Starve the pit? Buffalo Bills add extra security to stadium hole ahead of Chiefs game

Sports stadium construction

FILE - From left, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott, General Manager Brandon Beane, EVP/Chief Operating Officer Ron Raccuia, owner Terry Pegula, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell participate in the groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new Bills Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., Monday June 5, 2023. Proposals for new and improved sports stadiums are proliferating across the U.S. — and could come with a hefty price tag for taxpayers. This past year alone, roughly a dozen Major League Baseball and National Football League franchises took steps toward building new stadiums or making major renovations to their current ones. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)AP

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The legend of the pit at the future home of the Buffalo Bills has grown significantly over the past few weeks.

So much so that the Erie County Sheriff’s Office put out a statement on Saturday warning the Bills Mafia that extra security would be present at the Bills’ future home on game days.

Sheriff John C. Garcia wrote, “We all want to see a Bills win on Sunday,” Sheriff Garcia said. “Let’s keep the focus on the field and out of the parking lots.”

In the statement, the sheriff’s office noted that 10 fans have been charged with criminal trespass for getting into the construction area of the new stadium over the course of the season. The most recently trespass charge came on Monday ahead of the Bills’ Wild Card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After starting 0-1 this season, a Bills fan trespassed into the home of the future Highmark Stadium and fell into the pit. Buffalo would rattle off three straight blowout victories following the incident. After some struggles on the field that had Buffalo’s season on the brink, two more people were arrested at the site of Buffalo’s future stadium before the Bills’ home matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Since that point, Buffalo has rattled off five straight wins including their 31-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Wild Card weekend.

A satirical TikTok only furthered the legend of the pit leading up to last week’s win over the Steelers. The pit has since been covered by The Ringer, Barstool Sports, TMZ and other media outlets.

The good news for the Erie County Sheriff’s Office is that Sunday night’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs will be Buffalo’s final home game of the season. The winner of today’s game between Buffalo and Kansas City will travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in the AFC Championship Game while the Super Bowl will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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