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Buffalo Bills History Question

Cub Reporter

By Cub Reporter
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Scott7975 Hall of Famer

Scott7975

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, StHustle said:

Very interesting. Do you have a clearer image in which the paper can be read? Looks like 1.0 Megapixels was the thing "several summers ago."

 

If you zoom the picture by clicking on it you can read it just fine

 

Maybe we can get Chris Brown to look into this or something.

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KRC
KRC

What would I know about the Bills of the AAFC?    The Bisons of 1946 (became the BIlls in 1947) had a fight song (Lyrics by Jim Tranter): Break'em up, you Bisons, Beat'em down;

Cub Reporter
Cub Reporter

Sorry about the vague title. I don't really know how to title this question. It's rather specific, and something I haven't been able to answer for years. Also, I haven't posted here in a long time, so

Guffalo
Guffalo

I don't have much on the letter, but my Dad did do the artwork for the covers of the programs from 61-64. There are some pictures here and there of the front of the Rockpile with "Buffalo Bill" cartoo

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DRA3196 RFA

DRA3196

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, \GoBillsInDallas/ said:

Talk about going back into TBD's past!

 

2004 thread and video:

 

 

 

Love that song. I remember When Marv sang it during his show on the  Empire Sports Network. I still sing it on occasion. 

Buffalo Barbarian Hall of Famer

Buffalo Barbarian

Posted
Posted (edited)
7 hours ago, chaccof said:

I was born shortly after the Bills first game back in the fall of 1960.  I believe the song that is referred to is the song that was played when Buffalo had a team in the old AAFC.  Here's a wiki on it:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Bills_(AAFC)

 

been getting screwed by the league since the beginning.

 

"There was some controversy over Buffalo's exclusion from the enlarged NFL. Buffalo had experienced more success on the field and at the gate than Baltimore, and was also a larger market at the time (and would not have to share their territory with an established team as Baltimore would with the Washington Redskins). Additionally, the original three-team plan would have left the league with 13 teams, not only an odd number and prime number that made making equal divisions impossible, but also one considered to be bad luck. The move had left Buffalo as the only AAFC market without an NFL team post-merger, and one that had outdrawn the NFL average in fan attendance.   With that in mind, Buffalo fans produced more than 15,000 season ticket pledges, raised $175,000 in a stock offering,[4] and filed a separate application to join. When the vote to admit Buffalo was held on January 20, 1950, a majority of league owners (including the three already-admitted AAFC teams) were willing to accept Buffalo. However, league rules required a unanimous vote, but the vote was only 9-4 in favor. The opposition to the Bills' entry was led by Chicago Bears owner George Halas (who had a longstanding animosity toward Buffalo's previous NFL franchise) and Los Angeles Rams owner Dan Reeves. "

 

Guess we can hate the bears and rams now.

 

How cool would it be to have had a team since 1946. Although who knows who would own the team know if Ralph didn't own it??

 

 

 

Edited by Buffalo Barbarian
Buffalo Barbarian Hall of Famer

Buffalo Barbarian

Posted
Posted (edited)
7 hours ago, JimS said:

Took a bit, but I came up with this:

https://tinyurl.com/8j4q

 

havent seen him in a long time.

 

 

6 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

I do not know that.   They were pretty young themselves then but maybe @rockpile or @Guffalo would know or have it somewhere because their families were very involved with the team/booster scene in the 1960's.  

 

who's the old guy here in his 80s that always argues with that crazy jets fan, Jimmy Spags,  types in a NYC accent. Anyway maybe he knows.

 

 

Edited by Buffalo Barbarian
sherpa Veteran

sherpa

Posted
Posted

I remember a a very brief lyric from a song from the early - mid 50's that's been stuck in my head for decades.

I know the tune as well, but the lyric was:

 

"On brave old Bu-fa-lo Bills,

On to vic-to-ry."

 

Not sure where I heard it, but it could have been from the lead in to WBEN radio casts in the early 60's.

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CSBill All Pro

CSBill

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, KayAdams said:

Yes, it is 100% a reference to the fight song of the original AAFC Buffalo Bills franchise (1946-49). I can't find the lyrics, but here's one reference to it (with an amusing description of perhaps the first instance of Bills fans greeting the team at airports following games):

 

https://buffalonews.com/2019/12/04/bills-playoff-win-causes-a-near-riot-in-baltimore-1948/

 

Also, the fight song is being played in this video, but once again...no lyrics:

 

 

 

Fascinating video, thanks for posting it Kay .... as always, you don't disappoint!

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KRC Veteran

KRC

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, Just Jack said:

@KRC may be able to answer that one. 

 

What would I know about the Bills of the AAFC? :ph34r:

 

The Bisons of 1946 (became the BIlls in 1947) had a fight song (Lyrics by Jim Tranter):

Break'em up, you Bisons,

Beat'em down;

Take the Blue and SIlver

to the crown:

Here's a swell chance to yell

For the boys who fight -

Ring the bell with a score

Just to prove we're right.

Break'em up, you Bisons,

Beat'em down;

For we've got to win that football crown

Let'em buck, let'em run,

Give'em luck, and when they're done

Break'em up, you Bisons,

Beat'em down.

 

As far as the Bills coming from the AAFC to the NFL, they had a few things going against them. First, they did not have a single owner to make decisions. They had a corporation (similar to Green Bay). While the NFL did not have it codified at the time, it was an unwritten rule that you needed one person in a position to make all decisions for the team.

 

The second issue was Bert Bell. He had stated that he would put together a schedule that included the Bills. When they got to the league meetings, Bell never had that schedule. As a result, Dan Reeves said that he was voting 'No' because he wanted to know where he would be playing and when. Since it needed to be a unanimous vote, his vote sealed Buffalo's fate. Baltimore was admitted into the NFL because they essentially bribed George Preston Marshall into allowing them in. Baltimore was an infringement on the territorial rights of Washington, so with the bribe, he suddenly had a change of heart.

 

Fun Fact: The reason why Buffalo, Los Angeles and San Francisco joined the AAFC was because the NFL refused to admit them. There were two Buffalo contingents that tried to get into the NFL. Sam Cordovano's was the strongest. His eventually became the Buffalo Bisons/Bills in the AAFC.

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Guffalo Veteran

Guffalo

Posted
Posted
15 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

I do not know that.   They were pretty young themselves then but maybe @rockpile or @Guffalo would know or have it somewhere because their families were very involved with the team/booster scene in the 1960's.  

I don't have much on the letter, but my Dad did do the artwork for the covers of the programs from 61-64. There are some pictures here and there of the front of the Rockpile with "Buffalo Bill" cartoon that he did as well. He also did some photography from the old training camps and some games at the Rockpile. Our basement was full of the stuff when I was a kid.

He got the cartoon gig because he was a print salesman for Holling Press on Washington street downtown. He had the Bills account and to sweeten the deal, his boss (Frank Mahr) told the Bills that he had a guy that could do the artwork for the covers. My dad got $35 per cover and he did a lot of artwork in the program itself (Car ads, Line-ups with cartoon bodies in western gear and the players heads on the cartoon bodies). I remember watching the process, he would start Tuesday a week and a half before the game, and do some sketches, then create a solid black and white with tracing paper. He would get approvals from the Bills, then they would create a three color cutout for the program that would be used to print the 40K programs for the game. He would bring one home for me every Thursday before the game . Since we had the same name, he would try to hide his name in the signatures to see if I could find them (in the grass, on the sleeve of Buffalo Bills jacket etc. )and I saved them. Even after the Bills went to modern covers and went with photos, Dad still had the account. I had every copy from the 60-s to the late 70s. When I went away to college, mom decided to "straighten up" my room, and without any guilt, tossed them away. I have bid on a few on ebay over the years, I have a few, but wish I had that original, pristine stash, wouldn't think of selling them, just love looking at the old ads and looking up some of those old names. 

 

 

 

 

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Gugny Hall of Famer

Gugny

Posted
Posted
31 minutes ago, egd said:

 

How do you tag a poster? I know old posters who post here.

 

Begin with the @, immediately followed by the user's name you're trying to tag.  Select from dropdown.

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egd Practice Squad

egd

Posted
Posted
14 minutes ago, Gugny said:

 

Begin with the @, immediately followed by the user's name you're trying to tag.  Select from dropdown.

 

Awesome!! Thanks so much Gugny.

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