KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A bar in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, has become a gathering place for fans of the Buffalo Bills. Taps on Main even serves authentic Buffalo wings.
"My dad is from Buffalo, it’s a 50-year-old family recipe," Taps on Main owner Grant Tower said. "He and I are the only ones who make it."
Tower was born and raised in Kansas City, but his father is a diehard Bills fan from a Buffalo suburb. Tower said he never considered changing allegiances as a child.
Admittedly, his fandom wasn't an issue because the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs both struggled for most of his childhood.
Now each team has a star quarterback in Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Sunday's matchup will be the fourth time in the past five years that the two teams have met in the playoffs. The Chiefs have won those previous three games.
"That's what is so cool about this rivalry — two of the most fun teams we'll ever see and it's my team and my hometown's team," Tower said.
Tower is optimistic his team will win this time. He wears a Bills hat nearly every day and considers himself "loud-ish and proud" with his fandom in enemy territory.
"This week it's not toxic; we're ready for a big game," Tower said. "This is the game of the year, let’s do it!"
Tower said visiting Bills fans will flood Taps on Main Friday and Saturday, but he expects it to be mostly hometown Chiefs fans at the bar during the game as Bills faithful migrate to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
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KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.