Since 2020 the Buffalo Bills stadium has been called Highmark stadium. The Bills stadium opened up back in 1973 and was originally called Rich Stadium. It was Rich Stadium from 1973 until 1998. When it was Rich Stadium in the 1990’s, the Bills were kings of the AFC going to four straight Superbowls. Unfortunately they lost all 4 Superbowls. None of those Superbowls were played at Rich Stadium. Jim Kelly was the quarterback back then where he broke all the Bills record at the position. Those were solid teams the Bills had back then. I became a Bills fan in the late 1980’s. I saw the Jim Kelly teams were getting better and better each year. Then they made their run but came away empty. Sort of like present day with Josh Allen. Since he arrived, the team is taking steps forward and are on the bubble of breaking through the AFC conference to get there. The Kansas City Chiefs have been a thorn in our side knocking the Bills out of the post-season similar to those 4 Superbowl losses. Whatever you want to call it: Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium, New Era Field, and back to Highmark’s final tour in 2025 – the last regular season as a new stadium is in the works across the street. I’m from Chicago & when the White Sox renamed their new stadium going on from Comisky Park no one cared for the new corporate name. It’s either the New Comisky or Sox park.
The Bills should host some post-season games at the old Rich Stadium in early 2026 and let’s hope one of those playoff games gets Buffalo back to the Superbowl. Where the Bills can be yet again king of the AFC conference. The new stadium being built across the street from the old one looks legendary. An outdoor stadium in Buffalo where many cities would easily go with a dome. The fan base comes out in the snow and fills that stadium which gives their team an actual home field advantage during the post-season. Love when the Dolphins look like frozen fish sticks in cold temperatures. Buffalo is a small city in a big state and the fan base gives off that college town atmosphere. Rich Stadium is not even in Buffalo, they are located in a suburb called Orchard Park.
Last Sunday was my first ever Buffalo Bills game in 4th week of September with mid 80’s temperatures. I was not expecting to get sunburnt at a Bills game. The Bills hosted the Saints. The Bills out of the gates started off 3-0 and the Saints came into Sunday’s action without a single win. I found a place to stay in a town close to Orchard Park called Hamburg, which is a German town. Plenty of nice drinking establishments with plenty of food options. Yes, chicken wings were had. Took an Uber ride that morning to the stadium with a six pack of beer. Being my first time, I wanted to see what the Bills Mafia was all about. I wanted to get the full experience of Rich Stadium since it was my first game in Buffalo. Going to see a game in Buffalo on the farewell tour is one of my sports dreams come true. The car ride meant we went down side streets through the burbs and we saw people offering parking for $45.00 on their lawn in front of their houses. All those yards will filling in hours before kick off. It was not just parking, it was instant tailgating parties popping up in your own yard. The closer you got, the parking went up to $60.00. We were looking to get as close to the stadium as possible and join the party in their lots. Around the Bills Stadium, they had a few restaurants and bars on the outskirts of the stadium in both directions. The grills were fired up. Food was sizzling on the grill. The coolers were filled with ice cold beverages. One tent would set off a siren of some kind. When the buses came rolling down the main boulevard filled with Saints players, people chanted “Who Dat” which is a New Orleans thing. Followed by some boos as well by the Bills Mafia. I did notice the Saints fan base showed up in their gold and black team colors supporting their guys. We talked to one Saints fan & he was telling us his group picks out one game a season they go to on the road to watch their Saints play. The atmosphere was electric. People having a good time. Everyone dressed in their team colors. Beers were had. Food was eaten. I thought the Bills Mafia treated the outsiders very nice. Nothing in poor taste. The Saints are not a Bills rival. People watching Josh Allen is like watching the king these days. Many, many number 17 Allen Jerseys on display. I wore my Matt Milano jersey supporting number 58, my favorite current defensive player on the team. I saw some Milano jerseys worn by others. I saw some Jim Kelly jerseys of the past being worn by the older people honoring their legend. Bruce Smith was another one from the 1990’s teams. Some interesting jerseys were Bryce Paup who played with the Bills after those Superbowl appearances from 1995 until 1997.
Then the great Doug Flutie, who had some nice years with the Bills after Jim Kelly retired, had some love around Rich Stadium. Flutie played most of his football career in the CFL. He was drafted by the Bears. After he was done with the CFL, he went back to the NFL, signed with the Bills and helped them get to the playoffs. He ended his career with the Chargers.
We had seats in the nose bleed section. Stuffed in bleachers like a can of sardines.
From the nose bleed seats you can see the new stadium towering over the old. The Bills, like most teams, have the ring of honor with their legends from the past. Many great players and former Bills head coach Marv Levy, whose old saying back in the 1990’s never will die. “Where else would you rather be then right here right now?”
Sounds like a line from a Van Halen song, but every fan knows this line. It’s like Western New York planted the seeds inside the newborn’s head right out of the womb. The National Anthem reminded me of the Chicago Blackhawks where fans get very into America’s song. Some fireworks at the end of the song with a fly by from a military plane. Not exactly a B-52 – one of those jumbo jets that can carry troops and plenty of cargo. You feel the excitement and the anticipation as you are swept up into this fan base when they announce the Bills offense. Josh Allen’s name as he runs on to the field with the crowd chanting MVP! MVP! It just gives you goosebumps. The Bills struck first blood with Allen hooking up with his wide receiver Khalil Shakir for the game’s first touchdown. That’s when the Bills sing the song, “Shout.” They change the words around a little as they sing, “The Bills make me wanna Shout,” which everyone seems to be on the same page.
Everyone standing clapping and giving each other high fives. Even total strangers like myself felt like I was family, a Mafia member sworn in without jumping on any tables during the tail gate session of the class. Then the best chant the Bills Mafia do is “Hey! Hey! Hey! Let’s go Buffalo!” It sticks in your head as I think I was chanting in my sleep 14 beers later. The Bills like the tall boys and the taller boys big cans of Labatt Blue 16 0zers and the big bomber of 20 something ounces. They even sold big beer koozies. Very helpful on a steamy day.
The Saints gave the Bills a battle as a team that wanted their first victory. The Saints were able to match scores with Josh Allen and the Bills offense through the first half. I sensed the Bills were in control of the game, but the Saints lingered which is never good. The guy next to me who had some excellent intel of the Bills said, “they play down to the competition.”
The Bills would pull away from the Saints in the 4th quarter as Josh Allen had another big game. Allen threw two touchdown passes and scored a touchdown with his own legs. Allen had a big run that set up a Dalton Kincaid touchdown pass in the 4th. James Cook had a big game running the football as the Bills running back also found the end zone. The Bills would win this one at home 31-19 and go perfect in the month of September. I never got to see Jim Kelly play in person, only on the television. Watching Allen and even Cook is something special. Who knows where these guys will be at the end of their careers? Hopefully racking up a few Superbowl rings together before hanging up the spikes. I remember special players seeing them live from the Chicago sports landscape such as Michael Jordan of the Bulls, Patrick Kane of the Blackhawks, and Frank Thomas. I missed some great players over my time. Seeing Allen even from the nose bleed seats was something worth watching. It was great the Bills won the game especially at my first ever game and my last game at Rich Stadium.
After the game we found a beer garden to have some beers to celebrate the 4th victory of the Bills season. The bars were crowded around the stadium. The fun seemed to never end. After the Big Tree Inn, we found a great establishment on the way back to Hamburg. Watch some late afternoon games and shoveled more food in our gullets. How does a Chicago guy become a Bills fan? I was asked repeatedly. One guy we met seemed like he wanted to trade places with me and head back to Chicago because he liked all the teams from there. I certainly do root for the home teams. The day I found a Bills hat in my brother’s box of things he was storing at the parents’ house while he went overseas was the start. He was in the Marines at the time. I became a fan of them. I knew them because I loved watching NFL games. I watch the Bears and the entire rest of the league. I followed the Bills more closely and they sucked me in. They are a franchise with a lot of heartbreak like every Chicago team, so they fit me. Years later when I told my brother that I found a Bills hat in his stuff, I said that’s what turned me on to the Bills. He denied ever ever having a Bills hat. Was I born in a Buffalo hospital? Did they insert a chip in my mindset? Was it a calling like the burning bush in the Bible? The lord works in mysterious ways. Or shall we say the Bills Mafia works in mysterious ways? HEY! HEY! HEY! LET’S GO BUFFALO!!!
The Wild shamrock 