Fans brave cold, welcome Bills back to Buffalo
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — It’s been 18 years since the Bills made the playoffs, and a little frigid weather wasn’t going to keep Buffalo from celebrating.
The Bills partied like it was 1999 after the Bengals’ win over the Ravens got Buffalo to the playoffs for the first time in the new millennium.
The Bills reached the postseason for the first time since 1999 after beating the Dolphins on Sunday, but they were kept on pins and needles until the Bengals took down the Ravens before celebrating.
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With the temperature at 2 degrees, fans ditched their New Year’s Eve plans to welcome the postseason-bound Bills at Buffalo Niagara International Airport early Monday morning.
Buffalo ended the longest active playoff drought in U.S. pro sports Sunday after winning at Miami.
“Buffalo wouldn’t be Buffalo if it wasn’t for people coming out here in weather like this,” said Kyle Bower, a Bills fan who happened to be visiting from West Palm Beach, Florida.
The Bills landed shortly before 1 a.m. and were met by a few hundred fans, who had been chanting “Let’s go, Buffalo!” and singing the team’s touchdown celebration song, “Shout!”
Welcomed home by the best fans in the world.
WOW. #GoBills pic.twitter.com/wSdKx9g2JW
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) January 1, 2018
As the team disembarked, fans chanted “We want Kyle!” for defensive lineman Kyle Williams, a 12th-year pro and the longest-tenured player on the roster. Williams was in tears as he passed the fans.
Supporters formed two rows and watched as players drove their cars in a procession down the middle to exit. One fan held a sign that said “Party Like It’s 1999,” a reference to the team’s last playoff appearance. Buffalo hasn’t won a playoff game since 1995.
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About 40 cars had gathered in the parking lot by midnight, and many of them honked to ring in the new year in a festive, frosty scene.
“We were just excited. A perfect night to come out and support the team,” said Kristin Cahill, who was with her son, Joseph Kemp. “This hasn’t happened in his lifetime. He’s 16.”
Her son suggested greeting the Bills after the team tweeted its travel plans for the trip back from Miami.
“He brought it up, and I said, `Let’s go.” Cahill said. “We didn’t have any plans.”
