Going on the road is hard to do in the NFL, especially for the fans brave enough to support their teams in enemy territory. If you plan on doing it, you should use caution. Obviously, traveling fans are there to see their team win, but when that visiting team makes a big play or takes the lead late in the fourth quarter don’t be the guy who stands up and reminds everyone around you who your team is. The people sitting next to you don’t deserve what will most likely happen next, plus visiting fans usually have to make quick exits after such poor decisions. Even if they aren’t asked to leave they will most likely want to when it’s all said and done. Bills fans especially have made it their right to heckle and antagonize visiting fans since I have been going out to Orchard Park in the late 80’s. It has always been part of the deal. For years you could find tee shirts in the crowd putting down Dan Marino’s Dolphins or Ken O’Brien’s Jets. It was always so easy to take shots at teams that were no match for the Bills on the field while sitting in stands. Winning at home was expected, and once the game was over Bills fans would typically have the upper hand in the trash talking department after Jimbo and the boys took care of business like they usually did. Still, that never stopped those opposing fans from showing up back then, and it certainly won’t stop them now.
Things have changed a great deal since then. It is much more common these days to see large groups of visiting fans pop up in almost each section of the stadium than it ever was back in our glory days of the 90’s. It’s no secret that teams like the Patriots and Steelers travel well and show-up both on the field and in the stands when their teams come to town. Bills fans always out number our opponent’s loyal followers in the Ralph, but as the team has struggled over these past 15 years the opposing fans have taken advantage of it and have been coming up in droves. Road games are the true test of a fans loyalty. It’s easy to go out and wear what everyone else is wearing when you play in your own backyard. However, driving to places like Indy, New England, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New York, or Detroit takes serious love and dedication to your team, especially Bills fans. We show up everywhere. I only know this because I have been a Bills “Roaddog” for a long time.
Twenty years ago this Thanksgiving I made my first road trip to Detroit to watch the Bills play the Lions in the Pontiac Silverdome. It was the first time my family and I weren’t welcomed at a Bills game and everyone with me knew it. I can still remember how loud that place got when Dave Krieg handed off to Barry Sanders on the first play of the game and Barry pitched it back to Krieg, who then found Herman Moore in the end zone for a touchdown to start the game. First road game and a flea-flicker? What are the chances? Some of you old Techmo Bowl fans might remember the name Willie Clay who also made a big play in that game. I can still see him running it into the end zone after #12 threw a pick right into his hands late in the fourth quarter stamping the Lions 35-21 victory. That game taught me a great deal about what to expect when you go on the road. You can expect it to be loud, you can expect some big plays, and you can only hope to have a chance to win it or tie it late in the fourth quarter. My road record is pretty solid considering how poorly we have played over the last decade or so. I have wins in New England, Indy, and New York which is something many of the Bills players or coaches can say these days.
Of all the incredible road games I have attended one sticks out the most, and kind of reminds me of what we are dealing with when the Bills travel to Detroit this weekend. In 1998 the Bills went to Indianapolis to take on the Colts after starting the season 1-3 (0-3 until they had beat the 49ers at home the week before). Early on in the game Rob Johnson went down and the famous Flutie era began for the Bills. Doug came in and threw two touchdowns and led a Bills comeback in the fourth quarter to basically save the season and get the team moving in the right direction. The night before the game my dad, brother, and myself saw Doug and Eric Moulds in a Planet Hollywood and wondered if he would ever see the field. Turns out we were glad he did. That game was almost 16 years ago, but I can only hope that when we enter Ford Field we can bring some of that magic to Kyle Orton as he takes over at quarterback in a desperate situation. He is going to need it as he takes on one of the NFL’s toughest defenses along with one of the loudest stadiums. The Lions can put up points in bunches with a number of big time players at the skilled positions, so we are going to need a lot more than magic to pull this off. Either way, I am looking forward to traveling to a new stadium that has already hosted a Super Bowl, a Final Four, and a Wrestlemania. How cool is that?
As usual the Bills will be big underdogs on the road when they kick it off at 1PM on Sunday in Detroit. Many of the Lions faithful will be quick to point out how much better their team is than mine once I get to my seat up in the nose bleeds. I will wear my Bills hat and gear with pride regardless of what happens on the field and will most likely pay for it. One thing they won’t be able to take away from me or any of the many Bills fans making the trip is the love and dedication we have for our team no matter what is going on. Even if we lose this game we have two in a row at home that could get us over .500 in the weeks ahead. If that happens, you can count on me and all my #ROADDOGS heading to East Rutherford, New Jersey on October 26th for another chapter to this already very interesting season.
