International Bills fans

[JoeFerguson]

This question goes out specifically to two regular posters (Nick in England and aussiew), but can be fielded by anyone who is not a native of the USA, or WNY for that matter:

 

The question is, how did you become such passionate Bills fans?

 

My passion for the Bills comes from the spirit that is ingrained in the youth of western NY. I was born in 1980, in Buffalo, and I was given the name of the starting quarterback of the Bills at that time. Although my parents claim that I was not named after Joe Ferguson the quarterback, I think subconsciously my dad named me Joe with some Bills fan intentions. Growing up with this name, and a family full of die hard Bills fans surrounding me, I had no choice but to love the Bills. During the glory years of the 90's, my passion grew stronger and stronger. After Super Bowl 25, I cried myself to sleep. My dad told my brother and I that it was only a game and we should not worry because we had no control over it. After tucking us in, he closed the door and we heard him screaming profanities at the top of his lungs. Due to this upbringing in Buffalo, I will always be a Bills fan, no matter how bad the team becomes.

 

So how does someone, especially living in a country like Australia or England, become a football fan, let alone a Bills fan. I know that the most popular sport in either of these countries is certainly not American football, so how do you get to the point where you are so passionate about the team that you make super long road trips to go see them play? Along the same lines, how does someone living somewhere else in the USA become a Bills fan, especially when they're are so many other teams who have a better history of success to choose from?

[JoeFerguson]

bump

[aussiew]

I grew up in Australia and was very passionate about a football game called "Aussie Rules" - a very fast moving game with 18 players for 60 minutes and where the ball moves down the field by being kicked on the run, caught, kicked on the run etc., then kicked through posts for the points. After moving to California I was turned off by this US game of gridiron where men wore padding and kept changing players for offense and defense. I thought they were all a bunch of pussies and thought the game was very slow.

 

I lived near Anaheim and quickly became a baseball fan following the Angels for years through all their low times. A job transfer took me to Grand Island, NY in 1987. As a young single mom, many in the community would invite me over to their homes on Sunday afternoons. I went for the great wings and hot dogs, rather than the football. I gradually got caught up in the fever of the early Jim Kelly days and by the time the Giants SB came about, I was a fan. The following year, I had season tickets and was a dedicated fan until my company closed in 1994 and I had to move out of state to take another job.

 

Through three different states, various sports bars, and now DirecTV, I've kept my dedication to the Bills alive.

[mead107]

wow! pussies , do you have alot of cats?

[JinVA]

Well I'm not from another country but 'm not from WNY either. I was born and raised in Virginny and my reason for being a Bills fan is quite silly but here goes.When I first started playing pee-wee football around 7 yrs. old the nickname of my team was The Buffaloes. This was at the same time I started watching games on the tube and one of the first games I watched was the Buffalo Bills (V Cleveland I think), so I figured it was my duty to root for MY team and the rest is history....................................................... I've been a basketcase ever since.

[josh_564]

im from vancouver canada and my first memory of football is bills redskins superbowl and i was cheering for them and i have stuck ever since

[IBTG81]

I was 9 or 10. I went to see the Bills-Giants game at the Meadowlands (the year of the Bills-Giants SB). I latched on to them right there.

[Hardy Pyle]

as a canadian...was never a big fan of football...until I started watching the Bills in the early 90's. My earliest memories of the Bills was watching Thurman Thomas run screens behind guys like House ballard.

 

I liked the players back then and just got hooked.

 

I'm not really sure why I'm a bills fan now. Most of my favourite players are no longer on the team, guys like Holeck, Sam Rogers, Cowart, Winfield, A.Smith, T. Washington, J.Butler, Wade Phillips, RJ. Not too many players or coaches I currently like on the roster, but I continue to cheer for them.

[Paco]

Aussie Rules - a very fast moving game with 18 players for 60 minutes

 

I always thought this was how you described Saturday night at your house in the pool with your single friends.

[cale]

Well, here goes...I'm originally from Malaysia. I came to the US to go to school at RIT. I am prett avid Bills fan. But really I am a nut-soid Manchester United fanatic. Have loved the club since I was 11.

 

Anyways, Sunday afternoons I just had to go do something else or take a nap (not very well) because my 3 other roommates all fought over which team they'd watch on TV. 2 Giants vs. 1 Bills fan. Pretty ugly.

 

As far as I was concerned, football wasn't really a "sport." Guys ran into each other - stood around for 10 mins and then ran into each other again. Borrrriing!

 

But during this time, one of my closest buddies, who grew up in Hamburg, NY would just get distraught to the point of sillines and I tried to understand what was going on. I got to know the players, the rules, the passion plus I have to say knowing that the coach was a Harvard grad and that at least one player (James Lofton) could string words together into sentences really helped.

 

I remember seeing the Bills v Browns playoff game at my buddy's house. That was exciting.

 

Two years later the Bills played the Giants in the SB. I remember seeing a kick sail wide right - I didn't really know what that meant and didn't care.

 

But the year leading up to the 1st Comboys SB I really got into it. Maybe because at that point I had graduated from college and had some free time. Whatever the reason I became a fan. Plus I loved how the folks in WNY really loved the team. At times it seemed like the only thing everybody up there could agree on.

 

However, I think the event that really cemented me into Bills fandom and heartbreak, was that I was at the Bills/Jax game when Doug Flutie ran the ball in on the busted/naked bootleg play. I still think we screwed up royally by letting him go post-Kelly. Regardless of the innuendoes/rumors about his awful locker room influence. All I know is Moulds, Bruce and Van Pelt *loved* him. If that's bad influence on a team, we should have more of it...

 

Anyways, now I live in Nashville and folks wonder why I don't just drop the lovable losers and root for the home team Titans. Never, in a million years never, especially after Home Run Throwup. Plus Bud "Can't Let My Hair Go" Adams is a royal jerk. Not to mention Nashville whored itself for a greedy owner who broke the hearts of Oilers fans.

 

I just fell in love with the resiliency and persistence of the 90s Bills. I liked to think I have some of those qualities and loyalty is really, really important to me. Now, if we could only string a few wins together...

 

Charles

[aussiew]

I always thought this was how you described Saturday night at your house in the pool with your single friends.

 

Wow - what a memory! You impress me.

[JoeFerguson]

Well, here goes...I'm originally from Malaysia.  I came to the US to go to school at RIT.  I am prett avid Bills fan.  But really I am a nut-soid Manchester United fanatic.  Have loved the club since I was 11.

 

Anyways, Sunday afternoons I just had to go do something else or take a nap (not very well) because my 3 other roommates all fought over which team they'd watch on TV. 2 Giants vs. 1 Bills fan.  Pretty ugly.

 

As far as I was concerned, football wasn't really a "sport."  Guys ran into each other - stood around for 10 mins and then ran into each other again. Borrrriing!

 

But during this time, one of my closest buddies, who grew up in Hamburg, NY would just get distraught to the point of sillines and I tried to understand what was going on.  I got to know the players, the rules, the passion plus I have to say knowing that the coach was a Harvard grad and that at least one player (James Lofton) could string words together into sentences really helped.

 

I remember seeing the Bills v Browns playoff game at my buddy's house.  That was exciting.

 

Two years later the Bills played the Giants in the SB.  I remember seeing a kick sail wide right - I didn't really know what that meant and didn't care.

 

But the year leading up to the 1st Comboys SB I really got into it.  Maybe because at that point I had graduated from college and had some free time.  Whatever the reason I became a fan.  Plus I loved how the folks in WNY really loved the team.  At times it seemed like the only thing everybody up there could agree on.

 

However, I think the event that really cemented me into Bills fandom and heartbreak, was that I was at the Bills/Jax game when Doug Flutie ran the ball in on the busted/naked bootleg play.  I still think we screwed up royally by letting him go post-Kelly.  Regardless of the innuendoes/rumors about his awful locker room influence.  All I know is Moulds, Bruce and Van Pelt *loved* him.  If that's bad influence on a team, we should have more of it...

 

Anyways, now I live in Nashville and folks wonder why I don't just drop the lovable losers and root for the home team Titans.  Never, in a million years never, especially after Home Run Throwup.  Plus Bud "Can't Let My Hair Go" Adams is a royal jerk.  Not to mention Nashville whored itself for a greedy owner who broke the hearts of Oilers fans.

 

I just fell in love with the resiliency and persistence of the 90s Bills.  I liked to think I have some of those qualities and loyalty is really, really important to me.  Now, if we could only string a few wins together...

 

Charles

59395[/snapback]

 

that was a beautiful story

[JoeFerguson]

Nick in England, I'm curious to know how you became a Bills fan.

[ofiba]

i became a bills fan the first time i saw todd collins throw that long bomb to quinn early. i don't know why we ever got rid of that guy.

[JoeFerguson]

i don't know why we ever got rid of that guy.

60303[/snapback]

 

Todd Collins or Quinn Early?

[nick in* england]

Ooops - only just saw this... busy day at work...

 

I started out being an american football fan in general when i was 7 or 8 years old. It was on the telly sometimes when I was allowed to stay up late - and I love to see pictures in magazines of Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor. I would always pretend to be Dan Marino in my bedroom - throwing socks accross the room and jumping on my bed.

 

When I was 12 - I got the chance to go to a real live american football game at Wembley Stadium. Buffalo Bills against Philadelphia Eagles. My dad took me as a surprise present. I knew nothing about the rules, who the teams were or anything. All I knew is my dad was rooting for the Eagles cos he went to philly with work a couple of weeks before, so I asked him to buy me a Bills cap so I could root against him. Then, when we got to our seats, there we a ton of big guys (remember i was only 12 and these guys were probably only 19 or 20)... Well they were sat there drinking beer and being really loud. Turns out they were students in town from UB - a transfer year. They started to teach me about the game. What was happening - that you had to get 10 yards in 4 plays. That when i shouted "12, 24, 36, 48, HUT HUT" i was being a moron, but what it all meant. They were great guys and the Bills won the game - so I was sold.

 

From that moment the Bills were my team. By the time I could do my own thing properly I was a fully fledged football guy - and started even playing over here. By that time i replaced being Dan Marino with being Kent Hull:D. The Superbowl years did a lot to keep my fandom for sure - i loved that my team was the best you could get - and i think the heartbreak of losing in the big game only did more to solidify my fandom. Also - i got beat up for having a Bills jacket that my dad got sent by a friend in Pittsburgh - that made me defiant, being bullied does that, so I threw myself into the Bills more - to find out about the team, the town, the area... It became a haven when it was rough at school. Dont feel sorry for me tho.

 

It seems like a silly way to become a fan - but thats how it is. I've always been heavily influenced by american culture and values - so being a football fan came easy....

 

GO BILLS!

[Guest lefty]

1. the name-i like the name-the bills.

2. great game-more i learn the more i like

3. it`s fair-worst teams get the best youngsters in the draft.

4. cheerleaders!

[Guest lefty]

forgot to mention i`m english(in england).i got into it in the mid 80`s when channel 4 first started their coverage and "chose" the bills around that time.I had friends who were redskin and raiders and miami fans.i just liked the name bills!nothing deeper than that i`m afraid.

i sometimes wonder if i`m a jinx.I`m a massive jimmy white(snooker)fan and was a derby county fan.

Well at least i`m no fairweather fan!

[Guest lefty]

for those who don`t know about jimmy white-he got to 6 world championship finals and lost them all.

[ofiba]

Todd Collins or Quinn Early?

60310[/snapback]

 

todd of course

[ScottyNorwood]

Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas.

[Magic54]

I'm not from out of the country, but I'm on the other side of it. I've lived in Southern California my whole life. It was hard to have a favorite hometwon team here, because the Rams and Raiders came and went. During the season of the Giants SB, I read an article on the Bills in Sports Illustrated, which featured Bruce Smith on the cover. I was hooked, and have been ever since.

[olivier in france]

when i was 15 in august 88 i spent a month to learn english in a Cheektowaga family. That month basically changed my life. This was my first trip in the US and i loved it. I knew little about football before it (i was yet a baseball player). 16 years later i'm still friends with that great family (now leaving in Hambourg after several moves around the Buffalo area) and even if i have since visited more than 30 of the 50 states i still believe WNY is the best place to live in the USA.

[Hooligan]

I'm form Montreal.

 

When I was younger, I'd say somewhere around 88-89, I sat down a sunday afternoon with my older brother and he was wathicng football.

 

He was a big Miami fan. I was watching the game, it was in buffalo, Kelly had just returned from an injury and they were playing in snow. Buffalo won that game, and I remember telling my brother that look at thet guy he is better then Marino (little did i know that the weather could affect stuff like that)

 

Since Buffalo won and they were playing in snow (I love snow) and to go against my brother, I became a buffalo fan. Ever since my frist football game I've watched. Never turned back, even after 4 SB's (would make a kid not like a team anymore) upsets I still stuck with the team.

 

Been like that since I was a kid. I like one team I stick with them untl the end.

 

 

P.S. Another thing that got me hooked as I started wathcing was B. Smith. What a beast that guy i loved him, and of course all wonder boys of that time.

 

I remember being having Bryce Paup on our team also afterwards.