New York Governor Kathy Hochul experienced an awkward moment at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Buffalo Bills’ new Highmark Stadium when her attempt to lead a team chant was met with silence from the crowd. Hochul, wearing a Bills hat and team-themed attire, enthusiastically took the stage and began her remarks, but her subsequent effort to initiate a call-and-response chant of "Buffalo, let's go!" failed to gain traction.
After an initial trickle of applause for her opening, Hochul tried to energize the audience, pointing to different sections of the crowd to encourage participation. The governor noted the subdued response, remarking, "Alright, seriously? You want to win a championship season with that kind of enthusiasm?" She made a second attempt to rally the attendees, but when it became clear that the crowd was not responding, she commented, "We gotta give this place some good karma, right?"
The new $2.1 billion stadium, which can seat 60,000 spectators, is set to be the home of the NFL franchise for the next three decades. Groundbreaking for the facility occurred in June 2023.