Bills First Uniform: Honolulu Blue, Silver, White

[JaBu]

32 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

I wish all of you here could have experienced the AFL days and the Rockpile.  Great memories.

 

I totally agree with that; it was a unique experience particularly as compared to today. Do you remember watching practices out at the Blasdell Motel? I got Jack Kemp's autograph there after a practice & was thrilled as a kid. I still have it somewhere.

[oldmanfan]

9 minutes ago, jabu said:

 

I totally agree with that; it was a unique experience particularly as compared to today. Do you remember watching practices out at the Blasdell Motel? I got Jack Kemp's autograph there after a practice & was thrilled as a kid. I still have it somewhere.

Oh yeah.  Caught a pass from Jack during autograph day once.

[dollars 2 donuts]

6 hours ago, Mark Vader said:

Was he a Cowboys fan?

 

Edit: the below is correct, but bone headed response on my part for not checking what MV was responding to.  @Mark Vader

 

No, a Detroit fan born and raised.

 

Why do you think we played them so much in the preseason all those years.

Edited September 6, 2018 by dollars 2 donuts

[RochesterRob]

1 hour ago, oldmanfan said:

I don't think Lamar was the issue.  It was more that he could not get guarantees to use the Orange Bowl.

  If I remember correctly the city of Miami refused to lease the Orange Bowl to Ralph due to non-payment by previous tenants.  The city softened its stance around 1965 opening the door for the AFL to expand in 1966.  Not Lamar Hunt nor Robbie/Thomas screwed Ralph over.  Ralph's issue was solely with the city of Miami.

Edited September 6, 2018 by RochesterRob

[oldmanfan]

3 minutes ago, RochesterRob said:

  If I remember correctly the city of Miami refused to lease the Orange Bowl to Ralph due to non-payment by previous tenants.  The city softened its stance around 1965 opening the door for the AFL to expand in 1966.  Not Lamar Hunt nor Robbie/Thomas screwed Ralph over.  Ralph's issue was solely with the city of Miami.

That's accurate if I recall correctly.  I think Ralph initially wanted Miami, and when that didn't work it was Buffalo, Louisville, and one other city I can't remember.  When Ralph visited the owner of the Courier-Express sold him in Buffalo.

[bobblehead]

3 hours ago, BillsfaninSB said:

I heard they were actually Lion’s hand me downs. 

Yes. I heard that too. He bought lions gear for that first year.  Saving money to bail out the Raiders in the 60’s  lol 

[Mark Vader]

1 hour ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

 

No, a Detroit fan born and raised.

 

Why do you think we played them so much in the preseason all those years.

You did read what I was responding too, right?

[Threedollabills]

6 hours ago, Fadingpain said:

I never knew until just now that the very first 1960 Bills uniform was Honolulu blue, silver, and white.

 

Kind of a Detroit Lions look to it.

 

What do you think? I prefer the red/white/blue look myself.  

 

 

 

 

The diagram looks just like the Lions but the team-photo colours are dope! Would love to see these jerseys even with the numbers on the helmets. Big ups on the post! Merci

53 minutes ago, bobblehead said:

Yes. I heard that too. He bought lions gear for that first year.  Saving money to bail out the Raiders in the 60’s  lol 

No way! Haha that's rad

[dollars 2 donuts]

36 minutes ago, Mark Vader said:

You did read what I was responding too, right?

 

 

Ah shucks, Vader, I didn't buddy.  My bad.

 

Editing shortly.

 

I was scanning too quickly.

[26CornerBlitz]

The Gridiron Uniform Database

[Freddie's Dead]

8 hours ago, Mark Vader said:

Was he a Cowboys fan?

They were playing the Native American Slurs in SB XXVI, but forget it, you're rolling 

[Mark Vader]

12 minutes ago, Freddie's Dead said:

They were playing the Native American Slurs in SB XXVI, but forget it, you're rolling 

?

[The Process]

15 hours ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Take the numbers off the helmets, next thing you know, Thurman loses his.  

 

EDIT:  It was only earlier this year on this site that I learned a tv crew member apparently moved it.

The TV Crew Member was practicing his technique for later , working Patriots games.

9 hours ago, Threedollabills said:

The diagram looks just like the Lions but the team-photo colours are dope! Would love to see these jerseys even with the numbers on the helmets. Big ups on the post! Merci

No way! Haha that's rad

WAY! ......major props to Threedollabills for using "dope" "rad" "ups", french spelling of colors and a french word in this post. Magnifique....mon ami!

 

[Fadingpain]

12 hours ago, Mickey said:

 

In the time long ago, back when the world and I were young, this knowledge was common amongst all the peoples of our fair land. Alas, such lore now is held only by the last of the elders. Soon they too shall pass from this place and take with them the stories of our grandfathers for age is a wind which carries memory away. Effing millennials.

Not sure if you were directing this at me, the OP, or just ranting in general, but I'm a Generation X-er, not a millennial.

 

I've seen 10 million photographs or pieces of film from the Rockpile era, and we are always wearing variations of the standing buffalo, red/white/blue type uniforms.   I never knew in that first 1960 season--and only in that season--did we wear these Detroit Lion specials.  

 

The rumor that Ralph allegedly bought these on the cheap from Detroit is hilarious.  Seems highly likely to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

10 hours ago, bobblehead said:

Yes. I heard that too. He bought lions gear for that first year.  Saving money to bail out the Raiders in the 60’s  lol 

Having heard stories of his 'thrifty' ways, I wouldn't be surprised if he drove the surplus gear himself in whatever his 60s version of his Ford Pinto was at the time.  ?

Edited September 6, 2018 by Ridgewaycynic2013

[ExiledInIllinois]

13 hours ago, Mickey said:

 

In the time long ago, back when the world and I were young, this knowledge was common amongst all the peoples of our fair land. Alas, such lore now is held only by the last of the elders. Soon they too shall pass from this place and take with them the stories of our grandfathers for age is a wind which carries memory away. Effing millennials.

Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.  Echo the disasters of the past.

 

Millennials are just echoes of their Boomer parents.  Echo Boomers.

23 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Having heard stories of his 'thrifty' ways, I wouldn't be surprised if he drove the surplus gear himself in whatever his 60s version of his Ford Pinto was at the time.  ?

'59 Nash Rambler:

 

[Mickey]

49 minutes ago, Fadingpain said:

Not sure if you were directing this at me, the OP, or just ranting in general, but I'm a Generation X-er, not a millennial.

 

I've seen 10 million photographs or pieces of film from the Rockpile era, and we are always wearing variations of the standing buffalo, red/white/blue type uniforms.   I never knew in that first 1960 season--and only in that season--did we wear these Detroit Lion specials.  

 

The rumor that Ralph allegedly bought these on the cheap from Detroit is hilarious.  Seems highly likely to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just having fun with contrasting language, no rant intended. Most criticism of millennials is unfair in my view. It is interesting to me how things once known by just about everyone can fade into a challenging trivia question with the passage of time.  

 

As for the uniforms, it was at one point common knowledge that Ralph wanted a team in Miami where he had a winter home but he couldn't get a deal for use of the Orange Bowl. He was going to quit looking for a team but Lama Hunt urged him to consider other cities like Louisville. He had two friends who told him about Buffalo which was a lot like Wilson's native Detroit. They told him how well the Buffalo Bisons of the All-America Football Conference did in terms of fan support. As he was a personal fan of his hometown team, the Lions, he used their color scheme in the team's inaugural year. If you have seen the Lions play in their old-timey throwbacks then you've essentially seen the uniforms the Bills used on 1960. Although I think they didn't have face masks.