When did the 12th Man become obsolete in Bills fandom?

[BillsPride12]

Interesting chat on WGR550 this morning about how not only will OJ not be getting his name in the ring of honor but doesn't sound like the 12th Man is getting one either.  Then they talked about does that even matter and they both agreed no not really.  They went on to talk about how nobody ever refers to Bills fans as the 12th Man anymore and Seattle took that over in the NFL with the 12s.

I would say that's all true, I couldn't tell you the last time I remember anybody bringing up the 12th Man but it is kinda funny when you think about what a big deal that was in the 90s and into the 2000s.

 

The obvious answer to my question is it was replaced by Bills Mafia, I know that.  But did it happen overnight or was it just a thing that was gradually phased out into oblivion. I feel like in the early days of Bills Mafia the 12th Man was also still a thing?  Not sure if Seattle's rise with it's Super Bowl team and all of the hype they got around calling their fans the 12s also stole some of that shine from the Bills 12th Man days.

[Kirby Jackson]

We stole the 12th man anyways. Texas A&M started it decades ago. The Seahawks were using it before us as well. They retired the number 12 jersey in 1984. I for one am glad it’s gone. No need for stolen valor. At least the Bills Mafia thing is original and started organically. 

[Just Jack]

5 minutes ago, BillsPride12 said:

Interesting chat on WGR550 this morning about how not only will OJ not be getting his name in the ring of honor but doesn't sound like the 12th Man is getting one either. 

 

The 12th man should be there. Look at my post comparing the former Wall Of Fame with the new Family Circle layout. Everything matches up except for OJ. 

 

 

[corta765]

Two things:

 

1. It was kinda stolen in many ways with Texas A&M & Seattle to a lesser extent. The 12th man moniker itself was something very prevelant in language to describe fans during the late 80s/90s in all sports especially football which was why it went up on the wall to honor Bills fans.

 

2. Bills mafia has blown to pieces any need for the 12th man and that will be forever the moniker Bills fans are known by the same way Packer fans are cheese heads or Dallas Americas team etc... its a cool thing honestly and the fact it is truly an organic thing made by Del and not manufactured out of the gate is pretty awesome.

Edited June 29 by corta765

[dgrochester55]

There was nothing wrong with the 12th man, but the Bills Mafia is more original and specific to the team, we don't need both.

 

If I remember correctly, Rex Ryan coached teams would be known to take the 12th man concept a little too literally a couple of times a game, costing us at key moments.

[hondo in seattle]

1 hour ago, BillsPride12 said:

Interesting chat on WGR550 this morning about how not only will OJ not be getting his name in the ring of honor but doesn't sound like the 12th Man is getting one either.  Then they talked about does that even matter and they both agreed no not really.  They went on to talk about how nobody ever refers to Bills fans as the 12th Man anymore and Seattle took that over in the NFL with the 12s.

I would say that's all true, I couldn't tell you the last time I remember anybody bringing up the 12th Man but it is kinda funny when you think about what a big deal that was in the 90s and into the 2000s.

 

The obvious answer to my question is it was replaced by Bills Mafia, I know that.  But did it happen overnight or was it just a thing that was gradually phased out into oblivion. I feel like in the early days of Bills Mafia the 12th Man was also still a thing?  Not sure if Seattle's rise with it's Super Bowl team and all of the hype they got around calling their fans the 12s also stole some of that shine from the Bills 12th Man days.

 

Texas A&M owns the trademark to the 12th Man moniker.  And if I'm not mistaken, the Bills used to pay Texas A&M for the right to use the term "12th Man," but later discontinued the agreement.  

 

The ironic part of the story is Texas A&M did not originate the term, "the 12th man."  The earliest known use of the term was in Minnesota back in 1900 when an article talked about "the mysterious influence of the twelfth man on the team, the rooter." 

 

Other teams and publications picked up the expression.  Texas A&M didn't start using it until the 1920s after it was pretty widely known.

 

But no one registered 'The 12th Man' as a trademark until Texas A&M did in 1990.  Once they owned the rights, they sent cease and desist orders to every other college and pro team that used the term - including Buffalo. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 29 by hondo in seattle

[Kirby Jackson]

May or may not belong here but it’s also funny that they shoveled dirt on that ridiculous “everybody eats” nonsense. 😂😂

Edited June 29 by Kirby Jackson

[corta765]

1 hour ago, dgrochester55 said:

There was nothing wrong with the 12th man, but the Bills Mafia is more original and specific to the team, we don't need both.

 

If I remember correctly, Rex Ryan coached teams would be known to take the 12th man concept a little too literally a couple of times a game, costing us at key moments.

The good news with Rex was he looked and tried every advantage possible... even if it was illegal lol

[BillsPride12]

26 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Mayor may not belong here but it’s also funny that they shoveled dirt on that ridiculous “everybody eats” nonsense. 😂😂

So cringey in the Hallmark Christmas movie when they are watching the Bills game in the bar and the Bills scored a TD and the female lead(have no idea what her name was) jumps up and does a chest bump with somebody and starts yelling out EVERYBODY EATS 🤣🤣🤣

[BillsPride12]

27 minutes ago, corta765 said:

The good news with Rex was he looked and tried every advantage possible... even if it was illegal lol

Except for studying film and game planning for the opponent 

[Jay_Fixit]

2 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

We stole the 12th man anyways. Texas A&M started it decades ago. The Seahawks were using it before us as well. They retired the number 12 jersey in 1984. I for one am glad it’s gone. No need for stolen valor. At least the Bills Mafia thing is original and started organically. 

True, the Bills are way more comfortable stealing things from the Michigan Wolverines.

[Kirby Jackson]

Just now, Jay_Fixit said:

True, the Bills are way more comfortable stealing things from the Michigan Wolverines.

At least that has organic origins for the Bills. The 12th man was just the generic name you call fans. Lots and lots of football teams call their fans the 12th man for no reason at all. 

[JP51]

Yeah, I think 12th man is obsolete, I think we are Bills Mafia now and someday, that my hit the wall...  JMO

[Jay_Fixit]

7 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

At least that has organic origins for the Bills. The 12th man was just the generic name you call fans. Lots and lots of football teams call their fans the 12th man for no reason at all. 

We have a much cooler #12 that's retired anyway.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

May or may not belong here but it’s also funny that they shoveled dirt on that ridiculous “everybody eats” nonsense. 😂😂

Along with "humble and hungry."

*
A good philosophy after some of Wrecks Ryan's blunder and bombast, but in later seasons it came to represent humble from being punked by Andy Reid and various referees, and hungry from the fans hoping for further playoff success.

[muppy]

the 12th man of Buffalo is a fan base filled with LOUD diehard fans who can and have caused disruption to our opponents.

 

I don't really care that the term is deemed obsolete. We are who we are no matter how we are identified..

 

 

[mushypeaches]

I do remember being at the game against Denver in 1992 when they put the 12th Man up on the Wall

 

No John Elway

 

Double reverse pass for a TD to Don Beebe I believe

[BuffaloBillyG]

44 minutes ago, Jay_Fixit said:

We have a much cooler #12 that's retired anyway.

Joe Ferguson was the man. 

[Scott7975]

3 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

Interesting chat on WGR550 this morning about how not only will OJ not be getting his name in the ring of honor but doesn't sound like the 12th Man is getting one either.  Then they talked about does that even matter and they both agreed no not really.  They went on to talk about how nobody ever refers to Bills fans as the 12th Man anymore and Seattle took that over in the NFL with the 12s.

I would say that's all true, I couldn't tell you the last time I remember anybody bringing up the 12th Man but it is kinda funny when you think about what a big deal that was in the 90s and into the 2000s.

 

The obvious answer to my question is it was replaced by Bills Mafia, I know that.  But did it happen overnight or was it just a thing that was gradually phased out into oblivion. I feel like in the early days of Bills Mafia the 12th Man was also still a thing?  Not sure if Seattle's rise with it's Super Bowl team and all of the hype they got around calling their fans the 12s also stole some of that shine from the Bills 12th Man days.

 

I remember when Seattle started saying it, a big thing came up that it was stolen from some college. I forgot which one though. I never knew that at the time.

[T.E.]

3 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

We stole the 12th man anyways. Texas A&M started it decades ago. The Seahawks were using it before us as well. They retired the number 12 jersey in 1984. I for one am glad it’s gone. No need for stolen valor. At least the Bills Mafia thing is original and started organically. 

Same justification for why we need to drop the Mr. Brightside routine.