Morning sports update: Buffalo Bills billboard installed down the road from Gillette Stadium after fan vote
Patriots fans will be subjected to the local eyesore until early January.
The Celtics begin the 2020-2021 season on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m.) against the Bucks at TD Garden. Fans will not be in attendance due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
And the Patriots prepare to face the Bills on Monday at 8:15 p.m.
The newest addition to local billboards: The Buffalo Bills won a league-wide competition at the start of the 2020 season (determined by voting) to be named the team with the best fans in the NFL.
As a reward, FOX (which hosted the competition) allowed the Bills to place a billboard at a place of the team’s choosing.
Buffalo, which recently clinched its first AFC East title since 1995, unsurprisingly targeted the most conspicuous obstacle in its decades-long pursuit of the division crown: The Patriots. Bills fans voted overwhelmingly (71.9 percent) to place the billboard in Foxborough.
And as the Bills revealed on Monday, Massachusetts is now the home to a new billboard, which will not be a pleasing sight for New England:
We won the @NFLonFOX Ultimate Fan Bracket.
The prize was a billboard anywhere in the world…
Of course #BillsMafia chose Foxborough, MA. 😏 pic.twitter.com/0ep1gbMSyN
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 21, 2020
Located on Route 1 down the road from Gillette Stadium, it has quickly became a tourist destination for Buffalo fans. (Despite the initial fan vote, the billboard is actually located in Wrentham, not Foxborough).
A FOX Sports NFL tweet revealed that the billboard (which shows Bills players and the team’s mascot, reading “The Best Fans in Football”), will be up until Jan. 4 in the new year.
.@BuffaloBills fans, want to see your billboard!? It’s located just 4 minutes from Gillette Stadium. 😏
– take a photo with it & tag us
– use the hashtag #FOXFanBracketWe will share our favorites! #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/kWW4mNqDGQ
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 21, 2020
Trivia: The last NBA year to be shortened (before 2020) was 2011-2012, when a lockout meant each team played just 66 regular season games. What Celtics player led the team in blocked shots that season?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He played college basketball at the University of Wisconsin.
More from Boston.com:
- Cam Newton calls Patriots’ season ‘unacceptable,’ wants to be a part of solution
- Celtics’ new coach Evan Turner says Brad Stevens wants to use his luck to win ‘two or three’ titles
- Celtics’ Marcus Smart says he’s a great shooter ‘when I take great shots’
- Welcome back, NBA: Here’s 10 things to know about the season
- And the winner in Tom Brady-Bill Belichick divorce is: the QB
- By the numbers: A look at the Patriots’ 11-year playoff streak that came to an end Sunday
- James Harden mum on future with Rockets as NBA season approaches
- Stephon Gilmore reportedly suffered a partially torn quad in loss to Miami
- Revolution sign Colombian Christian Mafla, and are working on adding more key players for next season
- Matt Cassel believes Patriots should start Jarrett Stidham over Cam Newton to end the season
- Cam Newton on how COVID-19 affected Patriots’ team-building, why he isn’t planning to retire
- Ex-Patriot Kyle Van Noy says the ‘honeymoon’s over’ in New England
- Rob Ninkovich provided perspective on Patriots’ playoff streak coming to an end
More championship banners were added to the display at Logan Airport
:
The City of Champions ✈️
The 42nd and 43rd Championship banners were added to the Celebration of Champions exhibit at @BostonLogan today. We are thrilled to join our peers at the @RedSox, @Patriots, @celtics, @NHLBruins and @TheBostonPride in welcoming all to the @CityOfBoston! pic.twitter.com/GTXFMMo4rz
— Boston Cannons (@PLLCannons) December 21, 2020
Tiger Woods and Charlie Woods, a comparison:
THIS ⬇️🤯pic.twitter.com/ePDqMANnjt
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) December 22, 2020
On this day: In 1956, Bill Russell made his Celtics debut in a dramatic 95-93 win over the St. Louis Hawks.
Russell, Boston’s much anticipated first-round pick earlier that year — selected using a draft choice acquired through some classic Red Auerbach ingenuity — got a later start in his rookie season due to his participation in the 1956 Olympics.
The Summer Games were held in Melbourne, Australia, meaning that all events with the exception of equestrian competitions were held in November and December. Russell led the U.S. team to victory, and arrived in Boston having won back-to-back NCAA championships and an Olympic gold medal.
With Russell’s defense and rebounding, Auerbach finally had all the pieces to the puzzle, and the 1956-1957 Celtics went on to defeat St. Louis in a thrilling seven-game series to win Boston’s first title.
Daily highlight: Ryan Finley somehow ran for a 23-yard touchdown against the Steelers on Monday night.
Ryan Finley keeps it for the 23-yard rushing TD!
The @Bengals take a 14-point lead. #SeizeTheDEY
📺: #PITvsCIN on ESPN
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/pZlOokjorx pic.twitter.com/K8GtmUyZ5R— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2020
Trivia answer: Greg Stiemsma
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