The Buffalo Bills are in the AFC Championship for the first time since 1994 and have the opportunity to secure a trip to Super Bowl LV by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs. Dick’s Sporting Goods is preparing for a potential victory and is stocking up on an important part of Bills’ fandom. The sporting goods retailer has a large collection of folding tables available, conveniently sitting next to racks of team merchandise.
A photo surfaced on social media Tuesday that showed a collection of Bills hoodies and shirts at a Dick’s Sporting Goods. A massive pile of folding tables sat right in front. Some people thought this photo was just a joking reference because members of the fanbase jump through tables prior to and after important games. However, other people began saying that their local stores were following suit.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Dick’s Sporting Goods is selling tables in the Buffalo Bills section of the store. pic.twitter.com/dSqZ6yfYve
— Matt Johnson (@twoeightnine) January 19, 2021
“I know they’re doing it at the Dick’s on Alberta Drive,” wrote WKBW reporter Ali Touhey. Similarly, James Dator of SBNation did research into the availability of tables at various Dick’s Sporting Goods locations. He found limited stock at local stores but discovered that every story in the Buffalo area “is stocked up fully.”
Members of the Bills Mafia have a reputation for throwing the best tailgates. These fans create their own excitement prior to home games and jump through folding tables with reckless abandon. These fans will stand on top of a nearby vehicle or table while the crowd cheers and then leap onto a folding table, which collapses amid excited roars.
The table jumps have become the stuff of legend, to the point that CBS Sports’ Adam Schein vowed to take part in the ritual after the Bills won a home game. “When, not if, when the [Buffalo Bills] win a home playoff game this year I’m jumping through a table. Right here on Time to Schein,” the sports host said in June 2020.
The Bills then proceeded to go 13-3, reached the playoffs and won two home games. Schein responded by pouring some drinks on his head and jumping through a smaller version of the table in his backyard. He also declared that the Bills would go to Super Bowl LV.
While Schein has faith in the Bills, the AFC East team will first have to find success at Arrowhead Stadium. The team will face off with the Chiefs on Sunday at 6:40 p.m. ET, with the winner moving on to the championship game. If the Bills win, there will inevitably be a large number of fans breaking some tables that they purchased at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
