In 52 years of owning the Bills, Ralph Wilson has been to every home opener. According to the Buffalo News, he will miss Sunday’s debut at the stadium that bears his name, as he recovers from a broken hip suffered in June.
“I was in the TV room watching the finals of the French Open, I came back to the bedroom and lost my balance,” Wilson, 92, said. “I’ve been working with a trainer trying to recover. It’s a slow process, but I’m making strides.”
Wilson said that he "[d]efinitely” plans to make it to a home game this year.
He watched the Week One win over the Chiefs from home. “I was shocked, along with everybody else,” Wilson said of the 41-7 victory.
Wilson also gushed regarding the team’s current football brain trust.
“Buddy [Nix] and Chan [Gailey] have done a fabulous job in identifying players that have been cut by other teams and working with them,” Wilson said. “They’re doing a heckuva job. I’ll tell you, we wouldn’t be where we’re at today if we had Buddy 10 years ago. . . .
“I finally found out after all these years you have to have a scout . . . a football guy, as your general manager. He’s got to go out and see the player, talk to the player, talk to his family, see how interested he is in the game. That’s what Buddy does.”
And Buddy has done it well. And the Bills are competitive once again.
Here’s hoping that Mr. Wilson will be able to enjoy the ride in person, soon.