"They drove down to New York City, kitted me out in a Bills baseball cap, hoodie and blanket (and plastic Bills bag to hold it all in) and took me to a game. I thought I'd seen enough Super Bowls to know I didn't care about football, but wrapped in that staticky blanket, one of the few spots of Buffalo blue in a snake-green sea of Jets supporters at MetLife Stadium, I realized what I'd been missing: a team."
"I used to find this bewildering on my trips up to western New York (never call it upstate); now I find it comforting. Signs saying Billieve welcome you into people's houses; babies wear Bills onesies; coats, T-shirts, jewellery and underwear all feature the team's chic streaking buffalo. Even in the off-season, a car's horn tooting Let's go Buffalo! can set off canon of identical beeps from nearby vehicles."
On 14 October 2024 a person became a Buffalo Bills fan after being outfitted by their partner's parents and attending a game, discovering communal belonging amid opposing fans. Wrapped in a Bills blanket at MetLife Stadium the person realized the importance of having a team. The Bills permeate everyday life in Buffalo: homes display 'Billieve' signs, infants wear Bills onesies, clothing and jewellery bear the streaking buffalo, and car horns echo 'Let's go Buffalo!'. The team's presence functions as the city's spirit and a metaphor for Buffalo's identity. Buffalo's industrial boom has passed, and the city is often portrayed as hard on its luck.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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