Is this the best time in ages to be a Buffalo sports fan? Or is it the worst? Depends on

your view. The Bills and Sabres remain tough to stomach but the performances by the fans have

never been better.

Folks around here are crazy about a football team that hasn't played a single playoff game

since the eighth day of this decade. The hockey team has cut off season tickets as people

continue to buy into a club that's done virtually nothing to change (apologies to Steve

Montador) after back-to-back 10th-place finishes.

The Bills should eclipse the 55,000 mark in season tickets, a figure they've previously

reached only in the Super Bowl years. The Sabres, meanwhile, capped their season sales at

14,825. They renewed 95 percent of their total from last year and issued more than 1,200 new

season seats to members of their Blue & Gold Club who were on the waiting list.

I know three of those members. When they were called a few weeks ago and informed their

turn had come up to buy, all of them had the same reaction.

There was almost no thought. The answer was a resounding yes. The celebration was

immediate.

So what gives here? The Bills and Sabres are struggling to put winning products together

but they've never been better at putting together the experience of going to the game

rather than staying home on your couch.

And that's what the fans are buying as much as the event itself.

If you're a fan of beer and chili in a parking lot at 9 a.m., the Bills are your release.

That aside, prices at The Ralph are among the cheapest in the league and sightlines are among

the best. Except, of course, when the sideshows in the stands are blocking the view. And now

they've added the T.O. factor.

As for the games, things were pretty entertaining last year. There was one complete stinker

(San Francisco) and one snorefest (New England). But for the rest of the schedule, even the

losses were interesting.

Yes, I know the coaching staff was in the crosshairs after the Monday night game against

Cleveland, but step back for a second. If you didn't care who won, if you were watching on TV

in some other city, that was a unique game to watch.

Head downtown to HSBC Arena. There were some brutal nights there as well last season

(Columbus and Nashville quickly come to mind). But there were some great games (the opener

against Montreal, the emotional San Jose win the night after the Clarence plane crash). And

there were some losses that were entertaining too. Seeing Sidney Crosby or the Red Wings is

worth the price of admission even in a Sabres loss.

Experience-wise, the Sabres have it all over the Bills, too. A pretty family-friendly

atmosphere most nights (Leafs and Habs excluded). A comfortable arena, reasonable tickets

(especially for a season seat), spacious gift shop, good food. No worries you'll miss a whole

period waiting for a hot dog like you might if the Sabres ran concessions as if it were a

Bisons game.

The Jumbotron is fun and they have enough music and silliness to get your mind off the game

when it needs to be distracted. (An aside here: A vote for more of "The Hockey Song" next

season. Google it and you'll know it.)

All those Friday night games make HSBC the place to be in the entire town during the

winter. And having a bunch more Saturday night home games on this year's schedule can only

help.

So I give you folks a high-five. Not many other cities out there like this one. Now I hope

your teams stop taking advantage of you and offer something to really cheer about.