NFL
Why is Buffalo’s fan base called ‘Bills Mafia’ and why do they jump on tables?
The Bills overpowered the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card game on Sunday to claim a place in the Divisional Round.
Buffalo Bills fans have started to dream of a path to the Super Bowl as the team were too good for Denver in the Wild Card round beating the Broncos 31-7.
The team’s fanbase are affectionately known as the “Bills Mafia” because of a series of events that started with a dropped pass by Stevie Johnson in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. The pass would have given the win for the Bills and on the same day Johnson tweeted an angry message.
Fans rallied behind their player and started to call themselves a “Mafia” and this led way to the hashtag #BillsMafia to describe the fans with the name sticking.
The “Bills Mafia” is not a charity
The Bills Mafia name has now stuck and applied to the team’s fanbase in the US and beyond with many of the ‘Mafia’ helping raise money for various charities using the supporter platforms.
Table jumping
The tradition of Bills fans jumping on tables apparently started in the parking lots of Orchard Park, where Bills fans tailgate before games. The identity of the first Bills fan to jump through a table is unknown, but it has since become a tailgate tradition.
The Bills Mafia is a unique fan base that has gained a reputation for its passion and loyalty with the fan group becoming a symbol of the team’s resilience and the city’s spirit. The Bills Mafia has also become a force for good, raising millions of dollars for charity and supporting the team through thick and thin.
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