How many years would it take to attend 405 consecutive Buffalo Bills games in a row?
Hard to imagine, right?
The correct answer: about 25 years.
Just ask Kenny Johnson, the man who will celebrate his 405th consecutive game in Week 17 of the 2018 NFL season.
"I'd been trying that for a couple years, and in 1994 I actually succeeded," said Johnson, who believes every Bills fan should try to follow the team for a full 16-game season at some point in their life. "25 led to 30, 30 led to 40. And when I actually got to 50 games in a row, I realized I was at the point of no return."
Now lets address the elephant in the room: if you've never heard of Kenny Johnson before, maybe you might recognize him by the name Pinto Ron.
That's the name he was mistakenly given in a newspaper article some 20 years ago, and his fellow tailgaters never let it go away.
But Johnson embraced the new identity with a smile, alongside his $300 red Pinto.
"It was a nice car, it was only 6 years old," Johnson said, describing the car before he subjected it to its fair share of 'shenanigans,' as he calls them. "So I turned it into a tailgating car."
Now, the car is a focal point in tailgating food scene that includes saws, shovels, hubcaps, and an impressive trail of bacon grease.
It's all come together organically over a 30-year stretch, Johnson said, after countless trips to hardware stores and junk yards.
"When I see something laying around, I do actually think, 'I wonder if I can do something with this.' And every once in a while, yeah I can," smiled Johnson.
The main course of the Red Pinto tailgate party, though, includes a shower of ketchup and mustard, which is rooted in Johnson's early fan days with his brother.
"I wanted some ketchup on a burger and he was standing 2-3 feet away, and I was reaching for the ketchup bottle and all of a sudden he shot it and hit my burger," Johnson said. "So at future games, I'd just hold my arm out and he'd shoot it like 2 feet. Then it was like 3 feet. Then it was 4 feet... And then, again, things get out of control as 30 years go by."
Now, the Red Pinto tailgate party hosts a who's who of Bills "super-fans," including Pancho Billa, Captain Buffalo, Bill's Dad, Joanie Podkowinski-DeKoker, and plenty of other guests who love stopping by.
As a software developer, Johnson's schedule has graced him with a flexible schedule to allow such dedication to his incredibly popular tailgate scene.
But he's turned that spotlight toward others, making the Red Pinto tailgate one of the most charitable parties among Bills fans.
And of course, in true "City of Good Neighbor" fashion, he's always welcoming toward fans visiting Orchard Park on their own road trips.
"The Hammer's Lot and the Pinto Tailgate welcomes anyone," Johnson smiled. "We'll wine you we'll dine you."
And that applies whether the Bills win or lose.
That, said Johnson, is the only way he's been able to add up these games, week by week.
It's a love of the experience that keeps him coming back.
"My goal was 16 games in a row, and when I hit 400 games in a row, all that tells me is I overachieved by 384 games. I have no goal.," Johnson said. "I just keep rolling as long as I want to keep rolling."
You can watch all of our previous Meet The Mafia stories here:
Meet the Mafia: Del Reid
Meet the Mafia: "The Chefs"
Meet The Mafia: "Bills Elvis"
Meet The Mafia: "Hannabill Lecter"
Meet The Mafia: "Pancho Billa"
Meet The Mafia: Joanie Podkowinski-DeKoker
Meet The Mafia: Breyon Harris & Leslie Wille
Meet The Mafia: Major Patrick Miller
Meet The Mafia: "Billsfoot"
Meet The Mafia: "Bills Dad"
Meet The Mafia: "Hammer"