Life Focus: Around Buffalo

Although the Buffalo Bills may lose more games than they win, their fans are anything but benchwarmers - they bring the great American tradition of tailgating to a new level.

Love them or hate the team, Buffalo has one of the best football fan bases on the eastern coast.

"I grew up with the Bills," said Jason Strollo, a junior accounting major. "They went to the Super Bowl when I was a kid, I've been a fan ever since I can remember."

To accommodate UB students with a limited budget, Chris Costanzo, the ticket sales manager for the Buffalo Bills, worked with the Student Association to provide affordable tickets for select home games.

"We don't have much flexibility with reducing ticket costs, so we try to add value to group ticket prices," Costanzo said. "If customers buy 15 or more tickets, we can waive all service charges, and also add in group incentive items for all of the attendees and also other incentives for the group leader."

For the Oct. 22 home game vs. the New England Patriots, SA purchased 98 tickets, which they provided for students at $30 each - they sold out in just 37 minutes Thursday morning. But for those still interested in attending, full price tickets can still be purchased through the Sub-Board, I ticket office.

According to some fans, the Bills can only improve this season.

"A lot of people were up in the air about this year before the season started," Costanzo said. "With a new coaching staff, a new quarterback, people are expecting us to be in the hunt for a division title right away. We're at least going to be in the discussions this year, with the way the season is going thus far, which is better than most people expected."

Strollo, who has attended every home game this season and has made Sunday afternoon football his favorite ritual, agreed.

"When a football team does good, the city thrives," Strollo said. "We're lucky to have an NFL team so close to us to take advantage of."

The fans traditionally have the power to change the outcome of a game, according to Costanzo.

"The whole city is affected by our wins and losses," he said. "You can definitely tell on a Monday whether we won or lost."

For those unsure about whether or not to venture out to Ralph Wilson Stadium on a crisp Sunday afternoon, Matthew Young, who works for Media One Group, a local radio station, said it is all about the experience, not the numbers on the scoreboard.

"The best atmosphere in the league is at Ralph Wilson Stadium," Young said. "It's probably the most passionate group of fans in the league, because it's all we have."

When tailgating, the best fans have it down to a science, the perfect combination of grub, friends and team spirit is needed to make it work they say.

"Tailgating is my favorite fall activity," Strollo said. "I love to tailgate. If it's a home game, I get up at eight o'clock in the morning and start tailgating early so I don't miss any of the action."

Strollo said his essentials for a successful tailgating experience include hot dogs and Labatt Blue, along with a round of catch with fellow tailgaters.

When he can't attend a home game, Young brings tailgating to his backyard, grilling outside while watching the game with friends, a tradition he started while in college.

"When I was in college, I lived in the dorms, and my cousin used to literally have a grill on patio that we would use," Young said.

Some tailgaters take grilling to a whole new level, said Costanzo, who observes the weekly tailgaters, although his job as ticket sales manager doesn't always allow him to participate.

"There's one guy that cooks on his car every time," he said. "He sets up charcoal right on the hood of his car and he sets it on fire. It's quite a thing to see. He cooks things like chicken wings in an army hat. I don't know if it's sanitary or not, but it's quite a scene."

The art of deep-frying is also a tailgating must-have for some.

"Get a deep fryer," Strollo said. "We deep fry everything. There's nothing better than a 10 o'clock-in-the-morning friend chicken."

Costanzo recommends students at UB give the full Buffalo Bills experience a try, and come out for a home game.

"It's a great way to get off campus and see what Western New York has to offer," he said. "It's exciting to be part of something that's in the national spotlight every week, it's a great weekend activity."