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Stadium #1 Ralph Wilson Stadium Orchard Park, NY |
Carolina Panthers
vs. Buffalo Billsillsills Buffalo Bills Stadium September 15, 2013 23 - 24 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 - OktoBILLSfest  2013 marked the 18th Annual Weekend Family Retreat for the Steinigers and Doblers. So for the Week 2, we found ourselves reconvening in the RV Parking Lot outside Ralph Wilson Stadium for another weekend of food, folks, and NFL football.
Attempting to raise the bar for each year’s family tailgate has become a unique challenge, but this year it was a challenge we embraced as we decided to continue our themed tailgate tradition from last year by establishing the first annual OktoBILLSfest Tailgate!  As soon as the theme was announced, like all great tailgating themes, accessorizing became a key objective to pulling this whole thing off. I went straight to Amazon.com to pickup Bavarian tablecloths, German flags, and these incredible German brimmed hats. I also went to the local flea market to pick up some genuine German beer steins, because drinking out of a Red Solo Cup during OktoBILLSfest is like forcing a Sicilian
to eat homemade pasta with ketchup squirted all over it … it’s just not right. The final accent for
our OktoBILLSfest would be to assemble a compilation of Bavarian Oompah Music complete with accordions, clarinets and plenty of brass to accent that throaty German tongue …. Oh, and song lyrics! What good is it to play Bavarian Music if we can’t sing along … and sing along we did, my friends. The only thing I was missing was genuine lederhosen (a note for next year’s OktoBILLSfest - must buy lederhosen!)
 We got into the RV Lot right at eight o’clock in the morning and setup was completed by nine. By that time, our traditional local beer tasting was well underway as growler tops popped off left and right in order to keep my pewter-capped beer stein full of product throughout the day. We spent most of the rest of the day Fowling on the brand new red, white, and blue fowling lanes I had built over the summer; and grabbing random onlookers to join us in another round of singing the traditional Hofbruahaus song, "Die Hofbräuhaus-Lied". Being the only non-German speaker of the bunch, I had practiced the rolling and gurgling of my native tongue during the 4.5 hour drive from Detroit by playing it on the CD player line by line and trying to mimic what it was I thought it was I heard. In the end it worked out quite well, as I fancy myself a world-class crooner once I’ve had a few vials of that delicious liquid courage pumped into my system
(my grandmother however, might vehemently disagree). Perhaps that’s why it’s only AFTER I’ve downed a few beers that my vocal stylings really seem to kick into high gear.
 For gameday, we hung out with Kenny “Pinto Ron” Johnson in the Hammer lot with our special guests, the fellas from Pantherfanz.net from Carolina. Coach Dano, Joe the Cedar Street Seer, James, Tracy and Brian have always been tremendous hosts when I hang out at the Pantherfanz Party Prowler
to rub elbows with the finest tailgaters that Bank of America Stadium has to offer.
So it was nice to be able to return the NFL good will and show these
guys how we do what we do in Buffalo. Over the course of the
morning, we tackled bowling ball shots, Pinto-prepared tailgate food and that iconic ketchup opening ceremony together, washing it all down with some choice imported German beers. I even roped those guys into singing in German with me as we anxiously awaited for gametime to begin.
 Kickoff
arrived before we knew it and I was excited by the prospect of these
new-look Bills and their anointed quarterback of the future, EJ
Manual. With budding young stars on both sides of the ball and
bolstered by another solid draft class, the 2013 edition of my
Buffalo Bills looks to have finally turned the corner. The game was
a back and forth chess match as Mike Pettine’s attacking defense
went to work on Cam Newton, while EJ Manuel and the Bills offense worked out the kinks of Nathaniel Hackett’s hurry-up attack. The boys and I, still reeling from all those imported German beers, broke out into song throughout the game, cheering and chanting in German to celebrate defensive stops, touchdowns and field goals.
 With time in the fourth quarter winding down and an interception and fumble by EJ Manuel on consecutive possessions leading
to six Carolina points, it was up to EJ to orchestrate a last minute
rally. So with 1:38 remaining in the game and the ball on the
20-year line, EJ Manuel went right to work, methodically leading the
Bills offense on a final touchdown drive to take the lead before time expired. The game's winning touchdown with
two seconds remaining on the clock was scored on a great throw by EJ
Manuel to Stevie Johnson. We were seated in that endzone for the
final score and I watched, as if in slow motion, as the ball arched into the outstretched hands of a wide open Stevie Johnson. The euphoria of finally seeing the Bills win for our Family
Retreat was absolutely incredible. I can’t wait till next year. Bills WIN 24-23.For more information on the city of Buffalo, NY check out my other reviews by clicking on the links below: NFL: October 19, 2014 - Minnesota Vikings vs. Buffalo Bills 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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| 18th Annual Family Weekend Retreat | Fowling in the RV Parking Lot | Prepping for the Kill Shot | ||
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| German Flags to mark OctoBILLSfest | Quest for 31 Coins out! | Tailgating Hall of Fame Coins | ||
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| Pantherfanz.net in Buffalo | Captain Buffalo on the Quest for 31 | Steinigers Ready for Some Football! | ||
| 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 |
