Privacy for Josh Allen and Bills' players

[Fan in Chicago]

22 hours ago, Inigo Montoya said:

I've seen two interviews now where Josh has stated that the thing he laments the most is the loss of his privacy when he goes out around town.  I know we are a celebrity driven culture, and compounding the issue for Josh is that he seems so down to earth that I think people feel comfortable just walking up to him to say hello and asking for a picture.

 

It would be nice if we as a fan base could make and effort to give Josh and other Bills players some space and privacy if you do happen to see some of them out in town eating dinner or shopping or at a movie.  I think in the Kelly era, Bills players were able to move around and do things and still have their privacy and that is something that they always appreciated and cited as one of the reasons playing in Buffalo was so enjoyable for them.  It would be nice if we could get back to that place again.

 

 

 

Good thread and I agree with treating the players respectfully. I do wonder though if past players would actually like the attention as they have been away from the spotlight for a long time and miss the adulation. 

[Justin C]

I felt bad for Greg Rousseau yesterday at the Sabres game. They showed him on the video board half way through the second period then at the end of the period he had a line up the stairs of people wanting pics with him. It was mostly kids. And he did look to be legit enjoying himself meeting everyone. I've seen enough forced happiness to spot the difference.

 

They eventually took him in the lobby to do it. But why would they show him knowing that would happen? I hope they took him to a suite the rest of the game. 

[Fan in Chicago]

16 hours ago, sherpa said:

 

Brady's wife was on a couple.

Ooooh kinky. Care to name the couple?

[Gugny]

Meh.  I can't even eat lunch in my office without people interrupting me.  They can deal with it.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

33 minutes ago, Gugny said:

Meh.  I can't even eat lunch in my office without people interrupting me.  They can deal with it.

 

Well Durrrr

 

But you can go to a pizza place or another restaurant with your kid and not be interrupted, correct?

1 hour ago, Justin C said:

I felt bad for Greg Rousseau yesterday at the Sabres game. They showed him on the video board half way through the second period then at the end of the period he had a line up the stairs of people wanting pics with him. It was mostly kids. And he did look to be legit enjoying himself meeting everyone. I've seen enough forced happiness to spot the difference.

 

They eventually took him in the lobby to do it. But why would they show him knowing that would happen? I hope they took him to a suite the rest of the game. 

 

I hope he knew he'd be shown. 

 

I think it's a double edged sword for the players, on the one hand, it has to be a BIG rush knowing you can make someone's day just by snapping a selfie with them or signing something, knowing you can make sick kids happy just by visiting a hospital etc.

 

On the other hand, they must want to be able to shut it off at times and have a meal in a restaurant or watch a hockey game or something without being thronged

 

 

[muppy]

I steer clear of contact unless it is a circle in a group and everyone is just chilling. I've seen celebs at rock shows and the only contact Ive made is with a gesture or eye contact and a smile.

 

I will admit to awestruck starstruck reactions its normal I think especially if it is someone iconic to you. For me like Jim Kelly, Frank Reich, any of the old Bills legends I'd need xanax LOL

 

I met Dan Fouts here in socal, oh Gil Byrd. (Gil Byrd, Jarius father and himself CB for the chargers Built like a brick u know what SOLID guy)  I met in the Movie popcorn line for Lion King. and Dan Fouts I met him  asking directions to where to go to buy keys in my brand new address.. He was out taking a walk with his wife

 

anyway GO BILLS

 

m

[JohnNord]

11 hours ago, Billl said:

That’s such a lame attitude to take.  He earned his status by being great.  He’s not Kim Kardashian who is famous for being famous.  If he complained that valets were joy riding in his car, would that be no big deal because that’s what it’s like having an awesome car?  Leave the guy alone when he’s out and about.  

I don’t disagree, I’m just saying that the fame and fortune is part of the allure to becoming a professional athlete -

especially being a very good one.  
 

I don’t recall Michael Jordan or LeBraun James complaining about this…they understand that it comes with the territory.  

[Hapless Bills Fan]

10 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

I don’t disagree, I’m just saying that the fame and fortune is part of the allure to becoming a professional athlete -

especially being a very good one.  
 

I don’t recall Michael Jordan or LeBraun James complaining about this…they understand that it comes with the territory.  

 

Or maybe it's not part of the allure to becoming a professional athlete for all athletes.

Marshawn Lynch, for example: "I'm only here so I don't get fined"

 

My guess is that living the "Glamorous Life", getting offered designer clothes and GQ-equivalent magazine covers and being able to "play" as much as he likes with the ladies is part of the allure for some *cough* Diggs *cough*.

 

My guess is that Josh is part of a group that just wants to be a great football player and have attention come from his play, and it's more of a mixed blessing - kind of cool to have West Herr give him a 🔥🔥🔥 truck, super-cool to interact with kids and know he's making a lifetime memory for them, especially sick kids where he's lifting their spirits just by walking in the room and saying "hi".  And he understands that taking time for interviews and media appearances comes with the territory.

 

But he'd like it to have an "Off" switch where he could drop in to Bar Bill and eat a meal in peace, as I believe he could his first 2 years in the league when he was known to Buffalo football fans but not so much to the general citizenry of Buffalo.  There's a story one of his Firebaugh friends told where they were at lunch after a game of golf, and someone came up to them "hey, aren't you..." and he totally Buffaloed them and sent them off persuaded he was no one special so the group went back to their lunch.  And he said S. Cali is great because no one cares about football there.

 

That doesn't happen now.  S. Cali may not care about football, but Celebrity is a different matter.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

6 hours ago, Fan in Chicago said:

Ooooh kinky. Care to name the couple?

 

 

 🍈 🍈 

 

Edited October 23, 2021 by SlimShady'sSpaceForce

[Buffalo716]

4 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Or maybe it's not part of the allure to becoming a professional athlete for all athletes.

Marshawn Lynch, for example: "I'm only here so I don't get fined"

 

My guess is that living the "Glamorous Life", getting offered designer clothes and GQ-equivalent magazine covers and being able to "play" as much as he likes with the ladies is part of the allure for some *cough* Diggs *cough*.

 

My guess is that Josh is part of a group that just wants to be a great football player and have attention come from his play, and it's more of a mixed blessing - kind of cool to have West Herr give him a 🔥🔥🔥 truck, super-cool to interact with kids and know he's making a lifetime memory for them, especially sick kids where he's lifting their spirits just by walking in the room and saying "hi".  And he understands that taking time for interviews and media appearances comes with the territory.

 

But he'd like it to have an "Off" switch where he could drop in to Bar Bill and eat a meal in peace, as I believe he could his first 2 years in the league when he was known to Buffalo football fans but not so much to the general citizenry of Buffalo.  There's a story one of his Firebaugh friends told where they were at lunch after a game of golf, and someone came up to them "hey, aren't you..." and he totally Buffaloed them and sent them off persuaded he was no one special so the group went back to their lunch.  And he said S. Cali is great because no one cares about football there.

 

That doesn't happen now.  S. Cali may not care about football, but Celebrity is a different matter.

Almost everybody in Buffalo is a Bills fan hap 

 

It's not like other cities where some people just don't care... People casually use go bills as a way of saying goodbye and nobody bats an eyelash 

 

It's the extreme minority who don't like the bills... Women children young and old and of course men... Every demographic of Buffalo is hard core Bills fans

[John from Riverside]

I dont suffer from star freakout but I have been around the movie/song industry for years and met/partied with/been around a lot of A listers.

 

They are people......they dont all NOT want the adoration but some are over it and like to be treated like regular people which they are.   I consider Athletes to be in this same circle.

 

What you will found out almost 100 percent of the time is if you treat them normal and be cool they will accept you being around them a lot more.

 

Danny Devito......for instance....a totally cool guy as long as you just treat him like a normal dude.

[Dr.Sack]

“Holler at a player when you see him in the street.” Stuart Scott

[TheFunPolice]

On 10/22/2021 at 3:53 PM, Draconator said:

Talking to a celebrity about an interest of theirs outside of their "job" is what they really want. One time I won a contest to have breakfast with Geddy Lee of Rush. There were 20 people in the room. Questions came in, all about Rush. He was very pleasant and answered all the questions. Then my ex asked him about his then 7 year old daughter and how it was to be a parent of a young child in your mid 40's. (My ex has a son the same age as Geddy's daughter). He literally shut off everyone and talked to my ex and I about parenting a 7 year old for at least 30 minutes. I then asked him about baseball, and we talked for another solid 20 minutes about the history of the game. Not only could he name off every single World Series winner from the 20's but he also gave the nicknames of each winning team. When it came time for photos at the end of the event, He put his arms around my ex and I for the photo. You could tell he was just so appreciative that we knew his other interests and were willing to trade stories about them. 

 

What a cool experience! 

[Augie]

5 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Almost everybody in Buffalo is a Bills fan hap 

 

It's not like other cities where some people just don't care... People casually use go bills as a way of saying goodbye and nobody bats an eyelash 

 

It's the extreme minority who don't like the bills... Women children young and old and of course men... Every demographic of Buffalo is hard core Bills fans

 

I totally agree, if you live in WNY you are almost certainly into the Bills. Having said that, I can’t imagine a scenario where I would approach a Bills player or any celebrity. A quick “Go Bills” to Josh in passing maybe, but I want them to have the freedom to live their lives.

 

An arranged public appearance is one thing. A guy trying to have dinner with his wife/GF or buddies is something else. Give them a break. 

 

While I’m at it, I just do NOT understand autographs, unless you are doing it from a monetary angle (and even that I’m not a fan of). WFT comes from having someone scribble on a piece of paper or a hat? Then I have to keep that? Why? 

[Kaenon]

On 10/22/2021 at 11:31 AM, Inigo Montoya said:

I've seen two interviews now where Josh has stated that the thing he laments the most is the loss of his privacy when he goes out around town.  I know we are a celebrity driven culture, and compounding the issue for Josh is that he seems so down to earth that I think people feel comfortable just walking up to him to say hello and asking for a picture.

 

It would be nice if we as a fan base could make and effort to give Josh and other Bills players some space and privacy if you do happen to see some of them out in town eating dinner or shopping or at a movie.  I think in the Kelly era, Bills players were able to move around and do things and still have their privacy and that is something that they always appreciated and cited as one of the reasons playing in Buffalo was so enjoyable for them.  It would be nice if we could get back to that place again.

 

If you do see someone like Josh or Knox or Diggs out, try to give them some space.  Let's try to repay their dedication to our city with some personal space.  When you talk to other Bills fans bring this up and maybe we can make a small difference for the guys who play hard for us every week.  This board reaches all across Bill's Mafia, maybe we can start something here that will contribute to our players enjoying their time in Buffalo more and give them another reason to want to stay here.

 

 

I just give them a head nod.

[Buffalo716]

14 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

I totally agree, if you live in WNY you are almost certainly into the Bills. Having said that, I can’t imagine a scenario where I would approach a Bills player or any celebrity. A quick “Go Bills” to Josh in passing maybe, but I want them to have the freedom to live their lives.

 

An arranged public appearance is one thing. A guy trying to have dinner with his wife/GF or buddies is something else. Give them a break. 

 

While I’m at it, I just do NOT understand autographs, unless you are doing it from a monetary angle (and even that I’m not a fan of). WFT comes from having someone scribble on a piece of paper or a hat? Then I have to keep that? Why? 

I've never been a big autograph guy idk 

 

Being in buffalo my entire life I've obviously ran into a good amount of bills and sabres in public

 

Usually will just say good luck on the season and that we are pulling for them 

 

Ran into Tyrod on a Friday night  , when  he was a game time decision .. asked him how he felt and that I was a season ticket holder.. thanked me , shook his hand , and slyly asked you playing Sunday?? He smiled and said game time decision man 

 

And then he got mobbed

[NoSaint]

On 10/22/2021 at 10:51 AM, Inigo Montoya said:

 

You know the point I'm trying to make here.  Give them their space.  It's the decent thing to do.

They don’t need you white knighting for them.

 

He has a $258M contract. The dude has every resource in the world at his disposal. He doesn’t need inigo Montoya telling people how to act around him.

[Augie]

13 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

They don’t need you white knighting for them.

 

He has a $258M contract. The dude has every resource in the world at his disposal. He doesn’t need inigo Montoya telling people how to act around him.

 

While I generally respect your takes, I’m not with you on this one. It almost sounds as though you are resentful of the contract. Money isn’t everything. “Every resource in the world” doesn’t necessarily allow you a nice, quiet dinner out at your favorite place with your GF. That’s not too much to ask for, IMO. 

 

It’s not the end of the world if some guy wants a pic or an autograph. Not my style, but whatever. The digits in the contracts, in MY mind, does not make them public property 24/7/365. 

 

Josh seems like a terrific young man. If I were to run into him somewhere, a nod, a smile or a thumbs up and maybe a little “Go Bills” would be sufficient. But that’s just me. I don’t own or deserve any more than that. 

 

I don’t resent people who have been successful, monetarily or otherwise. Good for them, but they don’t owe me anything. 

[CodeMonkey]

On 10/22/2021 at 11:31 AM, Inigo Montoya said:

I've seen two interviews now where Josh has stated that the thing he laments the most is the loss of his privacy when he goes out around town.  I know we are a celebrity driven culture, and compounding the issue for Josh is that he seems so down to earth that I think people feel comfortable just walking up to him to say hello and asking for a picture.

 

It would be nice if we as a fan base could make and effort to give Josh and other Bills players some space and privacy if you do happen to see some of them out in town eating dinner or shopping or at a movie.  I think in the Kelly era, Bills players were able to move around and do things and still have their privacy and that is something that they always appreciated and cited as one of the reasons playing in Buffalo was so enjoyable for them.  It would be nice if we could get back to that place again.

 

If you do see someone like Josh or Knox or Diggs out, try to give them some space.  Let's try to repay their dedication to our city with some personal space.  When you talk to other Bills fans bring this up and maybe we can make a small difference for the guys who play hard for us every week.  This board reaches all across Bill's Mafia, maybe we can start something here that will contribute to our players enjoying their time in Buffalo more and give them another reason to want to stay here.

 

 

Boo hoo multimillionaires who get paid for playing a game are asked for a picture or an autograph.  I wouldn't bother him because WTF would I do with a picture or an autograph.  But I understand people with young kids who might want that.  If it gets to be "too much" he can afford a few other houses around the world, and/or take his ridiculously hot GF to a couple grand a day private island and chill.  Loss of privacy, give me a break.  It comes with the job. There is absolutely zero value to what he does for a living outside of entertainment of the public. 

Edited October 24, 2021 by CodeMonkey

[Mikie2times]

Many athletes including Josh endorse products using their brand (themselves). It's not like it's hard to understand why somebody would be bummed over having no privacy, but I feel like it's an occupational hazard, especially once you decide to become a brand like many stars in sports decide to do. If it impacts them enough they can quit and the attention will stop. 

 

Naomi Osaka withdrew from Wimbledon because they forced her to do a press conference. She hates press conferences, she is introverted and has said before press conferences make her uncomfortable. She threatened that if they forced her to do press conferences she would withdraw. That's exactly what happened. Can I understand why a player just wants to play tennis? Sure, and while I respect her trying to draw more awareness toward mental health, her fame is what has given her a platform to speak about these things along with her political beliefs which is something she loves to do. Again, if it's too much to deal with, she can quit and the attention will stop.

 

The bottom-line, in todays day and age this is an occupational hazard for a star athlete. I also imagine most like it at first. They just stop liking it when it becomes constant and the bigger you get the bigger your brand, the more constant it will be. I don't think people will leave Josh alone or be respectful of his privacy. Maybe I just don't have a lot of faith in humanity. That said, I think Josh is a mature 20 year old that will learn how to manage it.    

 

 

  

Edited October 24, 2021 by KzooMike