Why an American football game played the Canadian national anthem

Figure caption, Watch: In a border city stadium, American NFL fans sing Canada’s anthem with gusto

There are no Canadian teams in the NFL - but there are millions of fans.

At the Buffalo Bills game in New York on Thursday night, plenty of Canadians wore the team's trademark red, white and blue while drinking beside their pick-up trucks, which were parked to tailgate - a very American pre-game tradition.

The Bills' stadium is only 112 miles (180 km) from Toronto - about a two and a half hour drive for fans - and right across Lake Ontario, which President Donald Trump has sought to rename Lake America.

So it was no surprise that many Canadians arrived long before kick-off to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the sights of the new Highmark Stadium for their team 's home opener against the Detroit Lions.