Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - For many that live in Buffalo or happen to be from the region, the love for Western New York is often profound. Whether it'd be the people, the climate, the food, or even the sports team, many share a deep connection to the 716.
But not everyone is fond of the region or the people of Western New York, especially if you happen to be an opponent of the Buffalo Bills.
A few weeks back, NFL veteran Jonnu Smith joined the Dive Bar Podcast, a Miami Dolphins-based podcast, ahead of the team's start to training camp in South Florida. When talking about the City of Buffalo, Smith did not hold back from taking his shot to dis the region.
"I don't know how they do it. Anywhere in the world, anywhere in the country than going to Buffalo. It's got to be the worst place you could be in the world," said Smith. "And the wings, the Buffalo wings aren't even good."
More recently, Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams made an appearance on the YouTube channel First We Feast and its show "Hot Ones Versus" with Detroit Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown.
During the interview, one of the questions asked of both players was, "Which NFL team has the worst fans?" In his answer, Adams picked "Bills Mafia", despite only playing in Western New York just twice over his 10-year career.
"All the snow balls and all of that during the game, that's just a lack of respect for another man," said Adams. "You pay to come to my game, and you're more focused on hitting me with a snowball?"
Without much hesitation, members of "Bills Mafia" have come to the defense of not just the fan base, but also the region and the city they love.
"We're passionate. We are passionate about our team," said Bills fan Megan from Hamburg before Friday's "Return of the Blue and Red" practice at Highmark Stadium. "Do we want to be known as a fan base that other teams don't like? No, but you're also coming into our house. And I guess when you're an away team coming to the Bills' stadium, it is what it is, I guess."
"I live in Buffalo now, and I love living out here," added Bills fan Paul, originally from Honeoye Falls. "We have great Waterfront property, I fish a lot, love the area. For the Buffalo wings, maybe it's because they're eating them with ranch. Gotta go blue cheese."
While Bills fan Tina lives in East Otto, she knows all that Buffalo and Western New York has to offer with businesses in both the city and the Village of Ellicottville.
"I think Buffalo has some of the best food. Since I moved back from out-of-town, I have gained quite a bit of weight because the food is so fabulous," said Tina with WBEN. "And if you have to call it 'Buffalo chicken wings', you've never had a chicken wing, because we just have 'wings'."
Tina adds she knows Bills fans are some of the most passionate, and dedicated fans in all of football, and for good reason too.
"The 'Bills Mafia' has raised so much money for charity for our players, their families and their charities, and opposing players and their charities. That's the first thing that comes to mind," she said. "And tell them to come. Come and see us. Most of us are fabulous, and you might get hit with a snowball, but I bet if I went to Minnesota, a Vikings fan might throw me a snowball as well."
Even for out-of-town Bills fans who don't live in the region, they've come to love not just the team, but also the region and everything that comes with it.
"All I gotta say, man, is, 'Welcome to Buffalo!' That's the home field advantage that we come with with the 'Mafia'," said Bills fan Chris from Charlotte, N.C. "And honestly, if you can't handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen."
While Adams and Smith are not the only people to take shots at Buffalo or the fan base over the years, many Bills fans remain perplexed as to why so many people dis the region when they haven't spent the time here.
"Buffalo did go through years and years ago maybe some harder times, but there's a big turnaround. The Waterfront's awesome, we have all our sports teams," Megan said. "I have many friends that moved away, and they ended up coming back. They love it here, it pulled them back here."
As for Tina, she will chalk it all up to jealousy.
"I think they're a little jealous that we have such a dedicated fan base. We've gone through some really difficult times as fans, and have stood by our team year-in and year-out. And I don't think that every NFL team gets that kind of dedication from their fan base," she said.
What recommendations would Bills fans make to change the minds of those who think down on Buffalo, or those who don't know much about the Western New York region?
Being an outsider who's made the trek many times before, Chris says it's about experience it for yourself.
"All the videos, all the TikToks, all this stuff that you see online it's real. It's really like that in Buffalo, it's really like that out here in the field. The grind, the tailgates, all that 'Bills Mafia' stuff is real. That's all I gotta tell them. It's a family, come out and enjoy it," he said.
"I think we're the friendliest people, I think you'll have a great time," echoed Tina. "We've got a lot of different areas in Downtown Buffalo, also in the suburbs and the surrounding areas. I think we're the 'City of Good Neighbors' for a reason. We're really kind to each other, and generally speaking, I think we're really kind and welcoming to strangers as well."
"It's a lot different than the normal New York that you hear of. It's got a mix of Midwest nice and the speed of New York, I would say. The people are great, and I love the area I'm from, I really do," added Paul.