When a kid, John Roberts had posters of Buffalo Bills’ greats on his wall. Jack Kemp. Cookie Gilchrist.
Then Roberts, now chief justice of the Supreme Court, and his family moved from the Erie County town of Hamburg to the Midwest when Roberts was 10. His allegiances changed; he became a Chicago Bears fan.
But, on Wednesday, Roberts was reminded of the ubiquitous fandom for the Buffalo Bills across western New York. A guest at the regional court district’s 125th anniversary, Roberts was presented with a gift, one in numeric harmony.
Roberts is the 17th chief justice of the Supreme Court. Buffalo-based U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo, who interviewed Roberts as part of a dinner at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo, is the 17th federal judge in the Western District of New York.
So, a theme arose: As the Bills’ “Shout” song blared from loudspeakers in the Hyatt dining room ― and some of the 600 people sang along ― Roberts received his gift: A Josh Allen jersey with its number 17.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: The 17th chief justice of the Supreme Court now has a Bills number 17 jersey to display
Reporting by Gary Craig, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
