JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 A wave of Buffalo Bills fans is starting to trickle into Jacksonville ahead of Sunday\u2019s AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Jaguars, turning local spots into lively outposts for the visiting faithful. <\/p>\n
One local sports bar, Players Grille in the Mandarin neighborhood, has become an unlikely epicenter for the \u201cBills Mafia,\u201d offering a home away from home for those who have traveled south and for New York transplants now living in Florida. <\/p>\n
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<<\/a><\/p>\n Originally intended to be a Jaguars bar, the establishment\u2019s fate was altered by a single phone call from a local fan group. Now, it is packed wall-to-wall with Bills supporters gearing up for game day. <\/p>\n Mike Loewenguth, who moved from New York to Jacksonville eight years ago, has been a regular at the Players Grille for three years after hearing about it through word of mouth. <\/p>\n \u201cBeing down here and surrounded by just Bills fans on a Sunday during the game, it\u2019s really cool,\u201d Loewenguth said. \u201cIt makes me feel a little bit at home.\u201d <\/p>\n He added that while the fan base is famous for its passion, it is mostly about shared enthusiasm. \u201cNot all of us get as crazy as some of those table-breaking guys, but for the most part, I think we\u2019re all about just sharing the good time.\u201d <\/p>\n Nick Dakuginow, the manager of Players Grille, recounted how a local organization, the \u201cBills Backers of Jacksonville,\u201d changed the bar\u2019s trajectory. <\/p>\n