New documentary explores Bills Mafia loyalty

Two Buffalo Bills fans, who also happen to be successful filmmakers, go behind the scenes of one of the most legendary fan bases in professional sports.

Deadline.com reports that Addison Henderson and Kevin Polowy will co-direct the feature-length documentary Just one more before I diean in-depth look at the Bills mafia.

Both Henderson (The forgotten city, Givers of death) and Polowy (Rise, fall, In the shadow of Beirut) have film credits. They are also longtime Bills fans who understand the “pain and misery” that has befallen the franchise and its fans over the decades, several heartbreaking moments so famous they’ve been given nicknames (“Wide Right,” “Music City Miracle,” “13 Seconds.)

Polowy, a Buffalo native, told Deadline.com that they wanted to investigate what makes the Bills mafia tick despite all the desperation.

“Why do we keep doing this to ourselves? As a die-hard Bills fan — as if there is any other kind of fan — I ask myself that at the inevitably painful, if not downright torturous, conclusion of each season,” Polowy said.

“Are the highs worth the lows? Will they ever win a title, or will I go to the grave like my beloved but tormented father, never having experienced the glory of a Super Bowl victory? With this documentary, we aim to explore what continues to fuel #BillsMafia to remain as loyal as we have been through all the pain and misery — and in turn, paint a broader, more universal picture of what fuels unwavering sports fans of all stripes.”

Henderson said the documentary will explore the larger theme of what drives sports fans to follow teams that have suffered long ago.

“The Bills are the lifeblood of Buffalo. The word that defines my hometown is ‘resilient.’ As a Buffalo native, it runs through our veins,” Henderson said. “We’ve been through great times and terrible times. But how do we persevere in the face of despair? In this documentary, we want to explore fandom and specifically what it means to be not just a Bills fan, but a sports fan in general.

“There’s only going to be one happy franchise at the end of every year. But what if it’s never us? Or you, Lions or Browns or Vikings fans? Will all the tears have been worth it?”

Production of the documentary will start this fall.

(Deadline.com)