Need an older bills fan to help me understand something

[BillsFanCupp38]

I was looking at some of my older football cards and noticed that in 1986 we played the Kansas City Chiefs twice in the regular season. Can anyone tell me why that was?

[Cntrygal]

Hmmm....

Good question. I can't remember ...

So either I'm not as old as I thought, or that I'm older than I thought.

[Woodman]

http-::huddleball.com:blog:the-history-of-the-bills-chiefs-series:

1986 – It would not be until 1986 that the Bills and Chiefs played meaningful games. They met twice that season with rookie Jim Kelly leading the Bills to victory in week 13. That loss dropped KC to a 7-6 record. Chiefs’ fans had to believe their 15 year drought of missing the playoffs would continue after losing to a mediocre Bills’ team. But, they rallied to three straight wins including a dominant win over the eventual AFC champion Broncos. Kansas City lost in the wild card game to the Jets, 35-15.

[sukie]

Same thing 85 with Chargers... why home and home non division

[Turf]

Probably because they had an old fat guy with a cigar in his mouth make the schedules. They weren't as standardized as they are now.

[YardRat]

Don't know the answer, but it was before re-alignment and playing inter-conference divisions, and there were only 28 teams. Both Buffalo and KC finished in last place in their 5 team divisions the season before. However, the same formula didn't hold true for the NFC schedule as Tampa and St Louis didn't play twice in '86.

[Woodman]

Did they have 4 games scheduled with the NFC in 1986?

I don't think so .... they expanded to 16 games but never scheduled 4 games against the NFC until 1989.

[Cntrygal]

http-::huddleball.com:blog:the-history-of-the-bills-chiefs-series:

1986 – It would not be until 1986 that the Bills and Chiefs played meaningful games. They met twice that season with rookie Jim Kelly leading the Bills to victory in week 13. That loss dropped KC to a 7-6 record. Chiefs’ fans had to believe their 15 year drought of missing the playoffs would continue after losing to a mediocre Bills’ team. But, they rallied to three straight wins including a dominant win over the eventual AFC champion Broncos. Kansas City lost in the wild card game to the Jets, 35-15.

Unless I missed it (and while interesting), it doesn't answer the "Why?".

[Jan Reimers]

I've been around since the inaugural 1960 season, and if I once knew and paid attention, I forgot a long time ago.

[Mace]

Haha, funny you should ask. I was doing shots with Pete Rozelle (the Commissioner at the time) at some sleazy dive in Newark, Shots of Jack....hm....or maybe it was Jim Beam....ah, anyway, I told him I used to love the Chiefs back in the Len Dawson days. Pete, deep in his cups, says "Hey...you wanna Billsh playsh 'em twishe ?" I says to him, I says "Absholuteee".

Wait....at the least I know it was a sleazy dive in Newark with shots and a guy named Pete....or Paul.....Pasquale....P-something, and the Chiefs came up. Or it might have been about something else. I remember it like it was yesterday, only 34 years ago clouded heavily by a huge quantity of alcohol and likely some narcotics.

Or maybe it wasn't Newark....might have been Clancy's on Main St. Ok ok.....the dude was Native American and we were talking about Pete Rozelle....it's much more clear.....or not Pete Rozelle, a different guy named Pete....or Paul or something, who was supposed to score for us, but took off with our money. We went to his apt but he wasn't home and his gf yelled at us, so we were trying to figure out if we had to go back twice, but we were too drunk to want to. No, he wasn't Native American, he was an Indian from India. Patel or something...and it was a bar on Genesee. No...that's not right....

Hm....anyway, I sure don't know.

[sukie]

Haha, funny you should ask. I was doing shots with Pete Rozelle (the Commissioner at the time) at some sleazy dive in Newark, Shots of Jack....hm....or maybe it was Jim Beam....ah, anyway, I told him I used to love the Chiefs back in the Len Dawson days. Pete, deep in his cups, says "Hey...you wanna Billsh playsh 'em twishe ?" I says to him, I says "Absholuteee".

Wait....at the least I know it was a sleazy dive in Newark with shots and a guy named Pete....or Paul.....Pasquale....P-something, and the Chiefs came up. Or it might have been about something else. I remember it like it was yesterday, only 34 years ago clouded heavily by a huge quantity of alcohol and likely some narcotics.

Or maybe it wasn't Newark....might have been Clancy's on Main St. Ok ok.....the dude was Native American and we were talking about Pete Rozelle....it's much more clear.....or not Pete Rozelle, a different guy named Pete....or Paul or something, who was supposed to score for us, but took off with our money. We went to his apt but he wasn't home and his gf yelled at us, so we were trying to figure out if we had to go back twice, but we were too drunk to want to. No, he wasn't Native American, he was an Indian from India. Patel or something...and it was a bar on Genesee. No...that's not right....

Hm....anyway, I sure don't know.

Scrotal pain, rancid anal discharge and thoughts of suicide subsided? Or are theses different meds?

[sahlensguy]

Scrotal pain, rancid anal discharge and thoughts of suicide subsided? Or are theses different meds?

No that's what happened. I was there. Bought myself a nice turntable and speakers with the money.

[Mace]

Scrotal pain, rancid anal discharge and thoughts of suicide subsided? Or are theses different meds?

Nah, it's my version of clarity. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Heh, I remember back in '97......or maybe it was '81.......might have been '8917....ah....anyway.

- - - Updated - - -

No that's what happened. I was there. Bought myself a nice turntable and speakers with the money.

YOU !

[Woodman]

Unless I missed it (and while interesting), it doesn't answer the "Why?".

The why is they wanted a 16 game schedule before they thought about using the NFC for 4 of those games like they do now and have been doing since 1989.

They were used twice in 1986,1987 and 1988 not until 1989 did they ever use the NFC for 4 instead of 2 games and have ever since. It all just depended on where you finished the year before on who you would be scheduled to play prior to then.

[sukie]

I only see 86 chiefs 85 chargers only. Woodman theory falls apart

[Ed]

I'm guessing it had something to do with the fact that the AFC Central and NFC West only had 4 teams while the other 4 divisions all had 5 teams. I'm not sure how scheduling worked exactly, but having uneven divisions probably caused some scheduling quirks.

[YardRat]

There are more oddities of the '86 schedule when you look at other teams.

Buffalo only played 2 NFC teams, but the Colts (in the same division as Buffalo at that time) played all four teams in the NFC West. As a matter of fact all of the other teams in the AFC East played the four teams in the NFC West, Buffalo was the only one that didn't.

[YardRat]

The AFC West played the NFC East also, but only the top four teams (Philly, Dallas, Washington and the Giants). St Louis (fifth place the year before) didn't play the entire west but played Buffalo and Kansas City...and Tampa Bay twice (also 5th in their division the year before).

So it must have something to do with the 5th place finishes. Instead of playing the top four teams from an NFC division, the fifth place teams played both of the fifth place teams in the opposite conference, plus the other fifth place team in their own conference twice.

[Mace]

The AFC West played the NFC East also, but only the top four teams (Philly, Dallas, Washington and the Giants). St Louis (fifth place the year before) didn't play the entire west but played Buffalo and Kansas City...and Tampa Bay twice (also 5th in their division the year before).

So it must have something to do with the 5th place finishes. Instead of playing the top four teams from an NFC division, the fifth place teams played both of the fifth place teams in the opposite conference, plus the other fifth place team in their own conference twice.

I guess that's the simple answer.

[TigerJ]

I am pretty confident that the current formula for building the schedule didn't exist in the mid 80s, but I don't know what system was used.