On Tuesday morning I was engaged in my day job, covering Capitol Hill for NBC News. But my mind was not focused on Speaker John Boehner talking about the role of Congress in the fight against ISIS, it was on Twitter, where Graham was now reporting he had two sources saying Pegula buying the Bills was “a done deal.†I was elated. However, being a Bills fan, I pinched myself knowing that nothing is certain until it’s totally certain (lest anybody forget the Tragedy in Tennessee, known by its “Music City†moniker outside of Western New York). It wasn’t till I got to my desk and saw the headline on the Buffalo News web page that I knew it was really happening. Then, I cried. I cried for my grandpa, my Uncle Bill and for my dad. I cried for all those Buffalonians who had fallen on hard times, who looked to the Bills to bring some joy into their lives. I cried because I knew some day, God willing, I’d have the opportunity to take my kid to a Bills game and form that bond, that connection, just like my father had done with me. I cried because I finally knew something that I loved so much, cared about so deeply, could never be taken away.
Some of you might read this and laugh or scoff—It’s just a team, It’s just a game, There are bigger problems in the world, Why do you care so much? Sure, there’s truth to that. But that passion is what makes the Bills so important. Let’s be honest, in recent years, Buffalo hasn’t had much to believe in. The economy is slowly recovering from collapse, there are no skyscrapers, no year- round ocean beaches, there’s probably more self-loathing than anything else. For Buffalo, the Bills are the reason to believe.
So thank you, Mr. Pegula, and thank you Mr. Wilson for all your efforts. For believing in a small-market town like Buffalo. For believing in the most loyal fans in the NFL. For believing that Buffalo can support a new stadium. And, most importantly, for believing that one day, Buffalo will be known for its Super Bowl Champion Bills.
Luke Russert is a political correspondent for NBC News. A life-long Bills fan, he has family ties to Western New York where his late father, long-time Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert, grew up.
