Jason Kelce’s Bowling Ball Shot At Bills-Chiefs Tailgate Has Legendary Backstory

Getty Image

Philadelphia Eagles superstar center Jason Kelce may or may not be retired.

But he’s certainly living life like a man that is happily retired.

Kelce rolled up to Sunday’s NFC playoff game between Bills and Chiefs to support his brother Travis. But before the game, he partook in one of Buffalo’s finest tailgating traditions.

A video of Kelce taking a shot out of a bowling ball went viral on Twitter prior to the contest. But most fans may not know that the bowling ball shot is a legendary tradition at Bills tailgates.

It’s a feature of the tailgate hosted by diehard Bills fan Kenny “Pinto Ron” Johnson.

Johnson is a A 36-year season-ticket holder from Rochester, New York. His legendary tailgate features his red Ford Pinto (hence the nickname) and ends with him being slathered in both ketchup and mustard.

Which, yes, is as gross as it sounds.

But where does the bowling ball come in?

“We started getting into this little ritual where we had to have our shots every week, and it had to be that horrible, god-awful stuff,” he told GQ’s Clay Skipper about the 100-proof cherry liquor which fills the ball. “We had a special shot glass for it.

“One day somebody broke the shot glass. And we’re obsessive compulsive people. We got to do it. So I’m looking around in the car for another shot glass, nobody around us had a shot glass. I was thinking of using a little paper cup. But then somebody saw my bowling ball and said, “Hey look, we could just pour in it into that hole.” And it’s like, Yeah, okay.’ I said, ‘I’ll have the new shot glass next week.’ I guess I didn’t bring a new shot glass next week and the next thing you know, we’re using the bowling ball every week.”

How could you say “no” to that? Jason Kelce clearly couldn’t.