Original bills uniforms!

[Chicharito]

I sitting here in my Covid quarantine and went to the hall of fame website and read the history of the bills section. Obviously not many on here if any ever seen the bills play in their original uniforms of royal blue and silver. I know Detroit lions colors. But with teams being allowed to wear different helmets and such next year. Why not do a concept of the original roots? I’m sure I’m going to get the nay sayers with red is the only helmet we should wear. But it’s all about marketing and sales. So just a thought I had let’s see what you guys think.

[scuba guy]

It's all about the money

Market this Jersey sell out change the color and sell it again

[Seasons1992]

While I respect the 1960 uniforms which look like Detroit, I'm not interested in seeing those.

[Draconator]

 

Hmmm... Might be cool for a game, especially with the numbers on the helmet. Doesn't "thrill" me however. 

[mannc]

And the standing buffalo uniform remains the best...

[Chandler#81]

Ralph Wilson’s Family were part owners of the Lions at the time. Thus, the Detroit look. Let it die.

[dwight in philly]

25 minutes ago, mannc said:

And the standing buffalo uniform remains the best...

 

31 minutes ago, Seasons1992 said:

While I respect the 1960 uniforms which look like Detroit, I'm not interested in seeing those.

 I agree the standing Buffalo mid sixties uniforms are the best ! I am old enough to remember the original ones.. At the time i didnt realize it , but they certainly were like the Lions.. Ralph , being from Detroit , probably had a bias.. but the silver helmet , in a way , was kind of classic in retrospect.. 

3 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

Ralph Wilson’s Family were part owners of the Lions at the time. Thus, the Detroit look. Let it die.

Great minds think alike!

[Gugny]

I had no idea Bledsoe was on the Bills for that long.

[stinky finger]

2 hours ago, Chicharito said:

I sitting here in my Covid quarantine and went to the hall of fame website and read the history of the bills section. Obviously not many on here if any ever seen the bills play in their original uniforms of royal blue and silver. I know Detroit lions colors. But with teams being allowed to wear different helmets and such next year. Why not do a concept of the original roots? I’m sure I’m going to get the nay sayers with red is the only helmet we should wear. But it’s all about marketing and sales. So just a thought I had let’s see what you guys think.

 

FWIW - I never need to see the Bills play another game with the red helmet.

[Seasons1992]

2 minutes ago, inaugural balls said:

 

FWIW - I never need to see the Bills play another game with the red helmet.

 

[Charles Romes]

There is the 1960 team photo but I’m not sure there is any color photo or video of the Bills actually playing in their 1960 lions uniforms. 

[stinky finger]

7 minutes ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

 

Quite simply - I prefer the White 

 

 

[r00tabaga]

When did they say they were going to allow different helmets? I thought it was a safety measure.

[UConn James]

1 hour ago, r00tabaga said:

When did they say they were going to allow different helmets? I thought it was a safety measure.

There is some speculation that the one-shell rule will be relaxed next season to allow another color for throwback / alternate unis.

 

I don’t believe there’s any data that shows players having only one helmet that they ever use during a season prevents head injuries / concussions. Colleges, U of Oregon for the most extreme example using a different one every week due to Nike sponsorship in their president’s backyard, use many different shells through the year.

Edited December 27, 2020 by UConn James

[Bferra13]

0 interest in doing anything with the old Lions stuff that was a placeholder til funds were secured. But one interesting logo fact and a question:

1) the standing buffalo is the only logo in sports with a penis. Ha!

2) why does Howard University use our logo? Did we steal it from them? Edit, looks like that was Howard's old logo, but still how did that fly?

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by Bferra13

[JTown]

1 hour ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

 

I personally don't like the red helmet at all. 

 

While I love and admire the 90s Bill's teams,  let the red helmet be a memory and let's go get a Championship in our glorious White helmet. 

[BfloBillsFan]

3 hours ago, mannc said:

And the standing buffalo uniform remains the best...

My favorite. I wonder how it would look if  they made the standing buffalo white or blue and put it on a red or blue helmet. Sort of a reverse retro like the NHL did. 

[Helpmenow]

1963 blue jersey aren’t shown there. They were different

[mannc]

1 minute ago, BfloBillsFan said:

My favorite. I wonder how it would look if  they made the standing buffalo white or blue and put it on a red or blue helmet. Sort of a reverse retro like the NHL did. 

Have to say, I like almost all of the AFL throwbacks: Pats, Broncos, Oilers, Bengals...

[Just Jack]

8 minutes ago, Bferra13 said:

 

2) why does Howard University use our logo? Did we steal it from them? Edit, looks like that was Howard's old logo, but still how did that fly?

 

 

 

The story is that Howard U had it first, but never copywrote/trademarked it, so the Bills did, and then let them continue to use it. Kinda like the current Bills Mafia situation. 

[Helpmenow]

[clayboy54]

These were the 1963 uniforms. My first year attending the games as a kid. The red, white and blue with the shoulder stripes only lasted the one year.

[Chicharito]

28 minutes ago, BfloBillsFan said:

My favorite. I wonder how it would look if  they made the standing buffalo white or blue and put it on a red or blue helmet. Sort of a reverse retro like the NHL did. 

The bills did do the white standing buffalo on the red helmets in the 90’s I did not like it.

[Helpmenow]

[Bferra13]

31 minutes ago, Chicharito said:

The bills did do the white standing buffalo on the red helmets in the 90’s I did not like it.

I kind of remember that too. Wasn't it a bastardized version tho? Like all red with a white standing buffalo? I think Paup was on that team so 96ish? Edit, yep you said that in the post. It was Bills Broncos 1994. Man, thats like a half assed drawing. Looks like a bear lol. Maybe its just a bad angle.

 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by Bferra13

[stinky finger]

17 minutes ago, Bferra13 said:

I kind of remember that too. Wasn't it a bastardized version tho? Like all red with a white standing buffalo? I think Paup was on that team so 96ish? Edit, yep you said that in the post. It was Bills Broncos 1994. Man, thats like a half assed drawing. Looks like a bear lol. Maybe its just a bad angle.

 

 

 

 

Yep ‘94

 

i was there for that Monday Nighter. It poured rain a good chunk of it too. Last play, Elway sailed one high through the end zone in a one score game. 

[BfloBillsFan]

29 minutes ago, Bferra13 said:

I kind of remember that too. Wasn't it a bastardized version tho? Like all red with a white standing buffalo? I think Paup was on that team so 96ish? Edit, yep you said that in the post. It was Bills Broncos 1994. Man, thats like a half assed drawing. Looks like a bear lol. Maybe its just a bad angle.

 

 

 

Hahaha, it does. I Don't remember that game.  The picture on the bottom is much better.  

[Bferra13]

6 minutes ago, BfloBillsFan said:

Hahaha, it does. I Don't remember that game.  The picture on the bottom is much better.  

 

Yeah lol. Anyone have a better pic of them wearing the red standing buffalo helmets in 94? That can't be real lol. Looks like a third grader drew that.

[4_kidd_4]

2 hours ago, Bferra13 said:

I kind of remember that too. Wasn't it a bastardized version tho? Like all red with a white standing buffalo? I think Paup was on that team so 96ish? Edit, yep you said that in the post. It was Bills Broncos 1994. Man, thats like a half assed drawing. Looks like a bear lol. Maybe its just a bad angle.

 

 

 

 

Yeah this was before “throwbacks” were really a thing, and Ralph half-arsed it because he didn’t want to drop some coin on new helmets and jerseys for one or two games. The only time period accurate part were the socks, ha!

 

I believe it was done for the 35th anniversary of the AFL & 75th anniversary of the NFL.

 

Here’s a good breakdown of the helmets;

 

http://nfluniforms.blogspot.com/2011/07/throwback-helmet-evolution.html?m=1

 

“Bills: Fail. Changed only the logo from the charging blue buffalo to a standing WHITE buffalo. Meant to show the 1962-73 logo.”

 

another breakdown;

 

https://boards.sportslogos.net/topic/76682-1994-nfl-throwbacks/

 

“As for the Bills... horrible attempt. Left the helmets red, and instead inverted the buffalo on the helmet from red to white, so that it fit on the helmets. Striping pattern was also off.”

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by 4_kidd_4

[Bferra13]

1 minute ago, 4_kidd_4 said:

 

Yeah this was before “throwbacks” were really a thing, and Ralph half-arsed it because he didn’t want to drop some coin on new helmets and jerseys for one game. The only time period accurate part were the socks, ha!

 

I believe it was done for the 35th anniversary of the AFL & 75th anniversary of the NFL.

 

Here’s a good breakdown;

 

http://nfluniforms.blogspot.com/2011/07/throwback-helmet-evolution.html?m=1

 

“Bills: Fail. Changed only the logo from the charging blue buffalo to a standing WHITE buffalo. Meant to show the 1962-73 logo.”

 

Lol. Good find. But I need picture proof of those helmets against Denver that game. See my prior post with picture. Did they really look like a polar bear or was that a fake? Did Ralph hire a team of 3rd graders to cut out those stencils lol?

[BearNorth]

• Original Bills Fan here.  Best, was white jersey, red and a touch of blue.  Standing Buffalo helmet is iconic.

[JaCrispy]

7 hours ago, mannc said:

And the standing buffalo uniform remains the best...

Yup...just the right amount of red on the helmet...👍

[BigDingus]

8 hours ago, mannc said:

And the standing buffalo uniform remains the best...

 

With the exception of the logo being pure butt 😄

I know some people will always love it, but if you were a new, non-biased observer looking at logos for the first time, that just strikes me as one of the least impressive, non-threatening, and boring symbols.

 

Only reason I'm so passionate about our current one is it plus our color scheme single-handedly made me a Bills fan out of ALL NFL teams as a kid, growing up in a massive family of Redskins fans in Northern Virginia. No connection to the city, no family members interested in the team, just Redskins fans who tried to get me interested in football starting around age 5. 

It took until I saw the Bills & their logo to become fascinated with football, and I immediately became obsessed with the team. 30 years later, still here, converting dozens of people to the fandom along the way

[ticketssince61]

6 hours ago, inaugural balls said:

 

FWIW - I never need to see the Bills play another game with the red helmet.

 

Does anyone remember WHY we switched to red helmet?

Joe Ferguson was throwing too many INT's and the jets, dolphin and patriots are all had white helmets. The thought it would be easier to spot his receivers with a helmet that stood out

[machine gun kelly]

I guess this is important to you guys.    I like our units the way they are except the second uni for maybe a game (the one with the red standing Buffalo on the white helmet).

[Buffalove1]

I really don't like the red helmets either. Instead of reverting to this old Lion's colors. I would rather us use an earlier throw back helmet. The one with the standing Buffalo and only the red stripe down the middle not the red with two blue stripes. I think this would look cooler in a retro way. 

[F.W. Cyclone]

[cwater10]

9 hours ago, ticketssince61 said:

 

Does anyone remember WHY we switched to red helmet?

Joe Ferguson was throwing too many INT's and the jets, dolphin and patriots are all had white helmets. The thought it would be easier to spot his receivers with a helmet that stood out

This!  At the time, the red helmets were not received well at all.  They were ridiculed as an eyesore, laughed at a symbol of our QB flaws and ... rightly so.  They ruined a classic uniform.  They should remain in storage until we ever lure Fergy out of retirement.

[chris heff]

9 hours ago, ticketssince61 said:

 

Does anyone remember WHY we switched to red helmet?

Joe Ferguson was throwing too many INT's and the jets, dolphin and patriots are all had white helmets. The thought it would be easier to spot his receivers with a helmet that stood out

If I recall correctly it didn’t help. How exactly did that meeting go?

“Ferguson throws to many interceptions, we need to do something!

I got it let’s change the helmet color to red.

Is that the cheapest solution?

Yes Mr. Wilson it is.

Then do it.”

Edited December 27, 2020 by chris heff

[Dan Darragh]

The Bills should do like the LA Clippers did and wear Buffalo Braves throwback unis