Josh Allen is catching heat online after a high-energy appearance at a Buffalo Sabres playoff game quickly turned into a viral and controversial moment. The Buffalo Bills quarterback was front and center at KeyBank Center as the Buffalo Sabres faced off against the Boston Bruins, but not everyone was cheering his antics.
Allen was introduced before the game and tapped to hype up the crowd by banging the ceremonial drum to “Let’s Go Buffalo.” After a few hits, he took things up a notch, tossing the mallet aside, pulling a drink from his pocket, and chugging it in front of thousands of fans. The arena erupted.
Allen later spoke about the energy in the city, especially with the Sabres making a long-awaited playoff return. “I think just for the city of Buffalo, I think it’s a better place when the Sabres are playing well, and it being the first playoff game in, was it 15 years?” he said. “We talked about ‘One Buffalo’ for the longest time and it’s been fun to watch them progress, and now going into these playoffs rolling.”
TRENDING: #Bills QB Josh Allen is under CRITICISM from fans for being “CLASSLESS” by firing up the crowd before the #Sabres playoff game & chugging a beer.Multiple parents have posted that this is not the type of behavior that should be shown to kids 😳 pic.twitter.com/Y69wIeDGtW
While the crowd inside the arena loved it, social media had a very different reaction. One viral X post read, “Bills QB Josh Allen is under CRITICISM from fans for being ‘CLASSLESS’ by firing up the crowd before the #Sabres playoff game & chugging a beer. Multiple parents have posted that this is not the type of behavior that should be shown to kids.”
Some users, including parents, criticized the moment, arguing it sent the wrong message. “Terrible. This is frat boy behavior,” one user said as another chimed in, “So sad. Stop the crazy behavior. Who decided that was manly or even acceptable? Trashy.”
A third wrote, “Horrible and an absolute disgrace.”
Not everyone saw an issue, though. Many fans jumped to Allen’s defense, saying the moment was harmless and on-brand for the quarterback. “This is exactly what everyone should expect from him,” someone said. “He is a guys guy. What’s wrong with him enjoying his time outside of the 1000’s of hours he has spent working on his craft.”
“How do they know it’s a beer, though? There’s nothing wrong with that lmao…” another wrote as someone else pointed out, “From a kid’s perspective, that drink doesn’t look any different from an energy drink.”
Meanwhile, one X user wanted to know, “What exactly is the terrible behavior being shown to kids here? A 30-year-old man drinking a beer? Jumping?”
Boston Bruins responded to their first loss in a big way by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 in Game 2 to even their Eastern Conference first-round series at 1-1.
After letting a late lead slip in Game 1, Boston came out aggressive, scoring four goals in the first 41 minutes. Viktor Arvidsson led the charge with two goals, while Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie also found the net, with Geekie tallying his second of the postseason.
Between the pipes, Jeremy Swayman delivered a strong performance with 34 saves, recording two scoreless periods to help secure the win. “The series doesn’t start until you win one on the road. And that’s important for us,” Swayman told ESPN after the game.
He added, “We thought we had a really good chance to finish it out last game, too. So, I think that we fixed a lot of great things and took positives and really stayed in the moment. That’s the biggest thing for our group.”
BRUINS SCORE FROM CENTER ICE 😱Watch Bruins-Sabres on ESPN and the ESPN App! 👀 pic.twitter.com/gnSYsicHGM
The opening period was a gritty, back-and-forth battle, filled with penalties and a few missed calls that had players cycling through the penalty box and coaches visibly frustrated behind the bench. Despite the physical play, neither team managed to find the back of the net, ending the first 20 minutes scoreless.
Then, the Boston Bruins flipped the switch. Viktor Arvidsson got things started with a backhander that slipped past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to break the deadlock. Moments later, the Bruins caught a lucky bounce when Morgan Geekie sent a long-range floater from center ice that Luukkonen misjudged, allowing it to sneak into the net.
When Tage Thompson was called for interference late in the period, Pavel Zacha capitalized, extending the lead to 3-0. Arvidsson added his second goal just a minute into the third period, sealing Boston’s dominant stretch.
The Bruins ultimately came out on top, winning 4-2. Game 3 is set for Thursday in Boston as the series shifts locations.
The Josh Allen Under Fire For ‘Classless’ Act At Sabres Game first appeared on The Blast