Nearly every die-hard sports fan can relate to having to sit through watching a heartbreaking loss from their favorite team.
Only a highly specific and increasingly small group of fans have had to sit through watching their team lose four-straight championships.
Released on Oct. 21, the new Tubi documentary “Just One Before I Die” shows the trials involved with being a fan of the Buffalo Bills through their four Super Bowl losses in the early 1990s and historic run of losing seasons to begin the 21st century.
Directed by Buffalonians Addison Henderson and Kevin Polowy, the documentary shows a combination of lifelong fans and former players to give a glimpse into the collective mind of one of the most storied fan bases in sports.
Episode 1 “Birth of the Mafia” provides the context for the team’s history, including its early days, its move to Orchard Park, N.Y., and how the “Bills Mafia” moniker came to be. Between Adam Schefter blocking multiple fans on what was then Twitter after some lighthearted trolling and Tom Brady fanning the flames with some trash talk of his own, the name became a go-to description for the fan base known for braving the cold Buffalo winters to tailgate.
However, the documentary also shows the faces under the red and blue face paint and that there is more to the Bills Mafia than just diving onto plastic folding tables.
Steven Brown, a Buffalo native diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer and given 13 months to live, said his first concern upon receiving his diagnosis was about his family and kids. His second was whether the Bills would be good enough to win a Super Bowl.
Whether by tattoos, streaks of hundreds of games attended or thousands of dollars’ worth of memorabilia decorating the walls of living rooms, the documentary shows how for many in the city of Buffalo, their Bills fandom is a year-round lifestyle.
With some recognizing the city to be facing a decline in population, the Bills are a source of pride, even when they lose. The fandom is not about how many touchdowns quarterback Josh Allen can throw in a game. It is about the pride they take in being multi-generational fans of a team in one of the NFL’s smallest markets.
The documentary does a great job showing this tight-knit community and the tailgating and traditions that bring fans together on a weekly basis. The first episode sets a strong enough foundation that even the most casual of sports fans can understand the meaning behind the Bills Mafia.
Rating: 4.5/5