buffalo bills fan story (tearing down posts)

[al885]

anybody have pictures or a video of this? i was a tyke when this happened and living close to buffalo somewhere (shithole dunkirk)


i want to see those drunks rip down the goal post

[BuffaloPaul]

anybody have pictures or a video of this? i was a tyke when this happened and living close to buffalo somewhere (shithole dunkirk)


i want to see those drunks rip down the goal post There is actually a HUGE print of this hanging in the Football Hall of Fame. I did a net search for photos but could not find any fan photo pages of it.

I did find the official BuffaloBills.com historical page of this event...

http://www.buffalobills.com/display_cont.jsp?cont_id=31357


Flashback: Bills 9, Jets 6 (OT)
Bills win 1988 AFC East title

By Ted Starkey
buffalobills.com


While there was little suspense that the Bills would eventually clinch the 1988 AFC East title, the Bills used a dramatic 9-6 overtime win over the New York Jets on November 20, 1988 to officially clinch the division with an 11-1 record. Bills fans were ready as well, as they poured on the field to celebrate the Bills' first divisional title since 1980 and tore down the goal posts in what one player termed "fan-demonium."


Buffalo had roared off to an 10-1 start coming into the game, and while it was quite clear the Bills would eventually take the AFC East title, they wanted to do it in front of their home fans before heading out of town for the next two games. The fans were ready as well, as a sellout crowd of 78,389 was prepared to celebrate on a wet, raw day in Orchard Park.


However, the Jets were very fussy guests, and refused to go along with the party, and put up a good fight in order to spoil the fun, but thanks to Fred Smerlas and Scott Norwood, the crowd and Bills celebrated.

The Jets notched the only points of the first half by turning around a Jim Kelly interception, and driving it back to the Bills' 10 before settling for a Pat Leahy field goal 2:19 into the second quarter. The score remained 3-0 until the Bills drove 64 yards off the second half kickoff and Scott Norwood connected on a 25-yarder to tie the game up.


Buffalo then took the lead early in the fourth quarter, as Norwood's 26-yard field goal 3:04 into the fourth gave Buffalo its first lead of the afternoon, and the crowd could sense the title. However, the Jets marched 52 yards the other way to add another field goal and tie the score at 6-6 less than four minutes later, and that's when the drama really began.


The Jets had a shot to win the game with :25 remaining, and Pat Leahy lined up for a 40-yard field goal, and things looked bleak for the Bills' chances of clinching, as the New York kicker had hit 47 of 49 from 40 yards or closer that season. However, Bills nose tackle Fred Smerlas saw a flaw in the Jet's field goal protection.


"I had a strange feeling we were going to block it, I really did," Smerlas said. "The field goal before they had given me a gap and I came pretty close. They were blocking down to block off the inside pressure and I hit a gapper. I figured if I turned my body, I'd be able to penetrate far enough and maybe get a piece of it."


Just as they did before, Smerlas got through the Jets' protection, raised his left hand, and swatted the ball, and force the overtime period.


New York won the coin toss, but on the Jets' second play from scrimmage, Derrick Burroughs stripped Jets fullback Robert Vick of the ball, and the Bills recovered at the New York 32. Robb Riddick ran on four consecutive plays to the Jets' 12-yard line, and on third-and-two, Marv Levy sent Scott Norwood in to nail his fourth game winner of the season, which he did, giving Buffalo its first divisional title since 1980.


Then, fan-demonium.


Thousands of the sellout crowd ran onto the field to celebrate, tearing both both goal posts as the players cheered. Pete Metzelaars said "I just saw 10 of them and I didn't think anything of it at first. The next thing I knew there were a hundred out there, then a thousand and I was worried if I was ever going to get off the field. When I did finally get off the field and into the tunnel, I just stopped, turned around and watched. It was an amazing thing to see."


Bennett, Bruce Smith, Leon Seals and Darryl Talley watched the celebration from an NBC television platform. "There were so many people, we just used them as a ladder and jumped on top," Seals explained.


Talley summed up the afternoon saying "What do they call it, pandemonium? This was fan-demonium. It was so much fun."

http://www.buffalobills.com/photos/smerlas112088vert.JPG

Smerlas reacts to blocking Pat Leahy's field goal attempt with :25 remaining, sending the game to overtime.



http://www.buffalobills.com/photos/norwood112088vert.JPG

Norwood kicked his fourth game-winner of the season, sending Buffalo to their first AFC East title since 1980.


I remember watching that game in the cold rain and watching the mass of humanity flow onto the field and tear down the posts. It was one of those historical moments, like Opie said, that stays with you forever. :icon_cool