Buffalo Bills fever has spread to all corners of WNY, but in the epicenter of downtown there is an especially iconic display that is a sight for sore eyes.
Mayor Byron W. Brown has unveiled new vertical banners on City Hall that signals to the city, and to the world, that the Bills are back, as the 2020 AFC East champions and playoff contenders.
And now, with the latest wild-card win, Bills’ fans are clamoring to show their hometown pride.
Of course, with the pandemic also running rampant, crowds aren’t heading out to restaurants and bars as they once did, or even attending the games in the stadium at anywhere near full capacity. That’s why Brown decided to give them a “rallying flag” – something visually alluring that would provide the perfect selfie station.
Brown’s goal is to amass 2,021 photos between now and the next Bills playoff game. Leading up to this past Saturday’s Wild Card game, Brown also gave away two playoff tickets he purchased to two City employees to attend the game.
Mayor Brown stated, “Bills fans have waited a long time for this day and I’m honored to give my Bills playoff tickets to two exceptional City employees, who also happen to be die-hard Bills fans. These individuals are hard workers, go above and beyond the call of duty every day, and serve as an example of the hardworking men and women of the City workforce who continue to keep our City moving forward during the ongoing COVID-19 global health pandemic.”
The recipients of the tickets were 19 year old Jeremiah Harris and 44 year old Jerome Costner, both die-hard Bills fans who work in the Division of Streets and Sanitation.
Costner stated, “Going to a Bills playoff game is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it means so much to me. Thank you, Mayor Brown, for recognizing me, as well as the guys in the Division of Streets and Sanitation who work just as hard every day for our residents. We consider it a privilege.”
Harris stated, “I never expected to be going to the Bills Saturday playoff game. The recognition by the Mayor means a lot to me, but honestly, I’m just doing the best job I can for the city I love. We’ll be sure to take a lot of pictures at the game for everyone to enjoy. Go Bills.”
Bills fans (Bills Mafia) are invited/encouraged to stop by City Hall to take socially distanced selfies in front of the banner.
“I told you that we had big plans for Bills fans to celebrate safely during the Bills playoff run,” said Mayor Brown. “We’re extremely proud of our team and hope our new display shows it. I challenge Bills Mafia to stop by our City Hall Bills Selfie Station, between now and the next Bills playoff game, and take unique, celebratory and socially distant selfies. We want as many fans involved as possible to safely meet our goal of 2,021 photos to mark the team’s historic season.”
Participants of this special “Selfie Challenge” are asked to tag Mayor Brown in their post for a chance to be featured on his social media. Please also tag the Buffalo Bills, using #GoBills and #BillsMafia to show the team your support. Be sure to follow @MayorByronBrown716 on Instagram, @MayorByronBrown on Twitter and @ MayorByronBrown on Facebook.
AFC East banner images courtesy Bills’ fan Therese Forton-Barnes