Favorite Opening Day memories

[Chandler#81]

In the '30 years ago today' thread, many are chiming in on the end of Dolphin dominance in 1980. Got me thinking about Bills Opening Day games, and -as an old guy- I have seen many. Whole lotta bad memeories including some from this century: Jags & Broncos last plays and last years collapse @ NE.

 

But my all-time favorite wasn't actually a Day. '74 opener, with Howard, Giff & Dandy Don in the booth, we welcomed the previously MNF undefeated Oakland Raiders. They had HOFer's all over the place, including the grand old man, Blanda. A close game into the 4th, Fergy hit Rashad for the go-ahead score late. We got the ball back to run out the clock when diaster struck. Braxton fumbled and Art Thoms returned it for a Raider lead. I'n tellin' ya, you could have heard a pin drop in Rich.

 

Undaunted, Fergy -with the help of a couple typical unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the Raiders- drove us right back down the field and hit Rashad AGAIN for a go-ahead score. Still, Snake Stabler led Oakland to a makeable, last second FG for the win. But the Grand Old Man missed right as the gun sounded! Still brings a thrill recollecting!!

[Kelly the Dog]

Jerry Butler.

[flomoe]

In the '30 years ago today' thread, many are chiming in on the end of Dolphin dominance in 1980. Got me thinking about Bills Opening Day games, and -as an old guy- I have seen many. Whole lotta bad memeories including some from this century: Jags & Broncos last plays and last years collapse @ NE.

 

But my all-time favorite wasn't actually a Day. '74 opener, with Howard, Giff & Dandy Don in the booth, we welcomed the previously MNF undefeated Oakland Raiders. They had HOFer's all over the place, including the grand old man, Blanda. A close game into the 4th, Fergy hit Rashad for the go-ahead score late. We got the ball back to run out the clock when diaster struck. Braxton fumbled and Art Thoms returned it for a Raider lead. I'n tellin' ya, you could have heard a pin drop in Rich.

 

Undaunted, Fergy -with the help of a couple typical unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the Raiders- drove us right back down the field and hit Rashad AGAIN for a go-ahead score. Still, Snake Stabler led Oakland to a makeable, last second FG for the win. But the Grand Old Man missed right as the gun sounded! Still brings a thrill recollecting!!

 

 

I would have to say Kelly's first game as a Bill. The energy in that stadium that day was incredible. There have been other times feeling that rush since then but it was personally the first time at Rich that I felt that kind of excitement in the air. Most of the other games I had been to previous to that were just lackluster and mellow.

[DreReed83]

When we CRUSHED the Pats and Milloy had that huge sack on Brady. Ahhhh. The joys of beating the Patriots. That never happens anymore.

[Chandler#81]

I would have to say Kelly's first game as a Bill. The energy in that stadium that day was incredible. There have been other times feeling that rush since then but it was personally the first time at Rich that I felt that kind of excitement in the air. Most of the other games I had been to previous to that were just lackluster and mellow.

 

 

That was GREAT! The savior had arrived!! Greg Bell, Andre and Big Pete haulin' in Jimbo's 1st game TD's!

[ACor58]

The one were CJ Spiller rushes for 1 TD, catches another, Trent throws for 310 yds and 3 TDs and the Bills beat the Dolphins 31-6

[GOBILLS78]

When we CRUSHED the Pats and Milloy had that huge sack on Brady. Ahhhh. The joys of beating the Patriots. That never happens anymore.

 

Had a big interception, too. (Wait, or did he just tip a pass? Can't remember). That might have been the last time a Bill not named Kevin Everett was on the cover of Sports Illustrated -- big Sam Adams huffing and puffing his way to the end zone.

 

Absolutely perfect weather for that game, too.

Edited September 7, 2010 by GOBILLS78

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

In the '30 years ago today' thread, many are chiming in on the end of Dolphin dominance in 1980. Got me thinking about Bills Opening Day games, and -as an old guy- I have seen many. Whole lotta bad memeories including some from this century: Jags & Broncos last plays and last years collapse @ NE.

 

But my all-time favorite wasn't actually a Day. '74 opener, with Howard, Giff & Dandy Don in the booth, we welcomed the previously MNF undefeated Oakland Raiders. They had HOFer's all over the place, including the grand old man, Blanda. A close game into the 4th, Fergy hit Rashad for the go-ahead score late. We got the ball back to run out the clock when diaster struck. Braxton fumbled and Art Thoms returned it for a Raider lead. I'n tellin' ya, you could have heard a pin drop in Rich.

 

Undaunted, Fergy -with the help of a couple typical unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the Raiders- drove us right back down the field and hit Rashad AGAIN for a go-ahead score. Still, Snake Stabler led Oakland to a makeable, last second FG for the win. But the Grand Old Man missed right as the gun sounded! Still brings a thrill recollecting!!

I am torn between these two you mentioned but still have to say the Miami win was better. A classic win over the arch enemy trumps beating undefeated on MNF Raiders but they are very close. I recall the MNF game better since I was only 13 and couldnt drink yet :-)

[Metal Man]

When we CRUSHED the Pats and Milloy had that huge sack on Brady. Ahhhh. The joys of beating the Patriots. That never happens anymore.

 

I have been to a lot of openers too, but I don't think I have ever left the stadium happier than I was after that 31-0 beat down of the Pats*.

 

Sure in retrospect it didn't mean much seeing they returned the favor on the last game of the year, but listening to a few sections sing the goodbye song to the large groups of Pats* fans as they exited early is one of my fondest stadium memories.

 

[flomoe]

Had a big interception, too. That might have been the last time a Bill not named Kevin Everett was on the cover of Sports Illustrated -- big Sam Adams huffing and puffing his way to the end zone.

 

Absolutely perfect weather for that game, too.

 

 

That was a gorgeous day all around. I can't even rank it in my top 100 games though. Not because it wasn't a great game but the fact that I was there and I left my 30 something-week pregnant wife home 1200 miles away while I enjoyed it. She still hates when I even bring that one up so I tend to completely try to erase it from memory just so I don't get crap from her. Our daughter didn't end up joining us till the middle of October so I still don't see what all the fuss was. Women!!

[Dr. K]

In the '30 years ago today' thread, many are chiming in on the end of Dolphin dominance in 1980. Got me thinking about Bills Opening Day games, and -as an old guy- I have seen many. Whole lotta bad memeories including some from this century: Jags & Broncos last plays and last years collapse @ NE.

 

But my all-time favorite wasn't actually a Day. '74 opener, with Howard, Giff & Dandy Don in the booth, we welcomed the previously MNF undefeated Oakland Raiders. They had HOFer's all over the place, including the grand old man, Blanda. A close game into the 4th, Fergy hit Rashad for the go-ahead score late. We got the ball back to run out the clock when diaster struck. Braxton fumbled and Art Thoms returned it for a Raider lead. I'n tellin' ya, you could have heard a pin drop in Rich.

 

Undaunted, Fergy -with the help of a couple typical unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the Raiders- drove us right back down the field and hit Rashad AGAIN for a go-ahead score. Still, Snake Stabler led Oakland to a makeable, last second FG for the win. But the Grand Old Man missed right as the gun sounded! Still brings a thrill recollecting!!

 

I remember this exact game, and how out of my mind I was that the Bills actually came back and won it. They had been so bad through the laste 60s and early 70s, and this was just the kind of game they always lost. When Braxton fumbled, it was just like when McKelvin fumbled in the NE game last season. I had no expectation the Bills could possilby win the game.

 

But then Fergy came roaring back. Until that game the Bills were known as only a rushing team, with Fergy handing off to OJ. But he won the game throwing, and that established that he was a QB to be reckoned with.

 

I was a much younger man then, but I hope to see another such game, heralding another turn in the team's fortunes.

Edited September 7, 2010 by Dr. K

[Chandler#81]

Jerry Butler.

 

 

I'm a little foggy on this one. Was it his rookie game/year? Against the Jets??

 

'Nother from the annuls was the '73 opener in NE. Rookies Fergy & Joe D and the newly assembled Electric Company 'turnin' on the Juice', setting O.J.'s NFL single game rushing record 250 yards.

[tbonestake]

When we CRUSHED the Pats and Milloy had that huge sack on Brady. Ahhhh. The joys of beating the Patriots. That never happens anymore.

 

 

YES!!! I was there for that and it was incredible! Singing the 'I've got a feelin..." song on the way to the Ralph from the Kettles lot, the ROAR that Milloy got during intros,Sam Adams dancing into the end zone, and the general beatdown they put on was amazing! By far the best Bills game I have ever been to.

 

ALSO, the game in Miami when Jim Kelly dove across the goaline at the end. I was at my Uncle's and they showed Don Shula on the TV right after the play. It was the first time I saw my father give someone the finger. Both guns blazing right in Shula's face! I can't wait till this year's opener!!!!

 

LET'S GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!

[Huuuge Bills]

The first game I ever went to, the 31-0 beat down of the pats*. Absolutely great day all around.

 

Seeing Sam Adams rumble down the sideline was so great, lost my voice on that play.

[bam]

We've come to just about every opener over the past 11 years, but a couple years back when we played Seattle is easily my favorite ever!

 

Not because of the game play itself, though it was quite an exciting win! But mainly because I had my son with me for his first Bills game ever. He had just turned 1-year old a couple weeks prior to the game. We had pretty good seats a couple rows back from the end zone that most of the scoring was done in. He sat through nearly the ENTIRE game and when it started raining, I tried to put a poncho over him but he kept shrugging it away. At that point I realized he was a true fan! He got on the jumbo screen a couple times, was high-fiving everyone around us... it was just a priceless time. He made it all the way to the middle of the fourth quarter when he finally fell asleep on my lap.

[BillnutinHouston]

We've come to just about every opener over the past 11 years, but a couple years back when we played Seattle is easily my favorite ever!

 

Not because of the game play itself, though it was quite an exciting win! But mainly because I had my son with me for his first Bills game ever. He had just turned 1-year old a couple weeks prior to the game. We had pretty good seats a couple rows back from the end zone that most of the scoring was done in. He sat through nearly the ENTIRE game and when it started raining, I tried to put a poncho over him but he kept shrugging it away. At that point I realized he was a true fan! He got on the jumbo screen a couple times, was high-fiving everyone around us... it was just a priceless time. He made it all the way to the middle of the fourth quarter when he finally fell asleep on my lap.

 

This was mine as well, for a similar reason. Took my 9-year old to his first game ever. Through a near-miracle, he was put on the scoreboard and I got a photo of it because I knew in advance he was being put up there (see my avatar). We now have made home openers our tradition and we're heading up on Saturday AM.

 

A close second is Jim Kelly's first game, as another poster said. That was electric.

Edited September 7, 2010 by BillnutinHouston

[Chandler#81]

When we CRUSHED the Pats and Milloy had that huge sack on Brady. Ahhhh. The joys of beating the Patriots. That never happens anymore.

 

 

'Nother 31-0 whoppin' happened in '81 vs. the Jets. Yes, Virginia, we have been very good a few times. Fergy & Cribbs accounted for 4 TD's and our Number #1 ranked Defense from the year before, picked right up where they left off . We ended up as Wild Card that season, beating the Jets again in the playoffs before losing @ Cincy.

[uticaclub]

The Seahawks opener a few years ago was great. Trick play by Moorman, the D looked great, Trent looked great, Marshawn looked great, we started the season off like 5-1 and then...

[Amstel]

I'd have to go with 2003 when we beat the pats.....

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

9/3/2000 - 16-13 win over the Titans - a last second win in the revenge game after Home Job Throw Forward, and the first ever TBD tailgate.