Hello all,

As you already know, tonight Marv Levy will be at McFadden’s to sign copies of his recently published book, “Where Else Would You Rather Be?”

Matt Kabel talked with Coach Levy last night, and he’s just as excited as we are!

We’ve also confirmed shipment of 250 copies of the book. They’re there, waiting!!!

Here are all the details in yesterday’s e-mail about the signing and drink special:
https://nycbbb.com/emails/2005/012405.shtml

To summarize and reiterate some very important details:

Coach Levy will be signing books from 6:30-8:30. We did our very best to gauge the crowd size, and we estimate that he’ll need the entire two hours to get to everyone. If demand exceeds what we expect, it’ll be up to Marv to continue signing or not. To ensure the maximum amount of books signed within the two hours, it is essential that you do your part and help us move the line efficiently.

We need you to help us with and keep in mind the following items:

Signings will be on a first come, first serve basis.

Be courteous and let people through the crowd. Cutting lines or pushing will not be tolerated. Please be patient.

It is REQUIRED that you write out a post-it note with exactly what you want Marv to sign. They’ve also requested that we limit the words to just names only. And write clearly!

Coach Levy will not pose for individual pictures during the signing. It takes too long. Our own photographer, Anna, will be on hand to take plenty of pictures.

Again, nothing other than his book will be signed. No exceptions!

For obvious reasons, there will be no food or drinks allowed in the “signing area.” We’ll have a table right before to put down your drink. An NYCBBB staff member will be at that table minding the drinks, as well as checking to see if your post-it note(s) is ready.

Once the book is signed, we ask you to please move right along so the next person… You get the point!

I’m am absolutely ecstatic right now! To answer the title of his book, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than at McFadden’s with Marv Levy tonight.

— Matt “can’t believe he’s about to meet a legend” Soreco

Hello all 896 Bills fans!

Everybody enjoying the snow? Spent 30 minutes last night trying to dig out a spot for our car. Also, I want to apologize to any of you who emailed me in the last week that I didn’t reply to. I’ve received hundreds of emails since last Tuesday about the Levy event, and have been quite busy with work as well.

In about 30 hours, we will be hanging out with legendary Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy and his wife Fran Levy! Both are very excited to come to McFadden’s and meet the Bills fans of New York City. NYCBBB and McFadden’s staff met on Friday to work out all of the logistics for this awesome event. Please read this email, which includes NEW INFO, and help us make this event as successful as possible.

THE SIGNING
– The signing will occur from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. After the 8:30 deadline, it will be Marv and Fran’s call whether they continue signing books. Again, they will sign copies of his book ONLY. Please do not try to get anything else signed. Info on the drink special is below.

– To expedite the process, Marv wants everybody to fill out what they want him to sign on a post-it note. We will provide the materials to do this. Marv also asked that you keep your requests to NAMES ONLY. He prefers to not sign more than that to save time so he can meet all of you.

– Marv will not pose for individual pictures during the signing. It simply takes too much time to pose for them, and would prefer to use that time saying hello to all of you. NYCBBB’s own photographer, Anna, will be on hand to snap plenty of pictures

BOOKS AND T-SHIRTS
– Books will be on sale at the DJ booth (where the wings usually are) for $25 each, which includes the tax. We will accept cash or personal checks made out to Matt Soreco along with a driver’s license or credit card for proof of identity. We recommend bringing a bag if you’re purchasing more than one book.

– We have ordered 250 books. Marv’s publisher has notified us that he can only sign about 300 books in a 2 hour period. Considering many of you already purchased the book, Marv wouldn’t be able to sign any more books than what we ordered. If we run out, it was due to the max amount we were allowed to order.

– We will be running a ‘Marv Levy Special’ on NYCBBB t-shirts. They will be on sale for $10 each and can also be purchased at the DJ booth.

BEER SPECIAL AND FOOTBALL
– From 5:30 to 9:30 – pints of Bud, Bud Light, and Labatt Blue will be $3 each. There will be no wings out, but you can order from the McFadden’s menu if you want food.

– We will be showing either the Raiders blowout or the Comeback. Those of you who emailed me saying you have these games, please bring them and arrive early.

OTHER STUFF
– Channel 7 News in Buffalo (remember Irv Weinstein???) will be in NYC on Tuesday filming a story on NYCBBB member Bernie Tolbert, who is Senior Vice President at the NBA. The funny thing is that Bernie told them they have to work around him getting his book signed by Marv Levy, so you may see TV cameras briefly at the signing! We’ll probably skip Bernie to the front of the line so they can get footage and be on their way back to MSG for more filming. He will be the ONLY person we’ll do this for.

We recommend that you arrive early for this event, as we are expecting a HUGE crowd. I am still receiving RSVP’s, so I expect Marv to be busy signing for the entire 2 hours. NYCBBB and McFadden’s staff will be working together to make the lines flow and keep everybody happy, so please follow the above rules to help us make this a successful event.

— Matt ‘talkin proud and fired up for tomorrow!” Kabel

The verdict is in, and YES, Marv Levy WILL be signing copies of his book at McFadden’s on Tuesday, January 25 from 6:30-8:30pm! We looked into changing the date, but the publisher couldn’t guarantee getting Coach Levy back here by next fall, if at all. Also, we received 125 RSVP’s within 24 hours, so we are expecting a huge turnout for this event.

“Yes, Coach Levy has been informed and is excited!” – from the publisher.

Some key points regarding Marv Levy at the event:
1) We have ordered 250 books from the publisher which we will be selling at McFadden’s on the day of the event. Books can be purchased for $25 each which includes tax. Cash or personal check is the ONLY method of payment accepted. Coach Levy will sign already purchased books.
2) He will only sign copies of his book. He will not sign any memorabilia.
3) He will personalize his autographs, but they need to be kept brief.
4) As of now, there is no limit on the number of books he will sign.

My fellow NYCBBB staff members and I are going to meet up at McFadden’s this week to decide how the logistics of the signing will work. We’ll also talk to McFadden’s about offering some sort of beer special. Once we have more details, we’ll let you know!

Does anybody have a copy of the Raiders 51-3 playoff game on VHS tape?

Less than a week to put together a book signing, if anybody can do it, we can!

NYCBBB Gift Packages to Iraq En Route
Staff-member Michelle Girardi has just gotten word that the care-packages that NYCBBB members raised money for have passed inspection and are en route to our fellow Buffalo Bills fans serving in the Middle East. They will hopefully receive them in two weeks as security is tight due to the upcoming elections. We will let you know when they receive them, and thanks again to all of you that contributed to this worthwhile cause!

Bills News
Travis Henry has moved his stuff out of his Buffalo home and has said he will only play for a team in warm weather. As much as I loved Travis as a player, he is acting like a baby and I will now be happy to see him leave considering his attitude. Check out the latest news on www.billsdaily.com

— Matt “talkin’ proud and can’t believe we got Marv Levy to come to McFadden’s!” Kabel

Hello all 886 Bills fans,

We just got word that Marv Levy will be in NYC next week and would like to hang out with our members and sign copies of his book! This potential event would occur next Tuesday, January 25th, from 6:30-8:30 pm at McFadden’s. He WILL sign copies of already purchased books.

We are fully aware that this is a work-night, but it may be our only shot at having the legendary Hall of Fame Coach at McFadden’s. He’ll be there until 8:30, so those of you in NJ and CT would have plenty of time to make it. We’ll build up the event by possibly showing a classic Bills game and offering a drink special.

This will only work with your support, so we need you to RSVP for this event RIGHT AWAY and tell us if you’ll:

1) be able to make it (and with # of guests)
2) if you will need to purchase a book

We’ll make the call whether this will happen within 24 hours, so as soon as you get this PLEASE reply.

C’mon folks…let’s make this happen, Marv Levy deserves our support for everything he did for us in the early 90’s!

— Matt “talkin’ proud and need you to reply” Kabel

Hello all 885 Bills fans!

Thanks to all of you that filled out the survey. We received a ton of feedback about Little Buffalo (McFadden’s and Calico’s) on 42nd Street that will help us improve on next season. I assure you that all comments will be looked over by NYCBBB staff and McFadden’s/Calico Jack’s leadership. After we meet with the leadership of McFadden’s and Calico’s, we’ll summarize the results of the survey and the feedback we receive from them in an email to you. This should paint a picture of what direction we’ll be heading in for next season.

I did want to touch on one major complaint that was a trend in the results of the survey, and that is why Calico Jack’s was not open for the Pittsburgh game. We had Calico’s open for the Browns game 3 weeks before that, and only 10 fans utilized it. This resulted in the owners of Calico’s losing a lot of money, which is not good considering many of Calico’s owners do NOT own any part of McFadden’s. We didn’t want to jeopardize our relationship with the bar, and decided that we would only use Calico’s when we made the playoffs. It was fully 100% MY decision not to open Calico’s for the Pittsburgh game for this reason. We knew that our group would be much bigger next season, and the utilization of Calico’s space would be a must. Since we couldn’t guarantee a packed crowd in Calico’s for that game, I decided it wasn’t worth the risk of ruining our relationship with them for next season.

I guarantee you that plans are underway to make Calico’s have the same Bills atmosphere as McFadden’s next season. The Pittsburgh game has proven to us and McFadden’s that we’ve outgrown the bar, and we need to make both bars exciting atmospheres for our fans to watch our beloved Buffalo Bills! Stay tuned…

Marv Levy coming to McFadden’s?
Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy has contacted us and is excited at the idea of holding a book signing event with NYCBBB at McFadden’s in the near future. We are doing our best in working with the publisher to make this happen. We will let you know of more details as they become available. If you are planning on buying his book, we ask that you hold off until we find out more about this potential event.

HOW AWESOME WOULD THIS BE???

Bills News
Wondering what’s going on in the Bills’ off-season? Be sure to check outwww.billsdaily.com for up-to-date news.

— Matt “talkin proud and still amazed at receiving a personal email from Coach Levy” Kabel

Hello all 885 Bills fans!

Now that the season has been over for over a week, are we feeling a little better now? I know I am! I’m fired up for the 2005 Buffalo Bills season!

We at NYCBBB took a one day rest after the season, and got right back into planning things for the off-season and next season! We will be meeting with McFadden’s leadership on Friday to discuss this past season and what can be improved upon. In order to help us determine what needs to be worked on, we have created this VERY simple survey. It has only 10 questions, and only 100 people can answer. Because of this, we ask that only those members that were at McFadden’s for AT LEAST ONE GAME THIS SEASON please answer.

Just click on the link and help us help you:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=73995805310

This survey is only related to this past season at McFadden’s. We will be sending another survey out in the near future about our tailgates, the trip to Buffalo, us, and all that other good stuff.

Help us…help you…

— Matt “talking proud and enjoyed our 1-day vacation” Kabel

Hello Bills Fans,

Here are a few items we’d like to mention as we wrap up this season and prepare for next. What’d you think we just go away!? We’re already planning our 4th Annual Draft Day Party as well as some other exciting off-season events. “Stay tuned.”

Michelle’s Corner
Here’s Michelle’s latest column, which includes ten revealing New Year’s resolutions.
https://nycbbb.com/columns/010205.shtml

Fan of the Week
Who is our surprise selection for Fan of the week?
https://nycbbb.com/mow/010205.shtml

Pics
Check out pictures from the last game. I see a lot of new faces!
https://nycbbb.com/pics/steelers04.shtml

See you all in April!

— Matt Soreco

Hello all 883 Bills fans…

Well, that just sucked didn’t it? Sitting above the players’ bench, I saw no fire in the faces of our Buffalo Bills. I think their minds were already on the playoffs, which is why we’ll be watching the Jets on TV next weekend.

Thanks to all of you for making this an exciting season at McFadden’s, it wouldn’t have been so much fun without all of you! I heard that on Sunday, the NYPD had to raise barriers on 2nd Avenue to contain the hundreds of Bills fans crowding the corner on 42nd Street, and McFadden’s had to rush to open Calico’s to accommodate everybody! That is simply incredible! To top that, we raised $1,500 this season for Roswell Park and our fellow Bills fans serving in the Middle East. We at NYCBBB have a lot to be proud of!

As of today we have 883 members, and are sure to top 1,000 Bills fans in NYC by next season. It’s ok to be down in the dumps this week, but while down there, keep these positive points in mind for next season:

Mike Mularkey — The rookie Head Coach turned a 6-10 team into a 9-7 playoff caliber franchise. With his rookie season behind him and a full off-season to work with installing HIS players, look for this team to continue to improve!

Willis McGahee — Fans were disgusted by Tom Donahoe’s risky #1 draft pick two years ago. Now we have a proven franchise running back that isn’t even 100% healthy yet and is nowhere near his full potential. With a season under his belt look for Willis to become a prime time player next season!

Lee Evans — Our #1 draft choice may have been the best overall wide receiver to come out of the 2004 draft. With his speed and play-making ability, expect huge things from this kid for years to come!

Mike Williams — Finally having a REAL O-Line coach has turned this bust into a solid player who will only continue to get better!

Brian Moorman and Terrence McGee — We have the best punter in the league that continues to improve, and a 4th round draft choice that made the Pro Bowl as a kick returner. Bring in a reliable kicker and we’ll have the best special teams unit in the NFL for years!

Our Defense — The #2 defense in the league. They had amazing and depressing moments this season, but look for them to continue to improve as 10 starters (maybe 11 w/ Pat!) will return. Question is, will Jerry Gray’s success land him a job elsewhere?

Face it; despite the last few weeks this team showed us on Sunday that they were not ready for the playoffs. However, unlike last year at this time, we can look forward to the upcoming season as it seams only a few changes need to be made. We will need to tinker with the offensive line as Jonas Jennings will likely be gone, but Jim McNally has lived up to his expectations as a O-Line guru and I have full faith in him. With continued improvement from the youngsters, this offense will continue to improve, and our defense/special teams will continue to dominate. We have HUGE things to look forward to next season!

That is, if they take care of the QB situation. After 3 years, I think it’s time to hand the reigns over to JP Losman and see what this kid is made of. I loved ya Drew, but you’ve let us down too many times in big games the last 3 years. We needed you to be a consistently above average quarterback this season with the help of Sam Wyche, Tom Clements, and Mike Mularkey…but even they couldn’t get that out of you. It’s time for a change at QB since Drew will never get us over that hump.

With a few changes, this team is going to be awesome next year. And guess what, the 2006 Super Bowl will be held in Detroit, original home of Bills owner Ralph Wilson. If that’s not karma telling us we’ll be there, nothing is! I’m fired up for next season, how about you?

GO BILLS!!!!

Thanks to New Staff
As the group doubled in size last year, Matt and I realized we needed help managing the monster we created. We’d like to acknowledge Kevin, Ryan, Michelle, Anna, and Phil for joining our crew and helping us better serve all of you. They have done a tremendous job behind the scenes, and we are looking forward to working together this off-season to prepare for the draft party and next season! Thanks guys!

Thanks to McFadden’s
It was a roller coaster of a ride this season, but McFadden’s did a great job hosting us and making needed changes to accommodate us. I want to personally thank Elvis, Doug, Mike, Dan, Franklin and all of McFadden’s staff for busting their butts to make this a fun season for our fans!

— Matt “talkin’ proud and already fired up for next season!” Kabel