Detroit fans flock to Jets-Bills game

DETROIT - Ryan Manshaem stood up and raised his arms in disgust.

"No!" he screamed.

Manshaem was upset on Monday night, as the Buffalo Bills scored a touchdown early in the first quarter against the New York Jets in a game that was moved to Ford Field because of too much snow in Buffalo.

It's not so much that Manshaem was rooting for the Jets. No, that would feel wrong for a diehard Lions fan. He was simply rooting against the Bills, a team whose defensive coordinator is former Lions coach Jim Schwartz.

So to recap: you had a Lions fan, wearing a Red Wings jersey, cheering against the Bills, while half-heartedly rooting for the Jets.

Yes, it was a strange night at Ford Field. But it was a tremendous success.

It was a win for Detroit, as thousands of fans got to see an NFL game for free.

It was a win for several restaurants and bars around Ford Field, which filled up with Bills fans.

It was a win for Bills fans, who dug out of the snow and showed up en masse.

It was a win for countless workers in the Motor City — security guards and ushers and the folks working the concession stands, who picked up an unexpected but welcome day of work. I asked an usher what she was going to do with the extra cash.

"I'm using it for Christmas!" she said, smiling.

It was a win for the security guards, who showed great tackling ability, knocking down two Bills fans who stopped the game by running across the field like fools.

It was a win for the Red Cross — proceeds of a raffle went to help people suffering in Buffalo.

And it was a win for the Lions, an organization that pulled off an extra game and made it look easy, the second one in four years. "I knew we had a great team of people," said Lions president Tom Lewand. "Because of that team, we didn't blink. I know the skill set they have, and they pulled it off."

The crowd was announced at 56,044.

"We have considerably more people than we had last time," Lewand said. "Almost everybody who works our games on Sunday signed up to work. It's a testament not just to our staff, but our game-day staff that does a great job."

Compared to a Lions game, this crowd was quiet. Granted, it was a strange crowd. It was a mix of Bills fans, Jets fans, Lions fans and a bunch of folks who are just fans of free tickets.

Snowstorm to windstorm

More than 2 hours before the game, four guys from Buffalo were playing football in a parking lot next to Comerica Park. The wind was fierce and the ball wobbled in the air — like they trying to play catch in a wind tunnel.

But what's a nasty windstorm when you have been stuck in several feet of snow?

"Words can't describe how much snow we had," said James Janczylik, 30, of Buffalo.

How did they survive?

Beer, of course.

"Imagine four feet of snow falling within 24 hours," said Josh Slawiak, 30, of Buffalo. "It was hectic. The city, the region was just shut down completely."

They were housebound for a good three or four days. They waited. And they took their sleds to the store for groceries and more beer. Hmm, I'm starting like these Bills fans.

And the Jets fans weren't so bad, either. Alissa Cornell and her daughter Kelsey walked outside Ford Field, wrapped in Jets apparel. "Our Christmas present to my mom and dad was tickets to the Jets-Bills game in Buffalo, because we are huge Jets fans," Kelsey Cornell said. "And it was cheaper to go to Buffalo than the Meadowlands. Seriously."

She laughed.

"We were like, Buffalo? Detroit? Whatever," Kelsey Cornell said. "We'll go."

They were able transfer their original tickets and get into the game. But not all fans could get in, and there were empty seats, so it wasn't a perfect system. It was complicated because the Lions didn't know how many Bills fans would show up. The Lions distributed 67,000 free tickets.

Tony Smith of Detroit, seeking tickets, ran into a scalper asking $150 for a single ticket. "They say they were giving away free tickets," Smith said. "Now, you gotta buy them." His wife, Kim Smith, was bummed. "I've never been to a game," she said.

Feelings strange, familiar

Everything felt different.

Watching the Bills' fans take over the Elwood Grill. Seeing the Bills' logo at midfield in Ford Field. Watching a Bills' video on the big screen, as volunteers who shoved out the Bills' stadium on Monday chanted: "Let's go, Buffalo!"

Yes, it was strange. Strangest of all for Lions fans: Seeing the home team score a touchdown at Ford Field.

But in the end, the crowd filled in, and those Bills fans thawed out, and it was a day to be proud.

Proud of Detroit.

Seidel also writes for the Detroit Free Press.