The Hamilton Spectator

A sideline view of frigid fan joy

NFL official marvels at hot atmosphere at ice-cold Bills game

STEVE MILTON STEVE MILTON IS A HAMILTON-BASED SPORTS COLUMNIST AT THE SPECTATOR. REACH HIM VIA EMAIL: SMILTON@THESPEC.COM

The big breakthrough for the Buffalo Bills came a year ago, twice, but there was something extra special this time.

Ten times as many fans to share it with.

Not to mention the utterly satisfying humiliation of the despised New England Patriots.

Unless the Bills upset the Chiefs in Kansas City next weekend and Cincinnati beats the No. 1 AFC seed Titans in Tennessee, Buffalo has seen its final home game of the 2021-22 season. But what a way to wave goodbye — to their fans and to the Patriots — with touchdowns on each of the Bills’ first seven offensive possessions in a 47-17 landslide.

The Bills won two home post-season games last year before losing the AFC title to the Chiefs on the road. Those were their first postseason home triumphs in 26 years. But the wild card and divisional victories over Indianapolis and Baltimore were played in front of just 6,700 fans because local pandemic restrictions had been only partially lifted.

Saturday night’s attendance was 68,188 in the kind of paralyzing arctic weather that is as Buffalo as a tub of Anchor Bar wings.

“And they all stayed right to the end,” marvelled Steve Foxcroft of the noted Hamilton-Burlington refereeing family. “The game was decided early, so what does that tell you about Bills Mafia?”

It tells you that they care, and that they have waited. Oh, how they have waited.

The 55-year-old Foxcroft has worked on the sideline “chains” crew at Bills games for 30 years. He’s responsible for the downs-box marker. As an extension of the NFL officiating staff, the chain gang must remain absolutely impartial.

“I’m so neutral,” he says. “That’s something we’ve learned being in a refereeing family.

But, because of his job (now vicepresident) with family business Fluke Transport, Foxcroft lived in Buffalo for years. He’s been in all the local high school gyms to referee basketball. He crosses the border regularly for company business and to work Bills games.

So, he has observed Bills fans closely for decades, and removes his official’s hat for a moment to reflect upon them.

“They are blue collar, they’re hard-working and they deserve this. It’s just crazy how loyal they are despite being spoon-fed disappointment after disappointment over the years,” he says.

“Because there weren’t many people allowed last January, this was really the first one the team could really celebrate with them. A lot of people attending on Saturday weren’t old enough to go to games, or weren’t even born, 26 years ago. Their energy was incredible. If you want to see home field advantage at work ... that was it.”

He thinks it was a stroke of genius to have former Bills’ stars like Thurman Thomas, Jim Kelly or Steve Tasker lead the crowd in responsive cheers right before the kickoff.

In one listen-and-repeat, when the leader asks, “Where would you rather be?” the multitude howls back, “Right here! Right now!”

It gets the place rocking and it keeps rocking.

“The players have given back,” Foxcroft says. “You see Josh Allen stay out after the game and go to every corner of the stadium to greet the fans.

“The players just eat it up.” Too bad it’ll take two upsets to see it happen again this season.

SPORTS

en-ca

2022-01-18T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-18T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://thespec.pressreader.com/article/281848646971585

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