We already knew the Buffalo Bills have one of the best fanbases in professional sports, and it’s proving why once again this week.
The Bills’ season came to an end on Sunday night with a 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. A field goal attempt from kicker Tyler Bass with less than two minutes to play would have tied the game, but Bass’ kick sailed wide right.
Rather than turn on Bass, who has played for the team since it drafted him in the sixth round in 2020, the Bills Mafia rushed to his support. According to a report from The Buffalo News, fans have donated thousands of dollars and counting to the Ten Lives Club, a cat adoption group Bass has worked with in the past.
Donations swell to Ten Lives Club cat adoption group for Bills kicker Tyler Bass https://t.co/534hu1rCNp
— The Buffalo News (@TheBuffaloNews) January 22, 2024
Kimberly LaRussa, who works with the Ten Lives Club, told The Buffalo News that fans wanted to donate $22 as an homage to Bass.
“That’s when we kind of learned that he was receiving a little hate today from yesterday’s football game,” LaRussa said. “And we were just so saddened to hear that, because everyone at Ten Lives Club, all our supporters, when they watch the Bills game, they’re all rooting for Tyler. That’s because he loves cats, and he helped Ten Lives Club last year.”
Bass began working with the group as a result of his partnership with Show Your Soft Side, which works in tandem with professional athletes to stop animal abuse.
The Ten Lives Club also made a post on Facebook defending Bass, which spurred a flood of donations. LaRussa said the organization had raised $7,000 through Facebook alone with even more online donations not yet calculated.
“WE STAND WITH TYLER BASS. DON’T BULLY OUR FRIEND,” the group posted on Facebook on Monday. “We just heard the terrible news that Tyler Bass is receiving threats after yesterday’s game and our phones are ringing off the hook from people who want to donate $22 to Ten Lives Club in Tyler’s name.
“Tyler doesn’t deserve any of the hate he’s receiving. He’s an excellent football player and an even better person who took the time to help our organization and rescue cats last year. Leave our friend alone.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a gesture like this from the Bills Mafia. After a playoff win over the Ravens in 2021, Buffalo fans donated to the Blessings in a Backpack charity that Lamar Jackson supports.
The following year, fans donated more than $400,000 to support a Buffalo-based charity offering support to families dealing with pediatric cancer in honor of Bills tight end Dawson Knox’s late brother, Luke.
It’s never easy to make a mistake at such a critical moment in the game, but once again, Bills fans have shown compassion to one of their own.