Your first trip to Ralph Wilson (I still call it Rich stadium)

[Jamie Nails]

Haven't missed a game in the last 13 years(TV). Being from California my first trip to the Ralph was last year. Bills demolished the Ocho Cinco's. This year I bought season tickets and am flying out for the Seattle and San Diego games. Funny that I'm coming out to buffalo to see two west coast teams. And I'm planning to go to the Arizona and Denver games and maybe the pats if we have a chance to go to the playoffs.

 

 

[USMCBillsFan]

I was around 8 or 9. We were playing the dolphins and the only thing I really remember besides being cold was that Joe Ferguson threw a nice touchdown pass to Jerry Butler...

[blzrul]

I believe it was the game versus the Patsies where Roland Hooks (?) caught the game winner at the tail end of the game. Naturally I missed it because my husband's best friend brought his whiny wife who complained the whole game how cold she was, so we left early to shut her up. In fact, we didn't know the Bills had won till we got home and stopped at a friend's house and he yelled WOW WHATTA GAME! OOOOOO I was mad.

 

UGH. Thanks for making me remember.

[KRT88]

1978 Bills vs Baltimore Colts. It was a beautiful September day and Curtis Brown returned a 102 (or 104) yard kickoff return for a TD staright at us in the scoreboard endzone. I was 9 years old and their were plenty of other visits to Rich in the future with my dad. Great memories and when i think about them I get a tear in my eye knowing how my dad's alzheimers has begun to steal these memories from him. I believe the Bills won 24-10.

[LewPort71]

Sept. 3 1975..Pre-Season game against the Browns. It was a night game and it was warm. OJ was in the middle of a big hold out and that put a damper on the game. We went with EdinKC and his wife. Bills won 28-10 and we had a lot of fun. Ed had to drive his car as mine had Ohio plates. Me and Mrs. Lew had come up from Marietta Ohio.

 

First real season game was in 1981. A 21-14 victory over the Redskins. It was cold and windy. We went with a couple who were friends of Mrs. Lew from her days at Daemen College... Other than the cold, it was great

[Chandler#81]

August 1973 - first game in the stadium. It was a preseason game against the Redskins. It started oddly enough - the stands half empty because of the traffic jams, 'Skins RB Duane Thomas climbing into the crowd during the National Anthem to get at a fan who he said threw a thermos at him, and then the Redskins returning the opening kickoff for a TD.

 

Ditto for me. Traffic has never been worse at the stadium than it was that August evening. Half the stadium wasn't seated for the infamous kickoff.

 

My next game was mid seaon that year -the Monday Nighter vs. KC with Howard Cosell, when Juice reached 1000 yds half way through the season. Then the following years' home opener vs. the Raiders. Great times, Man!

[Yoho]

August 1973 - first game in the stadium. It was a preseason game against the Redskins. It started oddly enough - the stands half empty because of the traffic jams, 'Skins RB Duane Thomas climbing into the crowd during the National Anthem to get at a fan who he said threw a thermos at him, and then the Redskins returning the opening kickoff for a TD.

 

Maybe the place is cursed...

 

Never thought about it before, but I was at the opening game. We correctly predicted the traffic jam so we showed up around 3 for the 8:00 game. Was a college kid at the time, so we tailgated until game time. I remember we drank near a bunch of gravestones behind a fence right at the stadium site. Wonder if it is still there? I guess we were among the first tailgaters in the history of the Ralph. Herb Mul-Key ran back the kickoff.

[KnightRider]

I believe it was the game versus the Patsies where Roland Hooks (?) caught the game winner at the tail end of the game. Naturally I missed it because my husband's best friend brought his whiny wife who complained the whole game how cold she was, so we left early to shut her up. In fact, we didn't know the Bills had won till we got home and stopped at a friend's house and he yelled WOW WHATTA GAME! OOOOOO I was mad.

 

UGH. Thanks for making me remember.

 

That was my second game! We left early, too.

[Just Jack]

I remember we drank near a bunch of gravestones behind a fence right at the stadium site. Wonder if it is still there?

Still there, near gates 8 & 9.

[silvermike]

I forget which year this was, but it was Bills-Patriots game that we won 14-0. I remember my dad lifting me up to watch Thurman Thomas run 80 yards down the sideline for the first score, and then later, as the Pats were driving, chanting INT! INT! INT! with my friend - and being rewarded with a pick moments later.

[robkmil]

I think you are right...IIRC, he was ejected from the game after the opening kick off...kind of a crummy way to end a great career.

 

Heres how he was ejected, our punt returner used a fair catch signal and stood around the 10 yard line to fake out the defense and let the ball bounce behind him and into the end zone. The punt team then smoked our returner. No penalty due to the fact that he was not attempting to catch the ball. Tasker and Bills' nation got pissed.

 

Then we punted the return team used a fair catch signal and camped under the ball. Tasker smoked him. they threw a flag he complained and got kicked out the game.

[Yoho]

Still there, near gates 8 & 9.

Thanks. In that case, we were definitely the first to tailgate near the cemetary

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

My next game was mid seaon that year -the Monday Nighter vs. KC with Howard Cosell, when Juice reached 1000 yds half way through the season. Then the following years' home opener vs. the Raiders. Great times, Man!

We had tickets for that KC Monday Nighter, but it was sprinkling and my Pop refused to bring my brother and me. I listened to the game in my room - I don't recall being more pissed off ever - before or since. I was 11.

 

And I was at that Raiders game too. First time they ever lost on a Monday Night.

[Patience]

I forget which year this was, but it was Bills-Patriots game that we won 14-0. I remember my dad lifting me up to watch Thurman Thomas run 80 yards down the sideline for the first score, and then later, as the Pats were driving, chanting INT! INT! INT! with my friend - and being rewarded with a pick moments later.

 

That was in '90...

[Huuuge Bills]

My first game at the ralph was 31-0 against the pats* to open the season. I won seasons off of the TV (From watching that 70's show) and I got a nice fire and ice grill to go along with it. I couldn't speak for a week after that game.

[Chalkie Gerzowski]

1977 against the new england patriettes......without consulting Relentless I remember the score 20-7 patriettes*.

 

Jim Braxton had the Bills td but for some reason used to think it was Roosevelt Leaks.

 

Always thought OJ was in the game but he busted up his knee a week or two prior to that.

 

Game was boring, attendance was dismal. Let's not forget that horrid scoreboard with the worst replays in history.

 

 

I was only 6, I don't remember much from the game.

[LewPort71]

I had to consult Relentless....

When ya get old like me, the memory goes..after the knees...

When I got Relentless, I marked in the book each game I attended and with whom...

Some of the attendance numbers listed are amazing...

[Ned Flanders]

I believe it was the game versus the Patsies where Roland Hooks (?) caught the game winner at the tail end of the game. Naturally I missed it because my husband's best friend brought his whiny wife who complained the whole game how cold she was, so we left early to shut her up. In fact, we didn't know the Bills had won till we got home and stopped at a friend's house and he yelled WOW WHATTA GAME! OOOOOO I was mad.

 

UGH. Thanks for making me remember.

I stayed and we were in the upper deck near one of the tunnels, on the aisle. Hooks catches the TD, crowd (or what was left of it) goes wild. Just about that time, I look down the tunnel and guys are flying out of the restrooms, after hearing the cheers, some with their pants still down around their ankles.

 

Funniest damn thing I've ever seen.

[SouthernMan]

I still remember my first trip to Rich Stadium. It was 1993. I live in Texas and my dad drove our entire family all the way to Orchard Park so I could see where my Bills played. It was in the summer and I remember when we drove up, I was in awe looking at the super bowl logos painted on the outside marquee. Even though we lost those games, I still loved seeing the logos-reminded me of our team's accomplishments. My family went to the front desk and we told the secretary where we had driven from. She called someone from the front office and they escorted my family around the stadium. I was amazed at the generosity of the Bills staff on duty that day. As we left, I told the secretary that we were going back to the Super Bowl again the next year (which we did- SB 28). A few years later, I came back to Ralph Wilson Stadium to see the Bills play- it was a December game against Jacksonville (Steve Tasker's last game). I loved seeing the snow coming down and I loved going to downtown Buffalo. My family and I went around downtown throwing snowballs at each other everywhere we went- the locals knew we were from out of town. The atmosphere of the fans and the town was great. I wish I was able to make it up there more.

 

It got me thinking, when was your first game at the Ralph/Rich Stadium and what was it like? Or the Rockpile, for the old timers?

 

 

October 29, 1973

Bills 1st ever Monday Night game.

 

My brother and I took a shuttle bus from Transit & Main to the game at the new stadium. We weren't quite old enough to drive yet, and those were the days when parents gave you a ticket and sent you on your way. We didn't have cell phones so I don't remember how they knew when to pick us up. We probably walked home from the bus stop...up hill the whole way....in 4 feet of snow...in flip-flops.

 

We sat in Club seats (great view/site lines) a few rows in front of the booth where Howard Cosell, Don Meredith, and Frank Gifford were announcing the game.

 

Game 7, and OJ broke the record for most carries in a game as well as surpassing the 1000 yard mark halfway through the 14 game season. It was then that the talk of a 2000 yard season began.

 

The Bills won 23-14.

 

I don't think I went to any other games that year, so probably my next one was the opener the following year - another Monday nighter against the Raiders. Probably in the top 10 of most exciting Bills game. OJ sidelined with injury and Ahmad Rashad and Joe Ferguson hooked up for the game winner with seconds left. I think there were like 3 scores in the final 2 minutes.

 

But there's still nothing like that 1st time - walking through the inner corridors of the stadium, hearing the buzz, and then walking out through the tunnel thingy and seeing the field all lit, the players warming up, the (at the time) high tech scoreboard. Wow! Great memory and many more since.

[swede316]

Nov 20th 1988...Jets vs Bills.....Yes FANDAMONIUM...I did storm he field that day too..(Statute of Limitations..haha)...Never forget it because of that and the next week I went to Navy boot camp!