Like many of us growing up, Therese Forton-Barnes never missed an episode of the Flintstones cartoon series.
She loved hearing Fred Flintstone screaming: Yabba Dabba Do!
Being a life-long booster of her hometown of Buffalo, Tee, as she is affectionately referred to by friends, was immediately intrigued by Fred and his sidekick, Barney Rubble’s men’s only fraternal organization in their town of Bedrock—The Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes. Its Grand Poobah, Water Buffalo Hall, secret handshake, song and of course, its signature hat, truly caught Tee’s interest.
Yaaba Dabba Doo!
Many years later, when the Ithaca College graduate and entrepreneur returned home to become a preeminent event planner, an extraordinary matchmaker and founder of The Green Living Gurus, LLC and Tee’s Organics, she never forgot about Fred and Barney’s Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes.
A devoted, long-time Bills’ season ticket holder and an organizer of huge tailgate parties outside the Big Tree Inn on Abbott Road for years, Tee purchased two large, warm, blue Water Buffalo hats with brown horns and the distinctive red Buffalo on the front for herself and her friend, Cathleen Hart-Frantz for last season’s Wild Card playoff game in Highmark Stadium on January 9, 2021. Because of Covid-19 restrictions, attendance was limited so they knew wearing the large headgear would not block anyone near them. They also wore matching coats and created a banner with Fred and Barney wearing their Water Buffalo hats with the message “Yaaba Dabba Do: Go Bills!”
They experienced a thrilling 27-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the first home playoff game in 17 years and the first Bills’ playoff victory in a quarter of a century.
Needless to say, the crowd went bonkers after watching quarterback Josh Allen throw for two touchdowns, run for another and Micah Hyde bat down a Phillip Rivers desperation pass to seal the victory.
“As we were walking out of the stadium, we had so many people stop us and ask for photos. Who doesn’t love Fred Flintstone and everyone loved the hats. They not only look good but they are warm,” Forton-Barnes recalls of that exciting game a year ago this week.
“I think I was saying Yabba Dabba Do in my sleep for days!” she adds with a laugh.
After that game and at the start of this season Tee had people inquiring about obtaining hats for them. As a die-hard Flintstones fan, she attended the Bills’ game on Halloween dressed as Fred and her friend, Lisa Brydges, was Barney.
Tee brings the hat to all of the games and it is present at the tailgate party but if it is raining, she will not wear it into the game. She was wearing it for the 31-14 victory over Carolina on December 19 when they ran into somebody wearing the same hat.
“We introduced ourselves and I asked him if we should create a group on Facebook for all of us Water Buffalo people,” she explains. “So, then I created the Facebook page and from there it just gained traction.
“The Water Buffalo Club is a group of Bills Mafia that sport the blue Water Buffalo hat with the red Buffalo on the front,” she says. “Our goal is to have good clean fun and celebrate our beloved Bills with fans of all ages and absolutely no table crashing.”
In typical Tee fashion, along with a number of beloved Bills fans earning their membership certificate by showing their hat, the club already has some VIP members, such as ESPN’s Chris “No One Circles the Wagons Like the Buffalo Bills” Berman; actor Chris McDonald, who played the villainous Shooter McGavin in the 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore; former Bill Will Wolford’s wife, Jude; Eileen Dash from Dash’s Market; Pete Gallivan from WGRZ-TV and 97 Rock’s Ted Shredd and Dave Jickster.
The power of social media and Tee’s reputation around the country has had many Bills fans from out of town requesting membership into the club or asking how they can start their own chapters. Just before Wednesday’s snowstorm Tee made her way to the post office to mail the official blue Water Buffalo hat and membership certificates to Bills Mafia members in Kentucky, Delaware, Arizona, Florida, Boston and New York City.
Gallivan, co-anchor of Ch. 2’s Daybreak, was one of the first to receive an official membership certificate on December 29. He has already talked about the group on television.
“Tee is a dynamo, always trying to bring fans closer to the athletes for the betterment of the community,” Gallivan says. “When she reached out and asked if I wanted to become a member, this is SO Bills Mafia that I could only say, I Yaaba Dabba Doo!”
Before last Sunday’s victory over Atlanta, Jickster introduced Tee to Shredd of 97 Rock’s Shredd and Ragan show. Little did she realize a great Flintstone’s fan was joining the Water Buffalo Club.
“I told her a story of how I used to draw Fred Flintstone a lot when I was a little kid,” Shredd recalls earlier this week from the 97 Rock studio. “A college professor saw one of my drawings and was amazed it was done by a 5-year-old. He ended taking my drawing to a university in Texas and had his students draw Fred. He then showed them my drawing to compare their renditions to that of a 5-year-old.
“As a Flintstones fan, I am of course familiar with The Loyal Order of Water Buffalo,” he continues. “These hats are very creative and you know I like that.”
Soon after Shredd joined the club, Tee was overwhelmed when four women from the Seneca Nation of Indians joined their tailgate party at the Big Tree Inn.
Irma Iris Cortes, the Senior Advocate for the Seneca Nation, her daughter, Kalicia Conant and friends, Robin Jones and Mickey Thompson, wear red and blue Brotogas to the games and they wanted distinctive hats to complete their ensemble. Kalicia found the blue Water Buffalo hats on line and ordered four of them for Christmas. The hats made them official members of the club and Tee gave them red Buffalos they could attach to them.
“I have been a Bills fan for as long as I can remember and my daughter was a fan in my womb so she has been a fan since birth,” explains Irma, a season ticket holder at the tunnel end of the stadium. “Each game we park in a different area so we can experience the different scenes and tailgate parties around the stadium. On Sunday, we parked near the Hammer Lot so we could see the Bills Mafia and as we made our way to the Big Tree Inn we saw all these people wearing Water Buffalo hats so we said let’s go roam with the Buffalos.
“The minute I met Therese we clicked and we all loved the mission of the Water Buffaloes. We are all about supporting our Buffalo Bills,” she adds.
When Irma arrived home her son showed her a photo he took while watching the game. It was the four of them in the stands with their hats on. Since then, Irma has posted the photo on the Buffalo Water Buffalo’s Facebook page and she said someone from Channel 7 called to ask if they could use the photo in a commercial. She said yes.
Tee laughs at the thought of where this may be headed especially with her beloved Bills guaranteed at least one home playoff game the weekend of January 15.
“Just like Fred Flintstone had operating members of his lodge, we do too,” Tee says. “Again, this is all fun and games and I do not want people to think we really created a formal club but we do have officers.”
Tee is the Grand Poobah, Brydges, entertainment director, Hart-Frantz, treasurer; and Detci McCarville-Scinta, secretary. Everyone with a hat receives a certificate when they join the club and anybody can join the Facebook group. They have a secret handshake or as they like to say, a secret handshake gesture… which is … horns up.
Tee has arranged for a group photo prior to Sunday’s regular season finale against the New York Jets at 2:45 p.m. on the 97 Rock stage adjacent to the Big Tree Inn on Abbott Road. Check the website for the group’s pre-game plans for the following weekend’s home playoff game.
While the Big Tree Inn may be the Buffalo Water Buffaloes’ Water Buffalo Hall, Jickster’s legendary 97-Rock tailgate party next door, with a concert stage, live music and multitudes of Bills fans, may be the group’s party headquarters before each home game.
“It’s a pleasure being a part of the Water Buffalo Club and having a chance to wear my blue Water Buffalo hat to show support for our kick ass Buffalo Bills football team! I can’t wait for the next meeting at the Big Tree Inn. Let’s go Buffalo!” Jickster says.
Erik Brady, a former sports columnist at The Buffalo-Courier Express and USA Today, who currently writes for buffalonews.com, has long admired the promotional skills of Forton-Barnes. He is impressed with her latest venture.
“Bedrock’s Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes was only for men,” Brady states. “Talk about the Stone Age: Wilma and Betty weren’t welcome. That’s why Buffalo beats Bedrock: our Water Buffalo Club was founded by our very own Therese Forton-Barnes.
“Yabba Dabba Do!”
Lead image: Group Photo of the Buffalo Water Buffalo Club taken before last week’s Buffalo Bills victory over Atlanta