NBC Celebrates Bills Mafia

[ChevyVanMiller]

 

How did you first become part of the Bills Mafia?

Edited December 15, 2019 by ChevyVanMiller

[H2o]

5 minutes ago, ChevyVanMiller said:

 

How did you first become part of the Bills Nafia?

Bills Nafia sounds like it would be the anti-Mafia version.

[ChevyVanMiller]

29 minutes ago, H2o said:

Bills Nafia sounds like it would be the anti-Mafia version.

Fixed. Thanks.

[Kirby Jackson]

Call me the grinch but I’m kind of tired of being celebrated. Now I know what it’s like to be famous. We are amazing at being fans. Everyone around the league looks up to us. Reporters try to capture our essence as if we were zoo animals. You are either one of us or you watch an 8 minute clip and wish that you were one of us.

Edited December 15, 2019 by Kirby Jackson

[r00tabaga]

Ironic that we are playing Pittsburgh. Full circle man.

love it!!!

[BillnutinHouston]

20 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Call me the grinch but I’m kind of tired of being celebrated. Now I know what it’s like to be famous. We are amazing at being fans. Everyone around the league looks up to us. Reporters try to capture our essence as if we were zoo animals. You are either one of us or you watch an 8 minute clip and wish that you were one of us.

 

Well said Kirby.  I watched this yesterday and thought it was very shallow.  But you said it perfectly.  None of these videos can really capture the "soul" of Bills fandom.

[4BillsintheBurgh]

16 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Call me the grinch but I’m kind of tired of being celebrated. Now I know what it’s like to be famous. We are amazing at being fans. Everyone around the league looks up to us. Reporters try to capture our essence as if we were zoo animals. You are either one of us or you watch an 8 minute clip and wish that you were one of us.

Now, now don't be too salty about the exposure. I think it's cool for folks to see the level bills fans go for their team. Plus, the 90's run has produced a lot of good fans. It's sort of like when the bbmb went away there were all kinds of posters that came here. At least they didn't include any flaming table jumps.

 

I also really enjoyed the slight smile frank gore made while describing the fans. Kind of like "damn, they're crazy".

 

 

[atlbillsfan1975]

27 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Call me the grinch but I’m kind of tired of being celebrated. Now I know what it’s like to be famous. We are amazing at being fans. Everyone around the league looks up to us. Reporters try to capture our essence as if we were zoo animals. You are either one of us or you watch an 8 minute clip and wish that you were one of us.

I understand what you are saying. Glad Del got a great spot, such a good guy. we need to keep adding to the ranks. Hopefully the Bills go on another nice run for the next several years, that’s what ultimately helps attract new fans. 

[Gugny]

35 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Call me the grinch but I’m kind of tired of being celebrated. Now I know what it’s like to be famous. We are amazing at being fans. Everyone around the league looks up to us. Reporters try to capture our essence as if we were zoo animals. You are either one of us or you watch an 8 minute clip and wish that you were one of us.

 

I love it.  I was out just the other day and found this interesting: I think some people differentiate between "Bills Fans," and "Bills Mafia."  Or perhaps it was just this one dude.  

 

He looked at my hat and said, "Bills, huh?"  I said, "yep.  Love 'em."  Then he asked, "Bills Mafia?"  I said, "yep."

 

I'm digging the attention Bills fans are getting.  It's nice that it's not just table slamming and butt-crack drinking anymore.

[Bronxbomber21]

15 minutes ago, BillnutinHouston said:

 

Well said Kirby.  I watched this yesterday and thought it was very shallow.  But you said it perfectly.  None of these videos can really capture the "soul" of Bills fandom.

I agree it came off lame NBC could've actually tried and made that clip epic they had so much to work with and they dropped the ball 

[eball]

I love it.  I'm in NC and wore my Bills ugly Christmas sweater to a work event at Drive Shack (a Top Golf wannabe) on Friday and a random dude walked up to me, fist-bumped, and said "Bills Mafia, baby!"

 

We're back.

[Big Turk]

An awesome piece that actually pretty accurately describes the feeling of the community towards the team and what it means to us.  People outside of this area just don't get it with few exceptions. Maybe Green Bay, Cleveland and Pittsburgh but that is about it.

 

This team is part of the fabric and family of this community and that is why we feel such a close bond to the team and the players.

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by matter2003

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

I have gotten a lot of love even around here as a bills fan this year. I think people realize we've suffered a long time and know we deserve this.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

31 minutes ago, BillnutinHouston said:

 

Well said Kirby.  I watched this yesterday and thought it was very shallow.  But you said it perfectly.  None of these videos can really capture the "soul" of Bills fandom.

 

For a piece like this, I thought it was pretty good.  It was all positive and sometimes weird, didn't include some of the dangerous or nasty shenanigans (which I think is appropriate, don't encourage them with publicity)

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

29 minutes ago, 4BillsintheBurgh said:

Now, now don't be too salty about the exposure. I think it's cool for folks to see the level bills fans go for their team. Plus, the 90's run has produced a lot of good fans. It's sort of like when the bbmb went away there were all kinds of posters that came here. At least they didn't include any flaming table jumps.

 

I also really enjoyed the slight smile frank gore made while describing the fans. Kind of like "damn, they're crazy".

 

 

 

....guess I don't see the harm....Raiders Nation....or Black Hole...or Cleveland's Dawg Pound.....Seattle's vaunted "12th Man".....Jags "Hefty Bagged Seats".......all in fan fun...

[Flutie Flakes]

There is only so much you can do with 5 minutes and I thought NBC did a pretty good job.

 

We all know why we are Bills fans and our passion for this team runs deeper than any tv show can do justice.  GO BILLS!

[Jerome007]

"If you are a Bills fan after the last 20 years you're a real fan", so true, no bandwagon jumpers here... for now anyway. All the out-of-town guys like me deserve extra credit for sticking with you all these years ha ha. I'm from Montreal. It was something to behold the guy coming in from England!

 

And if you didn't get chills with Josh telling us "we've got this", check your pulse or change teams  

[Bronxbomber21]

8 minutes ago, Jerome007 said:

"If you are a Bills fan after the last 20 years you're a real fan", so true, no bandwagon jumpers here... for now anyway. All the out-of-town guys like me deserve extra credit for sticking with you all these years ha ha. I'm from Montreal. It was something to behold the guy coming in from England!

 

And if you didn't get chills with Josh telling us "we've got this", check your pulse or change teams  

It came off as if Allen was calling his shot tonight vs the Steelers did it not ?

[PromoTheRobot]

I'm even seeing more Bills logos around New Hampshire. People are proud to show their fandom again, I guess.

Edited December 15, 2019 by PromoTheRobot

[Jerome007]

7 minutes ago, Bronxbomber21 said:

It came off as if Allen was calling his shot tonight vs the Steelers did it not ?

I didn't get it this way... but you might be just right. And I sure hope you are   
I was actually more ambitious, I thought he meant the Superbowl! Not necessarily as in this year, but as in we'll get it done. He was mentioning the 90s glory years just prior.

[Kirby Jackson]

I guess that my point is that we’ve ALWAYS been an amazing fan base. We are right there, with any fan base, in any sport. A few years back, through social media, the world was given a glimpse of it. When these networks saw the way that the rest of the country responded to us they tried to exploit it and even monetize it. We’ve managed to be the way that we are regardless of everyone else. They try to make money off of us and we donate it to charity. We are just different. We are better at this than everyone else. Stop trying to find a way to make money off that.

[Bronxbomber21]

12 minutes ago, Jerome007 said:

I didn't get it this way... but you might be just right. And I sure hope you are   
I was actually more ambitious, I thought he meant the Superbowl! Not necessarily as in this year, but as in we'll get it done. He was mentioning the 90s glory years just prior.

That would be awesome but im ok with baby steps i think he was call his first playoff birth

[Houston's #1 Bills Fan]

I was at a random car show in Clear Lake, TX last night. I had my Bills shirt on and my boy had on an Allen jersey. Two guys walked up to us and asked, "Are you from Buffalo?" Yep, grew up in the Town of Tonawanda. He said he did, too, lived on Paramount street in the Town! It's a crazy, small world sometimes!! We talked for about 30 minutes about the Bills, Buffalo food and snow! Oh and how everybody that is from Houston always talks about the "Comeback Game"!!!

 

Go Bills!!

[Helpmenow]

Anybody over 50 belong to bills mafia.

[4_kidd_4]

I’m just a Bills “fan”.

 

Pass on the mafia moniker, thanks.

 

But youse fellas enjoy.

[Happy]

2 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Call me the grinch but I’m kind of tired of being celebrated. Now I know what it’s like to be famous. We are amazing at being fans. Everyone around the league looks up to us. Reporters try to capture our essence as if we were zoo animals. You are either one of us or you watch an 8 minute clip and wish that you were one of us.

 

Great post, I totally agree.  I don't want any bandwagon fans, either.  Let them migrate from NE to SF or anywhere else but Buffalo.

[CSBill]

2 hours ago, ChevyVanMiller said:

 

How did you first become part of the Bills Mafia?

 

Excellent!

 

Answer: I grew up in WNY, so as a child the Bills were all I knew. Jack Kemp, OJ, the electric company, Joe Ferguson, etc., and then the Jim Kelly era -- that was such a great run. As was said in the video, once a Bills fan, always a Bills fan, through the great years and all the others.

 

If they ever do win a Super Bowl, so many of us old folks will probably die soon after, having lived a totally fulfilled life.

[CSBill]

2 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Call me the grinch but I’m kind of tired of being celebrated. Now I know what it’s like to be famous. We are amazing at being fans. Everyone around the league looks up to us. Reporters try to capture our essence as if we were zoo animals. You are either one of us or you watch an 8 minute clip and wish that you were one of us.

 

I understand your point Kirby, but disagree.

 

I'll take all the bandwagon fans that want to join, because that means we're winning, and winning big. Think about the Warriors the past four or five years. Before Curry, I doubt most casual basketball fans even knew where they played. And then, all of a sudden I think every 15 year-old in the world is wearing a Warriors jersey. Not because 15 year olds all of a sudden became NBA savants, but because the Warriors started winning, and winning a lot. Now they have all kinds of band-wagoners (who have quickly jumped ship this year).

 

Think of Duke, I'm old enough to remember when they were just an insignificant D1 school down in NC somewhere, only known for their high SAT entrance requirements. Now they are basketball royalty and kids all over the country wear Duke gear. Why? Because they win, and keep winning.

 

You get the point. I say jump onboard if that means we are winning. GO BILLS! And here's to more Bills fans everywhere!

[Kirby Jackson]

6 minutes ago, CSBill said:

 

I understand your point Kirby, but disagree.

 

I'll take all the bandwagon fans that want to join, because that means we're winning, and winning big. Think about the Warriors the past four or five years. Before Curry, I doubt most casual basketball fans even knew where they played. And then, all of a sudden I think every 15 year-old in the world is wearing a Warriors jersey. Not because 15 year olds all of a sudden became NBA savants, but because the Warriors started winning, and winning a lot. Now they have all kinds of band-wagoners (who have quickly jumped ship this year).

 

Think of Duke, I'm old enough to remember when they were just an insignificant D1 school down in NC somewhere, only known for their high SAT entrance requirements. Now they are basketball royalty and kids all over the country wear Duke gear. Why? Because they win, and keep winning.

 

You get the point. I say jump onboard if that means we are winning. GO BILLS! And here's to more Bills fans everywhere!

I guess that it’s a matter of perspective because I feel the exact opposite. I don’t want a bunch of fake bandwagon fans jumping on. I don’t want to be the Warriors. I don’t want a bunch of people that haven’t experienced the lows to get to experience the highs. I want to share everything good that comes with people like y’all. We’ve been through a lot together and that adversity has made us stronger. We deserve this; they don’t.

[bkep32]

2 hours ago, Jerome007 said:

"If you are a Bills fan after the last 20 years you're a real fan", so true, no bandwagon jumpers here... for now anyway. All the out-of-town guys like me deserve extra credit for sticking with you all these years ha ha. I'm from Montreal. It was something to behold the guy coming in from England!

 

And if you didn't get chills with Josh telling us "we've got this", check your pulse or change teams  

 +1

 

My dad is a huge KC chief fan...we grew up in small town iowa.  Late 80's the bills played the chiefs and beat them so i naturally of course became a bills fan to compete against my father.  I have been a bills fan ever since.  I know im not from orchard park/buffalo but i feel like i can say im from bills mafia and feel everything the fans that reside in buffalo.  I think the true die hard fans that have stuck through the 4 superbowls and trials/tribulations since feel the pain/anxiousness that this regime is building.  People are starting to see what the bills are building.  Bills fans are truely nationwide just not nationally known/respected.  GO BILLS

[Tierlifer]

Great little piece. Anytime no table smashing is involved with the culture of WNY tailgating and what the Bills mean to the area and our fans base is a positive in my book. Excellent job NBC. 

[bkep32]

39 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I guess that it’s a matter of perspective because I feel the exact opposite. I don’t want a bunch of fake bandwagon fans jumping on. I don’t want to be the Warriors. I don’t want a bunch of people that haven’t experienced the lows to get to experience the highs. I want to share everything good that comes with people like y’all. We’ve been through a lot together and that adversity has made us stronger. We deserve this; they don’t.

But how else does your fan base grow if people dont jump on at some point.  They get to be one of the lucky ones that maybe get to jump on the wagon on early success then hit the lows later like i did.  I became a fan when i was 8 in the late 80's, we all know what happened in the 90s and here we are today. 

 

also but yes...if they jump on and jump off then yes i dont want that either.  

Edited December 15, 2019 by bkep32

[Kelly the Dog]

I do love that the Bills fandom is getting this attention nationally. If I’m being honest, it’s embarrassing to me that people still talk about the Super Bowls 25 years ago. Of course you want that to happen. But it’s kind of pathetic. 

[Lurker]

3 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Call me the grinch but I’m kind of tired of being celebrated. Now I know what it’s like to be famous. We are amazing at being fans. Everyone around the league looks up to us. Reporters try to capture our essence as if we were zoo animals. You are either one of us or you watch an 8 minute clip and wish that you were one of us.

 

Simply deplorable...

[Kirby Jackson]

46 minutes ago, bkep32 said:

But how else does your fan base grow if people dont jump on at some point.  They get to be one of the lucky ones that maybe get to jump on the wagon on early success then hit the lows later like i did.  I became a fan when i was 8 in the late 80's, we all know what happened in the 90s and here we are today. 

 

also but yes...if they jump on and jump off then yes i dont want that either.  

I guess that I don’t care. I would hope that people like us raise their kids to be the next generation. That’s how I was brought up. Thats how my bills fan friends were. I don’t care to share what’s next with a bunch of people that only jump on when you’re winning.

[Just Joshin']

2 hours ago, Houston's #1 Bills Fan said:

I was at a random car show in Clear Lake, TX last night. I had my Bills shirt on and my boy had on an Allen jersey. Two guys walked up to us and asked, "Are you from Buffalo?" Yep, grew up in the Town of Tonawanda. He said he did, too, lived on Paramount street in the Town! It's a crazy, small world sometimes!! We talked for about 30 minutes about the Bills, Buffalo food and snow! Oh and how everybody that is from Houston always talks about the "Comeback Game"!!!

 

Go Bills!!

Without a doubt where ever I go with my Bills gear I get a "Go Bills".  Friday I was on a conf call in the Philly airport and a lady yells it at me.

 

More weird is in my small Texas town last week. I have a Bills sticker on my car.  A town crew was working on a water line across the street. One of the guys knocked on the door to ask my wife how I was a Bills fan and that there were a few in town.  

 

Bills fans are strong and around the world.

[Don Otreply]

We are everywhere, my wife and I ran into a couple that were sporting Bills attire in Beaufort SC, an immediate “Go Bills” happened between us, it’s very cool! 

 

Go Bills!!! 

[Augie]

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I guess that it’s a matter of perspective because I feel the exact opposite. I don’t want a bunch of fake bandwagon fans jumping on. I don’t want to be the Warriors. I don’t want a bunch of people that haven’t experienced the lows to get to experience the highs. I want to share everything good that comes with people like y’all. We’ve been through a lot together and that adversity has made us stronger. We deserve this; they don’t.

 

You’re right.....you ARE The Grinch!   ?

 

I’ll look at it like this, we ride in First Class on the bandwagon. We all started somewhere. 

[Seasons1992]

4 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

zoo animals. 

 

I've been calling the tailgate atmosphere around the stadium the "Beautiful Zoo" for years. 

 

[Don Otreply]

As to the come lately fans, you can’t stop that, and in a way what’s not to like about people everywhere pumping up Buffalo NY? It’s a cool place.

 

Enjoy the wave ? cause as we know the good times don’t last forever, that and a good many of us will be dead in twenty five years enjoy being seen as the cool kids, before you cack off.. ??

 

Go Bills!!!