When did The Curse begin?

[Simon]

I'm not debating whether or not a curse exists; the inexplicable number of bizarre incidents this team (and to a lesser extent, the Sabres) has dealt with over the decades is undeniable.

My question is when exactly did this all start?

[Bruffalo]

About .001 seconds after the Big Bang.  

[Augie]

I think it all started when I started looking. Before I looked I didn’t see any of this. 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

[The Wiz]

When Ralph built the stadium on the Indian burial grounds.

[17islongenough]

When they built the stadium on the Native American burial ground.  Should end in 2026 though

[BuffaloBillyG]

It started when the team named itself after a city that named itself after the buffalo. For those that don't know this is from an article I found:

 

In many Plains Indian myths, buffalo gave themselves up willingly as a food source for humans, and therefore have a special position of honor and respect

 

And this is why we have so many weird things happen to our franchise. We are commonly sacrificed for the benefit of others. Our miser and suffering has brought delight to literally tens of millions of fans, throughout the lands of places such as Dallas, Tennessee, New Jersey, Denver, Minnesota, all the way to Arizona and many places in between.

 

As we have suffered we have become respected and loved across the land. Which is why our fortune hasn't changed much, but out TV ratings are up. Truly America's Favorite Team.

[JGMcD2]

1980 when we added OJ Simpson to the Wall of Fame. 

 

Take him off and all of our problems go away. 

[0017]

6 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

It started when the team named itself after a city that named itself after the buffalo. For those that don't know this is from an article I found:

 

In many Plains Indian myths, buffalo gave themselves up willingly as a food source for humans, and therefore have a special position of honor and respect

 

And this is why we have so many weird things happen to our franchise. We are commonly sacrificed for the benefit of others. Our miser and suffering has brought delight to literally tens of millions of fans, throughout the lands of places such as Dallas, Tennessee, New Jersey, Denver, Minnesota, all the way to Arizona and many places in between.

 

As we have suffered we have become respected and loved across the land. Which is why our fortune hasn't changed much, but out TV ratings are up. Truly America's Favorite Team.

This is the best explanation I’ve heard! Thanks for sharing. 
As far as the burial ground thing goes, the same thing was said here in Sacramento about the Kings stadium, well they built a new stadium 15 miles away and the luck is still the same, so far 😊

[chaccof]

7 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

It started when the team named itself after a city that named itself after the buffalo. For those that don't know this is from an article I found:

 

In many Plains Indian myths, buffalo gave themselves up willingly as a food source for humans, and therefore have a special position of honor and respect

 

And this is why we have so many weird things happen to our franchise. We are commonly sacrificed for the benefit of others. Our miser and suffering has brought delight to literally tens of millions of fans, throughout the lands of places such as Dallas, Tennessee, New Jersey, Denver, Minnesota, all the way to Arizona and many places in between.

 

As we have suffered we have become respected and loved across the land. Which is why our fortune hasn't changed much, but out TV ratings are up. Truly America's Favorite Team.

Found this on the Interweb so it must be true:  

 

The Buffalo Name Theory industry had a good year in 1863, perhaps inspired by a disagreement with Fillmore’s speech. Three new theories appeared in print courtesy of William Ketchum. The Seneca Named Buffalo theory (1863) is one of them. An old man whose Seneca name meant “Buffalo” lived by the creek. White settlers found him there, learned his name and its meaning, and so named the creek. Plausibility level: High

 

The creek in question is Buffalo Creek....

[JohnNord]

20 minutes ago, Simon said:

I'm not debating whether or not a curse exists; the inexplicable number of bizarre incidents this team (and to a lesser extent, the Sabres) has dealt with over the decades is undeniable.

My question is when exactly did this all start?

September 14, 1901 when President William McKinley was assassinated. 

[MJS]

Let's hire an exorcist already.

[Warcodered]

25 minutes ago, Augie said:

I think it all started when I started looking. Before I looked I didn’t see any of this. 

Schrodinger's curse?

11 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

It started when the team named itself after a city that named itself after the buffalo. For those that don't know this is from an article I found:

 

In many Plains Indian myths, buffalo gave themselves up willingly as a food source for humans, and therefore have a special position of honor and respect

 

And this is why we have so many weird things happen to our franchise. We are commonly sacrificed for the benefit of others. Our miser and suffering has brought delight to literally tens of millions of fans, throughout the lands of places such as Dallas, Tennessee, New Jersey, Denver, Minnesota, all the way to Arizona and many places in between.

 

As we have suffered we have become respected and loved across the land. Which is why our fortune hasn't changed much, but out TV ratings are up. Truly America's Favorite Team.

It wasn't named after the animal though.

[billybob71]

let me gather my sage and other various trinkets and head up to the stadium. seems like our wizard of a GM would have already lifted this curse but now i am gonna have to waste my gas money 

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

https://www.buffalospree.com/features/the-bills-curse/article_f69316bc-1673-56cc-910e-1f5773525bcd.html

[Bills!Win!]

My dad bought me a Doug flutie jersey when I was a kid and it was two sizes too large. It has been hanging in my closet since 1998 cursing the bills 

 

I was conceived in early 1990 Cursing them since my existence. Anything that happened before me is inexplicable

Edited November 28, 2023 by Bills!Win!

[DeltaDigital]

the curse began when ralph wilson was denied a lease on the orange bowl, selected buffalo as second choice. 

 

[4merper4mer]

As near as I can tell, the day I was born.  Or the day you were born.

[corta765]

20 minutes ago, JGMcD2 said:

1980 when we added OJ Simpson to the Wall of Fame. 

 

Take him off and all of our problems go away. 

But he didn't kill anyone back then... well allegedly

[Warcodered]

25 minutes ago, JGMcD2 said:

1980 when we added OJ Simpson to the Wall of Fame. 

 

Take him off and all of our problems go away. 

Well he probably be silently removed by not being on the new one.

[MJS]

19 minutes ago, Warcodered said:

Schrodinger's curse?

It wasn't named after the animal though.

"Buffalo" always comes back to the animal. If it was named after a creek, the creek was named after a Seneca man, and the man named after the animal, it still comes back to the animal. So, there isn't really any way to logically separate the two.

[BillsfaninCT]

There's 2.

1 - when they started construction on Rich Stadium August 17, 1973

2 - when they started Rob Johnson over Doug Flutie in "that game"

 

[zow2]

Probably something happened right when KC boat raced the Bills to go to Super Bowl 1.  Something mysterious happened to curse the city right around then.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Superbowl 25?

Take that back ...

The Ronnie Harmon alligator arm non-catch at Cleveland Municipal Stadium

Jan. 6, 1990 

Edited November 28, 2023 by Marcus Aurelius

[Punching Bag]

1 hour ago, Simon said:

I'm not debating whether or not a curse exists; the inexplicable number of bizarre incidents this team (and to a lesser extent, the Sabres) has dealt with over the decades is undeniable.

My question is when exactly did this all start?

 

September 18, 1960.

[reddogblitz]

1 hour ago, JohnNord said:

September 14, 1901 when President William McKinley was assassinated. 

 

How come Dallas doesn't have a similar curse with the Kennedy assassination? All of their major sports teams have won a championship.

 

1960.

[JohnNord]

3 minutes ago, reddogblitz said:

 

How come Dallas doesn't have a similar curse with the Kennedy assassination? All of their major sports teams have won a championship.

 

1960.

Because this happened 59 earlier.  And because it wasn’t McKinley.  
 

[Dan Darragh]

The curse started the day I watched my first Bills game, January 1, 1967.  The Bills were coming off back-to-back AFL titles and were playing KC at the Rockpile for the right to play in Superbowl 1.

 

The Bills fumbled the opening kickoff which resulted in an early KC touchdown.  It was all downhill from there, and the Bills lost 31-7.

 

If I had been smart, I'd have said "oh well" and given up football forever.

[reddogblitz]

It's all BS.  We just haven't been good enough.

[Clyde Smith]

The Madden curse has started again 

[TheBrownBear]

January 7 - February 10, 2000.  There were three separate actions during those 35 fateful days that cemented the "curse."  Johnson over Flutie, Music City Miracle, and then unceremoniously dumping Bruce, Thurman and Andre on the same day.  My wife believes that the curse will last 40 years like the Israelites wandering of the desert.  I sure hope not.

[benderbender]

I knew there would be a day when there was a thread about magic. My questions is: since a high percentage of this board seem to legitimately believe in a mystical evil that pervades our team, why has no one ever tried to hire a priest or Gandalf impersonator to exorcise the demon? Perhaps a polyjuice potion made from Ryan Fitzpatrick’s chest hair, scrapings from his wedding ring, and Rex Ryan’s Dr. Scholl’s insert? Can Tyrod burn sage in Highmark? 

Edited November 28, 2023 by benderbender

[Sherlock Holmes]

I knew I should've listened to my mother about doing that...

[Awwufelloff]

2 hours ago, The Wiz said:

When Ralph built the stadium on the Indian burial grounds.

Now we’re building a new one on the same grounds. We should have built it downtown 

[Fan in Chicago]

2 hours ago, Simon said:

I'm not debating whether or not a curse exists; the inexplicable number of bizarre incidents this team (and to a lesser extent, the Sabres) has dealt with over the decades is undeniable.

My question is when exactly did this all start?

September 1993. X-Files "Pilot" featuring a short appearance by the Cigarette Smoking Man. 

Few months later, Superbowl 3rd quarter, Bills up 13-6, Thurman fumbles which Cowboys return for a TD and the Bills eventually lose.....

[LabattBlue]

The day Lamonica was traded away.  😞

[BuffaloBillies]

I didn't start it, but I may have helped it continue.

I was never going to open it, I swear. It was sitting on a shelf above my basement bar.

But I got stoned one night ~10 years ago and opened my box of Flutie Flakes.

I know. I know. I'm sorry.

[LABILLBACKER]

2 hours ago, The Wiz said:

When Ralph built the stadium on the Indian burial grounds.

That's the one I've heard the most along with the Flutie curse. But it had to happen before the 90's.  I don't deny we're cursed. I just can't pinpoint the source.  

41 minutes ago, reddogblitz said:

It's all BS.  We just haven't been good enough.

We've been cursed to never have even 1 elite HC.  Sorry Marv....nice guy like Sean but better coaches absolutely schooled you like we see now with McDufus.  

[coloradobillsfan]

1 hour ago, BillsfaninCT said:

1 - when they started construction on Rich Stadium August 17, 1973

 

The stadium opened in 1973, I don't think that was the construction start date

[frostbitmic]

The curse began when they named a team in the City of Buffalo after this guy ...

 

How did Buffalo Bill get his nickname?

Cody was given the name Buffalo Bill for his talent in slaughtering buffalo. At first, Cody hunted buffalo for food. Buffalo were plentiful around the country, and hunting them was a popular sport, but Cody was obscenely prolific in killing—claiming to have shot dead 4,280 buffalo in just 18 months.