If you’ve been a Buffalo Bills fan long enough, you’ve probably said it.
Maybe you’ve whispered it after another heartbreaking playoff loss. Maybe you’ve shouted it during a fourth-quarter comeback. Or perhaps you’ve said it every offseason when convincing yourself that next year will finally be THE year.
Just one. Just ONE before I die.
For generations of Buffalo Bills fans, those words have represented the ultimate wish: to see their beloved team finally hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
But what happens
when filmmakers decide to explore the people behind that wish? The result is Just One Before I Die, a five-part documentary series that premiered October 21st on Tubi.
Created by Buffalo natives Kevin Polowy, Addison Henderson, and Clayton Polowy, the series explores the traditions, personalities, friendships, and heartbreak that have transformed Bills Mafia into one of the most recognizable fan communities in professional sports.
And while the documentary features plenty of the outrageous behavior that has made Bills Mafia famous, there’s much more to this story than folding tables, ketchup and mustard, and questionable decisions in freezing temperatures.
It’s about the people behind it all.
And, perhaps most importantly, why they keep coming back.
How It All Began: A Love Letter to Buffalo
The inspiration behind Just One Before I Die came from a question that most Bills fans have probably asked themselves at some point: Why do we keep doing this? Why do we invest so much time, money, energy, and emotion into a football team that has repeatedly broken our hearts?
For filmmakers Henderson and Polowy, the answer went far beyond football.
They wanted to explore what makes Bills Mafia different, why the connection between the team and its fans runs so deep, and how an entire community has embraced the shared pursuit of a championship that continues to elude them.
In an interview with WKBW, Polowy described the documentary as a love letter to Buffalo, explaining that supporting the Bills is ultimately another way of supporting the city itself.
The filmmakers initially envisioned the project as a 90-minute documentary. But as filming progressed, something unexpected happened. They discovered there were simply too many stories worth telling.
What started as a feature-length film eventually expanded into five episodes, allowing the production team to explore the people, traditions, and relationships that make up Bills Mafia in much greater detail.
And considering the personalities involved, it’s probably safe to say squeezing everything into 90 minutes would have been nearly impossible.
Two Years Behind the Cameras
The production of Just One Before I Die was no small undertaking.
Henderson and Polowy spent over two years developing the project, following Bills fans through games, tailgates, personal milestones, and the emotional roller coaster of the 2024 and 2025 season and playoffs.
The cameras traveled alongside fans as they celebrated victories, endured heartbreaking losses, and continued traditions that have become synonymous with Buffalo football. But the filmmakers weren’t simply interested in capturing the loudest or most outrageous moments. They wanted to understand the people behind them.
That meant spending time with fans away from the stadium, learning about their families, their lives, and the personal experiences that shaped their devotion to the Bills. For some, football has been a lifelong family tradition.
For others, Bills Mafia has provided friendships, support systems, and a sense of belonging that extends well beyond game day. And for many, the pursuit of a Super Bowl championship has become intertwined with memories of loved ones who shared that dream.
The result is a documentary that balances humor and sometimes chaos with moments that are unexpectedly personal.
Having experienced part of the filming process myself, I can tell you that the amount of work involved was remarkable. The production team spent countless hours interviewing fans, following them through stadiums and tailgate lots, and capturing moments that couldn’t possibly have been scripted.
And then came the difficult task of deciding what would actually make it into the finished series. I can only imagine how much incredible footage ended up on the cutting-room floor.
The Team That Brought Bills Mafia to the Screen
At the heart of the production are Kevin Polowy, and Addison Henderson, who served as creators, directors, and executive producers alongside co-creator and executive producer Clayton Polowy.
The series was produced through AKC Film Productions, UNINTERRUPTED, and Five All in the Fifth Entertainment.
UNINTERRUPTED, the sports and entertainment media company co-founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, helped bring the project to a national audience.
The executive production team also includes former Bills wide receiver Andre Reed, actor and Buffalo native Chad Michael Murray, Jamal Henderson, Mac Cappuccino, Marty Polowy, Amy Polowy, Kayme Crowell Gianatasio, and Jose Padin among others.
But a project of this size requires far more than the names appearing at the top of the credits.
Behind the scenes, producers and crew members spent years building relationships with the people they were documenting.
Among those contributing to the production were Leah Lynette Cohen-Mays, Trent Boling, KJ Zielezinski, and Andy Morin, along with other cinematographers, editors, and creative professionals responsible for bringing the series together.
What makes their involvement particularly meaningful is that the production wasn’t simply a group of filmmakers arriving in Buffalo, recording a few interviews, and leaving. They became familiar faces at games and tailgates. They developed friendships with the people they followed. And somewhere along the way, the relationships behind the cameras began to resemble the very community they were documenting.
Meet the Faces Behind Bills Mafia
Anyone who has attended a Buffalo Bills tailgate knows that Bills Mafia has no shortage of personalities. Some are famous for their outrageous traditions. Others have built organizations dedicated to helping their communities.
And some have simply made attending Bills games such a central part of their lives that they’ve become familiar faces throughout the fan base.
Just One Before I Die brings many of these personalities together, giving viewers an opportunity to learn more about the people behind their game-day identities.
Follow the stories of Steve Brown, Kenny “Pinto Ron” Johnson, John “Elvis” Lang, Norm and Poo “The Chefs,” Joanie “Mama J” Podwoski, Del Reid, Kristen Kimmick, Leslie Willie, Frank “HannaBill-Lecter” Barber, Sterling “SirrBaby” Woods, Norm “Torpedo Dan” Brumfield, Becky Rice-Kane, Kris Rose Brown, Kimmie Kaliszewski, Keita Nakagawa, Donald Grant, Ehlimana Imamovic, Chuck “Billsquatch”Shelly, and Michael “The Handler” Skelly, Renee DeWald, Damsel n’ Disdress, Therese Forton Barnes, Aunt Rita Michaels, and yes, (me) Sara “Shades” Larson.
From the Football Field to the Big Screen
The documentary also features interviews with several familiar names from the football and entertainment worlds.
Former Bills legends Jim Kelly, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Steve Tasker, Darryl Talley, Scott Norwood, Stevie Johnson, and Ryan Fitzpatrick contribute their perspectives, alongside current Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins.
Actor Chad Michael Murray, rapper Benny the Butcher, and national sports personalities including Adam Schefter, Rich Eisen, and Nick Wright, appear in the series, as well as our Buffalo “Broadcaster of the Year”, Sal Capaccio doing the game day voiceovers.
Their involvement provides additional context about Buffalo’s football history and the unusual relationship between the franchise and its fans. But while the documentary includes plenty of recognizable names, its real stars are the people who fill the stands every Sunday. The fans who travel thousands of miles. The families who pass down their traditions. The people who organize charitable events, create elaborate costumes, and continue showing up regardless of the final score.
How to Watch Just One Before I Die
All five episodes of Just One Before I Die premiered Wednesday, October 21, 2026, exclusively on Tubi. The entire series is available to stream for free.
Rather than attempting to tell the entire story of Bills Mafia in a single film, the documentary unfolds across five episodes. Each explores a different element of the fan experience.
Episode 1: Birth of the Mafia
The series begins by exploring how Bills Mafia developed into one of professional sports’ most recognizable fan communities.
Episode 2: Good Neighbors
Beyond the table smashing and tailgate celebrations, Bills Mafia has become known for its generosity. This episode explores the charitable initiatives and community support that have helped define the fan base.
Episode 3: Queen City
Football has a remarkable ability to bring people together. This episode examines how the Bills connect individuals from different backgrounds through their shared love of Buffalo.
Episode 4: Redemption Song
Every season brings another opportunity. Another chance to believe. Another reason to convince ourselves that this might finally be the year.
Episode 5: Joy and Pain
The series concludes with the emotional highs and lows of playoff football, following Bills Mafia through the postseason and the pursuit of that elusive championship.
Together, the five episodes offer a look at Bills Mafia that goes far beyond what viewers typically see during a nationally televised football game.
More Than Football. More Than a Documentary
Whether you’ve been following the Bills for decades, recently joined Bills Mafia, or simply want to understand why so many people dedicate their lives to this football team, the documentary offers a perspective that goes beyond wins and losses.
There are plenty of documentaries about championship teams. Stories about legendary players, unforgettable victories, and the moments that define a franchise.
But Just One Before I Die tells a different kind of story.
It’s about a fan base that has never experienced the ultimate victory, yet continues to show up with the same passion year after year. It’s about the friendships formed in parking lots, the families brought together through football, and the traditions that become part of people’s lives. It’s about celebrating the victories, surviving the heartbreak, and finding reasons to believe all over again.
And perhaps most importantly, it’s about the people who have spent their lives waiting for that one championship, including those who are no longer here to see it happen.
For me, being part of this documentary was an experience I’ll never forget. But watching the finished series was something entirely different. I expected to laugh. I expected to recognize familiar faces and relive some incredible memories. What I didn’t expect was just how emotional it would make me.
Because somewhere between the ridiculous costumes, the tailgate traditions, and the endless hope for a Super Bowl championship, the documentary captures something that’s difficult to explain to anyone who hasn’t experienced it.
Bills Mafia isn’t simply a fan base. It’s a family. And sometimes, the people you meet along the way become just as important as the championship you’re chasing.
Five episodes. Countless stories. One dream. Just one before I die.
