CNN Jokes at Buffalo Bills' Expense During Solar Eclipse Coverage

The members of Bills Mafia took to the skies to watch a once-in-a-generation phenomenon, but couldn't escape without a reminder of their collective pain.

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The football world took a momentary break from the offseason to bear witness to the sublimity of Monday’s solar eclipse. 

A true once-in-a-generation phenomenon, business hours and school bells surrendered around the country as people flocked to the path of totality and their own yards to get a peak.

It was incredible, awe-inspiring, and for the cynical, perhaps a little underwhelming. For some Buffalo Bills fans, it may have been another reminder of the suffering they’ve grown used to. 

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17). / Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and

In what Western New Yorkers may call typical Buffalo fashion, clouds obscured much of Monday’s festivities, putting the eclipse’s visibility in doubt. It left one CNN reporter wondering why Buffalo just can’t seem to have nice things.

“We lose in football, we lose the sun because of the clouds,” said a CNN reporter in a Bills hard hat, reporting from Niagara Falls. “But that is not going to get in the way of us having fun.”

The Bills got in on the fun, too, commemorating the day with a logo-imposed eclipse on its social media account.

Of course, the Buffalo faithful aren’t just known for their poorly-ending Januarys. No one has more fun than Bills Mafia, regardless of the nearest tailgate. Monday’s events were a spectacle, briefly covering the region in darkness and creating memories that will last much longer.

Some in Western New York will have a story to tell about their solar eclipse signing, others may sound bitter about the eclipse that got away. But basically everyone on Monday has something to remember – successful or not – about the day’s unique proceedings and who they spent it with.

Isn’t that what being a Bills fan is all about?