Inside The Bills

Attn: Philly based Bills Backers

Calling all Philadelphia-based Bills Backers, there’s a rare opportunity to watch day 2 of the NFL draft with a couple of Bills offensive linemen.

The Downtown Philadelphia Bills Backers will be hosting a draft party Friday night at McFadden’s at 461 N. 3rd Street in Philly where they’ll have Eric Wood and Andy Levitre in attendance. The players will be available to take pictures, sign autographs, or just talk football. They should be arriving at McFadden’s shortly after 6. It’s recommend you get there early if you want a table. The guys are also bringing a bunch of team-autographed merchandise to raffle off.

I’m told they’ll have their usual specials from 6-9 pm that evening. That means their cheap Bills food menu (most items $5) and $2 Blues/Blue Lights. Obviously, the program of choice will be rounds 2 and 3 of the draft on the TVs.

The head honchos with the Backers group want me to pass along that you can still park in the lot adjacent to the restaurant or diagonally across the street, but they start charging for the lots at 8pm. So get there before 8 if you can and have fun!

Bills Backers to out eat Packers fans

The Bills Backers will be on the road this weekend in downtown Green Bay where they’ll be in a big time eating competition with Packers Backers the Saturday night before the game. Here are the details if you’re going to be in town.

The eating competition will take place at the Prime Quarter in Green Bay and will showcase Bills fans vs. Packers fans in a competition to eat a 40 oz. steak and sides in the fastest time. The contest is scheduled to kick off Saturday Sept. 18 at 7 pm. The restaraunt is located at 2610 South Oneida St. in Green Bay. Best of luck fellas. Hope you skip lunch.

Only Bills fans

So I’m just back from a family vacation and as I’ve always found, running into a Bills Backer is never difficult no matter where you are.

Most of our family vacations are on the East Coast (down south) and coming across transplanted Bills fans is pretty easy. On this trip however, we were fortunate enough to spend a week in South Lake Tahoe.

Being out west I didn’t even give a second thought to running into Bills fans. We were in Raiders and 49ers territory. But on just my third day of a week long vacay my family is sitting down for lunch at a local Italian restaurant in South Lake Tahoe. Our waitress could tell we were out of towners and asked us where we were from. When we said Buffalo her eyes lit up.

“You do not understand, I am the biggest Bills fan and it’s so hard to root for them out here all by myself,” she said.

After introducing herself, Katie explained how she moved out west a few years ago and always makes sure she works the restaurant’s bar on Sundays so she can watch the Bills games on the restaurant’s  TV. She faithfully wears her throwback Bills hat with the standing red buffalo and the local regulars call her “Buffalo” due to her unwavering allegiance.

Caught off guard I offered her the team’s 2010 pocket schedule from my wallet since it was all I had on me. She was appreciative and proceeded to give us a rundown of the places we should hit during our week in Tahoe.

“Just being from Buffalo you guys made my day,” she said.

So if you happen to be in South Lake Tahoe this fall and need to catch a Bills game, just stop in at Passaretti’s on Emerald Bay Road and ask for Katie O’Neil. Tell her you’re a Bills fan or from Buffalo and she’ll definitely get the game on for you.

I also recommend the ‘Joe Penne’ for lunch with sausage.

Individual game tix on sale 7/13

The Bills announced that individual game tickets will go on-sale to the general public at 9 am on Tues., July 13, but there’s a special way to take advantage of pre-sale access for Bills Backers members and friends. 

There will be an exclusive online pre-sale for Bills Backers members and friends of the Official Buffalo Bills Page on Facebook 24 hours before the general public, starting Mon., July 12, 2010 at 9 am. In addition, Bills fans signed up to receive Text or Twitter updates will also be granted early access.

There is no cost to become a Buffalo Bills Backers member (www.buffalobills.com/register.html) or to join the Buffalo Bills Facebook (www.Facebook.com/BuffaloBills) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/buffalobillscom) accounts. Standard text messaging rates apply for Bills Text Alerts (Text BILLS to 64621).

Any remaining tickets after the Bills Backers pre-sale will be made available to the public through Ticketmaster online via ticketmaster.com and Western and Central New York Ticketmaster locations beginning at 9 a.m. on Tues., July 13.

A list of Ticketmaster retail locations is available at ticketmaster.com by clicking on ‘retail locations.’ Remaining tickets may also be purchased online at buffalobills.com, calling 1-877-BB-TICKS (1-877-228-4257) or visiting the Ralph Wilson Stadium ticket office. Due to high demand, tickets for individual games are subject to availability.  

There already is limited ticket availability for the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers games.

Nice job by Atl Bills Backers

Bills spirit is alive and well in the heart of Dixie. Got to give it up to the Atlanta Bills Backers chapter down here in Atlanta.

They had a very well put together Saturday evening event in midtown where they hosted HOF’er Billy Shaw, Mark Kelso, voice of the Bills John Murphy and myself for dinner and Q&A session.

I hope we provided some worthwhile answers. As always Bills fans were hospitable and appreciative.

It was a good way to wrap up the season of travel, so thanks to John and Melissa and the rest of the Atlanta Backers chapter. A job well done.

Calling all Bills fans

For all the out-of-towners coming to Jacksonville for the Bills vs. Jaguars game… 

Join the fun at the pregame party at Wing-It, home of the Bills Backers of Jacksonville! 

PregameParty
Saturday, November 21, 4:00 PM

Wing It
11018 Old Saint Augustine Road
Jacksonville, FL

Charlotte Bills Backers impressive

Downtown Charlotte has been downright overrun by Bills fans in preparation for today’s game.

On Saturday afternoon when the team arrived the downtown streets were dotted with Bills jerseys and energetic Bills fans. They were gathered behind some velvet ropes in the team hotel waiting respectfully for autographs.

Several of them had rooms in the team hotel and one even told players on their way to the elevators the following.

“We’re going to make it a home game for you guys!”

I made it out to the Bills Backer hangout last night (The Town Tavern) and it was mobbed. Wall to wall people, and very enthusiastic. Thanks to the fans that bought me a beer.

Granted they had some help from fans traveling up from Atlanta and a group that even flew in from Chicago, but they will be out in force at the stadium today. So Bills fans, when you get a chance pass along a pat on the back to your Charlotte Bills Backers because you’re very well represented.

Denver Bills Backers out in force

Got to say the Denver Bills Backers are an impressive group. Almost 500 are expected to be on hand for Sunday’s game. Annamaria and their whole crew have a good thing going out here. Met a number of them last night at Lodo’s downtown. They’re keeping the faith, so hopefully the team can reward them with a win, especially with the cold they’ll be braving this afternoon.