Hello all,

Just a quick email to touch base with all of you. Also, NYCBBB would like to welcome all of the recent off-season sign-ups! We are still growing!!!

Training Camp
Training Camp is less than a month away!!! If you are planning on heading back to Western New York this summer, you may want to schedule around some of these dates.

The following key dates pertaining to the 2003 Buffalo Bills Bausch & Lomb Training Camp at St. John Fisher College have been announced:

Wednesday, July 23 – Early Group Reports
Thursday, July 24 – First Day of Practice
Saturday, July 26 – Veterans Report
Sunday, July 27 – First Day of Practice for Full-Squad
Monday, July 28 – Night Practice
Friday, August 1 – Workouts with Cleveland Browns
(morning and afternoon)
Saturday, August 2 – Scrimmage vs. Cleveland Browns
(11:00 AM @Cleveland )
Monday, August 4 – Night Practice
Wednesday, August 20 – Break Camp

Home Opener
Last year, for Drew’s premier, MANY seats were going less than face by gametime as everyone bought up the tickets then had parties and stayed home to watch the game. The same thing will happen this year so we would still encourage people to go. At the very least you could party in the parking lot and then watch it on one of MANY TVs that will have the game on in the parking lot. Individual Game Tickets Go On Sale July 12. Of course those of us in NYC will be watching the game at McFadden’s and drinking Labatt Blue and eating Buffalo Wings too!!!!! I can’t wait!!!

Bills Message Board/News
If you’re looking to talk Buffalo Bills with other fans from across the world (literally!) check out http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/ (simple registration required) or the news site http://www.BillsFanZone.com

New Field
Ralph Wilson Stadium (The Ralph) has gotten a facelift and now has a state-of-the-art playing surface called Astroplay.

Hope all is well with everybody and enjoying this heat and break from the amazing amount of rain we have gotten!!! NYC has gotten more rain this month of June than any other month of June in history!

— Matt Kabel

Hello all,

Just a quick email. Very slow off-season for the Bills, very busy time for me at work!

Draft Pictures
Here’s a link to some pictures from the draft party (including the bowling ball guy, Pinto Ron, from the tailgate party!!). The actual NFL Draft at MSG allowed something like 1,200 fans in. The guy with the Syracuse University shirt on was fan number 1,201, the guy next to him (his friend who is a Cowboy fan) was fan number 1,200…the Cowboy fan got in, the Bills fan got escorted out with guys holding machine guns…typical luck for a Bills fan!
https://www.nycbbb.com/pics/draftparty03.shtml

Bruce Almighty
Anybody notice that a movie that takes place in Buffalo was #1 at the box office this weekend??!! If you get a chance go see Bruce Almighty, starring Jim Carey and Jennifer Aniston. Many of the scenes were filmed in Buffalo, Eyewitness News and the Sabres are featured in it, and I hear Buffalo comes out looking great in it! www.brucealmighty.com

Hope everybody is enjoying their spring!

— Matt Kabel

Hello all 430 of ya!

Draft
Thanks to all of you that attended the Draft party…we should have pictures up on the website soon!

Here is a link with all of the Bills draft information from our friends at Billsdaily.com http://www.billsdaily.com/draft/

Talkin Proud
Remember when I asked about the “Talkin Proud” song? Many of you wrote back your memories about the song and one of you sent me the actual song! If you wish to listen to that or the Shout! song go to Billszone.com.

I even have the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitor Bureau looking for the actual commercial for me!

NYC Games
The Bills will be making TWO trips to NYC this coming season to take on the NEW JERSEY Jets and the NEW JERSEY Giants. Its never too early to hit up your friends and coworkers that have season tickets to the games. NYCBBB would like to throw a tailgate party for each! Hope no Giants fans try to back over our keg with their car like that Jets fan last year! The bowling ball shots await us.

Ideas
If any of you have ideas for next season please let us know! I have been in contact with Labatt Blue and they would like to market with us next year! Also, some of the pre-season games are televised. I was thinking of showing the Miami snow game right BEFORE the season opener to fire things up for the season! Those are some of the ideas floating around, let me know what ya think and if you have any of your own!

As you’ve probably noticed, the emails from us are slowing down…its summer and believe it or not…we have lives outside of NYCBBB! HA! We promise not to disappear this summer and will keep you up to date on our developments. Hopefully I’ll bump in to some of you as I usually do!

So from Matt and I…have a wonderful summer, enjoy the beach, and have a margarita for us! And remember…WE’RE TALKIN’ PROUD!!!

— Matt Kabel

Hello all,

Quick email here… Thank god its Friday! Saw a fellow Bills fan out last night and he told me stories about the early 80’s, and how after the Bills beat the Dolphins for the first time at Rich Stadium, the goal posts were torn down and the fans threw them over the side of the stadium! Back then, the city had a slogan – “Buffalo’s got the spirit, talking proud, talking proud.” Does anybody remember that??? I think we’re on the verge of those times again and would like to bring that back as our slogan! Anybody have that song?

Many of you have emailed me questions about the draft party. I’m not sure what time the 23rd pick will be. There’s also a VERY good chance the Bills could trade up or down so it could happen at any time. It’s going to be cold and rainy out, PERFECT excuse to sit in a bar all afternoon and watch the draft. I suggest getting there between 12-1pm. Look at it this way, this may be the last time Bills fans will be able to get together until the season begins after the summer!

Email from McFadden’s – “We have the Labatts in -getting cold as we speak, and have two bartenders on, same kids from the Sundays. We’ll have the two different type of bracelets, one for the beer and wings and one for soda and wings. And we’ll set the wings on the DJ booth as we always have.”

I hope to see you there!

— Matt Kabel

Hello all 425 of you!

How is everybody doing on this warm spring day? Just a quick e-mail with some updates.

NYCBBB’s Draft and One Year Celebration:
We will be holding our first year anniversary and NFL Draft party at McFadden’s on Saturday, April 26th. That’s less than 2 weeks away!!! From 12-6pm, McFadden’s will offer $30 for all the draft beer (excluding Guinness, Bass, and Harp) and wings you can eat!!! Come join your fellow NYC Buffalo Bills fans and watch the Bills select the # 23, 48, and 79th picks they currently have. By judging Tom Donahoe’s past picks, these guys will most likely be impact players!

Please email me if you plan on attending!

Schedule:
The Bills schedule is out and they have 2 games here in NYC!

Hope everybody is doing well and see you in two weeks!!!

— Matt Kabel

Hello all 415 of you!

Thanks to those of you that came to McFadden’s on Sunday to root for the Bills as they took on the Houston Oilers…and just in case you weren’t sure, we won. I loved the confused looks on non-Bills fans’ faces as they came into McFadden’s and saw a bunch of people in Bills jerseys watching a taped game from 1992 in March! It was also the debut of the liquor special, which nobody took advantage of but myself, so I drank enough for the rest of you (just ignore that last sentence Mom).

One year Anniversary Celebration!!!
We were planning the Draft party on Saturday April 26th, and we realized that the draft party will be the one year Anniversary of NYCBBB!! Just think, one year ago there were only 20 people reading these emails, now there’s over 415! So we are going to make the 26th – NYCBBB’s Draft and One Year Anniversary Celebration!! We are still working out the details of the drink special but promise it will be long and fun will be had by all!!! Please save the date!!

The Bills signed my favorite past-Bill, fullback Sam Gash this week. You know what this means, my Sam Gash jersey will be coming out of retirement!!!

Draft
The Bills contacted us and would like us to put together a mock draft of Bills picks rounds 1-3. Please send me your 3 picks ASAP and I’ll tally them up and send them to our friends at One Bills Drive.

Shot
I was thinking of creating a Buffalo Bills shot at McFadden’s. Obviously it should be red or blue. Please send me your ideas of an original concoction!!

Hope all is well with everybody!!!! Remember…April 26th!!!!!

— Matt Kabel

Hello all 400 (and still growing!) of ya,

How is everybody enjoying the warmer weather? Tried to have my first BBQ on my new patio last Friday but unfortunately the rain gods didn’t permit me too! Oh well, plenty of warm days of flipping burgers and drinking beers under the hot sun ahead! Below is info on upcoming parties (which require feedback!) and updates in a HUGE week in free agency for our Bills (we got Sam Adams!!!!)

Houston Comeback Party
This Sunday at 1pm, McFadden’s will be showing the greatest comeback of all time! The Bills comeback over the Houston Oilers! Come join us to see the game that many of us never saw due to blackout rules or because those with little faith left the game early! Also, to better help McFadden’s staff for this event, please EMAIL ME if you plan on coming and if you will be coming with guests. It would be a HUGE help to us!

Updates!!!
Another HUGE week in Buffalo Bills free agency…the Bills have signed Pro-Bowler and Super Bowl champion Defensive Tackle Sam Adams (29), one of the best (and biggest) Defensive Tackles in the league and will provide 2 massive bodies alongside Pat Williams in the inside for the first time since Ted Washington was here. On a side note, Sam Adams will be living in Ted Washington’s Buffalo home. He is considered the final piece in revamping our defense and making the Bills a solid contender this year! The other big signing is Kicker Rian Lindell (26) from the Seahawks who will replace Mike Hollis who chose not to re-sign. Also signed was Safety Izell Reese (28).

Draft Party
Saturday – April 26th McFadden’s will hold a draft party…details to come!!!

Hope all is well with everybody!!!! GO BILLS!!!!!!!!

— Matt Kabel

Hello all 400 of ya!

First to update you on the major upgrades to the team and NYCBBB…then we’ll discuss BOOZE…

Bills Off-season Updates!!!
Exciting times for Bills fans!! The Bills have reached a deal with the Bengals that will bring the best defensive player in free agency, and one of the best linebackers in the NFL, to the Buffalo Bills. Takeo Spikes, 26, will play alongside London Fletcher and newly acquired breakout linebacker from Houston, Jeff Posey, 27…creating a HUGE upgrade to the defense! Also, the Bills are in negotiations with one of the best DT’s in the league, Sam Adams….we’ll have to wait and see what happens with that though…don’t want to jinx anything!!! Regardless, I’m sure Tom Donahoe (cough, GM OF THE YEAR, cough) will bring in the best player he can. Dick LeBeau, former coach of the Bengals and a defensive mastermind, has agreed to become an assistant coach under Gregg Williams.

Also, Peerless Price has been traded to the Falcons for a first round pick (#23) in this year’s draft! This means two things:
1) another upgrade to the team
2) drinking at NYCBBB’s McFadden’s Draft party is going to be a WHOLE lot more fun!!!

Keep checking the links on our website for up-to-date news! nycbbb.com

Matt Soreco’s Logo Contest!
Two entries were received for our logo and banner contest. And the winner is…BOTH David Agosto AND Brian Krupkin! Please give them both a round of applause. They both submitted great work.

Check out both entries here (make sure you scroll down):
https://www.nycbbb.com/images/contest/

David’s shield logo and banner will be used for the website, and Brian’s NYC Bills Backers logo, with the Statue of Liberty torch (with the football in it), will be used for this upcoming season’s NYCBBB t-shirts. Brian’s banners will also be used to help us promote our group on other Bills websites, message boards, etc.

The new logo and banner are up on the site, so check it out!

OK….onto the BOOZE!!!

Houston Comeback!!!
McFadden’s will be showing the Bills comeback over the Houston Oilers on Sunday, March 30th. The game will start at 1pm and the following optional specials apply from 1-4pm:

• $10 – all the wings you can eat, POP you can drink
• $20 – all the wings you can eat, Bud/Bud Light, SAM ADAMS, and Cider you can drink
• $25 – all the wings you can eat, Labatt Blue you can drink AND for all you HARD BOOZE drinkers who have been begging me for any liquor special!!
• $35 – all the wings you can eat, all the liquor you can drink!!! (does not include top shelf)

Draft Party!!!
The 2nd Annual NYCBBB draft party will be held on the first day of the draft, April 26th at McFadden’s. Since the Bills now have a first round pick…we have to regroup and give the day more thought…so stay tuned for details!!

HOPE ALL IS WELL WITH EVERYBODY!! HAPPY ST. PATTYS DAY AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU MARCH 30TH!!!!

— Matt Kabel

Hello all 400 Bills fans!

Another quick email for ya with 2 announcements:

Houston Comeback Game at McFadden’s!!!
NYCBBB feels you are all probably feeling a little football deprived and one of our members, Bart Kresse, had a great idea! On Sunday, March 30th, McFadden’s will be showing the greatest comeback in NFL history – the 1992 Bills 35-3 comeback over the Houston Oilers!!! Save the date and be prepared to come watch this amazing game with your fellow Bills fans and drink Labatt Blue and eat Buffalo Wings at McFadden’s! Stay tuned for more details and let me know what you think of the idea!!! Also, we have a copy of the game but would like to know if anybody has a “perfect” copy..so email me if you do!!!

Corduroy Jones
NYCBBB always tries to help out its fellow Buffalonians in NYC. One of our members from WNY, David Smith, is a member of the band here named Corduroy Jones, who will be playing the following show date:
FRIDAY MARCH 7
VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
130 WEST 3RD ST.
BETWEEN 6TH AVE AND MACDOUGAL
NEW YORK CITY
www.thevillageunderground.com
MUSIC @ 8PM

The show is all ages and the ticket price is $13 in advance and $15 at the door, but the show will likely sell out, so if you can make it, buy a ticket in advance at TicketWeb to insure you can get in. their website is http://artists.mp3s.com/info/522/corduroy_jones.html Hope all is well with everybody!!

Matt K.