Buffalo Bills

National Football League franchise in Orchard Park, New YorkTemplate:SHORTDESC:National Football League franchise in Orchard Park, New York

The **Buffalo Bills** are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Founded in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL), they joined the NFL in 1970 following the AFL–NFL merger. The Bills' name is derived from an All-America Football Conference (AAFC) franchise from Buffalo that was in turn named after western frontiersman Buffalo Bill. Drawing much of its fanbase from Western New York, the Bills are the only NFL team that plays home games in that state. The franchise is owned by Terry and Kim Pegula, who purchased the Bills after the death of original owner Ralph Wilson in 2014.

The Bills won consecutive AFL Championships in 1964 and 1965, the only major professional sports championships from a team representing Buffalo. After joining the NFL, they became perennial postseason contenders during the late 1980s and 1990s. Their greatest success occurred between 1990 and 1993 when they appeared in a record four consecutive Super Bowls; an accomplishment often overshadowed by them losing each game. From 2000 to 2016, the Bills endured the longest playoff drought of the four major North American professional sports, making them the last NFL franchise and the last in the four leagues to qualify for the postseason in the 21st century. They returned to consistent postseason contention by the late 2010s, although the Bills have not returned to the Super Bowl. Alongside the Minnesota Vikings, their four Super Bowl losses are the most among NFL franchises that have not won the championship.

## History

The Bills began competitive play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League led by head coach Buster Ramsey and joined the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. The Bills won two consecutive American Football League titles in 1964 and 1965 with quarterback Jack Kemp and coach Lou Saban, but the club has yet to win a league championship since.

 File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 29 - O.J. Simpson (O.J. Simpson crop).jpg
Once the AFL–NFL merger took effect, the Bills became the second NFL team to represent the city; they followed the Buffalo All-Americans, a charter member of the league. Buffalo had been left out of the league since the All-Americans (by that point renamed the Bisons) folded in 1929; the Bills were no less than the third professional non-NFL team to compete in the city before the merger, following the Indians/Tigers of the early 1940s and an earlier team named the Bills, originally the Bisons, in the late 1940s in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).

Following the AFL–NFL merger, the Bills were generally mediocre in the 1970s, but featured All-Pro running back O. J. Simpson. After being pushed to the brink of failure in the mid-1980s, the collapse of the United States Football League and a series of highly drafted players such as Jim Kelly (who initially played for the USFL instead of the Bills), Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith and Darryl Talley allowed the Bills to rebuild into a perennial contender in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, a period in which the team won four consecutive AFC Championships; the team nevertheless lost all four subsequent Super Bowls, records in both categories that still stand.

The rise of the division rival New England Patriots under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, along with numerous failed attempts at rebuilding in the 2000s and 2010s, helped prevent the Bills from reaching the playoffs in seventeen consecutive seasons between 2000 and 2016, a 17-year drought that was the longest active playoff drought in all major professional sports at the time. On October 8, 2014, Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula received unanimous approval to acquire the Bills during the NFL owners' meetings, becoming the second ownership group of the team after team founder Ralph Wilson. Under head coach Sean McDermott, the Bills broke the playoff drought, appearing in the playoffs for three of the next four seasons. The team earned its first division championship and playoff wins since 1995 during the 2020 season, aided by Brady's departure to Tampa Bay and out of the AFC East as well as the Bills' own development of a core of talent including Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, and Tre'Davious White.

## Logos and uniforms

 File:Buffalo Bills classic logo.svg
For their first two seasons, the Bills wore uniforms based on those of the Detroit Lions at the time. Ralph Wilson had been a minority owner of the Lions before founding the Bills, and the Bills' predecessors in the AAFC had also worn blue and silver uniforms.

The team's original colors were Honolulu blue, silver and white, and the helmets were silver with no striping. There was no logo on the helmet, which displayed the players' numbers on each side.

In 1962, the standing red bison was designated as the logo and took its place on a white helmet. In 1962, the team's colors also changed to red, white, and blue. The team switched to blue jerseys with red and white shoulder stripes similar to those worn by the Buffalo Bisons AHL hockey team of the same era. The helmets were white with a red center stripe. The jerseys again saw a change in 1964 when the shoulder stripes were replaced by a distinctive stripe pattern on the sleeves consisting of four stripes, two thicker inner stripes and two thinner outer stripes all bordered by red piping. By 1965, red and blue center stripes were put on the helmets.

The Bills introduced blue pants worn with the white jerseys in 1973, the last year of the standing buffalo helmet. The blue pants remained through 1985. The face mask on the helmet was blue from 1974 through 1986 before changing to white.

The standing bison logo was replaced by a blue charging one with a red slanting stripe streaming from its horn. The newer emblem, which is still the primary one used by the franchise, was designed by aerospace designer Stevens Wright in 1974.

 File:Pro Football Hall of Fame (23945068597).jpg
In 1984, the helmet's shell color was changed from white to red, primarily to help Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson distinguish them more readily from three of their division rivals at that time, the Baltimore Colts, the Miami Dolphins, and the New England Patriots, who all also wore white helmets at that point. Ferguson said "Everyone we played had white helmets at that time. Our new head coach Kay Stephenson just wanted to get more of a contrast on the field that may help spot a receiver down the field." (The Patriots have worn silver helmets since 1993, the Colts have since been realigned to the AFC South, and in 2019 the New York Jets have since switched back to green-colored helmets, after playing 20 years with white ones.)

In 2002, under the direction of general manager Tom Donahoe, the Bills' uniforms went through radical changes. A darker shade of blue was introduced as the main jersey color, and nickel gray was introduced as an accent color. Both the blue and white jerseys featured red side panels. The white jerseys included a dark blue shoulder yoke and royal blue numbers. The helmet remained primarily red with one navy blue, two nickel, two royal blue, two white stripes, and white face mask. A new logo, a stylized "B" consisting of two bullets and a more detailed buffalo head on top, was proposed and had been released (it can be seen on a few baseball caps that were released for sale), but fan backlash led to the team retaining the running bison logo. The helmet logo adopted in 1974—a charging royal blue bison, with a red streak, white horn and eyeball—remained unchanged.

In 2005, the Bills revived the standing bison helmet and uniform of the mid-1960s as a throwback uniform.

The Bills usually wore the all-blue combination at home and the all-white combination on the road when not wearing the throwback uniforms. They stopped wearing blue-on-white after 2006, while the white-on-blue was not worn after 2007.

For the 2011 season, the Bills unveiled a new uniform design, an updated rendition of the 1975–83 design. This change includes a return to the white helmets with "charging buffalo" logo, and a return to royal blue instead of navy.

Buffalo sporadically wore white at home in the 1980s, but stopped doing so before their Super Bowl years. On November 6, 2011, against the New York Jets, the Bills wore white at home for the first time since 1986. Since 2011, the Bills have worn white for a home game either with their primary uniform or a throwback set.

The Bills' uniform received minor alterations as part of the league's new uniform contract with Nike. The new Nike uniform was unveiled on April 3, 2012.

On November 12, 2015, the Bills and the New York Jets became the first two teams to participate in the NFL's Color Rush uniform initiative, with Buffalo wearing an all-red combination for the first time in team history.

A notable use of the Bills' uniforms outside of football was in the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, when the United States men's national junior ice hockey team wore Bills-inspired uniforms in their outdoor game against Team Canada on December 29, 2017.

On April 1, 2021, the team announced they will wear white face masks during the upcoming season and beyond.

## Rivalries

The Bills have rivalries with their three AFC East opponents, and also have had historical rivalries with other teams such as the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (a former divisional rival), Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Dallas Cowboys. They also play an annual preseason game against the Detroit Lions.

The Cleveland Browns once shared a rivalry with the Bills' predecessors in the All-America Football Conference. The current teams have a more friendly relationship and have played sporadically since the AFL–NFL merger.

### Divisional rivalries

#### Miami Dolphins

 File:Dan Carpenter field goal vs. Dolphins 2014.jpg
This is often considered Buffalo's most famous rivalry. Though the Bills and Dolphins both originated in the American Football League, the Dolphins did not start playing until 1966 as an expansion team while the Bills were one of the original eight teams. The rivalry first gained prominence when the Dolphins won every match-up against the Bills in the 1970s for an NFL-record 20 straight wins against a single opponent (the Bills defeated the Dolphins in their first matchup of the 1980s). Fortunes changed in the following decades with the rise of Jim Kelly as Buffalo's franchise quarterback, and though Kelly and Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino shared a competitive rivalry in the 1980s and 1990s, the Bills became dominant in the 1990s. Things have since cooled down after the retirements of Kelly and Marino and the rise of the New England Patriots, but Miami remains a fierce rival of the Bills, coming in second place in a recent poll of Buffalo's primary rival, and the two teams have typically been close to each other in win-loss records. Miami leads the overall series 61–50–1 as of 2019, but Buffalo has the advantage in the playoffs at 3–1, including a win in the 1992 AFC Championship Game.

#### New England Patriots

 File:CJ Spiller Patriots at Bills.jpg
The rivalry with the New England Patriots first started when both teams were original franchises in the American Football League prior to the NFL-AFL merger. During the tenure of quarterback Tom Brady in New England, the Patriots dominated the AFC East, including the Bills. The Bills-Patriots rivalry in particular had become lopsided as the Patriots were 32–3 against the Bills with Brady starting under center. This has led many fans and players in the 2000s and beyond to replace the Dolphins with the Patriots as Buffalo's most hated rival. The Bills have fared well against Bill Belichick without his former franchise quarterback, however. While Brady was suspended for deflategate, the Bills shut out the Pats 16–0. After Brady left for Tampa Bay in 2020, the Bills swept the Patriots, including a 38–9 statement win at Gillette Stadium. Overall, largely thanks to Brady, the Patriots lead the series 76–45–1 as of 2020; excluding Brady, the series is 44–42—1 in the Patriots' favor.

The rivalry is also notable in that numerous players, including Drew Bledsoe, Doug Flutie, Lawyer Milloy, Brandon Spikes, Scott Chandler, Chris Hogan, Mike Gillislee and Stephon Gilmore have played for both teams at some point in their careers.

#### New York Jets

 File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 30 - Joe Cribbs (cropped).jpg
The Bills and Jets were both original AFL teams, and both represent the state of New York, though the Jets (since 1984) actually play their games in East Rutherford, New Jersey. While the rivalry represents the differences between New York City and Western New York, it has historically not been as intense as the Bills' rivalries with the Dolphins and Patriots, and the teams' fanbases either have grudging respect or low-key annoyance (stemming more from the broader upstate-downstate tensions than the teams or sport) for each other when the teams are not playing one another. Oftentimes the Bills-Jets rivalry has become characterized by ugly games and shared mediocrity, but it has had a handful of competitive moments. The series heated up recently when former Jets head coach Rex Ryan became the Bills' head coach for two seasons, and had become notable again as Bills quarterback Josh Allen and former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, both drafted in the same year, maintained a friendly rivalry with one another. Buffalo leads the series 65–56 as of 2020, including a playoff win in 1981.

### Other rivalries

#### Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers) share an extended history with the Bills, both teams being original AFL clubs in 1960 and rivals in that league's East Division before the AFL-NFL merger. Matchups were intense in the 1990s with quarterback Warren Moon leading the Oilers against Jim Kelly's Bills. Memorable playoff moments between the teams include The Comeback, in which the Frank Reich-led Bills overcame a 35–3 deficit to stun the Oilers 41–38 in 1992, and the Music City Miracle, in which the now-Titans scored on a near-last-minute kickoff return with a controversial forward pass to beat the Bills 22–16 in 1999. The Music City Miracle was notable for being Buffalo's last playoff appearance until 2017. The Titans currently lead the series 29–19.

#### Jacksonville Jaguars

A brief rivalry emerged between the Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars after former Bills head coach Doug Marrone, who had quit on the team after the 2014 season, was hired as a coaching assistant for Jacksonville and eventually rose to become the Jaguars' head coach. Since then, the series has featured a Bills loss to the Jaguars in London, an ugly, low-scoring playoff game in 2017, trash talk from former Jaguars players such as Jalen Ramsey, and a brawl between the teams in Buffalo in 2018. Prior to this, Jacksonville had handed Buffalo its first playoff loss in Bills Stadium in 1996 before years of concurrent bottom feeding in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

#### Kansas City Chiefs

The Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs were also original teams in the AFL and have had a long history against each other, despite never being in the same division. This rivalry gained attention as the Bills and Chiefs met in nine of ten years from 2008 to 2017. Despite a 2-year hiatus in the series, two high-profile matchups occurred between the Bills and Chiefs in 2020, including the AFC Championship game, which Kansas City won 38–24 to advance to its second straight Super Bowl appearance. Buffalo currently leads the series 27–23–1, which has included four playoff meetings, three of which were AFL/AFC championship games. Prior to the 2020 game, Kansas City won the 1966 AFL Championship game that determined the AFL's (later AFC) representative in the first Super Bowl, going on to face the Green Bay Packers, while Buffalo defeated Kansas City in the 1993 AFC championship game to advance to its fourth straight Super Bowl appearance.

## Playoffs

* 1963 AFL Eastern Division Playoff: Boston Patriots 26, Buffalo Bills 8
* 1964 AFL Championship: Buffalo Bills 20, San Diego Chargers 7
* 1965 AFL Championship: Buffalo Bills 23, San Diego Chargers 0
* 1966 AFL Championship: Kansas City Chiefs 31, Buffalo Bills 7
* 1974 Divisional Playoffs: Pittsburgh Steelers 32, Buffalo Bills 14
* 1980 Divisional Playoffs: San Diego Chargers 20, Buffalo Bills 14
* 1981 Wild Card Game: Buffalo Bills 31, New York Jets 27
* 1981 Divisional Playoffs: Cincinnati Bengals 28, Buffalo Bills 21
* 1988 Divisional Playoffs: Buffalo Bills 17, Houston Oilers 10
* 1988 AFC Championship: Cincinnati Bengals 21, Buffalo Bills 10
* 1989 Divisional Playoffs: Cleveland Browns 34, Buffalo Bills 30
* 1990 Divisional Playoffs: Buffalo Bills 44, Miami Dolphins 34
* 1990 AFC Championship: Buffalo Bills 51, Los Angeles Raiders 3
* Super Bowl XXV: New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19
* 1991 Divisional Playoffs: Buffalo Bills 37, Kansas City Chiefs 14
* 1991 AFC Championship: Buffalo Bills 10, Denver Broncos 7
* Super Bowl XXVI: Washington Redskins 37, Buffalo Bills 24
* 1992 AFC Wild Card Game: Buffalo Bills 41, Houston Oilers 38OT
* 1992 AFC Divisional Playoffs: Buffalo Bills 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 3
* 1992 AFC Championship: Buffalo Bills 29, Miami Dolphins 10
* Super Bowl XXVII: Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17
* 1993 Divisional Playoffs: Buffalo Bills 29, Los Angeles Raiders 23
* 1993 AFC Championship: Buffalo Bills 30, Kansas City Chiefs 13
* Super Bowl XXVIII: Dallas Cowboys 30, Buffalo Bills 13
* 1995 Wild Card Game: Buffalo Bills 37, Miami Dolphins 22
* 1995 Divisional Playoffs: Pittsburgh Steelers 40, Buffalo Bills 21
* 1996 Wild Card Game: Jacksonville Jaguars 30, Buffalo Bills 27
* 1998 Wild Card Game: Miami Dolphins 24, Buffalo Bills 17
* 1999 Wild Card Game: Tennessee Titans 22, Buffalo Bills 16
* 2017 Wild Card Game: Jacksonville Jaguars 10, Buffalo Bills 3
* 2019 Wild Card Game: Houston Texans 22, Buffalo Bills 19OT
* 2020 Wild Card Game: Buffalo Bills 27, Indianapolis Colts 24
* 2020 Divisional Playoffs: Buffalo Bills 17, Baltimore Ravens 3
* 2020 AFC Championship: Kansas City Chiefs 38, Buffalo Bills 24

*Playoff record: 16 wins, 18 losses.*

## Notable players

### Retired numbers

The Buffalo Bills have retired three numbers in franchise history: No. 12 for Jim Kelly, No. 34 for Thurman Thomas and No. 78 for Bruce Smith. Despite the fact that the Bills have retired only three jersey numbers, the team has other numbers no longer issued to any player or in reduced circulation.

**Reduced circulation:**
* 44 Elbert Dubenion, WR, 1960–1968
* 66 Billy Shaw, OL, 1961–1969
* 83 Andre Reed, WR, 1985–1999 *(Lee Evans III wore No. 83 by special permission)*

Since the earliest days of the team, the number 31 was not supposed to be issued to any other player. The Bills had stationery and various other team merchandise showing a running player wearing that number, and it was not supposed to represent any specific person, but the 'spirit of the team.' In the first three decades of the team's existence, the number 31 was only seen once: in 1969, when reserve running back Preston Ridlehuber damaged his number 36 jersey during a game, equipment manager Tony Marchitte gave him the number 31 jersey to wear while repairing the number 36. The number 31 was not issued again until 1990 when first round draft choice James (J.D.) Williams wore it for his first two seasons; it has since been returned to general circulation, with safety Damar Hamlin wearing the number in 2021.

Number 32 had been withdrawn from circulation, but not retired, after O. J. Simpson. Former owner Ralph Wilson insisted on not reissuing the number, even after Simpson's highly publicized murder case and later robbery conviction. The number was placed back into circulation in 2019 with Senorise Perry wearing the number that year; as of 2021, it is worn by practice squad cornerback Rachad Wildgoose.

Number 15 was historically only issued sparingly after the retirement of Jack Kemp, but was later returned to general circulation. Receiver Jake Kumerow wears the number as of 2021.

Number 1 has also only rarely been used, for reasons never explained. While there is no proper explanation, Tommy Hughitt was a player-coach for the early Buffalo teams in the New York Pro Football League and NFL from 1918 to 1924 and was both a major on-field success and a fixture in Buffalo culture after his retirement as a politician and auto salesman. Hugitt was reported to wear number 1 during this time. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders currently wears the number; prior to his arrival in 2021, it had been 19 years since it had been worn in the regular season, when kicker Mike Hollis wore it in 2002.

### Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Distinguished Service Award Recipients

* 1986 – Ben Williams
* 1987 – Joe DeLamielleure
* 1988 – Steve Freeman
* 1989 – Jerry Butler
* 1990 – Tim Vogler
* 1991 – Joe Ferguson
* 1992 – Ken Jones
* 1993 – Booker Edgerson
* 1994 – George "Butch" Byrd
* 1995 – Tony Greene
* 1996 – Frank Lewis
* 1997 – Steven Paganelli
* 1996 – Roland Hooks
* 1997 – Jim Ritcher, Charley Ferguson
* 1998 – Stew Barber, Ed Rutkowski
* 1999 – Fred Smerlas, Reggie McKenzie
* 2000 – Darryl Talley, Ernie Warlick
* 2001 – Steve Tasker, Kent Hull
* 2002 – Don Beebe
* 2003 – Thurman Thomas
* 2004 – Paul Maguire
* 2005 – Frank Reich
* 2006 – Phil Hansen
* 2007 – Lou Piccone, Denny Lynch
* 2008 – Mark Kelso
* 2009 – Andre Reed
* 2010 – Ruben Brown
* 2011 – Scott Norwood
* 2012 – Chris Mohr
* 2013 – Al Bemiller
* 2014 – Russ Brandon

### Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame

 File:Jim Kelly 2010.jpg
 File:Andre Reed Autographs USS Ronald Reagan Mar 20, 2009.jpg
 File:O.J. Simpson 1990 · DN-ST-91-03444 crop.JPEG
 File:Bruce Smith Virginia Tech.jpg

## Radio and television

 File:Buffalo Bills radio affiliates.png
The Buffalo Bills Radio Network is flagshipped at WGR AM 550 in Buffalo, with sister station WWKB AM 1520 simulcasting all home games. John Murphy is the team's current play-by-play announcer; he was a color commentator alongside, and eventually succeeded, longtime voice Van Miller after Miller's retirement at the end of the 2003 NFL season. Former Bills center Eric Wood serves as the color analyst.

In 2018, the team signed an agreement with Nexstar Media Group to carry Bills preseason games across its network of stations in the region. As of 2020, WIVB-TV serves as the flagship station of the network, which includes WJET-TV in Erie, WROC-TV in Rochester, WSYR-TV in Syracuse, WUTR in Utica, WETM-TV in Elmira and WIVT in Binghamton. Steve Tasker does color commentary on these games; the play-by-play position is rotated between Andrew Catalon and Rob Stone. WROC-TV reporter Thad Brown is the sideline reporter. Since 2008, preseason games have been broadcast in high definition.

Beginning in the 2016 season, as per a new rights deal which covers rights to the team as well as its sister NHL franchise, the Buffalo Sabres, most team-related programming, including studio programming and the coach's show, was re-located to MSG Western New York—a joint venture of MSG and the team ownership. Preseason games will continue to air in simulcast on broadcast television.

In the event regular-season games are broadcast by ESPN, in accordance with the league's television policies, a local Buffalo station simulcasts the game. From 2014 to 2017, WKBW-TV held the broadcast rights to that contest, with the station having won back the rights to cable games after WBBZ-TV held the rights for 2012 and 2013.

## Training camp sites

* 1960–1962 Roycroft Inn, East Aurora, New York
* 1963–1967 Camelot Hotel, Blasdell, New York
* 1968–1980 Niagara University, Lewiston, New York
* 1981–1999 State University of New York at Fredonia, Fredonia, New York
* 2000–present, St. John Fisher College, Pittsford, New York

Source:

## Mascots, cheerleaders and marching band

The Bills' official mascot is Billy Buffalo, an eight-foot-tall, anthropomorphic blue American bison who wears the jersey "number" BB.

The Bills currently do not have cheerleaders. The Bills operated a cheerleading squad named the Buffalo Jills from 1967 to 1985; from 1986 to 2013, the Jills operated as an independent organization sponsored by various companies, most recently by Citadel Broadcasting. The Jills suspended operations prior to the 2014 season due to legal actions. The Bills and Jills are currently involved in a legal battle, in which the Jills allege they were employees, not independent contractors, and are seeking back pay. Complicating matters is that Citadel's buyer, Cumulus Media, declared bankruptcy and sought to discharge its remaining Bills-related debts in January 2018.

The Bills are one of six teams in the NFL to designate an official marching band or drumline (the others being the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Football Team, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks). Since the last game of the 2013 season, this position has been served by the Stampede Drumline, known outside of Buffalo as Downbeat Percussion. The Bills have also used the full marching bands from Attica High School, the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University at home games in recent years.

The Bills have several theme songs associated with them. The most popular is a variation of the Isley Brothers hit "Shout", recorded by Scott Kemper, which served as the Bills' official promotional song from 1987 through 1990s. It was officially replaced circa 2000 with "The Power of the Bills", although "Shout" remains in usage today. It can be heard at every Bills home game following a field goal or touchdown and at the end of the game if the Bills win. The Bills' unofficial fight song, "Go Bills", was penned by Bills head coach Marv Levy in the mid-1990s on a friendly wager with his players that he will write the song if the team won a particular game.

## Supporters

The "Bills Backers" are the official fan organization of the Buffalo Bills. It has over 200 chapters across North America, Europe and Oceania. Also notable is the "Bills Mafia'", a collection of Bills fans organized via Twitter beginning in 2010; the phrase "Bills Mafia" had by 2017 grown to unofficially represent the broad community surrounding and encompassing the team as a whole, and players who join the Bills often speak of joining the Bills Mafia. Outsiders often treat the Bills' fan base in derogatory terms, especially since the 2010s, in part because of negative press coverage of select fans' wilder antics. In 2020, the Bills filed to trademark the "Bills Mafia" name.

Bills fans are particularly well known for their wearing of Zubaz zebra-printed sportswear; so much is the association between Bills fans and Zubaz that when a revival of the company opened their first brick-and-mortar storefront, it chose Western New York as its first location. They are also well known for jumping off of elevated surfaces (often cars or RVs) into folding tables during the pre-game Tailgate.

Despite their known boisterous behavior, Bills fans have also been noted for their generosity; after the Bills received help in breaking their 17-year playoff drought on a last-minute Cincinnati Bengals victory, Bills fans crowdfunded the charities of Bengals players Andy Dalton and Tyler Boyd with hundreds of thousands of dollars as a gesture of thanks. Also in 2020, following a November 8 upset win over the Seattle Seahawks led by one of the best career performances by quarterback Josh Allen, news emerged that Allen had elected to take the field after having been given the option to sit out the contest as he had received news of his grandmother's death only the night before. Fans showed support for their team and community by donating nearly $700,000.00 to the Oishei Children's Hospital, an organization supported by Allen throughout his time in Buffalo. Following the Bills' defeat of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020–21 NFL playoffs and an injury to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson late in that game, Bills fans crowdfunded his favorite charity, Blessings in a Backpack.

The Bills are one of the favorite teams of ESPN announcer Chris Berman, who picked the Bills to reach the Super Bowl nearly every year in the 1990s. Berman often uses the catchphrase "No one circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills!" Berman gave the induction speech for Bills owner Ralph Wilson when Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

The Bills were also the favorite team of late NBC political commentator Tim Russert, a South Buffalo native, who often referred to the Bills on his Sunday morning talk show, *Meet the Press*. (His son, Luke, is also a notable fan of the team.) CNN's Wolf Blitzer, also a Buffalo native, has proclaimed he is also a fan, as has *CBS Evening News* lead anchor and Tonawanda native Jeff Glor and DNC Chairman Tom Perez.

ESPN anchor Kevin Connors is also a noted Bills fan, dating to his time attending Ithaca College. Actor Nick Bakay, a Buffalo native, is also a well-known Bills fan; he has discussed the team in segments of *NFL Top 10*. Character actor William Fichtner, raised in Cheektowaga, is a fan, and did a commercial for the team in 2014. In 2015, Fichtner also narrated the ESPN *30 for 30* documentary on the Bills' four Super Bowl appearances, "Four Falls of Buffalo". Former Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders (an in-law to former Bills kicker Todd Schlopy) has professed her fandom of the team. Actor Christopher McDonald, who was raised in Romulus, New York, is a fan of the team.

Persons notable almost entirely for their Bills fandom include Ken "Pinto Ron" Johnson, whose antics while appearing at every Bills home and away game since 1994 earned enough scrutiny that his tailgate parties were banned from stadium property on order of the league; John Lang, an Elvis impersonator who carries a large guitar that he uses as a billboard; Marc Miller, whose professional wrestling promo-style interview with WGRZ prior to Super Bowl XXVII (distinguished by the line "Dallas is going down, Gary!" and picked up at the time by *The George Michael Sports Machine*) was rediscovered in 2019; and Ezra Castro, also known as "Pancho Billa," a resident of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex who wore a large sombrero and lucha mask in Bills colors. Castro was diagnosed with a spinal tumor that had metastasized in 2017; he was invited on stage during the 2018 NFL Draft to read one of the Bills' selections. Castro died May 14, 2019.

## In popular culture

Several former Buffalo Bills players earned a name in politics in the late 20th century after their playing careers had ended, nearly always as members of the Republican Party. The most famous of these was quarterback Jack Kemp, who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Western New York in 1971—two years after his playing career ended and remained there for nearly two decades, serving as the Republican Party nominee for Vice President of the United States under Bob Dole in 1996. Kemp's backup, Ed Rutkowski, served as county executive of Erie County from 1979 to 1987. Former tight end Jay Riemersma, defensive tackle Fred Smerlas and defensive end Phil Hansen have all run for Congress, though all three either lost or withdrew from their respective races. Quarterback Jim Kelly and running back Thurman Thomas have also both been mentioned as potential candidates for political office, although both have declined all requests to date.

## See also

* List of American Football League players
* Major North American professional sports teams

## Notes

1. ↑ Buffalo Bills Team Facts. NFL Enterprises.
2. ↑ General Information. *2019 Buffalo Bills Stadium Guide*. NFL Enterprises, LLC.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Ferrara, Kyle (November 11, 2015). "A look back at Bills uniform changes". *BuffaloBills.com*. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Miller, Dallas (April 5, 2015). "April 5 in Bills history: Charging Buffalo introduced as Bills logo". *BuffaloBills.com*. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
5. ↑ Buffalo Bills Team Capsule. *2021 Official National Football League Record and Fact Book*. NFL Enterprises, LLC (August 11, 2021).
6. ↑ Meyer, Robinson (2014-09-05). Here Is Every U.S. County's Favorite Football Team (According to Facebook) (en).
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Sessler, Marc (October 8, 2014). "Bills sale to Terry, Kim Pegula unanimously approved". *NFL.com*. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
8. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Bergman, Jeremy (December 31, 2017). "Bills clinch first playoff spot since '99 with Ravens loss". *NFL.com*. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
9. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Bills End Their Playoff Drought, and Tears Flow". *The New York Times*. Associated Press. December 31, 2017. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
10. ↑ Bills Today | Bills reached these five milestones in their playoff victory. Buffalo Bills (January 11, 2021).
11. ↑ Boclair, David (2021-02-07). Twelve Teams Have Never Won a Super Bowl. Which Ones Are Close? (en).
12. ↑ History: History of NFL franchises, 1920–present. Pro Football Hall of Fame (February 7, 2010).
13. ↑ Warner, Gene (April 8, 2013). Bills logo was artist's crowning achievement.
14. ↑ Original AFL Decals.
15. ↑ Archived copy.
16. ↑ Lukas, Paul (September 20, 2013). Uni Watch: NFL archival treasures. ESPN.
17. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Brown, Chris (June 23, 2011). "Untold uniform stories: Fergie behind helmet color change". *BuffaloBills.com*. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
18. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Brown, Chris (June 24, 2011). "Bills put charge in new uniforms". *BuffaloBills.com*. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
19. ↑ Fashion forward: Bills unveil brand-new uniforms for 2011. NFL Enterprises, LLC (June 24, 2011).
20. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Brown, Chris (April 3, 2012). "Nike unveils new NFL uniforms". *BuffaloBills.com*. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
21. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Hanzus, Dan (November 6, 2015). "Jets and Bills unveil 'Color Rush' unis Thursday". *NFL.com*. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
22. ↑ USA Hockey unveils Bills-themed jersey for world junior outdoor game in Buffalo (June 14, 2017).
23. ↑ Template:Cite tweet
24. ↑ Stites, Adam (May 20, 2019). The Bills and Jags are becoming the NFL's silliest (and best) rivals.
25. ↑ 2017 Buffalo Bills Rivalry Survey.Template:Dead link
26. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Warsinskey, Tim (November 30, 2014). "Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills series has seen it all: A championship, a fired coach and blizzard". *The Plain Dealer*. cleveland.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 2017 Buffalo Bills Rivalry Survey.
28. ↑ Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins Results - The Football Database.
29. ↑ Patriots named as Bills biggest rival (July 5, 2016).
30. ↑ Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots Results - The Football Database.
31. ↑ Louis-Jacques, Marcell (September 7, 2019). Bills' Josh Allen, Jets' Sam Darnold: Friendship before rivalry (en).
32. ↑ Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets Results - The Football Database.
33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Warren, Matt (December 4, 2011). Bills vs. Titans Classic: The Comeback. *Buffalo Rumblings*. SB Nation.
34. ↑ Schefter, Adam (January 1, 2015). Still not buying Music City Miracle. *ESPN.com*.
35. ↑ Wawrow, John (January 4, 2018). Wycheck on Bills bandwagon 18 years after Music City Miracle. *The Associated Press*. WRALSportsFan.com.Template:Dead link
36. ↑ Buffalo Bills vs. Tennessee Titans Results - The Football Database.
37. ↑ Stites, Adam (May 20, 2019). The Bills and Jags are becoming the NFL's silliest (and best) rivals.
38. ↑ Maiorana, Sal (October 26, 2015). Manuel implosion kills Bills in London (en).
39. ↑ Jaguars break defensive stalemate, push past Bills for wild-card win. *USA Today* (January 7, 2018).
40. ↑ Kowalski, Rich. Reaction: Bills fans let Jalen Ramsey hear for calling Josh Allen "trash". *USA Today Sports*.
41. ↑ Brinson, Will. Brawl after TD costs Jaguars seven points vs. Bills, leads to Leonard Fournette ejection. *CBS Sports*.
42. ↑ Galliford, Brian (November 3, 2014). Bills vs. Chiefs 2014: seventh straight year of Buffalo-Kansas City matchup. *Buffalo Rumblings*. SB Nation.
43. ↑ Selbe, Nick. Chiefs Beat Bills, Head to Super Bowl to Defend Title (en-us).
44. ↑ Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs Results - The Football Database.
45. ↑ NFL Record and fact Book Template:ISBN
46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 Brown, Chris (June 17, 2011). The untouchable numbers. NFL Enterprises, LLC.
47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Patra, Kevin (May 11, 2016). "Buffalo Bills to retire Bruce Smith's No. 78 jersey". *NFL.com*. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
48. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Bills honor Thurman Thomas by retiring his No. 34". *NFL.com*. Associated Press. October 29, 2018. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
49. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Bills retire Thurman Thomas' No. 34 during halftime ceremony". ESPN. October 24, 2018. Archived from the original on October 30, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
50. ↑ Axson, Scooby (May 21, 2019). Bills allow Senorise Perry to wear Simpson's No. 32 (en).
51. ↑ Gaughan, Mark (August 6, 2010). The billboard: A daily dose from Bills training camp.
52. ↑ Russ Brandon receives Ralph C. Wilson Distinguished Service Award (December 15, 2014).
53. ↑ Bills Pro Football Hall of Fame Players. NFL Enterprises, LLC.
54. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Fred Jackson to join Bills postgame show; Catalana replaced on sidelines". *The Buffalo News*. August 2, 2018. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
55. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Pergament, Alan (June 21, 2016). "Wide-ranging deal will keep Sabres – and other Pegula Sports & Entertainment content – on MSG". *The Buffalo News*. Archived from the original on June 22, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
56. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Pergament, Alan (August 9, 2015). "Whither the weather coverage in Western New York?". *The Buffalo News*. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
57. ↑ Throwback Thursday: Bills Training Camp history. NFL Enterprises, LLC.
58. ↑ Associated Press News.
59. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Davis, Henry (May 19, 2017). "Judge Decides Jills Lawsuit Employees Not Independent Contractors". *Buffalo News*. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
60. ↑ “Cumulus Seeks To Cancel WLUP/WKQX LMA Purchase; And Chicago PBP Deals” Template:Webarchive from Radio Insight (January 19, 2018)
61. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Kwiatkowski-Radlich, Jane (September 13, 2014). "With no Jills to lead cheers, the job of drumming up fan excitement falls to the Stampede". *The Buffalo News*. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
62. ↑ Buffalo Bills drumline led by Jordan Elbridge, family, friends Template:Webarchive. *Syracuse.com*. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
63. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>O'Shei, Tim (September 13, 2015). "He makes you want to 'Shout!': Meet singer of famous Bills jingle". *The Buffalo News*. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
64. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Mooshil, Maria (December 1, 2006). "10 more things to know about Bears fight song". *Chicago Tribune*. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
65. ↑ Bills Backers. NFL Enterprises, LLC.
66. ↑ What is #BillsMafia?.
67. ↑ Kritzker, Graham (January 4, 2016). Brawls, Balls, and Beer: A Year at The Ralph with Bills Mafia. Vice Sports.Template:Dead link
68. ↑ Bills attempting to trademark 'Bills Mafia' (October 18, 2020).
69. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Christmann, Samantha (November 16, 2016). "Zubaz opens chain's first brick-and-mortar store at Fashion Outlets". *The Buffalo News*. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
70. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Besecker, Aaron (January 3, 2018). "Bengals QB Andy Dalton's foundation buys billboards to say 'thank you' to Bills fans". *The Buffalo News*. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
71. ↑ Clark, Dave (January 4, 2018). Buffalo Bills fans also generous with Tyler Boyd's charity. *The Cincinnati Enquirer*.
72. ↑ Seahawks vs. Bills - Game Summary. ESPN.
73. ↑ Online Giving Form. The Children's Hospital Foundation of buffalo.
74. ↑ I don't ever want to leave' | Josh Allen reacts to outpouring of support from Bills Mafia. The Buffalo Bills.
75. ↑ Bills fans donate to Lamar Jackson's favorite charity after QB exits Buffalo's win over Ravens Template:Webarchive. *NFL.com*. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
76. ↑ Why I'm a Fan: Wolf Blitzer. Buffalo Bills (November 14, 2015).
77. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Graham, Tim (November 1, 2017). "Tim Graham Show: CBS news anchor Jeff Glor finds these 2017 Bills unbelievable". *The Buffalo News*. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
78. ↑ Breakfast with Tom Perez: why Democratic chair is upbeat about 2020 Template:Webarchive by Linda Feldmann for *The Christian Science Monitor*; November 13, 2018
79. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"What It Means to Be a Bills Fan". Buffalo Bills. September 4, 2014. Archived from the original on September 6, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
80. ↑ Buffalo Bill (October 11, 2014). Buffalo Bills This Is Our Time 2014.
81. ↑ Shooter McGavin hangs out with Jim Kelly and Dan Marino before Bills-Dolphins game. *MSN.com* (October 21, 2019).
82. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Bowled over, Part I". BuffaloNews.com. October 9, 2010. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
83. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"John Lang presents 'Elvis and the Buffalo Bills'". *Niagara Frontier Publications*. March 16, 2012. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
84. ↑ Baggerman, Mike (November 28, 2019). "Dallas is Going Down, Gary!" fan reflects on fame and Bills. *WBEN*.
85. ↑ Buffalo Bills superfan Pancho Billa announces team's third round pick (video). *NewYorkUpstate.com*. Advance Publications (April 27, 2018).
86. ↑ Anstey, Evan (May 14, 2019). Buffalo Bills super-fan Pancho Billa dies. *WIVB-TV*.

## External links

* **Lua error in Module:Official\_website at line 90: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).**
* Buffalo Bills at the National Football League official website
* Voices of Oklahoma interview with former tight end Reuben Gant, June 16, 2010

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