An interesting part of Buffalo Bills history is how they got their name; a naming contest resulted in naming the team after the AAFC Buffalo Bills. The Bills merged with the Cleveland Browns in 1950, part of the All-America Football Conference. The original Buffalo Bills were so named for the sake of William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The Bills official mascot is Billy Buffalo. Even though there are three New York teams, (the Bills, Jets, and Giants) the Bills are the only ones to actually play their home games in New York State. The Jets and the Giants both play in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is right outside of New York City.
Beginning with the 2008 season, the Buffalo Bills team added one home game each year to be played in Toronto to their schedule. They are currently the only team to have two home stadium locations, and only the third in NFL history that has had more than one home site in a season. In the 60's, the Bills began playing as a part of the AFL. During 1960, the AFL and NFL merged, and created a new franchise for the Buffalo Bills. The Bills first played at War Memorial Stadium, and then moved to Ralph Wilson Stadium in 1973. They have remained there ever since, although the Stadium was also known as Rich Stadium and Bills Stadium at some points through the years. As mentioned earlier, they now play one game each year at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Once they became a part of the NFL franchise system, the Buffalo Bills history became much more notable. They faced a 1-13 record in 1971, along with scoring a record least amount of points that season. Lou Saban was re-hired in 1972, and the team took a turn for the better. In 1973, the team began playing at their new stadium, and Joe Ferguson became their new quarterback. O.J. Simpson, Jim Braxton, Paul Seymour, and Joe DeLamiellure known as the "Electric Company". The "Electric Company" inspired a local hit in Buffalo Bills history, "Turn on the Juice". Electric Company allowed the team to make the playoffs in 1974, against the Pittsburgh Steelers. As part of Buffalo Bills history, this group of players has created many collectible and valuable memorabilia items in the market place.
The rest of the 70s and the 1980s was a rocky time in Buffalo Bills history. There were many ups and downs, and plenty of winning and losing seasons. However, in the 1990s, the Bills worked to change to a hurry-up offense, and brought themselves back to the spotlight. Two significant events in Buffalo Bills history are their trips to Super Bowl XXV, as well as Super Bowl XXVI. A third Super Bowl appearance was made in 1992, then another in 1993 making them the only team in NFL history to play in four consecutive Super Bowls!
Interesting enough, there are three New York teams, (the Bills, Jets, and Giants) the Bills are the only ones to actually play their home games in New York State
