BUFFALO, N.Y. — Ten years ago this week in 2013:
Baseball's biggest star would be handed what would turn out to be a season long suspension when Alex Rodriguez, known "A-Rod" to his many fans, admitted to using performance enhancing drugs.
Governor Cuomo made a victory lap announcing he'd settled a dispute with the Seneca that would allow three Western New York cities to share once again in revenue they'd been denied, He visited three cities to make the announcement and the mayors of each of them were supplied the same statement by the governor's office to read in praise of Cuomo.
OJ Simpson was still seeking to be paroled from prison, Tiger Woods was the world's top ranked professional golfer, and while cars had yet to return to Main Street downtown crews were working on making that so this week in 2013.
20 years ago this week in 2003:
It was time again to induct a new class into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and this class would include two former Buffalo Bills who are the subject of this week's News 2 You Pop Quiz: Which two former Buffalo gridiron greats were enshrined in Canton, Ohio this week in 2003? (For the answer, watch the conclusion of the video included in this story).
Remember... this was back when New York State Senator Pat Gallivan, was the Erie County Sheriff, and when - if you wanted to show someone pictures - you pulled out a photo album, not a phone.
It was also when Saturn wasn't just a planet, but also a type of automobile...when air travelers might still find themselves flying on a DC-10, and when geometry students may still have used a protractor.
It was also the week when wrecking crews tore down the once fabled Forks Hotel in Cheektowaga, which had been renown for attracting magicians from across the county to perform their acts. The site at Broadway and Union today hosts a credit union, with a marker out front indicating what used to be prior to this week in 2003.
30 years ago this week in 1993:
Along the same lines as Live Aid and Farm Aid which proceeded it, we had Flood Aid, a national telethon hosted by Willard Scott to raise funds for areas of the Midwest suffering under what could be considered by several measures, the worst recorded flood in US History.
Involving nine states along the Mississippi and and Missouri Rivers, the great flood of 1993 effected an area of some 320,000 sq. miles, lasted for 200 days, destroyed 100,000 -thousand homes, inundated 15 million acres of farmland, and caused $32 billion dollars damage (in today's money).
40 years ago this week in 1983:
It was perhaps the most natural summer ever experienced in Buffalo, when Robert Redford and crew came to film the story of fictitious baseball player Roy Hobbs in The Natural.
Much of the movie was shot at old War Memorial Stadium.
Other locations for The Natural included a farm in the Genesee county town of Stafford where our man on that scene, the late Scott Brown, reported on folks standing a half mile away hoping to get a glimpse of the star.
Parkside Candies, All High Stadium, and Central Terminal were also used as filming locations.
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