It’s hard to imagine doing anything the same way for seventeen years, but for hundreds of thousands of Buffalo Bills fans, myself included, seventeen years was our reality. Seventeen years was a dark cloud hanging over a football city, hanging over a fan base starved for any semblance of success. Every year was different, but every year felt the same

The routine was always identical: hopeless optimism stretching from the draft until the first regular season game, an early season stretch where it seemed like it might be the year followed by a soul-crushing string of games that sent you spiraling back to reality before the all too familiar “in the hunt” graphic no longer included the Buffalo Bills logo. Admittedly, this season felt similar as well. An incredible start, seeing the Bills race to a 5-2 start followed by an abysmal stretch of blowouts putting the Bills at 5-5. That familiar charging red and blue Buffalo was a constant staple in the “in the hunt” despite the setbacks.

Just as hopes seemed to be crushed, the Bills pulled us all back in. A 16-10 upset in Arrowhead over the Chiefs, followed by wins over the Colts and Dolphins to move to 8-7 after the usual losses to the Patriots. For the first time since 2004, the Bills had a shot to end the drought in Week 17, but they needed some help and this time they got it.

First things first, they needed to take care of business on the road in Miami, fortunately Willie Parker and Tommy Maddox were nowhere to be found that day and they did their part with some excitement in the final minutes. Everything rested on the arm of Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals. The hopes and dreams of not just a team, but an entire city and fan base, hung in the balance. Everything was set up for a Baltimore Ravens victory.

Fourth and Twelve with under a minute to play and the Bengals had just given up 17 unanswered points. The play lasted just seconds, but felt like an eternity. Dalton making numerous adjustments at the line and in his protection. Dalton taking the snap, stepping up in the pocket and releasing. The ball soaring through the air, just over the outstretched arm of a Ravens defender and into the waiting arms of Tyler Boyd for a first down, but that wasn’t all. Boyd put on the gas, outrunning multiple defenders as he galloped into the end zone, touchdown Bengals.

It’s hard to describe a moment simultaneously being a blur while also being so clear in your memory, but that’s exactly what that moment is. The moment I waited seventeen years for had finally arrived. I nearly exploded through the roof seeing the green grass in front of Boyd as he weaved his way through arm tackles. It was a flood of emotions that I have never experienced. Seventeen years of tears, heartache and hopes had all burst in an instant.

As unbelievable a moment as that was, what made it all better was that I was able to share it with my father. The man who made me a Bills fan and who personifies everything that Buffalo stands for: hard-working, passionate and proud. As morbid as it may sound, it has crossed my mind many times that the day the Bills finally broke the drought, my father would no longer be here. It honestly seemed like it was never going to happen. My story is not unique, countless Bills fans have that fandom running in their blood because of family whether it be their fathers, grandfathers or whatever the case may be. I’ll never forget the moment the Bills made me the happiest man on earth for a moment and it’s all because I was able to share it with the person who introduced me to them as he continues to share the passion with his grandsons. The same passion I one day hope to pass on to a child of my own. I used to say, it’s my family’s fault for making me a Bills fan. I resented my fate, but this past Sunday made it all worth it. The heartache finally paid off.

My story isn’t unique and that’s what makes it special. For every Bills fan, this past Sunday was a moment of sheer bliss. A fan base, but more importantly a city that so desperately needed a win, got one. For those who say “it’s just a game”, let Buffalo prove you wrong. It’s more than a game here, it’s a family, it’s a tradition, it’s a way of life. Football isn’t just football in Buffalo. Bills Mafia is known for it’s viral videos and raucous tailgating shenanigans, but let this past week be a lesson for those who poke fun, Bills Mafia is the best fan base in the world of sports. As of tonight, Bills fans have donated well over $200,000 to Dalton’s foundation to help children in the Cincinnati area, as well as tens of thousands of dollars to Boyd’s foundation to help youth football in Western Pennsylvania.

For seventeen years we were the butt of every joke in the media, we were shamed for being losers. No more. Nobody can say a thing. We can be loud and proud of our city and our team. As far as I’m concerned, we can lose 100-0 to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon and we’ll still be winners because we made it. We finally made it Bills fans, we survived the drought.