Chance encounters with current/former Bill players. Did it change your opinion of them?

[Franco_92]

54 minutes ago, jayg said:

Jim Kelly in Richmond,  VA in 1991.  Let's just say he wasn't very nice and I'll leave it that.

Around the same time period my father in law got in a fist fight with Jim at a bar. I'm sure they share blame, but he still does not think fondly of Jim. Jim has obviously long since grown up!

[dwight in philly]

During the  mid 70's , on Sunday nights during the football season, was a regular with a few friends at Mulligans on Hertel.. OJ, McKenzie and few Bills were there lots.. Ran into OJ, and few in the Private club in the back, or coming in and out of the Men's room.. all were good guys.. friendly nods, "Good game "  type stuff.. I didnt want to intrude .. but seemed like regular nice  guys.. 

[Shake_My_Head]

I once saw Bruce Smith in our local Tops during his peak years.    I've never seen another person quite like him. 

 

His build made me think of a praying mantis--huge upper body, tiny little waist and great big thighs.    It was pretty cool.

[mushypeaches]

44 minutes ago, Process said:

Funny....in college I valet parked cars at a spot bills players would go to all the time. Donte whitner's car always smelled like weed.

 

Ryan Fitzpatrick tipped one dollar, cheap ***. Still love him. 

 

One time Roscoe Parrish left the Bills playbook right there in the passenger seat. A huge binder. I didn't look at it. 

 

I'm not sure that Roscoe looked at the playbook a lot either...

[TheWei44]

Just had a chance encounter with Scott Chandler this past Saturday!  Randomly met him at the Aspen airport with his wife and four kids!  Extremely nice guy (wife was super nice too) who indulged me in a selfie (see attached).  I let his son use the bathroom ahead of me on the plane and assisted him with the door and his dad (I didn't know who it was) thanked me on the plane.  Then at baggage claim, he thanked me, saw my Bills hat and said he used to play for the Bills.  He said he was at KC playoff game and I told him how hard it was for me not to be with my 11 yr old son for that game.  Again, super cool guy!

[mushypeaches]

Thurman & Andre were at the Bills Backers tailgate in Baltimore this past weekend.  

 

Thurman was super friendly and warm with fans getting pictures, etc.

Andre maybe a little less so, but still cool and smiling

 

I couldn't believe how skinny Andre is these days - I mean he was thin during his playing years, but all the muscle made him look less so

But we pointed out how big and strong his hands still look - I mean those are still HOF WR hands.  I'll bet Lofton's look the same too

[Ta111]

3 minutes ago, TheWei44 said:

Just had a chance encounter with Scott Chandler this past Saturday!  Randomly met him at the Aspen airport with his wife and four kids!  Extremely nice guy (wife was super nice too) who indulged me in a selfie (see attached).  I let his son use the bathroom ahead of me on the plane and assisted him with the door and his dad (I didn't know who it was) thanked me on the plane.  Then at baggage claim, he thanked me, saw my Bills hat and said he used to play for the Bills.  He said he was at KC playoff game and I told him how hard it was for me not to be with my 11 yr old son for that game.  Again, super cool guy!

Hung out with Chandler at the pregame of the Chiefs playoff game in Jan. Really good guy.

[Big Turk]

10 minutes ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

I have a few:

Matt Cassel and Jerry Hughes were on my plane in the offseason we signed Cassel.  After this I KNEW Cassel didn't have the mental makeup to be a good QB.  

• Cassel - had priority boarding in first class.  hung out away from the gate after he checked in. basically waited with sunglasses on and snuck on the plane, then sat in the window seat with his hat and glasses covering his face.
• Hughes - Sat at the gate, signed autographs and talked to fans, with his wife and kids in tow.  While eating fried chicken.  

 

This past spring (maybe cinco de mayo, place was a freaking zoo) i went to Maizal in East Amherst and McKenzie and Moss were there with a few of the rookies.  I know i saw Shakir Cook and maybe Bernard?  In any case, they sat in the middle of the restaurant and i believe we sang happy birthday to Bernard and then obviously they got the restaurant bumping the shout song.  

 

The last one was way back in my younger days at encore.  Met Eric wood and a few other linemen.  Wood was quiet, Chris Hairston made out with my friend and was among the largest humans ive ever met.  

 

I was there one time when Wood and a few other OL were there in the club but I never approached them, they seemed to be kinda hanging out doing their thing.

[Nextmanup]

4 minutes ago, Shake_My_Head said:

I once saw Bruce Smith in our local Tops during his peak years.    I've never seen another person quite like him. 

 

His build made me think of a praying mantis--huge upper body, tiny little waist and great big thighs.    It was pretty cool.

There is something about Bruce's build that is weird.  It's like he has the broadest shoulders/widest upper chest of any human ever...but then other parts of him are more normal, as you are saying.

 

 

[Richmond_Bills]

Jim Kelly - twice.  

 

Both in Richmond, VA (for those of you that don't know, a couple of his brothers played at University of Richmond and settled here and Jim actually built a house down here, but it was when Hunter was still alive and they decided it best to keep him with consistent treatment, etc.).

 

- First time was at the airport.  I was ironically checking in for a flight to Rochester and he was checking in for a flight to Buffalo.  I was wearing a Bills polo shirt and he shook my hand and said "nice shirt".  Was a bit star struck, but managed a "thanks - go Bills"

 

- 2nd time, my Dad had caught wind that Jim was going to be in town for a charity golf tourney.  It just so happened that one of his nephews had a HS football game the same night.  We guessed that he may attend the game, so we went.  Had been wanting to see the kid play anyway.  We were standing on the track against the fence and the team came out of the locker room.  Sure enough, Jim comes out with the coaches and walks to the sideline, passing right by us.  My dad yells "hey Jim, we're from Buffalo".  Jim turns around, looks my dad straight in the eyes and said "sorry to hear that".  Gave a little ***** eating grin and walked away.  

[Nextmanup]

2 minutes ago, Richmond_Bills said:

My dad yells "hey Jim, we're from Buffalo".  Jim turns around, looks my dad straight in the eyes and said "sorry to hear that".  Gave a little ***** eating grin and walked away.  

Having been there, what was your interpretation of Jim's comments?  Having fun?  Being an ass?  Something in between?

 

 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Andre Reed and his family never left a good impression on me.

 

[JohnNord]

44 minutes ago, ToGoGo said:

 

Everyone seems to have a Jim Kelly story they don't want to share. 

Exactly…but why leave that out there?  Either share or don’t, but teasing it is just lame

[Gunsgoodtime]

So I live in a fairly small town where Tremaine Edmunds is from.  His father, Ferrell is well known amongst sports people here. A few years ago I saw him in a store, and as uncomfortable as I was asking, I still did.  I told him how I had been a die hard Bills fan all my life, and if it would be possible to get a Jersey autographed, he said sure, get it to him when I got it.  I followed up a couple times with him, the whole family is super busy obviously.  One day he said Tremaine is at the house now!  So he invited me over and I met Tremaine, he signed my jersey and took a couple pics at their home.  I only stayed a couple minutes because they were in a rush leaving to go somewhere. Some of the nicest people you will ever meet.  I also ran into Tremaine 1 time later crossing paths at a resteraunt and spoke just passing by.  It was such a great experience.  Times have changed, I remember leaving their house and telling him take those Patriots out!  They didn't that year but did the next.

[TH3]

Lived in East Aurora for 25 years:

 

Tasker - exactly as you would think he would be - always on the phone - regular guy in town...kids and wife are great people

Mark Kelso - great guy and his kids were a coaches dream whether it was football or baseball..

Bledsoe for a while - Aloof

Bruce looks like he was chiseled from a mountain...

 

 

 

 

[US Egg]

1 hour ago, Process said:

One time Roscoe Parrish left the Bills playbook right there in the passenger seat. A huge binder. I didn't look at it. 

.....bet he didn't either.

[JohnNord]

15 minutes ago, arcane said:

Around the same time period my father in law got in a fist fight with Jim at a bar. I'm sure they share blame, but he still does not think fondly of Jim. Jim has obviously long since grown up!

I wouldn’t be surprised… to be fair, back in the 80’s and 90’s athletes and entertainers could get away with being a ***** person and were often enabled.   Jim has been fairly open about his issues in the past.  
 

I’d also agree that Jim has changed over the years, yet people want to drag ***** up from 30-40 years ago to disparage him.  I see it a lot on Twitter and IMO a big part of it has to do with his political views.  

5 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

Andre Reed and his family never left a good impression on me.

 

Ok…why?

[ALLEN1QB]

Met Jimbo & Andre Reed @ a fundraiser event. Had a picture taken with both. Jim was a class act Andre was a real jerk. I asked for a pic he said make it fast very arrogant. He was behind me on the way out I let the door slam on his face. PAB!!

 

[Shake_My_Head]

My brother's the Forest Gump of our family.    He's met dozens and dozens of former Bills over the years, just by happenstance.   He's actually become friends with a number of them, including Thurman, Tally, Christie, Metzelaars and probably half a dozen others I can't think of right now.   

 

He retired from Disneyworld a few years ago.  One of his best stories was of Terrence McGee, who he was getting in the park for free.   

 

In those days, you had to pay for parking and then get free admission with the employee pass.    My brother drove through the parking gate ahead of McGee, who just stopped at the booth and didn't move.    My brother went back to see what was wrong.    Turns out McGee didn't have enough money to pay for parking--apparently his agent only gave him a small monthly "allowance" and he'd burned through it all (even before entering the park!).   It always brought home the reality that some of these guys really needed help with managing life off the field.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

3 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

Ok…why?

 

Arrogance.