Fredo’s older brother is acting increasingly tone-deaf these days. The Buffalo Bills have managed to clinch a spot in the playoffs this season and even speaking as a Jets fan, I have to admit they look pretty good. Their performance has also impressed New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. In fact, he’s such a big fan that he stated on a conference call yesterday that he would like to attend the team’s first playoff game in Buffalo next month. But that would require traveling from Albany to the furthest western part of the state. Does this really qualify as “essential travel” during the COVID lockdowns that Cuomo has imposed? (NY Post)

Bills Mafia has NFL playoff fever, and that includes Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Cuomo said Sunday he wants to be at Bills Stadium in Orchard Park when the Bills host a playoff game next month after the team clinched the AFC East division title on Saturday, but it remains to be seen if fans will be allowed in because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I want to attend a Bills game,” Cuomo said on a conference call. “I’ve attended them in the past — it was a great game (Saturday,) by the way — that was just unbelievable. I mean really incredible. You almost sense the energy and the optimism and the confidence, the way they played (Saturday,) and Josh Allen was just unbelievable.”

As soon as I heard this news yesterday I completely failed to restrain myself and took to Twitter to offer our governor a response.

Nope. You shut us down. Sit your ass at home, hypocrite. https://t.co/IdADkpzXk5

— Jazz Shaw (@JazzShaw) December 20, 2020

I suppose I should really work on my temper and be a bit more moderate in my reactions. But in my own defense, I was still reeling from the shock of seeing the Jets finally win their first game of the season over the heavily favored Rams, probably blowing their chances at a first-round draft pick next season.

Getting back to the Godfather of New York, I will first note that all three New York teams, the Jets, the Giants and the Bills, have not been allowed to have fans in the stadiums during home games for the entire season. Is Andrew Cuomo going to consider lifting that restriction before the vaccines have been widely distributed just so he can go watch a game? Even worse, would he really have the temerity to ask if he can be allowed to go sit in one of the skyboxes by himself to watch?

I realize that sounds far-fetched, but having lived with this guy as the chief executive of the state for a number of years now, I’m telling you that I wouldn’t put it past him. He has long since shown that he’s the Teflon Don of New York politics, with dozens of his donors and aides winding up in jail on corruption charges while the prosecutors miraculously find no reason to lay a glove on him. And he manages to be reelected despite all of that. I wouldn’t be shocked if Andrew Cuomo thought he could pull this off and still hold onto his political survival.

If driving or flying that distance to watch the Buffalo Bills is considered “essential travel” then there is no such thing as nonessential travel in New York. We’ve witnessed far too many instances of Governors and Mayors demonstrating their hypocrisy by going to wine tastings, dinners and other festivities while they lock down all of the commoners. But surely this would be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, wouldn’t it? New York still isn’t even allowing the schools to open in most regions at this point. Until that situation is under control and normal travel and other activities are allowed, Cuomo needs to stay in Albany and see to his job.