your brush with greatness

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

Three different stories

1) Circa 1976 I am attending a Buffalo Braves game and it is announced OJ Simpson is attending the game. So I start scanning the stands for OJ via a set of binoculars. As I start scanning I am tapped on the shoulder by the gentleman behind me none other than Reggie and he smiles and gives a finger point to OJ who is sitting just off my right shoulder. It was Reggie, OJ and Ben Williams. Still have the autographs on the lousy piece of paper I had.

 

2) 1990 - My younger brothers bachelor party Freddie and Haslett are there. Played some poker, smoked some cigars and drank a bit. My younger brother is good friend with Haslett. Two fun guys to party with.

 

3) Jim Ritcher goes to the same Chiropractor that I do. One day I am there very early sitting next to this guy, I am the bigger of the two. we start talking since I had on an NC State shirt and soon realize its Ritcher and we attended NCSU at the same time etc. We chatted for ever till the chiropractor finally said ok which of you big guys do i get to wrestle first.

Edited January 5, 2011 by bills_fan_in_raleigh

[Dirtbag]

back when Ruben Brown was on the team, I was at a local store may have been Topps can't remember but was in check out line, Ruben was in front of my dad and I, he let out the biggest fart I've ever heard and he didn't even flinch nor care. At that same moment my dad says hey Ruben you may wanna wipe after that one. Ruben just smirked and says those Fing wings!!!!

 

this one wins! the only possible way to beat it would be a canadian ballet story involving hank bullough and ed abramowski.

Edited January 5, 2011 by Dirtbag

[Pilsner]

Awesome thread. I wish I had a story to share as well. This is great reading everyones experiences.

[BillsFanNC]

1985 walking home after playing street hockey on a snowy night I saw Daryl Talley is walking out of the Noco on Main Street in Hamburg. I said hi to him and he said there was someone in the car I'd probably like to meet, the back window rolls down and he introduces my friends and I to the NFL "rookie of the year" Bruce Smith.

 

Early 90's saw Bruce in Tops in Hamburg wearing a muscle shirt carrying out two cases of Genny.

 

My commute to work in the in the early 90's took my down California Rd in OP. A few times Jim Kelly would pass me going 75 mph+ on his way to work.

 

Saw Bruce at Pure Platinum the Friday before the NFL opener in 1998. Half the strippers in the place were around him and his entourage. The Bills opened that year in San Diego and Bruce was out with one of his mysterious knee injuries for that game.

 

Marcellus Wiley lived two doors down from my parents in OP. He never mowed his lawn.

 

Len Walterscheid rented the house next door to my friend, he tossed the ball around with us a few times. When he got cut, Ulysses Norris moved in. He never played catch with us.

 

Saw Jim Kelly often at mass at St. Bernadette's in OP.

 

Saw Biscuit and Tasker at Jim Kelly's nightclub the night they lost to Pittsburgh in the playoffs in 1996. Many people were going up to Cornelius and to say hi and he stood there like a statue not even acknowledging their presence.

 

I also ran into Jim Ritcher down here in Raleigh at a Sabres - Canes game a few years ago. He talked with my friend and I for the entire intermission. Nice guy, but he can't go more than 190 these days.

Edited January 6, 2011 by BillsFanNC

[Assquatch]

Saw Willis McGahee at Friday's the same night Marshawn Lynch stole $5 from me at the bar.

[billsintaiwan]

i ran into marcus allen outside kelly's short-lived sports bar downtown. my friend asked if joe montana was coming back and marcus said, '**** man, i just don't know' and walked preety fast. that guy had long legs. good posture. did say 'you too' when i said 'take care', so he wasn't a complete prick. and my friend's question was stupid. and we were on mushrooms, though at the tail end of the trip.

 

a vicarious story, my dad was the buffalo raceway and gave fred smerlas a winning pick. smerlas and haslett were there. fred smerlas picked up my dad's two hundred fifty pound friend and jumped up and down.

[Bzee]

Last year I ran into Daryl Talley at a Sports Authority in Orlando, Fl, I started shaking my head and he knew right off the back that I was a Bills fan. I believe it was shortly after the Dolphins kicked our ass earlier last season in Miami. We started talking for a while about the current state of the Bills, and how much of a dysfunctional franchise that weve become. I was asking him why hes not involved with the organization making decisions, because we sure could use some help, he replied saying that hed love to be, but Ralph would say to him stubbornly if I hire one of you guys Id have to hire all of you. Daryl is a real down to earth dude we both share similar ideas and antagonism about the Bills, I told him how special those teams were in the 90's and that they'll never be another team that was so close as a unit ,and basically a family. I also told him the reason why I became a Bills fan, and that it was the AFC Wildcard game vs. the Houston Oilers that Great Come Back Game, I said Daryl that game made me a fan of not only the NFL, but the Buffalo Bills for life, you guys were really special man and dont ever forget that.

Edited January 6, 2011 by Bzee

[iinii]

I once sat with with Coach Levy in his office after a game.

[NoSaint]

Three different stories

1) Circa 1976 I am attending a Buffalo Braves game and it is announced OJ Simpson is attending the game. So I start scanning the stands for OJ via a set of binoculars. As I start scanning I am tapped on the shoulder by the gentleman behind me none other than Reggie and he smiles and gives a finger point to OJ who is sitting just off my right shoulder. It was Reggie, OJ and Ben Williams. Still have the autographs on the lousy piece of paper I had.

 

2) 1990 - My younger brothers bachelor party Freddie and Haslett are there. Played some poker, smoked some cigars and drank a bit. My younger brother is good friend with Haslett. Two fun guys to party with.

 

3) Jim Ritcher goes to the same Chiropractor that I do. One day I am there very early sitting next to this guy, I am the bigger of the two. we start talking since I had on an NC State shirt and soon realize its Ritcher and we attended NCSU at the same time etc. We chatted for ever till the chiropractor finally said ok which of you big guys do i get to wrestle first.

 

So did haslett really knock up the cheerleader down here in new orleans

[Bzee]

I remember seeing Travis Henry at a Florida strip club prior to his Denver season. I sent him a bottle of Moet and told the waitress to tell him it was courtesy of the Buffalo Bills. He later sent me over another bottle of champagne, that’s when I went over and introduced myself and told him I was upset that we let him go for Willis, that’s’ messed up how we did him dirty like that. Another time I seen Jeff Burris at a night club and he was surprised I even knew who he was. I told him that I’m a Bills fan and remember us drafting him. He also sent me over a bottle of champagne and told me to keep his status on the down low, I guess he didn’t want the extra attention, but I think he was happy that I said I was pissed off about the Bills not resigning him and letting him go to the Colts.

[Bills99999]

A guy I work with has a sister who works in a restaurant Ted Washington used to frequent

 

Ted is huge. His wife is huge. His kids are on their way to being huge.

 

They are very nice people who order and eat a ton of food and are good tippers. No need for take out boxes

[Mr_Blizzard]

They are very nice people who order and eat a ton of food and are good tippers. No need for take out boxes

 

[Buftex]

since the bills are toast and there are only so many times i can read about andrew luck, i'm curious to hear about your encounters with bills past and present. here's mine:

 

around ’87-‘88 my friend, sarks, his dad and I went to see jim kelly at some boat dealership on grand island. the appearance must not have been heavily promoted because the place was empty. jim was leaning against a boat, talking shop with some of the employees. The salespeople sighed as we entered – our zubaz and bills sweatshirts made it abundantly clear we weren’t there for a boat.

 

i was around 12 at the time and jimbo was my hero. I had only seen him on tv before so this was like meeting a god. he seemed impossibly tall, towering over all of us. he wasn’t as muscular as i expected but the dude certainly carried an air of gravitas. maybe it was his acid washed jeans. maybe it was his perfectly feathered mini-mullet. he just had it.

 

we were silent as we approached him, too nervous to speak. jim smiled and, still leaning against the boat, did a sorta playful roundhouse kick into my chest, accompanied with a friendly “hiya, buddy!” unsure how to react, I just held onto his foot, thinking, “this is jim kelly’s foot and i’m holding it.” I also remember thinking, “i wonder if jim likes the karate kid?” it was an auspicious beginning.

 

i guess the boat folks were embarrassed by the low turnout because no one wanted us to leave. The salesmen had apparently run out of stuff to say to jim since they just started asking us about school. i remember grimacing a little when sarks told jim that he was his favorite player. It was an outright lie. sarks’ favorite player was montana and favorite team the 49ers – he was there strictly for the autograph. sarks’ mom was expecting at the time and jim talked to us a long time about that. he even signed a couple of magazines for “baby bill” (his words, not mine). the baby turned out to be a girl and wasn’t named “bill.”

 

we ended up just hanging out for like half an hour, during which time no one else entered the store. The highlight was when jim started tossing the ball around with us (sarks had brought along a football). i’m not sure if the boat folks approved of a couple kids running out patterns in their store, juking out bayliners, lunds and monteray sport boats like hapless db’s, but who were they to argue with jim? sadly, the fun ended when i pass rushed sarks and his errant toss smashed into one of the boats. a salesperson snagged the ball and handed it over to sarks’ dad saying, “you know, that’s a $15,000 boat.”

 

we took our leave, piling into the car and heading back to the falls. as we made our way across the grand island bridge i remember being overwhelmed – real life jim had far exceeded my high expectations. i knew with all my heart that a super bowl victory would soon be ours.

 

[epilogue: many years later after the final dallas super bowl loss, I would cross paths with jim again. at that time i worked summers as a waiter at the niagara falls country club. jim was there as a guest of a member. as part of our service, we would always place a basket of popcorn and chips on the table. as I approached the table with the snacks, jim called out “keep that stuff away from me! i’m on a diet!” he then ordered a light beer and chicken sandwich.

 

it already seemed too late though. this wasn’t the same jim as before. his hair was in fast recession, his stomach a little fuller, he carried a more wearied air. as i delivered his chicken sandwich (sans cheese and mayo), i knew our super bowl run was over. my childhood hero was diminished.]

 

 

Maybe Jimbo had this in mind:

 

[Buftex]

I have a lot of them actually, but perhaps my favorite, was my first, as I think, it cemented the Bills in my heart, for better or worse, forever.

 

During the 1974 season, I was nine years old. My sisters' fiance (who she never married) asked me if I wanted to go and get some of my Buffalo Bills cards autographed. He was a former UB Bull, who, the previous summer had been invited to Bills training camp, to audition as an offensive linemen. He injured his shoulder, severely, during training camp, and never played so much as a pre-season snap, and never played the game again, save another tryout with the Buffalo Stallions. Anyway, during his brief time as a Buffalo Bill, he managed to become friendly with a number of players, including Joe D, Reggie McKenzie, Doug Jarvis and John Leypoldt. It turned out, Leypoldt was opening up a bar/pool room in Buffalo (I was so young, I don't remember where it was, now, maybe on Wherle Drive?). Anyways, this was a Monday night. A bunch of actual Buffalo Bills players, the day after a game, were helping Leypoldt set this thing up. Joe D was covered in sweat, dirty gloves, carrying sheets of lumber...I can't even imagine something like this now...but Joe D pulled off his dirty glove, patted me on the head, and signed a card for me. Next thing I know, Reggie gives me a sig, John Leypoldt, and then a couple of other guys, who weren't good enough to have their own card, signed a piece of paper for me...I lost the paper years later, but still have the cards...they were awesome! I met the Electric Company! Funniest thing I remember, when looking at my cards, I had an OJ in the pile. Reggie McKenzie just looked at it and chuckled and said, "Man, you should have been here 20 minutes ago...OJ carried those pool table in, on his back"...they all laughed...being an unassuming twerp of a kid, I thought he was serious...as cool as it was to meet "the guys", I was devastated that I had missed the Juice...of course, my sisters' boyfriend explained to me, on the way home, that OJ hadn't really been there...but he did manage to score me an OJ auto for Christmas.

[truth on hold]

Saw OJ in NYC, must have been at least 17 years ago because it was before the murders. Anyway he was leaving a hotel, had a cane and a noticeable limp, and a gigantic head.

 

Saw Bruce and Biscuit at Buffalo airport. Bruce had a long mustard colored raincoat on that looked very expensive. Biscuit had a bomber type black leather jacket. Both of them looked smaller in person than I thought they would.

 

Nate Odoms walked by me at a hotel in Minneapolis, the night before Bills played Redskins in the Super Bowl. Very small in stature, I really wonder how he had a chance against taller WRs like Michael Irvin.

[BigdaddyinOrlando]

In the summer of 1999 while I was working at a golf course here in Orlando, got a chance to meet D. Talley. Played golf with him several times after with the pro and some other guy who was fawning all over him. I was riding with Talley and we spent the round busting this guys chops. Later was able to play with Thurman and Talley together and had a ball. Thurman's swing is horrible like Barkley's and enjoyed listening to the ribbing that they were giving each other throughout the day. Each time after would have some food and beers with these guys and they really made you feel comfortable around them. No air of arrogance or anything like that!! Saw Reed out there one day and he is the exact opposite as those two. Very rude and condescending. Still see Talley every once in awhile and exchange pleasantries. Fun times and fond memories indeed!!!

[Dirtbag]

 

Saw Bruce and Biscuit at Buffalo airport. Bruce had a long mustard colored raincoat on that looked very expensive. Biscuit had a bomber type black leather jacket. Both of them looked smaller in person than I thought they would.

 

 

i once saw carwell gardner at the buffalo airport. he was wearing a tank top. dude had the biggest arms i've ever seen.

[Richmond_Bills]

I've had 2 occasions where I've met Jim Kelly. As some of you know Jim's brothers live here in Richmond and Jim built a house here but decided not to move because of Hunter, etc. Anyway, I knew he was in town playing in a charity golf tournament on a Thursday and that he would probably be staying in town to watch his nephew play HS football that Friday. I was right - my Dad and I went to the game, were hanging around by the track and Jimbo walks to the concession stand. My Dad says "Hey Jim, how you doing we're from Buffalo". To which Kelly snidely responded "I'm sorry" and kept walking. We stood our ground and he did stop by on his way back from the stand to exchange pleasantries.

 

2nd time - I was in the Richmond airport checking in for a flight to Rochester of all places. My wife had driven me and went in to the terminal. I'm in line and I hear her say "James" (my name is Jim) and I looked back and she motioned to show me that Jimbo was checking in at the first class counter. I happened to be wearing a Bills shirt, so we exit our lines at the same time, he comes up to me and says "nice shirt" and shook my hand. I went on to ask my wife why she called me James (she never does) and she said "I didn't want to yell out 'hey Jim' and have him think I was a groupie."

[tennesseeboy]

Two of us were hitchhiking out to the lake with my high school footbal jersey on in the summer of 1965. Elbert Dubenion (Golden Wheels) pulls up in a cadillac convertible and gives us a ride. He kidded me about having the same number as Cookie Gilchrist (34). Nice guy and one of my all time favorite receivers. I would rank him, Glenn Bass and Ernie Warlick as one of the best receiver corps we ever had.

[lets_go_bills]

Was so long ago, I can't remember the exact date.

 

Winter of 1993, my dad had seasons's tickets to the Sabres back when they played at The Aud. A seven-year-old lets_go_bills was at the game. During the 2nd intermission we went to the restaurant in the arena. Sure enough, Jim Kelly and Kent Hull were there too, enyoing food and drink. Our waitress asked me if I knew who that was, looking to Jimbo. Mortified, I didn't say a word. She handed me a card that said "Reserved" on it, those cards they put on table at restuarants. She told me Jim wanted to meet me. I looked to my dad for reasurance and he encouraged me to go say hi. Slowly, I walked over, clutching the card in my two hands. Jim and Kent looked at me. The sheer size of Kent terrified me. I was so scared and nervous. Kent told me to come on over and told me to say hi to Jim. Jim asked me what my name was and I told him. He said it was nice to meet me, shook my hand and signed his autograph on the card. I said bye and walked back to my dad. He thanked the waitress and we paid our tab, returning to watch the rest of the game.

Edited January 6, 2011 by lets_go_bills