Bills Mafia — #BillsMafia

Welcome to Day 9 of our Celebrity Blog Series!

As you all know, Bills fans are everywhere. In all areas of the world and in all segments of society.

A few months ago, we came up with the idea of asking some of the more well known fans in the media and Twittersphere if they’d be interested in contributing a guest column for BillsMafia.com to help kick off the 2012 season. The topic could be whatever they chose to write on. The team’s outlook, the team’s history, their thoughts on the Bills Mafia movement… anything really. One contributor will even be sharing his Fantasy Football tips.

Wait, “one contributor?” What’s that supposed to mean? Well, we’re going to have some fun with it and wait until the article is actually posted to reveal who that day’s writer is.

Today, Nick Mendola shares his thoughts on the state of the team and what it means to be a fan.

Nick is a columnist, reporter, writer and broadcaster who graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2005. He spent five years at WGR Sports Radio 550 on The Howard Simon Show and a year hosting his own show at WECK 1230 AM in Buffalo. Mendola co-owns FC Buffalo in the National Premier Soccer League and does radio broadcasts for UB Football and other teams. He also writes for Bills Digest.

Photo by Artvoice

For the longest time, it’s been the Buffalo Bills who’ve seemingly been making their fans offers they cannot refuse. After all, the dark cloud hanging over Buffalo fans, win or lose, has been threatening to rain hard enough to transport One Bills Drive to Toronto or Los Angeles in the manner formerly reserved for Noah’s Ark.

It’s hardly a coincidence that the genesis of the Bills Mafia movement came about right around the time the team began to resemble its fan base. Yes, the Bills had spent years with players peeled off the NFL scrap heap; No-names and afterthoughts had draped themselves in red, white and blue well before the 2011 team kicked itself into high gear. This time, however, we had a team to answer the question of “What about me and my blue collar?”

See, Buffalo has always had a misconception about it, particularly when it comes to the folks who live and work in the area. The exodus of teaching college graduates and other emigrants left many outsiders assuming we have an inferiority complex, rather than the truth: the majority of folks in town have made a conscious choice to carve out their living in Western New York. It’s just taken more than a decade for the football team to pick up on that notion.

This isn’t to say the “made” men comprising the annual 53-man roster in Orchard Park will lay down a 16-0 season before playing the playoffs blind-folded to make it fair on the opposition. That’s just silly. But from Stevie Johnson to Fred Jackson to Ryan Fitzpatrick, we’ve watched a group of guys choose Buffalo. You get the feeling that climbing the ladder to the Wall of Fame means more to them than joining somebody else’s band of brothers.

The majority of folks in WNY have made a conscious choice to carve out their living here. This is also true for players such as Stevie, Fred, and Fitz.

And in a sense, they were all “born” here. Was a Coe College product getting a look anywhere besides the organization that employed its No. 1 alumnus (apologies to former Celtics head coach Bill Fitch)? Was the Kentucky wide-out’s career such a sure thing that there were 29 other receivers selected ahead of him in the 2008 draft? Heck, Stevie Johnson wasn’t even the first wide receiver named Johnson selected in that year’s edition.

As we learned from Bill Polian, Fitz came to town because his second-best offer was backing up Peyton Manning in Indianapolis. Nick Barnett wasn’t welcome back in Green Bay. Scott Chandler played for three teams in four years, but it took his fourth try — here in Buffalo — before he’d record an NFL reception.

Chan Gailey was out of football for over a year before the Bills inked him as their new head coach.

In a romantic world — one where there are no Fredo Corleones, Carlo Rizzis or Moe Greenes — this group of upstarts gets a whole lot of wins, justifying the choices of those who stayed and those who were convinced to turn this scrapper’s soiree into a Super Mario Party. In the perverted and cursed world in which some would tell you we Bills fan reside, this group of hopeful heroes is turned back into pumpkins and mice at the stroke of Week One.

What makes it all palatable is that while other claim to be a part of ballyhooed “nations,” we live inside of a mafia. It’s an unsavory group of ragtag tailgaters whose membership isn’t guarded like that of the cosa nostra. Rather, the secrets of this mafia are the satisfaction we get from rooting for this team, for living through this history, waiting for our slice of NFL glory.

No one’s going to lie and tell you they’d trade the heralded history of the Steelers or Giants for the checkered past of the Bills, but this mafia’s here hoping this is our family’s time to run things. But even if this year’s hopes are just the sad, sad form of Lefty Ruggiero and the 2012 team is about to betray us like Donnie Brasco, life as a Bills fan feels pretty alright today.

Welcome to Day 8 of our Celebrity Blog Series!

As you all know, Bills fans are everywhere. In all areas of the world and in all segments of society.

A few months ago, we came up with the idea of asking some of the more well known fans in the media and Twittersphere if they’d be interested in contributing a guest column for BillsMafia.com to help kick off the 2012 season. The topic could be whatever they chose to write on. The team’s outlook, the team’s history, their thoughts on the Bills Mafia movement… anything really. One contributor will even be sharing his Fantasy Football tips.

Wait, “one contributor?” What’s that supposed to mean? Well, we’re going to have some fun with it and wait until the article is actually posted to reveal who that day’s writer is.

Today, Jeff Glor of CBS News shares what being a Bills fan means to him.

A native of the Buffalo suburb of Tonawanda, Jeff is anchor of the Sunday edition of the “CBS Evening News” and Special Correspondent for “CBS This Morning.”

My parents used to make me go to the basement.

“The team has been part of my life since I can remember.” — Jeff Glor

I guess I didn’t really fight it. When the games got too tense, I wasn’t much fun to be around. Screaming, pacing back and forth, blurting out words respectable folks shouldn’t hear. Ask my wife. It still happens.

Games could be physically exhausting. Stomach-churning, head-pounding, sweat-inducing. It was a workout, and I wasn’t even on the field. I just had everything wrapped up in what happened on that field.

I don’t know where it started. I suppose my paternal grandmother could take credit. Closing in on 90 years of age, she is still the biggest sports fan I know. She watches every quarter of every Bills game and every period of every Sabres game. She took me to a small sports shop when I was five and got me geared up. T-shirts, hats, sweaters. I was hooked. She passed down her passions. I’ll pass them down to my little guy.

The first Super Bowl loss was the worst. That one was ours. We were better; we should have closed. The other ones were easier, though by no means easy.

I think I poured so much into those teams of the late 80s and early 90s that maybe it was better when I couldn’t follow quite as closely in some of the years that followed. When I lived in Syracuse, not every Bills game was on TV. When I lived in Boston, even less. Plus, I was working weekends. For a stretch, sadly, the Bills didn’t dominate every single Sunday.

“I’m encouraged by Fitz’s smarts, Stevie’s shiftiness, and Fred’s determination.” (Photos by Getty Images)

In recent times, through the magic of the Internet and satellite TV, the football world has been a much better place. I like what the current regime is doing. I trust Buddy Nix. I was overjoyed by Mario Williams’ choice. I’m encouraged by Fitz’s smarts, Stevie’s shiftiness, and Fred’s determination. I don’t know if this is our year, but I like to think, knock on wood, that we’re not light years away. Again: Knock. On. Wood.

I still wonder why it matters so much. I have zero control, after all. Why should I get so wrapped up? Why should I get in so deep? It’s a futile argument. I’m a fanatic. The team has been part of my life since I can remember. Always has been. Always will be.

I’m a native Western New Yorker. I’m a Bills fan. Nothing could make me prouder.

Follow Jeff Glor: @jeffglor

Jeff Glor
CBS News
Link to CBS News Bio

Welcome to Day 7 of our Celebrity Blog Series!

As you all know, Bills fans are everywhere. In all areas of the world and in all segments of society.

A few months ago, we came up with the idea of asking some of the more well known fans in the media and Twittersphere if they’d be interested in contributing a guest column for BillsMafia.com to help kick off the 2012 season. The topic could be whatever they chose to write on. The team’s outlook, the team’s history, their thoughts on the Bills Mafia movement… anything really. One contributor will even be sharing his Fantasy Football tips.

Wait, “one contributor?” What’s that supposed to mean? Well, we’re going to have some fun with it and wait until the article is actually posted to reveal who that day’s writer is.

Today, Kevin Connors, SportsCenter host for ESPN and avid Bills fan, shares his thoughts on the 2012 Bills.

Kevin Connors, ESPN SportsCenter host

Do you believe in Miracles?

Forgive me if I don’t.

Try as I may to put the sting of the Music City Miracle behind me, it lingers like the stench of those Super Bowls – ones that need not be identified by their Roman Numerals. Every Buffalo Bills fan knows which Super Bowls those Super Bowls are.

Wide right. Thurman’s lost helmet. 52-17. The one that got away.

And yet the 2000 AFC Wild Card Playoff game remains another haunting reminder of the Bills snake-bitten past. To this day I’m not convinced Frank Wychek’s pass wasn’t a forward lateral – and I’ve broken that play down like it was the Zapruder Film. Regardless, the game remains the last moment of real relevance for a franchise – our franchise – which enters the 2012 season as the owners of the NFL’s longest current playoff drought. 12 years without a postseason game. 12 years without a double-digit win season. 12 long years.

“To this day I’m not convinced Frank Wychek’s pass wasn’t a forward lateral.” (AP Photo/Buffalo News, James P. McCoy)

But where there is despair there is hope – a dangerous word in Buffalo since the turn of the century. Still, hope is a good thing – maybe the best of things – and entering Bills Training Camp 2012 it abounds.

The signing of Mario Williams in March was the spark that lit the powder keg, the clearest indication in years that the franchise’s frugal ways of the past have given way to the desire to win, and win now. Landing the market’s marquee free agent spoke volumes about the team’s plans to identify itself on the defensive side of the ball.

Fellow free agent Mark Anderson followed (leaving the Patriots of all teams) bringing his 10 sacks from a season ago with him to Buffalo. Williams and Anderson will pair with D-Line anchor Kyle Williams and emerging 2nd-year stud Marcell Dareus to give the Bills, arguably, the most formidable front four in football.

What if Nick Barnett can play with the same chip he had on his shoulder in 2011, after being all but given up on by the Packers? What if Aaron Williams can live up to expectations that warranted his 2nd round pick in 2011? What if Stephon Gilmore is the physical tackling, ball-hawk blend Buddy Nix said he was surprised to see on the board when the Bills drafted him 10th overall this past April?

What if Ryan Fitzpatrick is the quarterback we saw through the first seven weeks of the 2011 season – the one that threw 14 TD’s & seven INT’s, and not the one we saw over the final nine weeks of the 2011 season? Fitzpatrick threw just 10 TD’s and had a terrible 16 INT’s over that stretch. What if Stevie Johnson finally puts it all together and receives more praise for catching the football, than he does flack for what he does after he catches the football? What if Fred Jackson can finish in the top-three in rushing yards (he was third in the NFL through 10 games of the 2011 season before suffering a broken leg in Week 11) and what if CJ Spiller can realize his explosive potential? What if?

As my own network – and countless others – bathe in coverage of Tim Tebow, Jerry Jones and Peyton Manning, as well as the other usual suspects, I’m part puzzled, part pleased that the Bills remain on the periphery. Relevance and recognition should be earned and Super Bowl titles are not won between March and August. Still, the dream of ‘what if’ seems that much more vivid this summer. Hope seems less dangerous of a word.

Is this season the start of something special in Buffalo? Do you believe in miracles?

Welcome to Day 6 of our Celebrity Blog Series!

As you all know, Bills fans are everywhere. In all areas of the world and in all segments of society.

A few months ago, we came up with the idea of asking some of the more well known fans in the media and Twittersphere if they’d be interested in contributing a guest column for BillsMafia.com to help kick off the 2012 season. The topic could be whatever they chose to write on. The team’s outlook, the team’s history, their thoughts on the Bills Mafia movement… anything really. One contributor will even be sharing his Fantasy Football tips.

Wait, “one contributor?” What’s that supposed to mean? Well, we’re going to have some fun with it and wait until the article is actually posted to reveal who that day’s writer is.

Today, Josh Potter, shares his story of where he was last year when the Bills beat the Patriots for the first time since 2003.

Josh is a Comedian and Radio Personality from Buffalo, NY. He has performed with the likes of Nick DiPaolo, Jim Florentine and Ari Shaffir at a variety of clubs and colleges. You can hear Josh on the “SHREDD & RAGAN” Show every morning from 6am-10am on 103.3 The Edge and playing tunes through the night from 7pm till Midnight. Follow Josh on Twitter to keep up with performances and general ridiculousness: @J_Potter.

“[Septemer 25th] had the potential to be one of the most amazing days in Buffalo history, and where was I? Cleveland, Ohio.” – Josh Potter

It was September 25th, 2011. A gorgeous, sunny day in Buffalo, NY where my Buffalo Bills were hosting the most evil sports franchise in the history of competitive anything, The New England Patriots. It was also the day, in which The Foo Fighters were coming to Buffalo for the first time, playing the First Niagara Center. This had the potential to be one of the most amazing days in Buffalo history, and where was I? Cleveland, Ohio.

In the August of 2011, I made the hardest decision of my life. I took a job offer to launch and produce a sports morning show in Cleveland, Ohio. I knew moving would be in my future at some point if I wanted to progress in my chosen career field and being home sick was never a thought beyond missing my friends and family. I never thought I’d miss my CITY.

However, as I sat in my empty, empty apartment on September 25th, I yearned for Buffalo, NY. Despite the fact that the only furniture in my entire apartment was an air mattress, a 26” television and my laptop, I bought some beer and managed to illegally stream the game to get a slice of home. As I watched on my TV with the help of HDMI cables and an exhaustive internet search, all I could think about was how badly I wish I could be at The Ralph with 70,000 of my closest friends. It was a lonely feeling, knowing I was 3 hours down the 90, miles away from anyone who cared about this game as much as I did. As I watched and knew we had a chance at ending the streak The Patriots had over us since 2003, I felt extremely happy but at the same time, EXTREMELY sad. Selfishly I thought, “Of course this happens after I leave…”

“When Ochocinco dropped that pass, I knew we were going to win.” (Photo by Barry Chin/Boston Globe)

When Ochocinco dropped that pass, and I knew we were going to win, I cheered so loudly in my apartment that a neighbor came down to knock on my door and see what was going on. She had never heard a single sound come out of my unit, probably because I only slept and watched Rescue Me episodes everyday… (I had no friends.) I explained to her that the Bills had just beat The Patriots, THE PATRIOTS! She responded by asking, “How are the Browns doing?” I explained that I had no idea, went back into my bedroom and cried. I didn’t know why I was crying… Part of it was out of pure joy that we had gotten that awful, 9-year monkey off of our back. The other part was knowing that I had no one to celebrate with, that I would never experience the sound, the smell, the feeling that those 70,000 people inside the stadium were experiencing. I felt like a bad fan. “I should BE there,” I kept saying to myself. Alas, I was not… I was now a Cleveland-er, -ite, -ion… Whatever they call themselves.

I had friends and family calling me to revel in what just happened, but I couldn’t pick up. I felt like my feelings would only bring them down. That’s not fair to them. On Twitter, everyone was so happy (as they should’ve been) and the momentum carried over to the arena that evening where The Foo Fighters were unbelievable by all accounts. It was a harsh reality that life in Buffalo goes on without me. I wondered if I would ever “belong” in Cleveland, or if I would just be an outsider forever. I started missing my friends, my mom, Allentown, Ted’s Hot Dogs, Jim’s Steak-out, Mighty Taco, The Erie County Fair… Hell, even chicken wings. I missed it all right then and there on September 25th, 2011. Cliché Buffalo things I never even thought about, all because The Bills had turned a corner without me. I felt like I had made an awful decision. That is how much impact The Bills have on me, I felt like I made an awful CAREER choice (which I had not) because I missed The Bills that much. The nostalgia was augmented that much more on September 25th, 2011.

“I’m back in the city I love, with the team I love and the greatest sports fans on planet earth.”

I have never, EVER, felt that home sick in my entire life and I doubt I ever will be again. Come November, when I was presented an OUTSTANDING offer to come back to Buffalo, you better believe that September 25th was fresh in my mind. I considered myself lucky to have an opportunity to come back, work in my hometown on a higher level, and I snatched it. As we approach another season that has even MORE hope due to off-season acquisitions like Mario Williams and Mark Anderson, I can’t help but remember sitting in my empty apartment in Cleveland this time last year. I thank my lucky stars I have had an opportunity to come back and be a part of something special with The Shredd and Ragan show launching in morning drive back in January. So the ending is happy so far. I’m back in the city I love, with the team I love and the greatest sports fans on planet earth. I love you Bills Mafia. Regardless of what happens this year, I couldn’t be happier. Go Bills.

Welcome to Day 5 of our Celebrity Blog Series!

As you all know, Bills fans are everywhere. In all areas of the world and in all segments of society.

A few months ago, we came up with the idea of asking some of the more well known fans in the media and Twittersphere if they’d be interested in contributing a guest column for BillsMafia.com to help kick off the 2012 season. The topic could be whatever they chose to write on. The team’s outlook, the team’s history, their thoughts on the Bills Mafia movement… anything really. One contributor will even be sharing his Fantasy Football tips.

Wait, “one contributor?” What’s that supposed to mean? Well, we’re going to have some fun with it and wait until the article is actually posted to reveal who that day’s writer is.

Today’s guest writer is Colleen Stack Lynch. Colleen is currently the associate director, technology communications at ESPN, Inc. where she oversees internal communications for the more than 1,000 technology employees at the Worldwide Leader in Sports. She began her pro sports career as an intern in the Buffalo Bills public relations department and was subsequently hired as the team’s receptionist before being promoted to marketing associate. During her time with the Bills she worked on PR, marketing and sales, and held various gameday jobs including her favorite, in-game music director…if you heard Shout! played, you can thank her.

Colleen Stack Lynch, Assoc. Director for ESPN’s technology division.

What’s it like to have a seat in the front row during the Glory Days of the Buffalo Bills? It means you were able to see:

• Jim Kelly throwing you Gale Gilbert’s baseball hat over the third floor railing to your desk area in the lobby

• Visiting the Berlin Wall in Germany with Sports Illustrated as they wrote a feature story on Frank Reich and Jim Kelly

• Fielding a media request from the Today Show at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 3, 1993 and not being able to get through the constant busy signal on the Reich family phone so you hop in your car to deliver the request in person during the family post game party

• Becoming pen pals with “The Snickers Kid” who each week would make a sign for the team locker room made entirely from mini-sized snickers candy bars which coincided with the teams national Snickers ad campaign

At ESPN, Colleen rubs shoulders with some faces that are familiar to Bills fans.

These are just a few of the things I experienced working for the team in the early 1990s. It was definitely a golden era in Buffalo Bills history and sometimes I can hardly believe I was able to be a small part of it. People always ask what it was like to work there and I can honestly say at that time it was like a family. Sure, there were fights and disagreements but more often than not, there were fun times at training camp or on the road with the team for a sponsor trip. The players and staff interacted quite frequently both at One Bills Drive and at events such as the Jim Kelly Shootout or grabbing lunch together on an off day.

Not only were there amazing opportunities to travel with the team (my close friends and I still talk about how cool it was to have police escorts everywhere we traveled on the team bus) but we had access to some of the most talented and interesting group of football strategists assembled. Coach Levy always had just the right words for any situation and was a genuinely nice person. For one summer, I shared an office with Coach Walt Corey as mine was being built and I have never laughed so much in such a short time as when he would come in and joke around with me. There really wasn’t a separation between front office and players, coaches and business personnel.

While it has been awhile since we have experienced those days, I think I see the same core group being assembled in Orchard Park today. It seems that this team has the camaraderie that existed in the 1990s which is what helped push that team to the top. I can’t help but feel optimistic going into the 2012 campaign that if the team can stay healthy, maybe catch a break or two and play up to their potential, we just might be revisiting the next golden age in Buffalo football.

Kevin O’Neill, WGRZ-TV

Welcome to a bonus post on Day 4 of our Celebrity Blog Series!

As you all know, Bills fans are everywhere. In all areas of the world and in all segments of society.

A few months ago, we came up with the idea of asking some of the more well known fans in the media and Twittersphere if they’d be interested in contributing a guest column for BillsMafia.com to help kick off the 2012 season. The topic could be whatever they chose to write on. The team’s outlook, the team’s history, their thoughts on the Bills Mafia movement… anything really. One contributor will even be sharing his Fantasy Football tips.

Wait, “one contributor?” What’s that supposed to mean? Well, we’re going to have some fun with it and wait until the article is actually posted to reveal who that day’s writer is.

In this installment, Kevin O’Neill, reporter for WGRZ-TV, shares his top three websites for fantasy football information.

Three websites most fantasy players don’t know about but should:

1: Hey, the fantasy draft is one of my favorite days of the year, and www.FantasyFootballCalculator.com is a terrific site which allows fantasy football players to practice their drafting skills anytime. Hop on whenever you want, and join a draft starting a few minutes away. The coolest part is you can practice drafting at your position (1st, 5th, last). The site offers different variables for league rules, and number of teams in the draft.
Even if you don’t do a live draft, you can get up to the minute player rankings according to the thousands of drafts already simulated on the site. The rankings will be far more accurate than any magazine.

2: Add KFFL.com to your favorites. Common sites like ESPN.com and CBSsportsline.com do a good job updating their fantasy info. The problem is: everybody uses them. And they also, of course, focus on all sports. KFFL.com is for fantasy lovers only (not just football, too). They have up to minute depth chart and injury news, and present all the info from a fantasy-football perspective. I also enjoy the free cheat sheets you can personalize.

3: DraftSharks.com is a paysite I use every year to develop my draft day cheat sheets. Different leagues have particular sets of rules with yardage bonuses and points for TDs thrown, etc. DraftSharks.com allows you to add the exact rules of your league, which varies your cheat slightly accordingly. For instance, QBs will be higher on your draft board if TD passes in your league are worth 6, rather than 4. They take chances on their draft board, and have more “hits” than “misses”. They have a knack for identifying players to avoid, even though other sites may have that player ranked quite highly. They have good “sleeper” picks, too. Even if you don’t want to spend $20 to join, I recommend signing up for their emails. They send out impressive preseason notes from all of the NFL teams for free (while convincing you to join their site, of course)

Good luck fantasy players!
And Go Bills!!

Welcome to Day 4 of our Celebrity Blog Series!

As you all know, Bills fans are everywhere. In all areas of the world and in all segments of society.

A few months ago, we came up with the idea of asking some of the more well known fans in the media and Twittersphere if they’d be interested in contributing a guest column for BillsMafia.com to help kick off the 2012 season. The topic could be whatever they chose to write on. The team’s outlook, the team’s history, their thoughts on the Bills Mafia movement… anything really. One contributor will even be sharing his Fantasy Football tips.

Wait, “one contributor?” What’s that supposed to mean? Well, we’re going to have some fun with it and wait until the article is actually posted to reveal who that day’s writer is.

Today, Nick Bakay, Buffalo-born writer, actor, comedian and sportscaster shares his thoughts on the team’s recent past, and its immediate future.

“I find myself daring to hope again.”
Nick Bakay

I’m just like you — the Bills are a profound part of my life-experience, intertwined with my identity as a proud Buffalonian. It has been akin to every serious relationship I’ve ever had – glorious, humiliating, redeeming, heartbreaking, mysterious… and like you, I find myself daring to hope again.

As I have stated elsewhere, for better the part of this century I watched every snap the Bills played, yet felt very little. Post-Music City Miracle/Proof That God Hates Us, I approached each season with a veteran’s awareness that even the rosiest glasses couldn’t paint the team in an exciting light. Yes the Bills have been bad, but worse than that, they have been boring. Dull as dishwater, or worse, Dick Jauron’s Skeletor game face.

When I was a kid, I could get worked up over anything – a three win team showing the promise of a young QB named Dennis Shaw, or Marlin Briscoe leading the AFL in receiving during another meaningless campaign. Hope sprang eternal through and beyond the Super Bowl years, even O.J. on the 405 couldn’t slow my stride. I’m a guy who, honest to God, has “Go Bills” inscribed on my wedding ring.

Then something changed. You may or may not find this relatable, but the new millennium brought an unprecedented level of malaise. Oh, I watched every game, I still cared, but something in me got real quiet. Almost resigned. Sunday found me slumped into the couch, bereft of adrenaline or any sign of a metabolism, suffering the uninspired inconsistency of world class A-holes like Willis McGahee, Marshawn Lynch, and whichever artless humanoid happened to be handing them the ball…

Blech. It all felt like the universe was mocking the greatest fan base the shield will ever know. When I read a disturbing story bout a morbidly obese woman who spent so many years sitting on the same couch her flesh literally melded with the upholstery, a very dark part of me said “That’s you on game day.”

Then the Bills open last season with the most exciting football they have played in an eternity, and I found myself standing during games, making loud noises, actually sweating the details of crucial drives. It felt like I had come out of a coma. It felt fantastic.

Hiring Nix was the best football move the Bills have made since the days of Polian and Butler.

For me, the first vital signs kicked in when they hired Buddy Nix. Years of following the game have taught me one simple truth – if you can’t evaluate talent, you can’t win in the NFL. It’s not just true for us, I mean look at what happened to the Cowboys the day Jerry Jones decided he didn’t need Jimmy Johnson anymore. Nix has a jeweler’s eye and tons of experience; it struck me as the best football move the Bills had made since the days of Polian and Butler.

So I sucked it up and wrapped my arms around yet another five-year rebuild, only to find myself pleasantly rewarded by the first half of the 2011 season. Yeah, they crashed and burned, but it was interesting, and now we stand on the precipice of a new season filled with high hopes. We signed big time free agents, we addressed big needs, and we finally scrapped that lame 3-4 Defense that couldn’t stop a decent Monsignor Martin JV squad.

That being said, I have a pretty clear bead on what makes me nervous about the 2012 outlook. I have a feeling a lot of this is what you’ve been pondering, too.

BILL BELICHICK CAN EAT ME

I just had to get that off my chest. Now on to the things we can fix..

THE QUARTERBACK

I did the Rich Eisen podcast last season when the Bills were cresting, and Rich brought up the common Ryan Fitzpatrick refrain – you can’t win a Superbowl without a great quarterback. Most civilians probably would counter that by dropping a Dilfer-bomb, maybe a Brad Johnson, but as Bills fans we know all too well the extraordinary pain of losing the big one to a couple of legends like Mark Rypien and Jeff Hostetler. (Superbowl XXV fun fact – both QB’s in that game were recruited by JoePa to play… linebacker. Sure it turns out he screwed up a lot worse than that, but what an ass.) So it can be done, we just happen to be dealing with a fairly schizoid profile here – which is the real Fitz, the world-beater or the slide? I truly believe he was fighting a bigger-than-reported injury, but the fact they bring in a David Lee means it’s more than that. Here’s to improved mechanics.

THE PASS RUSH

On paper this one has been addressed to a fair thee well, but we need to see how they mesh. I must admit, watching Dareus and Williams both get sacks with inside pressure against the Vikings had me smiling at the prospect of knocking Tom Brady out of his comfort zone. I even have dreams of driving him to the kind of angry, red-faced finger pointing and pouting we used to conjure out of Dan Marino. Hey, a guy can dream.

THE RUN DEFENSE

For me, this has been the hardest thing to suffer for the past decade. We have been a turn style. Isn’t that why none of us got too upset when Poz bolted for Jax – didn’t you feel like asking them “Have you seen how far from the line of scrimmage this guy racks up all those tackles?” Preseason football presents some pretty tough tea leaves to read, but so far the case is out on this one and it is critical, even in the AFC East where none of our rivals run the ball particularly well – they sure seem to find a way against us, and that needs to change.

No doubt Wannstedt is a big upgrade from his predecessor, but who are we getting here? (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Which brings us to the switch to the 4-3. I like it; we suddenly have a lot of depth on the D-line, which is almost shocking. For me, the big question here is Wanny – no doubt the 70’s porn ‘stache is a big upgrade from his predecessor, and he certainly beat us twice to win Super Bowls, but who are we getting here? The genius coordinator, or a guy who is no longer on the cutting edge after some journeyman years and a mediocre stint at Pitt?

As for WR DEPTH, I really think that will settle itself now that T.J. Graham finally brings us the kind of speed that can stretch the field, and it looks like we’re actually going to have a bono fide contributor at TIGHT END. Fitz and Chandler have developed great chemistry – it’s kind of perfect that Pete Metzelaars, our last real TE, is now the position coach.

Last but not least, it has to be mentioned, particularly here on a site devoted to the passion of the Bills fan – I look forward to seeing the Ralph rocking this year in a lusty return to the hostile environment we all know and love. I mean where else have you seen horizontal snow flurries get cheered during a Dolphin game?

At long last, the needle is pointing up. The Jets are suddenly hilarious, Miami is bad and I am talking Cleveland Browns bad, and oh by the way, the Pats just aren’t as talented as they used to be. Why not expect the Bills to be AFC East Champs? There, I said it.

Welcome to Day 3 of our Celebrity Blog Series!

As you all know, Bills fans are everywhere. In all areas of the world and in all segments of society.

A few months ago, we came up with the idea of asking some of the more well known fans in the media and Twittersphere if they’d be interested in contributing a guest column for BillsMafia.com to help kick off the 2012 season. The topic could be whatever they chose to write on. The team’s outlook, the team’s history, their thoughts on the Bills Mafia movement… anything really. One contributor will even be sharing his Fantasy Football tips.

Wait, “one contributor?” What’s that supposed to mean? Well, we’re going to have some fun with it and wait until the article is actually posted to reveal who that day’s writer is.

Alissa Chandler, wife of Bills TE Scott Chandler isn’t quite your typical “fan” — she has a very specific, vested interest in the team! Today, she shares her story on what brought them to Buffalo and her thoughts on the Bills Mafia.

All photos in this post are courtesy of Alissa Chandler.

Our journey to Buffalo began in November, 2010. We had just been cut by the Dallas Cowboys, and I was in Indiana visiting family when I got a call from Scott saying he had just been picked up by Buffalo. My first thought was, “who does Buffalo already have at the tight end position?” and secondly, “I think I need a new winter coat.”

Scott immediately left for Buffalo while I stayed back to square things away in Texas. We caught the tail end of Buffalo’s season, so I was able to visit for two weeks right before Christmas. I was cooped up in a hotel room with my 16 month-old daughter, suffering from morning sickness. It had been snowing for days on end. Still, I was incredibly excited at the thought of seeing my husband play again.

That offseason was pretty unpredictable, however. We were amidst a lockout and had no idea when it would end. It was nice to have some extra time back in Iowa, visiting my family, but I was nonetheless delighted when the lockout ended. With the lockout over, Scott could focus on securing a position on the Bills roster.

During training camp, I looked forward to calls from Scott. He had an excitement in his voice that I hadn’t heard before. He was getting actual playing time, and this made football fun for him in a way he had missed for some time.

Despite the stress of finding a place to live and being days out from delivering our second baby, I was excited for the season to begin and I was ready to make Buffalo home.

When the Bills began their regular season on the road at Kansas City, I was watching the game at home, giddy at the thought of Scott getting his first NFL start. It was September 11th, and the day was already emotional before the game started. I was so proud to see his face during the starting line up. So much so that I probably paused and rewound the starting line up half a dozen times so our daughter Lyla and I could giggle every time they announced his name on television. Scott ended that game with five catches for 63 yards. He had scored two touchdowns.

It’s a good thing I was alone while watching that game, because people probably would have thought I was nuts. I’m a very emotional fan when it comes to sports in the first place, but seeing your husband making plays. That’s quite another kind of emotion.

After his first touchdown with the Bills, I jumped up and down screaming out of absolute elation. After his second, I sat on the couch and cried tears of joy for a solid five minutes. Our journey to this point had a lot more downs than ups. We knew that our time in the NFL was never guaranteed, and prior to coming to Buffalo, Scott and I had a running joke that he had been fired four times in five years. While we were grateful for every experience we had up until this point, we both knew that Scott had the ability to excel. Up until this point, we had just been waiting for an organization to give him a chance.

There were a few times where we thought that this chapter of our lives was going to be over, but the Lord kept opening doors, and teams kept calling. Now that I look back, I am so grateful that the Lord humbled us so many times those first four years in the NFL. Years of rejection made that specific September 11 afternoon so much sweeter.

Following that game and throughout the season, Scott went from having twelve Twitter followers to ten thousand. I was new to Twitter, but I was overwhelmed by the support that Scott was getting. Being the proud wife that I am, I loved reading all the wonderful tweets. Eventually, I started noticing tweets with the #billsmafia hashtag. As I paid closer attention, I soon realized that of the three teams we had been with thus far, I had never experienced a fan following like this. The outpouring of support from these fans made me so proud to be a part of this team. These tweets were so uplifting every week to both Scott and me.

Not only did the Bills Mafia embrace Scott, they embraced me as part of of the Bills family. They tweeted me sweet messages about my kids, where to find the best steak in town, or just to wish me a happy birthday. I don’t know any of these fans personally, but I think of them all as friends of the Chandlers. I love going to games and meeting news fans every week. You all have helped bring back a joy to this game again and for that I am forever grateful.

Game days at The Ralph are so different than any of the other stadium experiences I have had in the NFL. There is an electricity in the air that extends out miles past the parking lot. The stadium atmosphere reminds me of what game days felt like in Iowa City when I was in college and Scott played for the Iowa Hawkeyes. The fans are unequivocally there to cheer on the Bills. Win or lose, they are there to support their team, and they walk into the stadium with absolute confidence that — no matter who these Bills are up against — that they can win. On top of it all, the fans are incredibly inviting.

Scott and I love everything about being in Buffalo. The area reminds me of parts of the Midwest that I love, so luckily for Scott, I don’t get homesick while I’m here. The people are genuine and don’t seemed to be consumed with the world around them. We have met some incredible people these past few seasons.

We both feel incredibly blessed by Buddy Nix for taking a chance on a tight end with not much ink on his resume. We are so incredibly humbled by the support we receive from our family, friends, and of course you amazing fans. I look forward to creating many more memories at the Ralph and I have high hopes that we will be playing on into February this season. I will close with words that I repeat in my prayers often. “Thank you Lord for bringing us to Buffalo!”

10 things you may (or may not) want to know about Scott Chandler

1) After we had been dating 2 months, Scott wrote me a song and sang it for me on Valentines Day.

2) In college it wasn’t uncommon for Scott to sit down with a dozen donuts and a gallon of milk in one sitting.

3) The first time he told me he loved me, I had to break it to him that he had already told me months prior, while drugged up on morphine after a knee scope.

4) Scott dressed up as Cookie Monster this past Halloween just to make his daughters happy.

5) Scott has had his teeth knocked out 7 different times.

6) Scott is extremely claustrophobic.

7) When our oldest Lyla was months old she vomited in Scott’s mouth after he leaned in for a kiss,and then he proceeded to vomit in the toilet out of complete disgust.

8) He longs to play in the US Open (keep on dreaming, hunny)

9) Scott won a singing competition on a cruise ship and performed Friends in Low Places by Garth Brook in front of everyone on the ship.

10) Scott is not the only Buffalo Bill in his family. His older brother Nathan was an undrafted free agent for the Bills right out of college.

Quick note from Del: You may notice, unlike the previous two posts in this series, that it hasn’t been posted under my site account. It’s posted under an account belonging to Alissa. This is because she’s agreed to contribute here at BillsMafia.com throughout the season! So look for more of her insights in the weeks ahead!

Welcome to Day 2 of our Celebrity Blog Series!

As you all know, Bills fans are everywhere. In all areas of the world and in all segments of society.

A few months ago, we came up with the idea of asking some of the more well known fans in the media and Twittersphere if they’d be interested in contributing a guest column for BillsMafia.com to help kick off the 2012 season. The topic could be whatever they chose to write on. The team’s outlook, the team’s history, their thoughts on the Bills Mafia movement… anything really. One contributor will even be sharing his Fantasy Football tips.

Wait, “one contributor?” What’s that supposed to mean? Well, we’re going to have some fun with it and wait until the article is actually posted to reveal who that day’s writer is.

Today, Luke Russert of NBC News, son of the late Buffalo-born legend Tim Russert and die-hard Buffalo sports fan in his own right, shares his thoughts on the Bills and the fork in the road they face in 2012.

January 8th, 2000. Remember those times? The economy was going strong, we had just gotten through Y2K, Elian Gonzalez was all over the headlines and gas averaged $1.70 a gallon. Bill Clinton was president, George W. Bush was still a governor and Pope John Paul II still led the Catholic Church. Tom Brady had just completed his senior season at Michigan and most experts thought he wouldn’t amount to anything more than a 3rd string QB. The Bills having ridden Doug Flutie to the playoffs decided to start Rob Johnson in the Wild Card round and he actually won them the game until, well, you know the rest.

Luke never lived in Buffalo, but he nevertheless wears his Buffalo allegiance proudly.
(Photo by Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News)

Probably more so than any of the tough losses of this millennium, Steelers 2nd team in 2004 (win and we would have been in), the Cleveland Snow Bowl loss in 2007, Leodis’ fumble on MNF 2009 against the Patriots, the Steelers again in 2010 on Stevie’s drop, the thing that gets to me more than anything is the streak —- 12 years. It’s been 12 years since the Buffalo Bills have been to the playoffs. If you had a kid back then, they will soon be starting the 7th grade and have not gotten a chance to feel the magic that was the winning in the 1990s. There are many reasons why it’s been 12 years since Buffalo has been to the postseason. Some say it’s the curse of Doug Flutie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfZNFQtPKrI), others point to QB busts (JP Losman, Trent Edwards) or terrible decisions by the front office (Erik Flowers, Mike Williams, John McCargo, Dick Jauron), whatever the reason, this is the year there are officially no viable excuses.

Unlike their usual thrifty selves, the Bills dropped $100 million dollars on the best available defensive lineman in free agency: Mario Williams. His signing, similar to when the Washington Nationals overpaid for outfielder Jayson Werth, was a message to the entire NFL that the Bills were finally ready to win at all costs. They’ve doubled down on their own version of the triplets, Fitz, Fred and Stevie and even had what looks to be one of their strongest drafts in years this past April (I still love Cordy Glenn in the 2nd round.) Their schedule is the 29th easiest in the NFL, their opponents’ 2011 winning percentage was .473 and they face only 5 “quality opponents.” If they can’t end the drought this year, when will they? For this reason it goes without doubt that this year is the most important Bills season of this century.

Signing Mario Williams was a message to the entire NFL that the Bills were finally ready to win at all costs. (Photo by AP)

If the Bills don’t make the playoffs the label of loser will stick more than any other recent year. I can just hear the snark oozing out of the mouths of Pats, Jets, and Fins fans, “All that hype for nothing, suckers.” That’s why this Godforsaken streak must be broken. I once thought I’d be okay with 8-8 this year. NO! It’s not enough to start out hot this year and become the darlings of the media and then blame late season misfortunes on injuries. It’s not enough to say we just can’t compete with Brady and the big money Jets and Dolphins in the division. It’s not enough to say we’re just Buffalo being Buffalo.

I live in Washington, D.C. so I usually make 1 home game and 1 game on the road each year. However, I watch every game at a Bills Backer bar, if I’m on the road I find a place with Sunday ticket. I can’t miss the Bills. Part of being in the Bills Mafia is having an undying loyalty to the organization and for what it stands for at its greatest moments. We don’t have the sex appeal of the Jets, or the dynasty of the Patriots, or the sun of Miami. We’re a fanbase that’s been beaten down and has lived on false hope; however, we have something our rivals will never have — undying faith. We BILLieve our time is just around the corner, that a parade will be on Chippewa and Buffalo will be Title Town. Recently, we’ve understandably grown complacent late in the season. Acceptance of mediocrity permeates our skulls and we think winning will never happen. This year it has to change. We need to be all in for 16 Sundays because honestly, this is our last best hope. If this team can’t produce, we’re looking at another decade of futility. So I say to you on August 24th, 2012 the 12 year drought will come to an end. It has to and we need to do everything in our power to make The Ralph the place that will launch the Bills to the playoffs.

For us expat Bills fans, wear your gear proudly every Sunday till week 17 no matter what. We expect to win and make the playoffs or at least play in a meaningful game on December 30th at home against the Jets.

Here’s my prediction for 2012:

10-6. We can do it. It’s right there for the taking. Playoffs!!!!

Follow Luke Russert: @LukeRussert

Luke Russert
NBC News Correspondent
Link to NBC News Bio

Welcome to Day 1 of our Celebrity Blog Series!

As you all know, Bills fans are everywhere. In all areas of the world and in all segments of society.

A few months ago, we came up with the idea of asking some of the more well known fans in the media and Twittersphere if they’d be interested in contributing a guest column for BillsMafia.com to help kick off the 2012 season. The topic could be whatever they chose to write on. The team’s outlook, the team’s history, their thoughts on the Bills Mafia movement… anything really. One contributor will even be sharing his Fantasy Football tips.

Wait, “one contributor?” What’s that supposed to mean? Well, we’re going to have some fun with it and wait until the article is actually posted to reveal who that day’s writer is.

Today, to kickoff the series, is none other than Cory Hepola — the first news reporter to actually acknowledge the #BillsMafia movement. And he did much more than just acknowledge us, he featured us on Rochester TV station, WROC! Cory has since moved to Austin, TX, where he covers the Texas Longhorns for KVUE-TV but he still looks back on his time covering the Bills in Western New York fondly, as you’ll see below.

I remember the first time I saw the hashtag: #BillsMafia.

Cory Hepola was the first news reporter to acknowledge the #BillsMafia hashtag on Twitter. It seemed only fitting that we ask him to kickoff our Celebrity Blog Series.

It was Monday, August 8th, 2011. I was working as a Sports Anchor/Reporter at WROC-TV in Rochester, NY, although I had this particular night off. Now, I’m not sure how. And, I’m not sure why. But, on this night, every single Buffalo Bills related tweet included the #BillsMafia hashtag. This was the first time I had heard of the #BillsMafia (I was certain of it), and here it was flooding my timeline. Even the Bills players were using it.

The next morning, I fired off some tweets: What’s the #BillsMafia? What does it mean? Who started it? Why are the Bills players – all of a sudden – including #BillsMafia in all of their tweets?

I didn’t expect much. I figured I’d get about 7 or 8 ambiguous at-reply’s and be even more confused.

Less than 30 minutes later, I received a detailed email from Del Reid explaining he, Leslie Wille, and Breyon Harris had originally started #BillsMafia as a joke in November 2010, but it had blossomed into a way for Bills fans to connect with each other and (now) the players. Del said it was different from the #Nation hashtags out there because #BillsMafia was created to be universally supportive of the team and players. AND, it was blowing up; Del had designed a logo, launched a website, and was ordering merchandise with the proceeds going to a hospital.

My response: has any other reporter contacted you about doing a story?

With every passing minute, the #BillsMafia was becoming more legitimate; the players were embracing the movement through re-tweets and by using the hashtag themselves. This was an extremely unique story and we wanted to be the first ones to tell it.

Our first step was to get the co-founders together at St. John Fisher to watch a Training Camp practice. This became extremely difficult for 4 reasons:

1. Del and Leslie both live at least 90-120 minutes away.
2. Breyon lives in Virginia.
3. They were all great friends on Twitter, but had never met in real life.
4. Thursday’s night practice was my only option to shoot the interviews and that was (only) 2 days away.

Over the next 36 hours, we finalized a plan: Del and Leslie would drive (separately, with their own families) to Pittsford for Training Camp (Breyon, obviously, could not attend), and I would meet them outside of the gate about 45 minutes before practice was to start.

I didn’t sleep much on Wednesday night. I knew this had the potential to be a tremendous story, but a lot of different pieces had to come together in one day. I was anxious.

Cory could tell the players’ excitement for the Bills Mafia movement was real.

Early Thursday morning, the Bills had a walk-through practice that was open to the media (but closed to the public). This was my shot to ask the players what they thought about the #BillsMafia.

And, they were awesome.

I interviewed Stevie Johnson, Nick Barnett, and Aaron Williams, and they all spoke glowingly about the #BillsMafia. That didn’t surprise me. What DID surprise me is how much they knew about the movement and its purpose. These players were not spouting cliche‘ answers to appease the fan base; their excitement for the #BillsMafia was real.

That afternoon, I outlined a semi-script for the story. Stylistically, I wanted it to be conversational (like Twitter) and to incorporate Bills fans. This was not going to be your ordinary “news” story.

Finally, it was 6:15 PM. Del and Leslie (and their families) arrived just a couple of minutes apart, both right on time. It was interesting: two friends – who, for months, had shared so many ideas and opinions through Twitter – meeting each other in “real life” for the very first time.

When the night was over, #BillsMafia became one of my favorite stories I’ve ever done:

http://rochesterhomepage.net/fulltext/?nxd_id=265887

Follow Cory Hepola: @CoryH_KVUE

Cory Hepola
Sports Anchor/Reporter
KVUE-TV
Austin, Texas
www.coryhepola.com