I really don't understand why anyone goes to Bills home games

[PaattMaann]

This is great! I didn't realize there were so many people on here who were into phish too. And I love the responses from people who actually do go to shows and don't just base their knowledge of phish off of some stereotype. There's not drunken buffoons at phish shows swearing at you and threatening to fight you if you're wearing another band's t-shirt. And people at phish shows know a lot about phish. As opposed to the younger crowd at Bills games who don't know anything about the Bills and are just there to get bombed and cause trouble.

 

"outsiders" just think Phish = drugs and alcohol...and if your a college kid who loves Dave Matthews Band and go to see Phish that is probably what your going for...however all of my experiences at Phish shows have been pleasant, especially during tailgating....ahhh the misinformed and the ignorant

 

I loved how for one of Phish's end of summer festivals that drew about 80,000 people camping out for a weekend was noted by the NYS governor at the time for being "peaceful and polite" when compared to what happened a few short weeks later at Woodstock part 2/3

 

I dont really find Bills games all that bad either.....go into it expecting to see some nasty things, just like you should when going anywhere there is 50,000 plus people and alcohol....

[All_Pro_Bills]

The other very alarming thing is this: who raises kids like that?

That question raises an interesting issue because it would seem that the bar for what constitutes socially acceptable behavior has been getting lower and lower as we move forward in time.

 

But should we blame the parents? After all, the 'State' has more or less taken away a parents right to disipline their children and what our parents (kids growing up in the 60's and 70's) used to administer for disipline is now considered child abuse. So now these kids grow up thinking they can do and get away with prety much anything they want (because they have 'rights') and the fact is they can and do get away with it.

 

It's one thing for two knuckleheads that want to get into a confrontation to fight it out but when you've got a bunch of drunken idiots running loose bothering fans that want nothing to do with them you've got a problem and a line in the sand needs to be drawn by the law enforcement and security communities at the stadium. The sad fact is that the team obviously feels they have no responsibility for what goes on outside the stadium and for the most part what goes on inside from what I've seen in my last few games there. Some kind of zero tolerance policy is needed with significant jail time and fines for the morons. Locking them away in jail for a month and fining them big bucks might knock some sense into these goofballs.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

That question raises an interesting issue because it would seem that the bar for what constitutes socially acceptable behavior has been getting lower and lower as we move forward in time.

 

But should we blame the parents? After all, the 'State' has more or less taken away a parents right to disipline their children and what our parents (kids growing up in the 60's and 70's) used to administer for disipline is now considered child abuse. So now these kids grow up thinking they can do and get away with prety much anything they want (because they have 'rights') and the fact is they can and do get away with it.

 

It's one thing for two knuckleheads that want to get into a confrontation to fight it out but when you've got a bunch of drunken idiots running loose bothering fans that want nothing to do with them you've got a problem and a line in the sand needs to be drawn by the law enforcement and security communities at the stadium. The sad fact is that the team obviously feels they have no responsibility for what goes on outside the stadium and for the most part what goes on inside from what I've seen in my last few games there. Some kind of zero tolerance policy is needed with significant jail time and fines for the morons. Locking them away in jail for a month and fining them big bucks might knock some sense into these goofballs.

 

While I agree that "the state" has gone too far into governing parent-child interaction, I want to also point out that I personally know several adult family members who were raised with zero corporal punishment and are and have been exemplary human beings their whole lives.

 

As such I don't believe that spanking or the inability to spank a child has much to do with how that child grows up.

[bills1960]

Well I'd say the atmosphere at the Ralph is slightly better than Oakland or San francisco....where people get stabbed almost every week. Don't act like that's not true. Dealing with drunks is no fun, but I'm going to on a whim and say getting stabbed is worse.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Well I'd say the atmosphere at the Ralph is slightly better than Oakland or San francisco....where people get stabbed almost every week. Don't act like that's not true. Dealing with drunks is no fun, but I'm going to on a whim and say getting stabbed is worse.

 

I've been to two Raiders-Bills games in Oakland and two Niners-Bills games at Candlestick.

 

I would say that the Bills crowds are easily the worst.

[All_Pro_Bills]

 

 

While I agree that "the state" has gone too far into governing parent-child interaction, I want to also point out that I personally know several adult family members who were raised with zero corporal punishment and are and have been exemplary human beings their whole lives.

 

As such I don't believe that spanking or the inability to spank a child has much to do with how that child grows up.

Don't disagree with you one bit but there has to be a balance between allowing parents to raise their children and protecting them from abuse.

[Section242]

Too many fans are too interested in the tailgate than the actual game. Security inside the stadium is a joke. All I see security outside the stadium do is check underage ID. I still go. Frustrating that people go to get as drunk as possible rather than to watch a football game.

Edited November 16, 2012 by Section242

[T master]

I'm all for the tailgate, it's part of what sustains us as Bills fans. But I'm utterly disgusted and embarrassed at the condition of these lots come game time. Game after game. This is the type of stuff that gives the city and people a blackeye when out of towners visit.

 

Time for security and the sheriffs to start writing citations for littering. It's I'd public property after all and we'd never see that in a park.

But I don't think it's me getting older as much as it is a complete lack of respect, both for other people and themselves, that these young college age morons bring to the game.

 

Welcome to the new world , And just think these are the people that will be taking care of you & i when we are to old to take care of ourselves .

 

The scary thing is that their parents are from the older generation which i have seen it too & it just tells me how much parents today have failed !!

 

They think that first they have to be the kids friend then the parent so they grow up with little or no respect for others it's all about them & how much fun they can have even if it comes at others expense .

 

Next time you get pissed at them you need to walk up & punch their parents in the face, the kids will only do what they are allowed to get away with from those that are teaching them & in our all grey world would you expect anything more ??? Call security tell them your sick of it !!

Edited November 16, 2012 by T master

[The Senator]

I'm convinced that night games should be banned at RWS - there is just too large a percentage of the WNY demographic that is too uncivilized and too stupid to be expected to comport themselves appropriately.

 

After the last MNF game at RWS (Nov 2008 vs. Cleveland), I was so disgusted by the behavior of a very large portion of Bills fans that I vowed to never attend another night game at The Ralph - raging bonfires left burning and abandoned not 5 feet from the gas tanks of parked vehicles and causing a thick, sooty, eye-burning, lung-searing cloud of woodfire smoke over the all of Orchard Park; hordes of drunken, screaming idiots throwing up and falling down everywhere; violent fights galore; and an extremely uncomfortable sense of real danger. It was literally like a scene right out of Escape from New York, and not exactly the game-day experience that the Bills marketing department portrays in their advertising and promotional campaigns.

 

I kept my vow last night and stayed home, but - despite all the measures that the Bills and the NFL have put in place to curtail such behaviour - it sounds like things haven't changed at all. And that's a shame.

[Dr. Trooth]

Dude. You think that's bad. I remember at the rockpile there would be lines 12 deep just to take a piss into the parking lot. Hell, you could take six pack, cooler, lunch pail, whatever into that dump. We wuz tough, rough, and freakin filthy. By today's standards it was horrid. But we loved it and the $12 - $ 14 ticket prices.

 

[DrDawkinstein]

Dude. You think that's bad. I remember at the rockpile there would be lines 12 deep just to take a piss into the parking lot. Hell, you could take six pack, cooler, lunch pail, whatever into that dump. We wuz tough, rough, and freakin filthy. By today's standards it was horrid. But we loved it and the $12 - $ 14 ticket prices.

 

You make a good point. My dad recently reminded me of the days of the Rockpile compared to the modern fans. Stories about fans showering officials in glass bottles if they made a bad call, one time even knocking a guy out. And all the other stuff that took place. It made the current stuff seem like child's play.

[BuffaloNick]

I moved from Buffalo about 12 years ago and have been to many recent away Bills games and never experienced what I read in the Buffalo News about Bills tailgates. I will say people talked trash to me at times but nothing serious just good fun. So I do believe these local issues at certain stadiums.

 

Quite franky, I think the issue stems from the tickets being cheaper. I live in Baltimore, MD now and the stadium tailgates never gets bad press like this. However, the price of tickets here are much more expensive than in Buffalo. I think the upper levels at M&T Bank are the same price as the lower at the ralph.

 

I am going to the St Louis home game this year and I cannot wait.

[Stussy109]

2 solutions for your problem....Park in a privately owned lot like the wyndham church where none of what you spoke of happens, and pay extra $$$ for better seats the rowdy college kids cant afford. Further away from the endzones, the better the clientel. I'm 32 with kids and thoroughly enjoy the stadium experience. I travel 8 hours to games and see them on the road. I would never trade the energetic fanbase we have as Bills fans for any of the yuppity yuppity corporate fair weather fans you see at most other stadiums. I'm a successful guy myself and enjoy the rough crowd .... When this team turns the corner, we will have a fan base that rivals that of teh steelers and packers. We travel well on the road for being a perennial sub .500 team.

 

Go Bills!

[BuffaloNick]

2 solutions for your problem....Park in a privately owned lot like the wyndham church where none of what you spoke of happens, and pay extra $$$ for better seats the rowdy college kids cant afford. Further away from the endzones, the better the clientel. I'm 32 with kids and thoroughly enjoy the stadium experience. I travel 8 hours to games and see them on the road. I would never trade the energetic fanbase we have as Bills fans for any of the yuppity yuppity corporate fair weather fans you see at most other stadiums. I'm a successful guy myself and enjoy the rough crowd .... When this team turns the corner, we will have a fan base that rivals that of teh steelers and packers. We travel well on the road for being a perennial sub .500 team.

 

Go Bills!

I can agree with that!

[BillsFanNC]

 

Gordio, you're way too forgiving. I'm still pissed just reading about the incident.

 

And while I always tried to have a good time when I was "that age," it was NEVER at the expense of others.

 

The other very alarming thing is this: who raises kids like that?

 

I agree, I've never got into a fight at a Bills game and it takes a lot to piss me off, but damn I'd have a hard time blowing that one off.

[mead107]

Just as bad as any other night game. Some Sunday games have a lot more fights.

 

I was suprised at the mess after the game at Hammers. Never seen that much crap left after the game. His people do a fantastic job so when you come back after the game it has been taken care of by his people.

 

Not sure why people cann't at least bring a large garbage bag and put their crap in it even if they did not put it in a can.

 

Seems that most night games Have a lot more young people than Sunday games.

 

Was in section 137 row 24 seat 24 last night, let friends sit in our seats. lot of beer was going up and down the isle.

 

Love watching the drunk girls.

[sullim4]

I'm sorry, but no, it is not as bad at other stadiums as it is at RWS. Seattle isn't nearly as bad. Green Bay isn't bad at all. Every time I have been to the Meadowlands (pre-MetLife), it hasn't been nearly as bad as RWS. Are there obnoxious fans at those stadiums? Absolutely. But there aren't cars parked in a mish-mash fashion with fires going right next to vehicle gas tanks. There aren't completely wasted drunks throwing footballs at other people's cars. There aren't near the number of fights that go on in any of those other stadiums as compared to Buffalo. The only NFL stadium that I have seen public urination at is RWS and I have been to a fair number of games in other stadiums, always wearing Bills colors. I have been repeatedly been treated worse by my own fanbase than those of opposing teams.

 

This is all completely preventable if the front office cared enough to hire rent-a-cops to aggressively patrol the lots and refer offending parties to the Erie County Police for arrest. Fine these bastards thousands of dollars and force them to work hundreds of hours of community service.

 

Buffalo's fan base deserves better. Buffalonians are the nicest people you'll meet. But dammit, they do nothing to control the jerks in their midst.

[NoSaint]

I'm convinced that night games should be banned at RWS - there is just too large a percentage of the WNY demographic that is too uncivilized and too stupid to be expected to comport themselves appropriately.

 

After the last MNF game at RWS (Nov 2008 vs. Cleveland), I was so disgusted by the behavior of a very large portion of Bills fans that I vowed to never attend another night game at The Ralph - raging bonfires left burning and abandoned not 5 feet from the gas tanks of parked vehicles and causing a thick, sooty, eye-burning, lung-searing cloud of woodfire smoke over the all of Orchard Park; hordes of drunken, screaming idiots throwing up and falling down everywhere; violent fights galore; and an extremely uncomfortable sense of real danger. It was literally like a scene right out of Escape from New York, and not exactly the game-day experience that the Bills marketing department portrays in their advertising and promotional campaigns.

 

I kept my vow last night and stayed home, but - despite all the measures that the Bills and the NFL have put in place to curtail such behaviour - it sounds like things haven't changed at all. And that's a shame.

 

im still amazed they allow fires.

[May Day 10]

I didnt think it was bad last night at all.

[NoSaint]

I didnt think it was bad last night at all.

 

and that my friend, is likely part of the problem.

 

a lot of people are so used to it being a mess, that they cant see the mess around them.