RECAPS 2002 Aug. 31, 2002: Notre Dame 22, Maryland 0
Sky-high following 2001 and eager to raise the bar, the A-Game Tailgate bulked up over the offseason with the addition of a five-foot extension to the flag pole and a new A-Game flag that would fly directly beneath the Maryland state flag to serve as a 15-foot high beacon for all A-Gamers. The Hall brothers, Craig Lestner, Paul and OldLiner Dave met in Baltimore in the early a.m. for the caravan up to Jersey to see the Terps tackle the team you either love or hate, Notre Dame. The Team met up with the rest of the Terrapin Nation at the Terps hotel, and after a brief pigskin toss, we got ready to head to the stadium. Team A-Game pulled out first, and one of the best visuals ever was when we turned back to see some 20 SUVs and trucks, all decked out with Terp window flags and magnets, reverse out of parking spaces and pull into the formation of a single-line caravan. At the stadium and in our new Team A-Game uniforms, we hoisted the flags and toasted to the start of another great tailgating season. It did not take long to capture our midseason form, as we feasted on the traditional Brats, jumbalaya, Italian Sausage and kielbasa, along with a new roast leg of lamb. The arrival of Paul O. and Timmy from Salisbury, and the Hereford contingent of Sam, Ralph and Mike brought more beer. Not long after, Paul K. and C-Hall took the boom box on a Victory Song march of the lot, Neil Hall burned an Irish jersey, participants donned red and black face paint, and the Team engaged in a water battle. It was a cool day and we thanked Mother Nature for blessing us with October weather in August. We wish she could’ve blessed the Terps with an October offense, as Maryland sputtered throughout the night in a tough-to-swallow 22-0 loss. Mike had seen enough at the National Anthem and smartly stumbled back to the truck to listen on the radio, or pass out. A postgame Brat helped us absorb a second straight loss. Sept. 7, 2002: Maryland 44, Akron 14
Promptly denied admittance to Lot 1 by the Fun Police, Paul and Craig Hall settled for the traditional Pretailgate in front of Cole for the Terps’ home opener against Akron. Typical hot one for early September. Once inside Lot 1, we were redirected yet again to another new home thanks to more bandwagoners having joined the Terrapin Club in the offseason. Neil Hall and some friends and the rest of the Team arrived and we settled into a groove with the beer flowing to combat the heat. Inside, all was right in the world as the Terps got the confidence booster with the 30-point whipping of the Zips. Sept. 14, 2002: Florida $tate 37, Maryland 10
Jacked up for a meeting with No. 5 F$U, the A-Game was in full force as some 15 guests joined the six season ticket holders of Craig Hall, Neil Hall, Craig Lestner, Chad, Sam and Paul. The A-Game was supplied by Brooke and Kristine, and the Terrapin Nation and A.J.’s crew also joined in. Even the roast leg of lamb made an appearance. After a fired-up Terp Alley, an overflow crowd of 51,758 stuffed the Byrd in hopes of seeing the Terps’ first-ever win over the CrimiNoles. While the Fridge’s charges continue to put up a much better physical fight vs. F$U, the horses still aren’t there and the Noles won going away, again. Sept. 28, 2002: Maryland 37, Wofford 8
The Terps enjoyed a 37-8 win over Wofford Saturday, and the A-Game enjoyed one of its best tailgates of the early season. Paul, Craig Hall, and four-star tailgating recruit Vince Culotta arrived in front of Cole at 11 a.m. for the pretailgate. Craig experimented by adding ground beef to the dip, and it was met with rousing success so it will become a permanent addition. Geoff arrived and scouted another entrance into Lot 1. He got in, then radioed the rest of the Team which entrance to use. The A-Game was fully set up in our new (and hopefully permanent) location in the lower lot 1d by Noon, when the other fans were just being allowed to enter the lots. The grill sputtered early (must've been adjusting to the new location), but Craig gave her a terrific pep talk, and she went on to cook us the best Brats we've ever had. Think the key was letting them marinate for two days in the beer and onions, instead of just one. Craig Lestner and Neil arrived, and we gorged ourselves on jumbalaya, lamb, shrimp, and sausage while watching Penn State lose to Iowa on the satellite. It was Vince's first tailgate in nine years, and he made a very strong showing, strong enough to earn a nomination for Team A-Game Rookie of the Year. We are pursuing him hard and trying to get him to sign a Letter of Intent for a 2003 season ticket. We want you Vince! Anyone wishing to contribute to the Team A-Game Tailgating Scholarship Fund should see Paul or Craig at the next tailgate. After the game we partied until 1 a.m. while watching the Auburn-Syracuse triple-overtime game. Oct. 5, 2002: Maryland 48, West Virginia 17
In one of the most satisfying wins ever, the Terps and Team A-Game went on the road into an allegedly hostile environment and spanked the West Virginia Mountaineers, 48-17. It wasn’t even that close. We met Geoff and Christina in Cumberland and caravanned into Morgantown together, arriving just before 9 a.m. Amidst boos and jeers from the homestanding Eers, we raised the flags and several other Terp fans joined us in the lot. Paul’s cousins Nick and Deena came down from Ohio. We feasted on the traditional items, and Deena’s homemade pepperoni rolls, which were out of this world. Then we had some birthday cake for Deena. We walked through the pit and heard it all from the Eers on the way to the stadium. That would be the only noise they’d make all day. Inside the stadium, Craig, Paul and Geoff put on one of Team A-Game’s best performances ever, leading the 1,500-2,000 Maryland fans in cheers and songs, and making more noise than anyone else. We were rockin’ and rollin’ as the Terps went up 28-0 after the first quarter, which was when a lot of Eer fans started leaving. We took over Mountaineer Field as the game went on and more WVU fans left. On the way back to the victory party, no one said a word to us. A-Game to Craig for wearing the flag into the game and not getting it dirty. Another A-Game to Craig for starting a new tradition in the lot after the game. The home fans will get to see it next week. Oct. 17, 2002: Maryland 34, Georgia Tech 10
The Georgia Tech A-Game started with the unfortunate news that parking lots would not until 4 or even 5 p.m., which was totally unacceptable. The news got worse when we learned that we would be without Hall brothers. Then it started raining. But we are a veteran crew, and we rebounded nicely to host a very solid tailgate before and after the Terps’ 34-10 wrecking of the Yellow Jackets on Thursday night ESPN. Paul and Sam arrived at 2:45 and were turned away by the Fun Police, so we parked the Rav across the street from Lot 1 and started carrying tailgating necessities to our traditional spot. We had everything all but set up when they started letting cars in at 3:30. Geoff pulled in and the Rav was not far behind. Soon everything was normal and the Brats were grillin’. The flags made their first of several appearances at Terp Alley. We used a healthy does of Budweiser and Rona’s Cookies (thanks to Craig) to battle the effects of the rain. Sam and Chad proved that at this point in the season they are not rookies anymore. The postgame victory party lasted until well after midnight. The Nov. 9 homecoming war with N.C. State is a key ACC showdown and will be the first-ever Family Day at the A-Game, with several of us treating parents to a game. Go TERPS!!! Nov. 9, 2002: Maryland 24, N.C. State 21
Something about N.C. State brings out the very best in the A-Game and the Terps. For the third straight year, the N.C. State gameday, which included the first annual Family Day at the A-Game, ranks as Best of the Year to date. Paul and Craig arrived in Lot 1d at 5:20 a.m. and immediately handed out an A-Game Award to the University of Maryland Fun Police parking attendant who let us into the lots a full 40 minutes before scheduled opening. We set up in the dark and set a Team record for earliest beer (5:45). Neil Hall, Darren, Mike and Geoff soon followed and we began preparing for the Noon kickoff. Several of us treated our parents to the A-Game experience, and attendance was very high. So was the quality and amount of food. The day featured the first-ever jambalaya cookoff between Craig Lestner and Stefanie. The judges, headed up by Big Sid Krome, could not make a decision, so we just kept eating the entries until they were all gone. Monday morning Big Sid was still looking for more. Fellow Salisbury alums Dave, Kristine, Jeff and Rob contributed taco dip and excellent marinated chicken kabobs. A-Game parent Griff Atkinson threw on some BBQ chicken, but surprisingly did not start cheering for the Hereford Bulls. The Macks and members of the Hall family attended as well, as did the Wolf sisters and their Tennessee Volunteer fan Suzy, who said everyone in Knoxville can take a lesson from the A-Game. Mother Krome brought her homemade baklava and we enjoyed more of Rona’s cookies. Big Mike W. handled the beer when he and Randy weren’t busy talking to UM freshmen coeds. After the game, victory cigars were passed around. As for the game, with an overflow crowd of 52,915 on hand, the Wolfpack choked late again, suffering their third straight come-from-ahead loss to the Mighty Terrapins. This time, N.C. State’s fourth-quarter meltdown took the form of a missed 28-yard field goal by kicker Adam Kiker and eight straight incompletions and two interceptions by QB Phillip Rivers. Maryland rallied from a 21-7 deficit and won the game, 24-21, on Nick “I’m Money Since GT Last Year” NovAk’s 26-yard field goal with 34 seconds left. Last year, the Pack ran out of bounds while trying to run out the clock with a 19-16 lead, leaving ShAun Hill time to direct the game-winning TD drive. Two years ago, the Pack couldn’t take the heat of a 21-6 halftime lead and allowed ShAun Hill to come off the bench and rally Maryland for a 35-28 double OT win. “Right now, it seems like they got our number. Three straight years it’s been down to the wire, and it seems like their guys end up making the plays,” said N.C. State linebacker Dantonio Burnette. Well said D. Looking forward to seeing you melt again in Raleigh next year. Nov. 16, 2002: Frostburg 37, Salisbury 7
Team A-Game, with the help of an expanded roster of Salisbury alumni and friends, captured its third straight Salisbury Alumni Association Tailgating Contest Championship at the 4th Annual Regents Cup Game. Unfortunately, the Sea Gull football team was in an early holiday giving mood, coughing up fumble after fumble to rival Frostburg in a 37-7 loss in the rain at Towson Stadium. The ‘Cats from the mountains get to keep the Cup for the second straight year. Paul, Craig, and A-Game Rookie of the Year candidate Vince literally opened the gates to the stadium lots at shortly after 9 a.m. We battled the wind and the rain to establish the Salisbury section. We were soon joined by Kenna and Yancy and it was on. Lone-FSU grad Jimmy brought Vodka-soaked cherries to snack on while the Brats and Shrimp were grilling, and A-Game guests Amy and Beth contributed great chili. The alumni roster included: Jessica and Ethan, Brandon and Marianne, Petra and Chris, Dave and Kristine, Ralph, Mike, and Brother Warner, Joe, and legendary Sea Gull Superfan Ralph “I Haven’t Missed a Game in 127 Years” Murray and Alumni Director Roy “How Do You Work This Camera?” Perdue. Postgame kudos go to head coach Sherman Wood for mingling with fans at Alumni Happy Hour despite tough loss. Nov. 30 Team A-Game will close out regular season tailgating with the Terps/Wake Forest game back home at Byrd Stadium. The Team has purchased several extra tickets so attendance will again be high. It will also be the first single-day doubleheader, as several of us are staying for the Terps vs. [Who?] basketball game that night. Official tailgate starts at 6 a.m., with last call at the Cornerstone coming some 20 hours later. Bottoms up, Go Terps! Nov. 30, 2002: Maryland 32, Wake Forest 14
Team A-Game closed out the Terps’ 2002 regular season in true A-Game fashion on Nov. 30. Paul and Craig again arrived before 6 a.m. to Lot 1d to begin preparing for Maryland’s noon kickoff against Wake Forest. Neil “Asst. Def. Backs Coach” Hall and Geoff soon followed, and we enjoyed our first cold (or at least semi-cool) tailgate of the year. The tailgate included the usual suspects, including the other Craig (and more importantly his sister and girlfriend), Sam, Chad and Ralph. Neil brought some family and friends, and it was announced during the post-tailgate that Ralph and Walt have orally committed to join the A-Game with season tickets for 2003. The Team is hoping to add a third four-star tailgating recruit from Baltimore named Vince during the offseason. (The Team cannot officially comment on recruits yet since the Letter-of-Intent signing period does not begin until February.) We’re hopeful the potential of a standing-only section (see “Take a Stand” link) will entice recruiting targets to sign on with the Team. This tailgate also featured a reunion of the Salisbury Maggs Gymnasium staff. Attending were “Canadian Red Baron” Andrew, “Big Foot” Chris, “Wedding Dancer” Tim and ex-facilities guy Scott. Andrew did not wear a shirt because the heat index was 38 Fahrenheit (not sure of Celsius, Andrew). After a couple hits off his Canadian beer mini-keg, Andrew laced up the skates, grabbed his stick, and was seen checking fellow tailgaters off the ice, errrrr pavement, of Lot 1. Chris did not wear a shirt because he has enough hair on his back. Tim thought he was at Andrew’s wedding and took off his shirt. Scott said, “This is just my opinion, I don’t know what you think about this, maybe I’m wrong, maybe you have a different point of view, but it’s cold so I’m going to wear a shirt.” The ESPN crew stopped by to film the gathering cheering “We want Peach! We want Peach!” As a result, Team A-Game gained its first nationwide TV audience. Inside, the Terps bashed Wake Forest 32-14, with the attendance resembling the beginning days of the A-Game. Ex-SID Paul converted the stats into meters so Andrew could understand what was happening. He thought E.J. deserved a five-minute major for sacking the Wake QB in the endzone. After the game, the Team held its final tailgate on campus and completed doubleheader day by taking in the Terps’ basketball demolition of [Who???—can’t remember] at the House That Gary Built. Dec. 22, 2002: Browns 14, Ravens 13 Team A-Game held its final tailgate of the year Sunday before the Ravens-Browns game. Paul and Craig were the first tailgaters to arrive in Lot Camden, shortly after 9 a.m. for the 4:15 kickoff. With attendance remaining at two for the entire tailgate, the A-Game had a relaxing “pretailgate” feel to it all day. Several of the city’s finest residents stopped by to chat and offer their thoughts on the game. The Brats were the best ever. Both Paul and Craig were speechless, other than to agree that they were the best ever, better even than the Wofford Brats. The Team enjoyed plenty of eating, drinking, and hitting, and also discussed off-season agenda items for the A-Game. The Executive Committee voted in favor of new uniforms for 2003. Near the end of the tailgate came the Peach Bowl Debacle, with the throwing of the uniforms and everything else in protest of Team A-Game not traveling to the Peach Bowl. With a playoff atmosphere rocking Ravens Stadium, the Ravens led throughout the game before coming-from-ahead to lose, 14-13, when the Brownies marched 92 yards in the final two minutes to score. The Team was ready to throw down with Brown Fan standing behind us. Cooler heads prevailed.
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