The Jaguars and Bills faced off in Duval’s home stadium for the first time since the 2017 season in the playoffs, and fans came from far and wide to watch the showdown.
If you’re heading to a tailgate, expect to see a lot of people bumping into foldable tables.
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Local Bills superfan Neal Krause, also known as “Brian Fury,” explains the story behind the tradition.
“The significance of breaking the standings is that the four legs of the standings represent the four Super Bowl losses that we had in the early ’90s. So when we break them, we as fans break the negative stigma that has hung over us as fans for years,” Krause said. “I’m just kidding, it’s public poisoning.”
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It’s been a record-setting year for the Jaguars.
Jaguars superfan Jon Fichter believes the hype surrounding the team hasn’t been this intense since 1999.
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“Everybody wanted it bad, the city wanted it, we wanted it, but we never got it. We’ve gotten bits and pieces of it, but we haven’t seen it dominate since 1999. So, yeah. I think energy is going to be crazy,” Fichter said. “People who were never fans are now fans, and I’m like, oh, are you a fan? Oh, do you have a shirt? Oh, yeah, I just bought it at Walmart last week, you know?”
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The battle for turnout will be as fierce as the competition.
The Bills are known for their strong performances.
We spoke with Bills fan Darren Quinn while he was driving over 20 hours from Ontario, Canada to Duval.
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“The last time I went, entering the stadium from the main street there, I was like, oh, wow, I wonder where all the Bills fans are,” Quinn said. “Then I looked over to my right in the parking lot and it looked like it was the end of the world. It was all Bills fans. I thought, oh, they’re coming! Things are on fire, you know it’s like chaos.”
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Fans from both teams we spoke to said both teams have a deep respect for each other this year.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, and Bills fan Erica Romanos said she hopes fans maintain that respect whether they win or lose.
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“I think most everyone had a great time out there. It was a really exciting weekend, but I could definitely smell the fist fights in the air,” Romanos said.
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