What made you a Bills fan?

[Kornfed]

These are some pretty cool stories. ..... I wound up watching with my gramps, Kemp, Gilchrist black and white TV era. I was about 8 and promptly painted my helmet white and made a stencil of a black standing buffalo. (came out really good) .... Went to play against some kids on the other side of my small town. It was then that a well to do kid (color TV) told me that the colors were red and white. ...... I think we probably got in a fight. ...... I'm still stubborn and bull headed but could not possibly stop pulling for our Bills if I had to. ..... All that being said. BRING BACK THE JILLS

[Ethan in Cleveland]

12 hours ago, The Jokeman said:

Watching highlights the closest guy to OJ's combination of size/speed in my opinion was Bo Jackson. 

Great point ! Agree!!!

[Billy Claude]

So based on the responses, we can conclude 

 

(1) There is a lot of older people on this board (at least the ones that responded to this thread).

 

(2) Surprisingly large number of folks with PhDs and/or work in R&D.

Edited June 1 by Billy Claude

[mabden]

I found out that Buffalo had a football team when they drafted OJ Simpson.  I started following then on my transistor radio during the 1973 season with OJ and the Electric Company during the 1973 Season.  I watched the Van Miller Saturday afternoon Bills Football show religiously and will always remember, "OJ to the right for 4 yards, OJ to the left for 4 yards, OJ up the middle for 3 yards and a first down." 

 

I really started to follow the Bills during their 1980 season and went to my first home game that year vs the Raiders.  It was as crazy as any rock concert (Summer Jam) I went to when Rich Stadium first opened.  From then on I was hooked.  I bought my first TV (13" Color Zenith) just so that I could watch the Bills in the playoffs.

[bearstobills]

Grew up in Chicago.  Lifelong Bears fan.  Moved to Buffalo during the drought in my late 30's.  Went to Bada-Bing on Chippewa to watch the Bears game.  The Bills were playing also, trying to break some horrific losing streak.  My eyes kept darting over to the Bills game.  Late in the game, they got a first down that sealed the game and  broke the losing streak.  I started clapping. Not a single other cheer in the bar.  I thought to myself, "This team needs me."  True love ever since.

[muppy]

1 hour ago, Billy Claude said:

So based on the responses, we can conclude 

 

(1) There is a lot of older people on this board (at least the ones that responded to this thread).

 

(2) Surprisingly large number of folks with PhDs and/or work in R&D.

and a privilege many never get 🙂  it is true though.  In a place like this with the fanbase so spread out logistically and age wise the stories are going to be great either way.  My kids were raised in socal and as staunch a Bills fan as I am they only follow it because of me. But while he was on tours with his bands back in the day he would see people in Bills swag wherever he went , he would say "Go Bills" and from that point forward it was smiles and instant connection. Bills fans are LEGION

 

And other non football people I know in my life (wether just don[t care for football, MLB folks etc) totally respect the bills mafia as a fanbase. For many reasons.We are UNIQUE and we live and die with our Bills.

 

It helped a great deal that Bills tickets in the 70's  were Very affordable. Like $6.00 cheap seats. 

 

 

 

 

[KCNC]

1. I will never be a fan of a dome team

2. I used to love watching OJ run the football

3. Loved the late 80s early 90s team

4. I guess I like pain and disappointment.

[NewEra]

Grandparents lived a couple blocks from Fredonia training camp.  Went to practice just about everyday in the 80’s.  It was there that the Bills became part of me

[hondo in seattle]

I grew up in the suburbs of Buffalo but not in a football family.  But I knew football was a popular sport so once, when flipping channels looking for cartoons, I came across a football game: Browns vs. Cowboys.  The Brownies were losing by two scores.  Naturally, being a kid, I rooted for the underdog.  When the Browns staged an unlikely comeback, I was hooked.  I soon had a Browns football, a Browns pennant, and Paul Warfield became my first football hero.  

 

A year or so later, the Bills drafted OJ.  There was so much hoopla that I started following the Bills, too.  I remained a dual Browns-Bills fan for years.  But when I went out of state for college, I started identifying more as a Buffalonian.  Rooting for the Bills seemed like a way of demonstrating my loyalty to Buffalo and staying connected to the folks back home.  When the Browns moved out of Cleveland in 1995, any vestigial allegiance I had left for them died.  I've been a monogamous Bills fan since.  

[MiltonWaddams]

My dad. Because he was awesome, and he loved the Bills, and I would never be that turd who cheered for a different team than his father.

[PromoTheRobot]

When I was 8 (1966) I used to wander into the local tavern and saw the Bills on TV. Back then you only saw road games because home games for the AFL were blacked out. Anyway I caught the bug seeing the grown ups get excited (and mad) at the Bills.

[Bills fan since 87]

1 hour ago, MiltonWaddams said:

My dad. Because he was awesome, and he loved the Bills, and I would never be that turd who cheered for a different team than his father.

 

Easy, a lot of us turds had dads who didn't root for the Bills!

[Fleezoid]

When you're born, God assigns you one thing that you will be tortured with your whole lives. 

 

We were given the Bills!

[buffalo2218]

Wasn't a Bills fan until the late 80s. Fun fact though, my first replica jersey was O.J. Simpson when I was about 6-7 years old. Had a friend that was a fan of Marino, I thought he was a big crybaby. Then I saw Bruce and the rest of the defense put him in his place over and over again. I jumped on the bandwagon and have been on it ever since

[amprov56]

My family bought season tickets in 1960 until the 1990's, I watched the "Quarterback Club" that often featured Buster Ramsey going off and the men of the family loved it. Listened to the 1963 Bills - Pats playoff game in a blizzard. Attended my first games at the Rockpile in 1966, both against the Chiefs, both losses, including the the First AFL Championship game to determine who would play the NFL in the World Chapionship. In 1967, the Bills played the Lions in Detroit, first pre - season game against the NFL and weeks later the Eagles came to the Rockpile and it was like a playoff game, sold out stadium, both teams played starters all the way through and Tom Flores and Art Powell (Lamonica Trade) were on fire connecting all night. Late in the third Quarter Flores got hurt and in came Jack Kemp to loud thunderous boo birds. First play he dropped back and launched a 69 yard bomb to Dubenion for a TD turning boo's into a standing ovation. 

 

I was priviledged to watch every AFL Team in the Rockpile. I loved the old AFL, so it was a combination of family, friends, the Bills, the AFL and the times that got me hooked. Players were just regular guys back then, they came to our school to play basketball against the faculty and you got to meet them and talk to them. Marty Schottenheimer used to play Ueker at a local tavern and a friend got a lift from John Tracey, it was a community thing. Here I am sixty years later still at it, would not change anything. I've had world wide Bills experiences, some pretty odd.

 

My final thought: 1968, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1984, 1985 (if needed google those seasons)! We have perrenial playoff team at the moment, remember the saying "Be careful what you ask for, you may get it."

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

As a senior in high school, my dad was transferred here and this was absolutely the last place I wanted to be. They let guilt get the better of them and bought me a car to ease my genuine pain. I grew up in Chicago and therefore was a Bears fan, but got sucked into the Bills life during the chuck Knox/Joe Ferguson/Joe cribs era …. Been a mafia lifer since then, although I still follow da bears and am cautiously optimistic that they can FINALLY develop a blue chip quarterback 

[amprov56]

1 hour ago, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

As a senior in high school, my dad was transferred here and this was absolutely the last place I wanted to be. They let guilt get the better of them and bought me a car to ease my genuine pain. I grew up in Chicago and therefore was a Bears fan, but got sucked into the Bills life during the chuck Knox/Joe Ferguson/Joe cribs era …. Been a mafia lifer since then, although I still follow da bears and am cautiously optimistic that they can FINALLY develop a blue chip quarterback 

The 1980 team is one of my all time favorites.

5 hours ago, KCNC said:

1. I will never be a fan of a dome team

2. I used to love watching OJ run the football

3. Loved the late 80s early 90s team

4. I guess I like pain and disappointment.

With you on the dome thing, hate them!

[amprov56]

3 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

When I was 8 (1966) I used to wander into the local tavern and saw the Bills on TV. Back then you only saw road games because home games for the AFL were blacked out. Anyway I caught the bug seeing the grown ups get excited (and mad) at the Bills.

Great post, remember the tavern thing ha ha!

[amprov56]

On 5/31/2024 at 1:54 PM, boater said:

Why a Bills fan:

 

Van Miller... because the games were mostly blacked out and on the radio only. The Radio coverage was very good in those days compared to today.

 

Joe Ferguson... because all young boys look up to the QB. He was no Jim Kelly or Josh Allen, but he was still a good one.

Joe Ferguson had class and character!

[GoBills808]

Thurman thomas