Where Were You?

[faderphreak]

News today of Van Miller being inducted on to the Wall of Fame this season led me to think back on all the amazing games he called. This led me to start thinking about how I could use the Bills schedule for the last 30 years to recall where I was and what was going on in my life at that point in time. The one that stood out the most as I reminisced was “The Comeback.” I was listening in the tiny living room of my second apartment, just off Main St., in the small western New York village of Livonia. In retrospect, I would not have had it any other way...

 

 

Despite the fact the game was blacked out, my pre-game ritual was completed without a second thought. Chips and dip were spread out on the coffee table in the hideous ceramic sombrero serving dish, along with veggies, cheese, and sliced pepperoni. I had a can of beer at the ready as Van started the broadcast with “Fasten your seat belts, its playoff time” As soon as I heard the kick-off, I popped the tab.

 

The next hour was painful to listen to as Miller calmly, almost dejectedly, described the scene, as Warren Moon shredded our defense. I listened in quiet shock as Miller made the call of Haywood Jeffires’ touchdown with less than 20 seconds left in the first half. 28-3, bad guys. The bright little Christmas tree still sat in the corner of the living room in stark contrast with my dark mood as I looked out the window at the grey sky.

 

In what was likely a profanity laced tirade, I responded to the call as Kenny Davis nearly fumbled away the ensuing kick-off. My fiancee, completely over this experience at this point, had gone to the bedroom to gather laundry. As she walked back into the room she tried to convince me to turn it off and hang out with her at the laundry mat, where I could relax and finish the Dean Koontz book I was reading. Just like any other Bills addict, I wasn’t having any. I rationalized “I just want to see if they can make a game of it. It can’t get any worse, right?”

 

I helped carry the laundry over and ran back to the apartment, cutting through snow covered yards. I jiggled the key in the lock and walked through the door just in time to hear Miller announce Bubba McDowell’s interception return of Frank Reich on the Bills first possession of the 2nd half. You could hear the silence in the stadium through the broadcast. John Murphy, who was the color analyst at the time, added insult to injury as he informed all of us listeners, that in addition to Jim Kelly being out with a knee injury, the hip pointer that had been bothering Thurman Thomas for a few weeks had caused him to be removed from the game. “Couldn’t get any worse, huh? Maybe I should have just stayed at the laundry mat,” I muttered to myself. As I listened on, unable to turn away, and waiting desperately for something good to happen, Miller announced the mass exodus from Rich Stadium with Bills now trailing 35-3.

 

Then, the unthinkable happened. It started with a short drive that culminated in a Kenny Davis touchdown off of a great block by Jim Ritcher. Next, there was the “Suicide Onside” recovery by Christie. A few plays later the call with Miller’s voice rising as he exclaimed “Sails it long... Beebe at the 10, at the five, in for the Touchdown!” I remember thinking, “Ok, another one and this will at least be respectable.” With the score 35-17, I also started to do the thing all of us football fans do at that point in a blowout. I considered time remaining and the seed of an idea that we could actually come back sprouted.

 

The Bills defense, with Pro Bowler Cornelius Bennett on the sidelines with an injury, came alive. Behind some strong play led by Darryl Talley, they forced the Oilers to punt and you could hear the excitement rising in Miller’s voice. I remember Murph describing the scene of the fans who had left the stadium climbing fences to try and get back in. With an Andre Reed touchdown reception, the stampede continued and the sprout began to grow into a firm belief that we would pull it off. At 35-24 we were now within two scores and we weren’t even into the fourth quarter.

 

It was one big play after another with Miller’s calls getting progressively more exciting. When I heard “It is... INTERCEPTED by Henry Jones!” I could clearly recall screaming at the top of my lungs “Run it back Henry, run!” As Van announced “The crowd is in a frenzy!” I remember having been right there with them. My excitement continued to grow into a crescendo as I stood with my eyes closed, and fingers crossed, when the Bills went for it on 4th down late in the third. I erupted with joy when I heard “Reed for the touchdown!”

 

After the Reed touchdown the Oilers drove down the field and looked to extend their lead again. Yet the big plays kept coming and Miller put us all right there. When the D stood tall holding them to a field goal attempt, I sat on the couch chanting “Block it.” Time stood still from the point at which Miller announced the botched snap to the point when Tally recovered it. When Kenny Davis ripped through the line and galloped through the Oilers defense, you could hear it in his voice that he wasn’t just telling us to believe, he believed it himself. You could almost hear the relief in his voice when he announced Andre Reed’s third touchdown of the day to take the lead late in the fourth.

 

Even then it still wasn’t over. The roller coaster continued and the emotions of Bills fans everywhere began to sink again as the Oilers tied the game with just a few seconds left, to force overtime. However, even when the Oilers won the toss and got first possession, something happened that you just don’t see in the Bills faithful today. Rather than waiting for the other shoe to drop and expecting to lose... they believed. They believed that their team would find another big play. They believed because Van told them to believe. That belief was rewarded as Miller exclaimed “INTERCEPTED by the Bills. It is picked off by Odomes.” All Bills fans know what happened next. When Steve Christie booted in the game-winning field goal on the next series, the comeback was complete and Miller had called the greatest comeback in playoff history.

 

So... Pick a game and think about it, where were you?

 

Mods - I considered adding this to the Van Miller Wall of Fame thread but I felt that the Miller announcement was only the impetus for the idea of how games can trigger specific memories and emotions. If you feel it is appropriate to move it, feel free.

Edited May 18, 2014 by faderphreak

[mrags]

I'd like to say thank you for this. I own the NFL greatest games version of the game on DVD and watch it occasionally. Unfortunately it doesn't have Van on it. It's the normal CBS/NBC commentators. I'd give almost anything for a copy of it with Vans calls.

[faderphreak]

Thank you. I too would give almost anything to have a copy of that call myself. I still have my vhs copy that I had a friend record for me. Even though I haven't had a VHS player in more than a decade I have not been able to throw it out.

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

http://www.staffannouncer.com/houstoncomeback.htm

[boyst]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC0XruxqQjQ

 

You'll like this, then.

 

#YouTubeMakesPiracyLegal

[Garion]

I was in the stands. We were talking about leaving but figured we would stay a little longer. Thank heavens I missed Vans call at the time but I have heard it since

[HamSandwhich]

Awesome write up! I remember I was watching the game, and we got so far behind and I was so dejected, my mom and dad made me go with them to the mall to pick out a washer and dryer at Sears. I wasn't happy about it, but I had no say being an adolescent at the time. I had largely written the game off at that point as 'game over'. Then, to my happy surprise, I hear over the radios in the electronics department that the Bills were within striking distance...the rest is history. What a crazy day that was!

[sodbuster]

I'm so jealous of my parents for being at that game. The way my mother tells the story of my stubborn ass of a father refusing to leave is what got me hooked on Kool Aid.

 

If I had a time machine and could only visit one one event in the past, I know where I would be. Gettysburg Address? Nope. Signing of the Declaration of Independence? Yeah right. Fall of the Berlin Wall? As if. Without hesitation I would be there.

[billsfaninky]

I remember I was sitting in my grandfathers living room, listening to the game on the radio keeping him updated. I remember every time I was telling him the score, he would not believe me. Van Miller's calls were great!!!!

[faderphreak]

http://www.staffanno...toncomeback.htm

 

Thank you! Just got chills all over again. That is the best lunch break I've had in a while.

[bonechiller]

Boy, that never gets old!

Just need to hear it once in a while, really lifts the spirit!

[947]

I had to work that day.

 

I was still in High School and was working at Service Merchandise as seasonal christmas help. The awesome part was that I worked in the electronics department, and most of the 50+ TVs were tuned to the game. It was super busy all day, and it sucked having to help customers being as dejected as I was early on. Then it sucked even worse when the game got interesting and I couldn't stay glued to the TV. I vividly remember nodding at customers without hearing what they said, while only paying attention to the screen over their shoulder.

 

I'm in Chicago, so I didn't hear Van. We only had the national broadcast.

[Sanners]

I was there. I think our season tickets were in section B-26, about 20 rows up at like the 15 yard line on the Bills side. We decided to stay through the half, but that interception return for a touchdown was serious gut check time. My brother and I decided to stay for one more possession and the rest is history. Amazing game!

[Coastie]

I had just reported aboard the CGC Mohawk stationed in Key West, FL. The crew was mostly gone on leave so I ended up at an beachside Enlisted Man's club on the Navy base as the only one there in Bills blue. Be assured I took a lot of flack in the first half but I never considered leaving. I did chose to dull the pain by partaking of too many oversized 90 cent kamikazes from a bartender I would later affectionately dub "Satan."

 

So I am a bit fuzzy about the comeback itself, only a few moments crystal clear. Instead I have a clear memory of an emotional ride such that my enthusiasm won over the squids around me and they began pulling for the Bills to finish the miracle and by the time they had I was voiceless.

 

Of all the strange places I have watched playoff games (Cuba, Kuwait, Coast Rica, the Bering Sea and other numerous times at sea) that is easily my favorite memory.

[HamSandwhich]

I had just reported aboard the CGC Mohawk stationed in Key West, FL. The crew was mostly gone on leave so I ended up at an beachside Enlisted Man's club on the Navy base as the only one there in Bills blue. Be assured I took a lot of flack in the first half but I never considered leaving. I did chose to dull the pain by partaking of too many oversized 90 cent kamikazes from a bartender I would later affectionately dub "Satan."

 

So I am a bit fuzzy about the comeback itself, only a few moments crystal clear. Instead I have a clear memory of an emotional ride such that my enthusiasm won over the squids around me and they began pulling for the Bills to finish the miracle and by the time they had I was voiceless.

 

Of all the strange places I have watched playoff games (Cuba, Kuwait, Coast Rica, the Bering Sea and other numerous times at sea) that is easily my favorite memory.

 

Please, elaborate...

[Nitro]

I watched it in Indy. Taking down the Christmas decorations. Called home to ask the family what they thought about the win. They thought I was pulling their legs. Could not believe the Bills won. Great game.

[Chandler#81]

Living in Dansville, NY at the time, our local cable company proprietor was a Bills fan and routinely aired bootleg feeds of blacked out Bills games. Some were so 'hot' no commercials played. When there was a timeout, the cameras stayed at the broadcast and the announcers prepped their video replay for return from commercial or the camera stayed on the Jills! Ha! Seriously! So we watched the 1st half, then went out to play street hockey in the driveway. My son went in to check and came back and said 'it's 35-3, do you want me to turn off the vcr?' "Nah, leave it running. I guess this is our comeupence for 51-3.." So glad I said that! The rest is history and I have it from the live feed. Thanks again, to the now defunct Dansville cable operator!

[Charles Romes]

Was there...walked around like a zombie at halftime trying to be thankful for the two straight Super Bowl appearances. Most lasting memory is that a big percentage of our crowd - virtually the entire end zone crowd - went nuts after we scored to make it only 35-10. I was confused and thought these people either don't know football or had too much to drink. They knew better than I.

[Punch]

I was 14 years old and having dinner at my grandparents house--- they lived on Abbott Road just 5 minutes from the Stadium, so it was always an event even if I wasn't attending the game. I remember my grandfather said I should turn off the radio but I refused because I was a masochist even then... and somewhere inside, I still BILLieved, as always.

 

Anyway, my mother happened to be shopping with our cousins at the McKinley Mall and the sporting goods/hat store was showing the game on the big TV they had out front, which eventually attracted dozens of shoppers. I listened to the very end, but my mom watched the entire 4th quarter live with a bunch of strangers...

[Coastie]

Please, elaborate...

 

Oh nothing sinister, she just made very large, very strong drinks at EM Club prices and enjoyed watching the sailors get trashed. Our way to cut down on the cost of getting drunk on a Coastie's pay in a tourist town was to "Go see Satan" before we hit the bars on Duval Street. 15 minutes and 10 bucks later we were ready to go.