Bills Mafia plans to hijack Arrowhead with new team anthem. Will it work vs. Chiefs?
Bills fans traveling to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, Jan. 26, are looking to bring one of their newest traditions to Kansas City, a Buffalo news station reports.
“Mr. Brightside,” the 2003 smash hit single from Las Vegas-based alternative rock band The Killers, blasts through the speakers at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, in the fourth quarter of games. The fans in attendance sing along to its catchy verse and chorus before the game resumes.
The tradition started after footage of Bills tight end Dawson Knox’s wedding was posted on social media, and a video of his teammates singing the song went viral in July.
“Let me tell you, when that song came on, it was the highlight of our reception,” Knox said on Saturday Jan. 18 to Rochester, New York-based WROC. “We got some great videos, great memories from it. So, that was my favorite song of the night.”
Fans on social media are gathering together to find the right time to sing the songs themselves, according to WIVB in Buffalo. Crystal Vermette, a member of the Bills Mafia, has shared the idea on several Bills fan groups on Facebook and even created an event page to coordinate with traveling fans.
“If you’re going to the next game and you happen to sit by the Bills PLEASE pull out your phone, speaker all the way up, and play Mr. Brightside & SING IT LOUD for our boys in the 4th quarter!!!,” she said on Facebook. “If there’s enough of you and you collectively all play & sing it at the same time we can blow that stadium away!”
Is there a ‘Mr. Brightside’ tradition among Chiefs fans?
Members of the Bills Mafia shouldn’t be surprised if their new tradition is hijacked in favor of an old tradition, which may turn some Chiefs fans against each other.
The song, featured on the band’s 2004 album “Hot Fuss,” is their most popular song, sitting at 2.4 billion streams on Spotify and 585 million views on YouTube. It’s played at arenas and stadium over the country, and it also has a special connection with the state colleges in Kansas and Missouri.
Current students and graduates of the University of Missouri and Kansas State University take the opportunity during the post-chorus to chant an explicit saying to their rival, the University of Kansas.
If Bills fans start to sing the song on their own, there may be quite a few Mizzou and K-State alum in the building Sunday who interrupt with their version, much to the dismay of KU alum.
This story was originally published January 23, 2025 at 2:07 PM.
