The Buffalo Bills community suffered another tremendous loss Friday evening as the voice of our beloved franchise passed away at the age of 87. For 37 years, Van Miller embodied the emotions of the fans through his words and brought every moment of each game day to life. His ability to paint pictures with enthusiasm resonated with all who had the privilege of listening to him, and his legendary broadcasts involving some of the biggest games in Buffalo Bills history will live in infamy.
Many of the calls made by Miller in these games are engrained within us, most notably the Comeback Game against the Oilers. Even though many of us watched this game in person or via the NBC television broadcast, Van Miller’s calls are embedded in our minds for as long as we have the facilities to use them.
As a kid I used to sit and watch NFL Films religiously with hopes of catching some Buffalo Bills footage, and every time that I was able to, it was Van’s voice I was hearing. Being that I grew up outside of the Western NY region, that was usually my only exposure to Van in the early days, aside from instances where we made trips to Buffalo to visit family. Luckily for me, I had a cousin who always made sure that I knew what I needed to know as a Bills fan. I always was made aware that Van was one of the greats.
What makes Van Miller special to us goes far beyond his voice. Van Miller’s approachable demeanor is another reason he was adored within the community. He was a man who treated everyone he met as if he had known them for years, and because of this, he was loved by all who had the privilege of being honored by his presence.
I was lucky enough to be one of these people. In the early 2000’s, I ran into Van Miller in the parking lot at Ralph Wilson Stadium. I had just finished working as a member of the game day staff and as I was headed towards my car there he was. In all honesty, I don’t remember much about meeting Van that day. I couldn’t tell you what game it was at, what the exact year was, or even recite our conversation much at all. All I can remember is where I was when it occurred and how genuinely nice Van was to me. He was kind; he wore his smile; He spoke with me for a few minutes without any qualms, even though he had no idea who I was. From what I’ve been reading over the past couple of days, this isn’t out of his character for him by any means.
I’m always going to be proud of that moment. The fact that I shook hands with the man who’s been there for it all is pretty awesome, if you ask me. Van was there to declare that the Bills were AFL Champions in 64 and 65. He was there to express relief and jubilance when the Bills ended their losing streak to the Dolphins in 1980. He was there for the magnificent run of 10 divisional titles in a 12 year span; a run that included 4 straight appearances. Through every victory and every defeat, Van was our eyes and ears.
And throughout it all, Van did his job better than anyone out there. He is one of just 12 network radio or television broadcasters to receive the Pete Rozelle award, an award that was presented to him on August 7th of 2004 at the Hall Of Fame enshrinement dinner. He is also a member of the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame, having been given the honor in 1998. In my opinion though, his greatest accomplishment came this past October as he was finally added to the Wall Of Fame at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
When it was time to honor Van Miller at the Ralph, there was an outpour of love for the man who had shared so many magical memories with us, and it was only fitting that he would be honored forever in the building he shared those memories in. The Bills won that day in dramatic fashion, giving us a symbolic sendoff to the man who made our game days better by creating magic on the microphone. As Sammy Watkins caught the game winning touchdown to defeat the Minnesota Vikings on the last play of the game that day, I can’t help but to wonder if Van, for one last time, uttered the phrase “Can you believe it?”
There are only so many ways we can express our gratitude for this man who has departed, and each and every one of us will have our own stories of the impact Van Miller made in our lives. In his 605 broadcasts throughout his career, let’s remember him for what he was; A great man who touched many. Whether we remember him as a friend, a mentor, family, or the man who brought the thrills of victory to their climax, we can all agree on his importance to us.
Van Miller might be gone from the physical, but perhaps this year will give way for his most famous catch phrases to be given new life. Maybe record ticket sales are a sign that “Bedlam” and “fandemonium” are on their way back to the Ralph on Sundays. Maybe this year is the time for us to declare that the “streak is over”. Maybe we can finally hear once again that “they won the division championship.” Fasten your seatbelts, because maybe 2015 could be playoff time.
#RIPVan
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
