Where else would you rather be?
Another Bills season approaches
by KEN BARTOLOTTA Reporter

The Bills Army is one of many tailgating groups that makes Ralph Wilson stadium its own for eight weeks every year.

In Western New York one might argue that there are five seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter and football.

As summer turns to fall, the region will turn its attention to Orchard Park, where zealous fans crowd parking lots as smoke emanates from grills and cheers of '"Let's Go Buffalo," ring from Bills backers of all ages.

In anticipation of Sunday, Sept. 9, The Bee has asked its own staff to recall memories past of the Bills' glory years.

Because Buffalo has staked its claim as one of the strongest tailgating cities in the National Football League, we would be remiss to limit these memories simply to the boundaries of the football field:

Dave Sherman, Bee managing editor: I only tailgated for a Bills game twice, but a playoff game against the Houston Oilers was definitely the better of the two.

It was New Year's Day, 1989 and the first post-season game for the Bills in several years. Rookie Thurman Thomas scored a touchdown in the 17-10 win. The Bills lost to Cincinnati a week later and were eliminated from the playoffs.

Calendars became kindling for a group of firefighters tailgating prior to the Jan. 1, 1989 game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers. Shown are Rick Meldrum, left, Jim Piasecki, Kevin Kroth and John Doerfler. Photo by David F. Sherman

Anticipating a very cold day, I wore my firefighter's "bunker pants" to keep warm as a group of friends gathered in the Rich Stadium parking lot. Someone brought a 55-gallon drum cut in half from top to bottom to serve as a grill, and there were a variety of hamburgers, hot dogs and sausages to go around.

Yet while we had plenty of charcoal, no one brought anything but a pack of matches in order to start the fire. Reluctantly, I offered a stack of yellow Bee Newspapers calendars to serve as kindling. We set fire to the 12 months of the new year, and had lunch in a matter of minutes.

Dean Hutter, Bee advertising manager: Without naming names, I know a couple of guys who went to the Bills games for years. One would buy the season tickets, and the other supplied the tailgate food.

All the food was cooked in the parking lot before the games. The menu went from the regular cheese and crackers with Bloody Marys to fresh omelets and home fries to fresh shrimp, to grilled shrimp, to thick steaks with beer topping, chicken, baked potato, etc. The table had a Bills tablecloth set with silverware, glassware and Bills flag. What drew the most attention was the bottle of Southern Comfort in the center of the table.

Chris Gordon, Orchard Park Bee editor: Five or six years ago, my wife, Bonnie, brother Mark, friend Jason and I were at the Erie Community College lot off 20A, and a woman came up to us selling Boy Scout popcorn. She was with a special helper - a goat.

For about the next 15 minutes, Jason was in a state of awe, repeatedly saying, "It's a goat, it's a goat." We all respected the selling tactics of the woman. After all, who can really say no to a goat? We all agreed that the popcorn was good, too.

I have another favorite memory from opening day 1991. It actually happened after the game. We were parked in the stadium lot off 20A and because there was a long line of cars, decided to grill up some hot dogs while we waited for the line to dwindle. During the game, which was between the Bills and Dolphins, Miami jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, but the Bills came back. Thurman Thomas had both 100 yards rushing and receiving that game, and the Bills won 35-31.

While enjoying my hot dog, the Dolphins team bus drove past us, and I can still vividly see the look of dejection in the players' faces knowing they let the game get away. I'm not sure any hot dog ever tasted better.

Terri Medina, East Aurora Bee editor:

I married into a very spontaneous and often goofy family. Impromptu outings are quite commonplace in the Medina family.

So, I shouldn't have been surprised when my mother-in-law, the ringleader as we playfully call her, decided to pack up the camper with about 15 people and head to a Buffalo Bills game this past season.

But unlike most people, we came to Ralph Wilson Stadium just to tailgate, leaving before the game! None of us are avid football watchers. In fact, I've lived in Western New York my whole life and have never been to a Bills game.

So, there we were in a camper at The Ralph, appearing to be the only "normally dressed" people in a sea of blue and red. Needless to say, we hadn't painted our faces nor were we displaying any signs of support. We just thought it would be fun to show up for the pregame party.

It turned out to be a great time, and even though I don't care much about the team or the sport, it was a great way to mingle with fellow Buffalonians and cheer on the Bills, if only on a rare occasion.