remembering the Rockpile

[DetDannyWilliams]

http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=BN&Date=20141004&Category=PHOTOGALLERIES&ArtNo=100409996&Ref=PH

[YardRat]

Never attended an event at the Rockpile.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Went to 1 Bison's game in '67 or so.

[Night Train]

I was born into a season ticket family. 4 seats in row 19, 4 right behind in row 20 on the 45 yard line. First game, 1965. Probably attended 2 dozen games at the Rockpile as a kid.

A very happy black man with a deep voice would sell peanuts in these small brown square bags. He was at Rich stadium the first 5-6 years.. Back then, it was like 4 for a dollar.

My relatives would bring a case of beer in and hand out bottles. The smell of cigars,cigs,hot dogs,burgers...that distinct echo of the PA system..

Those great blue home jerseys..seeing Lance Alworth, George Blanda, Joe Namath...


It was a wonderful time to be young.I wouldn't trade those AFL memories for anything.

The best years of our lives.

[Mace]

I used to go to Bisons games there early 80's...Double and Triple A.

Relatives would tell me of watching the Bills there and recite the names with reverence.

Went past it heading downtown more times than I can remember.

I can still picture it vividly in my head, huge and powerful from the outside in the urban landscape, huge and imposing inside. Even in decline, you would get this profound sense of Bills history in it when you looked around, like you could just about see yesterday if you tried, stands filled, legendary players on the field.

It was a great News photo gallery.

Edit : Almost forgot. I called it the Rockpile once. My Gram became real serious, "you mean War Memorial Stadium ?" Never called it the rockpile again.

[Historian]

Saw my first game there in 1970,a preseason game against the Falcons.

My fondest memory as a kid was watching the 1971 opener against Dallas in the rain,from a seat in the Jefferson Avenue end zone.

Every game I went to,my Dad would get me a program (Pro!) and a pin with the gumball helmet attached to it,of the team we were playing.

I wish I still had those, they would be worth a fortune today.

[better days]

My love of Pro Football started at War Memorial Stadium.

I still enjoy watching The Natural just to get a glimpse of the old girl.

[pmoon6]

First game was 1963 against the Jets. We parked on a guys' lawn on Dodge. Went to alot of Bison games as well. I got Sibby Sisti's autograph back then. He was a coach with the Bisons and an opposing manager against the Knights in "The Natural".

Great childhood memories and when the Bills' won back to back AFL titles ( I saw both title games on TV), I thought Buffalo was the center of the football universe.

[bleve]

My first ever NFL game was at the Rockpile in '69 against the Bengals in a Snowstorm. You could hardly see the players/field. I didn't care, I was with my Dad, and cousins, and had plenty of hot chocolate.

My Dad probably forgot about the game within a month, but that game is forever burned into my great memories.