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Why Did You Become a Buffalo Bills Fan?


JohnNord

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I moved to California and was not a football fan yet. It was 1988. Everyone in northern Cali was a 49ers or Raiders fan.

 

I did not want to jump on the Montana/Rice or Bo Jackson train, so I picked the team that was from my birth state and had patriotic colors. I learned about the K-Gun offense, Thurman's versatility, the D, and it felt great to root for a young and exciting team I knew little about. Been hooked ever since!

 

I live in Colorado now and look forward (weather/COVID policy willing) to watch the Bills play Denver on 12/20.

 

 

Edited by Wizard
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because of SB XXV

this was the 1st game I saw on TV, and I could have turned Giants fan if Bills won it and Giants went to 4 consecutive appearances

On this SB XXV I was for the Giants because the announcer said Bills are favorite and they are high on themselves and bickering

The year later, I saw them back, and thought well it's their turn now. This was the 2nd game I saw, back in the time we couldn't see much football here in France

The rest is history

Edited by Repulsif
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37 minutes ago, BillsRdue said:

I never became a Bills fan, I was born one. It is actually an infectious disease in the blood of every person born in WNY. Go Bills!

I wish that same disease would go over the Sabres. Its crazy how the lack of love for hockey exists in Buffalo. Its all Bills all the Time

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I don't know if I've posted this before, but there's this family lore where my grandfather once sold a car to the "Da Juice", shortly after he came to Buffalo.  There was this signed picture of OJ hanging in my grandparents' bedroom for the longest time, and the autograph suggested that OJ bought a car from my grandfather.  After my grandparents moved to Florida after retirement, I haven't seen the picture again.  I asked my uncle if he has it, and he says that he doesn't know where it is.  I asked my mom.  She says that she's never seen it.

 

In any case, "Da Juice" was a fan favorite with my grandfather, even though he was not fond of certain, um, ethnic groups, and was super vocal about it too.  So, every Sunday during the season I'd run around their house in Buffalo (my grandfather would rearrange the furniture to be like a DL or something), and he'd egg me on like OJ as I "ran through" holes between sectionals and recliners.  Even when they moved to Florida we'd watch the games together when I was in town.  So, my first memory is when I was 4, but I'm 100% sure that my family would watch the games when I was a baby.

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Just now, BillsRdue said:

I love the Sabres too. Tougher to watch now, but still do.

They just added Taylor Hall, one of the too players in Free Agency. It saddens me that so many Bills fans leave the are and only care about Dem Bills. 

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1 hour ago, Groin said:

I don't know if I've posted this before, but there's this family lore where my grandfather once sold a car to the "Da Juice", shortly after he came to Buffalo.  There was this signed picture of OJ hanging in my grandparents' bedroom for the longest time, and the autograph suggested that OJ bought a car from my grandfather.  After my grandparents moved to Florida after retirement, I haven't seen the picture again.  I asked my uncle if he has it, and he says that he doesn't know where it is.  I asked my mom.  She says that she's never seen it.

 

In any case, "Da Juice" was a fan favorite with my grandfather, even though he was not fond of certain, um, ethnic groups, and was super vocal about it too.  So, every Sunday during the season I'd run around their house in Buffalo (my grandfather would rearrange the furniture to be like a DL or something), and he'd egg me on like OJ as I "ran through" holes between sectionals and recliners.  Even when they moved to Florida we'd watch the games together when I was in town.  So, my first memory is when I was 4, but I'm 100% sure that my family would watch the games when I was a baby.

That's awesome. 

Now you gotta tell me what kind of car OJ bought from your grandfather.

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37 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

That's awesome. 

Now you gotta tell me what kind of car OJ bought from your grandfather.

According to my grandfather it was a loaded Caprice, and this is the only thing that makes sense -- because he sold Chevys (not Cadillac, only Chevy).

 

Given that my Depression-era grandparents, my grandfather serving in Italy in WWII, owned nothing when my mom was a kid, a little more than nothing when they bought their first house after the war, downsized as they lived in an apartment before moving to Florida, then lived with basically with one step above nothing when they sold their house in Florida, anything is possible -- and now that I'm thinking about it the OJ signed picture was last seen in 1979 or so.  I would seriously not be surprised if they purged it when OJ was no longer in Buffalo and they were planning to leave town for retirement.

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Why.?

Originally a Packer fan, because of tv and Sports Illustrated , and Horning, Taylor, Starr,  Dowler, Fuzzy Thurston, Nitche, Robinson, Willie Wood, Davis, Lombardy 

Then our local media covered Bills, Dubenion, Kemp, Lincoln, Sestak, Lamonica, Gilchrist, Gogolak...and I caught Billsitis

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1 hour ago, Groin said:

According to my grandfather it was a loaded Caprice, and this is the only thing that makes sense -- because he sold Chevys (not Cadillac, only Chevy).

 

Given that my Depression-era grandparents, my grandfather serving in Italy in WWII, owned nothing when my mom was a kid, a little more than nothing when they bought their first house after the war, downsized as they lived in an apartment before moving to Florida, then lived with basically with one step above nothing when they sold their house in Florida, anything is possible -- and now that I'm thinking about it the OJ signed picture was last seen in 1979 or so.  I would seriously not be surprised if they purged it when OJ was no longer in Buffalo and they were planning to leave town for retirement.

Thanks, good story!

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3 hours ago, Jrb1979 said:

They just added Taylor Hall, one of the too players in Free Agency. It saddens me that so many Bills fans leave the are and only care about Dem Bills. 

He should help along with Staal. I think we may actually have a top 6. If Cody Eakin, Tobias Rieder, and Matt Irwin amount to anything, we may actually challenge. But I still don't trust Ullmark as a #1 or Hutton, who's been a big disappointment. I think we need a stud goalie and we will finally end the drought.

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I was 4 when the Bills were born. I still remember those raucous fans at the Rockpile, the smell of cigars all around, the back to back championships. I've just never even considered rooting for anyone else. There have been players I've admired from other teams like Butkus, Namath, Marino and Reggie White, but as long as they represent my hometown, I will never waiver in my support even if they are 0-16, they are still my only team.

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1986 Steelers @ Bills. We were living in Southern Maryland and I was 9. My dad, being from Western PA was a diehard fan. I decided that day to heckle and talk sh*t to him that the Bills were going to win, and they did. I had to go back and lookup the score, 16-12 for the good guys. Ever since that day I have been hooked. As a side note, I'm probably like the only one who's been a fan for so long yet have never stepped foot in the state of NY.. 🤔 

Go Bills! 

 

Edit: My dad was a diehard Steelers fan. Just to clarify. 

Edited by FLbills
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