Topic of the day for Friday 6/24--The Rockpile

[Beerball]

This is for Chandler#81 because he's really, really old...

 

What are your favorite AFL memories?

 

What was your favorite Rockpile moment?

[BillnutinHouston]

I only saw the Bisons there in person, so it would either have to be the Butcher or from video, Mike Strattons hit on Keith Lincoln.

[machine gun kelly]

I'm born in 67 so before my time, but always liked hearing the stories from my dad.

 

I'd love to hear the old timers on this one. Fun to hear about the early days.

[sherpa]

My first ever Bills game. Sep 22, 1963. I had never been to any pro sporting event.

My first memory was how good the hotdogs being cooked over charcoal smelled, and how that smell was everywhere.

We had really good seats and sat behind Chief's wide receiver Chris Burford's parents.

Game ended in a tie.

 

Last time I went there was before they had nets in the end zone, and I jumped and caught an extra point.

Wilson J5-V was with me for years.

I remember going to the floor in the fetal position to protect it while getting repeatedly kicked for a minute or so, and a policeman telling me to hide it on my way to our car or I'd get killed.

Really bad neighborhood.

 

Bison games with that incredibly short right field fence were a hoot.

Edited June 24, 2016 by sherpa

[BearNorth]

Cookie Gilchrist rushing for the [at the time] pro football rushing single game record in a mosh pit vs. the dog a*s Jets on 12/8/1963. 5 touchdowns, it was like sandlot football, he'd hit defenders and they would bounce off. Bills win 45-14.

 

Worst Memory, losing to the pats in the playoffs that same year. Big snowstorm christmas week. Bleacher seats were created by pushing a garbage can into the snow pile, so you had a very "chill" seating area. Bills learned from that loss and went on to win two straight AFL championships.

[PromoTheRobot]

My first Bills game. Home opener vs the Super Bowl champion Jets in 1969. Kemp vs. Namath. Bills lost 33-something. I was 11 and this was before end zone nets. So I recall mobs of kids and some grown-ups trying to catch a free football after field goals and extra points.

 

I also remember there was absolutely no parking to be found and my sister and I walked from our neighborhood near Broadway and Fillmore to get there.

[Chandler#81]

Cookie Gilchrist rushing for the [at the time] pro football rushing single game record in a mosh pit vs. the dog a*s Jets on 12/8/1963. 5 touchdowns, it was like sandlot football, he'd hit defenders and they would bounce off. Bills win 45-14.

 

Worst Memory, losing to the pats in the playoffs that same year. Big snowstorm christmas week. Bleacher seats were created by pushing a garbage can into the snow pile, so you had a very "chill" seating area. Bills learned from that loss and went on to win two straight AFL championship

Pretty sure that was the 1st ever AFL Playoff Game. We tied Boston the last week of the season setting up this 'play-off'. Previously, the only post season game was the East Champ vs the West Champ for the League Title.

 

I, too, caught an extra point kick (my Uncle did and gave it to me) from Jan Stenerud vs KC. We lived in NT and our local Fire Company ran excursions to all the home games. They'd have a breakfast bar set-up at the Hall as everyone arrived, then bus to the Stadium -where they would make an announcement as we neared Best Street to put the windows up and duck down (TOUGH neighborhood) then bus back after and have another prepared meal at the fire hall while watching the late game. Wonderful times!

 

Also saw Vince Lombardi as coach of the Redskins in a pre-season game -'69.

 

Loved the blizzard snow games vs Broncos and Bengals and favorite game was our only win in '68 vs eventual SB Champs NYJ.

 

Thanks Beerball!

[chris heff]

I remember seeing both the good and bad at the Rockpile. Great games and great players in mid-sixties. Then the decline, I was at the 1966 championship game. You just knew the Bills run was over.

 

My favorite memory has nothing to do with football. I was going to a game with my father. Two kids waived him into a driveway to park. He paid them and off we went to the game. After the game we walk up to our car and a very angry woman comes out of the house and just lays into my father, " how dare you park in my driveway?". The two kids didn't live there and were no where to be found, the homeowner had been at church. As a twelve year old it was really funny watching my father get yelled at and backpedal.

[26CornerBlitz]

46,246

[K-9]

Calvin Murphy twirling the baton during halftime like it was going out of style.

 

Jetpack pilot.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[maddenboy]

I only went there twice. Bison games by that time.

 

Went to school 2 blocks away (City Honors, ne^e Fosdick Masten). One of my best H.S. friends was working concessions there and got me in.

 

My first impression, having grown up on the east side was, "why didnt I ever pay attention to this big stadium before?" and also "wow, you mean you just walk in off a side street off of Jefferson? There's houses right next door to the stadium!" For some reason I expected a few acres around the stadium to be cleared, with parking lots, etc. Nope. Just turn down this side street, walk up to the turnstile, and in you go.

 

Also, the place seemed to have so many memories and stories to tell. The only other place i've ever watched a game that had that same feel was Wrigley.

 

Good times.

[dwight in philly]

many . too many to mention.. just loved the anticipation of walking up the ramps .. started as an 8 yr old in 60.. vertical stripped socks of the denver broncos come to mind as do the big yellow mustard containers thru out..

[Augie]

Butch Byrd on Paul Warfield. 42 on 42.

 

The cover over our seats. And the seam where all the collected water came down on us like a fire hose.

 

Sitting in the end zone with a friend (my dad gave my seat to a friend who gave us his end zones) when kicks landed there and the melees began.

 

The ramps coming and going. And drunks up above us spitting down. (Yeah, lovely.)

 

And so much more......

[PromoTheRobot]

I only went there twice. Bison games by that time.

 

Went to school 2 blocks away (City Honors, ne^e Fosdick Masten). One of my best H.S. friends was working concessions there and got me in.

 

My first impression, having grown up on the east side was, "why didnt I ever pay attention to this big stadium before?" and also "wow, you mean you just walk in off a side street off of Jefferson? There's houses right next door to the stadium!" For some reason I expected a few acres around the stadium to be cleared, with parking lots, etc. Nope. Just turn down this side street, walk up to the turnstile, and in you go.

 

Also, the place seemed to have so many memories and stories to tell. The only other place i've ever watched a game that had that same feel was Wrigley.

 

Good times.

Which is the exact layout of Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton where the CFL Ti-Cats play. I don't know what the new version looks like but the old one felt EXACTLY like the Old Rockpile. Smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood surrounded by homes and no parking at all. Plus the stadium was all old creaky steel and wood benches.

Edited June 25, 2016 by PromoTheRobot

[MarlinTheMagician]

One stands out. I was eight, Pats at Bills in 1970. Dennis Shaw is garbage entire first half. It is freezing rain, seats are soaked and we are all wearing garbage bags under our clothes. Raw, disgusting day. James Harris comes off the bench and rallies the team. Long pass to Willie Grate I remember. I read Willie died in 1980 at age 35, what a shame - I wonder how.

 

Anyway, now it is late in the game, they are down at the goal line looking to pull out a win. Bills take a time out. Inexplicably they pull Harris and put Shaw back in. I could not believe it, my Dad couldn't either. It was like they wanted to give Shaw the chance to be the hero. We lose 14-10. Oh what we had in Shack Harris and Marlin Briscoe. If they had developed Shack instead of treating him like garbage we could have avoided some really bad years before Fergie got here. What he did in Los Angeles a couple years later was historic. What an arm, smart guy, hard worker. Just retired as pro personnel guy for the Lions.

 

Early memories of 50 years+ of Bills love and frustration.

Another stands out as well. First game, Raiders at Bills in 1967. I was five. Dad and I knew the glory years were past, you could feel it. But team was not yet horrible. I never saw grass so green, stadium seemed huge and oozed character. Bills lost in a tight one on a gorgeous day. Felt like Buffalo had a real "in City" community in those days. Shame it was lost. Maybe we can get it back now.

[billykaykay]

Butch Byrd on Paul Warfield. 42 on 42.

 

The cover over our seats. And the seam where all the collected water came down on us like a fire hose.

 

Sitting in the end zone with a friend (my dad gave my seat to a friend who gave us his end zones) when kicks landed there and the melees began.

 

The ramps coming and going. And drunks up above us spitting down. (Yeah, lovely.)

 

And so much more......

Back in the 60's, you were allowed to bring in your own 6 packs. One game, my friend, Joe M, brought in a keg of beer & plopped it on to a seat between him & his friend. Almost immediately, a fan protested that " you can't put that keg on a seat ". Whereupon, Joe M reached into his pocket & produced a paid ticket for the keg. Oh Joe, you were a character. God rest your soul.

[Augie]

Back in the 60's, you were allowed to bring in your own 6 packs. One game, my friend, Joe M, brought in a keg of beer & plopped it on to a seat between him & his friend. Almost immediately, a fan protested that " you can't put that keg on a seat ". Whereupon, Joe M reached into his pocket & produced a paid ticket for the keg. Oh Joe, you were a character. God rest your soul.

Geez, so he brought an over-sized one pack...relax people!

[VirginiaMike]

I've seen Bills Games, a UB Bulls game, and countless Bison games. Lots of good memories because I did all these with my dad who is no longer with me, but I guess the best was getting some Bison autographs in 1964. They had a good team -- Cleon Jones, Choo Choo Coleman, Ron Swoboda, Ed Kranepool, ...

 

One stands out. I was eight, Pats at Bills in 1970. Dennis Shaw is garbage entire first half. It is freezing rain, seats are soaked and we are all wearing garbage bags under our clothes. Raw, disgusting day. James Harris comes off the bench and rallies the team. Long pass to Willie Grate I remember. I read Willie died in 1980 at age 35, what a shame - I wonder how.

 

Anyway, now it is late in the game, they are down at the goal line looking to pull out a win. Bills take a time out. Inexplicably they pull Harris and put Shaw back in. I could not believe it, my Dad couldn't either. It was like they wanted to give Shaw the chance to be the hero. We lose 14-10. Oh what we had in Shack Harris and Marlin Briscoe. If they had developed Shack instead of treating him like garbage we could have avoided some really bad years before Fergie got here. What he did in Los Angeles a couple years later was historic. What an arm, smart guy, hard worker. Just retired as pro personnel guy for the Lions.

 

Early memories of 50 years+ of Bills love and frustration.

Another stands out as well. First game, Raiders at Bills in 1967. I was five. Dad and I knew the glory years were past, you could feel it. But team was not yet horrible. I never saw grass so green, stadium seemed huge and oozed character. Bills lost in a tight one on a gorgeous day. Felt like Buffalo had a real "in City" community in those days. Shame it was lost. Maybe we can get it back now.

I remember this game. The coaches said that they wanted to get a play in and it was easier to send in the QB with the play. That's horse hockey.

[machine gun kelly]

Guys - I'm laughing as the stories are awesome. The best was the keg story. I didn't know if Tim Russert was using a little creative license in his last chapter of "Big Russ and Me" where he titled the chapter The Buffalo Bills. He was such a good Buffalonian. Anyway, he shared in the book the keg story, and couldn't believe it was that loose back then.

 

Thanks for sharing guys. I love the old stories.

[3rdand12]

love this stuff !