Winged Victory

Maybe the corporate giants engaged in the mutually suicidal peeing match that keeps most Buffalo Bills games inaccessible to about half the homes in Western New York are actually doing fans a favor.

The loss of convenience is a pain for those who prefer to spend Sunday afternoon commuting between the living room and kitchen, with the occasional side trip to the latrine. But the standoff between LIN-TV, owners of Channel 4, and Time-Warner Cable forces those without satellite television or the technical wherewithal to hook up an antenna to seek out the company of fellow football travelers, be it at the home of a friend or grudging acquaintance or one of the hundreds of fine establishments with the capacity to serve up the sport and all that goes with.

About three dozen such pilgrims journeyed to My Saloon on Broadway in metropolitan Darien last Sunday, seeking a chance to watch the division-leading Bills embarrass the stumbling Miami in the Dolphins’ own home, while absorbing a bit of ambience.

The team disappointed, coming from nine points ahead in the most error-filled of fashions to lose 25-16, but the tavern didn’t.

As a kid growing up in the southwest corner of Genesee County, I remember being struck by the number of bars in a farm town so small (population 3,061, as of the 2000 census). There were at least eight when I was a teenager, at least half of which closed before I was old enough to order anything but a soda, I mean, pop.

Now, due to legal, economic and social shifts, there is but one. My Saloon was known as the Broken Prop for most of my life, stemming from a wooden boat propeller that hung and hangs near the bar that is, well, broken.

Ed, the owner of the Prop until selling the place to Denise and Gary, the current proprietors, said he used to open at 8am to serve the local farmers after they finished with the morning milking.

Decades of agricultural consolidation mean there aren’t as many farms and even fewer farmers. The Saloon is opening at 4am on November 15, the first day that you can legally hunt deer with a shotgun, for an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, but the rest of the year, the doors open shortly before noon.

All the seats at the bar were occupied when Chris and I arrived shortly before kickoff, with the tables rapidly filling. Fortunately, Herb, Dave, and Buzzard had saved us seats in the back, directly in front of a large screen, where we were soon joined by Keith and Jennifer.

In one of the quirks that makes the whole LIN-TV v. Time-Warner blood feud so silly, cable customers in Genesee County receive network affiliates from both Buffalo and Rochester as part of the basic package. So Denise and Gary did not need to trek to their nearest Time-Warner office for an antenna that may or may not work or otherwise contort themselves to receive the signal.

There was, however, a moment of widespread consternation when every television in the place was showing “The Star-Spangled Banner” being sung before kickoff of the New Orleans-San Diego game, rather than in South Florida.

“I know I’ve got the right channel,” Denise said calmly.

And she did. The Saints and Chargers were playing in London as part of the National Football League’s plot to achieve global domination and someone had decided fans across America would get a kick out of seeing our national anthem performed in another country.

The Bills and Dolphins appeared soon enough and a low buzz resumed throughout the place as we dug in to the complim entary wings and various dip options.

“I see how they are,” said Dave. “They rope you in with the free stuff, so then you’ll buy more.”

It was brilliant strategy, judging from the array of empty plates and dirty napkins on our table by halftime.

Meanwhile, Buffalo steadily gained control of the contest. Or so it seemed.

The sporadic long passes from Chad Pennington to Ted Ginn Jr., heretofore considered one of the biggest first-round disappointments of any recent NFL draft, initially seemed like bursts of vain hope for the 2-4 Dolphins, especially when Buffalo went ahead 16-7 on one of Marshawn Lynch’s twisting, churning trips to the end zone, drawing applause, cheers, and even the occasional high five from the hand-slappers in attendance.

That would be about it, though, for both the team and its fans. The Dolphins would score the next 18 points, abetted by four Buffalo turnovers and a Trent Edwards fumble in the end zone, which center Duke Preston recovered to give Miami two of those points.

But to those who don’t take the game too seriously, there is always next week. And the week after, as Denise pointed out while going table to table, describing the tailgate party planned for November 9, when the Bills travel to face the New England Patriots and most of the area journeys to someplace where it can be seen on television.

Dave Staba has covered the Bills since 1990. He welcomes e-mail at dstaba13@aol.com. To read further analysis of Sunday’s game, go to AV Daily at Artvoice.com.