Getty Josh Allen throws a pass during a Buffalo Bills practice.
Josh Allen has been feeling the love at Buffalo Bills training camp, but some fans are also growing upset at the less-than-gracious treatment he and some of the team’s other stars have been receiving.
A pair of viral videos showed Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs on the receiving end of some rude behavior from pushy fans seeking autographs. Both players appeared miffed at the treatment, especially Allen as a fan hit him with a packaged football while he was leaving practice.
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Fans Not Happy
A video posted on August 7 showed Allen jogging off the field without his pads and waving to fans when someone threw a souvenir football toward him. It hit the running Allen, who stopped and pointed toward the fan in apparent annoyance. Allen then continued on to the locker room, while others could be heard admonishing the fan.
“Disrespectful, disrespectful,” someone said to the fan.
Diggs had another tense moment with fans, with several throwing objects at him in the hope of getting an autograph. Diggs caught and then dropped some of the items, and picked up and signed others but then dropped them to the ground as well.
Stefon Diggs is a legend for this. People are way too obnoxious when it comes to autographs
Some Bills fans called out the behavior, especially when directed toward Allen.
“Why do I keep seeing videos of people throwing s*** at players to be signed?” one fan tweeted. “Y’all really think they’re going to sign that? Be better people. Be better as people. Athletes are human beings.”
#BillsMafia if they find the idiot who threw the autograph football box at Josh Allen:
To Allen and Diggs…we aren’t ALL this ridiculous and disrespectful. 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Keep it classy Mafia #BillsMafia @BuffaloBills
Allen, Fans Share Love at Camp
The incidents appeared to be an anomaly in an otherwise fan-friendly training camp. The Bills remain one of a handful of teams that travel for training camp, taking the show on the road to St. John Fisher University just outside Rochester and prioritizing the fan experience. On Friday, the Bills came back to Highmark Stadium for an intrasquad scrimmage that drew nearly 36,000 people.
Josh Allen playing some catch with kids before Friday nights practice at Highmark Stadium.
Allen has been a willing participant. Before Friday’s practice, he played catch with some young fans in Highmark Stadium. He also played with fans before the practice, entering the field wearing a red helmet that drew some big cheers.
Many Bills fans were excited at the idea of the Bills wearing the throwback-style helmet at some point, but it won’t be this season. The team’s official Twitter account announced that they would be sticking to the white helmets this year.
Some Bills players have praised fans for their fervor. Veteran offensive lineman Dion Dawkins said he tried to explain to some of his new teammates just how different the fan experience is in Buffalo.
“Ever since the young guys that got here, Von, well, Von isn’t a young guy. But the older guys, the rookies, I said, ‘You have no idea.’ They say, ‘Alright, alright.’ Now they see it and say, ‘Dog, we understand now.’ The fans continue to show out and show up. This place is epic, and it is electric here, and I am happy to be part to get these people some hope to play ball, so it’s a beautiful feeling,” Dawkins said, via WGRZ in Buffalo.
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