Football Brings Relief
Football Brings Relief
It’s been 32 years! The Bills, Browns and Steelers all playing in January!
PHOTO: (Left) Teacher Kristin Rocco and her kids Nick and Ellie show their spirit during Buffalo Bills Day at Ellicottville Central School on Friday, Dec. 8th. (Right) Madigan’s in Ellicottville is a local hot spot for Bills games. Limited capacity means seats will fill up fast for this Saturday’s game.
Let’s jog back to 1989, the Berlin wall comes down. The record (those are coming back again!) of the year, Wind Beneath My Wings, by Bette Midler. The top movie? Driving Miss Daisy.
The 9 and 7 Buffalo Bills led by Jim Kelly squeaked into the playoffs, facing the Cleveland Browns with then quarterback Bernie Kosar. The Steelers entered the playoffs with quarterback Bubby Brister, taking on the Houston Oilers. Three cities and teams, charged with excitement.
Fast forward 32 years.
It’s 2021, our nation is still battling though a pandemic. Days into the New Year, our Capitol came under attack. So many are now finding a solace in a sport they can’t even fully attend. Football.
Enter the Buffalo Bills. Struggling for so many years before assembling a team with so much promise. Bills quarterback Josh Allen, leading the way and breaking regular season team records. Bills receiver Stefon Diggs tops the NFL for catches and yards. He is now a first team All-Pro for the first time in his career.
Sports over the years has found a way to bring people together, even during our darkest times. Opposing sides, opposing teams, rally around the idea of a spirited competition. It becomes a welcome distraction.
Ellicottville has fashioned itself as a wonderful melting pot, full of so many different people that frequently visit and support their gridiron greats. Folks from Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo all enjoy our slopes and Village.
This year - of all years - the Buffalo Bills bring a promise and a feel that takes you back to 1989 … a team that brought a city and its fans together. That year, it didn’t end the way the Bills wanted. Running back Ronnie Harmon dropped a pass in the Cleveland end zone from quarterback Jim Kelly with 10 seconds left in the ballgame. Even with that loss, the Bills had arrived. Likewise, fans also arrived at the airport to welcome the team home. Win or lose, it’s our hometown team.
As Buffalo Bills fans, we all know that moments like these are few and far between. It’s an opportunity to come together as a community. It’s an opportunity to show sportsmanship and teach younger generations that sports competition means so much .. .especially during times that trouble a nation.
The 2020 Buffalo Bills bring a team that seems a bit different from other teams of the past. Maybe it’s their youth. Maybe it’s their energy and enthusiasm. This year may be similar to 1989 but make no mistake, the Western New York community, including Ellicottville, needs our team and the football playoffs. Now more than ever.
