Did Bills player ‘flip off’ Canada during O Canada? Viral Highmark Stadium clip reveals what really happened
Buffalo Bills player did not appear to raise a middle finger during O Canada
The Buffalo Bills opened the new Highmark Stadium with a 41-31 win over the Detroit Lions on Thursday, September 17. The team now has 28 radio affiliate networks carrying its games, according to the Bills’ August announcement.
Toronto band Barenaked Ladies performed “O Canada” before the game, and a Bills player appeared to flash a middle finger as cameras moved through the stadium. The Bills had Barenaked Ladies perform “O Canada” before Auli’i Cravalho sang “The Star-Spangled Banner. It was the first time “O Canada” was performed at a Bills game. Pete Guelli, president of business operations for the Bills, said the new stations would help the team stay connected with fans across the border.
Yet a pregame image from the night became a talking point. The clip spread online, but the gesture was not what it first seemed. A closer look shows the player had his hands over his face with his eyes closed. The paint around his eyes created the confusing shape. The moment happened during the first regular-season game at Highmark Stadium. Both anthems were part of the team’s plan to recognize its connection with Canadian fans. The clip led some viewers to wonder whether the player was making a statement. But the video does not show an actual middle-finger gesture. His hands remain around his face, with no finger visibly raised. There is no indication from the Bills that the player intended to insult Canada.
Before the game, former Bills players Ryan Fitzpatrick and Stevie Johnson also completed a pass between two boats near Niagara Falls, with the Canada-U.S. border between them.