As my beloved Buffalo Bills won its first playoff game in more than 25 years, their fan base – known as “Bills Mafia – is getting plenty of attention.
While the Bills Mafia is well known for its hard-partying tailgates and recorded jumps through folding tables, to me, Bills fandom means family.
My grandfathers both were diehard Bills fans, cheering them from their beginnings in 1960, through their American Football League championship days, to their struggles through the 1970s.
One grandfather passed away in the mid-70s, never getting to see the Bills succeed in the National Football League. The other passed away in late 1990s, after the Bills teased us with a resurgence in the early 1980s and then made a historic and heart-breaking run of losing in four straight Super Bowls from 1990-1994.
My father, like my brother and me, is also a diehard fan. He took us to games – usually a game a year, often in the cold, wind and snow – starting in 1979 through the early 90s. He was a season-ticket holder for a few years during the Super Bowl runs and we enjoyed going a few playoff games with him.
My family – my wife, two daughters and son – are also diehard fans. Despite living about eight hours from Buffalo, we’ve gotten to a few games over the years, at home and on the road.
The Bills’ latest resurgence has been even more fun, celebrating with my family, my parents, my in-laws and other fans who have stuck with the team through thick and thin. And like sharing family history, I’ve enjoyed understanding and then teaching Buffalo Bills history.
It’s also become a significant focus of my autograph collection.
The Bills became a charter member of the AFL in 1960, playing to a 5-8 record. One autograph project I’ve enjoyed is picking up signatures of teams from that first team. I have numerous cards signed by those players as well as a team photo signed by a dozen players.
Several players shared written memories with me – all mentioning the enthusiasm of the city and fan base – and fully reminding me my fandom has linked me to my grandfathers and all of their fellow fans in the 60s.
Signature Stories 