On This Date in Bills History....

[Historian]

1973- The Bills play their first ever home game at Rich Stadium, and defeat the Jets 9-7. The game is also significant because it is the first Bills home game that has ever had the local tv blackout lifted.

1979- Buffalo improves to 3-2 as they soundly beat the Colts, 31-13.

1987- Ex-Bills Ken Jones and Jim Haslett join the Jets scab team.

1990- Sparked by Cornellius Bennett's blocked field goal return for a touchdown, the Bills score twenty points in a span of 77 seconds to defeat the visiting Broncos, 29-28.

2001- Kris Farris breaks a leg, as the Bills bow to the Steelers 20-3.

[The_Philster]

Re: On This Date in Bills History....

1990- Sparked by Cornellius Bennett's blocked field goal return for a touchdown, the Bills score twenty points in a span of 77 seconds to defeat the visiting Broncos, 29-28..

That's why I'll never count us out til that final click of the clock

[vicmantak]

Re: On This Date in Bills History....

That's why I'll never count us out til that final click of the clock

It's still amazing remember this game but I don't remeber who returned this blocked field goal... Talley, Jones?

[The_Philster]

Re: On This Date in Bills History....

It's still amazing remember this game but I don't remeber who returned this blocked field goal... Talley, Jones?

It was Bennett who returned it...Odomes made the block

[vicmantak]

Re: On This Date in Bills History....

It was Bennett who returned it...Odomes made the block

Thanks Philster. It's really nice to remember those days.
Anyway, this "flash" really deserves a very special place on Bills History!

[Historian]

Re: On This Date in Bills History....

Thanks Philster. It's really nice to remember those days.
Anyway, this "flash" really deserves a very special place on Bills History!

That was some game, wasn't it?

Denver had us boxed up for three quarters, and all it took was one big play on special teams to break the game open.

And that's what's been missing this year.

[Ebenezer]

Re: On This Date in Bills History....

2001- Kris Farris breaks a leg.

That ruined the whole season.

[pats-were-right]

Re: On This Date in Bills History....

1973- The Bills play their first ever home game at Rich Stadium, and defeat the Jets 9-7. The game is also significant because it is the first Bills home game that has ever had the local tv blackout lifted.

OK educate me - why is this? Did they play in some enormous college stadium before that? Are you telling me in the prior 14 years they never had a home game televised?

[Historian]

Re: On This Date in Bills History....

OK educate me - why is this? Did they play in some enormous college stadium before that? Are you telling me in the prior 14 years they never had a home game televised?

That is correct. In fact, nobody did. It wasn't until Congress passed the 72 hour rule after the 1972 season that a home game on tv was even posible.

The rule was passed because of the Washington Redskins, who made the Super Bowl in 1972, against the undefeated fish with an 11-3 record. All of their games were sold out, yet many in Congress, and government in the Nation's capitol could not see their games, because there was no such thing as a local telecast.

So they Congress pressured the NFL, (which has an anti-trust exemption) and they compromised with the 72 hour rule for the 1973 season.

Hence, no games from War Memorial Stadium were ever broadcast in Buffalo, because the Bills finished playing there in 1972.

I wrote a whole article about it last spring. Perhaps someone can provide a link to it for you to read.

[The_Philster]

Re: On This Date in Bills History....

http://www.billszone.com/mtlog/archives/2005/03/26/blackouts_have_they_out_lived_their_usefulness.php

Here's that link