Longtime Buffalo Bills tailgater Ken Johnson is staying put.
According to the Associated Press, Johnson will continue tailgating in the parking lot of Ralph Wilson Stadium before games.
Johnson, the man known for impressive tailgating parties before Bills games, was planning to move his shindig across the street after he was contacted by an NFL official who threatened to shut him down. After the story became a media magnet, Bills security director Christopher Clark contacted Johnson to work out the problem.
Johnson’s tailgates are so elaborate that they have been featured in media all over the world, including on the Food Network.
The problem that the NFL official had with Johnson’s parties was his tradition of serving shots of cherry liqueur out of the holes of a bowling ball. Johnson often had lines of people waiting to take a bowling ball shot.
The league has started to take a more hard-line position on the consumption of alcohol at games. The Bills, in particular, are working on a program with Mothers Against Drunk Driving about drinking responsibly.
Johnson agreed to stop his 21-year tradition of giving shots, so the tailgating party will go on before Bills games. The superfan had “mixed feelings” on retiring the bowling ball, but acknowledged that buying the liqueur was getting expensive, costing him about $1,500 last season.
