Week 11 - Nothing Could B Finer

The boyz from Seneca Valley in front of the "Boose"

My most sincere apologies for not publishing an article last week. As I have articulated in the past, when I take a week off or go to a stadium that I have been to multiple times, it is difficult to captivate my audience.  That being said, if you sent pictures to me last week they will make today’s write up. Nuff said! By way of Big Ben and the River Thames, I made a most circuitous trip to Columbia, South Carolina for my annual Tailgate with my high school buddies. We all graduated from Seneca Valley in Germantown, MD in 1981. Five years later, two other kids graduated from the same school and attended the University of South Carolina. There they met a guy named Darius and formed a band called Hootie and the Blowfish. And the rest is history as they say. They became famous, while we remained notorious. We rented a sizeable crib in Columbia through Rent Like A Champion (Airbnb for college football towns) for seven eternal teenagers and one off spring. The reason for us descending on Columbia is that the Gamecocks would be hosting the Florida Gators on Saturday afternoon. Friday night, we ventured into the Five Points area of Columbia for chow and a few adult beverages at Pawley’s Front Porch. It is always appropriate to absorb the vibe of the host town and contribute to the local economy. The evening ended early for most of us as Tailgate O’clock was set for 9 AM on Saturday and a 12 o’clock kickoff.

We were hosted by my longtime friends from Frostburg, John and Diane Deutchki. Their tailgate spot was right across the street from the stadium in the Gamecock fairgrounds. Our hostess “Fireball” Diane made up some bodacious pulled pork sammies, mouth-watering brisket, artery clogging deviled eggs, and delicious shrimp. Homemade bacon infused potato salad was provided by cousin Bobby, and many other treats and homemade desserts were in abundance as well. Diane and John went beyond the call of duty in taking great care of us wandering tailgaters. We mixed up a batch of Bloody Mary’s to warm the bones on this chilly but clear fall morn. Of course, libations including Real Man beer and Fireball were served. 

Now that is a lady!

We were treated to a visit to one of the famous 22 Cockabooses that sit behind the stadium. In the early 90s, a developer got the idea to buy and renovate 22 train cabooses and place them on a defunct track next to the stadium and sell them. The initial price was just a few thousand dollars each and they now sell for an average of $300k. They have become legendary in the SEC as a big-time game day tradition that is unique beyond words. The rigs are “tricked out” inside and outside. It is the type of place that millennials will want to take selfies in front of and Snap or Insta them like we did. The gracious owner of the one we were invited to was Gamecock superfan Doug Forbes. All 22 cars are uniquely decorated, and all painted in Gamecock Garnet and black. This is what is referred to as “Railgating”.

The Cockaboose Railgate

This was my first visit to see the University of South Carolina play at home. Their venue is the venerable Williams Brice stadium situated just off campus. WB or the “Cockpit” was built in 1934 and has a capacity of 80,000+. I can remember watching games on TV in the 1980s and being enamored with the spiraling stairwells in each corner of the end zone. Sometimes it is the simple things like a cool structural feature that draws me to a stadium. South Carolina joined the SEC in the early 1990s and saw only spots of success per SEC standards until Steve Spurrier showed up. “The Ole Ball Coach” has been gone now for two years, but he developed a positive winning attitude for Gamecock Nation (even though he quit mid-season on the team and earned a prestigious Bieber). Notable players from “this USC” include George Rogers, Sterling Sharpe, Alshon Jefferey and Jadaveon Clowney. 

2001 A Space Odyssey ritual

The Gamecock tradition prior to the start of the game is another must experience in person scene. The theme to 2001 A Space Odyssey plays in anticipation as the Cocks prepare to enter onto the field from the tunnel. The fans are rocking and ecstatic, and towels were waving feverishly just as the crescendo of the song peaks, the Cocks run onto the turf and fireworks explode. 

“The Mighty Sound of the Southeast Marching Band” has 400 members and played constantly throughout the game keeping the crowd engaged. Additionally, they put on a great halftime tribute show to first responders. The sound of the Gamecock Rooster cackling over the loud speaker was heard throughout the match when SC did something positive. What’s not to like about a place when you can call 80,000 people a bunch of Cocks and not get your arse whipped! 

The Gamecocks, in the midst of a resurgent season with a chance to make a decent bowl were expected to handle their business on the field against the disappointing Gators. Florida was entering their second week since firing Coach Jim McElwane. We hope coach Mac is doing well in “WitSec” and has stopped receiving those death threats. The Gamecocks grabbed control of the momentum early despite their QB Jake Bentley playing like an Edsel and throwing the ball to the Blue and Orange 3 times for completions. The Cocks would nonetheless race out to a 14-0 first quarter lead. However, the scrappy Gators were chomping at the bit for some glory of their own as they put up 13 in the second quarter to SC’s 7 for a 20 – 13 halftime score. The men in garnet and black would put 7 more on the board in the third and hold a 28-13 lead well into the fourth. We decided the game was well in hand and headed back out to the tailgate lot only to hear that Florida scored and it was now a one possession game. We caught the last few minutes on a big screen in the lot to watch the Cocks hang on for the victory. Back to the crib for all the games and leftovers from the tailgate. 

Enjoy the brief video of the day:

Around the country

I hate to admit it, but it looks like the U is back along with this new “Turnover Chain” bling thing they do. The Canes thoroughly dominated my Irish to the thrill of their bandwagon riding fans who are now showing up after a 15-year hiatus. Alabama had to give it everything they could muster to squeak by Mississippi State in Stark Vegas as they pulled away with a 7-point win late in the game. Georgia “got the dawg crap beat out of em” by Gus Malzhan and the Auburn Tigers at Jordan Hare ruining their chances for a perfect season. UGA QB Jake Fromm State Farm wishes he was just wearing his khakis. Oklahoma’s Defense finally arrived on game day as the Sooners kept TCU’s Offense in check while Baker “Magic Man” Mayfield kept doing his thing leading his boys to another victory and into the top 4. Oklahoma State rebounded with a narrow win over Iowa State in a high scoring shootout in Ames. The other Ohio State showed up and delivered a walloping to Michigan State who were more black and blue then they were green and white. Staying in the Big Ten, Wisconsin remains perfect after beating their first ranked opponent of the year. Bryce showed some Love on his bad ankle and kept Stanford relevant leading the Tree to an upset win over UW on Friday night, all but eliminating the PAC 12 from playoff contention. On this hallowed Veterans Day weekend both Army and Navy were victorious, and Air Force put up a valiant fight but came up a little short. Thank you to all the Veterans for your service! Speaking of Navy, long time loyal DFTer and brother Brian Donnelly proposed to his girlfriend Laurie at the Tailgate before the Navy game. Nothing quite says romance like chicken wings, cold beer and oh by the way will ya marry me?! Congrats Brian and Laurie. Also, a big shout out to my alma mater Frostburg State for earning a playoff birth for the first time ever in the DIII championship series. They will play Wittenberg in Ohio next Saturday. Go Bobcats!

The newly engaged first couple of Navy Tailgating!

Eagle Tailgaters in wicked cold Bawstun Saturday

The Griffins experiencing the Stanford upset of UW

My three stooges at OU v TCU

Kim Milling rolling Toomers after the UGA win

The Flash Gordon Clan at Happy Valley for OSU v Rutgers

The Donnelly girls and #2's roomies at the OU TCU Match. Dad's weekend, no Dad!!

PAC 12 John and Daughter at CU v USC. Two Monte Vista grads meet up

 Bieber – This week’s high praise goes to none other than the Official Review. Before there was such a thing as an official’s review, we as fans had wished there was one as we witnessed so many wrong calls made by referees. This is a case of “careful what you wish for”. Not only do the reviews take way too long and ruin the momentum of a game, they are using them on almost every play it seems. Games used to rarely exceed three hours. The average game this year seems to be at least four. We might as well not have referees if every play is going to be over scrutinized and kill the pace of a game. My recommendation would be to limit any replay booth activity to 30 seconds. Anything past that, it reverts to the referee’s call. If a ref can’t make the right call, then they need find some people that can. The refs are getting lazy knowing they don’t have to be perfect because the replay booth can amend a bad call if they make one. So, for all the fans like me that are frustrated with what these reviews have become, we now entrust you officials with the all-powerful Bieber trophy!

Last week's pics

The Rabagos at Cal Poly Homecoming

Voytek, Wiggins and friends at Army v AFA game

 

The Addicks Clan at Clemson game

Me and my little Cheerio at the last JV football game of the year

Next week – We will travel east on I -80 for the Causeway classic between UC Davis and Sacramento State.

Happy Tailgating!

Week 9 - Don't Rock The Boat!

Husky stadium has been standing in some semblance for almost 100 years now. Six years ago, it underwent a major transformation from a dilapidated dump, surrounded with a spectacular view to an impeccable palace with the same spectacular view. Location and appearance wise, this is one of the most magnificent cathedrals in all of college football. Husky Stadium sits on the edge of the University of Washington campus on the banks of Lake Washington for an incredible picturesque setting. The lakeside location has lent itself to a form of pregaming called “Sailgating” where boats of all shapes and sizes drop anchor or tie up to a dock within view of the stadium. On the decks of the boats the parties take place with all the elements of a ground based Tailgate. This is another must do experience for all college football fans. There are only two other colleges that boast Sailgating next to the stadium, Tennessee and Baylor.

Seven years ago, I attended a rainy, cold night game at UW before the renovations and with no tailgating (http://dantailgate.blogspot.com/2010/11/week-12-recap-wet-cold-weekend.html ). This would be a well needed do over for me as I felt I did not get the true Husky football experience on that trip. For this year’s rendition, we rented a house with the Dons of Danville (Gervolino, Desimone, Quilici) and a few normal named guys such as Campbell and Duncan. Leaving the lodgings to anyone other than myself always makes for some surprise sleeping arrangements. We caught a Friday afternoon flight up to Emerald City and joined the other half of our loyal DFTers who were well into their cups. We reconnoitered the “Grunge Capital of America” Friday night for proper houses of worship and philanthropic endeavors in order to be better mentally and physically prepared for game day on Saturday. The night ended with a bag of healthy cheeseburgers from Dicks.

A rare weather report calling for warm sunny skies in the Evergreen State and an early kickoff time of 12:30 called for an Oooooo dark thirty revelry and a convoy to our disembarkment dock. Our ship captain for the day would be Steve Baird on the SS Fireball, or so it was renamed. Major props to the NW DFT Chapter President, Timmy “Snowflake” Desimone for organizing the boat trip.  Timmy’s posse of fellow Cal Poly Millennials joined us on our Sailgate through Seattle Harbor and onward to Husky Harbor on Lake Washington.  The temperature was in the high 40’s and the cloud layer and fog were very low as we pushed off and headed out. Homemade Bloody Mary’s and other libations were served to get the boat rockin and the blood warmed. An amazing stack of muffuletta sandwiches were handed out along with a killer frittata. The adults in the crew were mature and well behaved as the Millennials worked on a handle of Fireball. Actually, there may have been a few adults that partook in that ritual as well.

Our arrival into Husky Harbor was commensurate with the fog touching all the way to the water. With visibility low, we continued the on-board soiree with gusto. After a few minutes, the fog lifted and yachts, boats and other water craft appeared everywhere. The magical Husky Stadium popped out like a slow-motion magic trick. Blue skies and sunshine replaced the cool misty scene and the celebration was now in full swing.  Tales were swapped, spirits imbibed and desserts were consumed. As the clock struck 12, we hailed the water taxi down that would take us to shore at the steps of the stadium. One more stop before the stadium to watch the Millennials and one of our crew have a shotgun contest.  

 

Boys being boys!

 The view from the stadium on this gorgeous fall day was beyond words. The Huskies were hosting PAC 12 rival UCLA and their cocky QB Josh Rosen. The Dawgs took the field to music of Jimmy Hendrix’s  Purple Haze as the crowd of 70,000 was electric. UCLA would get on the board first with a field goal. It would be their last lead of the day as Washington matched that field goal and kept on scoring behind running back Miles Gaskin until they hit 44 to UCLA’s final tally of 23. Of course, when things were not going well, Sally Rosen decided her hangnail was too much to bear and so she departed the battle and left her team to fend for themselves once again. A real leader would rub some dirt on the wound and get back out there. He is lucky that there was another Bieber on this day that he was not worthy to walk in the shadow of, otherwise Rosen would be a repeat Bieber. The Huskies were dominant in all phases of the game as the defense showed signs of looking like the group from last season. After the final whistle, we headed to Tavern 12 sports bar in University Village to watch more CFB and the World Series.

Around the country

Notre Dame continues its season long resurgence with another win over another top 20 team as they dismantled the NC State Wolfpack in South Bend 35 -15.  In dreary Columbus, Ohio, the Buckeyes came from 15 down in the 4^th quarter to edge the Nittany Lions 39-38.  The Iowa State Cyclones are for real under Coach Matt Campbell as they bested their second top five team in a month taking down TCU 14-7. The fans in Ames stormed the field in Celebration. Too bad Coach Campbell will probably be coaching at some place like Florida next year as I hear there is a house for sale in Gainesville now. Speaking of which, the Gators were humiliated by the UGA Dawgs in the battle at the world’s largest cocktail party in Jacksonville. Death threats or no death threats, the Gators game was simply dead. The OK State Pokes win the shootout with the Mountaineers of Morgantown, WV. The Cowpokes set themselves up for an ESPN Gameday slot in Stillwater next week as they host their in-state rivals Oklahoma for the Bedlam game. Speaking of which, the Oklahoma offense was unstoppable in a big victory over Texas Tech and pretty boy Cliffy K. Washington State fell for the second time in three weeks to the much improved Arizona Wildcats whilst surrendering 58 points in doing so.  Michigan State suffered a defeat at the hands of the boys from Northwestern. Miami and Wisconsin remain unbeaten by beating absolutely nobody.  Columbia suffers their first loss of the season and Frostburg continues its winning ways. 

DFT siblings and nephew at Stevenson College Tailgate

The 3 Amigos in chilly Norman

Bieber –  This week’s awardee is a Hollywood actor moonlighting as a stadium security guard. For those of you that are fans of the movie Superbad, one of the main protagonists “McLovin” must be hard up on cash as he was working the UW game. A member of our crew who’s name shall not be spoken or written made the mistake of “allegedly having a flask and being spotted by McLovin. Too make matters worse, our teammate actually handed the said flask to McLovin thinking he was one of our crew. The yellow jacketed guard taking his job way more serious then he needed to be, confiscated the flask and insisted on our boy to accompany him to the security office to be ejected. However, our elusive teammate was able to shake McLovin in the bowels of the stadium and return to his seat. Ten minutes later Superbad reappeared with his bad ass yellow jacket and screamed out “Sir. Surrender your liquor and come with me”.  After much dialogue, our friend agreed to leave and began the perp walk. An extra ticket was handed to our guy by one of us as he was escorted away. McLovin, feeling full of authority and power first escorted the accused to the EMT tent where he was greeted with laughter by the EMTs. McLovin shrugged off the humiliation and proceeded to the security tent. Our perp was searched and his ticket was taken and he was escorted to the exit. However, with another ticket in hand he reentered the stadium and spent the second half in the beer garden area having a swell time while McLovin had no clue he had been outfoxed again. McLovin continued his vigil in watching our group with his crime fighting eagle eye throughout the rest of the game. We felt safer knowing he had overwatch for us.

McLovin and his Doppelgänger

Next week – Next up will be Florida at South Carolina in two weeks for “Railgating”. CFB binge watching, life balance exercises and high school football are in store for me next weekend.

Happy Tailgating!