Bills fan goes viral for homemade sign at Sunday's playoff game
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BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- A longtime member of Bills Mafia brought a homemade sign to Sunday's matchup against the Ravens, but when a picture of it was posted online, the sign sparked a wave of criticism, with some people calling it the worst sign they've ever seen at a stadium.
Kyrsten Rorick, a Bills fan from Rochester, has been to a number of regular season games at Highmark Stadium. For this past weekend's game, also her first-ever playoff game, she wanted to do something a bit different.
Rorick decided to make a sign that would air on television. That goal was achieved pretty early on into the game. Rorick said one of the reasons she made it was to connect with her family, who was watching at home.
"They were able to text me in the middle of the game saying they saw my sign," Rorick said. "It was a cool little moment for us."
The reaction that came after the game was something Rorick said she never expected. She woke up on Monday to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, with hundreds of comments mocking her sign. One commenter said, "A woman definitely made it."
"When something is posted online, it sometimes reaches an audience it wasn't intended for," Rorick said. "So, people who aren't Bills fans and they don't understand who Josh Allen is or why the sign might be funny."
Rorick said the inspiration behind the sign came from a video posted by the Bills over the summer about the players playing the New York Times' Wordle game.
Despite the flood of criticism, Rorick is choosing to rise above the negativity, using this as a chance to spread a positive message.
"When people post negative comments to something that is supposed to be fun and entertaining, it really discourages people," Rorick said. "Especially sports fans for showing up for their favorite teams in a way that feels right for them."
Rorick took to TikTok to share more about her viral experience. She posted two videos that have received over 220,000 views.
She said the response has been overwhelming, with thousands of women showing support for not only the sign, but the message that no fans should be made to feel different.
"It's not a secret to a lot of people that women who are sports fans tend to face very different treatment than men who are sports fans," Rorick said. "It was really important for me to kind of create that space, so women still feel safe showing up for their favorite teams."
Rorick said she plans to get the sign laminated and assured it will be coming with her to every Buffalo Bills game from here on out.
Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here.