ONTARIO, N.Y. — It is no secret that the Bills Mafia is one of the most loyal fan bases in the world. Through the franchise’s struggles, the fan base still invites everyone to their pregame tailgates and gives back to the community in monetary donations.
While the Bills Mafia has become a worldwide phenomenon, their origin has an interesting story. And it does include jumping through tables or slamming 10 Labatt Blue Light before going into the stadium.
Stevie Johnson and Twitter: The Bills Mafia Origins
Bills fans may have to thank Stevie Johnson and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter for creating the Bills Mafia. After dropping what would have been a dagger touchdown in overtime against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010, Johnson sent out the following tweet, expressing his frustrations.
Schefter, who is usually on top of the NFL beat, waited until the following day to retweet Johnson’s comical response. His blunder was noticed by Bills fans, including Bills Mafia co-founder Del Reid.
“One of our co-founders created #schefterbreakingnews and we used it to troll Adam Schefter,” Reid said. “He took offense to it and blocked a bunch of us, and the Bills Mafia grew from that.”
After the firestorm of tweets, there was an expectation that the Bills Mafia trend would die down. But the one-time joke stuck around, getting the notice of Bills players and fans. And that’s when Breyon Harris and Reid drew up an idea.
“Breyon reached out to me and said should we be doing something with this,” Reid said. “And I said what if we made a shirt, and it took off from there.”
A few days later, a t-shirt with a Twitter bird and red slash became a Twitter-only exclusive. And Bills fans ate it up, buying them all.
After the outpouring of support, Reid says Stevie Johnson jumped into the loop with a suggestion.
“[Johnson] encouraged us to make a Twitter account and then he said you are not a Bills fan if you are not following our account,” Reid said. “We had 1,000 followers within the first couple of days, and it has grown since then.”
Since July 2011, @BuffaloFAMbase has gained over 140,000 followers on Twitter.
But things changed in October 2020, when the Bills reached out to Reid about trademarking Bills Mafia. And after a couple of meetings with the team, Reid agreed.
“[The Bills] wanted to know my thoughts and they did a good job of involving the people who are most invested in it,” Reid said. “I continued to emphasize that Bills Mafia is not a brand, it is truly a community.”
What started as a Twitter joke has turned into a national following. But in 2013, Reid had an idea to further help the community he helped create.
26Shirts: Helping Those Who Need it Most
If you are from Western New York, you have probably heard about 26 Shirts. Founded by Del Reid in 2013, the company raises money for families in need and charitable organizations through limited-edition t-shirt designs.
For Reid, the business’ origins connect back to the Bills Twitter t-shirt design and fundraisers.
“We would put on these tweet-ups every year and get local businesses and Bills players to donate different things for a basket raffle,” Reid said. “And we decided early on that any shirts we sold or events we put on, the profits would go to charity.”
The early events were a success, as the Bills Mafia raised thousands of dollars for organizations in the Western New York area. One of them was the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, where Reid worked as a web developer.
But Reid knew he wanted to do more to support those who needed it most. And it took some advice from friends at a group bible study for him to dive head-first in the t-shirt business.
“I told my friends that I had this idea where I could sell shirts to help people because Bills fans are ravenous for merchandise,” Reid said. “And my friend Jake looks at me and says every two weeks, that’s 26 shirts a year, and the name stuck in my head.”
The next morning, Reid registered the 26shirts.com domain, Twitter handle, and Facebook page. And a few months later, 26 Shirts released their first design.
The First Design
Released on November 11, 2013, “Flash 88” benefited then two-year-old Amber Lunn, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma.
The design, created by Mike Bedard, sold out in two weeks. And $8.00 of every t-shirt sold went to Lunn and her family to pay for her monthly visits to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
Since the fundraiser, Lunn has had her right eye removed and still goes to NYC for treatment. But the now 10-year-old is still fighting, with her family giving updates on Facebook.
Since then, 26 Shirts has released 815 designs to support those in need. But every design is special, as each one is submitted by Bills fans. The company offers $1.00 for each shirt sold as compensation to the artist, but the money is often donated to the cause.
A Humbling Experience
Since 2013, 26 Shirts has raised over $1.3 million for families and organizations around the country. And for Reid, it is very humbling.
“I knew it might be mildly successful but I did not think it would be something where we are talking seven figures in money given back to people in need,” he said.
Through the Bills Mafia and 26 Shirts, Reid has been crowned the godfather of the Bills Mafia. He is often recognized throughout the community and beyond.
But while he stops to take pictures with everyone, he says he does everything in his power to not make it about him.
“For some reason, I have this spotlight through making a joke on Twitter 11 years ago,” Reid said. “It just kind of happened, and I feel a great responsibility to use my powers for good.”
Reid’s impact on the Bills Mafia is nothing short of extraordinary. Starting as a joke, his Twitter feud with Adam Schefter and creating 26 Shirts has created a movement for other Bills fans to express their fandom.
One of those is a 27-year-old who gets the Bills Mafia fired up every game day. His name: Brother Bill.
A Gameday Morning Tradition: Brother Bill
For some, Bills fandom starts as soon as they are born. For Brother Bill, his came after a 31-0 win over the Patriots in the 2003 home opener.
“Lawyer Milloy and Takeo Spikes came out of the tunnel and fired up the crowd in a way I have never seen before,” he said. “That was the moment when I fell in love with the Bills and knew nothing would ever change it.”
Growing up in Rochester, New York, Bill has made a career as a barber. He began cutting hair out of his parent’s basement and has become one of the best in the 585. In 2019, his work earned him the best barber by City Newspaper’s Best of Rochester.
“It was something that came very naturally,” Bill said. “[My parents] wanted me to go to college, but they realized I was taking barbering seriously and I have been a barber since I was 19.”
But on the weekends, Bill trades in his scissors for a vintage Bills jacket and snapback hat, creating pregame hype videos on Twitter.
“I have always been a creative and goofy person, but I did not know what I was getting into,” he said. “So I created a character who just loved the Bills.”
The First Video Spurs a Following
But his first video in 2018 did not feature him. Instead, the clip depicted a meme of two people dancing to the hiring of Sean McDermott as head coach of the Bills. The video did well, garnering over 1000 likes on Twitter.
Brother Bill knew he was onto something. And since then, he has switched to producing wake-up videos for the Bills Mafia to watch leading up to kickoff every week. Each one to two-minute clip takes a friendly dig at each opponent’s cuisine and fan base.
He has gone as far as boxing a rack of Kansas City pork ribs to jumping through a table of boiled crawfish. And after cooking up the opponent’s favorite foods, Bill punts them into the woods behind his house.
While the videos may ease nerves before kickoff, Bill says he has no formal editing experience and finds it hard to find new ideas.
“I have a $7.00 app on my phone that I bang it out on,” he said. “But it is tough to find innovative and funny things, but luckily I know the schedule ahead of time so I can try and brainstorm ideas.”
According to Bill, each video takes five to eight hours of brainstorming, filming, and editing. But one thing that has not changed is the opening scene, where he drinks a cup of Labatt Blue Light mixed with coffee.
Although it sounds disgusting, Bill says it tastes like victory.
“It’s not as bad as you think, as the coffee overpowers the beer,” he said. “But I would not choose to drink it all the time.”
Since 2018, Brother Bill has made over 80 Bills-themed videos. And these videos have caught the notice of brands like Pepsi, who have sent him numerous items to keep and give away to fans.
But while his over 16,000 Twitter followers enjoy his content, Bill says it’s about the love for Bills Mafia.
“Bills Mafia fits right into the family feel, as they are a shoulder to cry on during the tough times,” he said. “We are built through pain and have an attitude where we are going to get through it no matter what.”
Sticking Through the Heartache
Coming into the 2022 NFL Playoffs, Bills fans had Super Bowl on their minds. But with 13 seconds left in regulation of the AFC Divisional Round, the Chiefs stormed down the field and pushed the game into overtime. And well, we know what happened next.
The recent heart-wrenching result is nothing new to Bills fans. Del Reid was in high school when Scott Norwood’s kick sailed right against the Giants in 1991. And both of his daughters were born during the 17-year playoff drought.
But through it all, Bills fans have welcomed their team each year with open arms.
“The Bills are that extra family member in every Western New York household,” Reid said. “You don’t disavow your family and they will always have a seat at the dinner table.”
And for others, it’s a community.
“It’s not betting on a team that you think will be good,” Jason Thurston said. “It’s attaching yourself to a community because of civic connections and hoping for the best.”
With Josh Allen as their quarterback, there is hope the Bills will win a Super Bowl. But no matter how long it takes, the Bills Mafia does not plan on giving up anytime soon.
“I cannot imagine being a fan of any other team, as this fabric is too woven,” Kristen Kimmick said. “It’s more than what’s on the field and we are about to reap dividends.”
