Van Miller

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Van Miller, the former play-by-play announcer for the National Football League's Buffalo Bills, was the longest-tenured commentator with one team (37 years) in pro football history upon his retirement after the 2003 season.

On July 30, 1960, Van Miller debuted on the air at War Memorial Stadium to call play-by-play for the Bills' inaugural contest against the Boston Patriots. In his 55 years in the business, Miller has earned legend status in Buffalo by doing everything imaginable behind the microphone. Besides his status as the "Voice of the Bills," Miller was the sports director for WIVB-TV 4 for many years and has called Buffalo Braves and Niagara University basketball, Buffalo Bisons baseball, Buffalo Stallions soccer, University at Buffalo football and, in his early years, high school sports.

With the exception of a brief hiatus in the 1970s when his radio network lost the right to broadcast games, Miller covered the Bills for their entire existence...from Jack Kemp and O.J. Simpson to Joe Ferguson and Jim Kelly.

Perhaps his most famous call came in the 1989 season opener against the archrival Miami Dolphins: "Kelly waiting, last play of the game, back to throw, and he's gonna run, and he does for the touchdown (volume raising), he dove for the touchdown!"

After 43 years and almost 700 games, a now-harsh-voiced, 76-year-old Van Miller called his final broadcast for the Bills against the New England Patriots (the same franchise Buffalo had faced for Miller's first broadcast in 1960). The Bills lost 31-0 after having beaten the Patriots in the season opener by the same score.

Miller is now retired and lives in Dunkirk, New York. The Pro Football Hall of Fame presented him with its Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2004.

Signature calls include: "Fandemonium" – often referring to the celebrations after big Bills wins, and "Do you believe it?" after an exciting and often game-changing play