1973 Chiefs at Bills Monday Night Football video

[LB48]

This was the Bills 1st appearance on Monday Night Football on ABC.  The game was played on 10/29/73 in Orchard Park.  The Bills won and OJ went over 1000 yards at the mid-point of the season.  It was an historic moment in Bills history as they returned to respectability in a new stadium.

 

Can anyone find a video of this game - anywhere??? 

[DCbillsfan]

I remember listening to this game on radio.  It wasn't on tv.  Not sure why it wasn't.  Perhaps it didn't sell out in time.

[Bob in STL]

I was in the 8th grade and at the game that night.  
 

OJ was becoming the best player in the NFL.  Saban was back and we were getting better quickly.  We won that night.  A nice crisp fall night.  Going to school was tough the next day.  

Edited May 28, 2020 by Bob in STL

[First Round Bust]

was this this the very first MNF home game ever ?. where a guy did a tightrope walk of some sort above the crowd....also I think someone threatened Howard Cosell and he pressed charges and came back for the trial...during which time a local TV reporter asked him some questions and his response (while wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigar) to one which I clearly remember was..."I know every playahs numbah...and where went to collidge."

 

Night games in Buffalo...I sense another chapter or two coming this season...prayers

 

[SoCal Deek]

I was there, as a kid. It was a light rain leading up to game time. My family actually has a photo of us in our ponchos ready to leave home for the stadium. Can’t recall us taking a photo like that ever again. It was THAT big of a deal! 

[HOUSE]

I actually played in that game...scored 2 TD's. Oh wait, that was in the parking lot

[BuffaloBillies]

32 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

I actually played in that game...scored 2 TD's. Oh wait, that was in the parking lot

 

In the parking lot, I think you meant you caught 2 STDs.

[oldmanfan]

I was there.  The Juice was incredible

[TC in St. Louis]

10 hours ago, Bob in STL said:

I was in the 8th grade and at the game that night.  
 

OJ was becoming the best player in the NFL.  Saban was back and we were getting better quickly.  We won that night.  A nice crisp fall night.  Going to school was tough the next day.  

I was there too, Bob.  Didn't see you.

[Bob in STL]

32 minutes ago, TC in St. Louis said:

I was there too, Bob.  Didn't see you.

Back then there were 80,000 people there so that is probably why. 

[Beast]

That game was on local television but was actually shown delayed because of the President speaking to the nation that night.

[Chandler#81]

I was there too. Lower section beneath Howard, Giff & Dandy Don. Dawson started, but was ineffective/injured. It was pretty much the end of his career. Juice over 1000 halfway through the season. I saw the tv camera panning up our sideline and jumped up waving as it came past me, wearing a yellow Niagara Mohawk rain coat. Friends of the family living in Philly called the next day to say they saw me ?.

 

As for video, ‘73 was before the League starting making game clips. ABC was notorious for taping over games at the time as they were new to broadcasting the NFL. I hope not, but I’ve never seen anything except a short clip of Howard leaning through the booth window, getting the crowd riled up and the scoreboard showing OJ reached a grand -on the ‘73 Bills highlights video.

[bbb]

13 hours ago, LB48 said:

This was the Bills 1st appearance on Monday Night Football on ABC.  The game was played on 10/29/73 in Orchard Park.  The Bills won and OJ went over 1000 yards at the mid-point of the season.  It was an historic moment in Bills history as they returned to respectability in a new stadium.

 

Can anyone find a video of this game - anywhere??? 

 

I had been looking forward to that like crazy since the schedule came out.  I was 11 years old................That day, I got soooooo friggin sick................I begged and pleaded to go anyway............Smashcut to me listening to the game on the radio (no TV then) in bed, sick as a dog, saying my parents were right.  A bittersweet night with that great result.  It was a miserable rainy night, IIRC  

[jkx2]

Was also at the game. There were some many signs mocking Howard Cosell. The place was electic  OJ went over a thousand yards and it was only half way through the season. That's when the talk of 2000 yds started.

[stinky finger]

11 hours ago, HOUSE said:

I actually played in that game...scored 2 TD's. Oh wait, that was in the parking lot

 

I was there too. Your feets were out. 

[njbuff]

I remember this game like it was yesterday. I was a 1 year old at the time.

 

?

[Mcdermott]

11 hours ago, Beast said:

That game was on local television but was actually shown delayed because of the President speaking to the nation that night.

It was blacked out. Listened to whole game on radio.

[Colorado Mike]

23 hours ago, Bob in STL said:

I was in the 8th grade and at the game that night.  
 

OJ was becoming the best player in the NFL.  Saban was back and we were getting better quickly.  We won that night.  A nice crisp fall night.  Going to school was tough the next day.  

I too was at that game and in 8th grade at the time!  Yeah, late night for sure for a kid in school, and made even later because my dad forgot to make note of where he parked in one of the big lots and it took forever to find our car, having to wait until most of the others had departed.

[Bob in STL]

2 minutes ago, Colorado Mike said:

I too was at that game and in 8th grade at the time!  Yeah, late night for sure for a kid in school, and made even later because my dad forgot to make note of where he parked in one of the big lots and it took forever to find our car, having to wait until most of the others had departed.

I know the feeling.  My Uncle took me to the game and, amazingly, I found the car.  I was aware of details very early in life.  Or maybe I got lucky, but I found the car.  Too funny to hear your story but those moments make life real! 
 

 

[bbb]

 

On 5/27/2020 at 10:56 PM, DCbillsfan said:

I remember listening to this game on radio.  It wasn't on tv.  Not sure why it wasn't.  Perhaps it didn't sell out in time.

 

The rules back then were that home games were blacked out even if the game sold out................My Dad, Grandmother and Great Uncle went and booked a motel room in Rochester to watch the AFL Championship game that was in Buffalo (I think the other was in San Diego and I'm not sure about the one with KC to go to SB I  

[HOUSE]

9 hours ago, inaugural balls said:

 

I was there too. Your feets were out. 

 

I need a ruling here, one foot was clearly on the left side of the grill.

[Mcdermott]

8 hours ago, bbb said:

 

 

The rules back then were that home games were blacked out even if the game sold out................My Dad, Grandmother and Great Uncle went and booked a motel room in Rochester to watch the AFL Championship game that was in Buffalo (I think the other was in San Diego and I'm not sure about the one with KC to go to SB I  

1973 was the first year of the 72 hour rule. The game had to be sold out 3 days before game day. This game, as well as several others, weren’t and thus, a local black out.

[Wacka]

On 5/28/2020 at 8:14 AM, First Round Bust said:

was this this the very first MNF home game ever ?. where a guy did a tightrope walk of some sort above the crowd....also I think someone threatened Howard Cosell and he pressed charges and came back for the trial...during which time a local TV reporter asked him some questions and his response (while wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigar) to one which I clearly remember was..."I know every playahs numbah...and where went to collidge."

 

Night games in Buffalo...I sense another chapter or two coming this season...prayers

 

It was the first Bills MNF game.

The incident where the guy hung on the wire for the FG net was  a Bills-Giants game  in probably .75 0r 76  Went with some HS/College friends and we sat way up in the upper deck.. I was in college because we snuck in some schnapps(one of us had bought to on the way to  the game).

[SoCal Deek]

15 minutes ago, Wacka said:

It was the first Bills MNF game.

The incident where the guy hung on the wire for the FG net was  a Bills-Giants game  in probably .75 0r 76  Went with some HS/College friends and we sat way up in the upper deck.. I was in college because we snuck in some schnapps(one of us had bought to on the way to  the game).

That’s what I recall as well. But I think the Chiefs game had the couple who came as Bride and Groom, right? I always wonder what happened to them. Great wedding story!

[stinky finger]

8 hours ago, HOUSE said:

 

I need a ruling here, one foot was clearly on the left side of the grill.

 

After further review it's determined that one foot, indeed, was in.  

 

However - unsportsmanlike conduct on 00, HOUSE!

 

Play on

[Beast]

21 hours ago, bbb said:

 

 

The rules back then were that home games were blacked out even if the game sold out................My Dad, Grandmother and Great Uncle went and booked a motel room in Rochester to watch the AFL Championship game that was in Buffalo (I think the other was in San Diego and I'm not sure about the one with KC to go to SB I  

BBB....I believe you but I clearly remember watching the first regular season game at the Stadium, against the Jets, on television. I remember the Jets QB throwing a last second TD but the Bills still won the game. Maybe they showed that on television because it was their first regular season game at Rich?

Edited May 30, 2020 by Beast

[bbb]

13 hours ago, Mcdermott said:

1973 was the first year of the 72 hour rule. The game had to be sold out 3 days before game day. This game, as well as several others, weren’t and thus, a local black out.

 

12 minutes ago, Beast said:

BBB....I believe you but I clearly remember watching the first regular season game at the Stadium, against the Jets, on television. I remember the Jets QB throwing a last second TD but the Bills still won the game. Maybe they showed that on television because it was their first regular season game at Rich?

 

McDermott corrected me above.  I didn't realize it was the first year of the new rule.  I can't believe that first MNF game ever didn't sell out in advance of 72 hours!  

[LB48]

On 5/29/2020 at 9:00 PM, bbb said:

 

 

McDermott corrected me above.  I didn't realize it was the first year of the new rule.  I can't believe that first MNF game ever didn't sell out in advance of 72 hours!  

In 1973 the Bills sold 50,474 season tickets.  Rich Stadium capacity was 80,020.  The Jets game was a sell-out in advance of the 72 hour rule.