Buffalo Bills' home opener weekend

At this year’s Bills' home opener there's no tailgating, no fans in the stadium and no sea of fans dressed in red, white and blue filling the lots around the Bills stadium.

SUBJECT.SEEING THE GAME INPERSON IS NOT ANOPTION IN BILLSCOUNTRY... BUT THATDIDN'T STOP FANSFROM GETTINGTOGETHER... ANDGETTING CREATIVE TOCHEER ON THEIRFAVORITE TEAM.IT WAS DEFINITELYSTRANGE TO SEE ANEMPTY BILLS STADIUMTO BEGIN THIS NOTSO REGULAR SEASON.SEVEN EYEWITNESSNEWS REPORTER ALAEREBHI SHOWS USHOW SOME OF THEFAITHFUL ENJOYEDTHE RETURN OFFOOTBALL.WHAT A DIFFERENCE AYEAR MAKES.AT THIS YEAR'S BILLS'HOME OPENER -NO TAILGATING, NOFANS IN THE STADIUM,NO SEA OF FANSDRESSED IN RED,WHITE AND BLUEFILLING THE LOTSAROUND THE BILLSSTADIUM.ABBOTT ROADLOOKED ALMOSTDESERTED, SAVE FORTHE POLICE CARS.SHERIFF'S DEPUTIESON PATROL..

MAKINGSURE NO FANSGATHERED OUTSIDETHE STADIUM TOCELEBRATE THE HOMEOPENER.BUT A GROUP OFCLOSE FRIENDS STILLMANAGED TO GETTOGETHER TO CARRYOUT A 15-YEAR-OLDTRADITION."WE'RE JUST HANGINGOUT FOR THE BILLSGAME AS KIND OFNORMAL.

IT'SDEFINITELY NOTNORMAL, IT'S ALMOSTSAD TO AN EXTENT; ASYOU'RE DRIVINGAROUND YOU DON'TSEE, YOU DON'T SMELL,THE SOUNDS -EVERYTHING ISDIFFERENT THIS YEARIT'S DEFINITELY ADIFFERENT YEAR."RICH FOLEY AND HISWIFE LAUREN MOVEDTO BUFFALO FROMNEW JERSEY FIVEYEARS AGO.

BUTTHEY'VE BEEN BILLSFANS FOR MORE THANA DECADE."IT'S JUST PART OFLIFE, WE LIVE DOWNTHE STREET, WEWANTED TO GET ASCLOSE TO THESTADIUM AS WEPOSSIBLY COULD."WITH THE STADIUMRIGHT IN THEIR BACKYARD, IT'S BEENTOUGH FOR THEM ASSEASON TICKETHOLDERS TO BE SOCLOSE, YET SO FARAWAY.

BUT THEY'RESTAYING OPTIMISTIC."HOPEFULLY ALL THIS ISOVER SOON AND WE'LLBE ABLE TO GO INTHERE AND SCREAMAND SHOUT ANDCHANT,""ESPECIALLY BECAUSETHEY'RE SUPPOSED TOBE GOOD THIS YEARFOR A CHANGE!

LIKETHE BILLS ARELOOKING GOOD ONPAPER, THEY LOOKLIKE A GOOD TEAM!""WE'RE GOING TO THESUPER BOWL.

THAT'SIT."AND LIKE FOLEYDESCRIBED IT, BILLSGAMES BRING THISCOMMUNITYTOGETHER, ALLOWINGEVERYONE TO PUTDIFFERENCES ASIDETO UNITE AROUNDONE TEAM, WITH ONEULTIMATE GOAL.<NATS CHEERING