Can you recall a time you didn’t watch a Bills game and got the result after the game?

[Another Fan]

A thread I think might be some fun.  I’m gonna think with the passion fans have on this forum just above everyone watches every last Bills game.  But there’s always those times life can get in the way.  Weddings, funerals, traveling, and work schedules for example.  Or maybe there are times people do keep their word after losses and don’t watch the next week?  
 

 

Mine was when I was 9.  The AFC Championship game against the Dolphins in 1992/1993.   My dad didn’t share my love for watching football and the Bills and we wound up going to Newport Mall in Jersey City.  But yeah that day I found out the result because I could see in Nobody Beats The Wiz (I think) the team was celebrating on the TVs for sale after the fact.  Didn’t get the score but that’s all I needed to know.  

 

Theres others but the magnitude of that game is why it still stands out 30 years later in my mind and I recall that day. 

 

 

Do you have any? 

Edited April 24, 2023 by Another Fan

[phypon]

3 games for me.  The first was back in the 90's.  I was in Mississippi and couldn't watch.  It was against the Dolphins (regular season game), Bills lost.  Second game was due to work, also in the 90's and also against the Dolphins, same result.  Third game was 2008.  Was at the hospital for a family member that didn't make it.  It was against the Jests, Bills won.  I had that game on the DVR to watch as a distraction for when I would get home from the hospital and needed not to think.  Of course, the game was on in the waiting room and I stayed away from the TV since I knew I was going to watch it when I got home.  My brother in law ruined it for me when he came up to me and said "your Bills won".  Mind you, I told him I didn't want any updates on the game beforehand.  D*ck move on his part.

 

Those are the only games I recall missing since 1989. 

[MrEpsYtown]

Not quite after the game...but that win against the Vikings, Peerless Price caught that pass from Drew Bledsoe in 2002, was the last game I did not "watch." Listening to that game on the radio inspired me to to get directv and Sunday ticket. 

[TBBills Fan]

Falcons game jan 2022...was in jail  lol

[Rubes]

Sort of what you mean, but my favorite/worst example of this was back during the dark times, in the Monday Night season opener against New England**** in 2009.

 

I had to board a plane that evening, can't remember to where, and I sat in the boarding area watching everything I could as long as I could. They were getting to last call for boarding when Freddie scored on the excellently called and beautifully executed screen pass to give the Bills an 11-point lead with just over 5 minutes left in the game. At that point, I boarded the plane with feelings of joy and hope, knowing I wouldn't be able to know the results until we landed.

 

By the time we landed, it was past midnight, and the arrival airport was dark and mostly abandoned. There was a TV on in the middle of the terminal so I stood there and waited for the score scrawl at the bottom. When I saw the final was 25-24 Pats****, I nearly ***** my pants right there in the airport.

 

I walked out of the airport in a daze. In retrospect, I am so glad I didn't have to watch that collapse in real time.

 

Second best (but really the best) was the other season opener against New England****, the one in 2003. Had to go to a friend's wedding and we were again on a plane the way back during the game. I didn't hear a thing about the game, and found out after we landed that the final was 31-0. That was a sweet feeling.

 

Edited April 24, 2023 by Rubes

[NoSaint]

Miss a couple any given year. Not a ton but I’m also not the type that’s going to ditch another event or disappear on vacation to watch the game, short of it being championship game type of status. 

[T master]

Actually i do that quite a bit because i live out of the area & my job takes me on the road to places that are dominated on the TV by other teams so i have to wait to find out the scores or if it is on TV i have it record the out come & watch it so i can see the good stuff for myself .

 

Seeing as i live north of Nashville now this area is the Titans domain so like last year when the Bills had a game that could determine where they would line up in the play offs in the AFC & the Titans were out of it they still play the Titans games no matter what which sucks but i get it ...

[CA OC Bills Fan]

Almost every game from 2010 to 2019!

 

I moved to CA before the 1993 season. I went to a bar to watch all the games for many years. Started taking each of my two kids when they turned 8 weeks old (1998 and 2001). Made friends there that I still have today and my kids are still friends with their kids. But, by the time my son was about to turn 9, he was involved in youth sports and I started doing a lot of volunteer work on weekends for youth soccer. Also, the Bills Backers groups I had been involved with weren't doing much anymore and the football was not very good. I got DirecTV and Sunday Ticket. I DVRed every game, and watched later on Sunday evening. It's very easy in So Cal. to not know what the results of a football game are, you actually have to search to find out (or have notifications turned on from BuffaloBills.com, TheAthletic, etc.). 

 

In 2020 I was working near Syracuse, the Bills were good again, and I started watching live again and now wanted to watch live. Got Seasons tickets and watch all games live again. Now I'm back in CA and trying to decide what I'll do this year for the games I don't go to. Get the Ticket? Watch on delay again? Or, most likely, go to a local bar and watch with Bills fans!

[Rico]

Probably 1982, my last year of college.

[CA OC Bills Fan]

6 minutes ago, T master said:

Actually i do that quite a bit because i live out of the area & my job takes me on the road to places that are dominated on the TV by other teams so i have to wait to find out the scores or if it is on TV i have it record the out come & watch it so i can see the good stuff for myself .

 

Seeing as i live north of Nashville now this area is the Titans domain so like last year when the Bills had a game that could determine where they would line up in the play offs in the AFC & the Titans were out of it they still play the Titans games no matter what which sucks but i get it ...

Living out of the area makes you a prime candidate for Sunday Ticket or finding a Bills Backers Bar like I did for years.

[nucci]

No.

[T master]

Just now, CA OC Bills Fan said:

Living out of the area makes you a prime candidate for Sunday Ticket or finding a Bills Backers Bar like I did for years.

 

I think i'd rather find a Bills backers bar & spend my money on beer plus being in a bar with a bunch of Bills mafia would be much more like being at the game & i could bring some of my Bills gear to make it official .

 

When there's a Bills game & you have beer, wings & a few dozen mafia members it don't get no better than that !! GO BILLS !!!! 

[Bills fan since 87]

Got Married Sunday, September 27th 2009.  Didn't know until later that night the Bills lost to the Saints 27-7.  I feel that's the only time since I began watching in 87 that I've missed a game but I'm sure there has to be one or two more.

[Bills!Win!]

Every Sunday I worked this year the bills lost and someone texted me. Including the bengals game. Seriously 

[Big Turk]

Nope.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Being on weekend call on West coast time for 20 years I missed my share of games in real time. I usually tried to keep up with the score online. 

The game I missed in real time I wish I had been able to watch, was 2003 season opening win over the Patriots 31-0.  

[papazoid]

[RiotAct]

Season Opener last year against the Rams… was in Toronto for the Pearl Jam concert, tons of Bills fans there… asked one after the game what the final score was

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

20 minutes ago, T master said:

 

I think i'd rather find a Bills backers bar & spend my money on beer plus being in a bar with a bunch of Bills mafia would be much more like being at the game & i could bring some of my Bills gear to make it official .

 

When there's a Bills game & you have beer, wings & a few dozen mafia members it don't get no better than that !! GO BILLS !!!! 

I did the Bills Backers club in Columbus Ohio from 1992 to 2000. It was a good experience.  I dont drink but the food was good. Not sure if it is still there. It was more restaurant than bar.

The Bills Backers club in Portland is a small bar with no real food and no kids allowed.  Walked in once and walked out. Terrible venue. 

Sunday ticket and my 60 in screen is the only way I'm watching a game that I dont attend. 

 

 

 

[Ned Flanders]

The only one I can recall was the 2011 home opener vs. the Raiders...was in the air coming back from west coast and didn't learn all the craziness that transpired in the final minutes until after the game ended.  A 3-0 start in 2011 ends in a 6-10 disaster.

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201109180buf.htm

[aristocrat]

I’ve blacked out plenty of Bills games and had to be told who won the next day. Is that what you’re asking?

[Taro Nimbus]

Yeah.  Last year. 

[DD4Bills]

I'm sure there have been many (but not in the last 8+ years). Most significant by far was the first Super Bowl vs. the Cowboys. Had to travel to Germany for work. I flew overnight on the Saturday night, but jet lag absolutely CRUSHED me late in the day Sunday, so I had the joy of waking up Monday morning to the news that the Bills got trounced. To this day, I have never watched that game.

[Doc Brown]

A Bears away game in December of ‘97.  I caught a flue bug and slept for almost two days straight.  I rolled out of bed Monday afternoon and trudged outside to grab the paper to look up the score.  It took so much effort that sick just to walk that far I consider it the equivalent of storming the beaches at Normandy.  Laughed after reading the box score and passed out for another twelve hours on my couch.

Edited April 24, 2023 by Doc Brown

[1onemangang7]

46 minutes ago, RiotAct said:

Season Opener last year against the Rams… was in Toronto for the Pearl Jam concert, tons of Bills fans there… asked one after the game what the final score was

 

Jeez. What you couldn't find Journey tickets. 

[Captain Hindsight]

2007 opener vs Denver when Denver kicked a FG as time expired. I got a text from my friend "I cant belive that just happened"

[Plano]

OMG...

 

This year against the Dolphins in the playoffs!....

 

I was flying from FLL to Las Vegas for work.

 

Bought the premium wifi onboard, made sure all devices charged, logins ready to go without issue.

 

Was taking off around 2ish hours prior to kickoff..it's a 5ish hour flight. 

As soon as the plane is filled and the doors close, there's an announcement over the speaker: "Welcome to flight xyz: Sorry, but the wifi on board is broken"

 

NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo.

 

Get to the hotel in vegas with about 2 minutes left on the clock to see us eek out the win.

 

Was freaking out. 

[1onemangang7]

34 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

A Bears away game in December of ‘97.  I caught a flue bug and slept for almost two days straight.  I rolled out of bed Monday afternoon and trudged outside to grab the paper to look up the score.  It took so much effort that sick just to walk that far I consider it the equivalent of storming the beaches at Normandy.  Laughed after reading the box score and passed out for another twelve hours on my couch.

You're excused

5 minutes ago, Plano said:

OMG...

 

This year against the Dolphins in the playoffs!....

 

I was flying from FLL to Las Vegas for work.

 

Bought the premium wifi onboard, made sure all devices charged, logins ready to go without issue.

 

Was taking off around 2ish hours prior to kickoff..it's a 5ish hour flight. 

As soon as the plane is filled and the doors close, there's an announcement over the speaker: "Welcome to flight xyz: Sorry, but the wifi on board is broken"

 

NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo.

 

Get to the hotel in vegas with about 2 minutes left on the clock to see us eek out the win.

 

Was freaking out. 

Damn the luck. How was it in Vegas? 

 

[ShakAttack]

Pretty much every game in 2017 by halftime. I wanted the playoffs so badly that I couldn’t handle it anymore and we were right on the borderline at that time. After enduring the 17 year drought (and coming close to ending it multiple times prior to 2017) I think I wanted the playoffs back then more than I want a SB today. Don’t get me wrong though, there is nothing I want more than a Super Bowl now.

[JohnBonhamRocks]

The game against Chicago in 2014 when Fred Jackson carried the team (and a couple Bears) on his back for the W.

 

Was driving back to Buffalo from Indiana and the further I got from

Chicago the worse the station reception got. 
 

I believe it cut out completely right before OT. I was not happy… until of course I learned we won by 3 in OT.

[RyanC883]

AFC Championship game v. Raiders in 1991.  My Dad and I watched all the games that year, and I had Bills everything (was 9 years old--jacket, hat, garbage can, etc.).  But, someone had a birthday party at a local roller skate rink.  Luckly the TV had the game on in the background, but by the time I looked up at it the game was already out of hand.  So I saw some of it, but did not really get to watch it.  

 

 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

2 hours ago, Another Fan said:

A thread I think might be some fun.  I’m gonna think with the passion fans have on this forum just above everyone watches every last Bills game.  But there’s always those times life can get in the way.  Weddings, funerals, traveling, and work schedules for example.  Or maybe there are times people do keep their word after losses and don’t watch the next week?  
 

 

Mine was when I was 9.  The AFC Championship game against the Dolphins in 1992/1993.   My dad didn’t share my love for watching football and the Bills and we wound up going to Newport Mall in Jersey City.  But yeah that day I found out the result because I could see in Nobody Beats The Wiz (I think) the team was celebrating on the TVs for sale after the fact.  Didn’t get the score but that’s all I needed to know.  

 

Theres others but the magnitude of that game is why it still stands out 30 years later in my mind and I recall that day. 

 

 

Do you have any? 

 

They Why so serious bengals game was mine.  It was right around thanksgiving, my brothers were in town and the game could not have been more meaningless.  

[947]

2020 Playoff game vs Texans. Got to watch the first half, then had to run an indoor baseball practice. There was no cell service or wifi inside the facility, so I couldn't even check the score. Bills were up 13-0 at halftime, and I assumed we'd be OK. I was horrified when I finally got outside & saw what happened.

[ProcessTruster]

All the time.   Bills games on TV are more family get-togethers these days, which is more fun but only happens a few times each season.  

 

Especially now that NFL+ has the commercial-free replays there is no real urgency to cancel other plans to blow the day in front of the tube.  Plus Bills are on at night more often now which is great.  

 

There's a lot more to do on Sunday than watch f ing NFL games all day.   

 

Get a life guys.  

[TheBrownBear]

7 minutes ago, ProcessTruster said:

All the time.   Bills games on TV are more family get-togethers these days, which is more fun but only happens a few times each season.  

 

Especially now that NFL+ has the commercial-free replays there is no real urgency to cancel other plans to blow the day in front of the tube.  Plus Bills are on at night more often now which is great.  

 

There's a lot more to do on Sunday than watch f ing NFL games all day.   

 

Get a life guys.  

Yep.  I probably caught 9-10 of our games live last year and the rest of them I avoided knowing the score and watched them later that evening with NFL+.  I hate wasting a beautiful Sunday afternoon in front of the TV, when I could be at the beach with my kids or golfing with friends.  

 

I consider myself a pretty hardcore fan for a Buffalo transplant, but there were tons of games I missed during the Jauron/JP era.  I didn't have DirectTV and going to a sports bar every weekend can get expensive.  And again, the weather is always so nice in Southern California it would make me twice as depressed watching us lose when it was beautiful outside.

[Dan Darragh]

1 hour ago, RyanC883 said:

AFC Championship game v. Raiders in 1991.  My Dad and I watched all the games that year, and I had Bills everything (was 9 years old--jacket, hat, garbage can, etc.).  But, someone had a birthday party at a local roller skate rink.  Luckly the TV had the game on in the background, but by the time I looked up at it the game was already out of hand.  So I saw some of it, but did not really get to watch it.  

 

 

Me too. I had just moved abroad and there was no way to see the games and there was no internet.  As a former Democrat & Chronicle paper boy, I remembered the D&C phone number so I made a very expensive phone call to the sports desk to ask what the score of the game was.  These guys must have thought I was on Mars if I didn't see the game (and in a way, I sort of was.)

[BillsFanSD]

3 hours ago, Bills!Win! said:

Every Sunday I worked this year the bills lost 

Hey guys, we found the person responsible for last season.

[AuntieEm]

   Yea I actually fell asleep listening to the Houston Greatest comeback game back in the glory days.  I don't even recall what play I last heard before nodding off.  It turned out fine in any event because that morning just before game start I realized I could get my cousin in  Mď to tape the game for me and he'd mail it out the following day.  So I got to see the comeback game the Wednesday following that game.  I remember I made several copies for friends and family. 

Edited April 24, 2023 by AuntieEm

[BarleyNY]

No big stories, but my kids took precedence on a number of occasions. I’d record games and watch them when I could. If I was pressed for time sometimes I’d peek at the score and see if the game was worth carving out time to watch.

 

I found one great way to squeeze everything in on a Sunday was to record the game and spend time with my kids. Then between 2:30 and 3:00 I’d start the game from the beginning and FF through the commercials, half time and other dead time. I’d watch the whole game in under 90 min most often and end around the same time as the live broadcast. Then back to the family.  

Edited April 24, 2023 by BarleyNY

[hondo in seattle]

1st Super Bowl.  I was in Saudi Arabia, near the border with Iraq, waiting for a war to begin.  My guys and I had no access to any kind of tv, nor normal radio programming if you don't count Baghdad Betty.  But one of my soldiers did have a shortwave radio and sometimes was able to pick up the BBC World Service. 

 

I asked him to tell me if he learned the Super Bowl score.  He woke me up in the middle of the night, "Sir!  Wake Up!  The Bills won!"

 

I jumped out of my sleeping bag, ecstatic.  "You sure?  I pressed him.  And then he explained he heard something about a last-second field goal but his reception was full of static so he wasn't entirely sure.  But he thought the announcer said the Bills had won.  I frantically scanned the radio waves for the next two hours before being crushed by the awful truth.  

 

 

Edited April 24, 2023 by hondo in seattle