Have you ever tried making your own blue cheese dressing? Sounds like a strange question - and it is - unless you're a Bills fan in Budapest, Hungary trying to make gameday feel like home.
As Bills fans living in a country where the blue cheese and wings are not aplenty, Daniel Poisson and his fellow Budapest Bills Backers have to improvise. Unlike many Backers in the U.S. who pull up a stool and order from the bartender, this group of expats whips up homemade blue cheese dressing from scratch, makes their own wings, and throws on their jerseys in a city where many have never heard of the Buffalo Bills.
Make no mistake, though they're more than 4,000 miles from Buffalo, the Budapest Backers are among the most dedicated.
Years ago, before their local bars got the NFL Sunday Ticket, Poisson and the Budapest Backers founder, Dennis Lynch, even flew from Budapest to London every gameday because there was no easier way for them to watch the games.
"Many people have left Buffalo physically, but haven't fully left 'Buffalo,'" Poisson said. "I get excited every year no matter what."
The Williamsville native said the group began by word-of-mouth about 20 years ago at a popular ex-pat restaurant. As the Americans in Hungary talked about their favorite NFL teams, a group of Bills fans steadily came together, soon forming an official Bills Backers International Chapter.
And there's a fun bonus to being so far away. Said Poisson, "Since we're so far ahead, every game is a primetime game. The mood is great for night games."
The group of about 15 cycles locations between their local Hooters, Champs Sports Pub, and Backers' apartments, and try to make it to one game at Ralph Wilson Stadium each season. In fact, Poisson says he bases his trips home around the Bills schedule.
Between the home-cooked blue cheese and the cross-continental flights to watch their team, it's safe to say the Budapest Backers know what real Bills fandom is all about - and then some.
Check out our Backers map to see where else in the world our Backers are located, and to find a club near you.
