Bills Mafia
There has been a lot of talk about the Buffalo Bills this week after an unprecedented injury to Damar Hamlin in their week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Like 23.6 million other viewers Adrienne and I watched in shock as the incident unfolded in real-time on ESPN Monday Night Football. It was unlike anything I had witnessed previously in sports (the Dale Earnhardt tragedy aside).
At first, we couldn’t make out what had happened, but we knew it had to be something terrible as soon as we saw the ambulance roll onto the field. At that moment, it seemed as if time stood still as we all collectively watched with bated breath to see if Damar was going to be okay. As it was happening, I called my Father-in-law who I knew was watching (as a recent Bills fan convert), and he too was shocked. We really couldn’t say much to one another, aside to offer our well-wishes and prayers for Damar.
The answers did not come quickly, and it wasn’t until Thursday that we all let out a collective sigh of relief when we heard the news that Damar was awake and able to communicate through writing.
As of this writing, Damar continues to show signs of improvement, with his breathing tube being removed and having the ability to speak on his own - even communicating with his teammates and telling them that he loved them.
The strong show of support for Damar, his Chasing M’s foundation, and the Buffalo Bills has reminded me why I became a member of the #BillsMafia in the first place.
Until late last season, I hadn’t really paid much attention to NFL Games, aside from the Superbowl each year. In fact, I had not even had a sports team I was truly loyal to.
During an Easter visit with my brother and sister-in-law, the topic of conversation turned to my love of hats. My sister-in-law asked why I wore so many different team hats, and if I was loyal to any particular team.
This wasn’t the first time I had been asked this question. My best friend Matt has also teased me about my collection of hats, wondering how I can have so many hats without being loyal to a specific team.
I told my brother and sister-in-law that while I am a fan of The Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies for the MLB and the Winnipeg Jets for the NHL, I also wear hats from many other teams simply because I enjoy the cities the teams come from. Plus It's a small way to show pride in the cities we come from, appreciate, or have a connection to.
However, they were correct in that I should try to focus on a few teams and try to watch an entire season to understand where ‘fan loyalty’ truly came from.
After giving the conversation some thought, I made the decision to try to follow more Toronto Blue Jays and Phillies games (the Phillies should have won the World Series…), while also dedicating myself to the Bills Mafia.
The reason I chose the Buffalo Bills as my first NFL team was easy.
Living in the Niagara Region, we are only 35 minutes away from Highmark Stadium. Buffalo is a stone’s throw across the bridge from Niagara, and it’s not uncommon for us to head there on a weekend to explore all that the city has to offer. It also helped to know that the Bills were known to have one of the most loyal and dedicated fans in the entire league.
Despite working two jobs, I’ve been able to follow every Bills game so far this year, including pre-season games. If there was ever a season to follow the Bills, I’m glad I chose this year to follow along in the highs and lows of the team, and the city.
Throughout this season, the Buffalo Bills have faced a number of challenges that have affected not only the team but also the community. These circumstances, including a racially motivated mass shooting at a Tops grocery store and a devastating blizzard that paralyzed the city (causing the Bills to move their home game to Detroit), and now Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest, have required the team and community to come together and support one another.
Despite these setbacks, the team has remained resilient and has continued to fight through these challenges, even clenching the 2022 AFC East championship title for a third straight season - showing the strength and determination of both the players and the community.
Celebrating Bill’s wins, and cursing at the TV through their losses. I’ve felt the highs of the season, and the lows of everything they’ve been challenged with.
For the first time in my adult life, I’ve become a fan of an NFL team, and have been enjoying the ride.
Despite living across the border, I have felt like a part of a community. This held especially true throughout the fight for Damar Hamlin’s life. Each night before I closed my eyes, I offered my prayers to Damar and felt more optimistic with each bit of good news that has been trickling out.
While I have yet to attend a home game or one of their infamous tailgate parties, one of my resolutions for 2023 is to make that happen so that Adrienne and I can fully immerse ourselves in the #BillsMafia.
I owe it to my brother and sister-in-law, as well as my best friend Matt, for challenging me to sit down and watch a football season from start to end, and to be loyal to one specific team.
After the 12-3 season the Bills have so far had, I’m glad I gave it a try and am starting to understand what it means to be ‘loyal’ to a team.
The Superbowl may be a few weeks away but I can already taste a Bills W, and wouldn’t that be a way to end what has already become a historic season? #GoBills!
(Ed note: While this article may be focused specifically on my loyalty to the Bills, I’m also happy to report that I also followed the Phillies and The Jays throughout the 2022 season, and was not disappointed! I even managed to attend 3 Blue Jays home games this past season.)
