Sports-related curses
The Buffalo sports curse is an explanation for Buffalo's inability to win a Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, or an NBA championship. Those who believe in the Buffalo curse cite as examples the four consecutive Super Bowl losses by the Buffalo Bills for the 1990–1993 seasons (and the team's failure to qualify for the NFL playoffs from 2000 to 2017), as well as the failure of the Buffalo Sabres ever to win the Stanley Cup (despite winning the Presidents' Trophy for most regular-season points in 2006–07). The Bills, however, won two American Football League (AFL) titles (1964 and 1965), the latter occurring just months before an agreement was reached to merge the AFL and the National Football League (NFL) (Bills owner Ralph Wilson initiated the talks to merge the two leagues, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame). In spite of that, it has been argued that this was achieved when the AFL was in its infancy as an upstart league, garnering little, if any, national attention before merging with the established NFL, and that even if they are considered to be at par, since there would be no Super Bowl until after the 1966 season, the Bills could be no greater than co-champions. There have been conflicting suggestions on how the Bills would have fared against the Green Bay Packers or Cleveland Browns, much as there have been disputes over how well the San Diego Chargers would have played against the Bears in 1963, had the Super Bowl existed at that time.
Kent Hull
In 1990, the Bills won the AFC east division again, beating the Miami Dolphins in the divisional round of the 1990–91 NFL playoffs, destroying the Los Angeles Raiders 51 to 3 in the AFC championship game, but barely losing to the Bill Parcells-led New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV 20 to 19. In 1991, the Bills won the AFC east division again, beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the 1991–92 NFL playoffs, the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game but losing to the Joe Gibbs-led Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXVI. One more year of joy and frustration occurred in 1992, when the Bills won the AFC east division title again, beating the Houston Oilers in a wild-card game of the 1992–93 NFL playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round, the Miami Dolphins in the AFC championship game, but losing to the Jimmie Johnson-led Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVII. More joys and frustrations occurred in 1993, when the Bills won the AFC east division title again, beating the Los Angeles Raiders in the divisional round of the 1993–94 NFL playoffs, the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game (rushing for 229 yards, 186 by Thomas), but losing to the Johnson-led Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII.