How did you become a Bills fan?

**Judge** · 02-08-2003, 08:26 AM

I was raised a Bills fan- kind of like I was raised in my family's religion.

**The_Philster** · 02-08-2003, 08:27 AM

I never followed football at all growing up...sheltered that I was. My closest friend in school was a Fish fan so when the Pats beat them to go to Super Bowl XX, I started rooting for the Bears...that game was the first I ever watched. I didn't pay much attention outside the standings after that. Then, just before I was due to leave for the Air Force, helmetguy had me by his house and we watched football all day long. (Jets-Eagles and Chiefs-Raiders were the day games). He told me about the team....Thurman, Tasker, BRUCE, and the rest and by the time we kicked off against the Giants, I was hooked.

**shelby** · 02-08-2003, 08:28 AM

Cool story, Double M.

i lived in Tonawanda and Orchard Park when i was little. My brothers were cub scouts, and i begged and pleaded to tag along with them the day they visited Rich Stadium. i remember walking through the locker room, and onto the field.....and the sense of amazement i felt.
i have been a Bills fan ever since.
Ironically enough, my brothers went through a phase where one was a Cowboys fan and the other a Vikings fan

.....and now they share season tickets for the Buccaneers. They make fun of me for my Bills liscence plate, and my Zone bumper sticker, and my Wire jersey and my Bills jacket......but my loyalty will not change.

**Mr. Miyagi** · 02-08-2003, 09:04 AM

Originally posted by shelby
They make fun of me for my Bills liscence plate, and my Zone bumper sticker, and my Wire jersey and my Bills jacket......but my loyalty will not change.

You have a Bills license plate? Does it look something like this?

**Cntrygal** · 02-08-2003, 09:22 AM

Originally posted by Judge
I was raised a Bills fan- kind of like I was raised in my family's religion.

Me too.

**Mr. Miyagi** · 02-08-2003, 09:34 AM

It's like the "Nature vs. Nurture" arguement. Some were born with it, some were taught about it later. :)

**Dozerdog** · 02-08-2003, 09:36 AM

Re: How did you become a Bills fan?

Originally posted by Mr. Miyagi
I'm not sure I've ever told you WHY I'm a Bills fan.

Despite the fact that I went to college in Rochester, the 4 years they went to the SB and lost, I have also a funny story to tell that made me a hard core Bills fan.

I think it was in 1996, my friends and I went to a restaurant in Buffalo. Can't remember the name of the place. I watched the Bills then but wasn't a huge fan. We sat down at the table and the topic of the Bills' performance came up. We talked about how Kelly got sacked quite a few times in last week's game, and I got excited and opened my big mouth: "Jim Kelly's a big SISSY!!!"

Sure enough, the person at the next table heard me loud and clear. He turned around and gave me a dirty look, and it was none other than JIM KELLY himself.

I immediately apologized and got up to shook his hand, and explained that I was an idiot. He was nice enough to buy us all a drink.

From that point on, I was a huge Jim Kelly fan as well as a Bills fan.

How about you?

I called Ruben Brown a Fat Pansy- he stuffed me upside down in a trash can - But I got him to sign my ball!

**Tatonka** · 02-08-2003, 11:35 AM

i grew up in dallas, TX, but my father and his side of the family lived here in Richmond, VA. I was visiting one year, i think 1989 when the bills lost to cincy to go to the bowl against the 49ers. my cousin called and asked if i wanted to go to his football game. i said sure.

we got there early, and there was a nother game before his. not sure how old the kids playing were, but they were small for sure. all except for one man. i know a lot of you have seen Jim Kelly before.. but at that age, he just looked like a giant.. Someone told me who he was, and i asked for an autograph. One problem. I didnt have anything for him to sign. he said no problem, catch up with me after the game.

I did. he walked over to a minivan (his brother Pat's I think), got a picture of himself and signed it to me, best of luck!

i was so pumped that a guy actually took the time to do that, that i became an immediate fan of Jim Kelly.. the rest of the team followed soon.

yes, i did live in dallas for the two years of the superbowl when they kicked our butts.

and after the last superbowl, i got my plates on my car changed to ...

4XRNRUP

now they just say

TTONKA

=)

**Mr. Miyagi** · 02-08-2003, 12:04 PM

I love hearing all these Bills stories. Everyone has a very unique past. We all came from a different place but all merged to the same destination.

GO BILLS FANS!!!

**SoCalBillsFan** · 02-08-2003, 02:11 PM

I have a very different story than most, and to be honest it's kinda odd. I know some of you have heard it before, but I like telling it

I think I was 8 years old when super bowls 25 took place. I was just starting to become a football fan, but did not really have a team yet. Iknew I was supposed to be a charger fan, like all my friends in san diego, but it just didn't feel right to me. I just didn't really feel much for the bolts. THe day of super bowl 25 I happened to be travelling with my dad and one of his friends and friend's son. The kid was two years older than me, very loud, arrogant, and I flat out did not like the kid. He spent most of the trip finding ways to tell me he was better than me.
SO anyways the day we went home was super bowl sunday and of course the bIlls were playing the Giants. As luck would have it, the kid was a die hard Giants fan. He spent a great deal of the week talking about how great the giants are and how they were gonna beat the bills. At first I jut ignored the kid, but by sunday I definately wanted the Giants to lose. Of course that meant rooting for the bills.
We landed in San Diego during the middle of the fourth quarter. OF course the game was so close we couldn't just leave, so here I was 8 years old watching the game in one of those airport bars with my dad and our company, surrounded by a bunch of screaming fans. I don't remember much of the game, except the Bills final drive. During that drive something clicked. Maybe it was thurman's runnig, of jim taking control, I dont know, but I have never wanted a team to win so badly in my life than I wanted the bills to win that day. It wasn't even about the kid I didn't like anymore.
SO of course the kicked sailed wide right, and as everyone else began to scream i just kinda sat there in shock. And from that day on I've been a bills fan my whole life. Growing up nobody understood, my charger fan friends didn't get it. But it was ok. I had had the privelege of being enlightened, and they just didn't understand. kind of a weird story I know, but hey, it's who I am

**JefftheBillsfan** · 02-08-2003, 02:18 PM

I liked the Giants untill the Bills/Giants super bowl. After that, I fell in love with Thurman Thomas. Then after that...then Jimbo..then Biscuite...and so on. I was only a little boy and I remember k-mart had a promotion that year...you bought oil and you got a NFL team hat. I picked a Bills one. Never looked back.

**TigerJ** · 02-08-2003, 07:21 PM

I was a Browns fan during the sixties. It was the post Jim Brown era. I remember LeRoy Kelly was their running back and some guy named Ryan was their QB. I rooted for them because they were the closest NFL team. Then the Bills drafted a fellow named O J Simpson and signed him away from the NFL when the AFL and NFL were bitter rivals. I was hooked ever since.

**Billz_fan** · 02-08-2003, 07:48 PM

Originally posted by TigerJ
I was a Browns fan during the sixties. It was the post Jim Brown era. I remember LeRoy Kelly was their running back and some guy named Ryan was their QB. I rooted for them because they were the closest NFL team. Then the Bills drafted a fellow named O J Simpson and signed him away from the NFL when the AFL and NFL were bitter rivals. I was hooked ever since.

Oh man I am old

,

That fellow at QB was Frank Ryan #13 in your programs. The fellow who took over for him was Bill Nelson #16

There was also a young man there playing wide reciever who was quite a site to behold. His name was Paul Warfield and dam was he good.

Anyway my story is a simple one. I for my entire childhood and teenage years was a fan of the Los Angeles Rams my walls covered with posters OF Roman Gabriel and Deacon Jones.

It was about 1979 when the boss I was working for gave me 2 tickets to a Bills game. I had never been to a Pro Football game.
The day I walked through that tunnel and looked out over Rich Stadium I was hooked. I remember my first thoughts that day.

Wow !! Look at the colors how bright they are. I need a new television :p It was very easy to get into rooting for the Bills with everyone else there leading the way. I loved being a part of that crowd at the games. After that season I went to at least 4 games every year from 1980-1998 when I had to move to FL.

**Mr. Miyagi** · 02-08-2003, 08:44 PM

Originally posted by SoCalBillsFan
I have a very different story than most, and to be honest it's kinda odd. I know some of you have heard it before, but I like telling it

I think I was 8 years old when super bowls 25 took place. I was just starting to become a football fan, but did not really have a team yet. Iknew I was supposed to be a charger fan, like all my friends in san diego, but it just didn't feel right to me. I just didn't really feel much for the bolts. THe day of super bowl 25 I happened to be travelling with my dad and one of his friends and friend's son. The kid was two years older than me, very loud, arrogant, and I flat out did not like the kid. He spent most of the trip finding ways to tell me he was better than me.
SO anyways the day we went home was super bowl sunday and of course the bIlls were playing the Giants. As luck would have it, the kid was a die hard Giants fan. He spent a great deal of the week talking about how great the giants are and how they were gonna beat the bills. At first I jut ignored the kid, but by sunday I definately wanted the Giants to lose. Of course that meant rooting for the bills.
We landed in San Diego during the middle of the fourth quarter. OF course the game was so close we couldn't just leave, so here I was 8 years old watching the game in one of those airport bars with my dad and our company, surrounded by a bunch of screaming fans. I don't remember much of the game, except the Bills final drive. During that drive something clicked. Maybe it was thurman's runnig, of jim taking control, I dont know, but I have never wanted a team to win so badly in my life than I wanted the bills to win that day. It wasn't even about the kid I didn't like anymore.
SO of course the kicked sailed wide right, and as everyone else began to scream i just kinda sat there in shock. And from that day on I've been a bills fan my whole life. Growing up nobody understood, my charger fan friends didn't get it. But it was ok. I had had the privelege of being enlightened, and they just didn't understand. kind of a weird story I know, but hey, it's who I am

I LOVE your story SoCal.

You told it so well I could totally just picture the whole young 8 year old mind clicking right there in the airport bar.

How did you become a Bills fan?

How did you become a Bills fan?

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