Two Bills Drive

‘“People are deeming me a local celebrity around here,” said Staffone. “It’s kind of fun now that I’m used to people stopping me for photos and kids wanting to try the jacket on.”’

‘Whistler, who’s from Orchard Park, and Radigan, who married into the fandom, said on gamedays they light a Josh Allen candle, celebrate big plays with big player heads and, of course, serve up Western New York favorites including wings, beef on weck and loganberry.’

‘“A lot of people were looking for direct flights — those don’t exist from Buffalo to Kansas City. So a lot of connections through places like Chicago, Detroit, but also people flying to St. Louis and driving to Kansas City,” said Elizabeth Carey, a spokesperson for AAA of Western and Central New York.’

‘“A lot of them have been painted, but there’s also been some last-minute, at the stadium, just drawing with a Sharpie,” said Austin Hinton, one of the artists who designs his guitars. “They range in effort, but there have been a lot over the past seven or so years.”’

‘“It’s so exciting because this is what we grew up with, and this is what we grew up loving,” said Heather Ratka, the district coordinator for health and physical education at the school. “So to extend that to the kids and have them have the same passion for a team, for a community, for a city is just inspiring and exciting.”’

‘That January, 36 years ago, only a small blizzard of Bills fans could get tickets to the ‘Rumble in the Jungle,’ the AFC Championship game in Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium that pitted the Bills against the Bengals. It was a first for the Bills and I was sent to cover the fans at the game.’