Bob in STL Posted January 14, 2011 Posted January 14, 2011 (edited) From the article: "Former Bills cornerback Booker Edgerson claimed Gilchrist was "just as good or maybe even better" than Hall of Famer Jim Brown" I saw both play, quite a bit in fact. Cookie Gilchrist at War Memorial Stadium and when the Bills played away, the Bills and Browns on TV. In fact for those not around yet the Browns were the team seen on TV week after week in the WNY TV viewing area for years starting about 1955 or 56. Both Gilchirst and Brown were punishing runners down after down. In the December 8th, 1963 game against the NY Jets at War Memorial Stadium (which the Bills won 45-14) Cookie ran for a punishing 243 yards and scored 5 touchdowns. To this day still one of the greatest rushing feats by any Bills player in the 47 or 48 years I have been fortunate to see the Bills play. Even though the historic Civil Right legistration had been passed a year earlier; bigotry, discrimination and worse were still prevelent throughout our land. But worse, much worse in the South were the KKK controled many local and state governments. New Orleans and in the larger sense, the state of Louisiana were among the most corrupt in our nation. I remember seeing signs in many sourthern states like "whites only" in many places; water fountains, bathrooms and picnic areas to name but a few. Few if any whites were ever convicted in the south of 1965 for mudering blacks. Sometimes the KKK would kill whole families by burning their houses down while they slept and if they ran out, they were shot by the KKK. It was against this backdrop that Cookie Gilchrist started a boycott against playing the 1965 AFL Allstar game in NO. The article says "a bar" but in fact any black person was not even allowed to enter the many "whites only" bars not only in New Orleans but throughout the deep south. A very dark time in our nations history for sure. I hope it is true that Ralph Wilson saw Cookie and just wish that both he and Lou Saban were put on the Bills wall of fame before they passed on. Sad and ironic that the two men who were among the best at what they did for the Buffalo Bills (even though the two often feuded) are not in any way acknowledged for bringing the only football championships for the Bills team and Bills fans everywhere. RIP Cookie Well said. Lou and Cookie should be on the wall. I think they are more deserving than many of the others, even if their tenure with the Bills was short and often troubled. I share your uncle's view on the first superbowl. I thought the tandem of Cookie and Wray Carlton were outstanding power runners and our offensive line with Hall of Famer Billy Shaw would have given Kemp the opportunity to pass, and they would have been a very effective power running duo. Our defense had a fierce line and backer corps...Day, Sestak, Dunaway and McDole and Tracy Jacobs and Stratton. Byrd and Edgerson at corner and Saimes at safety..to this day I think the best AFL team that year was the Buffalo Bills. The 64 Bills may have been the best AFL team ever, although the KC Chiefs SB IV team probably is. Cookie, a zany individualist before that was more acceptable. Extraordinary talent, running, catching, blocking and even played LB while in the CFL, playing on both offense and defense. Should be on the Wall...... He even sold Christmas Trees in front of the Rockpile before games. Edited January 14, 2011 by Bob in STL
WarMemorial Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 Nice 1st post and screen name. Welcome aboard! Thanks- likewise on your screen name- one of my all time favorite Bills! We spent many Sundays frozen to our seats at War Memorial.
LancasterSteve Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 Thanks- likewise on your screen name- one of my all time favorite Bills! We spent many Sundays frozen to our seats at War Memorial. We would bring our cases of beer in on a wagon thru the Dodge Street tunnel entrance and that's where we would park "our beer wagon". Our seats were 3 rows up from the field, sideline in the endzone. If the play was near the endzone we were held up getting a fresh brew until the play was over as the only way to get to our beer wagon was thru the field of play. Good times the crazieness of youth. 1969 was the last home game for me at the Rockpile. The following season the US Navy had me for 6 and did I miss seeing my beloved Bills play for all those years.
1B4IDie Posted March 13, 2011 Posted March 13, 2011 (edited) I'm watching "Full Color Football, the History of the AFL" on NFL Network. Cookie Gilchrist was big bad man. Looked like a man running over boys. Also funny story about the New Orleans all star game and the protest. Cookie Gilchrist says "I want a cab" to the cab stand. The Cabbie say "We need to call y'all a colored cab." Cookie says "I don't care what color the cab is, we just need a cab." They also kind of made it seem the black players were punished by the AFL for protesting. Definitely recommend watching. RIP Cookie. Edited March 13, 2011 by Why So Serious?
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