Finally Recognized

I’ve been at this for a solid two years now, search engine optimizing, adjusting the layout, modifying the template, working to the wee hours of the morn, trying to create an NFL resource that people might actually visit. All in the hope that some random stranger, at some point in time, might recognize me out on the street and point out that they’ve actually been to the website. Well, this weekend it finally happened. I was in the middle of a road trip back to my hometown of Buffalo, NY for a family function. We stopped in Ohio to refuel, when someone, out of the blue, shouted out, “So have you hit all 31 yet?”

Startled and confused, I turned around with a dumb look on my face, “huh?”

“Quest for 31, have you made it to all 31, yet?”.

“Uh … I’m at seventeen,” my eloquence and command of the nuances of the English language surely impressed him. I couldn’t help it. I was completely caught off guard. Who actually reads this dribble? Do people actually visit the site?

“Incidentally,” I shot back, “How did you know what the Quest for 31 is?”

“I’ve been to the site,” he matter of factly responded.

It was a relatively new experience for me. Someone that actually visited the website and retained enough information from a random Google search to recognize me as part of it? Most of the time people are asking me what the Quest for 31 is, but this was a new twist on the .com inquiry. Well, the whole experience made my weekend. I told that story about a hundred times to anyone that would listen and each time I told the story, the details were slightly exaggerated. By the end of the weekend, that one guy morphed into a group of ex-NFL cheerleaders in an RV, that recognized my chiseled good looks immediately. Struggling to contain their enthusiasm at the chance encounter, they coyly asked for picture with me to keep as a memento from their trip to the great state of Ohio. Reluctantly, I agreed, for fear that my new found fame might drastically change the comfortable anonymity with which I currently lead my life. (My granddad was never one to let historic fact or actual details get in the way of telling a great story … I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.)

So the moral of this little anecdote is if you see me out on the road, at a stadium, in your local grocery store, let me know.

Cleveland Browns Stadium - Buffalo at Cleveland

The Blizzard Bowl of 2007 is a game that can only truly be appreciated by experiencing it first hand. I returned to Stadium #3, Cleveland Browns Stadium, to take part in what will surely be an instant classic, from the perspective of the weather we had to endure. Before the season began, it was decided that the Buffalo Bills vs. Cleveland Browns game would be our selection for the “Mann-cation” Buffalo Bills Road Trip of 2007. So the fellas from Buffalo met up with my fraternity brother Arnold and I at Cleveland Browns Stadium for a contest with playoff implications for both teams involved. A massive snow storm from the south was predicted to hit Cleveland right at gametime, ensuring that swirling winds and falling snow would create one of the most incredible atmosphere’s that I’ve ever been a part of. When we could actually see the field below, the players trudged through four inches of snow working against 43 mph winds in an defensive slug-fest. The Browns prevailed 8-0, as the Bills proved unworthy of the playoff expectations thrust upon them. Although a loss, the atmosphere provided by the storm made it a game I will never forget.

Ralph Wilson Stadium - Dolphins at Bills

There’s nothing like attending a Buffalo Bills game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in December. When the snow falls and the temperature drops below freezing, Bills fans are in their glory. So to celebrate the spirit of the fan, for “Squish the Fish” week, my Dad scored tickets to the Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins football game on December 9, 2007. We started with a tailgating feast to rival any other, as we arrived in the parking lot at Ralph Wilson Stadium at 8:30am. Egg McSteiniger sandwiches were cooked up for breakfast accompanied my a fine micro-brew, but the main course was our slow roasted rotisserie turkey, that we prepared right in the parking lot. After 3 hours of slow roasting over hot coals, we accented our guest of honor with yams, cranberry sauce, and gravy, for an incredible pregame meal. The Bills even cooperated by posting a win, dropping the hapless Dolphins to 0-13.

Stadium #17 - The RCA Dome, Indianapolis Colts

The RCA Dome in Indianapolis was to be stadium #17 on my Quest for 31. I was thrilled by the prospect of being on hand to witness the other juggernaut offense that’s been leaving NFL teams in their wake this year. So having seen Tom Brady and Company at Gillette Stadium earlier in the year, the opportunity to watch Peyton Manning and the defending champion Indianapolis Colts dissect another opponent, was too intriguing to pass up. For this adventure, my fraternity brother Clevon would accompany me on the 5 ½ hour drive to Indianapolis from Detroit. The Indianapolis Colts were set to lock horns with the Jacksonville Jaguars with the AFC South Division crown at stake and we were set for an afternoon of heavy tailgating, beer drinking, and football. The Jacksonville Jaguars attempted to use their power running combination of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew to slow the Indianapolis Colts offensive machine, but Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Joseph Addai proved too much for the Jags to handle. Indy finished off Jacksonville with a 28 – 25 win ensuring their hold on the division crown for at least another week.

Stadium #16 - Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Jacksonville Jaguars

An overcast, but warm Florida afternoon proved to be the perfect backdrop for my visit to stadium #16, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, FL. Crystal, Annabella, and I drove over from Tampa early on Sunday morning to rally our visiting Buffalo Bills to victory in a hostile environment. It’s a victory we’re still waiting for, as unfortunately the Jacksonville Jaguars dominated the JP Losman-led Bills providing a perfect segue once again to usher in the Trent Edwards Era. As for the pregame celebration, I had arranged for an impressive shrimp boil with some local Jaguars fans before and after the game. Hanging with the fans and stuffing myself full of shrimp was definitely the highlight of our weekend!

Stadium #15 - Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City Chiefs

Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO was to become Stadium #15 on the Quest for 31. It was a fairly long 12 hour road trip to Kansas City from Detroit, so we selected the Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs game on Veterans Day Weekend, to allow ourselves the extra day to drive home. I had always heard about how loud Arrowhead Stadium was on Sundays and I distinctly remember how difficult it was for the Kelly-era Buffalo Bills to beat those Chiefs teams of the early nineties on Monday Night Football. So I knew going in that I would be among some real die hard football fans. Crystal and I had a great time tailgating before and after the game and interacting with the local fans, as we made the stadium parking lot tour. The game itself was a fairly completive division rivalry between the first place Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos, but Denver pulled away from the Chiefs in the third quarter and never looked back posting a 27 – 11 win over the hometown team. Not even my Tomahawk Chop chant was enough to inspire a thrilling forth quarter comeback.

Ralph Wilson Stadium - Cincinnati at Buffalo

Ralph Wilson Stadium is like a home away from home for all Buffalo Bills fans, and especially during our annual Bills Football Weekend Retreat. The Steiniger men select a Buffalo Bills home game each year, and we all gather in Buffalo to rent an RV and camp out in the stadium parking lot in preparation for the game on Sunday. The weekend becomes a food and beer fest, as we bring out all the stops to make certain that no one in our crew goes hungry. This year we selected the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills game on November 4 and we cooked up a fantastic feast. Our tailgating crew was able to partake of a seafood boil, slow-cooked roast beast on weck, and grill-seared tuna steaks. The Buffalo Bills rewarded our efforts with a win over a Cincinnati Bengals team that seems to be reeling in mediocrity. Marshawn Lynch had a career day as the Buffalo Bills defeated the Bengals 33 – 21.