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What's it like being a Bills fan on the West Coast?


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Most peeps are damn lucky to be born or living near Buffalo. But some of us in the periphery have to make due with how our lives have unfolded. How many here are transplants from Buffalo? And how many are fans who never grew up in Buffalo but naturally realized Buffalo is our team (such as me). SF is supposed to be my team. They are fairly close enough and they became my 2nd fav. But for some damn reason Buffalo got a hold of my heart before the Niners could and never let go (and the Niners are damn close to my heart). I'm a hard core Bills fan since 87 and perhaps 86 if pressed. and I'm damn proud of it!

 

How did you all (who live away from Buffalo) get sucked into the awesomeness of being a Bills fan? Did it come as naturally as my situation? Do tell!

Edited by Pilsner
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Grew up in the area and moved away. Not much of a story, but still proud of where I came from and nothing represents the area and who I am than the bills. Small town with a ton of passion in what they love.

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Grew up in the area and moved away. Not much of a story, but still proud of where I came from and nothing represents the area and who I am than the bills. Small town with a ton of passion in what they love.

 

Passion. That is the key. Passion. Not much overcomes that. Passion will see us thru and thru.

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Grew up Buffalo but have lived in many other places for 25 years. Now I live just down the 90 in Rochester. The Bills are just part of who I am and nothing can displace them. It's kinda weird when I consider how much real estate the team occupies in my thoughts. I'm on this board a couple of times a day. The first time I heard the term "Bills Nation" I knew I belonged and would forever.

Edited by Green Lightning
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I grew up in WNY (Medina) and got hooked at an early age. My wife doesn't understand it, especially since she has known me pretty much onlynthrough the Bills lean years. I don't even have a second team. I am a bills fan through and through. I've said before that if they leave Buffalo I will likely stop watching the NFL.

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Like GL, I'm from WNY, but have resided in 9 states since joining USMC. I'm now in my second Florida stint and host Bills games every Sunday for the Few, the Talkin' Proud!

 

Once, Always! Semper Fi! Bills & Marines!

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Like GL, I'm from WNY, but have resided in 9 states since joining USMC. I'm now in my second Florida stint and host Bills games every Sunday for the Few, the Talkin' Proud!

 

Once, Always! Semper Fi! Bills & Marines!

 

 

Thank you for your service.

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I like you grew up in California near the niners and Raiders. When I was little the Raiders moved to LA LA land and I needed a new team, the niners would have been an easy choice but, I like pain and a young Jim Kelly at Miami so, I have been a total die hard Bills fan and Backer ever since. I love the Bills, I have been to Buffalo 4 times for games and have many friends from there now. They always ask why Im a Bills fan when Im not from there, not sure I just am, I think we like to be outside the box, I will always be a Bills fan and my kids are Bills fans now and forever, I only hope we can get this thing on the right track "which I feel has started", and give the great people who are Bills fans something to be proud of !

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Before the Bills late 80s - early 90s teams with Kelly, Bruce, Thurman, Bennett et al, you would be hard pressed to find anyone in any other city who was a Bills fan with absolutely no connection to Buffalo. Especially the west coast, where not even a lot of games would be on the air, as this was before Sunday ticket and satellites everywhere. But I remember thinking during the first year of the Super Bowl run, actually as soon as they started the no huddle and the offense became really exciting, that there were actually going to be Bills fans all over the country that liked the Bills now just because they were a great, fun team. Especially kids. And I wondered then if it would last, if they would actually stay with the team as loyal fans. To my surprise, a large portion of them did.

 

A lot of the fans I watch the games with in Los Angeles have nothing to do with Buffalo, but are great fans of the team, even when we suck. But they practically all started when the Bills started to be good.

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I grew up in Lockport and have been a Bills fan for a loooooooong time. In 1982 I graduated from Newfane Sr. High school, a small town just north of Lockport, and then enlisted in the USAF. I have spent most of my adult life rooting for the Bills from all over(Texas, Florida, Guam, Honduras, Saudi Arabia etc.) It's been fun. Being in the Air Force is interesting as a Bill's fan because most of your friends root for all sorts of teams. There is a lot of smack talk, wagers and some real strange methods used to hear or watch games from different places. Anyway, now I live in Potsdam, NY and still can't get enough Bill's football. I still go to VFWs, AMVETS, American Legions to watch games and talk smack with guys that have served to this day. Once in a while, I'll take the 6 hour drive to Ralph Wilson Stadium to watch the game and I am thinking about taking the RV for our next trip.

 

All I can say is being a Bill's fan has it's ups and downs but I wouldn't have it any other way. It's not the destination that matters, but the journey along the way. Someday the Bills will win the Superbowl but that will never mean as much as the good times I've had all these years.

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Born, raised, and currently live in Modesto California. Have never been to new york. Don't know why I started liking the Bills, but my dad said I started rooting for them when I was two.

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Most peeps are damn lucky to be born or living near Buffalo. But some of us in the periphery have to make due with how our lives have unfolded. How many here are transplants from Buffalo? And how many are fans who naturally realized Buffalo is our team (such as me). SF is supposed to be my team. They are fairly close enough and they became my 2nd fav. But for some damn reason Buffalo got a hold of my heart before the Niners could and never let go (and the Niners are damn close to my heart). I'm a hard core Bills fan since 87 and perhaps 86 if pressed. and I'm damn proud of it!

 

How did you all (who live away from Buffalo) get sucked into the awesomeness of being a Bills fan? Did it come as naturally as my situation? due tell!

 

I was born and raised in Buffalo. Grew up watching the Bills with my G'pa. Left for college and never went back - nothing for me to come back to :unsure: even though I love the weather*** and it's a pretty part of the country. In spite of all temptations to embrace successful nearby teams (NE, St Louis), I've just never lost my "first love" for the Bills. Before the internet and so forth my mom used to tape the non-televised games on VCR.

 

My "second team" for years has been Green Bay, just 'cuz I think the whole way their club is set up is way cool and they seem to have the same "blue collar", gritty, work-hard feel my Bills had when they were winning. I'm happy they've finally had the success they deserve - now I want the same for my Home Team - GO BILLS!

 

***I'm serious about the weather. Yeah, it snows - but strap on summer in St Louis which can last from May through October, compare to those same months in B'lo, and you'll see what I mean.

Edited by Hopeful
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I was about 10 years old in the days of unlimited satellite TV and saw a game where the announcers were talkin up ole Freddy Smerlas. Shoe untied blood on his pants, shirt untucked, nice beard etc etc. The overall toughness of players like him and others got me hooked. Got to visit in early 90's and saw a couple games but the highlight was this. It was mid week pre season and the stadium lights were on. I walked up to the fence and was peering down the tunnel trying to see what was up. The security guard walked by and i told him i was a west coaster and how long i was a fan. He let me and my buddy in and gave me a football and said go throw the ball around and i will do another sweep of the stadium. He let us run pass patterns throwing to each other for over an hour fully lit stadium and there was only turee of us. Me, Buddy , and the coolest security dude ever!!

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Most peeps are damn lucky to be born or living near Buffalo. But some of us in the periphery have to make due with how our lives have unfolded. How many here are transplants from Buffalo? And how many are fans who naturally realized Buffalo is our team (such as me). SF is supposed to be my team. They are fairly close enough and they became my 2nd fav. But for some damn reason Buffalo got a hold of my heart before the Niners could and never let go (and the Niners are damn close to my heart). I'm a hard core Bills fan since 87 and perhaps 86 if pressed. and I'm damn proud of it!

 

How did you all (who live away from Buffalo) get sucked into the awesomeness of being a Bills fan? Did it come as naturally as my situation? due tell!

 

It's awesome being a bills fan here in La!

 

Pretty soon the bills will be moving here!

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It's not the same as being in Buffalo with old friends watching the games eating chicken wings and pizza, but the good part about it is I get to see the games at 10:00 AM and know what has happened three hours earlier than everyone in NY.

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Grew up in Rochester. Now live in LA. I'll take NFL SUNDAY TICKET please with a side of palm trees and a double serving of sunshine. Thank you very much.

 

The only caveat is I had to adopt a second favorite team during the Jauron era in order to preserve my sanity. So I now like the Chargers too. But I just watch the Chargers. I root for the Bills.

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