LETS GO BUFFALO

In December 2024 I drove 8 hours across 3 states to watch a football game. I know that seems dedicated, I know that seems crazy. I did it for my baby brother. To understand me, you must understand that I will do ANYTHING for that kid. He’s in high school and he’s taller than me and he bullies me relentlessly but when I get the chance to take him with me somewhere I jump at it. So I bought tickets to go see the Buffalo Bills play the San Francisco 49ers in Buffalo. This kid is a San Fran fan, and someday I hope to be able to visit San Francisco with him. I bought tickets, booked a hotel, drove from our small town in New Hampshire and took the two of us to Buffalo for 36 hours.

Driving through Vermont sucks. Driving through upstate New York is BORING. Driving the bridges of Buffalo is my nightmare. Sitting in stadium traffic for an hour stressed me out beyond words. I wanted us to have at least an hour buffer AT the stadium. We made it into the parking lot, parked, ran to the stadium, through security, scanned our tickets and found our seats with 30 seconds until kickoff. We stood at the entrance to section 101 for the National Anthem. It was so stressful and I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was snowing the whole time.

I got my license when I was 23. The thought of driving scared me so much I refused to do it. Then I got promoted at Chipotle and realized my hours would be so different and I needed to be able to transport myself. I still hated doing it, especially in the snow.

So there I was, driving like 400 miles and then more in a lake effect snowstorm in stadium traffic. I cut one guy off and he sped past me threatening me. So I’m a driving master now.

The 49ers lost, we went to watch them and understood they wouldn’t come out on top. The Niners have been decimated by injuries this season and Buffalo is on top of the goddam world. I went into this game a Patriots fan with a side interest in the Bills. I left that game a Bills fan. I remain a Pats fan, they are my home team, the team I was assigned at birth. I started watching football so I’d have something in common with a boy I liked (turns out he doesn’t like football but I really do) so I’m familiar with greatness. I went to college between Cowboys and Chiefs territory so I’m familiar with haters. Nothing will ever stop my love for the Patriots, those are my boys. I’ll be a Patriots fan in death, and I’ll haunt anyone who tries to claim me as a Kansas City or Dallas fan. All this to say I’m not a bandwagon fan, I do that as a side hustle (topic for another post). I know greatness when I see it. I understood Josh Allen was good, I just didn’t understand how good.

This man had a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown and a RECEIVING TOUCHDOWN. In one game. Josh Allen is a quarterback with a touchdown hat trick. He did all that in the snow.

That was when I understood that this guys not just another good quarterback, he’s one of the greats. Josh Allen is to Buffalo what Tom Brady is to New England, just without the rings (damn Mahomes).

My brother and I made some great memories on this trip; we got heckled by Bills fans, we visited Niagara Falls and an aquarium, we ate Buffalo wings in Buffalo, I had Tim Hortons, we saw Canada (it’s REALLY close guys). I hope it was a great birthday gift for him and I don’t know how I’ll ever outdo it.

Actually I do, I’m taking him to Disneyland for his 16th birthday.

All that’s left to say is GO BILLS!