A typical fall Sunday used to be a leisurely breakfast reading the New York Times, taking a long walk, a short nap, and enjoying a chicken in a pot dinner. That is, until this year when I let go of the non-sports fan identity and began watching football to support our hometown team.
I am in good company. My son and husband are fans. Most of my hometown neighbors are fans. And when I stopped listing all the reasons why I was not interested in or even against football, I became a fan, too!
Now Sundays involve dressing in the team’s colors and sitting in front of the television for the game. If I bump into people wearing team gear pre-game, we share the seasonal greeting, “Go Bills!”.
And I mean it. I am not a foot-in-the door fair weather fan, I am all in. I am watching the screen closely enough to figure out how the game is played. If I can’t figure it out, I am asking questions. It’s so much more fun knowing about the offensive and defensive teams and different positions on the field. I like learning about the players, too.
My husband has been patient with me. He is answering my questions with as much information as can fit into a commercial break. And I feel like I have joined a club – one that is much bigger than me and gives me the pleasure of joining my husband on the couch during gametime.
In years past, I used to wonder why game-watchers would yell at the screen or why they were so emotionally invested in what was happening. It is only a game. Didn’t they have other forums for expressing their feelings?
Now that I am a fan, I get it. I think about the game beforehand and learn about the opponent, at minimum the name of the team, the quarterback and their record. During the game, you can find me shouting at the television trying to inform the coach or players of what they should be doing. I’m cheering, moaning, and sitting on the edge of my seat.
The day after a game, I am (believe it or not) looking at the Sports section in the paper. Given the chance, I am talking about the game with friends and strangers alike. In Buffalo, after a Bills game, I don’t think there are any strangers. We are all celebrating wins and mourning losses.
Let’s face it; we have a great team! We are winning games which is always fun! And the guys are doing good things off the field, too. They seem like the kind of guys I am proud to stand with.
And it is the glue that brings Buffalonians together. Seriously, even when the team is not performing well, fans are behind them. It’s a loyal bunch which may be why they call themselves a Mafia (that started as an inside joke). They are willing to rise and fall with the team and stick together no matter what.
The fan club donates money to players’ charities (even ones from opposing teams), greets the returning team at the airport, and tailgates before games. When it comes to rooting for our team, there are no divisions; there is one purpose, one game, one team.
It looks like I finally found more reasons than not to become a Buffalo Bills fan. Team spirit. Local pride. Rooting for our team is like rooting for our town which is something I have been doing for a long time. Watching from the comfort of my home brings me together with Bills fans in stadiums, bars, and homes all over the world!
And now that I have added the Bills to the long list of things I love about Buffalo, I think fall Sundays have gotten even better.
Go Bills!
