Week 15: Miami Dolphins

Back from Back to Buffalo

        Hello - It is with a great happiness that I write to you today.    As many of you  may know,  I joined members of the Bills Backers of Fenway for a trip back to Buffalo this past weekend.    This trip has left me  riding a wave of WNY driven emotion that few outsiders can grasp.    This emotional high is fueled by a number of factors:

1.)  Beer prices range:  $1.28 - $2.75
2.)  No traffic
3.)  Hugging strangers and them hugging back
4.)  Shaking hands with forearm touch, high arm touch, back touch and top of hand touch to let them know - "I get you" - "I am from here too".
5.)  Bills touchdown followed by  "Shout" song - followed by Kevin Rudolf:  "Let it Rock" - followed by me shouting:  "Kevin Rudolf finally!" - followed by many people in section 117 laughing - followed by me beaming with happiness for 3 days straight.  
6.)  Ingesting 40,000 calories in 33 hours but losing 4 pounds.  
7.) Bills win - 6:22 flight back to Boston - asleep in my own bed by 8:30.  

 

This Week at Bleacher Bar

The Bills win - we all have fun.
Tailgate Specials:  11 am to 1 pm - 1/2 priced Beef on Weck, $1 Sliders
Free Wings at Kickoff and Halftime
First 4 people to arrive wearing Bills gear get a free 22 oz mug of beer compliments of the Bills Backers of Fenway.
Buckets of Labatt Blue and Genny Cream Ale:  (6 for $20 & 6 for $15)

Week 14: Cleveland Browns

Always have a blanket in your car

             This week WNY/CNY has turned into a winter wonderland with some cities reporting over 60 inches of snow on the ground.    Notable facts from this week's snowfall include:

Buffalo has nearly 40 inches in some neighborhoods.  
 Rochester just moved to the top spot in the upstate snow race.  
Syracuse is going on 140 hours of consecutive snowfall.    
Albany has no snow because even snow realizes that Albany is disgusting.  

        While Western New Yorkers might not be good at football, retaining jobs or successfully treating alcoholism;  we are quite talented at mocking outsider's sensitivity to winter weather.     When our co-workers complain about forgetting their mittens for the 5 minute walk to the train - we pause - we wait - we smile .... and ... then .... BOOM ... we lay out a detailed account about how our parents used to commute using Tom Toms (Footnote 1) and on a number of occasions had to cut one open and hide inside for survival.

 [ Footnote 1 - Tom Toms:  A horse like creature made famous for their role in the opening scene of "The Empire Strikes Back"]

        When our New England friends bring up that one insanely wacky snow storm where all the pizza places stop delivering and all they ate for entire afternoon was peanut butter.    We sit silently until their story comes to an end.  Look them dead in the eye.   Belt out a loud or derisive stretch of laughter and then launch into a passionate diatribe about how the movie - "Alive" - was not about the plane crash of the Uruguayan rugby team in the Andes mountains.   Rather it was a semi accurate account of the 1997 Corning East JV basketball  bus crash that occurred while en-route to the JV Jamboree in Wayland NY.    I survived.    Mike Tunney's forgotten twin brother and 1/3rd of the population of Kanona NY - did not.  

 

This Week at Bleacher Bar

Justin Davies and Nicole Lehman-Britton are in charge.    
Tailgate Specials:  11 am to 1 pm - 1/2 priced Beef on Weck, $1 Sliders
Free Wings at Kickoff and Halftime
First 4 people to arrive wearing Bills gear get a free 22 oz mug of beer compliments of the Bills Backers of Fenway.
Buckets of Labatt Blue and Genny Cream Ale:  (6 for $20 & 6 for $15)

Week 13: Minnesota Vikings

A Special Kind of Torture

        This past Sunday when the game was over - I was laughing.     It was not a good laughter.    It was the type of laughter that makes children nervous and their parents uncomfortable.    The type of laughter only possible when your mind reaches a point of such bewilderment that you can no longer organize an appropriate emotional response.    
        We should be used to the heartbreak by now.    Our hope should have become tempered, jaded or muted.    Our light should have been blown out long ago.    However - we remain steadfast.   Our loyalty is strong and we continue to hold onto the common belief:  "it will all be worth it - one day .........".

* If you have any pictures of Sunday's at Bleacher Bar please send them along - Bleacher Bar is looking to add to the "Bills Backers of Fenway" picture gallery located on their website.

**  Bleacher Bar has a bunch of Labatt Blue / Bills t-shirts they are giving away.   If you would like one please show up early this Sunday as they are in limited supply.

This Week at Bleacher Bar

WNY / Bills Waterboarding - Lets make torture official!  Winners get $50 and a copy of the Geneva Convention.
Tailgate Specials:  11 am to 1 pm - 1/2 priced Beef on Weck, $1 Sliders
Free Wings at Kickoff and Halftime
First 4 people to arrive wearing Bills gear get a free 22 oz mug of beer compliments of the Bills Backers of Fenway.
Buckets of Labatt Blue / Labatt Blue light and Genny Cream Ale:  (6 for $20 & 6 for $15)

** The Silver lining to this last loss - we did get Binghamton back and pushed our eastern front all the way to Springfield MA **

Week 12: Pittsburgh Steelers

 The Long Road Home

        Right now - I am excited and terrified.    I am excited because in little over 4 hours I will be on the road heading back to the loving arms of Western New York for Thanksgiving.    I am terrified because there is a 100% chance that I am going to roll past Newton, Framingham, Natick, and Worcester at  5 miles per hour.    However, once past the I-84 exit the Thruway  (Yes: "The Thruway" you Pike bastard) is empty and the only thing standing between us and the Wednesday night WNY bar scene is our vehicles pesky requirement for fuel and the 10 minute snow squall we are guaranteed to hit around Syracuse or Oneonta.  
        Last week's win over the Bengals was a blast.    If you are not heading out of town for Thanksgiving or returning early enough on Sunday to catch the Bills game - stop down to Bleacher Bar.     Nicole and I will be heading back from Corning - "The Jewel of the Southern Tier",  "The Hollywood of the East Coast", "The Glass Capital of the World" -  New York - late Saturday night and will be at Bleacher for the game.    Enjoy your Thanksgiving.

This Week at Bleacher Bar:

Labatt Blue / Bills T-shirts available - (Labatt Logo on the front - Bills Logo on the back - white - free)
Tailgate Specials:  11 am to 1 pm - 1/2 priced Beef on Weck, $1 Sliders
Free Wings at Kickoff and Halftime
First 4 people to arrive wearing Bills gear get a free 22 oz mug of beer compliments of the Bills Backers of Fenway.
Buckets of Labatt Blue and Genny Cream Ale:  (6 for $20 & 6 for $15)

In positive news, we now have full control of the Susquehanna river and ports on Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron and The Atlantic Ocean.   

Week 11: Cincinatti Bengals

Victory, Celebration, Nuvo

        The Bills did not make it easy.  They took the long road, deciding against a victory in the first 8 weeks, opting to put up that first W in week 9 instead.  The crowd this past Sunday was one of the largest we have had and many of us stayed for hours after the game ended just to bask in that winning feeling.  If you are starting to lose that feeling of victory, here are a few more victories to get it back:

"Medium Per Capita Income"  (Buffalo: $14,991 - Detroit: $14,717)
"Average Annual Snowfall"  (Buffalo:  95.4 inches - Detroit:  43.3 inches)
"Narrow advantage in the percentage of fires started in vacant buildings" (Buffalo:  41% - Detroit: 42%.. real statistic!)
"Host city Pan-American Exposition - 1901"   (Buffalo:  Host City - Detroit:  Not Host City)

        Speaking of the "Pan-American Exposition of 1901" (Worlds Fair), I came across some photos of the Exposition while surfing the web for WNY related information.  I thought the below pictures might interest a small percentage of you.  This entire complex was torn down shortly after the event- in hindsight, a great idea...

        For those of you wondering what was that shot you took to celebrate the Bills first victory in 2010 this past Sunday- it was "Nuvo."  Nothing quite embodies the spirit of the Buffalo Bills and Western New York quite like a the world's only French sparkling vodka infused with wine and natural fruit ingredients:

This Week at Bleacher Bar

Halftime Entertainment TBD - Someone is winning $50 - intimate knowledge of Chyna not required this week.
Tailgate Specials:  11 am to 1 pm - 1/2 priced Beef on Weck, $1 Sliders
Free Wings at Kickoff and Halftime
First 4 people to arrive wearing Bills gear get a free 22 oz mug of beer compliments of the Bills Backers of Fenway.
Buckets of Labatt Blue and Genny Cream Ale:  (6 for $20 & 6 for $15)

Buy low, sell high- join the "Back to Buffalo" movement.  Direct roundtrip Jetblue flights are less then $150.   Bills tickets are selling under $40.  Flights to Buffalo - anytime Saturday - Flight back:  Jetblue 6:22 pm 12/12.  Bills Tickets: Section 117.  Tailgate spot:  TBD.

Week 10: Detroit Lions

Straws For Grasping

Disclaimer: The theme of this email is admittedly a serious reach - it was bound to happen - blame the Bills.

       

        Its 2010 - The Bills are winless after 8 games.  Their losses have come in all varieties: inept defense, inept offense, game-changing turnovers, heartbreaking OT defeats, blown leads, blown comebacks, missed field goals, missed extra points, and levitating fumbles.  This season's rollercoaster of failure has lead to the largest fracture of faith since "The Second Great Awakening" when WNY/CNY was referred to as the "Burned-over District".    
        For those of you who do not scour the internet looking for obscure details relevant to WNY, the "Burned-over District" is a term used to describe the many spiritual and religious movements that swept through our region in the mid 1800s.  Three of the most notable religious movements of this era were:

1.)  The Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons): Believed the angel Moroni descended from the heavens to deliver the principles of purity, piety, and plural marriage.
2.)   The Oneida Nation: Most known for their unique interpretation of group marriage- spouses are chosen by committee and offspring raised by the community.
3.)  The Shakers:  Beliefs of social equality, communal farming and rejection of any sexual relations are still widely practiced by exactly no one today.

For further reading on the "Burned-Over District": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burned-over_district

"Back to Buffalo" 12/12/2010

        If you are not scared, join the growing movement to return back to Buffalo for the Bills vs Browns on 12/12.  Direct round trip Jetblue flights are less then $150.  Bills tickets are selling under $40.  Flights to Buffalo - anytime Saturday - Flight back:  Jetblue 6:22 pm 12/12.  Bills Tickets:  Section 117.  Tailgate spot:  TBD.
 

This Week at Bleacher Bar

WNY / Bills Photo-hunt at halftime:   Teams of 4 will compete for a $50 Bleacher Bar gift card.
Tailgate Specials:  11 am to 1 pm - 1/2 priced Beef on Weck, $1 Sliders
Free Wings at Kickoff and Halftime
First 4 people to arrive wearing Bills gear get a free 22 oz mug of beer compliments of the Bills Backers of Fenway.
Buckets of Labatt Blue and Genny Cream Ale:  (6 for $20 & 6 for $15)
* Game is not on local TV - but this powerhouse matchup will be shown in all its glory at Bleacher Bar.   If you choose to watch the Bills alone- you have a problem.   We can help,
Buffalo Bills fan support groups meet every week at 1 pm at Bleacher Bar.

        So come on down to Bleacher Bar this Sunday where you can watch the Bills beat the Lions, practice abstinence, help raise a child, pick up a 2nd husband/wife and vote on an arranged marriage.    

Week 9: Chicago Bears

They will come home... they always come home.

        The crowd at Bleacher Bar this past Sunday did not sound like, look like or feel like an 0 and 6 crowd.  Despite many of us waking up brutally hungover, we still managed to get up and get out so the Bills could torture us... again.  We did not allow external factors to dampen our internal spirit.  On numerous occasions, the nearly 100 Bills fans in attendance stood in collective silence, chanted an ironic: "Yes We Can" and tapped shot glasses with strangers.  We danced to "Shout" as touchdowns scored, challenges failed and field goals sailed wide.  Of course, the end of the story was all too familiar, but at this point who cares?  We are still managing to have a blast.  In the end, winning is great but if you can only have a good time when the scoreboard tilts in your favor, you are not a fan- you just like winning.    

"Back to Buffalo"

        Yesterday during a particular boring team meeting, I day dreamed myself an idea.  This season has been tough on all of us; the Bills are finding new and creative ways to raise our hopes before shattering them.  We are frustrated, but we cannot allow the Bills' current failures to weaken our collective loyalty .  
        It is no secret the Bills are on a short list of franchises that could be relocated.  We cannot allow our story to change from "small market team with a rabidly loyal fan base" to "small market team whose fans are becoming disenfranchised."  This is not who we are!  We are not Jets/Patriots fans- our passion does not rise and fall based on our proximity to relevancy.  We cannot afford to be fair weather fans.  Each game we fail to sell out The Ralph weakens the value of the team and increases the likelihood for relocation.  
        With this said, I urge you to join the Bills Backers of Fenway and travel Back to Buffalo for Bills vs. Browns on December 12th.  Jetblue flights are cheap and direct.  Tickets to the game are cheap and plentiful.  Tailgating at a Bills game is a special kind of fun.  (Feel free to contact me for more details via email or at Bleacher Bar this Sunday)

This Week at Bleacher Bar

WNY / Bills Jeopardy @ halftime: Teams of 4 will compete in a Jeopardy/Double Dare hybrid.  $50 to the winners.
Tailgate Specials:  11 am to 1 pm - 1/2 priced Beef on Weck, $1 Sliders
Free Wings at Kickoff and Halftime
First 4 people to arrive wearing Bills gear get a free 22 oz mug of beercompliments of the Bills Backers of Fenway.
Buckets of Labatt Blue and Genny Cream Ale:  (6 for $20 & 6 for $15)