DOS AND DON’TS FOR DRESSING FOR A BUFFALO BILLS GAME:

1. DO go as a Buffalo Bills fan. You will make friends instantly!

Warning… colors or clothes representing the road team will cause you to be shunned or worse…. you may get beer spilled all over you! Fans dress up at these tailgates. Think Buffalo Bills-themed Halloween in the daylight. Therefore, pack your outfit accordingly. Be sure to read out guide on the art of travel planning to help you get started.

2. DO keep it cas … you are there for fun and football. Bills attire, red and blue pants, red, white and blue lays, a jersey or sweatshirt, a football in hand, a drink or snack in the other, and you are good to go!

In the Hammer Lot, you will see fans standing on the top of cars and trucks, taking pictures, and singing the Buffalo Bills Fight Song.

3. If you hate cold temps, DON’T complain. Bills fans are tough and ready for a game, regardless of the weather or the Bills’ record.

DO give high-fives to everyone and sing the Bills’ Fight Song with friends and strangers!

4. DO plan to overdress by one additional layer than you think you need. Then if you get overheated, then you can remove it (DON’T undress like you are playing strip poker!).

You won’t enjoy if you are shivering the entire game. DO wear gloves, hand warmers, toe warmers, long underwear, hat covering the ears, sunglasses, sweatshirt and jacket a must after mid-October.

You can even pack a small towel in your pocket to sit on the cold bleacher seats. Your bottom and legs will thank you for it.

DOS AND DONT’S WHILE BUFFALO BILLS TAILGATING

5. DO try Labatt Blue Canadian Pilsner Beer at the tailgate … it’s tasty!

6. DON’T be surprised to see a mass of broken tables. A broken Buffalo bills tailgating table is a common, rather humorous sight. Bills fans are prideful and exuberant, so much so that you will witness them jumping off the top of their cars, RVs or human mountains onto plastic folding tables.

Why do they do it? I don’t know! There are viral Buffalo Bills tailgating videos on social media of these incidents.

7. DO honor the Buffalo Bills’ founder and former owner, Ralph Wilson Jr., and the team’s best quarterback of all-time, Jim Kelly, who is fighting an ongoing battle with oral cancer.

DON’T say anything positive about current wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, you will be yelled at by a Bills’ fan. Once considered a prized acquisition, Benjamin has not demonstrated ample, effective effort since being traded from the Carolina Panthers. Many fans dislike him, in fact, he could be the most ostracized Bill since Donte Whitner or coach Doug Marrone.

A new friend I made while in Buffalo, Matt, lent me his Jim Kelly jersey for the day. Thank you, Matt! Kelly is the best quarterback in Bills’ history. Having led the team to the playoffs in eight of his 11 seasons, I was proud to honor him.

8. Bills tailgaters are there to have fun and to bond with friends and strangers alike. DON’T bother this humble group by bragging about your accomplishments, wealth or degrees.

9. Do make new friends. Buffalo bills best tailgating experiences always include making great friends. DON’T be surprised to wind up with five new contacts in your phone. The fans are super friendly! Also, when people drink a lot, they may not remember giving you their number, so DON’T be offended if they forget you.

10. You will see MANY portable grills. Burgers, hot dogs and sausages, COMING RIGHT UP! I found Western New Yorkers love to share, like me! DO be sure to ask before taking a chip, burger, drink. DO offer something in return … help to cook, clean up or compensate them.

BUFFALO BILLS TAILGATE LEGENDS NOT TO MISS

11. DO Check Out “Pinto Ron”. Kenny “Pinto Ron” Johnson goes to every Buffalo Bills home and away game. You can find him in the Hammer Lot outside New Era Field tailgating and pouring ketchup and mustard all over himself. He smelled…um…like ketchup and mustard.

He has a crew that helps create creative culinary masterpieces, such as omelettes, burgers, bacon skillets, and more served in garden shovels, hand saws, a helmet and more. “Pinto Ron” cooks food on the hood of his 1983 Ford Pinto, and the signature drink is the Bowling Ball Shot, polish liquor to drink out of the thumbhole of a bowling ball. Do not miss out on the top Buffalo Bills tailgating food options.

Maybe not the most hygienic thing to do?

12. DON’T forget Pancho Billa. The Bills dedicated their blowout victory over the Jets on Sunday, November 11 to Pancho Billa.

He represents the best of the Bills fans’ traits – patience, faithfulness, loyalty and unconditional support. Pancho Power! After watching his speech and learning more about his condition, I, especially, wish him good health and happiness.

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

13. When in Buffalo, DO refer to their culinary staple as “chicken wings” or just “wings.” DON’T call them “buffalo wings,” I learned. I also kept saying “Beef Of Weck.” It’s BEEF ON WECK! My bad.

 

14. DO educate yourself before bills fans tailgating about the best comeback in team history. The Bills overcame a 32-point deficit to stun the Houston Oilers in the 1993 AFC Wild Card game. DO show your pride! DO join in on the supportive Buffalo Bills tailgating party!

REVAMP YOUR GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE WITH AN RV

Of course, you can always consider revamping your experience more enjoyable, exciting, and memorable with an RV. RV’s allow you to enjoy the pre-game experience comfortable with up to ten or fifteen people. Within your vehicle, you will also have access to a full-sized kitchen and bathroom. Of course, you can even access television and stereo equipment to make the most of the pre-game entertainment. If you are considering these experiences, be sure to check out our RV travel guide, which breaks down everything you need to know about RVing.

WORDS OF ADVICE

15. DON’T start a fight or argue with an inebriated fan.

16. DON’T bring young kids to a tailgate. The rowdy atmosphere may be too much for your child.

17. DON’T feel you must participate in the madness! If you are not accustomed to this reckless behavior, there is nothing wrong with just being a spectator.

18. DON’T forget there are post-game tailgates that commence by the time you walk out of the stadium, regardless of the outcome and score.

BUFFALO BILLS TAILGATING RULES

19. According to the new Buffalo Bills tailgating policy, fans driving large vehicles DO need to purchase tailgating packages.

20. Fans traveling in large vehicles DO need to tailgate in the Buffalo Bills tailgating village.

THE VERDICT

The huge number of Buffalo Bills fans who remained standing throughout the game despite their team’s performance impressed me. (They were down by four touchdowns or more for most of the game!) New Era Field was a blast and so was the crowd’s energy. The vibes the Bills fans tailgating gave off were contagious. If you are a fan of these exciting, fast-paced activities whenever you travel, be sure to read our Montana outdoor travel guide as well.

I got to witness a Nathan Peterman QB sneak for a touchdown happen across the field, or as us Bills fans called it, “the Peterman Sneak.”

Bills fans are passionate and know how to laugh and have fun despite how their team is playing. No one enjoys losing six out of eight home games, but they take it in stride. Tailgating at Buffalo Bills games always involves happy fans.

When Nathan Peterman scrambles up the field in an end of half, Hail Mary situation down four scores and gets tackled inside the 25 yard line, how do they not chuckle at the decision not to pass with plenty of room in the pocket and the Bears packing the end-zone with defenders?

When playing poorly, the boos (also, booze) will overshadow the chuckles.

This was a can’t miss sports tailgate experience. Even though the team is not exciting in 2018, this NFL game-day experience is a blast. All sports enthusiasts should experience a Bills game at least once. I loved being a part of Bills Mafia! Say it with me; “Let’s Go Buffalo!”

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” – Anita Desai