Goodbye, old friend. Paying tribute to Rich Stadium-Highmark Stadium. Post your memories.

[I'm Spartacus]

2 hours ago, billsfan714 said:

Saw the Who with the Clash in the early 80s, that was a pretty good duo for one concert. Think David Johansen was also on the bill.

I was there too. It started to rain out when the Who sang Love, Rain on Me.

[stevewin]

1 minute ago, I'm Spartacus said:

I was there too. It started to rain out when the Who sang Love, Rain on Me.

I was also there - one random thing I will always remember is there were a couple girls in front of us who kept saying "I'm just here for the Clash!" and we were like 'OK'.  It still comes up sometimes with my buddy 

[1st&ten]

3 hours ago, billsfan714 said:

51-3 vs Raiders in AFC Championship has to be top or 1b to the comeback against the Oilers.

Yes, I was at both of those games, great memories !!

[T master]

I always loved Rich Stadium and all of the memories one that sticks out to me is the pass from Fitz to T.O. for i think what still stands as the longest TD pass in Bills history . Of course the Levy years were all very special . 

 

I hope this last year Josh can get a Lombardi to end a great era in this stadium that would be a great closing act for the old girl to end on a High Mark ...

 

YES 😜 !!

[billsfanmiamioh]

13 minutes ago, T master said:

I always loved Rich Stadium and all of the memories one that sticks out to me is the pass from Fitz to T.O. for i think what still stands as the longest TD pass in Bills history . Of course the Levy years were all very special . 

 

I hope this last year Josh can get a Lombardi to end a great era in this stadium that would be a great closing act for the old girl to end on a High Mark ...

 

YES 😜 !!

That happened in Jacksonville. I was there. 98 yards. Also the game Eric Wood snapped his leg as a rookie. And of course, the Bills lost…

 

Might be thinking of TO scoring on a reverse at the home opener that year vs Tampa bay. Think it was 50+ yards. I was wickedly hungover from a Bach party the night before in cincy. Left at like 4-5 am to drive up to Buffalo. It was rough. Only tailgate other than pre high school I didn’t have a drop of booze.

[spartan19]

51-3 and the comeback were great memories. I also loved the Winter Classic and USA Canada Jr's game.

[T master]

9 minutes ago, billsfanmiamioh said:

That happened in Jacksonville. I was there. 98 yards. Also the game Eric Wood snapped his leg as a rookie. And of course, the Bills lost…

 

Might be thinking of TO scoring on a reverse at the home opener that year vs Tampa bay. Think it was 50+ yards. I was wickedly hungover from a Bach party the night before in cincy. Left at like 4-5 am to drive up to Buffalo. It was rough. Only tailgate other than pre high school I didn’t have a drop of booze.

 

My bad i thought it was at Rich . but still a good memory . That was my go to because every time i went to the Bills stadium they were playing the Pats so you know how that went not such a good bunch of memories there ...

[Kirby Jackson]

Man, I have so many memories in that stadium. Florida and Rich Stadium are the overwhelming majority of my childhood memories. 
 

5 favorite in no particular order (off the top of my head so I’m sure I’m forgetting a bunch):

- Comeback Game

- Raiders AFC Championship (probably my favorite)

- Carlton Bailey interception

- Perfect Game

- Lawyer Milloy Game

[Buddy Hix]

My first time at the Ralph was vs Raiders  in late 90s with Fluite at QB. Bus trip from Canada.

 

We started pounding booze at 6am, ate mushrooms by 8am. I stumbled into the stadium, not sure why security let me in. I had to walk up about 10 rows to get to my seat, passed out standing while waiting for people to let me through the row. Cart-wheeled down 20 concrete stairs, hit the railing and went over it, fell onto my head in the section below. Woke up to paramedics trying to put a brace on my neck. Tried fighting the paramedics because I didn’t know what happened. Again, security let me back to my seat. Some Yankee said it was the greatest thing he’d ever seen, gave me two cans of Bud he’d smuggled in, which I gave away. Slept through the game, made it back to the bus. There was a brawl outside the bus, I was too hurting to participate and couldn’t even watch as my head was pounding.

 

Bills lost.

 

 

 

 

[BillsPride12]

3 hours ago, Augie said:

 

We were about the 50 yard line and center of the field for the Stones. I was with 3-4 buddies and there was a guy who was alone next to us on the field with a hefty bag full of weed. He rolled joints for hours. He would roll it, hand it to someone to light and then he would take the second hit, and pass it into the crowd. That guy alone burned over a pound of weed that night. 

They should have saved a place on the Wall of Fame for that guy 

[dba4life]

The food fight and the boob show at GnR and Metallica - 1992

Edited 16 hours ago by dba4life

[BillsPride12]

I don't even know where to start...first game was in 96 when I was in 5th grade.  Very appreciative to have at least been able to see Kelly and the boys even though it was at the tail end of that run.  At that age the whole experience still felt larger than life.  Would have given anything to be a little older and experienced the 51-3 and Greatest Comeback games 

 

Best game and game experience has gotta be the perfect game against New England in the playoffs but there's some other legendary ones too..Ricky Williams snow game in 02, Fitzy and the rest of the misfit toys pulling off the upset against the Pats in 2011, at least another 5-6 from the Josh Allen era that are right up there too

 

Some heartbreaking losses that stand out as memorable experiences too...Pittsburgh in 04, Dallas MNF in 07, Home opener against the Jags in 04

 

And just all of the incredible memories and moments tailgating with my buddies and the strangers that become extended friends on gamedays.  Had seasons during the early drought years which were also during my college years and man some of those tailgates were something else.  Sat in the tunnel endzone back then...CRAZY atmosphere in those days

 

I will really miss the old barn but thankful for all the wonderful memories and experiences 

[Sharky7337]

Semi related hot take - Selling stadium naming rights was one of the worst changes to the sport 

Edited 16 hours ago by Sharky7337

[stevewin]

2 hours ago, HOUSE said:

I was the first fan to pee in the sink, great memories there

 

.

They should have an 'old school'/museum bathroom at the new stadium with urinal troughs/sinks  😛

 

The Good

- 51-3 - simply the greatest feeling/atmosphere I've ever experienced at any sporting event (or in life?).  By halftime was just a big surreal party in the stands "We're going to the Super Bowl!!!"

- 2nd to last game 1973 - OJ ran for over 200 yds in a snowstorm - without that game he doesn't break 2000 the next week.  I was 9 yrs old - my neighborhood friend had an extra ticket and my brother and I flipped a coin on who would go and I won

- Of all the games I've been to I will always remember the AFCCG against Denver in 1992 being the loudest - my brother and I were sitting low EZ and I remember trying to scream at the top of my lungs to talk to him sitting next to me and it was impossible - just crazy

- '90 game against Dolphins where fans tore down goalpost and passed a section up to Wilson's box.  I remember also seeing fans throwing sections of post over the sides of the stadium and thinking "that seems dangerous" 😛 .  Crazy

- '81 comeback vs. Patriots.  2nd half fans were streaming out of the stadium and I told my brother "We're not leaving - it's going to be an Alcoa Fantastic Finish!"  People remember the Hail Mary Hooks caught to win, but the catch he made down the middle on the last drive was the greatest sports play I've ever witnessed live - I was in the EZ behind the play and Fergy launches the ball to seeming nowhere, and out of nowhere Hooks just flies into view and lays out with one of the greatest catches I've ever seen - just unbelievable

 

The Bad

- Cleveland 6-3 - simply the worst sporting experience (life experience?) I've ever had.  Freezing cold, historically bad crappy game/teams, crappy seats high in corner of upper deck.  We came up from NC and day before the game found out my young son had gotten swine flu but he still wanted to go - he still has PTSD from this game

      - One thing of note though from this game is something that would go in the Good (Best) list.  As we were sitting there freezing and miserable and questioning our life choices, this guy comes running down the aisle full speed and right at my row - trips - and goes flying like superman parallel to the stairs for what seemed like 20 rows.  Dude flies gloriously through the air like a drunk fan superhero, crashes at the bottom - pops up like nothing happened and disappears into the tunnel.  Probably the most amazing thing I've ever seen - my son and I still talk about it

- Jax playoff game '96 - the shock, and sadness, and Kelly getting carted off.  Walking out of the stadium you just felt it wasn't just the season that was over, but an era

 

The Ugly?

- Told this story before - one time as a young lad we were walking up out from the EZ after another loss and we pass a lone guy splayed out on the benches with both his legs over the bench in front, and arms wide behind him, head back, semi-conscious - with his dick out, pissing all over himself.  The exact tone of disappointment and my Dad's voice is still seared into my brain "Move along, son" - we never spoke of it after

 

Edited 15 hours ago by stevewin

[Don Otreply]

4 hours ago, frostbitmic said:

Sorry if my smoke bothered you 😎

 

He was ... Great show.

Oh, non no no, it was my smoke 😁👍

[PromoTheRobot]

Couples doing the dirty on a concrete ramp during Summerfest concerts. 

[Florida Bills Fanatic]

6 hours ago, billsfan714 said:

51-3 vs Raiders in AFC Championship has to be top or 1b to the comeback against the Oilers.

Great choices!  I would add finally breaking the losing streak against the Fins.

2 hours ago, HOUSE said:

I was the first fan to pee in the sink, great memories there

 

.

It would be even more impressive to be the first fan to have washed his hands after first peeing in the sink.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

I’m pumped that I will get to call up Brownie and Tasker during their second segment, around 1:30 in the afternoon, and talk about the old days at The Ralph. Preferably after smoking a pack of marlboro reds and slamming a pint of dewars. I’m just going to go on and on about how “when I was going to games at The Ralph, the Bills played like men on artificial turf! Not the synthetic crap these softies play on now!” Or, ya know, whatever else like that is befitting the moment. Probably will want to add in something about the K-Gun and Von Miller being overpaid, for good measure.

Edited 14 hours ago by The Cincinnati Kid

[billsfan714]

3 hours ago, stevewin said:

I was also there - one random thing I will always remember is there were a couple girls in front of us who kept saying "I'm just here for the Clash!" and we were like 'OK'.  It still comes up sometimes with my buddy 

As a kid from the suburbs, first time I actually saw people with safety pins in their face.

[SoMAn]

7 hours ago, Augie said:

They mentioned the traffic in that piece. That was more than my father had bargained for.  We were about 10 people away from the gate when the crowd started to roar before the inaugural kickoff…….. only to fall silent as Herb Mulkey returned it for a TD. I was disappointed before I ever even got inside! 

 

Beating the Raiders on Monday night (thank you, Ahmad Rashad) is another experience that stands out, but one of my most eye opening experiences at The Ralph was seeing The Rolling Stones about 1975/76? I was a high school kid, and they had bedsheets hanging from the upper bowl with menus  of what kind of things they were marketing. I thought I had stepped thru the looking glass. 

I was also at both events. ‘74 opener Monday night with OJ out after early injury. The final minutes were not dissimilar to the 13 second game with several lead changes. I was also at first Bills’ Monday night game in Oct ‘73 against Chiefs. 
The Stones concert was Aug 8 ‘75. One of the sheets hanging from upper deck was spray painted “Mick Jagger- Starf__ker”. I didn’t know then that it was the name of a Stones song. Also saw them July 4 ‘78 at Rich.