My First Bills Game Day

Being born in the United Kingdom, my passion for sport had always been centred around rugby and soccer (or football, as we call it on this side of the pond). As a child, I believed no other sport could compare to these two giants of British sport, yet this all changed after discovering American Football, and the National Football League (NFL). After spectating as a neutral fan for a season whilst learning the rules, nuances and technicalities of the game, I decided It was time to chose a team to follow...

I chose...

The Buffalo Bills!

I am not going to lie, when I made the decision to follow the Bills, I wouldn't have been able to point Buffalo out on a US map. New York? Yes. But, I couldn’t have told you it was a 7 hour drive from New York City, or that it was by Niagara Falls! However, I had fallen in love with the team, Josh Allen and in particular, a player named Christian Wade. I had been following the journey of Wade, a newly converted running back, who made the leap into NFL via the international pathway programme, after playing rugby in England earlier in his career. Funnily enough, he played for the rugby club I support - Wasps RFU! Despite Wade not having the smoothest NFL journey so far, I find it so cool to have a player that the UK Bills Mafia can relate to.

I had been following my beloved Buffalo Bills for just under three years when I decided to take the plunge and fly out from London to Buffalo to watch my team live for the first time ever!

I touched down at Buffalo Airport on Friday 15th January 2022, ahead of the AFC Super Wildcard play off game against the New England Patriots - a fierce division rival who had inflicted years of pain on the Bills and its fandom over many seasons. However, with Tom Brady having moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Josh Allen at the helm of an electric Bills offence, I could feel the excitement in the air of this sleepy city.

GAME DAY!

I soon discovered that a typical game day in the NFL has much more to offer than just the 60 minutes of football. I turned to the #BillsMafia Twitter tag in search of inspiration and advice on how to maximise my first game experience, and the Mafia did not disappoint. I headed to Sidelines Sports Bar in Downtown Buffalo to sample some Buffalo Wings, a true delicacy in this part of Western New York. Every inch of the establishment was covered in signed Buffalo Bills merchandise and jerseys ranging from current players back to the (near) glory days of Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas. The atmosphere was building nicely, the beer was great and the wings were impeccable. Next stop, Orchard Park.

When you go to rugby or soccer games in the UK, the thought of arriving at the stadium 4-5 hours before kick off is utterly ludicrous, so I was understandably a little confused when I was invited to various ‘Tailgates’ via social media - especially in subzero temperatures. However, I was assured I’d be looked after and introduced to the ‘real culture’ of Bills Mafia, an offer I couldn’t refuse. When I arrived at the stadium parking lot, the atmosphere was something I had never experienced before. Beers, BBQ’s, stereos booming and a sea of red, white and blue everywhere you looked; it was like being on a beach, except it was -15 degrees! I spent the next couple of hours eating, drinking and exchanging stories with my new friends whilst desperately trying to keep warm.

Before I knew it, I was heading into the stadium. Game time!

I am sure I won’t be the only one who, at first glance, expected Highmark Stadium to be bigger than it originally appeared, from the outside anyway. Although, once I was through the turnstiles and into the stadium I realised I had been lulled into a false sense of security, as I got to see this 71,608 seater stadium in all its glory. I sat in section 311, high up near the half way line, best seats in the house. I have been to a lot of sporting events, all over the world and I can honestly say that the Bills game on that day was the loudest atmosphere I have ever witnessed. This game is also on record as one of the coldest football games in the history of the NFL, I bought a soft drink before the game and as I went to open it at half time it was frozen solid. Apart from the half time interval where everyone crammed into the concourses for a glimmer of warmth, a sell out crowd of just under 72,000 braved the conditions for Buffalo’s first play off game with fans attending in over 20 years. Not even the elements could prevent the Bills Mafia from partying as from start to finish the atmosphere was insane, helped of course by the Buffalo Bills having a perfect offensive game scoring off all 7 of their drives to claim a comfortable 47-17 victory, eliminating the Patriots and sending us to Kansas City for a replay of the AFC Championship game from the previous season.

At full time I took one last opportunity to soak in the atmosphere; the fact that I had got to watch the Buffalo Bills play live at Highmark Stadium, especially in the play offs was still very surreal. I headed back to Downtown Buffalo for a night of celebration and partying. This was honestly the opportunity of a lifetime for a UK based supporter. Especially when you consider the next time I get an opportunity to return for a game the Bills may well be playing in a new stadium. Wherever you are in the world, if you’re a Buffalo Bills fan and you haven’t been to a game before, I couldn’t recommend it enough. The Bills Mafia were incredibly welcoming, hospitable and outright crazy, the game day experience was surreal and the city of Buffalo is incredible too.

@ChadSoutham98