New York Yankees. However, I could not fall in love with either of these teams.

I could only fall in love with the blue and red from Buffalo.

My love for the Bills stems from my dad. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, he has always been a die-hard fan. He fondly remembers the Jim Kelly era and those days long ago when his team used to be in contention for a championship year in and out. That was, of course, long before I was born. However, that has not stopped his love and passion for his team, which subsequently has rubbed off on me.

Once Sunday rolled around in our household, it was Bills time. We would wear our matching hats, sit down in our usual seats on the couch to not foil the “mojo” that spiraled around a possible win, and eagerly watch the game. Usually, it was a beat down of our favorite team, but week after week we would bounce back undeterred and with confidence that it was a slip-up and we’d be ready to win this time around. More often than not, this was not the case.

Being a Bills fan is hard, man.

But for the team you love, you’re willing to stick with them week after week and ride and die with them.

17 years of not making a postseason appearance, though, is tough to swallow. That’s why as a football fan, losing is all that I know.

Watching these games now, I anticipate that the Bills are going to lose. If they win, it’s a fluke. If they wipe out a team, the refs were paid in our favor. If they beat the Patriots, then God has given us fans a miracle. You see, 17 years of unsuccessful seasons, a plethora of new coaching schemes that have failed and busted first-round draft picks, well we’ve become conditioned to expect defeat.

However, that doesn’t stop us from loving and supporting our team and as Chris Berman says, “nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.” So let's circle those wagons and break that playoff drought this year, boys.