Their rental car got broken into on Lower Terrace, a miscreant thief trying to pry out the vehicle’s GPS… Some knucklehead Dallas fans lit up a barbecue grill in a hotel room at the Adams Mark in the wee hours Monday night, and with smoke billowing through the hallways the hotel had to be evacuated… While visiting Niagara Falls, they decided to WALK from the cataracts to the Spanish Aerocar attraction down the gorge (”well it didn’t look that far on the map”)…Cueing up at the Peace Bridge on the return to Buffalo, they waited with trepidation to find out what Homeland Security had in store for them at the inspection booth (no probs)…

In other words, Chris Boyes and his family had the time of their lives.

Last night Peter and I met up with Chris and Carolyn and their two kids at Fat Bob’s in Allentown for a farewell dinner. For them the week here in Western New York went way too quickly. It was a holiday jam packed with sightseeing, shopping, adventure, the Sabres opener, and for Chris, the marquee event of the trip… a journey to see the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park.

I picked Chris up at the Adams Mark about 4pm Monday, and after a quick stop to pop into Dunn Tire Park to show him the ballpark we pointed the car southward, meeting up with Pete at Duff’s. For Chris I could already sense his excitement. As we drove down route 5, I was pointing out the sights (Outer Harbor, nature preserve, Bethlehem Steel yada yada) but all he wanted to know was “how far to the stadium”. When we sailed down Lake and crossed over Abbott, he craned his neck and got his first glimpse of what he had traveled so far to come see.

After the traditional Buffalo meal of beef on weck, chicken wings and cold Molsons (2 for 1’s), I passed Chris off to Peter, as I had to head back to Cheektowaga for a political meeting (hey our next County Legislator Alan Bedenko was addressing the Cheektowaga Democratic Committee how I could I miss that!) I later blew out of there and drove back to RWS to meet the guys, getting to the seats just as the teams were being introduced, and Pete and Chris had already gotten their fill of checking out the tailgate scene, a visit to the Bills store, and the photo opps. Now it was showtime.

For me it was a thrill watching the game through Chris’ eyes… he is such a die hard Buffalo fan and even though he is 37 years old, he displayed almost a childlike boyish enthusiasm, up on his feet cheering loud, singing the “Shout” song along with the fans, and hugging and high-fiving everyone around us.

And what a show he saw! Bills fans were partying like it was 1991, and I have not heard the stadium so loud since the Glory Years. For a night game on a holiday, I thought the stands would be full of ugly incidents and fights but we saw little of that. For on this night Buffalo put its best face on for a prime time national audience, and as often as I pontificate on what a crappy and hostile place RWS is to attend a Bills game, I couldn’t be prouder of my fellow Buffalonians for the spirit they showed, and on a night where we wanted so much to impress our very special visitor.

Of course by now we know the brutal and heartbreaking outcome. One could not have asked for a more classic performance out of our team’s bedraggled defense, and for almost an entire evening we dared to hope that the Bills would shock everyone with a miracle win. But it was not meant to be, and when Dallas kicked the 52 yarder to complete their improbable comeback, I felt like crying, Pete looked like he wanted to do likewise, and Chris had the look of utter shock on his face. Fans around us began filing out, but the three of us just stood there for a few minutes and stared, allowing the realization of what an incredible game we just witnessed to sink in.

By last night the shock had worn off, and the Boyes’ spent one final day around town, shopping at the Walden Galleria and taking a drive back down to RWS to check out the Bills store and show the kids the outside of the building. All four of them spoke so highly of the warmth and friendliness that they had encountered from WNY’ers, the beautiful attractions and wonderful assets that we have here and take for granted, and of course, seeing the Sabres and the Bills live and in person.

Chris Boyes promised a return visit to WNY, next time son Jack will be older and will undoubtedly come along to see his first Bills game. Peter and I spoke of a possible USRT visit to England sometime down the line, a trip to Wembley Stadium and of course to catch a game of Chris’ beloved Wolverhampton Wolves in the Premier League. The Boyes’ have promised us that they will roll out the red carpet.

As we bid this nice family goodbye on the curb on Virginia Place, it hit me that the Ultimate Sports Road Trip is far more than seeing ballparks and stadiums and the bricks and mortar. It is making friends with extraordinary people, and we have been so lucky to have met so many terrific folks over the years.

Chris Boyes stumbled upon the USRT website by chance a few years back, saw these two guys from Buffalo, and began an email penpal relationship with us based on his love for Buffalo’s sports teams. We were so delighted to at last be able to meet Chris in person, and show him and his family the best of what Buffalo is all about.

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