The city of Buffalo has good reason to hope Tom Brady's suspension is upheld, considering how he's laid waste to their beloved Bills over his career.
The Triple-A Buffalo Bisons have civic pride, and are Bills fans, too. In that spirit, the Bisons hosted "Keep Tom Brady Suspended Night" at Coca-Cola Field on Saturday - a response to their International League rival Pawtucket Red Sox, who just held a "Free Brady Friday" promotion.
The Bisons pulled out all the stops. Fans were encouraged to bring properly inflated footballs and cellphones - in working, not-destroyed condition - to the game in exchange for tickets; the footballs and phones were donated to charity. T-shirts with the No. 12.5 on the front - the minimum inflation pressure mandated by the NFL - were sold by the team online and at the stadium.
Some of Tom Brady's "highlights", presented by the @BuffaloBisons. #KeepBradySuspended pic.twitter.com/IZ4vYVQ2qR
— Michael Parthum (@MichaelParthum) June 11, 2016
Fans named Tom or Brady weren't allowed to enter the stadium for the first four innings, though at least one anonymous fan found a loophole.
Well, well, well... Look who's at #KeepBradySuspended Night!!! Um, you can't watch for 4 innings, you know! pic.twitter.com/LH3rvtLpwr
— Buffalo Bisons (@BuffaloBisons) June 11, 2016
They even got Tom Brady to throw out the game's ceremonial first pitch. Well, a Tom Brady, from the Buffalo suburb of North Tonawanda, N.Y., threw the pitch, accompanied by an official "deflator" with a deflated football.
Tom Brady, of North Tonawanda threw out the first pitch for the @BuffaloBisons on #KeepBradySuspended night @WKBW pic.twitter.com/BCNfMlxVL5
— Dave Thompson (@DaveWKBW) June 11, 2016
Outside of the Bisons dropping both ends of the doubleheader, the event was a success, and everyone appeared to have fun. Everyone, that is, except for one very important person in the dugout.
"Yes, I'm a New England fan, and Tom Brady, too," Bisons manager Gary Allenson told Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News earlier in June. "I might not show up that day."
