Was anyone here at the 1988 division clinching game vs the Jets?

[YoloinOhio]

This is the first time I’ve watched this since that day (on tv), I was 12. I still can’t believe they let the fans rush the field like a college game or how easily they got the goalposts down. Were any of you there? 

 

if this happened this year, everyone would be mad that the game was so close and the Bills only scored 9 pts…

 

 

 

[PonyBoy]

I wasn't there, but I listened to the game on radio and I'm pis**d about the Bills scoring 9 because I bet the under at 14 pts, was hoping for a safety to get the push when this bet 1st became available!!! 

Kidding!  😃

Great moment in Buffalo History.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

I was there with my brother. I was 18 he was 15. We both were pulled out of the crowd before the game started by two Sports Illustrated photographers.  We held their cameras for them during the game and they gave us press passes for the entire game.  I think it was Leonard Smith that was ejected during the game.  He walked right by me as he entered the tunnel.  

After the game was won we were both on the field for the goal posts coming down.  My brother is in the Buffalo News photo for certain, and there is a slight chance my white hat is in the photo as well.  After the game we sat in on the press conferences and shook the hands of all the players as they exited the locker room.  

One of the great sports viewing moments of my life.  

Edited September 30, 2021 by Ethan in Portland

[Rubes]

I was there with my dad. One of the things my dad hated more than anything was the traffic and battling the crowds leaving the stadium after games, so whenever we went to a game we always had to leave a little early to beat the rush (unless it went down to the finish, which back then in the 70s and 80s it rarely did).

 

That game, when it came down to the end and the Jets were about to kick the game-winning FG, my dad made us get up and start walking up the stairs from the lower bowl so we could get out of there fast. I made him stop at the top of the steps so we could watch the kick, and...boom. Smerlas saved the day.

 

So of course, I made him walk back down to the seats so we could sit back down and watch the rest. I remember saying to the people around us, "We're back!"

 

Good times.

 

[Buffalo Boy]

   My best buddy Tim and I had season tickets. I was 18 at the time.

   A hard fought and boring game until Smerlas blocked the kick.

   We were in the upper deck but we made it down to the field. It was a rainy day and the field was wet.

    I thought it would be cool to slide across the turf , slip and slide style, like I saw a bunch of players do when tackled. I ran and dove and face planted like I had superglue on my chest😂😂😂

    That was a great day.

[Captain Caveman]

This was my first game.  I think I've told the story before, but always fun to go over it again.

 

I was eight.  My parents grew up in Cheektowaga, but I was born in NYC and had it in my head that I was going to be a Jets fan.  I remember the place just absolutely going insane with the blocked kick by Smerlas.  We were there with my uncle, I think we lost him in the fracas.

 

Being 8, we did not rush the field, my dad (probably correctly) figured that it wouldn't be safe for me.  We had about a three hour drive home, and I remember talking his ear off asking questions about the Bills, I was totally converted with that single play.

 

 

[Cantankeous]

7 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

This is the first time I’ve watched this since that day (on tv), I was 12. I still can’t believe they let the fans rush the field like a college game or how easily they got the goalposts down. Were any of you there? 

 

if this happened this year, everyone would be mad that the game was so close and the Bills only scored 9 pts…

 

 

 

THAT was Awesome! Riddick is an unsung hero in Buffalo lore!

[Ray Finkel]

I was there.  I was on the arch of the post until some guy used my face as leverage to get up on the crossbar.  I proceeded to slide back down to the ground.  What a great time but very dangerous down there.  Great memories.

[wjag]

Yep. Remember it well. 

[machine gun kelly]

Yolo, made me chuckle.  I’ve said this before a couple of years ago.  I was at Oswego as an inderclassmen, and went with 8 Oswego buddies and 6 St. Francis buddies to the game along with 30 Gamma guys (friendly frat at Oswego we knew). On each side of the tunnel.

 

Was so much fun, actually my favorite game I’ve ever been.  We watched big old Freddie block that kick.  When over we rushed the field and my bud Dave lost his sneaker.  I remember patting on the pads Wolfrod, Ritchie and so on amd just vividly remember how they were monsters.

 

I was the third guy on the post closest to the tunnel for all of about 7 seconds until someone climbed up me to get on, smacked my jay into the post amd almost knocked me out.  Thank god as my dad used to say I had a concrete head.

 

The scary part for those down on the field was there was so much mob pushing in excitement it was a mass of people pushed to the ground and thought with 3-4 people on top of me my knees were going g to snap.

 

Panicking like everyone else I was able to get out amd I practically walked over people to get safe.  Then just stood in an open area watching everyone else knock down eventually the posts amd remember one piece they walked it up and threw over the side of the stands.  It was surreal.

 

thank god being young and dumb I had a bit of Genny liquid courage (all a college kid could afford).

 

Thanks for bringing up yolo.  My all time favorite game.

[nucci]

I was

[eball]

I wasn’t at that one, but I was there in ‘90 when the goalposts came down again after squishing the Fish.

[Shaw66]

Great stories!

[SoCal Deek]

Note to self:

Stay in my seat after we win the Super Bowl this year.

 

Done!

[Wacka]

Was there. Had seasons with my Sister, brother-in-law, and mother (she was 64 at the time).Our seats were on the tunnel goal line, press box side 36 rows up. Didn't go down on the field, but one of the uprights came up through our section on the way out of the stadium to the parking lots. I still remember my mom screaming  her lungs out  touching the goal post.

 

Unrelated but another great moment in Bills history.- The three TDs in 77 seconds vs Denver was 31 years ago today.

Edited September 30, 2021 by Wacka

[DeltaDigital]

3 minutes ago, Wacka said:

Unrelated but another great moment in Bills history.- The three TDs in 77 seconds vs Denver was 31 years ago today.

 

My first Bills game! was 10

[Greg S]

I wasn't at this one but I was at the season finale in 1989 at Giants Stadium.  The Bills clinched the division that day with a 37-0 blowout win over the Jets. The game was sold out but there were a lot of no-shows. Attendance was just over 21,000. That was a great day. 

[Lake Ontario]

Yes! Was home from college as we used to get the entire week for Thanksgiving.  I had similar story to Ethan above.  A single photographer needed help carrying all his stuff.  I was leaning on the wall pre-game and when someone asked me if I "wanted to come on the field" I thought it was security telling me to stop leaning on the wall.  After I understood the question, I said hell yes!  I got a press pass and one of the greatest sporting events memories of my life.  I was in the tunnel end for the celebration and got to shake hands with Fred Smerlas after he had blocked what would have been a game winning field goal by the Jets.  I couldn't believe 1. how big his hands were and 2. how much tape he had wrapped around his giant hands.  I think my brother in law still has one of the end zone pile-ons. 

[Albany,n.y.]

20 minutes ago, Greg S said:

I wasn't at this one but I was at the season finale in 1989 at Giants Stadium.  The Bills clinched the division that day with a 37-0 blowout win over the Jets. The game was sold out but there were a lot of no-shows. Attendance was just over 21,000. That was a great day. 

I was at that game and because of all the no shows we were able to buy club level seats from a scalper for around $20.  It was so cold I stopped on Rt 17 on the way down and got a wool face mask that I wore the entire game.  When the game was over we left our seats and in the concourse we passed Ralph Wilson who had just come out of his suite.  I still had the mask on & I yelled "All the way to the Super Bowl, Ralph!" I must have startled him because all he did was give me a look like I was out of my mind.  

[foreboding]

11 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

This is the first time I’ve watched this since that day (on tv), I was 12. I still can’t believe they let the fans rush the field like a college game or how easily they got the goalposts down. Were any of you there? 

 

if this happened this year, everyone would be mad that the game was so close and the Bills only scored 9 pts…

 

 

 

I was there! I remember knowing that the posts were coming down on the closing minute and we passed the post up to Ralph in his box.

Edited September 30, 2021 by foreboding

[mabden]

9 hours ago, Rubes said:

 

That game, when it came down to the end and the Jets were about to kick the game-winning FG, my dad made us get up and start walking up the stairs from the lower bowl so we could get out of there fast. I made him stop at the top of the steps so we could watch the kick, and...boom. Smerlas saved the day.

 

Good times.

 

 

 I wasn;t there but watched it on the TV.  The Monday Rochester headlines read: "Smerlas Blocks Out The Past!"  Great game, great season.

[Enemarty]

Yes, I was there.  Lovely view of the incident from the upper deck.  

[Gugny]

By page 15, we'll be up to 97,071 people who were there.

[TheBrownBear]

I was 9 at the time and there with my folks.  Just remember the rain and the feeling that this couldn't really be happening, that the Bills were actually going to win the division and host a playoff game.  Obviously, my parents had the good sense not to allow me down on the field, but I remember watching with glee as the posts came down. 

 

Also, I remember becoming a huge Scott Norwood fan.  I spent the next two weeks kicking field goals over the fence in my driveway. 

[corta765]

16 minutes ago, Gugny said:

By page 15, we'll be up to 97,071 people who were there.

 

There are a few games in Bills fandom that approximately ALL of WNY was at:

80 Dolphins

88 Jets

Comeback Game

2011 Slaying of Pats

2017 Snowbowl

 

I was at the snowbowl and have pictures being front row. There was not more then 56-57k there that day, yet it has 100% morphed into a game where at my last count 80k were in a stadium that maxes at 70k haha 

[TheBrownBear]

6 minutes ago, corta765 said:

 

There are a few games in Bills fandom that approximately ALL of WNY was at:

80 Dolphins

88 Jets

Comeback Game

2011 Slaying of Pats

2017 Snowbowl

 

I was at the snowbowl and have pictures being front row. There was not more then 56-57k there that day, yet it has 100% morphed into a game where at my last count 80k were in a stadium that maxes at 70k haha 

I was at pretty much every home game from 1987-1994, but one of the few I missed was the comeback game.  I had strep, so my parents had to leave me at home.

 

Another great game (for the atmosphere) was the 2002 home game against the Dolphins where Ricky Williams ran for 200+ yards and the Bills stormed back as blizzard-like conditions whipped in during the second half.  That was my wife's first Bills game (she's a SoCal girl and had never been to Buffalo before).  Just a perfect way to introduce someone to the Buffalo Bills experience.

Edited September 30, 2021 by TheBrownBear

[Jauronimo]

1 hour ago, Gugny said:

By page 15, we'll be up to 97,071 people who were there.

A recent poll in the Buffalo News showed 836,549 people were at The Comeback game.

[Chandler#81]

What a great game! What a great find!

Thank you, OP!

[East TX Dan]

back when boards.buffalobills.com was thing

 

[Ned Flanders]

At 47:12, Bills coach loses pants on sideline...Jets' Ryan can't help but laugh...Bills smarta$$ ballboy gives Ryan crap.

 

https://youtu.be/QWJmLhN86Ew?t=2832

Edited September 30, 2021 by Ned Flanders

[Dopey]

TV. Remember it well!

[KollegeStudnet]

Me. I was 7 and it was a party

[chris heff]

8 hours ago, Greg S said:

I wasn't at this one but I was at the season finale in 1989 at Giants Stadium.  The Bills clinched the division that day with a 37-0 blowout win over the Jets. The game was sold out but there were a lot of no-shows. Attendance was just over 21,000. That was a great day. 

I was at that game, it was freezing. 

[34-78-83]

Was there with Dad and was 17 years old. Got down onto the field as well and managed not to get trampled and got a small section of the field goal netting as a souvenir Crazy times, rowdy bunch! Smerlas for the win!

[Locomark]

I was in the upper deck parallel to the kick about 5 rows up with a friend from the UK who had never seen a game live before. I remember telling him “they never miss from in this close unless someone blocks it” and low and behold it gets blocked!!! YESS!! What a weird sloppy game. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

9 hours ago, corta765 said:

 

There are a few games in Bills fandom that approximately ALL of WNY was at:

80 Dolphins

88 Jets

Comeback Game

2011 Slaying of Pats

2017 Snowbowl

 

I was at the snowbowl and have pictures being front row. There was not more then 56-57k there that day, yet it has 100% morphed into a game where at my last count 80k were in a stadium that maxes at 70k haha 

LOL.  Good call.

Of those I was only at the 88 Jets but there were a few other memorable games I was at.  Bills - Denver for Biscuit's first game, Bills-Dolphins 1987 Marino's TD streak is broken, Bills - Raiders Jan 1994 Coldest Bills game in history. 

And Seattle San Francisco NFC Championship Richard Sherman batted ball leads to INT

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I was about 11 years old and remember that so vividly. Watched it on TV. That block was so improbable. 

[TheBrownBear]

14 hours ago, Ethan in Portland said:

Bills - Raiders Jan 1994 Coldest Bills game in history. 

I remember getting to our seats and there was about a foot of ice on them.  My Dad brought two Thermoses full of hot chocolate, but neither of us wanted to take our gloves off to open them.  Our section all just sort of huddled together and barely moved the entire game.  

 

And I'm pretty sure the week (or maybe two weeks) before against the Jets was the previous coldest game in Buffalo history.  My Mom took my Grandfather in one of the luxury suites, while Dad and I sat outside in our season tix.  It was frigid and I remember going up to visit my Mom and Grandpa at halftime and my Mom was complaining that the suite was so cold (it was like 65*) she had to put on her sweater.  That comment didn't go over real well with me and Dad...lol.

[Logic]

Nah, I wasn't there.

But I WAS once at a game where a single Mylar balloon took out the entire stadium's power for the duration of the game.

Only in Orchard Park. 

[Bills fan since 87]

On 9/30/2021 at 9:48 AM, Gugny said:

By page 15, we'll be up to 97,071 people who were there.

 

Ya know, the stadium held more capacity back then 😀