After ten years, I returned to my alma mater, Frostburg State University, for Homecoming weekend. Back in 2015, I wrote about Frostburg and what it means to me, so I’ll repeat myself just a bit—it’s worth saying again.
Frostburg lies in the mountains of Western Maryland, in the skinniest part of the state bordered by Pennsylvania and West Virginia just a couple of vertical miles either way. As I once described it, it’s a hard-scrabble area, built originally as a stopover in the early 1800s along what was then called the National Road. Later that century, the town grew as the surrounding coal mines began popping up.
Today, the university itself is the town’s largest employer. I had the honor and privilege of being interviewed this summer by Frostburg State Magazine about the Tailgate Connect business I founded eight years ago. In the article (link below), I mentioned how my time at Frostburg—let’s just say it was a tad longer than the standard four years—helped shape and mold me into who I am today. The friendships forged there have endured for over 40 years, and the new ones I make on these return trips feel just as strong.
https://www.frostburg.edu/profile/f25/feature-dan-donnelly.php
A buddy of mine who went to West Point—and somehow has a ton of Frostburg friends—said it best: “Let’s face it, the whole world revolves around Frostburg State.”
In addition to Homecoming, it was the 50th anniversary of the founding of my fraternity, Kappa Zeta Chi. The weekend was packed with amazing events. Happy hour on Friday with friends. Friday night’s big Kappa reunion was nothing short of epic. Saturday morning, I attended a ceremony dedicating a classroom in honor of one of my closest friend’s brothers, who also attended Frostburg and passed away six years after graduation. Saturday night was a party with live bands in the building I once bartended at while at Frostburg,
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| KZX Athletic Fraternity 50th |
The tailgate before the big game rivaled many I’ve attended in the SEC and Big Ten. In fact, I’d say 70% of the crowd never even made it into the stadium—including yours truly. All of these moments made the weekend more than just another Homecoming—it was something truly special. And yes, true to form, I’ll be nursing my wounds for the next few days while my attorney negotiates payment plans for any blackmail photos that surface.
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| The three best friends, that anyone can have 🎶🎶🎶 |
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| Ols bad influences and influencees! |
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| The fearsome foursome rides again |
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| The Men of Kappa! |
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| Sixty Shades of Frostburg turns out! |
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| The celebration never ends! |
As for the game, Frostburg was matched up against Concord from West Virginia. The Bobcats entered the day ranked 23rd nationally in Division II with a 4–0 record. They rolled to a 33–7 win to move to 5–0 on the season. A special shout-out to Frostburg tight end Max Heinemen—son of my high-school buddy Karl—who was in attendance.
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| Final score |
When I wrote ten years ago that “you can’t go home again,” I might’ve been wrong. If you go back with the right people, you most certainly can.
Around the Country
SEC: Upset of the Week: Florida Gators knock off Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns, 29–21. The whole country’s still wondering when we’ll finally see the guaranteed wunderkind shine.
Big Ten: Upset #2: UCLA embarrassed James Franklin and Penn State at the Rose Bowl, jumping out early and never looking back. Final: Bruins 42, Nittany Lions 37.
ACC: Miami captures the mythical Florida State Championship after knocking off the Seminoles, 28–22.
Big 12: Cincinnati upsets previously unbeaten #14 Iowa State, 38–30.
Group of Five: Navy, led by this year’s new “Captain America” Blake Horvath, edged Air Force in a thriller, 34–31.
Bieber Award: Mark Sanchez
Just when it looked like Mark Sanchez had finally escaped the Butt Fumble era and settled nicely into his Fox Sports suit, he went and wrote himself into a true-crime episode.
While in Indianapolis to cover the Colts–Raiders game, Sanchez allegedly got into a late-night brawl with a 69-year-old truck driver in a hotel loading zone—reportedly over a parking spot. Witnesses say Sanchez tried to enter the man’s truck and pushed him. The driver responded with pepper spray, then a knife, stabbing the former QB several times in the torso.
Sanchez was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but later stabilized. Then came the kicker—police charged him with battery, unlawful vehicle entry, and public intoxication. Prosecutors later upgraded it to a Level-5 felony, meaning Sanchez could face prison time. The driver has filed a lawsuit claiming permanent injuries and insists Sanchez was the aggressor. Reports say Sanchez was three sheets to the wind.
So, to recap: a national TV analyst, in town for work, ends up in a midnight knife fight with a senior citizen over a parking spot. If that’s not Bieber material, I don’t know what is.
For taking a parking spat to full chaos mode and proving that some reputations are just too resilient to die, Mark Sanchez will be enjoying his Bieber hardware behind bars—with his new cellmates.
Ginger Award: (This goes to the most badass person, group, or thing each week)
This week’s Ginger Award goes to everyone who made Frostburg State’s Homecoming weekend so memorable.
Shout-outs to my fraternity brother Dennis Dillon for organizing the Friday-night party for Kappa Zeta Chi (KZX) and the Saturday tailgate; props to Paul Reutershan and his crew for the “Sixty Shades of Frostburg” bash Saturday night; and special thanks to Tracy Archibald Yaklyvich and Mike Allen for coordinating the classroom dedication in honor of Mike’s brother Matt.
And, of course, thank you to all my fellow Bobcats—for just being you. It was once again an amazing weekend we’ll be recapping for years to come.
Next Up: Taking the weekend off… sort of. I’ll hit a local high-school football game with my son-in-law Friday night, then recharge the batteries Saturday while watching the Red River Rivalry on the big screen.
Happy Tailgating!
