It's funny what a man will get emotionally invested in. It's not often the things that would make the most sense. Things like his better half, his kids or his occupation are often dealt with from a standpoint of emotional disconnect.
Sports, on the other hand, and rooting for teams that tie a man to the region of his birth or his residence, tend to be one of the few things that grab passions from the dark, dank cell buried deep inside and place them firmly in the sunlight that shines on a fully displayed sleeve.
The saga that unfolded recently between the Buffalo Bills and their pursuit of free agent defensive end extraordinaire Mario Williams put a tear in the eye of more Western New York men than had any event in recent memory.
Football fans here had long ago made peace with the idea that our team is relegated to the junior circuit of the National Football League. There are haves and have-nots, and then there is a special spot, so far off the beaten path that it needs to be located with a divining rod, which is reserved for the Buffalo Bills.
The funny thing about this year's delving into the waters of free agency is that Bills General Manager Buddy Nix called his shot ahead of time. Nix told the media that the Bills had two players in their sights and were going to go after them hard. He also said that the team planned to be "out of the game" by Friday -- meaning they were going to make a big splash in the first 48 hours or so of free agency and then put their attention on the collegiate draft at the end of April.
The fans on Bills message boards, like the one at twobillsdrive.com, almost universally thought that it was either posturing on Nix's part, or that the team would make a run at a top-tier player or two, only to end up being used to drive up the price for a city in a big metropolis or a sunnier climate.
Who could blame them? It has happened countless times before and as recently as last summer when a no-name offensive tackle, Tyson Clabo, flirted with the Bills before re-signing with his longtime love Atlanta Falcons.
Bills fans have come to view free agency the way a wary shopper views the flashy electronic item in a Black Friday deep discount sale -- there's only one available and someone else is going to get it, but hey, I'm here, so I might as well take home whatever bottom-shelf junk you want to unload on me.
That's why what went down last week connected emotionally for local sports fans with the impact of a Mike Tyson-in-his-prime punch to the jaw. The first move was the Bills sending a private jet to North Carolina to pick Williams up just seconds after the free agency period opened up. The second great sign was that Williams got on the jet -- Sales 101 says that you can't close a deal without the buyer being present, after all.
What unfolded next will live in local lore as the day that the Niagara Frontier got its groove back. As minutes blended into hours and hours slowly flipped over to days, countless Bills fans became nonproductive workers as they were glued to websites and Twitter feeds waiting for news on the potential Williams signing.
"Mario Watch" was all-consuming. Not since O.J. took a white Bronco for a fateful spin down the California highways had followers of the greatest team in the NFL been unable to divert their attention from what was unfolding for even a nanosecond.
Things got so crazy that, as one media outlet was announcing that Williams would fly out and visit other cities, Paul Peck from Channel 4 bolstered the spirits of everyone when he ran into Super Mario at the airport and learned that the lineman's fiancee was flying in.
Speculation ran through Bills Nation the way that Fred Jackson runs through a secondary.
"If he's called for the fiancee, it's a done deal, right?"
"Maybe they're going to pick out a house."
"She probably wants to check out the schools that their future kids will attend."
When another night passed without a deal in place, that optimism turned to fear.
"The fiancee probably put the kibosh on us."
"She's probably begging him to leave as we speak."
"I bet they're already gone and the Bills are just trying to figure out how they'll handle the fallout at the presser."
Things got so bad that it was just a matter of time before Williams' beloved was about to be forever tarnished with the accursed "Y" label -- Yoko. Suddenly, the first note of good news rang through, and it has been a nonstop symphony of "Happy Days Are Here Again" ever since.
The Buffalo Bills signed Mario Williams to the richest contract ever given out to a defensive player in the history of the NFL. Over $50 million guaranteed with potential of $100 million overall.
The signing meant more than adding an important puzzle piece to the Bills' goal of one day winning the Super Bowl. It meant that the team was relevant again in the eyes of the nation. It meant that the region was chosen, not spurned. It meant, in a word, everything.
As more details emerged post-signing, it became evident that what sold Mario Williams on the Bills, other than money, was what we have in spades -- natural beauty and a strong sense of community.
When asked at the press conference what surprised him about our area, Williams answered, "That there are deer in your backyard." It turned out that he'd seen a herd of the woodland creatures in the backyard of Bills great Jim Kelly, and that Kelly and his wife, Jill, had been a big part of the recruiting push that convinced Mario and his ladylove to call Western New York home.
The lesson in the signing is one that can be applied to everyone working to help our region revitalize and overcome. Our strengths are plentiful and they are so often ignored that we often forget that our hand contains a lot of trump cards.
While it's true that many young athletes covet rampant nightlife, many do not. Williams stated that he comes from the small town of Richlands, N.C., and that Buffalo is really just a "big Richlands."
Damn right, we are, and in this case it was a huge strength. Just like our waterfronts, farmlands, parks, low cost of living and lack of traffic jams are. The glass is half-full if you want to see it that way.
The choice is yours, with the operative word being choice.
Buddy Nix and the crew at One Bills Drive decided to showcase Western New York and play to our strengths, and as a result the team now has its best defensive player since a guy that made "bad things happen, man. Bad things."
It sure is a great day to be a fan of the Buffalo Bills, and it is even better to be living in a little slice of heaven known as Western New York.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | March 20 2012 |