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Stadium #1 Ralph Wilson Stadium Orchard Park, NY |
Minnesota Vikings
vs. Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills Stadium October 19, 2014 16 - 17 Win |
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Free 2011 Fantasy
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Stadium Vitals Built: 1973 Capacity: 73,967 seats Playing Surface: Titan 50 by A-Turf Draft Beer: $9.00 Hot Dog: $5.00 Stadium Parking: $25.00 |
 Ralph
WilsonStadium Address One Bills Drive Orchard Park, NY 14127 (716) 312-0409 Get Directions |
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Stadium Review - The Improbable Comeback of Lederhosen  Two-thousand and fourteen marked the nineteenth year that the men in my family
have reconvened in the small hamlet of Orchard Park, New York for our annual
Buffalo Bills Football retreat. Since the beginning, our little retreats have focused on great food, camaraderie and Buffalo Bills football. Over the years, we’ve managed to master the part about great food (with our seafood boils, rotisserie roasted turkey dinners, beer butt chickens, and
wild game dinners), but I think what we’ve been missing is a tailgate identity. With our second annual OktoBILLSfest
under our belt, it seems that we finally have something unique to
hang our German Alpine hats on. Inspired by our own German heritage,
we donned authentic leather lederhosen to compliment our
pewter-capped German Beer Steins, thereby bringing a little slice of Bavaria to western New York.
 Not since we were, “those guys that slept in a U-Haul truck”, has our tailgate been more recognizable within the RV lot at Ralph Wilson Stadium, but it took a herculean effort to pull this whole thing off. Our day began a four in the morning on Saturday (Por-AYE-EM), as we quickly got ready and boarded the RV to reserve our spot in line. Since the reemergence
of my Buffalo Bills as a wholly respectable NFL franchise, there has
been some renewed interest all over western New York and southern Ontario among the fans
of Buffalo Bills Nation. With that renewed interest also came a host of additional tailgaters to invade the lot and jockey for
these coveted weekend camping spots. I was told that in the last
few weeks, the RV lot was selling out by noon on Saturday, so I wanted to make sure we got in line on Abbot Road bright and early
this year. By the time we arrived, the rain was pouring down in buckets and we were twentieth in line. Within the hour, over one-hundred RV’s had joined us.
 The lot opened promptly at six o’clock, so we pulled into our spot, cracked open a few beers, sang some German folksongs, and crashed as we waited for the storm to blow over. By 9:30am, we were up and moving again, preparing to start a fire outside and fill our German Beer Steins with several micro brews of choice
(found the steins for around $10 each at local antique shops, garage
sales and of course the Salvation Army).
The day was spent snacking and drinking, but before long it was time to prepare the evening feast, so Big Hans (my Dad), got to work. We dined on a roast pork loin with red cabbage and a family favorite, beef rouladen. The rouladen is a tenderized flat steak that's rolled up with bacon, mustard and a pickle inside. After dinner is was back to attacking the growlers of microbrew we had purchased while we chatted by the fire.
 When we awoke on Sunday (hangover free, mind you), the storm had
completely blown over and we were set for a full day of tailgating
before the main event at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The rain on Saturday severely limited what we were able to do outside
the RV, so with the improved weather, we had lots of work to do. The fowling lanes were setup and they drew a crowd
immediately. Fowling is the combination, football-bowling tailgate game, that has been a tradition of ours for many years. As the reigning Commissioner of Fowling, it is my privilege to introduce the game to the masses. In addition, our fantasy football trophy, Der Gral von Graf, also made its first appearance of the weekend. With a cup at its top and Heisman Hans at its heart, Der Gral von Graf is easily the most coveted championship trophy in fantasy football.
 Walking around in leather lederhosen was certainly a crowd pleaser, but it occurred to me that when there’s just one guy walking around like a Von Trapp family stepson, it’s seen as somewhat of an embarrassment … BUT, when there’s a whole troop of you guys marching together in leather pants and alpine hats singing German folksongs; for some reason that’s much more acceptable. Inside Ralph Wilson Stadium, we made our way to the upper deck. Since the lower bowl area and the field are actually dug into the ground it makes for a reasonably short climb. We made our way to our seats near the 40-yard line and watched as my team gave the Minnesota Vikings every opportunity to post a well-deserved road win. Through three and a half quarters, the defense looked very mediocre and the offense remained inept, then all of a sudden,
with the game on the line, the offense awoke.  On fourth and twenty
with under two minutes to go, Kyle Orton completes a pass to Scott Chandler over the middle for a 24 yard gain to the Viking 36 yard line. Third and twelve, he goes to Sammy Morris for an 18 yard gain to the twenty yard line. After a 10 yard, false start penalty, with twenty-seven seconds on the clock Orton launches a prayer to Chris Hogan
who makes an incredible leaping catch at the two. This then set up the game winning touchdown to Sammy Watkins to cap the improbable comeback. Bills Win!!! The ... Bills Win!!
Personally, I think it was the lederhosen. For more information on the city of Buffalo, NY check out my other reviews by clicking on the links below: NFL: September 15, 2013 - Carolina Panthers vs. Buffalo Bills NFL: November 21, 2012 - New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills NFL: November 6, 2011 - New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills NFL: November 7, 2010 - Chicago Bears vs. Buffalo Bills - Rogers Centre: Toronto NFL: October 3, 2010 - New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills NFL: November 1, 2009 - Houston Texans vs. Buffalo Bills NFL: August 15, 2009 - Chicago Bears vs. Buffalo Bills NFL: October 19, 2008 - San Diego Chargers vs. Buffalo Bills NFL: December 9, 2007 - Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills NFL: November 4, 2007 - Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills NFL: November 26, 2006 - Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Buffalo Bills NHL: March 12, 2010 - Minnesota Wild vs. Buffalo Sabres NHL: Buffalo Sabres, HSBC Arena - General Information |
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| City of Buffalo Local Information | |
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Top Tourist Attractions: Niagara Falls - Maid of the Mist Boat Tour Anchor Bar - Originator of the Buffalo Chicken Wing Local Foods: Buffalo Chicken Wings Kimmelweck "Beef on Weck" LaNova White Pizza What They're Drinkin': Labatt's Blue, Molson Canadian, Yeungling Tailgating Hotspots: Kenny "Pinto Ron" Johnson's Tailgate Party Recreational Vehicle Lot Fan Resources: Pocket Map of Buffalo Stadium Policy Stadium Parking Map Local Sports Media: The Buffalo News WGR 550AM |
Popular
Bar Districts: Chippewa Street (SoHo, Papaya, Pure, Omega Lounge, Bayou) Elmwood Avenue (Mister Goodbar, Coles, Sahara Grill, JP Bullfeathers) Delaware Avenue (Nektar, Toro, Fahertys, The Thirsty Buffalo, Snooty Fox, Stillwater) Hertel Avenue (Fiamma, Shadow Lounge) Best Restaurants: Anchor Bar (Originator of the Buffalo Chicken Wing) Pearl Street Grill Buffalo Chophouse (Steak) Tandoori (Indian Cuisine) Kentucky Gregs (BBQ) 800 Maple (Brick Oven Pizza, Martinis) Papaya and Seabar (Sushi) Northend Trattoria, Romeo and Juliet's (Italian Cuisine) Getting to the Stadium: To get to Ralph Wilson Stadium, you're going to need to drive to Orchard Park, NY, which is a suburb of Buffalo. Public transportation is not an option here. Where to Stay: I would suggest staying in a hotel in downtown Buffalo to take advantage of the nightlife. The best hotel is definitely the Hyatt Downtown, located a stone's throw from the Chippewa Street bar district. the Hampton Inn downtown and Adam's Mark are also good options. |
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| Four AM is a good time for a Beer! | Spaten Oktoberfest Banner | Pinto Kenny and Captain Buffalo | ||
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| Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Field House | Fowling in the Lot , Go Bills! | The Newkirks - Janna, Sheri, Justin | ||
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| Awesome FF Trophy - Dergralvongraf.com | Transitioning the Trophy | The New Champion is Crowned | ||
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| Lederhosen Fowling on Game Day | Throwing the Long Ball ... | Ball Game! Commissioner WINS! | ||
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| Cheryl Jones from Ontario | Where would you rather be? | Tailgating Hall of Fame - The Chefs | ||
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| Pinto Kenny and the Tailgate Crew | Joanie and Susan - Go Bills! | My Man Jacob Gauda - Go Bills! | ||
| COMMENTS? Please feel free to post any suggestions or comments you might have for my journey to Ralph Wilson Stadium, including the following: - Local Hotspots (Bar Districts, Restaurants, Clubs) - Local Foods (Traditional Cuisine, Micro Brews) - Tailgating Traditions - Your Experiences or Helpful Hints - If you saw me let me know! All commentary will be moderated. Your e-mail address will not be published. |
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A Production of Madness Unwatched LLC |
