I really haven't done too much so far today: I puttered around the house, watered the plants, did some internet surfing and e-mailing, filled the birdfeeder, trimmed back the rose bushes a little, and, oh yeah, watched the Bills squish the Fish! :)
(Nate Clements returning his second interception of the day for a touchdown)
I haven't always been a Bill's fan. I knew zilch (0) about the NFL until I was 18. I grew up in a household where my father and brother were always working on something, so no one sat around and watched football games all day Sunday. I was introduced to the world of "Buffalo Bill's fanatics" by my ex-inlaws. While my former husband and I were dating, my future father-in-law asked me who my favorite football team was. I said I didn't have one, but he kept asking me to pick a team. I finally said "the Dallas Cowboys" (only because I had lived near Dallas 4 years prior). I silenced the room, and I had no idea why. (lol)
Anyhow, my former in-laws took me to a game in December of 1981. I think the Bills were playing the Washington Redskins. Even though the Bills won, the "highlights" that stand out in my mind are freezing to death in the stadium, and getting seperated in the crowds in the parking lot, and not remembering where the truck was parked. After an hour of wondering around frozen, I finally found familiar faces. That experience certainly did not turn me into a Bill's fan!
We were frequently invited for Sunday dinner by my in-laws. (BTW, Ruth, my x-step-mother-in-law (what a word!) was a wonderful cook!) We would have an early Sunday dinner, and stay to watch the 1:00 Bills games. My in-laws were true blue fans and very passionate about the games. It was contagious, so it wasn't long before I developing a mild case of "Buffalo Bills Fever". It was easier to be passionate about the games with the addition of Jim Kelly to the starting line-up in 1986.
(Jim Kelly)
My true passion for the Bills didn't come until after my husband and I had seperated, though.
My friends, Todd and Christy, were having a Superbowl gathering in January of 1991. A jerk, whom I dated a couple of times, was invited too, and he was a big Giants fan. Something triggered inside of me, and I became very passionate about the game and truly disappointed with the Bill's loss.
I've been a true Bill's fan ever since, through 4 straight Super Bowl losses, through the Todd Collins' and Billy Jo "I forgot to study the playbook" Holbert season, through the Flutie (my personal favorite Buffalo Bill's quarterback)/Johnson "quarterback controversy" seasons, through the 2001 losing season (with Johnson as quarterback, what did you expect???!?!?!?!), and continuing into their new era with Drew Bledsoe.
(Doug Flutie)
I'm not overly "fanatic" though... Missing a game doesn't disappoint me. I'm not in tears if they lose a game. I can only afford to buy tickets to see one game a year, (if that), and I'm not going to paint my body red and blue and run naked through the stadium. (LOL) But, now I think of the Bills as "my" team. If someone asked me who my favorite team was now, I certainly would not say "the Dallas Cowboys". :)
If you're taking the time to read this, I welcome your feedback. Anything goes, from mispelled words to your opinions; just no porn or profanity!!!
Thanks for reading!
Take care!
Ann Marie