An hour and a half away from campus, nestled in the small town of Orchard Park is the place where dreams come true; Highmark Stadium. It’s the home of the Buffalo Bills and the fan base, Bills Mafia, known for being rowdy and ruthless towards helping this team reach their ultimate goal of winning a Superbowl. Being from Buffalo myself and growing up only twenty minutes away from the stadium, I’ve seen the camaraderie first hand and I’m proud to say I’m a Bills fan. Pieces of the Bills culture are scattered throughout my daily life, like tweets about the perseverance of Pancho Billa who was a Bills super fan that lost his battle to cancer but always made his love for the team known and “Let’s go Buffalo” chants through the crowds at a summer concert. I even met Josh Allen where I used to work in high school. His love for Buffalo shined through and through when he supported local businesses and stopped for pictures and shared kind words with the patrons. The colors red, white and blue have a special meaning to me when it comes to this team; a true depiction of individuals embracing differences to come together for something they all share and love. I know I’m not the only one that will argue that football is more than just a game. The deeper meaning of the game and all of the amazing feelings that come with being a part of the Bills fan base remind me of what it feels like to be a Golden Flyer. 

Bills mafia members rep the team any chance they get! Jerseys, hats, flags, bumper stickers, you name it. I catch people on campus in Naz swag everyday and if you haven’t gotten any Naz swag or worn any, you better get on it! Bills fans even do it across the nation. A student in my high school saw another Bills fan wearing a jersey while they were in Disney World and he went over to the man and said, “Go Bills!”. Just for that reason, the man carried an extra jersey to give away to anyone that said, “Go Bills” to him in the park. I have never heard of another fan base doing that and to me that sounds like something that Naz students would do! When I see someone in Bills gear or Naz gear, I immediately feel welcome.

Just like Bills fans, Golden Flyers stick together through it all. Recently, we’ve faced a lot of challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic and while they may not be of that caliber, the Bills know how to face a challenge AND overcome it. They’ve always been considered the underdogs but are definitely going for the ring after they were AFC East Champions in 2020. The Bills have quite the back story and lots of tales of triumph and some of failure. But what will never change is the support that they have from their unwavering fans. Golden Flyers and Bills fans are not ones to give up when it gets tough. Golden Flyers worked hard to social distance and follow guidelines in hopes of getting campus back to normal. Even when it was tough to wear masks, adhere to serious rules and make some sacrifices, they tried their best to get Naz back to the way it used to be! 

Passion. Something Golden Flyers and the Bills Mafia both have in common. Buffalo Bills fans make it known that they are proud of their team, especially on the internet. They are known for loving their team so passionately! Whether it’s memes on twitter, articles about why the fan base is the best, or heck me writing this blog, Bills fans won’t hesitate to talk about the team that they care about. Nazareth’s Golden Flyers are the same way. Our social media presence is pretty big for a small school. Golden Flyers are always contributing blogs about the school, taking campus pictures or supporting events on social media. If someone goes to Naz, they definitely are not hiding it because I know they’re passionate about this school! 

Golden Flyers love their city of Rochester. They are proud of all it has to offer, and will always have a place in their heart for this city. Just the same, Bills fans know that there is no place like Buffalo. Both Flyers and Bills fans will defend their city till the end! And I don’t blame them. Each city is unique in their own way and the relationship that each fan base shares with their city can’t be found anywhere else. 

These similarities just scratch the surface of all of the great things I see in both Golden Flyers and Buffalo Bills fans. Most importantly, these are all of the great things that these groups share. I am proud to say that I am a Golden Flyer AND a Bills fan. If you’re a Golden Flyer and you need more reasons as to why I think you should be a part of the Bills Mafia too, here you go: 

  1. We know how to have fun. 
  2. We are great at comebacks.
  3. We know how to look towards the future. 
  4. And we can handle absurd weather changes and conditions. (You’ll need that if you live in WNY) 

And to cap off my passionate and hopefully persuading blog, go Bills!