BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — ESPN released its "Sports Misery Index" Saturday and according to them it's miserable to be a fan of the Buffalo Bills and the Buffalo Sabres.
Their index is based on five primary factors plus a misery bonus for teams that have gone 25 years without winning a championship:
- Championships
- Playoff berths
- Playoff wins
- Heartbreaks
- Rival comparison
ESPN ranks the Bills fan base as the second most miserable fan base in the four major U.S. pro leagues.
The only fan base more miserable than the Bills is the Sacramento Kings, according to the index.
"There are plenty of reasons for Buffalo fans to be miserable -- only one playoff appearance since 1999, no playoff victories since 1995, having had to watch the rival Patriots win six Super Bowls and get to four others since that last playoff win, losing four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s. You get the point -- the Bills Mafia hasn't had much to cheer about besides tailgate antics outside of New Era Field.
That could be changing, though. Thanks to a young, aggressive, suffocating defense, the Bills are set to make the playoffs for the second time in 20 seasons. That will drop them in the next batch of rankings. And if they can muster that elusive playoff win? They'll likely be the least miserable, non-Patriots team in the AFC East."
ESPN ranks the Buffalo Sabres as the ninth most miserable fan base.
"Brett Hull might have been in the crease illegally, but Sabres fans would probably take losing Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final over what has happened since. Buffalo has been toward the bottom of the NHL for much of the 20 years since that Cup loss, as the Sabres haven't made the playoffs since the 2011 season (the longest streak in the league) and haven't won a playoff series since 2007.
Sabres fans hope players like Jack Eichel can lead them back to respectability. Last season showed some promise early before Buffalo ran out of juice and finished toward the bottom again. Sabres fans not only have had to watch their team flounder, but they've also had to watch the nearby Penguins win three Stanley Cups since 2009. Can Eichel be the spark that eventually reverses that bothersome trend?"
