Best Player Available Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 I like it. I think of it as a distinct and powerful social media tool used to recruit free agents and flex our passion to other fans. Other teams have their little hashtags and such but we are a much more organized and powerful voice. It even extends to Bills Backers, etc... We gather and mobilize as well or better than any fan base (including Pittsburgh). They have a lot of fans but there aren't giant get togethers on the road, with parties the night before, etc... Is this post a joke? Recruiting FA's because of "Flexing our passion" and get togethers on the road, with parties the night before, etc. How many quality FA's or guys playing out their rookie contracts, have signed because of any of the above? Sure once in a great while a player will say how loud it is in the stadium, fan passion, etc. That's a standard response heard anywhere in every major sport. Once in awhile a FA will land it Buffalo because the Bills must overpay him. (#94 perfect example) Not because of social media videos of tools jumping on burning tables
Kirby Jackson Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 (edited) Is this post a joke? Recruiting FA's because of "Flexing our passion" and get togethers on the road, with parties the night before, etc. How many quality FA's or guys playing out their rookie contracts, have signed because of any of the above? Sure once in a great while a player will say how loud it is in the stadium, fan passion, etc. That's a standard response heard anywhere in every major sport. Once in awhile a FA will land it Buffalo because the Bills must overpay him. (#94 perfect example) Not because of social media videos of tools jumping on burning tables You are missing my point. Every team has hashtags used by their fan base. Ours has been more effective than any other team in communicating with players and engaging fans in different areas. Every football fan here in New Orleans knows the #BillsMafia while I'd bet less than 25% know #birdgang. I'm not sure what you are debating? The BillsMafia social media presence is much stronger than other fan bases. Edited June 21, 2017 by Kirby Jackson
Best Player Available Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 You are missing my point. Every team has hashtags used by their fan base. Ours has been more effective than any other team in communicating with players and engaging fans in different areas. Every football fan here in New Orleans knows the #BillsMafia while I'd bet less than 25% know #birdgang. I'm not sure what you are debating? The BillsMafia social media presence is much stronger than other fan bases. I guess I don't put as much weight as too exactly whatever the Bills Mafia is purported too be. Sure some Bills reference them. I see it is although now bigger, but far from a force in Bills fandom. Most fans in Buffalo certainly have heard of them. Most could care less. I am talking fans 25-60 in age. In particular the ones at the tailgate we attend. In the beginning BM was 3 fans selling T-shirts for charity ( I think). Their regional popularity IMO is using the word Mafia. Good call there! But Bills game I have been too in Buffalo they are invisible. Not too say they are not there wherever they hangout. where We tailgate and sit in the Kelly club seats they are invisible. We see the Buf State cheerleaders in the lot more than any other organized group. ( how lucky is that) I took your point that social media involving Bills Mafia, etc. will attract FA's. I don't agree. $$$$$ and lots of it attract free agents to Buffalo. It's Buffalo in all it's glory. With a downtown that is on a bit of a upswing. But still it is not a place any player tells his agent Buffalo is on my top 3 places I would like to play. That's not even getting into the fact that for now it is still an irrelavant franchise. Lets hope a winning culture with the new regime changes that. IMO that would be the draw for quality FA's.
Kirby Jackson Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 I guess I don't put as much weight as too exactly whatever the Bills Mafia is purported too be. Sure some Bills reference them. I see it is although now bigger, but far from a force in Bills fandom. Most fans in Buffalo certainly have heard of them. Most could care less. I am talking fans 25-60 in age. In particular the ones at the tailgate we attend. In the beginning BM was 3 fans selling T-shirts for charity ( I think). Their regional popularity IMO is using the word Mafia. Good call there! But Bills game I have been too in Buffalo they are invisible. Not too say they are not there wherever they hangout. where We tailgate and sit in the Kelly club seats they are invisible. We see the Buf State cheerleaders in the lot more than any other organized group. ( how lucky is that) I took your point that social media involving Bills Mafia, etc. will attract FA's. I don't agree. $$$$$ and lots of it attract free agents to Buffalo. It's Buffalo in all it's glory. With a downtown that is on a bit of a upswing. But still it is not a place any player tells his agent Buffalo is on my top 3 places I would like to play. That's not even getting into the fact that for now it is still an irrelavant franchise. Lets hope a winning culture with the new regime changes that. IMO that would be the draw for quality FA's. That was never the point. The point was that we are better at it than everyone else and I appreciate that.
K D Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 I guess I don't put as much weight as too exactly whatever the Bills Mafia is purported too be. Sure some Bills reference them. I see it is although now bigger, but far from a force in Bills fandom. Most fans in Buffalo certainly have heard of them. Most could care less. I am talking fans 25-60 in age. In particular the ones at the tailgate we attend. In the beginning BM was 3 fans selling T-shirts for charity ( I think). Their regional popularity IMO is using the word Mafia. Good call there! But Bills game I have been too in Buffalo they are invisible. Not too say they are not there wherever they hangout. where We tailgate and sit in the Kelly club seats they are invisible. We see the Buf State cheerleaders in the lot more than any other organized group. ( how lucky is that) I took your point that social media involving Bills Mafia, etc. will attract FA's. I don't agree. $$$$$ and lots of it attract free agents to Buffalo. It's Buffalo in all it's glory. With a downtown that is on a bit of a upswing. But still it is not a place any player tells his agent Buffalo is on my top 3 places I would like to play. That's not even getting into the fact that for now it is still an irrelavant franchise. Lets hope a winning culture with the new regime changes that. IMO that would be the draw for quality FA's. it's not for charity. maybe a PORTION of SOME of the shirts go to help certain causes but make no mistake, this guy is getting rich selling overpriced bootleg t-shirts and the media is eating it up. he founded Bills Mafia so he speaks for all fans of the Buffalo Bills? uhhh what??? never heard of this guy, don't care what he thinks about xyz so stop interviewing him as if he speaks for us all
diver Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Ahhhhhhh the good old days. Going to tailgate with a portable grill cooking Sahlen hot dogs, cooler of beer and a football to toss around. I guess I'm getting old.
CountDorkula Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Just watched it. I thought it was funny. I love our fans. To hell with anyone else. You realize the video is actually poking fun at bills fans and the entire league is laughing at this right? its nothing to be proud of.
CountDorkula Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 I think the behavior of the younger generation of Bills fans nowadays is in big thanks to the ****ty product they trot out their year in and year out. The mentality is, "we suck and will most likely lose so let's get completely shitfaced and make the game about us". Oh i disagree completely. That is just a cop out. If we were winning the same thing would be going on. Here is how this is going to end up, IMO. Someone is going to get seriously injured or die. They/the family sue the homeowner/place they parked. The Bills/league will have to step in and then will be blamed for ruining tailgating.
May Day 10 Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 (edited) You realize the video is actually poking fun at bills fans and the entire league is laughing at this right? its nothing to be proud of. I really couldn't care less what the rest of the league thinks of us or me. I support a team who hasn't sniffed the playoffs in nearly 2 decades. I participate in a mild tailgate.... but whatever people do on their own is their business and it doesn't affect me bad stuff happens everywhere https://www.yahoo.com/news/fan-reportedly-shot-head-following-031115487.html https://www.yahoo.com/news/video/mets-fan-critically-injured-fight-113544035.html http://www.csnphilly.com/the700level/watch-cowboys-fan-knocks-out-eagles-fan-one-punch?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo http://www.tmz.com/2015/12/01/cowboys-stadium-security-cops-investigating-choke-video-possible-assault/ https://www.yahoo.com/news/brutality-nfl-fandom-full-display-144057669.html Edited June 21, 2017 by May Day 10
CountDorkula Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 I really couldn't care less what the rest of the league thinks of us or me. I support a team who hasn't sniffed the playoffs in nearly 2 decades. I participate in a mild tailgate.... but whatever people do on their own is their business and it doesn't affect me bad stuff happens everywhere https://www.yahoo.com/news/fan-reportedly-shot-head-following-031115487.html https://www.yahoo.com/news/video/mets-fan-critically-injured-fight-113544035.html http://www.csnphilly.com/the700level/watch-cowboys-fan-knocks-out-eagles-fan-one-punch?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo http://www.tmz.com/2015/12/01/cowboys-stadium-security-cops-investigating-choke-video-possible-assault/ https://www.yahoo.com/news/brutality-nfl-fandom-full-display-144057669.html I keep seeing this, what the hell does this have to do with any of it? What you posted was fights, yes those happen everywhere. Big difference. Eventually when the bills have a home playoff game, it will be so much worse.
Just Jack Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 I took your point that social media involving Bills Mafia, etc. will attract FA's. I don't agree. $$$$$ and lots of it attract free agents to Buffalo. It's Buffalo in all it's glory. With a downtown that is on a bit of a upswing. But still it is not a place any player tells his agent Buffalo is on my top 3 places I would like to play. That's not even getting into the fact that for now it is still an irrelavant franchise. Lets hope a winning culture with the new regime changes that. IMO that would be the draw for quality FA's. Takeo Spikes came to Buffalo and no hash tag was needed. http://buffalonews.com/2003/09/09/spikes-nails-fans-affection-in-bills-debut/
CommonCents Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Smashing tables and getting black out drunk before noon is foolish but people can put together videos and get a laugh out of it. The video plays a lot better than it would if you put together a montage of 9'ers fans and the likes hang banging in the parking lots and shanking folks. Being laughed at is better than being a pack of criminals. So they aren't that bad. It seems like this is a mix of wrestling/football fans with drinking problems.
Seasons1992 Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Oh i disagree completely. That is just a cop out. If we were winning the same thing would be going on. Here is how this is going to end up, IMO. Someone is going to get seriously injured or die. They/the family sue the homeowner/place they parked. The Bills/league will have to step in and then will be blamed for ruining tailgating. It's already happened. The guy who walked into Smoke's Creek a few years back and died in it. There was an entire SI article about it.
May Day 10 Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 I keep seeing this, what the hell does this have to do with any of it? What you posted was fights, yes those happen everywhere. Big difference. Eventually when the bills have a home playoff game, it will be so much worse. The futility of the team is the most defining characteristic of the Bills and their fanbase, and it brings me more 'shame' than a few people videotaping themselves jumping through tables (neither of which bring me much shame) I also disagree that a home playoff game will be worse. Tickets will be a lot of $$$. People attending will be more 'serious' about attending, and more people will probably temper their drinking somewhat and want to remember the game. The weather is also typically poor which keeps the widespread tailgating a bit more brief/subdued. Hopefully we see who is right someday.
LabattBlue Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 This happened a couple years ago. I was at a tailgate with a group(we go via bus for one home game a year). Tailgating at gas station at Southwestern and Abbott. I see a 20 something millenial, drunk out of his mind at 10AM, passed out on the ground. So what do his drunk idiot buddies attempt to do while he is passed out? Pour water down his throat. WTF!! I had to intervene and tell them to knock it off, put him in the back seat of their car, and let him sleep it off. It really is amazing we don't hear of several deaths a year at RWS, due to tailgating stupidity.
Dr Doom Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Was fun to watch. I think things were a lot crazier in the past, but things have evolved with more of an entertainment twist to it. The one thing I was really happy about is that there was no violence and it was more about having fun and being crazy and doing your own thing. I am sure people will have different thoughts/opinions, but we all cheer in our own way,
Best Player Available Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 That was never the point. The point was that we are better at it than everyone else and I appreciate that. Well to each their own. Eff the #billsmafia. They don't speak for me, the guy that posted below me, and the vast majority of bills fans. Social media? the scourage of the 21st century. But popularity contests must mean a lot. Most fans weigh the W's a lot more.
May Day 10 Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Well to each their own. Eff the #billsmafia. They don't speak for me, the guy that posted below me, and the vast majority of bills fans. Social media? the scourage of the 21st century. But popularity contests must mean a lot. Most fans weigh the W's a lot more. Eliminate the nerds who 'started' the moniker as well as those who claim it as some sort of exclusive group and presume the need to speak for all of us. Can't stand that either. Basically the phrase has taken a life of its own and has become our "Raiders Nation", Steeler Nation, Viking Nation, etc. Everything is Nation or Army. We have mafia. Like it our not, the cat is out of the bag and it has become a mainstream-accepted name. I have heard Jim Rome, Cowherd, etc refer to our fanbase as "Bills Mafia" often, as I see various NFL reporters tag #billsmafia when they mention the Bills. I think I am fine with that. It is original and doesnt roll off the tongue too poorly.
fridge Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Well to each their own. Eff the #billsmafia. They don't speak for me, the guy that posted below me, and the vast majority of bills fans. Social media? the scourage of the 21st century. But popularity contests must mean a lot. Most fans weigh the W's a lot more. I can't stand #billsmafia, but the bolded above is ignorant.
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