I was down south this past weekend visiting family and I decided to check out a local sports bar to watch the Buffalo Bills football game. A quick search for Bills gathering spots le
RonDao’s is a nice spot for transplanted northerners to enjoy their favorite team, a scene that must be common in countless cities across the country. That said, it was also a brand new subculture for me. In a sprawling room covered with LCD televisions and sprinkled with Bills posters, there were 400+ people decked out in Bills jerseys, Bills hats, and, in at least one instance, a Bills tattoo. If you squinted, you could have easily been in Buffalo…well, except for the tan lines.
As fans trained their eyes on one of the 65 LCD TVs, a cheery wait staff decked out in referee jerseys served food and drinks on any flat space: tables, bars, re-purposed pool tables, even a foosball table covered with a piece of plywood (bearing the Bills logo, of course). I shared a corner with Rob from North Buffalo, Rob’s girlfriend Cheryl, and Eddie from Cheektowaga. At one point, I asked Eddie about the wings, and he said “It’s no Duffs, but they’re pretty good.” Motioning towards a dish of wings, he then asked “want to try one before you order?”
As the afternoon went on, Eddie from Cheektowaga bought me a beer, the Bills lost in a close game, and I won an appreciation for why people come to dimly lit bars on sunny Sunday afternoons. Familiarity is a beautiful thing–especially away from home–as is finding a connection to others. Perhaps the only thing more important is finding really good wings.