Holy Crap there are a lot of Bills fans ex Buffalonians down in SW fla

[Haslett_Stomp]

11 hours ago, Einstein's Dog said:

Venice FL here.  See plenty of Bills fans.  Loving it.

 

My parents moved to Boca Grande back in the mid 90's and my wife, kids and I visit every spring.  Many years ago I walked into Sisters, a pizza/Italian restaurant, wearing a Bills hat and quickly found out the twin sisters who own the place are from Buffalo.

[Deadstroke]

15 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

 
bills fans are everywhere down here from Tampa to Naples.  We seem to be the higher percentage of transplants than the east coast of Florida.

I'm originally from Buffalo, been a Bills fan since '59 (when they were admitted into the AFL as an original team), now live in Melbourne and I have the NFL package and watch every Sunday with my 2 sons. We are BIG Bills fans!!

[BigdaddyinOrlando]

Orlando here and see Bills gear and decor all the time and everywhere 

[gordong]

FYI it's Fort Myers people.   Lived there 10 1/2 years been back in buffalo area last 30 years. While I love Florida and have many friends there. There are way too many people to move back.  great vacation place though!   

[Nitro]

The economic collapse in the 1970s and 1980s lead to a migration to other states for employment for many.   I have ran into many econ exiles in central Indiana.   Florida makes sense with retirees heading to warm climes to enjoy their last years.  

[CaliBills]

10 hours ago, popcornpam said:

My parents used to rent on Manasota Key near Englewood Florida just down from you! Half of Webster, New York down there where I’m from and also Myrtle Beach back in the day. 

Ha!

 

I grew up in Englewood,FL and graduated from the local high school there (Lemon Bay). 
 

we were at those beaches all year around and boating in ski alley. 

[flaz]

I grew up in swny (Cuba) and moved to Cape Coral in 78. I've never been to a Bills game in OP but I've been to 9 games down here. Miami 6 (3 on bus trips out of Buffalo Chips), 2 in Jacksonville and once in Tampa. 

 

My brother (from California) and I will be trying to get tickets to the home opener this year. Our cousin lives in Williamsville, should be a fun football family reunion! 

[Helpmenow]

Just like Charlotte and San Diego

[chris heff]

16 hours ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Cuz Miami is overrated and way overpriced 

So is Boca and the WPB area. 

Naples is a Palm Beach wannabe, that being said they are both pretentious. Boca is a bit of a has been, but that said the downtown area has gotten better. The rest of southern Palm Beach County is great. Delray Beach has one of the nicest beaches in Florida, downtown is fun and full of great restaurants. At its heart it is still a surf town. 
 

Miami Beach has big beautiful beaches a lot of night life. I’ve sailed the length of Biscayne Bay it is spectacular. “Price is an issue only in the absence of value”.

 

I run into Bills fans constantly, by the way the best owners in the NFL live in Boca Raton.

 

 

[chris heff]

3 hours ago, HOUSE said:

There is no Duffs or Bocce Pizza. Big Alligators on the Golf Course, Fire Ants & Hurricanes

-Hard Pass

 

Never been to either of those places, don’t golf, haven’t seen a Fire Ant in decades. In thirty years we have taken a direct hit from one hurricane, it caused some landscaping damage. There are a couple of days a year that I need a sweater. I walk the beach pretty much every morning. By all means stay where you are.

[bigK14094]

We are former snowbirds now residents in Florida.  We moved in 2019, and spend about 7 months in Fl.  Our community in Ft Myers has Bills parties for the games and mostly we use the Sunday ticket on Directv......but only for 2022 going forward, as Directv is losing the ST after that. We have watched games at a number of venues in the Fort  Myers areas , McPartlans on Summerlan had a big crew years ago watching the Bills but I hated the cow bells so me moved on.  Don't know if they still do that there.

[Chicharito]

I was just in Florida myself. I was all over the keys and than drove up to Orlando for universal with the kids. You are correct I definitely seen more bills gear than dolphins gear while there!

[Brooks]

17 hours ago, Augie said:

 

We moved to Sarasota in 1993. My parents came to visit a few months later. We went out to dinner Saturday night, and they ran into people they knew from Buffalo. We went to church Sunday morning, and they ran into people they used to work with. I took my dad to the Cabana Inn (a dump along the Trail for those familiar).....

 

I moved to Sarasota in 1997 and would watch the games with my wife at the Cabana Inn.  She stopped going when a rat ran across the bar top during a game.  That little rat got me the satellite dish I had been dreaming of for years.

[zow2]

To the OP, you ain’t kidding!  just spent a week in Fort Myers.  So many people walking around in Bills hats, t-shirts, etc..  i hardly see any other teams.  amazing.  people have planted Bills flags all over the beach 

[Augie]

8 minutes ago, Brooks said:

 

I moved to Sarasota in 1997 and would watch the games with my wife at the Cabana Inn.  She stopped going when a rat ran across the bar top during a game.  That little rat got me the satellite dish I had been dreaming of for years.

 

Knowing the Cabana Inn, you didn’t have to get that little critter from a pet store! All hail the rat!

 

(Or your ingenuity, if that was the case….) 

 

 

 

 

That’s an expensive piece of dirt, and I’m not sure why that place was still standing the last time I was back. 

 

EDIT: Welcome! 

 

.

Edited April 15, 2022 by Augie

[LABILLBACKER]

19 hours ago, Freddie's Dead said:

I was in San Diego last week, saw lots of Bills fans.  "Go Bills!".  It's a thing.

There are more Bills fans in Southern California then you'd ever imagine. A ton of my friends were convinced we were playing the Rams in Feb.  San Diego has always had a large following down there. 

[Brooks]

14 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Knowing the Cabana Inn, you didn’t have to get that little critter from a pet store! All hail the rat!

 

(Or your ingenuity, if that was the case….) 

 

That’s an expensive piece of dirt, and I’m not sure why that place was still standing the last time I was back. 

 

EDIT: Welcome! 

 

 

I think it's because it's a place too tough to die! 

 

[Montana Mike]

Same here in Vegas. Bills fans everywhere. The is a Bills pub called Johnny Mac’s and the owner graduated from Sweet Home High in Amherst (same as I did).

[ndirish1978]

20 hours ago, North Buffalo said:

So my wife and I are both in the medical field and decided to take our first vaca in 2 years down to Naples, Fort Meyers area.  We joined a boat club last year that is National and after going out one day for lunch we stopped on the harbor water in Bonita, 2 Tables plus ours were filled with Go Bills Buffalonians plus a waitress ... The guy who put us on the boat today was from Buffalo... Saw a white F150 today with a Bills plate around it... and many other folks wth... Guy at the Boat club says this area has the largest number of Bills fans outside of Buffalo... even my wife was impressed who is a New Yawker... who knew... shout out to SW Fla... Go Bills

 

I love Naples, that place is great. Hope you had a great vacation!

[FLFan]

Since leaving Buffalo in ‘87 we have lived in Ohio, Albany, and Maryland so it is very nice to finally be in area with plenty of Bills fans.  Shout out to the North Port Bills Backers, a great group, one of several Bills Backers chapters in the local area, where every game during season up to 80 rabid Bills fans will be found supporting the team and the community in our own room at a local bar with great wings and even better staff.  This whole coast from Venice to Naples is definitely Bills fan friendly.  

[BillnutinHouston]

19 hours ago, Paup 1995MVP said:

I live part time in Fort Lauderdale.  And it certainly isn't overrated.  No funner place in America.  And it is absolutely beautiful down there.  Check out the Nu River and the intercoastal along with Fort Lauderdale Beach.  If you like boats and being on or by the water.  It can not be beat.  Weather is warm all year round.  And certainly lots of eye candy. 

 

I agree about Boca and WPB.  Pretty boring in Palm Beach County.  But certainly not in Fort Lauderdale.  

 

I had an overnight layover in Ft. Lauderdale and stopped in a Walmart.  Was shocked to see a policeman stationed inside, had never seen that before, but quickly realized it was warranted.  Interesting crowd down there.

 

[North Buffalo]

On 4/15/2022 at 2:26 PM, LABILLBACKER said:

There are more Bills fans in Southern California then you'd ever imagine. A ton of my friends were convinced we were playing the Rams in Feb.  San Diego has always had a large following down there. 

I know about So Cal, my Dad lives there and pre covid visited often... but the amount of people with Bills clothes on in Fla was nuts... 

On 4/14/2022 at 8:03 PM, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

There is a Buffalo themed restaurant "Buffalo Chips" in downtown Bonita Springs on old 41.   

 

https://www.buffalochipsrestaurant.tv

Yes I saw that... was wondering

[T master]

I moved from WNY in the mid 80's to get out of the cold & moved to Ft. Myers lived & worked there & in Naples for 25 yrs it is a very nice place to live still have a ton of friends there & would love to move back in the future !

 

I still know a bunch of other Bills fans that have homes there still great area to live for Bills snow birds .

 

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by T master

[Virgil]

I can honestly say that I saw more Bills clothing than any other sports team combined during my week in Florida. 

[Jauronimo]

90% of Bills Mafia is aspirational Florida Man.

[RichRiderBills]

I am down in Myrtle and tons of Bills fans

[Turbo44]

On 4/14/2022 at 6:32 PM, BontitaBills said:

Naples here. 

Estero here (just north of Naples/Bonita Bay),  Actually CT but we have a golf condo in Estero, so it counts.  FYI: Buffalo Chips in Bonita Springs is owned by an ex-buffalonian and has the best Buffalo food.

[Orlando Tim]

Just to add on here, spent Sunday on Siesta Key and apparently that is Buffalo South during April. Literally saw more Bills flags and hats than every other team combined 

[FTLBillsfan]

I have lived in the Fort Lauderdale area for 20 years now and there are plenty of Bills fans down here. 2 examples. A week ago Sunday I was at the gym. There were maybe 30-35 people there. I saw at least 5 people with Bills gear, hats t-shirts etc. There was one person with Cowboys and 1 with Dolphins. I said "Go Bills to one of the guys in a Bills shirt. Next thing I know 4 more people joined in 

 Another instance was about a year ago. I was getting my car washed and when it was done they announced that the car with the Buffalo Bills license frame was done. Some guy in the waiting room in a Dolphins had yelled Boooo Bills suck. Next thing I hear is a few guys in the back of the room singing the shout song. The Fins fan stood there shocked and said "There are more Bills fans here than Dolphins fans. Of course me being the wise ass that I am could not help replying " Just like at the stadium!" He went and sat in the corner. I had to go get my car so I don't know what happened after that.

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

On 4/14/2022 at 5:05 PM, North Buffalo said:

Holy Crap

 

 

 

[DrDawkinstein]

There are a ton of Buffalonians/Bills fans in pretty much every warm-weather city since everyone moves away from the 8 months of winter.

 

Our Bills Backers Atlanta chapter has over 1500 registered local members. And that's just everyone who officially signed up.