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


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Bills vs Cowboys.....Kelly was out, Todd Collins played.....we beat the boys, I remember we missed the kickoff and when I walked out of the tunnel to get to our seats the hair on the back of my neck stood up....awesome.

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My first trip was the last game of the season in 1975, and I and my three high school friends drove through a blizzard to get to the game from Rochester. We got there in time for the kickoff, but just barely. We had tickets way up on top, and there was several inches of snow on the seats when we got there that needed brushing off. The Bills were playing the Vikings, and it was a sad, sad day. The Vikings just kicked their ass and it never stopped snowing. When we came out to the car, the battery was dead, because I left the lights on! Thankfully, we called AAA and they were there in minutes. My friends bought me a set of jumper cables after that. The food was good, but the wind and the cold were brutal. Too bad the Vikes won.

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Believe it or don't.

 

My first trip to Rich Stadium was not until week two of the 1975 season. I used my brother's season tickets.

I lived in NJ at the time and did not get home much. I moved back to Silver Lake in the winter of '74 and was dirt poor. I had lost touch with the Bills a bit, because they were not on TV in NJ unless they played the Jets (or Giants) or were on MNF.

 

I remember:

 

they won (beat the Steelers)

the weather was great

the first time I walked out of the upper deck ramp and looked down at the field, it took a few minutes for my mind to absorb the SIZE of the place!

it took my breath away!

 

Remember my only games before that were at the Rockpile, which was not HALF the size of Rich Stadium!

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My first trip was the last game of the season in 1975, and I and my three high school friends drove through a blizzard to get to the game from Rochester. We got there in time for the kickoff, but just barely. We had tickets way up on top, and there was several inches of snow on the seats when we got there that needed brushing off. The Bills were playing the Vikings, and it was a sad, sad day. The Vikings just kicked their ass and it never stopped snowing. When we came out to the car, the battery was dead, because I left the lights on! Thankfully, we called AAA and they were there in minutes. My friends bought me a set of jumper cables after that. The food was good, but the wind and the cold were brutal. Too bad the Vikes won.

 

You called AAA? You mean to say that you were in a parking lot full of Bills fans in the cold of December and couldn't find a single good saramatin with a set of jumper cables willing to give you a boost? You must be kidding. Did you stand around post-tailgating for a few hours and end up being the last ones attempting to leave?

 

I don't know what's more unbelievable - that you actually had to call AAA or the fact that they were there in minutes.

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Can't remember year, but it was Jeff George's first game for the Colts and Bruuuuce knocked him out of the game.

 

'90 season opener. The birth of the no-huddle! IIRC, Biscuit was atop George on his last play in his first game.

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Believe it or don't.

 

My first trip to Rich Stadium was not until week two of the 1975 season. I used my brother's season tickets.

I lived in NJ at the time and did not get home much. I moved back to Silver Lake in the winter of '74 and was dirt poor. I had lost touch with the Bills a bit, because they were not on TV in NJ unless they played the Jets (or Giants) or were on MNF.

 

I remember:

 

they won (beat the Steelers)

the weather was great

the first time I walked out of the upper deck ramp and looked down at the field, it took a few minutes for my mind to absorb the SIZE of the place!

it took my breath away!

 

Remember my only games before that were at the Rockpile, which was not HALF the size of Rich Stadium!

Ummmm....Rock, that 1975 game was AT Pittsburgh.

 

Linky

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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.

 

I made Super Bowl reservations following that beatdown of the Pats!

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My grandfather worked for the Bills in the late 70s and 80s. First time had to be around 1980. I remember i was wearing a Falcons coat and Fred Smerlas got pissed(jokingly) so he and Hasslet made the trainer find me something else to wear. I grew up loveing the Bills and whenever we went back my grandfather would get me into the stadium and locker rooms before and after the games. I think that is where i learned all the swear words i use today.

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Sept 1979? I was 17 and just started following the Bills, went with my dad to his Firehall and piled in a charter bus with all his firemen buddies, as if that wasnt wild enough it was the dolphines game when we finally broke the losing streak. They stormed the field and passed the goal post up the stands. Later, as the bus was rolling out of the parking lot, I remember seeing drunk guys carrying broken pieces of goal posts. THATS WHEN IT ALL STARTED!!!!!!!!!

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When I was going to UB I lived in the dorms, and most of the people I knew were from downstate. Back then, I didn't follow the Buffalo sports teams particularly closely. I went with some Jets fans to a Jets game. Checking the schedules, I'm going to guess 1977. It rained pretty much the entire game, and there were lots of empty seats. We just sat in some available seats in the lower bowl, and during the break between 1st and 2nd quarters, ran around to the other side so the action would still be in front of us. One of the Jets fans got a beer tossed on him, but it didn't matter because everyone had rain gear on.

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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?

 

1981 vs. Redskins. My father and his friends went to the games a lot and tailgated. This time they decided to take us kids. We were all about 10-11 years old at the time. Great game, Bills won. I remember being freezing cold, Theismann getting taunted and pounding the turf like a little baby in a fit of tantrum and Mario Clark sealing the game with a pic. One of the kids barfed about a half dozen times on the way home, including once all over the rest of us kids in the backseat of my fathers' cadillac. As a result, we had to stay in the car while the dads ate at that Italian place on 20A in East Aurora. The last Bills game my father ever attended. I haven't been able to get him to go again.

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Bills Eagles 90-91 season...

 

I was about 7 years old with my Dad. Bills opened the game in the no huddle exclusively.. something along the lines of 24-3 after the first quarter... Also remember Randal Cunningham having a miraculous safety eluding 98 yard TD pass..

 

GO BILLS

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