Why are you a Bills Fan?

[Ann]

What made you become a Bills fan? How long have you been rooting boys in red, white, and blue?

IOW, what's your Bills Fan story?!?

 

[Ann]

For myself... I have been a fan since the 70s. I have no idea why I started watching football. I do not have older brothers and my father never watched football (my parents were die hard hockey fans and had Sabres season tickets since they were an expansion team until about 10 years ago (they gave them up for health reasons)). I had to figure out the rules, figure out the plays, etc.  and there was no one to ask. In hindsight, I am kinda surprised I stuck with it. I do enjoy the game of football though.

Over the years my grandfather started watching Bills games with me. He would always call after a game if we did not watch together. I had friends that were fans and we'd go to games together. 

When I married my husband, he had not watched football in years. The '85 Bears were the last real time he dedicated  time to watching pro-football (he grew up in Chicago). Since he played football in high school, I was able to coax him back into watching the game. 🙂  He is now a Bills fan, crabbing and complaining when they lose, happy when they win.  🏈
 

[Sig1Hunter]

My formative football years were the mid to late 80s. Even though I grew up in central Florida, I always found my identity in my central NY birthplace (even though I left as young kid). The Bills were getting good, and they were the upstate team (IMO). It just kinda happened. No one else in my family is a die hard Bills fan though. 

[LeviF91]

Born into it. I imagine most are the same. My dad’s first game was at the rockpile when he was in college. Mine was at the Ralph for Jim Kelly’s wall of fame ceremony during the 3-13 Rob Johnson season, it was my present for my 10th birthday.
 

One of my earliest memories is sitting in a grocery store parking lot with my dad listening to a Bills game on the radio. He’d volunteer to drive across the river to the other grocery store on sundays if the Bills weren’t on TV because we’d be able to hear it on the radio there while we couldn’t pick it up at the house. 

[Boyst]

12 minutes ago, LeviF91 said:

Born into it. I imagine most are the same. My dad’s first game was at the rockpile when he was in college. Mine was at the Ralph for Jim Kelly’s wall of fame ceremony during the 3-13 Rob Johnson season, it was my present for my 10th birthday.
 

One of my earliest memories is sitting in a grocery store parking lot with my dad listening to a Bills game on the radio. He’d volunteer to drive across the river to the other grocery store on sundays if the Bills weren’t on TV because we’d be able to hear it on the radio there while we couldn’t pick it up at the house. 

It's so easy to remember how young you are but I hope you're enjoying your new balance shoes and diaper bag.

 

 

 

Also, first game was a snow game against NE we somehow lost. 90 or 91.  I was born in Brockport and lived there until relocating to Ohio.

Edited October 16, 2020 by Boyst

[LeviF91]

28 minutes ago, Boyst said:

It's so easy to remember how young you are but I hope you're enjoying your new balance shoes and diaper bag.

 

 

OCinBuffalo thought I was a boomer 😖 I had no idea my poasting energy was so bad 

[Walter Buffalo]

My Dad had seasons mid '60's through to the new stadium built in '73. 

 

He gave them up after '73. Too new school for him I guess.

 

But, he definitely made me a Bills fan.

[Deranged Rhino]

Like others, I was born into it albeit with a father who suffered from BBFS. First NFL game I ever went to was a home game against the Vikings in (I think) Bruce’s first year. I was a little guy, but just fell in love with everything about a game day experience at Ralph Wilson Stadium. My mom is a huge fan, and she took me and my brother to all the home playoff games during their super bowl run (but for Houston!!) — and it was locked in before I ever hit high school. 
 

It’s in the blood now. 

[Deranged Rhino]

1 hour ago, Sig1Hunter said:

My formative football years were the mid to late 80s. Even though I grew up in central Florida, I always found my identity in my central NY birthplace (even though I left as young kid). The Bills were getting good, and they were the upstate team (IMO). It just kinda happened. No one else in my family is a die hard Bills fan though. 

Hey! Welcome aboard!  

[whatdrought]

My dad is a Steelers fan having grown up near Pittsburgh, but by the time I came along we lived in WNY, in the Lockport area. So when I was 7 or so, I became obsessed with football, and that obsession centered around The team on TV and the local team. My first memory was the 31-0 drubbing of the Pats. It was pretty much all down hill from there. I have been mocked and ridiculed for years. Moved as a teenager and could have moved on, but stayed with the Bills. Hoping the Allen era will be the reward for my painful suffering.

[AZ.]

My brother and I became fans back in the 60's, following in our dad's footsteps. To be fair, my brother was always way more into sports than I was, but my loyalty to the Bills has remained solid from the start. I remember when Butch Byrd came to our middle school to talk with all the boys in the school auditorium. The following year in my 8th grade, Al Bemiller became a substitute teacher at my school; He was extremely popular to say the least. 

 

I was lucky enough to see some pretty amazing games, at least from a historical perspective. There was the final game at the rockpile (I believe it was against the Detroit Lions - I remember that the police ran onto the field and formed a protective ring around the goalpost at one end, and the fans just ran to the other end and tore that goalpost down instead. I also remember watching the Baltimore Colts and Johnny Unitas absolutely eviscerate the Bills there one Sunday afternoon. 

 

I moved away from WNY in 1982 and have only been back twice since. But no matter where I lived, the Bills have always been my team, and they will remain as such until the end. 

[Dub]

 

I'm a damn fool, lol. I haven't been a loyal fan as long as most of you. 

Unfortunately I've only been a fan since the modern down yrs. specifically 2002. I was a Bungals fan as a kid quit following football as much after the 9ers crushed me. So I missed the glory years here. I've been anxiously awaiting the team we seem to be closer to having now. Although I have no damn idea what has happened to the D from the last couple yrs. Because I have myself on some damn self imposed strike until the playoffs ( pissed @ the NFL) not the Bills. Struggling each wk not watching them. I've been following each wk on the boards comment by comment during the games being a superstitious idiot thinking every time I check back in its causing us problems. Lol.

I will definitely be hitting the board up with Qs but most the time it seems easier just to follow comments during the game. My current lack of knowledge of our team is my own choice so it keeps me from commenting on them. I absolutely love this team though

I live in the NW and get endless joy being one of about 5 Bills fans in a Seattle loving area of the country. I've only had the privilege of seeing them play once in person four yrs ago out here against Seattle it was a damn good game Im sure you guys remember it, Sherman had me pissed. Tyrod almost brought us back but just couldn't score at the end. 

Ive also been force feeding the Bills to my kid that's not that big of a football fan, someday he'll come around and I'm sure they'll be his team until he's an old man. 

I get comments about the Bills just about everytime I'm out, always proud to sport their colors. 

GO BILLS !!!

PS, any other fans up here let me know where your at !

Edited October 16, 2020 by Dub

[Joe]

[NCBillsFan]

Like many others I was born into it in the early 70s. Grew up a straight shot from the stadium down Abbott rd. to Clark st. in Hamburg. I went to my first game at 5 years old. Bills vs. Colts. My only memory of that game is seeing OJ run.  In '88 my Dad bought us season tickets for my birthday.  Section A2. $12 a ticket. Great and cherished memories of time spent with my old man. I kept those seasons all the way through the glory years into the early drought years until I moved to NC. I still attend at least the home opener every year, well until this year of course.

[Chandemonium]

I was born in 1988. Some of my earliest memories, not football memories, but memories period, are of all my aunts and uncles crowded into my grandma’s living room watching the Bills play in the Super Bowl. I barely knew what football was, but I knew we wanted the bills to win. I don’t remember the first two Super Bowls so there was a time when I thought that the Bills would play the Cowboys in the Super Bowl every year. 

[Nouseforaname]

Seemed easier than just cutting myself. 
 

 

[plenzmd1]

18 minutes ago, Meazza said:

Seemed easier than just cutting myself. 
 

 

was gunna say..cause I am an idiot.

 

Weird, my pops was not into sports at all, but somehow my brother and I fell in love with the Bills early in childhood. 

 

Funny story, and some of the older folks may appreciate and the younger ones say no way. My first fandom was a split between the Chiefs and the Bills. Back then, home games were NEVER on tv, sellout or not! Chiefs were always on when the Bills were at home, so i grew tolike them as much as the Bills. That lasted till i was prolly 9 or 10, but still have a soft sport in my heart for Lenny Dawson.

 

Also, who else here had to plead with their Mom to either go to early Mass or  to leave after church after communion cause the Bills were on at 1? Lord, RIP  Mom, but damn that woman would always say a true Catholic  does not go to Mass at 10:30 and never cuts out after communion,  and proper manners dictate we say hi to the Priest and socialize for a bit with other parishioners after church. Would not get home till like 1:20, and there would be my old man, not a Bills fan and not a Catholic, sitting in his chair watching the game just to laugh at me and my brother. Fun times!

[Nouseforaname]

3 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said:

was gunna say..cause I am an idiot.

 

Weird, my pops was not into sports at all, but somehow my brother and I fell in love with the Bills early in childhood. 

 

Funny story, and some of the older folks may appreciate and the younger ones say no way. My first fandom was a split between the Chiefs and the Bills. Back then, home games were NEVER on tv, sellout or not! Chiefs were always on when the Bills were at home, so i grew tolike them as much as the Bills. That lasted till i was prolly 9 or 10, but still have a soft sport in my heart for Lenny Dawson.

 

Also, who else here had to plead with their Mom to either go to early Mass or  to leave after church after communion cause the Bills were on at 1? Lord, RIP  Mom, but damn that woman would always say a true Catholic  does not go to Mass at 10:30 and never cuts out after communion,  and proper manners dictate we say hi to the Priest and socialize for a bit with other parishioners after church. Would not get home till like 1:20, and there would be my old man, not a Bills fan and not a Catholic, sitting in his chair watching the game just to laugh at me and my brother. Fun times!

My parents stopped forcing me to go to mass after I was confirmed. 

[LB3]

Born into it. I was seven when the Bills made their first Super Bowl. I grew up thinking the Bills would just always be in the Super Bowl. We would go to one or two games a year. The best was when my dad would get his company tickets. Midfield about 15 rows up. We always made sure to get in as early as possible. One game OJ was there doing some pregame sideline reporting. My older brother was a huge fan so he was shouting at him. OJ looked at him, smiled and gave a big thumbs up. We still joke about whether the black glove he was wearing that day was the one. I've remained a diehard optimist about the team my entire life.

Edited October 16, 2020 by LB3

[Billsfan1959]

My first game was a 48-6 ass kicking by the Raiders in 1968, and the game wasn't as close as the score might indicate...

 

However, I was nine years old, sitting with my father at the Rockpile on a fall day, and seeing my team live for the very first time. I have been a diehard fan since I was eight, which means I have been passionately rooting for the Bills for 53 seasons. Over that span they have had a .452 winning percentage, only 19 winning seasons (only 12 in which they won more than 9 games), only 12 playoff years, and only 12 playoff wins (with 9 of those coming in the 4 SB seasons - meaning only 3 playoff wins in the other 49 seasons).

 

It has been worse for my son, whose experiences as a fan truly began with the Music City Miracle and went down hill from there. Since I am responsible for his love of the Bills, I am sure there are many states in which I would be arrested and prosecuted for facilitating the emotional abuse of my own child...

 

The lows:

 

0-20 against the Dolphins in the seventies

Dan Fouts' 50 yard TD pass to Ron Smith with 2 minutes left  to beat the Bills 20-14 in the 1980 playoffs
Ronnie Harmon's drop of the winning TD in the 1989 playoffs
4 straight SB losses (Each in their own excruciating way - but especially the game against the Giants)
The Music City Miracle in the 1999 playoffs

5-35 against the ***Patriots since 2000

 

The highs:

 

The 1980 win against the Dolphins to end the losing streak against them

The sense in the late 80s that the team was developing into something special

Four straight SB appearances

The last year or so in which I have felt much as I did in the late 80s

 

My very favorite moments:

 

The telephone conversations I have with my son before and after every game sharing the same passion. 

 

Go Bills!!!!!

Edited October 16, 2020 by Billsfan1959