After four test runs and way too many hot takes fuelled by social media, the Buffalo Bills' long-overdue new home is set to open its doors for the first game that counts on Thursday.
A prime-time audience will see Highmark Stadium host its inaugural regular-season contest when the Bills battle the Detroit Lions in what should be a true spectacle after both teams won dramatic openers last Sunday.
Two teams on the Great Lakes and minutes from the Canadian border are set to battle it out in a game many fans from Southern Ontario would love to see repeated at the Super Bowl.
While Josh Allen, Jahmyr Gibbs and other stars are sure to put on a great show, just as many eyes will be the new stadium across the street from the now-demolished venue of the same name that was home for the Bills from 1973 through this past January in suburban Orchard Park, N.Y.
Much already has been said — some negative, some positive — about the new open-air venue.
After the first event — an open practice for season-ticket holders last month — photos circulated on social media of obstructed-view seats in the upper deck, creating headlines across the continent.
What many forgot — or chose to ignore — is that obstructed-view seats are common in many stadiums.
Now, if fans were misled during the sales process, it's a very valid gripe. The Bills should know that.
As a 20-year season-ticket holder, I was aware there could be seats without clear views based on virtual views going around social media last year. When it came time to select seats, I passed on a few, realizing fans on stairs, railings or windows could make the experience a bit annoying.
Eventually, I chose seats in the upper deck, which have a completely clear view — almost identical to what I saw on a monitor during the sales presentation.
While I am just one person, based on the reaction of others while attending the open practice and two pre-season games, any negatives seem to be far outweighed by the big improvements of the new venue.
The concourses and washrooms are much bigger and there are actual seats with cup-holders in the upper deck (as compared to packed, cold benches in the old place). You also can see the field from the concourse, giving fans an option to stay in seats or find a place to stand and mingle, much like the recently-renovated Rogers Centre.
The canopy covering some seats is a good call — again, the complaints about it not covering enough fans seem overblown to me. The scoreboards are just fine — despite some saying they are too small — and getting in and out of the stadium is way easier than at the old place due to separate security and ticket lines.
The place is not perfect, of course. It doesn't seem great that the Bills had to replace the grass field after two open practices and two pre-season games. The talk about the wind being diminished doesn't really feel like reality in the upper deck and the supposed state-of-the-art sound system seems muffled to me in my section. And you certainly can quibble with OneRepublic, rather than Buffalo's own Goo Goo Dolls, for the first halftime show.
The cost for fans, too, is way up with the new personal seat licences and higher ticket prices and parking. Some fans are going to be priced out — which is an unfortunate reality of the professional-sports landscape. Over time, prices on the secondary market will come down, but the days of a Bills game being a great entertainment bargain are long gone.
Still, it says here, this is a wonderful football stadium, overall. It may not have all the bells and whistles of other new venues, but it also didn't cost as much as the palaces in cities like Las Vegas and Los Angeles. It is comfortable, spacious and has some nice touches for Buffalo — I'm partial to the impressive art of the Peace Bridge and the famous broken folding table, along with the bison statues outside the stadium.
The open-air decision seems right for Buffalo, which is known for weather games. With radiant heat in the concourses, there is a place to warm up in winter months. As a longtime Bills fan, football just doesn't feel quite the same at an indoor stadium like Ford Field, home of the Lions.
The new Highmark also is going to be very loud, based on the design. Even with many seats empty in the fourth quarter of a tight pre-season finale, it was a noisy building as the Bills held on for a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 'Shout' celebration song is staying, along with the 'Where else would you rather be' chant and the train horn for third down for the visitors.
An addition for the home opener is the Canadian anthem being performed by the Barenaked Ladies. The Sabres have played 'O Canada' since the franchise started, and the Bills probably should have done the same decades ago, considering how important Canada is for the business of a couple of small-market franchises.
Most importantly, the Bills are guaranteed to be staying in western New York for 30 years in a location that has proven to be a wildly popular tailgate spot. The pre-game traditions will live on, and with a Thursday night game to start, you can expect quite the scene around the stadium in the afternoon hours.
After the last game at the old Highmark and the Sabres' dramatic Game 7 overtime loss to the visiting Montreal Canadiens following their painful playoff drought, Thursday completes a truly special trio of sporting events in Buffalo this year.
It also marks the beginning of a new era, but important parts of the past will continue to very much be a part of the experience.
Buffalo desperately needed a new stadium to quell any talk of the franchise leaving town, no matter how unfair that seems.
The stadium is now here, housing a team that once again has Super Bowl aspirations — long removed from the embarrassing run of futility but still chasing that elusive title.
When it's lit up for real on Thursday night, a spectacular show is sure to follow for the Bills' devoted fan base.
