Spotting a Bills fan during travel

[Fan in Chicago]

Something different from the overload of draft and WR threads...

 

 

Occasionally when I travel, I spot someone wearing Bills hat or T-shirt and of course I say "Go Bills" when I pass that person. The same happens when I have my Bills gear on. Most recently, it happened in San Juan, Puerto Rico in December and Tampa about 10 days back.

I am also tempted to ask that person if he/she is a member of TBD, but for some reason never have. Mostly it is because of my apprehension about that person's demeanour and how willing that person is to a Bills conversation with a random guy.

 

So my question is - have any of you also felt this way? WOuld you ask about TBD or just leave it at "Go Bills"?

 

(Mods - if this thread is not appropriate for the main forum, feel free to move it)

 

[sunshynman]

Always happens to me in airports. Sometimes just out and about walking around. I will talk Bills if the person is receptive. I'm 50/50 if I reply back "Go Bills" or just chuckle. Sometimes it catches me off guard. 

[Lagoon Blues]

Happens to me all the time....I always just stick w/ Go Bills.  Normally get the same in return.  Every once in a while it tends to throw them off and they don't know what to reply with.  But I travel to and from Florida a lot so half of the people in and out of that state are from NY it feels like.

[Gregg]

Living in NJ if someone sees me wearing Bills stuff, I usually get a "Go Jets" thrown my way. Sometimes I will hear "Go Bills". Living in the area of a divisional rival its mostly "Go Jets".

[Your Brown Eye]

I'll get "Go Bills" stuff when I'm up here. My last two vacations to Charleston SC and Ocean City MD, I wore my Bills stuff almost daily and got crickets.

[Captain Hindsight]

Usually when people see me in a Bills hat, they buy me a drink, usually something expensive 

[Don Otreply]

Just yesterday, here in Beaufort SC, the wife and drove up behind a car at an intersection with a Charging Buffalo on the back, pulled up next to it and rolled down my window and said Go Bills, she was from Orchard park, we chatted, lamented the 13 second game, laughed, and parted ways, saw two other vehicles with Bills stickers on them as well, all within an hour. 

[Not at the table Karlos]

Get it all the time. Will always give a “Go Bills” back. 
 

Was in Vegas a couple weeks ago. I wore Bills stuff every day and a lot of people were coming up to me. My girlfriend who was born in Buffalo but moved to Texas at a young age, just got finished telling me how much she loves Texas and how she’s a Texan now did not like the attention I was getting. Started to jump in and tell everyone how we’re from Buffalo before they could talk to me 🤦🏻‍♂️

[teef]

i usually throw out a "go bills" if i'm away and i see someone sporting gear, and i've had people start conversations as well.  this last vacation i just couldn't do it.  we took the kids on a disney cruise, and there were a ton of bills fans on it, (i assume we all have the same school breaks).  i just wasn't in the mood this time to get into the small talk about it.   i don't  know if it's age, or maybe i just needed the peace, but for the first time in a long time, i kept my bills fandom to myself.

[amprov56]

During the Fall of the 1990 Gulf War, I was working along the Saudi Arabia Kuwait border, out in the middle of nowhere was a small store at the Port of Entry between the two countries that had cold drinks. Stopping in one day, I had a small Bills patch and I heard in somewhat accented English "Go Bills." The owner of the store, a Saudi businessman stopped in to check up on things and we both initially started laughing and talking football. He attended UB and loved the Bills, Buffalo, and Mighty Taco on Hertel avenue. One of the more interesting and bizarre Bills Fans encounters since I left Buffalo January 1980.

[BritBill]

I live in a city where tourism is huge and often see folk in Bills gear. Always give a "Go Bills!". I get mixed responses. 

 

I also see gear of plenty of other NFL teams but just mutter disgusting words under my breath at them. 

[BuffAlone]

11 minutes ago, amprov56 said:

During the Fall of the 1990 Gulf War, I was working along the Saudi Arabia Kuwait border, out in the middle of nowhere was a small store at the Port of Entry between the two countries that had cold drinks. Stopping in one day, I had a small Bills patch and I heard in somewhat accented English "Go Bills." The owner of the store, a Saudi businessman stopped in to check up on things and we both initially started laughing and talking football. He attended UB and loved the Bills, Buffalo, and Mighty Taco on Hertel avenue. One of the more interesting and bizarre Bills Fans encounters since I left Buffalo January 1980.

That's amazing. Thanks for your service

[MiltonWaddams]

I get it a lot when traveling, but my two biggest surprise “ Go Bills” came in Queenstown New Zealand and in a grocery store in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. We Are Everywhere.

[Fan in Chicago]

21 minutes ago, amprov56 said:

During the Fall of the 1990 Gulf War, I was working along the Saudi Arabia Kuwait border, out in the middle of nowhere was a small store at the Port of Entry between the two countries that had cold drinks. Stopping in one day, I had a small Bills patch and I heard in somewhat accented English "Go Bills." The owner of the store, a Saudi businessman stopped in to check up on things and we both initially started laughing and talking football. He attended UB and loved the Bills, Buffalo, and Mighty Taco on Hertel avenue. One of the more interesting and bizarre Bills Fans encounters since I left Buffalo January 1980.

By far the coolest story in this thread so far. 

19 minutes ago, BritBill said:

 

I also see gear of plenty of other NFL teams but just mutter disgusting words under my breath at them. 

I am mostly surprised in Wisconsin when people wearing Packers gear say "Go Bills" to me. Maybe its the kinship of fans from small town franchises. 

Edited April 22 by Fan in Chicago

[DCofNC]

Always start with a Go Bills and see where it goes.  If a conversation starts with a woman, you know there’s a solid chance with her, she’s already used to being optimistic and then disappointed 13 seconds later.

[jimmynunn]

I have a Bills golf bag, so I get it a lot on the golf course. If it is a Bills fan, I laugh and come back with , "This is Our Year". Always happy to have a chat if the circumstances allow.

It's especially fun when I am on a golf vacation somewhere way out of town.  Even when it's not a Bills fan, the comment often  is, "I'm rooting for you guys to win one", and I always respond, "Still some room on the bandwagon, jump on while you can!"

[Just Jack]

17 minutes ago, DCofNC said:

Always start with a Go Bills and see where it goes.  If a conversation starts with a woman, you know there’s a solid chance with her, she’s already used to being optimistic and then disappointed 13 seconds later.

 

Even more disappointed when you go wide right instead straight up the middle.  

[Wacka]

Used to live in the SF Bay area for almost 20 years. Moved back to WNY 10 years ago. In 2022 went back to visit  and wore my Bills Mafia shirt to a get-together for my hobby there. Had lot of question about what it meant. I explaned that being a Bills fan is like being in the Mafia. Once you join, you are in it for life and can't quit.😀

Edited April 22 by Wacka

[strive_for_five_guy]

I usually ask, “are you @HOUSE?”, but always letdown when the answer is no.

[CA OC Bills Fan]

I travel for work quite a bit so am in airports several times per month. I rarely will be wearing Bills gear, so of course I don't get comments. But, whenever I see someone wearing any Bills gear, I always say "Go Bills". Sometimes it leads to a conversation. I never bring up TBD or TSW. Most of the time I work into the conversation that I live in CA and am a season ticket holder. Living in CA, I every once in a while see people with Bills gear, same thing, always give them a "Go Bills" and typically that leads to a conversation. I'm more likely to be wearing some Bills gear when I'm home, I always wear a Bills cap when I walk my dogs.