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Bills fans give players heartwarming airport welcome after wild-card loss

liz roscher
Staff writer

Sunday was a disappointing day for Buffalo Bills fans. They finally got to watch their beloved team in the playoffs after a 17-year drought, but had to watch them lose 10-3 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and their weird teal playoff menu.

There was sadness, of course. And you can’t blame them for that. Fans have been waiting for nearly two decades to see their team play for a chance at the Super Bowl, and that team could only score three points over four quarters (and a grand total of zero points in the second half).

But some fans didn’t let their sadness rule the day. A number of them made their way to the Buffalo Airport to wait for the players to arrive back home. And when they did, the fans told the players how they really felt.

As the players walked off the plane and into the airport, the fans cheered (non-sarcastically!) and started chanting “THANK YOU!” That’s not just heartwarming, but truly impressive. Because from the video (and the accompanying audio) you can tell that it’s not just a handful of fans. It’s a decently sized group, and they’ve got signs and cowbells and tons of gratitude for the players who gave fans something they haven’t seen in years: the Bills in the playoffs.

This isn’t the first time that Bills fans have cheered their players after a tough loss. Just two days after the Bills lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants in January 1991, 25,000 fans gathered in Buffalo to thank the team for their efforts in that heartbreaking one-point loss.

Being a fan of most sports teams means you feel your fair share of disappointment, anger, and sadness. And there will be plenty of time for that during football’s long offseason. But just as the tweet said, it’s truly special that a group of Bills fans put those feelings aside so they could show their appreciation for the players who finally ended the playoff drought.

Bills fans cheer the arrival of the team after their 10-3 loss in the wild-card round. (Twitter/@SalSports)
Bills fans cheer the arrival of the team after their 10-3 loss in the wild-card round. (Twitter/@SalSports)

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Liz Roscher is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on twitter! Follow @lizroscher