BRH Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 Born in 1969 to a St. Louis Cardinals season ticketholder. Moved to Rochester in 1970; Dad started following the Bills because they were on TV (at least when they weren't blacked out at home) but still rooted for St. Louis. For several years I had an AFC team (the Bills) and an NFC team (the Cards), but the Bills were always first. It was the other way around for Dad until the Cards left for Phoenix in 1987 at which point he wanted nothing more to do with them (and neither did I) First football memory is watching TV with my dad and having him point out #32. First live game was November '79 against the Pats. Been hooked ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike formerly from Florida Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 I live downstate outside of NYC. I became a Bill's fan when I watched my first NFL game: Bills vs Jets. After watching OJ, and the Bills' offense smack the Jets around 42-14, I decided the upstate team was the one for me. OJ became my idol and I was 14 years old. The Bills went on to 8-6 record missing the playoffs after a 4-0 start. The collapse began when their kicker (forgot his name) missed a 19 yard fg to win or lose the game against the Giants on Monday night. That was the beginning of my misery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sen. John Blutarsky Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 I got an AM Radio for Christmas the year WGR did the Buffalo Bills 12 Days of Christmas, and I was hooked. I want to guess 1981 or 82. They played that song alot. Just curious, does anyone else remember that dumb song? 734182[/snapback] Mike-Mayer's kickin for Chuck Knox's Super Bowl team? That one? My parents have 8mm film of me singing that GD song when I was 3. I came home from the hospital in Bills stuff. I fully plan on brainwashing my son as well, though he came home from the hospital in a Sabres onesie because he was born May 30th at 5:48 (17:48 on the hospital record) Who scored that night? Dumont (17) and Briere (48). The first game I remember watching was in '83 when the Bills finally beat the Fish in the Orange Bowl. It was also Marino's first game. Ferguson and Marino threw the ball up and down the field and Uwe Von Schaman missed 2 field goals late in the game, one in OT that would have won it for Miami and I think Joe Danelo kicked in the game winner with his gigantic nose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cåblelady Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 The fans from the 60's fart in the general direction of the fans from the 70's. Good grief, I've been rooting for the same team for 40 years. 734190[/snapback] Me, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ (not THAT RJ) Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 I live downstate outside of NYC. I became a Bill's fan when I watched my first NFL game: Bills vs Jets. After watching OJ, and the Bills' offense smack the Jets around 42-14, I decided the upstate team was the one for me. OJ became my idol and I was 14 years old. The Bills went on to 8-6 record missing the playoffs after a 4-0 start. The collapse began when their kicker (forgot his name) missed a 19 yard fg to win or lose the game against the Giants on Monday night. That was the beginning of my misery. 734428[/snapback] Jon Leypoldt. Sigh. The next week he missed a PAT against the Fish that helped cost us that game as well.... I am a Bills fan from birth. Even though my Dad, a Lamonica fan, was critical of many decisions by the franchise, and could be downright apoplectic at times, we followed them together. I was born during one of the darkest days of the franchise (from 1967-1972 the Bills AVERAGED less than 3 wins a season), and started following them closely in 1974. I can remember following the Bills for years and never seeing a home game on TV, listening to the radio instead and staying up to watch the highlights on the 11 o'clock news, then watching Rick Azar's highlight show on Saturday night. The first home game sellout that I remember was game 4 in 1980, when we beat the Raiders.... So much pain for so little gain, it seems at times, but it was the one thing that kept me in touch with WNY and with my dad long after I had moved away... I can't shake them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 My dad took me to the parade when the bills first came to Buffalo in 1960. I caught a little football from one of the players (Warren Raab?) followed them from the beginning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 I am now dedicated to preserving WNY pro football history. 734303[/snapback] ...and doing a nice job, I might add! I have been a Bills fan for as far back as I can remember. It became an addiction in 1964 when I shook Tom Day's hand. Judging by only my name, you know my roots! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornerville Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 My dad is from Buffalo and when I was four he decided I was enjoying life far too much and figured he would brainwash me and subject me to a life of torturous, bitter disappointment. Thanks, dad. 734166[/snapback] Ditto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BDW1968 Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 Well being From Los Angeles it was weird for me to become a fan, but I'm damn glad that I did. Well back in "89" which I was 14 at the time I went to a card show wanting a Barry Sanders rookie card, but that didn't happen. What did happen when I did open the pack was a Thurman Thomas rookie card and ever since than I have been a DIE hard Bills fan. 734161[/snapback] I lived in San Diego and it was 1985 and you were with the Bolts or the Black & Silver. I hated the Raiders because everyone thinks they are a bad A$$ if they have on the black & silver. Raider fans are so full of them self’s. I did not want to be part of that bandwagon. As far as the Chargers I played C/LB in high School and I liked defense better. I just liked what the Bills were doing with their defense and they were bad back then so no one would say I was a front runner either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 If I remember right, it was while I was at my cousins house, watching the bills block a FG to beat the Jests. Didnt really watch much back then, but I really started after that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
udonkey Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 Growing up, it would've been easy to be a Bengals, Browns, or Steelers fan (living in SE Ohio) but I really wasn't interested in any of the above. Most of my dad's family lived in various parts of Connecticut, so I had family members that were big Giants and Patriots fans, so it became easy for me to like the Bills, just to be different. Being 8 years old for the first Super Bowl run, I was young enough to jump on the bandwagon and not get crapped on for it. I've been on it ever since and this will be my 2nd season as a ticket holder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDH Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 1978, I was 6 years old. My brother (age 8) decided a season before that he was a huge Pittsuburgh Steeler fan. I remember telling him it was easy to pick a team that always won and make them your favorite. I told him I was going to find the the worst team in football and root (I think I said "vote") for them. I looked in the paper, saw the Buffalo Bills had the worst record in the NFL and decided they were my favorite team. Little did I know that almost 30 years later they'd still be one of the worst teams in the NFL... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 I grew up about 5 minutes from the stadium. Started going to games in 1981 (I was 6). I've been hooked ever since on this religion (and yes, thats exactly what it is). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roy875 Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 I have been reading posts on this site for several months to ease the offseason boredom, and up till now have really appreciated the banter and occasional insight, but have not been inspired to write. This string typifies the essence of being a fan. Ups, downs, and persevering hope, so here I go.... My story is similar---Grandfather lived in Buffalo and I remember him sitting expressionless and cursing the TV during the mid 80's. Somewhere around the 87 season I became a true fan at 12 years old, and was bitterly dissapointed in 88 losing to the Bengals. That is my first real memory, (stupid Icky Shuffle)---Then the TT, Kelly, Bruce, Reed, etc era really began (wasn't the D "The Buffalo meat locker"?) and the Bickering Bills, Super Bowls etc. I still remember getting yelled at for kicking a radiator (smart back then too....) in my parents house after THE MISS in XXV. Every game was a huge event with friends and family in our house----wings, nacho cheese, meatballs etc. I was always a little embarrased about my mother going apeshit all the time especially when I had girls over. College was tough to be a fan as the Cowpies stomped us....(could we have lost to 3 more irritating teams?) And the rest has been a swirl of apartments, houses, and occassionally supportive women, but ALWAYS on Sunday for gametime. Living in SC now, Direct TV is like magic---I can watch some retarded amount of games displayed on a ridiculous number of pixels every weekend. But only 16 (19 would be nice) really matter and I don't even care that they charge an inflated amount. I'm a fan, and they are my team. I have high hopes for every year, and this is no exception. 10-6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elwooddowd Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 Routed for the Browns prior to the AFL...I became a Bills fan when they drafted my favorite college player, Richie Lucas QB from Penn State (He was less than terrific)... But when they followed that up drafting Roger Kaufmann from Happy Valley (my Penn State favorite after Richie) I followed the Bills faithfully from then on.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB2004 Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 Well being From Los Angeles it was weird for me to become a fan, but I'm damn glad that I did. Well back in "89" which I was 14 at the time I went to a card show wanting a Barry Sanders rookie card, but that didn't happen. What did happen when I did open the pack was a Thurman Thomas rookie card and ever since than I have been a DIE hard Bills fan. 734161[/snapback] This is a good post. When I first started getting into football I was 9 years old back in 1991. The first game I actually sat down and watched was the Bills and Giants in the Superbowl. Maybe the first play I saw it was Bruce Smith getting a sack in the end zone for a safety. I thought that was pretty cool. He ended up being my favorite player until he retired. Anyway, I saw the game and the way the Bills lost I knew that they were my team. People still don't understand why I'm a big Bills fan instead of the Bears beause Chicago is my hometown, but I will always have my loyalties no matter what to the Buffalo Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Bill Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 When I was about 5, this really large guy w a big gut moved in a few doors down from us on Grand Island. My dad told me he was Ron McDole, and that he played footbal for the Buffalo Bills. That was the first time I remember hearing anything about football or the Bills, and soon I got my first ball and got more interested. I don't remember my Dad watching games back then. A few yrs later my mom remarried and my stepfather watched all the games, and he taught me what it was about. I loved watching them on TV and cheering for the Bills - the Juice and Electric Co were kings (for awhile). He took me to my first game at Rich Stadium, I think it was like the 2nd or 3rd game played there. By then I was totally hooked! Sadly, while I watch a LOT on TV, I moved away and have only been to 4 games total. That first one I mentioned (they lost), then when I moved to Orlando I watched them get beat in Tampa - I think in 88 or 89. I now live in Atlanta, and took my son to the Falcons Bills for his first game a few years ago and we got beat by a last second long field goal - Crap! I went back to Buffalo two yrs ago to watch the Bills squish the Fish in a December game in the snow - but we got whupped - again I'm not sure if I'm a curse when I go to games - but I love dem Bills! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 I'm not sure if I'm a curse when I go to games - but I love dem Bills! 735064[/snapback] Funny, I have the same luck with the Sabres...my best friend growing up (in Buffalo) and I split a pair of season tickets with his sister and brother in-law back in the early to mid-80's...the Sabres were always at least decent then, so I saw lots of great games...I left Buffalo in 1988 (figures, the year the Bills "got good")....I try to make it home at least once a year, and always take in a Bills game, and a Sabres game, if they play at home that week...in the 17 years since I left Buffalo, I have been to 11 Sabres games...they won 2, tied 4 and lost 5! God, those ties always pissed me off more than the losses...paying good money to see a tie! Thank god they finally wised up and did away with draws! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generaLee83 Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 After Super Bowl 25. I don't really know why I became a Bills fan. I think it's because I'm from the southern tier and I don't consider the Giants or Jets true NY teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILLSBACKERINLA Posted August 5, 2006 Author Share Posted August 5, 2006 Come on now there has to be more of you with a good story!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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