If you’ve ever attended a sporting event in Western New York, you’ve probably seen Tom Girot.
You just may not realize that’s his name. To the vast majority of fans at stadiums big and small, Girot is simply known as “Conehead.”
He’s a beloved vendor known for the cone-shaped headpiece he wears. And he’s still getting the job done at all sorts of athletic events.
He spends his summer doing baseball, mostly for the Triple-A Buffalo Bison and Rochester Red Wings.
And now that it’s the fall, he has transitioned into the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
Usually, the Bills are on his agenda too, but not this year. Turns out, Girot didn’t get a chance to join in as Buffalo opened up the new Highmark Stadium.
Why Isn’t ‘Conehead’ Doing Bills Games?
Girot applied to work at the new stadium, but he didn’t hear back.
The Athletic shared this account of Girot’s approach:
“Girot is 71 years old. His wife of 49 years has badgered him to slow down. And after they attended a job fair last year for the new stadium and submitted applications, neither of them heard back from Legends Global, the team’s hospitality provider. After The Athletic requested comment from Legends Global, the company said it was looking into Girot’s account at the time of the publication of this story.”
This is what Girot told The Athletic about it: “The reality set in. You know what? I don’t think I’m going to work Bills games anymore. It’s actually working out for me at a good time of my life to cut something back.”
Girot has been doing this gig so long that he even worked Bills games back when they played at the old War Memorial Stadium.
He doesn’t plan on stopping, either, and he recently worked the Sabres’ preseason finale last Saturday, which suggests he should be around this winter in Buffalo as the Sabres try to repeat their magical playoff run from a year ago.
‘Conehead’ Stats
Some of the numbers shared by The Athletic about Girot’s career are remarkable:
- Worked 250 dates a year in the 1990s
- Now works about 180 dates a year
- Has sold 1.6 million beers
- Also has sold 300,000 other items (peanuts, popcorn, etc.)
Girot is also hoping that the Bills finally win a Super Bowl, even if he won’t be vending there during the season in which it happens.
“We so deserve a championship in this town,” Girot told The Athletic.
Buffalo, and Western New York, is a region of this country that absolutely loves its heroes. And it’s safe to say that WNY loves ‘Conehead.’
Why ‘Conehead’ Still Works Sabres Games, not Bills