Rocket94 Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 (edited) After discussing Jerry Butler, I suppose it triggered another "moment" from the Bills past. The 1981 game against New England where Joe Ferguson and Roland Hooks "Hooked" up and beat the Pats. I remember that the Bills were down...I remember turning off the TV thinking the Bills would come back If I did. Sure enough they did! Does anyone have the video? Please post it! Edited June 14, 2019 by Rocket94 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Flanders Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 (edited) I was at the game, watching the end from one of the upper deck tunnels. Many had left, and after Hooks caught the TD, guys came running out of the bathroom, some with their pants still down around their ankles...Hooks' catch before the TD was one of the ages, and, of course, set up the Hail Mary. The play starts around the 3:30 mark. Edited June 13, 2019 by Ned Flanders 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 (edited) Thanks! Pandemonium! The first catch was amazing! Edited June 13, 2019 by Rocket94 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Avon Lake now Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 I was at the game as well and we left because it started snowing and game seemed out of reach. We heard the crowd roar and tried to turn around as we were walking to our car outside Rich, but too late. It would have been my first live look at a "Hail Mary" Fergy rightfully deserves praise for his abilities and that was a great demonstration of what he could do. I think some of his heroics are overshadowed by blunders at critical times. Not sure how I would rank him as Bills QB but probably 3rd after Kelly and Lamonica. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 I would love to see this scenario replayed again...if we happen to be down to the Pats again. Only this time it is Josh Allen to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vorpma Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 44 minutes ago, Rocket94 said: After discussing Jerry Butler, I suppose it triggered another "moment" from the Bills past. The 1981 game against New England where Joe Ferguson and Roland Hooks "Hooked" up and beat the Pats. I remember that the Bills were down...I remember turning off the TV thinking the Bills would come back If I did. Sure enoigh they did! Does anyone have the video? Please post it! I listened to this game on a transistor radio while pulling guard duty for an ammo bunker in the jungles of Panama; I remember it well! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 9 minutes ago, Dave in Bluffton said: I was at the game as well and we left because it started snowing and game seemed out of reach. We heard the crowd roar and tried to turn around as we were walking to our car outside Rich, but too late. It would have been my first live look at a "Hail Mary" Fergy rightfully deserves praise for his abilities and that was a great demonstration of what he could do. I think some of his heroics are overshadowed by blunders at critical times. Not sure how I would rank him as Bills QB but probably 3rd after Kelly and Lamonica. I called Ferguson Super Joe because of the plays and his occasional flash of heroics. 1 minute ago, vorpma said: I listened to this game on a transistor radio while pulling guard duty for an ammo bunker in the jungles of Panama; I remember it well! Wow...Noriega! What a remember when! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomur67 Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 I too was at that game and was driving out of the parking lot when Hooks caught the pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplebulldog Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 I was in that end zone 16 years old, drinking my 10th snuck in beer ! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vorpma Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 1 hour ago, Rocket94 said: I called Ferguson Super Joe because of the plays and his occasional flash of heroics. Wow...Noriega! What a remember when! Sure was, I met Noriega face to face when he was a Major the previous year; slime! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmanfan Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 I was there. We went berserk. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 23 minutes ago, vorpma said: Sure was, I met Noriega face to face when he was a Major the previous year; slime! So times were still fairly stable. Fascinating! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albany,n.y. Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 I was in the parking lot because the people I went to the game with wanted to leave early & since I wasn't the driver that game I didn't have a choice to stay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 38 minutes ago, Albany,n.y. said: I was in the parking lot because the people I went to the game with wanted to leave early & since I wasn't the driver that game I didn't have a choice to stay. That had to suck...but everyone thought it was over! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 3 hours ago, Dave in Bluffton said: It would have been my first live look at a "Hail Mary" Funny, i still remember the first time i saw the play live. Jerry Butler, rookie year, vs Jets. Butler goes off for 255 and 4tds, one of which was "Hail Mary" at end of first half. Bos score says it was 75 yards..so i am not quite sure how that went..must have been tipped and he was behind everyone I guess..I really dont remember that part. Anyway,t he term Hail Mary had not been used yet..Bills called the play the "Big Ben" play after Ben Williams, a DE..why? I have no clue. Maybe some old guys here will remember. Only recap i can find of the game called it an alley oop!!! https://www.nytimes.com/1979/09/24/archives/buffalos-ferguson-butler-star-butler-10-receptions-4-scores.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 15 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said: Funny, i still remember the first time i saw the play live. Jerry Butler, rookie year, vs Jets. Butler goes off for 255 and 4tds, one of which was "Hail Mary" at end of first half. Bos score says it was 75 yards..so i am not quite sure how that went..must have been tipped and he was behind everyone I guess..I really dont remember that part. Anyway,t he term Hail Mary had not been used yet..Bills called the play the "Big Ben" play after Ben Williams, a DE..why? I have no clue. Maybe some old guys here will remember. Only recap i can find of the game called it an alley oop!!! https://www.nytimes.com/1979/09/24/archives/buffalos-ferguson-butler-star-butler-10-receptions-4-scores.html I was 17 at the time. I don't remember exactly. Maybe a tribute to Ben Williams? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 (edited) It's been so many years, I don't remember much of that game - except for those last two remarkable plays. Those were unforgettable. Hooks, already one of my favorite Bills, was a hero that day. Edited June 13, 2019 by hondo in seattle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 (edited) 4 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said: It's been so many years, I don't remember that game clearly - except for those last two remarkable plays. Those were unforgettable. Hooks, already one of my favorite Bills, was a hero that day. That first catch was shoe string like! Hooks was a gamer. Edited June 13, 2019 by Rocket94 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddyjj Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 16 minutes ago, Rocket94 said: That first catch was shoe string like! Hooks was a gamer. If i remember correctly, OJ Simpson told OBD to play Roland Hooks after his trade to 49ers. Hooks was a big play guy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 4 minutes ago, freddyjj said: If i remember correctly, OJ Simpson told OBD to play Roland Hooks after his trade to 49ers. Hooks was a big play guy. Yes he was. He was a rugged and durable player as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevewin Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 I was also at that game - I remember the fans streaming out of the stadium and I told my brother "We aren't leaving - this will be an Alcoa Fantastic Finish!" (old timers will get the reference). The catch by Hooks may be the most remarkable sports play I've ever seen live. We were in the end zone and I can still picture plain as day the ball leaving Fergy's hand and sailing down the middle and then the catch. OMG. What an unbelievable catch - and to see it live in the moment it was even better - I'll never forget it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 4 minutes ago, stevewin said: I was also at that game - I remember the fans streaming out of the stadium and I told my brother "We aren't leaving - this will be an Alcoa Fantastic Finish!" (old timers will get the reference). The catch by Hooks may be the most remarkable sports play I've ever seen live. We were in the end zone and I can still picture plain as day the ball leaving Fergy's hand and sailing down the middle and then the catch. OMG. What an unbelievable catch - and to see it live in the moment it was even better - I'll never forget it. It was an incredible catch! I saw the highlights after turning off the tv. Technology of the 70's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Flanders Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 1 hour ago, plenzmd1 said: Anyway,t he term Hail Mary had not been used yet.. I believe it was Roger Staubach who coined the term after a late game heave to Drew Pearson won a playoff game against the Vikings in Minnesota. 1971 or 72? Anyways, after the game, Staubach said he just threw the ball up there, said a Hail Mary, and hoped for the best. It's been called a "Hail Mary" play ever since. And that is your history lesson for the day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 17 minutes ago, Ned Flanders said: I believe it was Roger Staubach who coined the term after a late game heave to Drew Pearson won a playoff game against the Vikings in Minnesota. 1971 or 72? Anyways, after the game, Staubach said he just threw the ball up there, said a Hail Mary, and hoped for the best. It's been called a "Hail Mary" play ever since. And that is your history lesson for the day... That was when it was first used but..as mentioned in 79 Bills still called it the Big Ben..thinkin maybe in the 80's did it offcially become "a hail Mary" pass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 I love those old NFL Films videos. Plus hearing Ed Sabol narrate it takes one back in time. Pretty cool. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 15 minutes ago, Happy Gilmore said: I love those old NFL Films videos. Plus hearing Ed Sabol narrate it takes one back in time. Pretty cool. Those were the best. "The frozen tundra" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyWhiteShows Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 7 hours ago, Rocket94 said: After discussing Jerry Butler, I suppose it triggered another "moment" from the Bills past. The 1981 game against New England where Joe Ferguson and Roland Hooks "Hooked" up and beat the Pats. I remember that the Bills were down...I remember turning off the TV thinking the Bills would come back If I did. Sure enoigh they did! Does anyone have the video? Please post it! Roland Hooks? Who? Never heard of him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 2 minutes ago, BillyWhiteShows said: Roland Hooks? Who? Never heard of him Yeah...he was just some guy. Played for the Bills long ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuco Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 1 hour ago, plenzmd1 said: That was when it was first used but..as mentioned in 79 Bills still called it the Big Ben..thinkin maybe in the 80's did it offcially become "a hail Mary" pass It was called Big Ben because that's what it was called the first time it was successfully used - by the Atlanta Falcons. Staubach's pass was a true Hail Mary, as it was just a pass launched in hopes his receiver would catch it. But in 1978 the rules were changed so that an offensive player could tip a pass to another offensive player. Before then it was illegal. The Falcons practiced doing this and called the play Big Ben for whatever reason. And the first time they used it it worked - twice actually, except they didn't have replay reviews and the refs blew the second one. The NFL being a copy cat league, naturally everybody started practicing and using the play, and most of them, as well as the announcers, called it Big Ben just because that's what it was originally called. It had nothing to do with Ben Williams. Then over the years it just became fashionable to call it Hail Mary - again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyWhiteShows Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 48 minutes ago, Rocket94 said: Yeah...he was just some guy. Played for the Bills long ago! Any relation to Belle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkwwjd Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 8 hours ago, Dave in Bluffton said: I was at the game as well and we left because it started snowing and game seemed out of reach. We heard the crowd roar and tried to turn around as we were walking to our car outside Rich, but too late. It would have been my first live look at a "Hail Mary" Fergy rightfully deserves praise for his abilities and that was a great demonstration of what he could do. I think some of his heroics are overshadowed by blunders at critical times. Not sure how I would rank him as Bills QB but probably 3rd after Kelly and Lamonica. I was there too ... in the parking lot because Dad wanted to leave ... only hear the cheers and “Here's the replay on the scoreboard” and we watched it from the north lot on that amber lit beauty! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 14, 2019 Author Share Posted June 14, 2019 2 hours ago, Bills Fan in Haiti said: I was there too ... in the parking lot because Dad wanted to leave ... only hear the cheers and “Here's the replay on the scoreboard” and we watched it from the north lot on that amber lit beauty! Those were good times. I missed that game. A local bar used to have bus excursions to the games. Some of the fans on the bus were so drunk...they slept through the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Defense Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 Yes, a great moment in the Bills history. It made me think the Bills can almost always come back, despite obstacles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helpmenow Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 Got the game tix, who else has it Never left a game early. There was nobody there. We had a great view of the catch 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 14, 2019 Author Share Posted June 14, 2019 25 minutes ago, Helpmenow said: Got the game tix, who else has it Never left a game early. There was nobody there. We had a great view of the catch Wow! Good stuff...memories like that are rare! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helpmenow Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 (edited) I have all the bills home playoff games tickets as well. Kept them all those years. Moved all over the country with em. Edited June 14, 2019 by Helpmenow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 14, 2019 Author Share Posted June 14, 2019 11 minutes ago, Helpmenow said: I have all the bills home playoff games tickets as well. Kept them all those years. Moved all over the country with em. Those were fun years. I expected us to win every week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExWNYer Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 13 hours ago, Rocket94 said: After discussing Jerry Butler, I suppose it triggered another "moment" from the Bills past. The 1981 game against New England where Joe Ferguson and Roland Hooks "Hooked" up and beat the Pats. I remember that the Bills were down...I remember turning off the TV thinking the Bills would come back If I did. Sure enoigh they did! Does anyone have the video? Please post it! 8 hours ago, Rocket94 said: It was an incredible catch! I saw the highlights after turning off the tv. Technology of the 70's I remember seeing the highlights on an 'Alcoa Fantastic Finishes' clip. They used to show them during Sunday games at the two minute warning before halftime. It was awesome. 1 hour ago, Helpmenow said: Got the game tix, who else has it Never left a game early. There was nobody there. We had a great view of the catch Nice keepsake but it's not for the Roland Hooks game winner in '81. You're 6 years too late. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted June 14, 2019 Author Share Posted June 14, 2019 8 hours ago, stevewin said: I was also at that game - I remember the fans streaming out of the stadium and I told my brother "We aren't leaving - this will be an Alcoa Fantastic Finish!" (old timers will get the reference). The catch by Hooks may be the most remarkable sports play I've ever seen live. We were in the end zone and I can still picture plain as day the ball leaving Fergy's hand and sailing down the middle and then the catch. OMG. What an unbelievable catch - and to see it live in the moment it was even better - I'll never forget it. Yes...The Alcoa highlight flashes with the deep voiced narrator! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Boy Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 It was my Dad’s birthday and we left. We just got out of the stadium when we heard the roar of the remaining crowd. By the time we got to the car the game was over and we won. My Dad said it was his birthday present. EJ did the same for me at the Panthers game on my ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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