As usual in the national media’s take on the Buffalo Bills, some skepticism met the team’s signing of free agent defensive end Mario Williams, widely regarded as the second best player in the market behind Peyton Manning.

CNBC’s sports business reporter Darren Rovell, a respected if oft-maligned public figure, wavered in his belief regarding the impact of the Bills’ signing, reluctant to believe the addition would have any push at the ticket gate.

This morning, the Buffalo Bills Chief Executive Officer Russ Brandon announced terrific news that Bills fans—in droves—had placed renewed trust in the team.

While wide-eyed Bills fans salivated over the trio of Super Mario, Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams wreaking havoc and crushing the brittle bones of Tom Brady, there was the expected caution from national sources, pointing to the facts that Williams hadn’t produced double-digit sacks since 2008 and was coming off a season-ending pectoral tear. With last year’s season ticket numbers dropping perilously low due to the lockout, expect this off-season to paint a rosier picture.

Seeing the fan-base respond to Buffalo’s bold free agency move is encouraging—remember when the Bills failed to sell out several home games down the stretch last season? Regardless of the national media’s rather inexplicable negativity, kudos to Bills fans for placing their trust in a team that suddenly seems committed to wining.

(Featured photo courtesy of the Buffalo Bills Facebook page.)