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Your first trip to Ralph Wilson (I still call it Rich stadium)


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I still remember my first trip to Rich Stadium. It was 1993. I live in Texas and my dad drove our entire family all the way to Orchard Park so I could see where my Bills played. It was in the summer and I remember when we drove up, I was in awe looking at the super bowl logos painted on the outside marquee. Even though we lost those games, I still loved seeing the logos-reminded me of our team's accomplishments. My family went to the front desk and we told the secretary where we had driven from. She called someone from the front office and they escorted my family around the stadium. I was amazed at the generosity of the Bills staff on duty that day. As we left, I told the secretary that we were going back to the Super Bowl again the next year (which we did- SB 28). A few years later, I came back to Ralph Wilson Stadium to see the Bills play- it was a December game against Jacksonville (Steve Tasker's last game). I loved seeing the snow coming down and I loved going to downtown Buffalo. My family and I went around downtown throwing snowballs at each other everywhere we went- the locals knew we were from out of town. The atmosphere of the fans and the town was great. I wish I was able to make it up there more.

 

It got me thinking, when was your first game at the Ralph/Rich Stadium and what was it like? Or the Rockpile, for the old timers?

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I still remember my first trip to Rich Stadium. It was 1993. I live in Texas and my dad drove our entire family all the way to Orchard Park so I could see where my Bills played. It was in the summer and I remember when we drove up, I was in awe looking at the super bowl logos painted on the outside marquee. Even though we lost those games, I still loved seeing the logos-reminded me of our team's accomplishments. My family went to the front desk and we told the secretary where we had driven from. She called someone from the front office and they escorted my family around the stadium. I was amazed at the generosity of the Bills staff on duty that day. As we left, I told the secretary that we were going back to the Super Bowl again the next year (which we did- SB 28). A few years later, I came back to Ralph Wilson Stadium to see the Bills play- it was a December game against Jacksonville (Steve Tasker's last game). I loved seeing the snow coming down and I loved going to downtown Buffalo. My family and I went around downtown throwing snowballs at each other everywhere we went- the locals knew we were from out of town. The atmosphere of the fans and the town was great. I wish I was able to make it up there more.

 

It got me thinking, when was your first game at the Ralph/Rich Stadium and what was it like? Or the Rockpile, for the old timers?

I think it was the Monday Night game against Cincy....bad first half for Kelly, awesome second half.....I think I got sick during the game, but stayed anyhoo!

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mine was 1990 i was 3 years old and we were playing the jets, and i think we got lit up, then i didnt go again untill the season with the flutie jonson controversy, when i was able to have seasons, and ive had them ever sense. My favorite all time game that i have gone to was either the miami game in the snow the first year with bledsoe or the recent monday nighter untill the last 30 seconds

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I don't remember what year it was, but I was like 8 or something. It was wintertime and the Bills were playing the Rams. Joe Ferguson was the QB for the Bills and Vince Feragamo was the QB for the Rams. I don't remember who won. I do remember it was cold.

 

Maybe that's why I now reside in LA :lol:

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August 1973 - first game in the stadium. It was a preseason game against the Redskins. It started oddly enough - the stands half empty because of the traffic jams, 'Skins RB Duane Thomas climbing into the crowd during the National Anthem to get at a fan who he said threw a thermos at him, and then the Redskins returning the opening kickoff for a TD.

 

Maybe the place is cursed...

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Mine wasn't until my senior year in college in 2004, we played the rams and after being down 10-0 in the first quarter we dominated led by 3 mark campbell td catches and a nate clements punt return. I've made the trip up for at least one game per year since.

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Im from ct. Last year against the giants. Tailgated with random people all were very friendly the proceded to get rained and snowed on for the entire game if you wernt there you have no clue how gross it actually was TV did it no justice but had a blast hope to get back this year.

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August 1973 - first game in the stadium. It was a preseason game against the Redskins. It started oddly enough - the stands half empty because of the traffic jams, 'Skins RB Duane Thomas climbing into the crowd during the National Anthem to get at a fan who he said threw a thermos at him, and then the Redskins returning the opening kickoff for a TD.

 

Maybe the place is cursed...

 

I was at the opening game also. We came from Syracuse and there was a huge traffic jam from before the Thruway exit. We sat in the last row of the upper deck. Redskins had the yellow helmets. I believe it was Herb Mul-Key who ran the opening kick back. The traffic jam was so bad there were still buses of fans coming to the stadium at halftime. I still have the commemorative coin and card they gave out.

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I still remember my first trip to Rich Stadium. It was 1993. I live in Texas and my dad drove our entire family all the way to Orchard Park so I could see where my Bills played. It was in the summer and I remember when we drove up, I was in awe looking at the super bowl logos painted on the outside marquee. Even though we lost those games, I still loved seeing the logos-reminded me of our team's accomplishments. My family went to the front desk and we told the secretary where we had driven from. She called someone from the front office and they escorted my family around the stadium. I was amazed at the generosity of the Bills staff on duty that day. As we left, I told the secretary that we were going back to the Super Bowl again the next year (which we did- SB 28). A few years later, I came back to Ralph Wilson Stadium to see the Bills play- it was a December game against Jacksonville (Steve Tasker's last game). I loved seeing the snow coming down and I loved going to downtown Buffalo. My family and I went around downtown throwing snowballs at each other everywhere we went- the locals knew we were from out of town. The atmosphere of the fans and the town was great. I wish I was able to make it up there more.

 

It got me thinking, when was your first game at the Ralph/Rich Stadium and what was it like? Or the Rockpile, for the old timers?

 

Very cool, though I do have to say that Tasker's last game was against GB (IIRC). Jax may have been his last home game. He got tossed from the GB game for arguing/touching an official.

 

My first was against GB in '79 -- Terry Miller had a great day, including a 45ish yard TD run and the Bills won 19-12. Great day.

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August 1973 - first game in the stadium. It was a preseason game against the Redskins. It started oddly enough - the stands half empty because of the traffic jams, 'Skins RB Duane Thomas climbing into the crowd during the National Anthem to get at a fan who he said threw a thermos at him, and then the Redskins returning the opening kickoff for a TD.

 

Maybe the place is cursed...

I was at the first regular season game against the Jets...Sept. 30, 1973. Every September 30th, I remember that sunny day, a 9-7 win, behind three John Leypold FGs.

 

My ticket cost $7.00...that was mid-range. I believe end zones were $5.00 and sidelines $9.00...jeeziz, it cost more to park these daze.

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Im from ct. Last year against the giants. Tailgated with random people all were very friendly the proceded to get rained and snowed on for the entire game if you wernt there you have no clue how gross it actually was TV did it no justice but had a blast hope to get back this year.

I was there, I was supposed to take my girlfriend with me (her first game was the Christmas Eve game last year against the Titans, her second was the home opener this year against the Broncos) but she couldn't go so I took my Brother, and i picked up Ponchos from Walmart early that morning before we left. It wasn't bad until around halftime, we were shivering and it took us almost the entire ride home to actually start feeling warm again. Little did we know that we had just watched the SB champs beat the Bills, I feel now that it took a little bit of the sting out of the loss

 

My first game was 3 years ago I believe, Bills/Patriots in December after a big Ice storm (next week was the Saturday night home game against Denver). My buddy got 3 free tickets from his grandfather and he took me and another friend for free, 5 rows from the field behind the Patriots bench. Flutie came in in the 4th, my friend wanted to see one drive with Flutie and then we left cause they were being shut out. Just as we are walking accross the parking lot, we here someone score a TD

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Second game in the 1980 regular season. They beat the Jets that day. Here are the three memories that stuck best with that 10 year old: Wow, that field was green. Why was one of the goal posts crooked? The Jets scored early, and we came back...

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'96. When I heard the day before the Jax playoff game that it wasn't sold out, my ex- and I jumped on Tickmaster and hoped in the car to go. Spent the night in Binghamton and reached the stadium an hour before kickoff. What a wild scene. Of course, it was the only home playoff loss in the Kelly era, and as it turned out, Jimbo's last game.

 

p.s. his f&$king knee was on the ground before he fumbled! :lol:

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August 1973 - first game in the stadium. It was a preseason game against the Redskins. It started oddly enough - the stands half empty because of the traffic jams, 'Skins RB Duane Thomas climbing into the crowd during the National Anthem to get at a fan who he said threw a thermos at him, and then the Redskins returning the opening kickoff for a TD.

 

Maybe the place is cursed...

 

 

:lol: My first game at Rich, my first live Bills game altogether. I was 8 years old, and my sister and her boyfriend took me. I remember the whole thing about people getting there late. I also remember some guy having a heart attack in our section, very early in the game.

 

As were sitting in the upper deck, a late arriver sat in front of us for the second half. I remember he kept leaning forward, and screaming after every play. I accidently dropped a peanut shell that went down his plummers crack. My sisters' boyfriend saw it, and got a big kick out of it. He kept egging me on to toss more the plummer cracks way...it didn't take much encouragement for me to continue. My sister (who would have been mortified) was completely oblivious. The guy kept touching the back of his pants, as if he wasn't sure he felt something...I think when he got home, he found a dozen or so peanut shells in his underroos...good times! Oh yeah, the Bills lost...and I was disappointed by how "small" it looked from the nose bleeds...still have my ticket stub, and the commemorative coin they gave out that night.

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I was rather young, I'm guessing around 8 years old. Alex Van Pelt was our starting QB and we beat Miami 9-6, no td's just field goals. And it was raining the entire game. Looking back on it, of the 25 or so games I've been to, that was one of the worst (even though we won, it was two bad teams playing a game with no TD's in the rain) but I was young and thrilled to be there.

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Very cool, though I do have to say that Tasker's last game was against GB (IIRC). Jax may have been his last home game. He got tossed from the GB game for arguing/touching an official.

 

My first was against GB in '79 -- Terry Miller had a great day, including a 45ish yard TD run and the Bills won 19-12. Great day.

 

 

I think you are right...IIRC, he was ejected from the game after the opening kick off...kind of a crummy way to end a great career.

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In 2000, the snow game against New England.

 

I remember Johnson being knocked out of the game, and Flutie coming in. My mom wanted to leave at halftime, so off we went. Wanted to stay, but she could barely walk because of her legs / the cold.

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I was at the first regular season game against the Jets...Sept. 30, 1973. Every September 30th, I remember that sunny day, a 9-7 win, behind three John Leypold FGs.

 

My ticket cost $7.00...that was mid-range. I believe end zones were $5.00 and sidelines $9.00...jeeziz, it cost more to park these daze.

Yep I was at that one too. Jets scored their TD with 2 seconds left. Going to my copy of Relentless...

 

Ferguson was 7 of 17 for 71 yards or some rediculous number like that, while we had over 200 yds rushing.

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