Question for non-WNY'ers

[Pride]

This question is mainly for those of us who don't have the opportunity to see every Bills game on regular TV.

I've already made my decision on this, but I wondered what the rest of you thought. On one hand you have the comfort of your own sofa and the lost cost of your own food at home. On the other, you have the bar atmosphere with beer on tap and other Bills fans to high-five after a touchdown and win!!!

[gil]

I'm probably biased because my regular bar here in Pittsburgh is also the bils backers bar and we have a great crew, but I've also thought of getting the nfl ticket.

But, I'm a pretty solid believer in heading out to watch with fellow bills fans - plus I like having multiple tv's going with different NFL games to glance at during commercials and breaks.

And, no wife asking me if I really need that 12th beer as we head into the 4th quarter.

[Mr. Miyagi]

I try to get together with my local Bills Backers group at least once a month. We go to Buffalo Wild Wings and have relatively authentic wings and watch the game. Being deep in Packer country there are only 10 members or so, and maybe 3-4 of them show up at a time. But it's still awesome.

[T-Long]

I was the head of the San Jose Bills Backers...but have since moved back to PA. I just ordered the Ticket...it'll be installed on Thursday! I do like watching the games with other fellow Bills fans if I can't make it to the game, but this will be the first time at the house. With having a 6 month old daughter, it's harder and harder to get outta the house for a few hours.

[LtBillsFan66]

With the kid, we might get the ticket this year. At my age I think I'm starting to like home better.

[DraftBoy]

Definitely would prefer sitting at home

[raphael120]

Oh I love going out to the bar! I go to this Bills backers bar in DC that is pretty awesome and their wings aren't half bad either, AND they have Labatt Blue buckets to drink! Nothin beats that! But then again, I'm newly single and know there are a bunch of cute girls that are from Buffalo that show up occasionally, so not only do you get out of the house but you can try to hook up with some Buffalo chics! They also play the shout song when we score.

Nothin better than bein around 50 other screaming cheering Bills fans to add to the atmosphere. It's the only thing that comes remotely close to being at the live game. I remember being there for the Cowboys game last year...man, that was the craziest night ever. So many people, so much celebrating...ugh...cept for the very end.

So chalk me up for partyin it up with fellow Bills fans at a bar!

[tat2dmike77]

When i had sunday ticket i liked it cause i could get wasted and not worry about driving home.

But i goto the Billsbackers bar when back allows it. I'll just toke up a doobie before i go or in the bar parking lot.

But i prefer the sunday ticket. Till we move i'm stuck with going to the bar.

[madness]

1. I don't have to leave the house on a Sunday.
2. I still get to be around my family.
3. Hopefully I'll start a long tradition of watching Bills games with my 1 year old son.
4. My wife brings me food and beer.
5. I get to pause the action for bathroom breaks.
6. I control the TV and have access to almost every game including the beautiful creation that is called the Redzone channel in HD.

[Patti120]

I've had the ticket since 2001 (I think) and love it. I go to probably one or two bills backers meetings a year but I have to drive about 40 minutes and then have to drive home which means only a few beers. Meeting up with the bills backers is fun and I would probably go to the bar to watch the game with them if I could walk there but since that is not the case, Sunday ticket has been a dream come true. Like others have said, you can relax at home, drink as much or as little as you like, pause the tv, etc.

If I was to cut down on expenses I would still somehow manage to keep Sunday ticket.

[Pinkerton Security]

I get the best of both worlds bc all my friends that are Bills fans come and I have a bar in my basement....


well thats what I plan on when I own a house one day.

[OpIv37]

I went with Sunday Ticket. I always invite people over for the games- sometimes there's 10 people, sometimes (usually) it's just me. I miss the atmosphere of being around a big group of Bills fans, but there are a few problems with the bar:

1. Money- a seasons' worth of bar tabs adds up to at least the cost of sunday ticket.
2. Driving there and back adds about an hour to the length of the game.
3. The bars don't always have the sound playing, particularly if there are fans of other teams watching other games (and there usually are).
4. Drinking- I don't usually drink when I watch the games at home, especially if I'm alone. If I go to a bar, I'll drink, then the rest of Sunday is a waste.

Plus, having the Ticket allows me to keep up with the other games and watch GOOD games when the Bills aren't playing. I can only handle so much Ravens and Redskins.

[Jan Reimers]

I generally watch the away games at home on the NFL Sunday ticket, with an occasional 2 hour trip to Virginia Beach to watch with a Bills Backers club up there.

[Tatonka]

I get the best of both worlds bc all my friends that are Bills fans come and I have a bar in my basement....


well thats what I plan on when I own a house one day.

that is what i do. i have a bar with 4 tvs and the nfl ticket on 3 of them. bills game on the big screen. fantasy stuff on the others.

friends come to my house.. some bills fans.. but most are fans of other teams.

[Mr. Miyagi]

With the kid, we might get the ticket this year. At my age I think I'm starting to like home better.
What? Aren't you the president of the NYCBB??

[ddaryl]

I am way past hanging out in bars... not to mention the amount of money you spend there. And the fact there is no Bills backers club near me.

I'm all about the comfort of home.


Also on the left coast most Bills games start at 10am

[KO1]

depends on how hungover i am and who they are playing....big games i always go to a backers bar, mcfaddens in dc or jimmys tavern in va

[trapezeus]

i actually can't get the ticket b ecause the board of my building are a bunch of old ladies. They don't want dishes on the buildings because it's an eye sore. I swear, if it was 1904 and i was telling them to get telephone wiring installed, they'd stonewall it.

so i haveto go bar. but Mcfaddens is kind of a pain to get to and the wings aren't as good as they use to be. So i just cross the street and sit at a bar that lets me have my own TV with Sound and no one else around me.

[don137]

I prefer watching the Bills at home for many reasons such as more comfortable, still around the family, can drink as much as I want, etc. but occasionally it is nice to go out and watch it with a bunch of Bills fans.
The Bills Backers bar in South Charlotte, the Townshippe Grills, puts on a great spread. They hve a buffet for around $9 and offer hot dogs, buffalo wings (very good), salad, spaghetti, chips, etc. so it is very reasonable.

[HHURRICANE]

This question is mainly for those of us who don't have the opportunity to see every Bills game on regular TV.

I've already made my decision on this, but I wondered what the rest of you thought. On one hand you have the comfort of your own sofa and the lost cost of your own food at home. On the other, you have the bar atmosphere with beer on tap and other Bills fans to high-five after a touchdown and win!!!

This is easy. I have a brick bar in my basement with a killer TV and all the beer you want.

I go to a bar with my frends every Sunday instead.

It's not the same at home. PERIOD.

[HHURRICANE]

This is easy. I have a brick bar in my basement with a killer TV and all the beer you want.

I go to a bar with my frends every Sunday instead.

It's not the same at home. PERIOD.

For those who live in Atlanta, Barnacles in Duluth has 600 TVs and you can watch about 8 games simultaneously on 100" screens.

FYI.

[X-Era]

This question is mainly for those of us who don't have the opportunity to see every Bills game on regular TV.

I've already made my decision on this, but I wondered what the rest of you thought. On one hand you have the comfort of your own sofa and the lost cost of your own food at home. On the other, you have the bar atmosphere with beer on tap and other Bills fans to high-five after a touchdown and win!!!

Im anti-social and find most fans pretty stupid overall but the bar scene is much more "football" than at home alone or in my case with young kids and a wife who isnt a huge football fan.

[El Guapo]

I have seasons, but living in Alabama, I can't get to every game. Plus, they play away games that local stations don't carry. I have the ticket and I love it. Sometimes it is just me and the wife, while other times I have people over. The bar scene isn't for me, as there is rarely a bar that will give me sound on the Bills game. That, and I don't have to drive after a few (too many) beers.

[Homegrown]

I stay home. Where I live, there's 3-4 bars, NONE show the Bills. I think I'd have a better chance of meeting Jessica Alba at a bar then actually seeing a Bills game.

[realdealryan]

I've been going to a backer bar for 3 years, walking out after a loss more often than not. That's getting old, especially as the Colts fans have gotten cockier over the same time period. My house is about 35 minutes away from the bar, too, so I'm getting the ticket, but I'll probably show up at the Backers bar for a primetime game or maybe the chance to talk ***** to a random Pats fan. I'm pretty sure the ticket is cheaper than my beer tab, though. And the incidentals - food, more food, drunk pack of cigarettes, maybe a fast food stop on the way home (riding or driving)...

[DrGraves]

I love just going to the games being so close at UB and all...

for away games i love ordering some wings from duffs or achor bar!!! mmm mmm mmm... i cant wait to get back to buffalo in a few weeks!

[OpIv37]

depends on how hungover i am and who they are playing....big games i always go to a backers bar, mcfaddens in dc or jimmys tavern in va

Ever try Grevey's in Falls Church? It's not officially a Bills Backers bar but it's always loaded with Bills fans. They make a good beef on weck and show all the Sabres games too.

The only problem is that if the Bills are having a remotely decent season, you need to reserve a table by about Tuesday morning to get a seat. Otherwise you end up standing in the bar (which is more fun, but it gets uncomfortable standing for an entire game).

[mybills]

I'd have no problem sitting home watching with my son if I could get the ticket, but unfortunately, the trees that block the signal are not mine to cut. :ill:

So, I either go to the restaurant/bar down the street where they give me my own tv the second I walk in, and usually at least one other Bills fan shows up...or I head down to the Bills Backers bar & watch with a bunch of Bills fans.

[HughC]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Slingbox. For those that prefer to watch at home rather than in a bar, it's an alternative to the DirecTV Sunday Ticket. Just need to have a friend or relative in WNY set up the slingbox in their home, and then you can watch the game on your PC or laptop. If you can hook up your TV to your PC or laptop, then you get the benefit of your bigger screen. On top of that there's no recurring monthly fee - pay $100 - $250, depending on which version you want, just once.

[raphael120]

Ever try Grevey's in Falls Church? It's not officially a Bills Backers bar but it's always loaded with Bills fans. They make a good beef on weck and show all the Sabres games too.

The only problem is that if the Bills are having a remotely decent season, you need to reserve a table by about Tuesday morning to get a seat. Otherwise you end up standing in the bar (which is more fun, but it gets uncomfortable standing for an entire game).

They play all the Sabres games? You sure about that? I might have to stop by there a few times. I'm usually stuck listening to WGR online, which aint bad, I like hearing Rick doing the play by play.

[OpIv37]

They play all the Sabres games? You sure about that? I might have to stop by there a few times. I'm usually stuck listening to WGR online, which aint bad, I like hearing Rick doing the play by play.

yeah you might want to call to confirm once the season starts, but in the past they have.

Bugsy's by the river in Old Town shows the games too. It's mostly a Caps bar because the owner used to play for them, but they have Center Ice and a few of the bartenders are from WNY so they usually have the Sabres on at least one TV.

[raphael120]

yeah you might want to call to confirm once the season starts, but in the past they have.

Bugsy's by the river in Old Town shows the games too. It's mostly a Caps bar because the owner used to play for them, but they have Center Ice and a few of the bartenders are from WNY so they usually have the Sabres on at least one TV.

awesome, well greveys is like 5 minutes away so ill check it out. The less Craps fans, the better.

[OpIv37]

awesome, well greveys is like 5 minutes away so ill check it out. The less Craps fans, the better.

Meh- you don't really have to worry about it. The Caps only have fans from March until they're eliminated from the playoffs (which is usually early April, so being a Caps fan is about a 6-week-per-year commitment).

[DraftBoy]

For those who live in Atlanta, Barnacles in Duluth has 600 TVs and you can watch about 8 games simultaneously on 100" screens.

FYI.

Is that where you guys meet at for the games?

[PromoTheRobot]

Billy's Sports Bar in Manchester NH has all the Bills games on. And if the Steelers fans aren't hogging the sets, they will turn the sound up for the Bills too. I can drop $20 on food and beer for every game and still spend less than what Sunday Ticket would cost.

PTR

[OpIv37]

Billy's Sports Bar in Manchester NH has all the Bills games on. And if the Steelers fans aren't hogging the sets, they will turn the sound up for the Bills too. I can drop $20 on food and beer for every game and still spend less than what Sunday Ticket would cost.

PTR

Bars in the DC area are a little more expensive than bars in Manchester, NH. A beef on weck and two beers at Grevey's will run $20 easy.

BTW, assuming you don't go to the bar for the Bills bye week, $20 x 16 weeks of football is $320. Sunday Ticket without Superfan is $269 and with Superfan it's $349. So you're really not saving anything over the base package and only saving a little over the Superfan package.

[plundar]

It really depends on the amount of money you want to spend a year to watch the games. I was spending at least $30 a game at the bar. Thats $480 dollars a season. The ticket after the first year is only $200. I love the ticket. In California the games come on at 10am, which is great if you are hung over.

[Bruce is Loose]

I hate the inconsistancy of the bar - seems they can never get the TVs right. At home I have control, a big TV, and full volume. At the bar you either have no volume or are competeing with others. That said, I have no Bills Backer group locally that I know of here in Portsmouth, NH, so that might change things but I am a 100% home fore Bills games guy.

[BlackMetalNinja]

I really enjoyed the atmosphere at the bar near my apartment. The owner was from Rochester and there were many Bills fans there every week, plus the game was always on the big screen and the food was good. However, almost $20 a week including tip was a fair amount, and now I've moved a good 20 minutes (as compared to 2 minutes) away. I'll take that $20 a week and save on gas and watch at home now that I have DirecTV. This will be my first season with Sunday Ticket obviously, so I'll be able to comment more on that later.

Basically, I have a nicer TV, I can make decent (not quite as good) food, and I can be lazy and never move off my couch, so home is going to win out for now.

[losman420]

I'm probably biased because my regular bar here in Pittsburgh is also the bils backers bar and we have a great crew, but I've also thought of getting the nfl ticket.

But, I'm a pretty solid believer in heading out to watch with fellow bills fans - plus I like having multiple tv's going with different NFL games to glance at during commercials and breaks.

And, no wife asking me if I really need that 12th beer as we head into the 4th quarter.Thats a crazy question to ask, who doesn't need that 12th beer.

[HHURRICANE]

Is that where you guys meet at for the games?

Yes.

Sorry that I just saw this!!

You need to come out there!! We see every game. I thiunk I even watched pre-season there.

[DraftBoy]

Need to get Red to meet us out there too, we can have an official Zone get together!!

[HHURRICANE]

Need to get Red to meet us out there too, we can have an official Zone get together!!

The place is great. I was to a few other places that sucked because you couldn't here the games if there were a thousand Packer idiots or Steeler fans.

You can also watch other games simultaneously so you can get some scouting on who you may be playing later in the season.