What is your BEST Bills related memory that doesn't involve a game's result?

[EasternOHBillsFan]

THREE, actually.

 

1A. BRUCE SMITH CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT, Virginia Beach, 2001.

I don't play golf, but I decided to go that year and as a Navy sailor stationed at the base there in Virginia Beach it was close to my house. I walked into the club bar and I can still see them all there in my head... Richard Roundtree (SHAFT!) in this cool leather jacket smoking a stogie, Darryl Talley, Bruce Smith, Junior Seau and Thurman Thomas talking to some Hawaiian Tropic girls. I had my copy of RELENTLESS with me and they autographed it for me but the BEST part was when Thurman bought me a beer! I don't even drink but I accepted that Bud though!!!

 

1B. HOME GAME, Sunday Night Football, Jets vs. Bills, September 19th, 1999.

I tailgated that afternoon with Leonard Smith, Jonathan Linton and Andre Reed. I actually painted my face red and blue, wore a hard hat with a Starting Lineup Andre Reed on it and a Bills flag as a cape. I ran into RALPH of all people coming out of the stands and into the concourse and he was so excited and happy and I got to speak to him for a couple of glorious seconds! Seeing Bill Parcells so angry on the bus after with Keyshawn Johnson pouting was the icing on the cake.

 

1C. MARV? WHAAAAT? City Sidewalk, near Buckingham Fountain, Chicago, IL.

I was walking down the sidewalk in Chicago and I stopped at a light and BAM, there was MARV LEVY in a track suit!!! I was in so much shock but it quickly dissipated as we started talking. It's one of those amazing twists of fortune and I am forever grateful to have met him and in Chicago no less, his home.

 

 

[Pete]

My father used to play basketball with Joe Delamielleure- part of the Electric Company(common knowledge- that was for young Bills fans).  As a youth, I went to Joe D cookouts with many Bills there.  That was a big thrill when I was younger.  I met OJ once in the 70s too.  Tony Greene came to my  1st grade gym class

[Evansfan322]

My second game at Rich Stadium, Doug Flutie was the quarterback of the Patriots and I remember the entire stadium yelling FLUTIE because he was terrible and then years later Flutie flakes were flying off the shelf 

[HOUSE]

Tre White running up to then reading Raven coaches play notes that blew on the field

Hilarious 😂 

 

 

Edited May 25 by HOUSE

[Utah John]

10 hours ago, Dr. K said:

That time Scarlett Johansson saw me wearing a Bills hat and came home with me. 

Works every time.

[akcash]

Bills Dallas ‘07.

 

that game was electric.

[Pete]

I just remembered a great story .   Blake Costenza

 

So about 20 years ago, I am watching Sunday football at a bar in Essex, CT.  I meet a great couple from New Jersey, they are Jets fans. After they found out I was a Bills fan, they asked for my address.   They tell me their son is best friend is Blake Costenza.  Blake grew up next door, Blake was like second son, and always at the house.  Blake was a special teams beast.  Mr was a big fan of Blake ST skills.  About a month later, I get a package from NJ.  Blake Costenza sent me a sweet Bills hat, the one that Im wearing right now as I right this.  Blake signed it: Go Bills!! Blake Costenza

 

Cheers to you Blake Costenza!

[HOUSE]

I sat at a dinner table with Ralph Wilson, Lou Saban, Al Melser, Rich Azar and Abe Abramowski.

[WotAGuy]

14 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

I sat at a dinner table with Ralph Wilson, Lou Saban, Al Melser, Rich Azar and Abe Abramowski.

Did you get fired for sitting down on the job?   Hey-ooooooo!

[HOUSE]

2 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

Did you get fired for sitting down on the job?   Hey-ooooooo!

Nope, it was at the Lord Baltimore and Ralph Wilson saw my Bills coat than asked if I wanted to sit with them

I didn't say no...

[DeepPass]

14 hours ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

Welcome all to QOD: Friday Edition!

 

First off, big time props to those that have posted QODs this week. Some really great topics and I look forward to seeing what everyone brings next week. 

 

As far as my question this week I figured with it being a long Memorial Day weekend I would try a different style topic. 

 

We all love the Bills here and hope for the best. But sometimes the best moments about being a Bills fan take place before or after a game. Or on a day when there is no game. It's the "GO BILLS" you get in random places. It's the ability to have complete conversations with people you've never met before in an airport. It's the way that time after time the "Bills Mafia" rises up and shows support for players, coaches and even fellow fans in need. It's the closeness and almost universal brother and sisterhood of the Buffalo Bills community that makes this franchise special. Honestly, without it and the traditions that come with Bills Fandemonium I am not sure a small market team like us would have made it through a 17 year playoff drought. But the older I get the more I've come to realize that wins are great, championships would be amazing. However, it's the time we share with those we care about that make life worth getting out of bed for. 

 

So, my question is this. What is your fondest memory involving the Bills that is NOT a result of what happened on the field?

 

 

 

For me, the answer is simple. It was the day I got to take my son to his first game. Seeing his reaction to the tailgating. Seeing his face light up when he walked through the tunnel and saw the huge field in person. Watching his face every time we scored (against the Dolphins no less) and seeing the fireworks and singing the SHOUT! song. I felt like I was seeing it all for the first time through his eyes. Not only one of my best Bills memories, but best memories of my lifetime.

 

 

Going to my first game, taking my son & daughter to Marv Levy's 1st HC game for the Bills and listening on the radio to the blacked-out Bills comeback vs. Houston

[dhg]

Taking my daughter to her first regular season game. It was the Colts game with all the snow. Shaw66 gave me tickets because he couldn't make it. We parked in Hammer's Lot with TBD people. We didn't know anyone.  What a great time we had. Mead had his Stromboli that was great. Then he upgraded our tickets! Great day!

[ChiGoose]

I went to college near Cleveland and one year, the Bills were in town the weekend after winter finals. 
 

My parents (Browns fans), my brothers (a Browns fan and a Packers fan), several uncles (mostly Bills fans) came in for the weekend. 
 

There were a lot of shenanigans over the weekend including several drunk boomers stealing bar signs and running field goal drills in a hotel hallway, but the game itself was unforgettable even if the result wasn’t what I wanted.

 

That’s because it was the snow bowl of 2007. The game was classic miserable Great Lakes winter football. By the end, my uncles had retreated to the concourse for shelter. Of those still braving the weather in the stands: I was rooting for the Bills; my younger brother and parents were rooting for the Browns; my older brother was rooting for the game clock.

Afterwards, we piled 8 or 9 people into one van for the drive to Rochester, which ended up taking about 8 hours due to the storm. The Bills lost, the drought endured, but I had quite the experience with my family to end a semester at college. 

Edited May 25 by ChiGoose

[PromoTheRobot]

5 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Right where they used to be?  🤷‍♂️

 

I’m not kidding, I only have a very rough idea of its location. My buddy who still lives in Buffalo took me by.  Maybe @PromoTheRobot can give us a better idea. 

 

They are at the corner of Jefferson and Best. They left just the 4 gates that were at the corners of War Memorial. They took down the rest of the original stadium.

 

 

[JJGauna]

Two old memories…

 

Going out trick or treating with Bills gear on thinking the Bills had lost, only to find out later the Bills came back in the 4th quarter. A guy handing out candy gave me the news, I believe that was 1999.

 

Long before streaming and living 1000 miles from Buffalo, watching the ancient play by play on NFL.com and listening to Van at the same time (when it was still free.) The dial up days lol.

[RobbRiddick]

Me and Zay Jones. We met in a bar downtown, a few drinks, a little food. It was a simple but special night.

 

He had to leave when my wife came home early from her night shift. Last thing I remember is him jumping out the window. I still have his clothes in the garage. Sometimes I think he might come back for them but he never does. 

 

 

[Doc Brown]

When the Bills closed the deal on the new stadium.  They're going to be here for the rest of my life unless I live forever (so far so good).

[NoHuddleKelly12]

As OP already touched on, getting a random “Go Bills” shoutout anywhere in the country, and realizing the depth of the camaraderie amongst the Bills brethren is truly remarkable…Taking my then 8yr old son to his first ever Bills game in KC last year was the absolute best, and getting a last minute win was just the icing on top. That said, one of my favorite memories was when our very own @Einstein took matters into his own hands and helped out a fellow board member who needed it during a winter storm last January—simply a chicken soup for the soul type moment!

https://www.twobillsdrive.com/community/topic/252612-seeking-snow-removal-help/?do=findComment&comment=

 

[BillsPride12]

6 hours ago, JJGauna said:

Two old memories…

 

Going out trick or treating with Bills gear on thinking the Bills had lost, only to find out later the Bills came back in the 4th quarter. A guy handing out candy gave me the news, I believe that was 1999.

 

Long before streaming and living 1000 miles from Buffalo, watching the ancient play by play on NFL.com and listening to Van at the same time (when it was still free.) The dial up days lol.

That's a pretty cool one.  This year a kid came to my house on Halloween dressed up as Josh Allen and I said Bills fan huh? How do you think we are going to do this weekend?  And I gave him a bunch of extra candy.  It's kinda cool being older now and then seeing yourself in the younger kids who are fans at that age and remembering what it was like when the adults would talk to you about Bills football so I always try to pay it forward

[Ethan in Cleveland]

I've posted this several times before

 

My brother and I were picked out of the crowd early before the Bills Jets game in 1988. Yes the goal post game. SI camera man asked my younger brother and me to hold his cameras and equipment on the sideline.  We watched the entire game on the field. You can see me on TV broadcast as Leonard Smith walked towards the tunnel after being ejected. We were in the press room for food at half time and watched all the post-game interviews. Talked briefly with Kelly and Hull as they left the locker room. 

This is 1988. No cell phones. I was 17 and my brother 14. Went to the game with my aunt. We would always go into the stadium super early and listen to them play Neil Diamond Coming to America to warm up the speakers. We would go down to the wall and watch the players warm up. My aunt had no idea we were on the field until about the 3rd quarter of the game when we finally got her attention.

And yes I'm in the Buffalo News picture. Sort of. My brother's face can be seen but only my white hat next to him is seen. We knew the goal posts came down but had no idea they were being carried outside the stadium as we were in the press room. Only after the game did we find out.