ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Thousands of people filled the lots at Highmark Stadium hours before kickoff Sunday night as they were getting ready for a primetime match up. The Buffalo Bills played against the Green Bay Packers. 7 News checked in with the pumped up tailgaters at One Bills Drive.
In the lots, there were two words you could hear a lot: "Go Bills!" It is two words that brings Buffalo Bills fans from far and wide together, especially for fans like Zach and Anna Burris.
Zach and Anna drove six hours from Michigan to be at Highmark Stadium to watch the Bills take on Green Bay.
"I mean that just describes the Bills fanbase in general, right," Zach said. Anna said they bring the energy every time to a game as they travel a lot for them.
Zach is from Upstate NY, and he was born a Bills fan. Anna married into the Burris family. 7 News' Kristen Mirand asked if she is glad she married into a Bills family.
"I absolutely love it. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else," she answered laughing.
Three levels of #BillsMafia in one video
— Kristen Mirand (@kristen_mirand) October 30, 2022
Loved meeting all these fans tonight. More to come 😂 @WKBW pic.twitter.com/WI3jiuukra
For other fans, like Paul Steger and his son-in-law Matthew McCormick, they don't have to travel far when the stadium is in their backyard. The McCormick home is a home that's been in the family for generations.
"I grew up here. I was born in this house, so we lived here. We watched the stadium get built," Steger said.
That is when the home slowly started to become the go-to spot every Bills Sunday. What started as a few family and friends, has now amounted to hundreds gathering decades later.
"Good people lot of good people, and honestly you can walk around and meet people and they'll offer you anything out of their table or whatever they're serving you can have a bite of, you know? It's Buffalo though," McCormick said.
It is not only the fun that Bills fans know how to have, but also it is the spirit that keeps the fan base so strong.
"Don't make no mistake we're a good team. Western New York team. Only New York team," said one fan.
