Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It was a special premiere for a number of Buffalo Bills fans on Tuesday night, as they were able to take in the opening episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills" at the North Park Theatre along Hertel Avenue.
While fans had the opportunity to watch the premiere of "Hard Knocks" from the comfort of their own home, members of "Bills Mafia" felt it was important to share the moment with other Bills fans.
"To be with everybody and understand how they make it is obviously really special," said Kevin O'Brien of North Buffalo. "The reason that people love the Bills is the community that's created. It's so much more than just a sport or a team. And not having to watch it at home, stealing my in-laws' HBO password is also a nice help."
"I want to be with the fans. I want to feel the vibe. It's why I have Season Tickets, it's different when you're with people that are feeling the same way than just being in your house. There's just a vibe, and I want to be part of it," added Jill Dolan from Clarence Center.
For some fans who have watched the show in previous years, it's a fun opportunity to get to see the team in a light they've had the chance to watch with other teams featured on "Hard Knocks" in years past.
"We get to see inside a little bit more. What's going on in the locker rooms or at training camp in the time they're all getting together," said Shar from Buffalo. "We get to see the stuff on the field, even if you go to practice, you see that stuff. But seeing what they're doing behind the scenes sounds exciting to me."
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Tom Reynolds from North Tonawanda knows the in-depth look into a team ahead of the regular season is what's going to make this series fun for Bills fans.
"We think we know all the players, but do you really know all the players? This will give you some of that background," Reynolds said with WBEN. "Josh is pretty public, but I feel like you're going to get [a look at] some of the other players, and really see what kind of team we really have. I think it's a positive thing, and America is going to see it as well."
Former Bills defensive back Marlon Kerner feels what fans can be most excited about with this season of "Hard Knocks" is the chance to see what the process is all about in Buffalo.
"We've always heard 'Trust the Process', but we've never really seen what that process looks like. So I think being able to kind of see how they structure certain things in their practices, what they talk about when they evaluate players. Maybe some of the coaching decisions, they're not going to give out calls, but just kind of like, 'Hey, when we do this formation, check this.' Just kind of seeing some of the things that maybe you're not accustomed to seeing, that's gonna be a little different that we don't get to hear," Kerner said at Tuesday's premiere. "So when we say, 'Trust the Process', now you can say, 'I know what that process looks like.'"
Kerner knows how unique the City of Buffalo and Western New York is in the football landscape. He says it reminds him plenty of how he grew up in Columbus, Ohio as a Buckeyes fan.
"Fans live and die by the Buffalo Bills, so you understand that if you played at different schools where football matters the most. And so I got here, I immediately recognized this is a football town. Everything is all about the Bills," Kerner said. "Your mood is dictated on if the Bills won on a Monday. When you understand that process, you understand that the people are going to take, love and endear themselves to anybody that works hard, anybody that keeps their self out of trouble, keep your head down, work hard. So it really was a lot of things that I grew up liking."
Part of the experience of being a member of the Bills is the shared experiences with "Bills Mafia". That's what Kerner feels will be strongly showcased with a show like "Hard Knocks".
"As a former player, you understand why you put on the pads and who you play for. And then when you leave, to see the community then come in and embrace you and say, 'You're one of us. You're never gonna leave,' I've been here for 20-plus years. I can't hate that. I can't believe I'm saying that," Kerner admitted. "I thought I was gonna be here and move somewhere else, but I stayed here, raised my kids here. So just the way the fans treat you, the way they open up, Buffalo truly is a 'City of Good Neighbors', and you can't go wrong with wings and pizza, and all those good things. That also helps keeping you here."
For one of the assistant directors for "Hard Knocks", Kaley Campen, the experience of Bills training camp and following the team around for the last couple of weeks has truly been a unique one.
"The Bills go away for training camp, they go up to Rochester, which has been a ton of fun. We haven't had a team who truly goes away, stays in the dorms, has that team camaraderie and feel. It's been a couple of years. Only about five teams do that in the NFL, so it's really fun to be able to kind of get that old school camp vibe with them again," said Campen at Tuesday's premiere.
What stood out to Campen right away with the Bills in the first few days of training camp and filming at St. John Fisher University is the special culture the Bills have developed from top-to-bottom within the organization.
"They are just a very close-knit, bonded team. The guys are truly friends, they enjoy spending time with each other on their off days, even though they spend all day together. So we really have gotten to see that, and there's just a ton of fun personalities on this team, and guys who just truly love each other, which is awesome," Campen said.
And while Campen has been taken aback by the culture of the team on and off the field, she's been just as amazed by the nature of "Bills Mafia" and how crazy of a football town the city and region is.
"They have open practice to fans pretty much every day, which is not usually the case. Usually it's like a couple open practices, and then it's closed to fans and media. So the fact that fans get to go out there and see Josh Allen every day, I will say the players love it as much as the fans do. They all talk about 'Bills Mafia'," Campen noted. "Dion Dawkins is probably a fan favorite, who you'll see a ton in the first show. He loves those fans, and it's cool to see. These guys will spend 30-40 minutes after practice walking the whole practice field just to sign autographs every day. That's just been really unique to see, to kind of bring that whole community together."
Campen has also noticed the excitement among the fans to have NFL Films crews in town for "Hard Knocks" to highlight the team through training camp.
"We've went and filmed with some fans around town, found some of those super fans of 'Bills Mafia' who have really been through it from the four Super Bowls back in the day until now, and are all excited to see them maybe chase another one. I think it's just been a lot of fun. The fans are as invested as we are," she said.
So what can fans expect out of the entire "Hard Knocks" series featuring the Bills this training camp?
"I would say you get to see a lot of the fan favorites," Campen said. "Coach [Sean] McDermott leading the charge, he is just exceptional as they come. You can see how much he's so well respected by the entire team, which is awesome. But Josh Allen, Dion Dawkins are some of those core heartbeat guys who have been here for a long time. Tre'Davious White's back in Buffalo, which I think fans will love to see. He's definitely highlighted in that first episode. Just some of those core anchor guys who have been here and are that true heartbeat of the team."
The first episode of "Hard Knocks" is now available on-demand on HBO Max. The latest episodes will air live on HBO over the next four weeks on Tuesdays at 9 p.m.