When Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes square off in the AFC Championship on Sunday, most local bars will show a sea of red. But not Taps on Main in the Crossroads. Taps on Main is a hub for the Buffalo Bills fan base, commonly known as "Bills Mafia." Owner Grant Tower says Kansas City still welcomes his Buffalo Bills-oriented sports bar as the rivalry between the Chiefs and Bills has grown.
"It's not as hostile as you might think," Tower says. "Our business has grown as the rivalry has grown."
Tower was born and raised in Kansas City, but his Buffalo native father passed down his love for the Bills. He tells KCUR there's a small but dedicated Bills fanbase in the metro, and his bar is a "sea of blue" whenever the Bills visit Arrowhead.
"When the bills come to town, it'll be crazy," Tower says. "They're such a good traveling fan base that it'll be a sea of blue all weekend."
Sunday will be the fourth time the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills have met in the playoffs in the Allen and Mahomes eras. So far, the Chiefs have won in each of the previous contests. Some of the losses have been especially painful for Bills fans, like the infamous "13-second" game in which the Chiefs tied the Bills with only 13 seconds remaining on the clock before winning in overtime.
"My dad actually apologized to us for the first time after that '13-second' game," Tower says. "Apologized for raising us as Bills fans."
Despite years of heartbreak, Tower has hope. The Bills are playing their best football of the Josh Allen era and have already beaten the Chiefs during the regular season.
"This one feels like the year," he says.
But Chiefs fans know better than to count out Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and the rest of the team who head into Arrowhead on Sunday as slight favorites. The AFC Championship is available on CBS or Paramount+.
- Grant Tower, Taps on Main owner
