How did you become a Bills fan?

[mabden]

The first football game I ever watched was the Ice Bowl game.  I loved the Packers Helmet/Logo and colors.  Their players had just as colorful names, Starr, Dowler, Nitschke.  I was an instant fan, especially since they won.   At that time, I did not even know Buffalo had a team.

 

It wasn't until OJ Simpson was drafted by the Bills, that I found out.  My first exposure to anything Bills was during Simpson's rookie year.  I watched a Saturday afternoon sports show on the Buffalo Bills hosted by Irv Weinstein.  The theme was, OJ to the right, OJ to the left, OJ up the middle, first down!

 

After that I started listening to the games on my transistor radio, been following ever since.

[Dave in Avon Lake now]

I was actually an NFL fan in the 60s watching a lot of Browns games on local TV.  My older brother was a Bills fan, but I really didn't become a big fan until I moved to Buffalo in 1977. I went to several games in those years as ticket prices were cheap and the stadium was a lot of fun.  When they started winning in 1980, I was hooked.   I also became a Sabres fan around the same time.  I moved away from Buffalo in 1983 and never lost my love for the Bills and Sabres.  I love following my team on this site although I don't post much. 

[Watkins90]

My parents are big Bills fans but the Bills weren’t my first team. When I was real young I just liked whoever won the Super Bowl.

 

I became a Bills’ fan during the Music City Miracle. That’s when my Fandom started and hasn’t stopped since. It was 17 years of pain, but I’ll never waiver!!

[BuffAlone]

Born and bred. And as anybody growing up near Buffalo knows, its all we do. There was no escape, nor desire to. 

[BeastMode54]

I ate a lot of paint chips as a kid. Jk Jk. I try to explain it that I rooted for the under dog. I.m not from Buffalo, I'm from Yonkers. And my dad is from Ireland, and knew, and still barely knows anything, about American sports. I'm 38, and when I was old enough to understand the game and play sports myself, the Bills were playing the Giants. Everyone from where I was from was rooting for the Giants, but I went the other way and decided I'd support the Bills. And I haven't turned back since I was 10.

[BritBill]

First started watching the game when I was 10/11 which coincided with the Super Bowl teams of the early 90's . I was hooked by the childish thought the Bills would be playing in the big game very year and it'd be just a matter of short time they'd be champions. Wrong.

 

Despite what happened I never once thought about jumping ship. I decided I wouldn't go to any of the London games until the Bills first played in one. I had to wait a few years for that. 

 

Good things come to those who wait. We'll be alright soon.

[kenny3000]

My Uncle married a lady from Kenmore when I was a little kid.  My family is mostly Giants & Jets fans, but they're actually bigger baseball fans - Yankees & Mets.  So there wasn't a lot of football team-related pressure.  

My Uncle & Aunt from Kenmore lived with my Mom and I in a 2 family house.  My Aunt's brother going to Buff State would spend summers living in our basement.  He taught me how to play chess - when I lost I'd have to make him a pb&j sandwich.  He also brought me to my first Bills game in Buffalo in 1994 and made me a Bills fan.  

[chris heff]

My father had season tickets from the start. Went to a lot of games at the Old Rock Pile. 

[teef]

born into it like most.  i'm forcing it on my children as well.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

Grew up right by East Brady, PA. Became a rabid Bills fan for life in the middle of Steeler country, by following Jim Kelly whose welcome sign to East Brady made a big impression on me as a little kid, and I haven't left the fold since. Also, my roomie in college was from Amherst, and I helped he and his dad shovel snow one year at their place, so I count myself an honorary citizen after that, lol. Finally, my youngest was born on the same day as Allen's first road start and win, the instantly infamous "leap" game in Minnie, so she as the good luck charm that day, will now have the honor of always being reminded of that by me as she grows up. 

 

 

 

[JPL7]

3 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Grew up right by East Brady, PA. Became a rabid Bills fan for life in the middle of Steeler country, by following Jim Kelly whose welcome sign to East Brady made a big impression on me as a little kid, and I haven't left the fold since. Also, my roomie in college was from Amherst, and I helped he and his dad shovel snow one year at their place, so I count myself an honorary citizen after that, lol. Finally, my youngest was born on the same day as Allen's first road start and win, the instantly infamous "leap" game in Minnie, so she as the good luck charm that day, will now have the honor of always being reminded of that by me as she grows up. 

 

 

 

Love that!

[Marv's Neighbor]

Born in Buffalo.  The BILLS started when I was still in school.

[DallasMac]

Born into it.  All my family is from Buffalo and most still live there.  Earliest memories were the Bills Superbowls.  

[rodneykm]

Not a Buffalo born guy, sadly. I've been asked this question so many times throughout my life ( and living in SC you get it a lot if you wear the gear around ). I've honestly never had a good answer for it because I'm not sure why? I just....do and I've never cared for another team my entire life. Something about the Bills drew me in back when I was a kid and I've loved them every since. If Buffalo ever leaves Buffalo that will be the end of the NFL for me. There simply is NO way I could ever pull for any other team. 

[jletha]

My mom forced it upon me haha. But wouldnt want it any other way

[thurst44]

I was essentially born into Bills fandom, but in New York City. My whole family was from Buffalo area: my dad in Lockport, my mom in Kenmore. My dad, uncle, and aunt were all fans going back to 1960, and all moved to NYC at some point in the 1970s. In 1980, at 7 years old, I remember being in a car and the Bills were on, and I asked my aunt (who I idolized) a bunch of questions about them and got excited and then and there decided I was Bills for life, to the point when I was lost in the woods at age 12 in Western New Jersey (at the sort of camp who would lose kids in the woods) and all I cared about was that I heard Kelly was going to sign and hoping my Walkman's batteries would survive just long enough so I could hear it (they did, I did). If there was any doubt of permanence, I wound up going to UB and my first game was 51-3. 

 

My aunt sadly never got to see them win (but she did get, against all odds, to see the Red Sox win, staying lucid long enough -- by one day -- to see their 2013 victory), my uncle and dad still have a chance (although my dad is half-hearted). I have missed very few games since coming back to NYC area in 1998, going to Bills bars and in the last years having DirecTV Sunday Ticket. My wife has got into them, not to a superfan level, but enough that she has bought multiple jerseys for our dog. 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2019 by thurst44

[El Guapo]

Grew up in Alabama, and as you can imagine, there was little to no coverage of the NFL in the 70’s and 80’s. I didn’t watch the NFL at all. College roommate in the late 80’s was from Western New York and a huge Bills fan. Spent my college Sunday’s drinking beer and watching the games with him. After college, I still found myself watching the Bills and drinking beer on Sunday’s. It was then that I realized I was a fan. Never looked back. 

 

My wife, son and nephew are all huge fans. Had seasons from 2001-2011, but let them go when I quit traveling for work and started to actually pay for airfare and hotel.   We still make it to a home game every year, and if the opportunity is right, we will go to an away game. Looks like that opportunity will be in Nashville this year. 

[billsfan1959]

Born into it. Passed on from my father and, in turn, passed down to my son - and now being passed on to my grandson.

 

The gift that keeps on giving...

 

Poor bastards

[One Buffalo]

Grew up in Central NY, I remember watching the Bills in the late 80's, first game I distinctly remember was the 1989 AFC Championship loss to Bengals.  Then of course the 1990's and on from there!  

[BritBill]

Can I ask, just out of interest, how many Bills games people have been to? 

 

It seems more acceptable in the US for fans be TV fans where as in the UK supporting a team (soccer) but not going to games is frowned upon and used a ridicule against you.

Edited March 20, 2019 by BritBill