He wore a Patriots jersey to Highmark Stadium for 20 years—and made friends doing it

This story is part of a year-long series from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle documenting the Buffalo Bills' last season in the current Highmark Stadium. Follow along this year as we chronicle the team's ups and downs, fan memories and more.

In a tailgating lot less than a mile down the road from Highmark Stadium, several hours before kickoff on Sunday evening, Rochester resident Matt Sullivan tosses an orange ping pong ball across a blue painted wooden table.

It bounces just beyond the final white plastic cup needed to win the game, so it's up to his beer pong partner to sink the final shot.

To the right of the competition, Sullivan's son ladles another helping of homemade New England clam chowder from a deep metal pot on a small propane-fueled grill into a bowl and sits back down in a lawn chair to see what happens next.

With a simple flick of the wrist, the ball flies into the cup, sending its contents halfway up the inside, and a brief cheer erupts between Sullivan and his partner. Their opponents, standing at the other end of the table, have one last chance to land a ball in their two remaining cups, but both miss, ultimately solidifying the other duo's triumph.

If it wasn't obvious by the clam chowder, Sullivan is a New England Patriots fan through and through, but surprisingly doesn't have any naysayers in his vicinity on this day. He's been attending Buffalo Bills games at Highmark for 20 years, and his jersey choice has elicited its fair share of ridicule but Sullivan said he has also found there's truth in Buffalo's "City of Good Neighbors" nickname.

A loyal Patriots fan finds community inside Highmark

When Sullivan, who goes by "Sully," first bought season tickets to Bills games in the mid-2000s, he was a bit of an instigator — and he'll tell you that himself.

"It didn't matter who the Bills were playing, I was the biggest fan of their opponent," the West Irondequoit school board president said. "For my first four or five years, I wasn't the most appreciated person in our section."

For him, his allegiance to the Patriots is a trivial detail. Growing up on Long Island, he was surrounded by professional sports teams — the New York Giants, Jets, Rangers, Islanders, Yankees and Mets — so when he moved to the Rochester area after graduating from SUNY Geneseo, he was craving the buzz of that environment once again.

The Bills and the Ralph were the answer.

"There's nothing like a football game in Buffalo," Sullivan said. "There is nothing more energetic or passionate than standing in that stadium."

More: These 5 Bills wins over the Patriots stand out as some of the best in stadium history

For years, his turbulent relationship with Bills fans caused concern — a security person stationed at the top of his section in the stadium told him in recent years that he had been on a watch list — but that chip on his shoulder has since eroded, and Sullivan only actively roots against Buffalo if their losing would benefit the Patriots in any way.

Through that mellowing, he's created a rather unlikely community with those around him. He welcomes fans from both sides of the field by offering tailgate food you won't find anywhere else — tuna melts for Dolphins week, Cuban sandwiches for Tampa and cheesesteaks for when the Eagles come into town. Once, he even got a Bills fan to wear a Patriots jersey after a bet over who would win the first game of the season went Sullivan's way.

"I appreciate Bills fans ... welcoming me into that relationship," Sullivan said. "I appreciate how people have allowed me to do something that I love doing in a really cool environment."

Witnessing one last Patriots win at the Ralph

On Sunday night, it went Sully's — and the Patriots' — way again. A sloppy, penalty-filled performance by both teams kept the game close, with New England pulling ahead at the half and again near the end of regulation with points made between the goal posts.

It felt extra sweet for Sullivan because it was his son's first Patriots game and the last time the two rivals will play inside Highmark.

The last time he saw a Pats win here was back in 2021, but it wasn't that long ago that every time Tom Brady stepped foot in Highmark, the hearts and ego of Bills fans sank and anger and frustration rose.

Sullivan's seen the tides change, though, and there's a level of respect that's come with it.

"Ten years ago, Bills fans always knew that the Bills would find some way to screw up a winning game," Sullivan said. "You could see that nobody thought a win was a win until the last second ticked off the clock because nobody snatched defeat from the jaws of victory better than Buffalo for so many years. Now it's completely different. The energy in the stadium, the confidence is at a level that it never was in the past."

Celebrate the final season at Highmark Stadium with Farewell to The Ralph: Remembering Where We Cheered, Froze, Cried and Bonded—a 208-page keepsake capturing five decades of unforgettable Buffalo Bills moments, fan devotion and stadium legacy. Preorder now at https://BillsStadium.PictorialBook.com to save 20%.

Emily Barnes reports on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network’s New York Connect Team, but occasionally, as a certified member of the Mafia, tries her hand at covering the Bills and their fans. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills fans welcome this Patriots faithful at tailgates, in the stadium