FIU Tailgate
– College
Park,
Maryland
September
23, 2006
By: Surin R.
Well, what
can I say
about the
FIU
tailgate?
In many
respects,
the tailgate
mirrored the
actual game
– we just
didn’t show
up.
Short story
long…
The first to
arrive to
Lot 1 was
Kevin. I’m
not exactly
sure what
time he got
there, but
it was
certainly
well before
me. I
estimate
2pm. The
next group
to arrive
was what I
refer to as
the “special
teams unit”
of the d7
tailgate –
that would
be me, the
Black Widow,
and our
friend
Lindsay.
While the d7
tailgate
special
teams unit
won’t
necessarily
determine
the outcome
of a
tailgate,
they can
certainly
have an
impact.
Anyhow, we
knew this
day would be
different.
Instead of
metro-ing in
from DC,
walking up
Knox Road,
and stopping
at WaWa for
fresh,
delicious
subs….we
drove
in from DC,
drove
up Knox
Road, and
stopped at
Panda for
mandarin
chicken.
Sorry
Marathon, I
just can’t
get off this
mandarin
chicken
kick. I
think we
finally
arrived in
Lot 1 just
before 4pm
(thank you
J. for the
parking
permit).
With just 2
hours to go
before
kickoff, we
knew we
would have
to quickly
jump right
in to the
very next
game of flip
cup, right?
Wrong.
No Roger, No
Rerun, No
Rent.
Without J.
nor Bob,
there would
be no flip
cup at this
tailgate…without
Bix nor
Steve #1,
there would
be no
incidents
with people
in uniform
(police nor
cheerleader)
at this
tailgate…without
Snively,
there would
be no
backpacks at
this
tailgate…without
Forest,
there would
be no E at
this
tailgate…without
Witchart,
there would
be no
inappropriate
comments
around
children at
this
tailgate…without
the Chimka’s,
there would
be no soy at
this
tailgate…
We were at
least
expecting to
see the
Levitt’s,
but by the
time we got
there, they
were nowhere
in sight
(where were
y’all?).
Armed with
just a bag
of mandarin
chicken, a
six pack of
beer, and a
bagful of
various
airplane
bottle
liquors, we
thought we’d
be forced to
return to
our roots
and tailgate
out of the
trunk of our
car.
Fortunately,
no one puts
baby in a
corner.
We spotted
Kevin, his
dad, and his
friend whose
name I can
never
remember.
We saddled
up (thanks
for the
stools Kev)
and the rest
was
history.
The weather
was perfect
and the
overall
non-d7 Lot 1
turnout was
pretty
good. One
tell-tale
sign that d7
was not
representin’
in its usual
fashion – I
thought the
band over by
the soccer
fields did a
pretty good
job. I
think that
band has
been there
all year and
Saturday was
the first
time I
actually
heard them –
while
not
tapping my
feet in the
portapotty.
I usually
never hear
the band
over the
flip cup
slow clap
and kickoff-esque
chant. So
yeah, the
tailgate was
a little
hurting this
week.
And then
there was
the game.
If I had
instructions
tattooed on
my bum, they
would read,
“happiest
when drunk.”
Given that
this was the
most sober
I’ve ever
been going
into a game,
coupled with
fact that MD
played like
total crap,
I was one
angry
Indian.
Fortunately
for the
Black Widow,
she found
more comfort
in our Terps
off the
field [see
pic]. I’m
still
unhappy with
the outcome
of that game
and hope we
can turn
things
around with
ACC play. I
suppose a
win is a
win, but if
we continue
to play like
that, I
might have
to start
showing up a
few hours
earlier to
ensure that
I completely
black out by
game time.
Tailgate
MVP: The
night before
the game,
Bob informed
me that MVP
honors were
mine to
lose. I
don’t think
I lost ‘em,
but I give
them to
Kevin.
Loyal,
punctual,
and always
willing to
take in some
stragglers,
Kevin
certainly
earned MVP
honors this
week.
Honorable
Mentions:
Me and the
Black Widow
both receive
honorable
mentions
this week.
Me for plum
smuggling
airplane
bottles into
the game and
the BW just
for coming
out, knowing
darn well
that there
would be no
flip cup at
this
tailgate.
She lives
for flip
cup.
Tailgate
stats:
Games of
Flip Cup
played
Zippy
Games of
Left,
Center,
Right
played
Nizzle
$’s Raised
to Save
Turtles
Turtle egg
D7-affiliated
Attendance
Six
We missed
you guys.
See y’all
soon. Go
Terps!
