The place just feels like home for Ken Johnson.

"I actually have goosebumps right now. This is a really warm, fuzzy feeling," Johnson said.

What You Need To Know

  • Bills fan Ken "Pinto Ron" Johnson had attended 423 consecutive Bills games before Sunday

  • Fans were not allowed at Bills stadium because of COVID-19 restrictions

  • Johnson is traveling to watch the games at Bills Backers bars in various cities throughout the season

Hammer's Lot across Abbott Road from Bills Stadium, it's where he usually meets thousands of his closest friends. 

"This is where it all happens. The back row of the Hammer Lot," he said walking through the empty parking lot, covered in gravel and grass. "Yup, this is where the Pinto parks. Looks a little lonely without the Pinto right now"

Yeah, that Pinto, as in the famed Red Pinto tailgate, is one of the biggest pregame parties before every Bills home game in Orchard Park.

Johnson, better known to many as Pinto Ron, serves up the food and fun from the hood of his car and fellow fans cover him in ketchup and mustard for his troubles.

"All during Sunday I kept stopping people and saying, 'You know what I'd be doing exactly right now?’" I know what I'd be doing at 11:30. That was the ketchup and mustard ceremony," he said.

But none of that happened last Sunday with no fans allowed in the stands because of COVID-19 restrictions for at least the first two home games.

"This would be crazy if this was the year they won the Super Bowl, and most fans wouldn't be any of the games or many of the games," Johnson said.

To say he's dedicated to his fandom would be an egregious understatement. Before Sunday, he attended 423 straight Bills games, both home and away.

With different coronavirus restrictions around the country, he decided this season he'll watch some of the games at Bills Backers Bars in various cities when he can't physically be in the stadium.

Last Sunday, he was with fellow fans at Public House in New York City.

"Actually, in a sense I'm going to be winging it because travel restrictions weigh in here," he said.

The Bills are on the road this week so Kenny decided to rent a car and drive to Miami where they'll face the Dolphins. He and some friends rented a suite. He'll be one of about 13,000 fans allowed at Hard Rock Stadium.

Then when he gets back home to Rochester, the software engineer will quarantine for two weeks and work from home.

"Before I left work yesterday I brought my office back to my house," he said. "I worked there for 15 weeks in the spring, so I'll just work there another two weeks."

He packed lightly for the trip, a duffle bag with clothes, a few snacks, a bottle of vodka, and his laptop.

Whatever it takes to follow his favorite team and keep that streak alive, well, sort of.  It's a journey that continues with no end in sight. 

"It's going to be 424 games where they allow fans. So that's an asterisk, yeah," he said.