Why it is important for Scott Norwood to lead the charge

A few years ago, I was doing a podcast with a Jets blogger about an upcoming Bills/Jets matchup. About 30 minutes into our dissection of Xs and Os, hating each other's fan bases, and talking about which of our QBs were worse, I probably got the most profound question I've ever been asked.

The Jets blogger started out with, "I HAVE TO ASK YOU THIS!" and I'm just thinking to myself, "Whoa.This is going to be about Chan Gailey's offense or Stevie Johnson's antics or something that will solve the mystery of football."

"How on earth are you guys honoring Scott Norwood during Sunday's game?"

Silence. Followed by…

"Um, well, he won us all these games (Exaggeration)… and it wasn't his fault we lost that game [Reading off The Ingram play, Thurman not getting the ball enough, couldn't convert or stop 3rd downs…blahblahblah]."

It was really awkward for me to explain because this blogger clearly thought we were insane. Thank goodness it was just a one time thing.

WRONG!

Former #Bills kicker Scott Norwood is back this Sunday as the "Leader of the Charge." He'll be live with us tonight at 8:30pm

— John Murphy (@JohnMurphyShow) October 9, 2013

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Greaaaaaaaaaaat. Do I have to explain this again?

But there's that old adage, sometimes you just have to take a negative and make it into a positive. I don't get all gushy when it comes to bonding moments. I don't care to build camaraderie as I'm kind of a hermit. With sports, you sometimes have to bite the bullet, but that's only when something happens so naturally that you forget how isolated you are and just live off the vibe. 

To put it mildly, community sports bonding has been lackluster for the Bills over the years. Take away the food and the booze and all you have really is a bad football team that gives us an aneurysm. I mean, I acted like the ambiance of the Ravens/Bills game changed my trajectory of fandom when really it was just one good game during a terrible 13-year stretch. The times sometimes make the fandom, not the other way around. Losing does that, hence the reason we are talking about $10 Sabres tickets and Russ Salvatore saving Bills fans from a blackout. 

But aside from the losing, the sports world we live in now is a cynical place. Fans and media members are always looking to make goats out of anyone. Social media has made some of us into monsters when it comes to trolling and just being all-around assholes. I think the worst resonates with us more than the best, hence the reason we waste so much breath on hate.

There's no such thing as embracing the losing side or telling them "You'll get them next time". Yeah, this ain't the days of taking your kids out for ice cream after they lost 16-1 in a baseball game.  We tend to go out and squash the losers like a bug.

Boston Red Sox fans pretty much alienated Bill Buckner because of his error in the '86 World Series and that didn't even cost them the Series!  Steve Bartman had to change his damn identity after catching a foul ball during the NLCS in 2003. Folks flip out because Tony Romo throws a costly INT even though he also threw for 500 yards and 5TDs. Leodis McKelvin fumbles a kickoff and his lawn gets destroyed. Skip Bayless gets paid 7 figures to be a giant asshole.

I could keep going.

And then there's Scottie. The biggest goat in Buffalo sports history and he's being honored or leading the charge. And that's where older fans can teach their kids and younger fans a lesson about humility and embracing those who are down.

Folks who remember "Wide Right" also remember how after Scott Norwood's missed kick broke our hearts and his, we rallied around each other as 30,000 fans chanted his name at the rally following the SB. No, we weren't yelling to hang him like the English did at the end of Braveheart, we were trying to embrace him.

"We love Scott. We love Scott. WE LOVE SCOTT!"

As the chant crescendoed, Scott spoke to the crowd with tears in his eyes about how he never felt as loved as he did at that very moment. I wish that video was online because I challenge anyone that has lived in the (716) to not get emotional when they see that scene.

Look, Buffalo may have a lot of blemishes, but that moment fucken casts an awesome shadow over those. I will say this until the day I die, NO ONE, I REPEAT, NO ONE will ever embrace a losing moment like that again. 

Folks often say Beebe running after Lett in SBXXVII defined the Bills teams and their never say die attitude. That's true. But honestly, I'd rather be associated with that rally because it can teach so many life lessons about losing and how to rally around each other. 

So, yeah, it is weird that he's coming back for us to cheer for..again. But look at it this way.. when Norwood is brought back every other year it seems like, we can explain to young people the act of not just forgiving but embracing the anguish of disappointment. This is the reason why it is important for not only him to lead the charge, but for ALL of us to lead the charge in the art of forgiving.

#Becauseitsbuffalo? Damn right!