BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As millions of people get ready for the biggest night in football, not everyone is planning to tune in to the Super Bowl on Sunday. Some fans are growing frustrated with what they see as the same teams, the same outcomes, and too many controversial calls by the referees.
The Kansas City Chiefs are on the brink of achieving a historic third consecutive Super Bowl victory. However, fans are saying they are tired of the Chiefs dominating the AFC every year.
“It was heartbreaking,” Bills fan Kim Slowinski said in regards to the the team’s playoff loss. “That Monday, I felt like I was in mourning. I honestly felt like somebody in my family died.”
Fans believe officiating is part of the problem when seeing history repeat itself. Most of them refer to the play where officials ruled that the Chiefs stopped Bills QB Josh Allen short of the line on a fourth and short drive.
“There were definitely some things we could have done better,” said longtime Bills fan Jessica Poland. “I do truly believe that a lot of the play calling, especially in the fourth quarter, was just against us to begin with.”
In response to the controversy, fans are choosing not to watch the big game at all.
“It was an easy decision to make because of the Chiefs making it again and we got screwed over in that football game,” said Slowinski. “My husband and I are just going to watch movies. Something upbeat that we enjoy, and then we’ll look at the results of the games when it’s over.”
It’s not just Western New Yorkers who are choosing to boycott the game on Sunday. WIVB News 4 heard from fans in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, and Texas who all said they won’t be tuning in either.
There is a petition calling for all NFL viewers upset by the refereeing in the league to commit to boycotting the Super Bowl and future games until changes are made. As of Wednesday evening, it has over 3,600 signatures.
Fans aren’t the only ones upset either. Some local businesses, including Luna Lounge in Cheektowaga, are leaning into the boycott by hosting an anti-Super Bowl party. The President and Vice President of Luna Lounge say they want to “flip the script.”
“We feel like Luna Lounge is a great community atmosphere,” said Jonathan Crane, President of Luna Lounge. “Buffalo is a great place to come together.”
Instead of having the big game on their televisions, Luna Lounge plans to provide entertainment by showing highlights of Josh Allen and the puppy bowl.
“We were brainstorming, and we know everyone loves Josh Allen and everyone loves puppies,” said Cesar Wolch, vice president of Luna Lounge. “Instead of showing the game, watching our parlay lose by one leg, we’re going to show Josh Allen highlights and the puppy bowl on every TV.”
Luna Lounge will also have all the things a Buffalo Super Bowl party would have too, including live music, 99 cent wings, and drink specials.
“We feel like it’s an opportunity to bring everyone together for a good time in a bad situation,” said Crane. “We will continue to root for the Bills and hopefully one day we make it there.”
Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here.