Why Buffalo?

This is a story of how a guy living in metropolitan Detroit, who has no personal connections to Western New York, became a fan of the Buffalo Bills. This post was inspired by the frequent question I receive: Why Buffalo?

I was raised on Air Force Bases and we moved several times during my childhood. One of our stops was near Macon, Georgia back in the early 1990s. If you follow baseball or understand the history of the sport, the Atlanta Braves had a dominant run of championship caliber play during this time. As an impressionable child, I grew fond of baseball because of the personalities of the players the Braves had, the winning seasons, and the fandom it created in my household. Both of my parents loved baseball and sports in general.

In the mid 90s, our family moved to Delaware, where there are no professional sports teams. I have vague memories of my dad staying up late to watch ESPN highlights. He would have his infamous Miller Genuine Draft beer (that he never finished) and would be found in his blue recliner. Over the years, I recall watching highlights or random games with him. I remember having questions about various sports techniques, roster construction, salary cap space, and wanted to know everything I could retain about the world of sports.

When we moved to Michigan, I remember these conversations became more team and player oriented. It also seemed to focus more on football. We each picked several teams that we hoped would perform well. The perceived randomness of our team selection and lack of a “home team” was critical at this time. I remember my dad was a fan of the Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams (now in Los Angeles). I also remember conversations about the Buffalo Bills and history of their Super Bowl failures. He talked about their star players such as Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas. I remember our discussions about the Bills making 4 straight Super Bowl appearances and losing each one.

This story is not to say I became a Bills fan at that time. I certainly did not. As I got older, I watched the Lions and followed the team closely. It became my home team because of proximity. As a young adult I still had detailed conversations with both parents about sports, but it rarely centered around the Lions. Our conversations usually drifted to other teams and typically would go back to the glory days of the Atlanta Braves when we lived in Georgia. That feeling of community and pride was always present in those discussions.

So…..why Buffalo?

My passion for sports is derived by a bond that was formed at a young age. It stems from my family and learned ideologies that sports is more than just wins and losses. It’s a community that is united in a belief for their team. A team that remains constant in life. No matter what is going on or the stress that is present, sports have remained consistent. In football, their is an oddly shaped ball that is kicked to start a game. There is one opponent, and a goal of scoring more than that opponent in 60 minutes of game time. It’s beautifully simplistic and uniquely complex game that can immediately take you back to your childhood.

I never felt that bond with the Lions. Do not get me wrong, I felt the agony of defeat, the dissatisfaction with draft selections, and the utter hopelessness at times with and 0-16 season. However, I never felt that bond like I did with my family and the Atlanta Braves. I am sure the winning and lofty expectations helped at that time, but the part that was missing with the Lions was the community. I call this home, and I love my community. However, going to games or following the team did not provide that same feeling I had growing up.

This will sound corny, but I denounced my fandom of the Detroit Lions and ultimately Detroit sports at the end of the 2018 NFL season. To some, this may seem trivial, but for me, it was a big deal. As you can see, it’s more than just the winning and losing, it’s a deeper connection with the team.

My connection with the Buffalo Bills may be a new and I have certainly been called a “bandwagon fan”. But this decision was not made on a whim and my wife can attest to this process. At this time, my son was 3-years-old and I felt a parental obligation to him to provide that sports bond that my parents provided me. I was tasked with selecting an organization that I could root for and also feel connected with.

If you have never been to Buffalo or Western New York, it’s a blue collar town filled with people who have the proverbial chip on their shoulder, but those same people, rally around each other and will do anything to help their community. That has been apparent in my brief time as a member of this fanbase. More than anything, it is a town that loves its sports teams. It’s a small market, rural area, that has crazy cold winters. The downtown area of Buffalo pales in comparison to places like LA, Miami, or NYC. The Ralph, where the Bills play, is a concrete infrastructure that has no bells or whistles. It would not even be a desirable college football stadium. It is surrounded by rural homes, parking lots, and small businesses. The area is not known for it’s thriving night-life, beautiful architecture, or destination hotspots.

And that is the beauty of it. It’s known for the fans, the culture, and sense of community. The people love their town, their way of life, and their Buffalo Bills. The phrase “Go Bills” means more than “I hope they win.” It means “family”.

This is why I chose the Bills. Sure, I want to see Josh Allen hoist the Lombardi Trophy. But even if that does not happen in my lifetime, I found the team that makes me feel like I did as a kid in Georgia. It’s more than their current status in the league. This place gives me an opportunity to create a bond with a team and make memories with my family. This place is special.

In my area, we are known as the “Bills House”. We fly our Buffalo flags with pride, win or lose. We watch the games as a family, and I spend hours teaching my kids about the sport. I walk outside my house in metro Detroit and frequently receive questions from a stranger about the team or a friendly “Go Bills” from someone running. Seemingly every time I wear a Bills hoodie, I have someone stop me to talk about the team. It’s a unique fandom that is unlike anything I have ever experienced.

When the season ended, I reflected on my experience this season. It was a tough one for Buffalo and all that the city and team had to endure. I had an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for this organization for the memories it has provided my family.

My kids can find me sitting in my favorite spot, holding a can of my favorite beer (that I never finish), ready to talk about the game. This is why I chose Buffalo.