About 12

[dollars 2 donuts]

The Bills should have 1 home preseason game next year, based upon the rotating schedules which gave us 2 this year.  They also will have 9 regular seasons games, and no out-of-country contests this time around.  If they get home field advantage and/or the 2 seed they will likely see two home playoff games, barring anything unusual should they make it all the way as a three or four seed.

 

That leaves the old girl, Rich-Ralph-New Era-Highmark Stadium, with 12 games left before she calls it day for the last time.

 

She'll be 53 years young by her last go around.  For many of us we saw our first ball game there.  For some of us we saw a player who was famous before he was infamous, juiced and electric and before our own eyes carrying a football like we had never seen anyone do before.  We saw the unbeatable on Monday Night Raiders get beat on Monday Night under her lights and under the stars.  We were there when The Streak ended in 1980 with the plea from one endzone banner simply reading "Please."  We were there when Fergy and Hooks made Big Ben into something more than just a clock in England.  We were there at the start of the playoff magic in 1988 against Houston, and there at mostly its end with our Hall of Fame QB against Jacksonville in '96.  We suffered through back to back 2-14 seasons in the mid 80s that gave way to our team's second golden era of the 90s, and we were there for the suffering, and yes surviving, of The Drought.

 

And although her halls were too narrow, and bathrooms too cramped and too few, and her foundations cracked and leaky, and her seating numbers dwindled for the sake of the new and changing NFL, she today shines brighter than ever for the third golden era as the sounds of Mr. Brightside echo throughout her shell.

 

...and in 12 games we say good bye to her forever.  All memories, good or bad.

 

For those of us who've been there, with friends and family alike...with their mom who took them by herself to see a 1979 late season game in the cold all because she loved her son and she knew how much he loved football.  For all of us at The Comeback, all 95,000 of us, who'll never forget it as long as we live.  

 

For those of us who still have the ticket stub from the final home game in 2007 against the Giants after which we may have told  our father, "You never know dad, this may be your last Bills game. So enjoy it, regardless of the loss" only to have him respond, "true."...and hating that it was "true."

 

...we get 12.

 

For her 53rd year she deserves to be the bell of the ball.  She deserves a right and proper send off.

 

She deserves to have everyone of her remaining games in 2025 start with the phrase "Home of the World Champions."  She deserves another AFC championship flag waving up high. 

 

...and she most certainly deserves her first ever Super Bowl Champion banner glaring for all to see from her top,  and to go along with the silvery Lombardi trophy encased in her foyer.

 

She deserves this as the birth place of so many of our fondest memories...for the things that happened there, and the people who were there with us.  Some of whom are gone and like this concrete and steel house with the green pasture, will never be forgotten.

 

Go Bills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 59 minutes ago by dollars 2 donuts
accidental

[Mike in Horseheads]

I bet we lose a game to Europe or wherever the fuk Goodell thinks of next

[dollars 2 donuts]

5 minutes ago, Mike in Horseheads said:

I bet we lose a game to Europe or wherever the fuk Goodell thinks of next

 

 

I am not sure that they can, Mike, as they took one of our 9 home games the last go around.  

 

I hope I am not wrong.

 

 

[BillsPride12]

Beautifully said brother.  It's going to be bittersweet for sure but I am looking forward to being there for the Swan Song for the old barn.  So many incredible memories but still time to add a few new ones! 

[RiotAct]

18 minutes ago, Mike in Horseheads said:

I bet we lose a game to Europe or wherever the fuk Goodell thinks of next

I’m 99% sure we are NOT the home team for any of the godawful International games next season.

[Augie]

Well, 12 has always been one of my favorite numbers, so I guess I’m for whatever this is. 

[Mike in Horseheads]

17 minutes ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

 

I am not sure that they can, Mike, as they took one of our 9 home games the last go around.  

 

I hope I am not wrong.

 

 

I hope I am wrong too but we are due and I doubt they want to lose a home game in the Ralph 2.0

[BillsfaninSB]

Would love to see a world championship banner hanging in that stadium for at least 1 season.

[Low Positive]

I went to multiple games a year as a kid during the mid-80s because tickets were cheap. I was at Kay Stevenson's last game. I was at Jim Kelly's first game as a Bill. I still remember him tripping, getting up and throwing a TD pass. I was also at that 1988 playoff game against Houston (It was actually 1/1/89, but who's counting). That was my last game in person until the Bucs game last year. I'll come up for one final game next season. I'll miss the place.  

 

I was also at the last game in the Aud. 

[Dan Darragh]

I remember the last game at the Rockpile.  I wasn't there; I was listening to it on the radio from my parents' home in Rochester.  When the game ended, they played "Auld Lang Syne," and the fans started to pull down the goalposts.  Van Miller was very concerned that the fans would get hurt by the metal goalposts (as the goalposts of the old days, that were routinely pulled down by the fans after a championship game, were made out of wood.)

 

I wonder what the last game at the Ralph will be like.

Edited 1 hour ago by Dan Darragh

[Bills!Win!]

We ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO open our last year at high mark with a championship banner ceremony

 

i will accept nothing else 

[LabattBlue]

My most recent game was the Vikings disaster in 2022.  I can’t let that be my final appearance at the Ralph.  Hope to attend one of the September/October games in the fall.  

Edited 1 hour ago by LabattBlue

[strive_for_five_guy]

 

Well written, OP.  Couldn’t agree more.

[QB Bills]

1 hour ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

The Bills should have 1 home preseason game next year, based upon the rotating schedules which gave us 2 this year.  They also will have 9 regular seasons games, and no out of country contests this time around.  If they get home field advantage and/or the 2 seed they will likely see two home playoff games, barring anything unusual should they make it all the way as a three or four seed.

 

That leaves the old girl, Rich-Ralph-New Era-Highmark Stadium, with 12 games left before she calls it day for the last time.

 

She'll be 53 years young by her last go around.  For many of us we saw our first ball game there.  For some of us we saw a player who was famous before he was infamous, juiced and electric and before our own eyes carrying a football like we had never seen anyone do before.  We saw the unbeatable on Monday night Raiders get beat on Monday night under her lights.  We were there when The Streak ended in 1980 with the plea from one endzone banner simply reading "Please."  We were there when Fergy and Hooks made Big Ben into something more than just a clock in England.  We were there at the start of the playoff magic in 1988 against Houston, and there at mostly its end with our Hall of Fame QB against Jacksonville in '96.  We suffered through back to back 2-14 seasons in the mid 80s that gave way to the second glory years of the 90s, and we were there for the suffering, and yes surviving, of The Drought.

 

And although her halls were too narrow, and bathrooms too cramped and too few, and her foundations cracked and leaky, and her seating numbers dwindled for the sake of the new and changing NFL, she today shines brighter than ever for the third golden era as the sounds of Mr. Brightside echo throughout her shell.

 

...and in 12 games we say good bye to her forever.  All memories, good or bad.

 

For those of us who've been there, with friends and family alike...with their mom who took them by herself to see a 1979 late season game in the cold all because she loved her son and she knew how much he loved football.  For all of us at The Comeback, all 95,000 of us, who'll never forget it as long as we live.  

 

For those of us who still have the ticket stub from the final home game in 2007 against the Giants after which we may have told  our father, "You never know dad, this may be your last Bills game. So enjoy it, regardless of the loss" only to have him respond, "true."...and hating that it was "true."

 

...we get 12.

 

For her 53rd year she deserves to be the bell of the ball.  She deserves a right and proper send off.

 

She deserves to have everyone of her remaining games in 2025 start with the phrase "Home of the World Champions."  She deserves another AFC championship flag waving up high. 

 

...and she most certainly deserves her fist ever Super Bowl Champion banner to glare for all to see from her top,  and to go along with the silvery Lombardi trophy encased in her foyer.

 

She deserves this as the birth place of so many of our fondest memories...for the things that happened there, and the people who were there with us.  Some of whom are gone and like this concrete and steel house with the green pasture, will never be forgotten.

 

Go Bills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow.

 

If there was a hall of fame for posts on this board, this would be a first ballot entry.

 

Wonderfully written d2d. I very much hope your vision becomes a reality. 

 

Go Bills

[dollars 2 donuts]

3 minutes ago, QB Bills said:

Wow.

 

If there was a hall of fame for posts on this board, this would be a first ballot entry.

 

Wonderfully written d2d. I very much hope your vision becomes a reality. 

 

Go Bills

 

I'm honored and humbled by your comments, QBB.

 

Thank you.

 

I wish I were a better writer, and focused more.  This was (and is) slightly edited in the last hour because it was written initially over the course of 20 minutes based upon something I felt at the moment.

 

...However, I guess what I "felt" had been brewing for 52 years.

 

Go Bills.

 

[dhg]

Awesome d2d. Great stuff. Thank you

[K-9]

2 hours ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

The Bills should have 1 home preseason game next year, based upon the rotating schedules which gave us 2 this year.  They also will have 9 regular seasons games, and no out-of-country contests this time around.  If they get home field advantage and/or the 2 seed they will likely see two home playoff games, barring anything unusual should they make it all the way as a three or four seed.

 

That leaves the old girl, Rich-Ralph-New Era-Highmark Stadium, with 12 games left before she calls it day for the last time.

 

She'll be 53 years young by her last go around.  For many of us we saw our first ball game there.  For some of us we saw a player who was famous before he was infamous, juiced and electric and before our own eyes carrying a football like we had never seen anyone do before.  We saw the unbeatable on Monday Night Raiders get beat on Monday Night under her lights and under the stars.  We were there when The Streak ended in 1980 with the plea from one endzone banner simply reading "Please."  We were there when Fergy and Hooks made Big Ben into something more than just a clock in England.  We were there at the start of the playoff magic in 1988 against Houston, and there at mostly its end with our Hall of Fame QB against Jacksonville in '96.  We suffered through back to back 2-14 seasons in the mid 80s that gave way to our team's second golden era of the 90s, and we were there for the suffering, and yes surviving, of The Drought.

 

And although her halls were too narrow, and bathrooms too cramped and too few, and her foundations cracked and leaky, and her seating numbers dwindled for the sake of the new and changing NFL, she today shines brighter than ever for the third golden era as the sounds of Mr. Brightside echo throughout her shell.

 

...and in 12 games we say good bye to her forever.  All memories, good or bad.

 

For those of us who've been there, with friends and family alike...with their mom who took them by herself to see a 1979 late season game in the cold all because she loved her son and she knew how much he loved football.  For all of us at The Comeback, all 95,000 of us, who'll never forget it as long as we live.  

 

For those of us who still have the ticket stub from the final home game in 2007 against the Giants after which we may have told  our father, "You never know dad, this may be your last Bills game. So enjoy it, regardless of the loss" only to have him respond, "true."...and hating that it was "true."

 

...we get 12.

 

For her 53rd year she deserves to be the bell of the ball.  She deserves a right and proper send off.

 

She deserves to have everyone of her remaining games in 2025 start with the phrase "Home of the World Champions."  She deserves another AFC championship flag waving up high. 

 

...and she most certainly deserves her first ever Super Bowl Champion banner glaring for all to see from her top,  and to go along with the silvery Lombardi trophy encased in her foyer.

 

She deserves this as the birth place of so many of our fondest memories...for the things that happened there, and the people who were there with us.  Some of whom are gone and like this concrete and steel house with the green pasture, will never be forgotten.

 

Go Bills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding!

[Augie]

55 minutes ago, Dan Darragh said:

 

I wonder what the last game at the Ralph will be like.

 

 I don’t remember the last game at the Rockpile, but I remember going into the first game at The Ralph. I would love to be at the last one. I’ll deal with the cold for that. 

[K-9]

2 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

 I don’t remember the last game at the Rockpile, but I remember going into the first game at The Ralph. I would love to be at the last one. I’ll deal with the cold for that. 

My last game at the Rockpile was against the Steelers in ‘72. OJ with a 94 yard scamper on his way to a huge day. Of course we lost, but we served notice of better days to come with Saban at the helm.

[SoCal Deek]

I was at the last game at the Rockpile. It was cold and fittingly ended in a tie. And when Rich Stadium opened a few months later it truly felt like WNY had moved from black and white into full living color.