Buffalo Plus: ‘The Buffalo Plus’ TRAVEL DRAFT plus STORYTIME from Classic BILLS TRIPS

Date: May 21, 2024
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes

Episode Overview

This episode of Buffalo Plus is dedicated to the annual "Bills Travel Draft," in which the team—Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, and Dan Fetes—selects their preferred Buffalo Bills road games for travel coverage during the upcoming NFL season. In classic Buffalo Plus fashion, the draft is peppered with playful banter, behind-the-scenes insight into what makes certain trips more desirable, and hilarious, sometimes cringe-inducing stories from their many years on the NFL beat.

In addition to the draft, the episode features an extended "Storytime," with wild, memorable adventures from previous seasons—ranging from viral tweets to border-crossing mishaps—offering listeners a peek into the lighter side of sports reporting.

Main Segments & Timestamps

• [00:00] - [07:47]: Podcast Introduction, Explaining the Travel Draft
• [07:47] - [18:23]: The 2024 Bills Travel Draft – Picks 1-4
• [18:23] - [38:03]: Storytime! Classic Travel Memories (Houston, LA, More)
• [38:03] - [54:58]: Draft Recap, Road Stories & Listener Questions
• [54:58] - [58:00]: Rapid Fire Q&A, End-of-Show Banter

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting Up the Travel Draft (00:00–07:47)

• The Concept: Each year, the hosts select which away games they’ll cover, prioritizing personal preferences, game significance, logistical ease, and family considerations.
• Draft Order: Dan has first pick, followed by Jenna, then Mike.
• Personal Criteria: Jenna weighs weather, food, atmosphere, and if she’s been to the stadium before; Dan factors magnitude of game, family logistics, and personal schedules.

Quote:
"I do a lot of 'what’s the weather going to be like when we’re there?' Because, unlike Mike, I am down on the field. So, Green Bay in January—I'm like, nah." – Jenna [06:19]

The 2024 Bills Travel Draft (07:47–18:23)

Pick 1: Dan – Baltimore (Sunday Night Game) [08:22]

• "With the first overall pick... Dan Fate selects Baltimore." [08:22]
• Chosen for: big game magnitude, great stadium and parking, awesome food, easy travel (direct flights), and possible baseball playoff overlap.
• “It is hard for this to be a bad trip. There’s a casino, it’s a conference game, Sunday night—I love it.” – Dan [11:14]

Pick 2: Jenna – Seattle [11:38]

• "I’m going with Seattle. It is the only stadium I have not been to on the schedule this year." – Jenna [11:45]
• Highlights: Unique stadium, bucket-list city, personal travel goal, cultural scene (“coffee, music, flannel, weed, Subarus”), agreeable weather for October.
• Team Banter: Dan passed because it falls on his birthday weekend (“My daughter is a daddy’s girl, she would have a hard time FaceTiming daddy on his birthday.” – Dan [14:20])

Pick 3: Dan – New York Jets (Monday Night) [16:20]

• Chosen for: Major divisional matchup at MetLife Stadium, excuse to visit friends in the area, and birthday proximity for Mike.

Pick 4: Jenna – Houston [18:32]

• Cited for: Game convenience (Sunday 1 PM), surprisingly positive sentiments about the city, and—importantly—space for "storytime" about infamous Houston moments.

Storytime: Classic Bills Travel Adventures (18:23–38:03)

Houston (Kelvin Benjamin Story & 'Sports Bar' Fiasco)

• Kelvin Benjamin viral tweet: Jenna tweets about Benjamin not wanting to run routes with Josh Allen pre-game; tweet goes viral, stirs controversy, causes Jenna undue stress (“I actually makes me queasy thinking about getting attention. That moment when it started to go viral was like, 'Oh. Oh, wow.'” – Jenna [23:22])
• ‘Sports Bar’ Incident: Mike and Dan, after a wild playoff game in Houston, try to find food. Every ‘sports bar’ they enter turns out to be a strip club ("Sports bar may have a different meaning in Houston" – Dan [26:54]). Mike, brusquely, to the security guard: “Come on, Dan. She’s useless.” [28:52]

Detroit (Border Crossing Disaster)

• Bridge Back-Up: Mike and Dan try to skip a miles-long bridge traffic jam by using the Nexus lane, only to get caught at customs, nearly fined $3,500, and mocked by a heavily armed officer for Dan's "man purse."
• “I had never felt so small as a human being in my life.” – Dan [42:32]
• Moral: Always know the difference between Nexus and Global Entry, and watch what you call a "man purse."

LA & Other Stadium Adventures

• The crew reflects on media room setups in LA and Oakland, their struggles with stadium logistics, unpredictable September heat, and local food highlights.

Continuing the Draft: Later Picks & Strategy (38:03–54:58)

Picks Recap:

• Dan: Baltimore, Jets, Miami (Thursday Night), Indianapolis (for St. Elmo Steakhouse), New England ("Everything about Foxborough sucks." – Dan [44:31])
• Jenna: Seattle, Houston, LA (Rams), Detroit (final pick, "a steal"), with Detroit getting praise for food and being easy travel.

Family, Logistics, and Oddities:

• Team travels often dictated by family and scheduling logistics (“Family dictated some of the decisions. I wanted games earlier in the year.” – Dan [48:32])
• Fun notes about favorite food stops—St. Elmo’s in Indy, Detroit diners, Houston’s “Burger Theory.”

Listener Q&A: Bills Analysis, Camp Battles, & Outlook (50:20–56:11)

Field Goals & Kicking Woes

• Question: Do the Bills see field goal kicking as a problem, and would they bring in another kicker?
  • Mike: Surprised a backup wasn’t signed for camp; last season’s inconsistency noted.
  • Dan: Not worried—"There are a thousand kickers on the street. If Bass struggles, you sign a vet the next day."

Camp Battles & Roster Depth

• Wide receiver depth, D-line rotation, safety spots, and if McGovern will start at center are named the biggest summer competitions.

Josh Allen TD Over/Under

• "Over/under 35 passing TDs for Allen?"
  • Consensus: Probably under, given new offense and his history of running in about 10 TDs per year.

Ray Davis as RB1?

• Hosts: Unlikely unless James Cook is injured.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Team Chemistry:
  "It's really cool to see...it's quite a community." – Jenna, on the Buffalo Plus audience [01:26]

• On Draft Surprises:
  *"Dan Fate selects Baltimore." – Dan [08:22]
  *"Wow. I was not expecting that. That was...wow." – Jenna [08:40]

• On Viral Sports Moments:
  *"Kelvin Benjamin...nah, man, I'm good." – Jenna recounting the infamous pre-game snub [22:31]

• On Navigating Adversity:
  *"Just wait. The truth always comes out." – Jenna's dad's advice during social media blowback [26:00]

• On Mike’s In-the-Moment Diplomacy:
  *"Come on, Dan, she’s useless." – Mike, describing the ‘sports bar’ security guard, to Dan [28:52]

• On Customs Mishaps:
  *"Leave the man purse." – Customs officer to Dan [42:00]
  *"I had never felt so small as a human being in my life." – Dan [42:32]

Draft Results Summary

| Pick | Host | Game Location | Notable Reason(s) | |------|-------|-------------------------|---------------------------------| | 1 | Dan | Baltimore (SNF) | Big game, easy trip, good eats | | 2 | Jenna | Seattle | Never been, bucket list stadium | | 3 | Dan | NY Jets (MNF) | Major game, personal ties | | 4 | Jenna | Houston | Story value, food, logistics | | 5 | Dan | Miami (TNF) | Conference matchup, good timing | | 6 | Jenna | LA (Rams) | Weather, experience, the venue | | 7 | Dan | Indianapolis | St. Elmo's, solid mid-November | | 8 | Jenna | Detroit | Food, easy trip, positive vibes | | 9 | Dan | New England (Foxboro) | Standard (least favorite trip) |

Final Thoughts

• Travel reality: Most road trips are quick in–quick out, with little time for sightseeing.
• Team dynamic: Family obligations and city preferences strongly shape who goes where.
• Podcast energy: The episode is lively, irreverent, and packed with heartfelt, often self-deprecating storytelling: “Storytime with Buffalo Plus—it really was.” [56:33]

For Listeners

• Fan Engagement: Listeners are encouraged to comment with their own travel stories or food recommendations for Bills cities.
• Next Steps: Subscribe on YouTube or audio platforms; send in questions for future mailbags.

This episode spotlights the true grit, fun, and lived-in camaraderie of reporters covering an NFL beat—balancing professional priorities, personal lives, and community with a healthy dose of Buffalo humor.