Kirby Jackson Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 (edited) 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. You're still are missing the point. This isn't about a few guys going through tables. Football, more so than any other sport, is about how you consume it. Wins and losses are always important but there is a lot to it. I have a group of 40-100 that I watch with every week in NOLA. We show up at the same times, sit or stand in the same places, celebrate the same way, etc... I have my seats in the Miller Club that I still make a few times a year. My brother, dad and I get up at the same time that we always did, take the same route to the game, park in the same lots, hang with the same people, etc... TBD is a place where we discuss, debate, and argue over the Bills. The BillsMafia and social media is just another arm of that. It's a hashtag where you will find opinions, updates on FA, updates on practices, little messages from the players to the fans, find fans in other cities, etc... You don't have to make a decision to embrace BillsMafia or embrace something else, it's in addition to. In terms of the name I think that it fits well. It's not the negative connotation of the mafia but we embody a lot of the qualities that Hollywood has romanticized. It's about loyalty, family, large gatherings and food. We can mess with one another but those on the outside better not take part. It's that "it's okay for me to pick on my brother but not you" type of things. Bills fans encompass these traits as strongly as any fan base in any sport. It comes from a combination of always having to defend outsiders when they come at us about weather or the Rust Belt, the economy or whatever but we stick together. Edited June 21, 2017 by Kirby Jackson
Jauronimo Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 I thought the name was stupid when this phenomenon started but the fact that its still around and the way the players have embraced the movement lends some legitimacy. As far as the public image and perception of Bills fans due to these antics, in my anecdotal experience its been largely positive. I now live out of state now in the heart of football country and my colleagues, who all attended schools with major NCAA football programs, tell me that they would love to go to a Bills tailgate and witness this madness.
Kirby Jackson Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 I thought the name was stupid when this phenomenon started but the fact that its still around and the way the players have embraced the movement lends some legitimacy. As far as the public image and perception of Bills fans due to these antics, in my anecdotal experience its been largely positive. I now live out of state now in the heart of football country and my colleagues, who all attended schools with major NCAA football programs, tell me that they would love to go to a Bills tailgate and witness this madness.We did a bachelor party, in December, with a bunch of guys from Georgia and Louisiana.
Mark Vader Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 "Private" meaning not on stadium property. The guys that run it keep it as low-key as they can. We park in a corner full of longtimers, excellent vibe, great camaraderie. So you park at Hammer's Lot?
Peevo Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Personally, as "millenial" Bills fan who rarely tailgates, I'm usually embarrassed by the Billsmerfia stupidity. I'm also a pretty judgmental wrestling fan and they often botch the moves they try to sell. If you're gonna go for the AA, bend your knees and get the guy over your head. It's hard for a reason, you gotta be in good shape to sell the bumps correctly. Just use the damn table WWE uses so it breaks cleanly and looks right! I can't believe I just openly complained about the quality of backyard wrestling at Bills tailgates. But that's beside the point. As much as it pains me to say it, the chubby kid at about 7 mins in says it best, "if you don't like the table slams, don't watch it." It's one example of a group of fans that CHOOSE to risk bodily injury week in and week out for their own supposed entertainment. No one is pressuring anyone else to do anything else. As strange as this is going to sound, the concept of letting fans police themselves and reap the consequences sounds pretty liberating in 2017. I don't want people to get hurt, and I don't want people deliberately hurting other people. But if two consenting adults want to throw amateurish, shoddy wrestling moves on each other for fun, they know the risks and it's only gonna hurt their tailbones and their pride. And it's sorta grating to read old-timers wax nostalgic of "the day" back in the '70's. If you hit it so hard back then, why are you criticizing the next generation? You can't in one sentence boast about how hard you guys partied, then complain about the kids on your lawn the next.
4_kidd_4 Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 So you park at Hammer's Lot? No, but perhaps we'll give that a try this season, if they'll have us. We're a group of late 30/early 40's dudes that use sundays to chillllll. 15th year as season tix holders. We've evolved as a group from crushing High-Lifes and being silly to irish cream in our Tim's, a gourmet tailgate menu, and a splash of bourbon with lunch. The kids want to hoot and holler and smash things, have at it. I'm going to enjoy my tailgate.
BillsMedia Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 So many old people complaining in here, love it. Welcome to 2017 and the era of social media.
Stank_Nasty Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 No, but perhaps we'll give that a try this season, if they'll have us. We're a group of late 30/early 40's dudes that use sundays to chillllll. 15th year as season tix holders. We've evolved as a group from crushing High-Lifes and being silly to irish cream in our Tim's, a gourmet tailgate menu, and a splash of bourbon with lunch. The kids want to hoot and holler and smash things, have at it. I'm going to enjoy my tailgate. well i'm in my early 30's now and i'm for all of the above in bolded! lol. depending on the game, weather, my mood, and workload for monday is.... you may find me trying to find a group of my buddies in several different lots with several different motives. haha. i will say most of my crazy days are done though. we have seasons and last year my wife and i really only "tied one on" twice. being 90 min away south of erie, PA and having to now pick the little ones up when we come home makes "hooting and hollering and smashing things" not the greatest option. LOL.
Jauronimo Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 So many old people complaining in here, love it. Welcome to 2017 and the era of social media. They grew up in a more gentlemanly time. Back in the days of the old Rockpile, football fans could handle their alcohol responsibly. So responsibly in fact that you could bring kegs into the stadium and no one was ever over served. Fans drank so responsibly that they would often toss full or partial cans and bottles of beer onto the playing field to avoid getting too drunk. That's how responsible people were back then. The boorish behavior that we witness today was a thing known only to the lowly minorities, which is why the greatest generation had the foresight not to let them use the same bathrooms as us polite folk. Those were the good old days when people knew how to behave.
buffalostu2 Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Psh, the, ahem, "mafia" couldn't hold a candle to the wild Rich Stadium days of the 70's and 80's. Difference is, it wasn't a contest to broadcast such buffoonery to the world. Well put! And while I wasn't around for the Bills games there, I am more impressed with the guys who carried kegs into the Rockpile to watch games than someone jumping off their father's Land Rover onto a folding table. Young and old have both been through the 17 year drought. It just seems like the older crowd is more focused on understanding the game, team infrastructure, and Xs and Os than the shock value of "Bills Mafia" tweets and videos.
4_kidd_4 Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Yeah, when I was 25 I lived closest to the stadium. Got picked up and dropped off every home game. Was single, and a bartender. Now I live the furthest away, have the longest drive home. Married with a career that requires focus early in the morning. I honestly don't enjoy overindulgence anymore, both food and beverage. But like I said, let the kids have their fun so long as they're not hurting anyone but themselves. My crew was young, drunk and silly at one point too.
Best Player Available Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 I can't stand #billsmafia, but the bolded above is ignorant. We will just have too disagree on this. Let's count the people who lose a gig, get in trouble with the law etc. make idiots of themselves. this week alone. or, well I have too leave politics out of this. I am being a tad hypocritical with my stance since social media platforms has made us money. I am sure were not the only one's on this board who have done so. So keep tweeting, snapchatting, etc. You're still are missing the point. This isn't about a few guys going through tables. Football, more so than any other sport, is about how you consume it. Wins and losses are always important but there is a lot to it. I have a group of 40-100 that I watch with every week in NOLA. We show up at the same times, sit or stand in the same places, celebrate the same way, etc... I have my seats in the Miller Club that I still make a few times a year. My brother, dad and I get up at the same time that we always did, take the same route to the game, park in the same lots, hang with the same people, etc... TBD is a place where we discuss, debate, and argue over the Bills. The BillsMafia and social media is just another arm of that. It's a hashtag where you will find opinions, updates on FA, updates on practices, little messages from the players to the fans, find fans in other cities, etc... You don't have to make a decision to embrace BillsMafia or embrace something else, it's in addition to. In terms of the name I think that it fits well. It's not the negative connotation of the mafia but we embody a lot of the qualities that Hollywood has romanticized. It's about loyalty, family, large gatherings and food. We can mess with one another but those on the outside better not take part. It's that "it's okay for me to pick on my brother but not you" type of things. Bills fans encompass these traits as strongly as any fan base in any sport. It comes from a combination of always having to defend outsiders when they come at us about weather or the Rust Belt, the economy or whatever but we stick together. I get your point. You state it well.
Ron Burgundy Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 You're still are missing the point. This isn't about a few guys going through tables. Football, more so than any other sport, is about how you consume it. Wins and losses are always important but there is a lot to it. I have a group of 40-100 that I watch with every week in NOLA. We show up at the same times, sit or stand in the same places, celebrate the same way, etc... I have my seats in the Miller Club that I still make a few times a year. My brother, dad and I get up at the same time that we always did, take the same route to the game, park in the same lots, hang with the same people, etc... TBD is a place where we discuss, debate, and argue over the Bills. The BillsMafia and social media is just another arm of that. It's a hashtag where you will find opinions, updates on FA, updates on practices, little messages from the players to the fans, find fans in other cities, etc... You don't have to make a decision to embrace BillsMafia or embrace something else, it's in addition to. In terms of the name I think that it fits well. It's not the negative connotation of the mafia but we embody a lot of the qualities that Hollywood has romanticized. It's about loyalty, family, large gatherings and food. We can mess with one another but those on the outside better not take part. It's that "it's okay for me to pick on my brother but not you" type of things. Bills fans encompass these traits as strongly as any fan base in any sport. It comes from a combination of always having to defend outsiders when they come at us about weather or the Rust Belt, the economy or whatever but we stick together. Great post. A little too much negativity about fans being ridiculous from others; your post gives a glimpse of the positive. I wonder if the fans would be this out of control if the team were playing well? I don't know the answer but they may not, this may be the direct result fielding a poor team for so long.
fridge Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 We will just have too disagree on this. Let's count the people who lose a gig, get in trouble with the law etc. make idiots of themselves. this week alone. or, well I have too leave politics out of this. I am being a tad hypocritical with my stance since social media platforms has made us money. I am sure were not the only one's on this board who have done so. So keep tweeting, snapchatting, etc. The thing is, you're looking at social media from an insular point of view. Social media should be looked at as just an extension of community on the internet. You have over 8k posts on this message board, and it's no different than if you used another platform like twitter or reddit to share your ideas about the Buffalo Bills, a community you've sought out. Social media doesn't just mean idiots posting their personal information or photos of their food. You said that you make money on social media, like most 21 century businesses, and that's because it's where the people are. To dismiss social media is similar to parents in the 1930's mocking the radio, or later the television, or long long before that (this actually happened...) print media.
May Day 10 Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Great post. A little too much negativity about fans being ridiculous from others; your post gives a glimpse of the positive. I wonder if the fans would be this out of control if the team were playing well? I don't know the answer but they may not, this may be the direct result fielding a poor team for so long. I think I can say with confidence, that the atmosphere both in and outside the game is much more tame than it was 10 years ago. And if the team had big games, people would be better behaved (maybe prime time is an exception). Tickets cost more/worth more, and more people typically want to remember/enjoy what happens.
cba fan 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. It is an informed opinion he is stating. Nothing ignorant about it. Social media just like everything else has its good and bad. I see way too much bad: people texting driving and dying, pedteexting and getting hurt or killed by cars hitting them, cyber bullying leading to suicide and or homicide. Drivers on phone having accidents I need to avoid at evey other intersection as they turn in front of me with cell to face blocking view, Kids socially inept as they live in their phones causing potential for all sorts of negative life events as they age. I don't see social media saving enough lives to counteract the deaths and injuries and harm incurred by it's users. Just my informed opinion.
LarryDavid Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 (edited) In all of the 10 minute film, not one sighting of the real #BillsMafia in which I mean the real (Del Reid) BillsMafia that started it all and is a charitable organization raising a ton of money for worth wild causes in the WNY area. Those in the film are just drunk Bills fans. It's too bad the real BillsMafia and Del don't get the respect/attention they deserve. Edited June 21, 2017 by LarryDavid
fridge Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 It is an informed opinion he is stating. Nothing ignorant about it. Social media just like everything else has its good and bad. I see way too much bad: people texting driving and dying, pedteexting and getting hurt or killed by cars hitting them, cyber bullying leading to suicide and or homicide. Drivers on phone having accidents I need to avoid at evey other intersection as they turn in front of me with cell to face blocking view, Kids socially inept as they live in their phones causing potential for all sorts of negative life events as they age. I don't see social media saving enough lives to counteract the deaths and injuries and harm incurred by it's users. Just my informed opinion. Your "informed" opinion is that social media is literally killing people. Ok.
Hammered a Lot Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 (edited) In all of the 10 minute film, not one sighting of the real #BillsMafia in which I mean the real (Del Reid) BillsMafia that started it all and is a charitable organization raising a ton of money for worth wild causes in the WNY area. Those in the film are just drunk Bills fans. It's too bad the real BillsMafia and Del don't get the respect/attention they deserve. He had his chance but came up sick that day. As far as a ton of money nobody knows how much because they don't post how much unless I'm looking in the wrong place. Edited June 21, 2017 by Hammered a Lot
swimtoga Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Psh, the, ahem, "mafia" couldn't hold a candle to the wild Rich Stadium days of the 70's and 80's. Difference is, it wasn't a contest to broadcast such buffoonery to the world. More like the difference is you didn't have the means to broadcast it to the world.
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