Jump to content

Is your Dad the reason you’re a Bills fan?


Recommended Posts

In an indirect way, yes.  My dad and I didn't get along great when I was a kid...and he always pretty much hated the Bills.  Perhaps, as a form of rebellion, my brother and I loved them.  My dad was one of those who always said "Ralph Wilson is a carpet-bagger", "OJ is a bum"... the more he hated them, the more we liked them. 

 

My dad was a police officer, and knew a lot of unsavory things about some Bills players.  To his credit, he never told us a lot of the stories, until we were much older.  He was hardly shocked that OJ would be accused of spousal abuse, or murder. He was never much of a huge footballl fan, college basketball was his favorite sport. My brother (8 years older than me) remembers that he was a Packers fan in the 60s...but never the Bills.

 

He changed his tune a little, during the 90's Super Bowl era, because most of his VFW buddies were Bills fans, and they got sick of here him dog them...he wanted to be one of the gang. And, they were winning. The fact that his old buddy Ted Marciaborda (they were college friends at St Bonaventure) was hired by Marv Levy pleased him too.  Dad really liked Marv a lot.  In some ways, my father reminds me a little of Marv.  

 

My dad passed away a about 4 years ago.  We got along great when he got older.  He mellowed out a little.  The last fathers day that he was around, I got him a Ted Marciabroda ""rookie" card. It was autographed....Chicago Cardinals!
 

Edited by Buftex
  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Definately.  And he taught me what it was like to be a faithful fan even during tough times.  When I was two years old, my dad was transfered from Buffalo to Omaha, NE.  I grew up there, where the popular team was "whoever was good that year".  Caught a lot of hell for being a Bills fan, especially with Super Bowls XXV and XXVI.  In '92 we moved back to Buffalo and got season tickets.  He taught me everything about the game, answered every question.  And now, I'm doing the same for my daughter.

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately not.

 

I think I was in 6th grade and in one of my classes the teacher made posters with the final score for each Bills game and there was discussion on Mondays about the previous day's game and I didn't have a clue about it.  This was the 1968 season I believe.  Then, the following year a classmate asked me who I thought was going to win the World Series and I responded with "Who's playing?". When he told me it was the NY Mets and Baltimore, I picked the Mets.  Soon after I came home from school and my Dad was watching the Series and I sat down to watch so that was the first sports event I ever watched.  I realized later that my Dad was only watching because he was in a pool at work.  He didn't watch much other sports. Watching that Series though was the beginning of my obsession with sports.

 

I guess it quickly got so bad that in high school a classmate said "All you talk about is sports.  You 're like a Rick Azar!"  Soon after that Mets series I watched the 1970 Knicks championship and the Stanley Cup winning Bobby Orr flying goal.

 

Then came 1970 when both the Buffalo Braves and Sabres began.

 

My Dad worked 2nd shift a lot which gave me access to the lone TV we had to watch these games.  For Bills football on Sundays, he was usually hung over so I got to the TV first to watch but heard his grumbles.  He would sit there and laugh at the Bills and ask me why I watched such a lousy team.  I usually didn't get to watch any other games as he'd rather be watching Hee Haw or Lawrence Welk.

 

I moved away after college and my dad went back to his childhood hobby of raising/racing pigeons.  A member of his club was long-time Bills' trainer Eddie Abramowski.  I guess he got my Dad interested in the Bills so on future visits during football season we'd actually watch the Bills together.  He would also send me Bills' team photos he got from Abramowski.

 

So, although Dad wasn't a Bills fan during my youth, that '69 Mets Series was what got me started into sports. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Without a doubt. My first words besides Mama and Dada were "Joe Ferguson". Somewhat fittingly, I was watching the Bills blow a big lead when I got the call that my father had passed away.

 

Great topic, by the way.

  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup. Rest In Peace dad! You’ve got two grand kids you’re missing out on but I’ll raise em like you raised me!  

 

Although not sure he’s approve of the mother being a pats fan! Ha. 

 

God i miss him. Just wish I could have one more day with him and not have the last memory be leaving him at the bar. 

  • Like (+1) 2
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was for me also, but my reason is a little backwards. My pops is from Western PA, so naturally he is a Steelers fan. I remember when I was about 7 or 8 (1984-85) and my dad was watching a game between the Bills and Steelers. I was trash talking to him and the Bills ended up winning. That was the first professional sports team that I can remember rooting for and I've been a loyal Bills fan ever since. I've never been to the state of New York much less Buffalo, although I can't wait until the opportunity presents itself. So, yes, I am a Bills fan because of my Dad.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, skibum said:

Without a doubt. My first words besides Mama and Dada were "Joe Ferguson". Somewhat fittingly, I was watching the Bills blow a big lead when I got the call that my father had passed away.

 

Great topic, by the way.

 

Yes indeed. His specialty, and oh so timely! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No. My best friend and his family when I was growing up were from NY. I adopted all NY teams at an early age. The Yankees, the Knicks, but went a different route on the football team. They were all Jets or Giants fans. I picked the Bills.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I grew up in WNY. I think I would have been a fan either way. My son @josh25 is a Bill's Fan because of me. I moved away with the military and he has only lived there for a short period. 

 

If you were at the Panther's game or the playoff game in Jax and tailgated you probably met him or saw him breaking tables. 

Edited by bills7834
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always love threads like this. I’m shocked by how many people are NOT native western New Yorkers.  I also love the stories about the  many posters who are multi-generational season tickets holders....and everything in between! 

 

BUT, regardless of where you grew up or how you got to this board, we all have that ONE THING in common, and that’s pretty cool! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to say, for the last decade or two of my dad’s life, the Bills were the thing we had to both focus on. Life is/was difficult, his health was failing....we cherished our distraction. I would read then deliver my Bills Digest, he’d want the highlights when I arrived. He would buy every pre-draft publication he could find, then tell me all about guys he read about in a couple sentences. 

 

It’s about football, but it’s more about family. Amen. Miss you dad......

  • Thank you (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...