Growing up I didn’t realize that there were football fans out there who never saw their team have a winning season, go to the playoffs, win division titles and not only go to the Super Bowl but actually win the Super Bowl.  Growing up with Peyton Manning as your quarterback meant that you just never got stressed on game day, because the chances of you winning were pretty high.  

I also grew up spoiled, going to games in the RCA Dome and Lucas Oil Stadium, or as many Hoosiers refer to it, The House That Peyton Built.  You would wear your coat into the game, then quickly remove it to sit in either the air conditioning, heating or on a nice day they would open the retractable roof and let the nice breeze in. 

When Jordan asked me to go to my first Bills game with him in Baltimore I of course said yes, as I wanted to be the supportive girlfriend. Guys, it was terrible!  First off, I had to get up at the crack of dawn and get on a charter bus with what feels like 100 screaming Bills fans.  If you know me, you know I am not a morning person, nor do I handle any situation well before my coffee has kicked in.  Then we get there to tailgate and it’s freezing cold out, pouring rain and the only way to relieve myself of the 3 cups of coffee I drank to wake myself up, was to stand in line to get to porter potties which were all standing in huge puddles of water.  Before we even got into the stadium my poncho had ripped, so I was soaking wet.  

Once we FINALLY got inside the stadium I had to buy an expensive poncho to replace my ripped one and buy a long sleeved Baltimore Ravens shirt at the gift shop to add another layer of warmth.  When I put my stuff down to put the shirt on, I was promptly told I couldn’t sit with him if I was wearing that shirt, so I had to go into the bathroom to remove all of my wet layers of clothing, to put on the dry shirt, to then struggle to put all of my wet layers back on. 

THEN!!!  Guys I’m not remotely done yet.  THEN!!! We had to sit in the top row of the, get this, NON-ROOFED (pretty sure I made that word up) stadium. In the rain. In the cold. Watching his team get spanked. Also, as a Hoosier we are known for our Hospitality. Let me tell you, Baltimore is not. The amount of times I wanted to scream “watch your language, there are children” was too many to count.  But I kept my little mouth shut and let everyone enjoy the game.

Even though I was miserable and ready to leave before we even got into the stadium, every time I looked over at Jordan he was having the time of his life.  So excited just to be in the presence of other Bills fans cheering on their team.  They didn’t care if they lost, turns out they were pretty used to it, they were partying hard. 

The past 4.5 years have brought about many intense Sunday’s.  From the Colts beating the Bills in Indianapolis to the Bills pulling off a win against the Colts in a blizzard, every time we play each other there is a strong sense of rivalry in our house.  From our rival attire to fighting over which dog will wear our team's jersey, everything is a battle. Many garbage plates and pork tenderloins have been consumed in our house over the years. 

Even though I love my colts, it has been so exciting watching the Bills excel over the past few seasons. Watching Jordan’s reaction as they went to their first playoffs and even won their first playoff game has been fun to experience with him.  I can now honestly say the passion the Bills fans have for their team is unrivaled in the NFL. The farther they get in the season the more decorated our house becomes with branded paper plates, napkins, footballs and posters. I will always bleed blue and be a member of Colts Nation, but I have found a special place in my heart for the Bills over the past few years.  However, our children will 100% be Colts fans and there is just no arguing about it.