If you’re from western New York or know anything about it, you know that Buffalonians love to talk about their sports teams. At the store, on vacation, at work – it consumes most of their daily conversations.

It gives them a sense of pride to see others like them who follow the Bills or Sabres and shout “Go Buffalo!” to a random stranger on the street wearing any resemblance of something related to their favorite teams. It’s what helps make the region a unique place.

That sense of pride and community among people who throw any of their rooting interest behind a team such as the Bills or Sabres is something most people carry on long after they’ve left the region.

It starts with the fans and a bond over a common feeling – the feeling of rooting for Buffalo through the ebb and flow of each season. It’s a personal relationship with them because we all know Buffalo’s NFL team seems to always make it personal.

Game day

On a cool, gloomy morning in Portland, Ore., I walked into the Cheerful Bullpen, a renowned Bills bar in the Pacific Northwest.

I’m immediately hit with a wave of nostalgia and a sense of familiarity. Have I been here before?

It’s right around kickoff and just three days removed from Thanksgiving, the bar is packed with fans settling in to watch Buffalo face the Jacksonville Jaguars three time zones away. Mind you, west coast fans have to wake up earlier in the morning to watch their teams play at around 10 a.m. if they’re rooting for a team back east.

I turned to my left and was greeted by one of the founders of PUBS or Portland United Bills Supporters, Doug Miller. We chat about the team and how they’re looking so far all while I’m tempted to purchase a handful of raffle tickets for one of their various pieces of Buffalo fan gear. It’s hard not to when PUBS donates whatever they make off of the raffle to various charitable organizations at the end of the season. I send my friend up to buy five.

I realize this place is way bigger on the inside. Televisions line the walls, all showing the Bills versus Jaguars game. Buffalo memorabilia covers the walls in between the soccer scarfs.

Cheerful Bullpen is in the shadow of the home of the Portland Timbers of the MLS, Providence Park. The name of the bar comes from the fact that Providence Park at one point in time was a mixed-used stadium and hosted baseball games. Actor Kurt Russell played his ball for the independent Portland Mavericks in that stadium in the early 70s. Now, it’s strictly for soccer matches in front of one of best fan bases in the MLS.

As I settle in, I catch a glimpse of the Bills punting the ball away after their drive stalled at their own 45-yard line. On again, off again punter for Buffalo, Colton Schmidt, comes in and chips it up to around the 25-yard line where it takes a generous bounce to the Jaguars 1-yard line where it’s downed by linebacker Julian Stanford.

The bar erupts and everyone starts asking something to the effect of ‘Why didn’t they keep Schmidt?’ I decided to mind to myself, enjoying the moment while also thinking about how subpar Schmidt’s net yardage has been.

During the commercial break, I took a look at the menu and saw an offering of wings and beef on weck’s scattered among the various bar grub. I looked up and saw a familiar sight behind the bar – a crisp Labatt Blue staring me in the face. I didn’t even know you could get those out here.

There really isn’t any one person in the bar wearing anything but the Bills’ signature blue and red. Even the bartenders, who’ve grown accustomed to the influx of rabid Buffalonians on Sunday mornings, have on the team’s colors.

It’s something special to see. More than 2,000 miles away and you might as well have stumbled into any sports bar in western New York.