No drought, no drama: Brawling, beer throwing and other bad Bills fan behavior brought down to new all-time low
The Bills reached a record low this past season in reported bad behavior at Highmark Stadium, according to data the team provided to The Buffalo News.
Buffalo resident Christian Delisle, a Buffalo Bills season ticket holder for more than 20 years, remembers when it was a lot more common to see the swarm of yellow-clad security officers breaking up fights and other bad behavior in the stands. He recalled the long period of suffering in the 2000s, under quarterbacks such as J.P. Losman, when many Bills fans spent more time in the stands drinking and partying than watching the field.
Back then, it was also commonplace for security and Sheriff’s officers to process dozens of arrests and between 100 to 200 fan ejections a game.
But Delisle has noticed a change over time.
“There are less ridiculously drunk, less troublesome people around,” said Delisle, who holds seats in the 300 section. “Bills fans are happier when we’re winning.”
The Bills reached a record low this past season in fan incidents, according to data the team provided to The Buffalo News. Out of a stadium capable of holding more than 70,000 fans, the average number of fans removed from the stadium per game this past season was 18.
The average number of arrests per game?
Two.
Bills leadership credits the season’s record low to increased investment in security, training, technology, and greater focus on communication and creating a positive fan atmosphere. Incidents of beer throwing, brawling and vomiting – old markers of boorish Bills fan behavior – aren’t anywhere near as commonplace as they once were.
“This is a long time coming,” said Andy Major, the Bills vice president of operations and guest experience. “We’ve been working at this for well over a decade.”
Major, who joined the Bills in 2012, said the team has been investing in security. The Bills brought in hundreds more security staff and Sheriff’s Office reserve deputies, he said, and changed its private security firm in 2022.
Policy changes over time also helped, such as limiting tailgate space for cars and buses in the Bills lots to curb drinking, and having the stadium open all gates two hours early to enable 96% of fans to be seated before kickoff. Gates that were once closed due to short staffing now remain open so fans don’t linger as long in crowded lines.
“Those days are long gone, and the fans see that,” he said.
Delisle, who now sits among other well-established season ticket holders, agreed that the atmosphere at Bills games has improved, considerably, over the years.
“It’s been a lot calmer and nicer,” he said.
A more positive focus
Beyond creating more restrictive policies, the Bills have also taken a more positive and proactive approach toward fan interaction, Major said.For instance, instead of reprimanding fans for bringing glass bottles into the parking lot, which is prohibited, stadium employees now remind tailgaters of the policy while offering free plastic cups. They also provide trash and recycling bags that Bills staff pick up after games, resulting in a cleaner lot and more responsible tailgating before the game.
“I was a little nervous about that approach, initially, but the fans responded, ‘Hey, thanks,’” Major said.
The Bills also solicit fan feedback and instituted a Fan Advisory Board in 2012, composed of a group of season ticket holders.
“We collectively make sure we’re listening to the fans, what they want, what they might be complaining about, or what they might be very happy about, and then that gives us the ability to go back into the office and, hopefully, make some positive changes,” Major said.
Dealing with problems
Both the Bills’ private security personnel and Sheriff’s Office deputies are trained to de-escalate confrontations, they said, part of a broader culture change to encourage fans to police their own behavior. Fans are often issued a warning, first.“We usually give most fans a second chance, unless it’s something extremely egregious,” Major said. “And usually fans are pretty good, and that’s the end of it.”
Of course, some behavior doesn’t merit a second chance. Vomiting in the stands, for instance, is one of the most common reasons for automatic stadium ejection these days, Major said. And when the Bills played the San Francisco 49ers in December and fans were sitting in snow-covered seats, a lot of fans got tossed for throwing snowballs.
“We’re good with fans throwing the snow up in the air and celebrating a touchdown,” he said. “But when you’re forming a snowball that’s very hard and compact to travel all the way to the field or from the upper deck to the lower deck, what do you think is going to happen if it hits somebody in the head or in their face?”
Anyone ejected or arrested is barred from re-entering the stadium until they complete a $250, four-hour “Fan Code of Conduct Class.”
Retaining security staff
Improving security isn’t just about dealing with fans. It is also about retaining staff.The Bills are a league leader in staff retention, with a turnover rate of only 10%, Major said.
To keep good people, the Bills began providing more in-person security training and positive incentives, which have contributed to a sense of teamwork and camaraderie among security and stadium staff that extends far beyond the field, he added.
Similarly, the team instituted a “Team Member Advisory Board” in 2018 that includes representatives across all stadium staffing groups to help improve the game day working environment.
The Bills meet with security and law enforcement officers before and after each game to plan and troubleshoot problems. A record low number of fan incidents were reported this season.
Harry Scull Jr., News file photo
The partnership between private security and outside law enforcement has also strengthened, Major said. Both the Allied private security firm and Erie County Sheriff’s Office participate in multiple planning and troubleshooting meetings together and in person.
Role of law enforcement
The Sheriff’s Office is responsible for making arrests at the stadium, with court appearance tickets usually issued on the spot. Arrests often involve disorderly conduct or trespassing, such as instances where a fan has been barred from Highmark Stadium, but snuck back in under someone else’s ticket, even though they haven’t completed a mandatory fan conduct class.Fans have been taken directly to the downtown Holding Center, in rare instances, usually for outstanding warrants.
But while the Sheriff’s Office is responsible for arrests, its greatest contribution to game day security is deterrence, said Brian Britzzalaro, chief of special operations. Outside the stadium, a SWAT team with medical training and armored vehicle are stationed prominently. State Police are also on site.
Inside, roughly 150 deputies work with Bills security and ushers, he said. Many deputies are stationed at the same posts every week during the season and do routine aisle walks twice per quarter. Season ticket holders get to know them over time.
“If something serious goes on at that stadium, something bad happens, they’re going to look at that deputy in that uniform, and look for direction,” he said.
If necessary, the Sheriff’s Office also has several holding cells on site.
“If somebody is overly intoxicated, we will hold them there for their safety and well being, and then we will get them an ambulance to take them to ECMC until they’re sober enough to find a loved one or somebody who will come and pick them up,” Britzzalaro said.
Good game, good behavior
The Bills have reported low fan incident numbers dating to 2021, though the most recent season was the lowest yet.Both Britzzalaro and Major acknowledge that security has become an easier lift since the Bills have become an outstanding team.
“A lot of the games were close these last couple of years, so the fans’ focus is on the field,” Britzzalaro said.
It is when the games are are lopsided that stadium incidents tend to rise, he said.
Overall, though, Major has been happy to see Bills fans grow a better reputation across the league. The Bills Mafia fan base may still have a national reputation as a rowdy crowd, but that is not all they are known for anymore, he said.
“I think they’re charitable and generous, which is something a decade plus ago, you would maybe not say,” he said. “But there’s been so many cool things that Bills Mafia has done to give them that designation, that they are a charitable and generous fan base, besides being loyal, friendly fans, representing the City of Good Neighbors.”
