The Bills Make Me Wanna...

Shout? Cry? Laugh? Hurl sneakers at the TV while yelling obscenities at JP Losman?

The answer to all of these has been, at some point in my life or another, yes. Today, though, I want to focus on a different verb.

Today, the Bills make me wanna hope.

It's the start of a new season, and with it comes all of the blind optimism that we in Buffalo are famous for. Some people like to laugh at our faith in a team that has let us down over and over again, but I think it's one of the best things about us as fans. By December we may be jaded and bitter, but in September, Bills fandom is quite a lovely place to be.

Ryan over at the Roost said pretty much everything I want to say on this topic (if you haven't read his post yet, you really should). I think we've all lost people in our lives who were huge Bills fans. Both of my grandfathers were season ticket holders, but it's my dad's dad that I'm thinking about today. He was the most passionate and loyal Bills fan I think I'll ever know, and sometimes it hurts to think that he got to accomplish everything he wanted out of life - except to see his team win the Big One that he traveled to four Super Bowls to see.

Still, my grandpa never lost his hope. I guess that's where I get it from. I know I could talk about our new defense, or Trent Edwards, or Jason Peters, or why Paul Posluszny is on the injury report already, but I don't really feel like it.

I feel like talking about how excited everyone is to see a team that has missed the playoffs since I started watching football religiously. I feel like talking about the happiness in my dad's eyes as he and my aunt went off to the Ralph today.

This team could very well break our hearts all over again, but that's just the thing. In Buffalo, we willingly offer those hearts to be broken in exchange for the mere chance that this could be the year, this could be our year.

There's still an hour to kickoff, and by the time I get home from work today, the whole season could be over or it could be just beginning the push to the playoffs.

Today in honor of my grandpa, I choose to hope. I hope that this city will be right for once, that maybe, just maybe, our fragile hearts will stay in one piece.

In answer to the eternal question, yes, I am ready for some football.

Go Bills!