GOOD BYE HIGHMARK STADIUM
SUNDAY OCTOBER 31, 1976.
ORCHARD PARK NY -RICH STADIUM.
LINK
Who books a trip to a pro football game 1 1/2 hours away the morning after Halloween parties & celebrations on a college campus ? 🤔 SJFC student activity board (SAC )did. Anyway , my roommate & I heard a pounding at our door early on 10/31/76, its Ed Lockwood dorm director for SJFC. Ed lived in a room on the other side of the elevator from us on HAFFEY 4. He was trying to fill more seats on the bus to Rich Stadium, he was also the bus driver. $5 for a ride to & ticket for the game.
I was definitely interested, the Bills vs my Jets with Joe Namath. Roommate Dave Murray& I quickly said yes (maybe because we were still feeling the excitement & beers from last night's Halloween extravaganza at the Campus Club ). Dave was a WNY boy, thus a Bills & OJ fan.
Oops, as college freshmen we never checked the weather reports. Besides, it was 1976. How would we ? Dash over to the Lavery library & read Saturday's paper? I doubt the library was open on Sundays before noon.
It was very very 🥶 🧊 cold. We spent a good amount of time in the men's room near the heat vents.
How can you get your feet warm if you're wearing just a pair of sneaks with a pair of athletic socks ? (Note to self; ask Santa for thick woolen socks & maybe a pair of thermal boots 🤔),
Brrr..brrr. More heat Scotty, I said more heat. 😆.
Anyway, saw Joe Willie on the sidelines. It was the last game @ Rich Stadium for NYJ #12.
OJ was not the same Juice, especially for a Bills team that finished 2-12. He was soon on the way to Frisco.
I went to many more Bills games over the years, mainly when they played the Jets. One of the last games I saw @ Rich was in 2008. The JETS had Favre at QB. The jets won that game. SJFC pals; Lou Fuchs, Tony, Mondy, John Butt (p.s. we all had the pleasure of living at 133 Berkley St. one time or another).
Bills fan Jets fan, Bills, Jets . We had fun at those NYJ - Bills games.
Later in 2008, I attended the second NYJ- BILLS game that season at MetLife with more Fisher guys, Ed KEOUGH & Larry Yetman (we were all rooting for Favre company) Yes, a W
Of course I trekked to ORCHARD PARK to attend some concerts from some of ROCK & ROLL HOF'ers..
Went to the Stones w old Fisher roomies, Jerry Roat, Dave,. I think Dave's sister Debbie & her bf Peter were with us. Dave was the guru of music from that era.
And another top of the charts concert;
Farewell, Rich, The Ralph, Highmark STADIUM. Will the Bills close it out with a W vs their long time rival NYJ? And maybe finally bring home a SB 🏆?
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