In western New York, the Buffalo Bills are a religion. And for 53 years, Highmark Stadium has been where Buffalonians have gathered every week to worship.
It’s been known by several names, starting out as Rich Stadium in 1973. In 1997, the name switched to Ralph Wilson Stadium to honor the Bills’ original owner. In 2016, it became New Era Field. For one season in 2020, it was just Bills Stadium. And finally, in 2021, it became Highmark Stadium.
No matter what name you call it, Highmark’s majesty is unlike any other stadium in the NFL. Its lure wasn’t built on the foundation of history like Lambeau Field or Soldier Field. It wasn’t a place where dynasties ruled like Gillette Stadium in Foxborough or Arrowhead in Kansas City. Nor did the Steel Curtain or Purple People Eaters dare opposing offenses to enter like they did at Three Rivers Stadium or at the Met. What Highmark had was Bills Mafia.
That’s not to denounce any of the Hall of Fame players that have called Buffalo home and have worn a Bills uniform, of which there is no shortage. But it takes a special group of people to continue to show up week after week, and year after year, when they are constantly the bridesmaid and never the bride.
Through four consecutive Super Bowl losses in the 1990s, to a 17-year playoff drought, to consistently falling short against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, the Mafia has never softened, and the fans continue to fill up the stadium every week.
Fans like Del Reid, the 2023 Bills Fan of the Year.
“My first trip here was back in Week 5 in 1990,” Reid tells AllSportsPeople. “Sunday Night Football. I was 14 years old. The Bills came back from behind after Steve Tasker blocked a punt that Jamie Williams returned for a touchdown. Nate Odomes had a fumble recovery that went for a score as well. I immediately fell in love with attending games in person - pretty memorable game for a first.”
For Reid, and many other fans like him, that win in 1990 began a weekly tradition that would be passed down for generations.
“Highmark Stadium is special because it connects generations,” Reid said. “My parents brought me here. Now I bring my family. The games on the field are incredible, but it’s the moments in the stands with friends, family, and fellow fans who become your best friends in the world for three hours every week that make it home.”
The Bills have provided many memorable three-hour stays in the stands of Highmark. Few are more memorable, though, than when they punched their ticket to their first Super Bowl in the 1990 AFC Championship Game, which Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 was on hand for as a 17-year-old.
“I was at the 51-3 AFC title game,” Capaccio told AllSportsPeople. “I still get chills thinking about it. Because during any playoff game, you’re nervous and you’re just hoping they win - it was 41-3 at the half. So for the entire second half, everyone in the building knew they were going to the Super Bowl, and it was a party in the second half. There were 'Thank you Bills' and 'Thank you Ralph' chants. Everyone was celebrating with people they had gone through misery with. It was incredible.”
Like Reid, Capaccio highlights the fan base and its tight-knit community as large reasons why the stadium has become such a special place.
“I always say one of the reasons Bills fans continued to go to the stadium is because people love their football,” Capaccio said. “But maybe even more so, people just wanted to be with each other and see people you only saw once a week for eight times a year. And because it wasn’t about the game.”
There was a time when many believed that Buffalo would lose its football team. It’s one of the smallest markets in the NFL, and the team was bad for a very long time - a factor that Capaccio says brought the fan base even closer to the team, no matter its record.
“Until 2014 when Terry and Kim [Pegula] bought the team, all we were told was that we were gonna lose our team,” Carpaccio said. “That's all we were told. So people just wanted to go to games because they didn’t know if it was going to end.”
Capaccio has gotten to see the rise of the Bills from lovable underdog to NFL powerhouse up close and personal as the sideline reporter for WGR 550. Having that front row seat has yielded many memorable moments.
“The coolest thing for me is being a part of this particular organization in a golden age,” Capaccio said. “I grew up in this community, and I’ve seen the really good teams and the really bad teams. I think even though 51-3 is the greatest memory, one that is right up there is the perfect game against the Patriots [2021 wild card round]. We saw Tom Brady dominate the Bills for 20 years. Beating the Patriots that day was a nail in the coffin. Being in that stadium with all those fans who didn’t leave because they wanted to savor every moment was special.”
And while the stands remained packed for the entirety of the 47-17 blowout over New England, they will empty for the final time come Sunday. Bills football certainly isn’t going to end anytime soon, but this very long chapter in their history will be closing against the New York Jets. What happens as the playoffs begin is a whole other discussion that Bills fans will worry about after the fact. There are plenty of questions surrounding this team. The fans know that, and so do the Bills themselves. But on Sunday, there is only one question anyone will be concerned with - Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?
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