RECAPS 2006
Sept. 2, 2006: Maryland 27, William and Mary 14
Click here for pictures of the A-Game Tailgate for the Terps/William and Mary gameday. Rainy weather could not dampen the Opening Day spirits of the A-Game Tailgate, which began its second decade of operations with a 7:50 a.m. arrival on the College Park campus amidst the leftovers of Tropical Storm Ernesto. With surprisingly little drama from the Fun Police (aka the UM Parking Nazis), access was granted to Lot 1, and Paul and Mike Norris rose the flags to bring up the curtain on Team A-Game's 11th season of Maryland Football tailgating — making friends with fellow early arrivals in the process. The day was not without some challenges as both the Q and the generator were rusty from a long, bowl-less offseason. After some debacles, it was old-school for a while as the team settled for a Sirius radio broadcast of the noon games until a backup generator was found to power up the DirecTV. But some delicious Brats, steak kabobs brought by Doug, football doughnuts brought by Dave K and Brenda's A-Game cookie cake provided more than comforting food. Not to litter this Web site with a reference to the communist sport of soccer, but we also enjoyed listening to a raucous crowd cheer on the Terps' defending NCAA champion men's soccer team to a 3-0 victory over Top 10 UCLA at nearby Ludwig Field in a game originally scheduled for the night before but moved because apparently soccer-ites can't play in the rain. Numerous visits to the Friedgen's Legions were made, as was a trip to the church lot to check on UM student tailgating. UM coeds represented themselves well. A spirited Terp Alley foreshadowed a spirited crowd inside Irwin M. Fletcher (aka Chevy Chase Bank) Field at Byrd Stadium, nearly at capacity with 49,763 on hand against the I-AA Tribe. Bill and Mary posted, though, and the Turtles have some work to do. But 1-0 is a good start. After the game, we resumed the festivities “under the lights,” polishing off the food while watching the alleged No. 2 Golden Domers of Notre Dame just get by Georgia Tech of the ACC, 14-10. A very solid 15-hour gameday was wrapped up at 11 p.m. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are next. Sept. 9, 2006: Maryland 24, Middle Tennessee 10
Click here for pictures of the A-Game Tailgate for the Terps/Middle Tennessee gameday. Team A-Game got into midseason form for its Week 2 gameday vs. the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. The only things missing were drama from the Fun Police and Kenna and Yancy, who poorly timed a vacation to Hawaii. Dave Brown had the honor of being this week's Special Guest Early Riser, joining Paul in an overloaded Rav for another 7:50 a.m. arrival on campus that was stunningly met with no opposition by the UM Parking Nazis. Following the Flag Raising, Dave got the generator started on first attempt and also correctly aimed the DirecTV satellite on first attempt, bringing SportsCenter and then College Gameday through loud and clear with no adjustments needed. Mike Norris, however, proved he still is not in midseason form by not dropping any beverages; he did forget his tailgating chairs in the trunk of his own car and had to hike back to the church lot to retrieve them. As the sun and temperatures rose, the rest of the crew arrived, including the first-ever pizza at a tailgate, brought by Dave Klossner. Doug then put forth an early nomination for Step-up Award of the Year with his purchase and set-up of a new red Maryland tent, which should finally eliminate the need for Walt and Dave's Dook-esque blue tent. With A-Game Theater in full effect, we celebrated the season debut of analyst Rick “Doc” Walker on the weekly noon Lincoln Financial ACC game. He did not disappoint, providing a “he brought his manhood” midway through Wake Forest's 14-13 win over Dook. (Get me out for putting two Dook references in this recap.) Mike Norris provided his second b-game of the day — electing not to pummel any icebags due to the presence of his future father-in-law. The Krome family also attended and visited some friends down the street for delicious pulled pork cooked by an N.C. State alum — whom we gladly notified that the Wolfpack were beaten at home by Akron. With the upcoming WVU game occupying much discussion, we hit up a festive Terp Alley before cheering on the Terps for a closer-than-hoped-for 24-10 win. Postgame wrapped up just before 11 p.m. for another 15-hour gameday. The war with WVU is Thursday night in beloved Morgantown. Sept. 14, 2006: West Virginia 45, Maryland 24
Click here for pictures of the A-Game Tailgate for the Terps/West Virginia gameday. We've said it before, and we'll keep saying it until the University of Maryland football community purchases with regularity its entire allotment of tickets to regular-season away games: road tailgates are the best. Thursday in Morgantown, Team A-Game once again united with the Friedgen's Legions (and seemingly anyone else wearing red) to provide one of the best tailgates ever. All in attendance brought their A-Games with respect displaying the state flag and other Terp banners along Route 705, consuming beverages and menu items in excess, and singing the Victory Song ad infinitum. It began with the 11:26 a.m. arrival into Morgantown by a five-car caravan that included Paul K., Doug, Noli, Carlos, Jackie, Richie, two Mikes, Dave K., Nick, Desi and Gus, the Crazy Greek. Incredibly, we did not receive our first middle finger from a Mo-town local until 11:38 — a full 12 minutes later. Eers must be getting soft. Even more stunning was the lack of beer cans fired at us all day. Not one. With the early arrival, we promptly raised many Maryland State Flags to preside over Lot 1 West. Gradually we were met with the typical obsenities and taunts from the passers-by that we've come to know and love from a gameday in Morgantown. Shortly after the Terp Tent was erected, the only attack on the tailgate occurred — and in pitifully lame form. One sheep-loving WVU frat boy got out of his brother's (who's also his son) car, yelled something inaudible, and attempted to tee-pee the tent. But he threw like a girl and missed everything but the ground. We couldn't retaliate because we were laughing hysterically. Paul D., Rich, Deb and the rest of the Legions arrived, and the party got kicked up a notch as car after car of Turtle supporters joined in the festivities, which included: Drinking Jenga, Victory Song shots every hour, and birthday cake for some guy named Bill. We also enjoyed the company of the family of Terp FB Cory Jackson, the lone Morgantown HS football player smart enough to get out of town. Following a food binge that included steak sandwiches from Noli, homemade burgers from Gus, and Brats from Paul K., we got the Terrapin Nation together for some group pictures before donning the necessary headgear and red attire for the walk into the stadium. With much love for Erin Andrews and much love from the ESPN cameras, we did our best to represent the state and lead the 1,200 MD fans in cheering the Terps to victory. Unfortunately it was not to be, as a littany of errors early helped the hosts cruise to a 45-24 win. But the Turtles battled hard and gave a good account of themselves in the second half. After a quick stop at the hotel, much of the crew rallied for some feel-better beverages and wings at a local establishment before calling it a day at 3 a.m. Despite the loss, it was a great, last trip to Morgantown until 2010. Sept. 23, 2006: Maryland 14, Florida International 10
Click here for pictures of the A-Game Tailgate for the Terps/FIU gameday. For the first gameday of fall, Mother Nature treated us to some decent fall weather. Cloudy skies and windy conditions greeted Team A-Game's 7:45 a.m. arrival on the UM campus. After debuting at three tiers upon arrival and eventually going as high as five, Mother Nature dictated that the flag pole settle in at four tiers for the safety of the Rav and the nearby DirecTV dish. But while seasons change, some things never do: once again the UM Fun Police (aka Parking Nazis) reared their ugly heads, denying some valid permit-holding Team members admittance into Lot 1 for positively no good reason whatsoever. PK and Mike Norris then made the earliest visit ever to the Legions, who were hosting Pig Day (aka Chuck Amato Day) down at the presidential end of Lot 1. We photographed the preparation of a whole pig by Rich, Noli, Mongo, Jackie and Mr. Nalda. It brought back memories of the old Burpin' Terps special on the Food Network. Naturally, we did little to actually aid in the preparation of said Amato, but of course returned to feast on same later in the day. Congrats, fellas. Another morning highlight was the recruitment of Trisha. In all the years of the A-Game's early arrivals, various exercise fanatics have jogged or bicycled by the tailgate. Team A-Game believes in hospitality and naturally offers an adult beverage to most passers-by, who usually only return quizzical looks at 8:30 in the morning. Trisha became one of the rare exceptions, parking her bike on the grassy knoll and enjoying an early-morning beverage with PK, Mike and Dave B. She was very supportive of the Team's tailgating mission, returned later in the day to further partake in the festivities and gave strong consideration to returning to future games later in the season. Recruiting never ends. The afternoon highlight had to be Lincoln Financial's own Doc Walker, our favorite TV commentator who graced us by calling Clemson's 52-7 rape of North Carolina. Doc was in midseAson form, and his commentary makes an otherwise unremarkable weekly conference bottom-feeder matchup something to behold. In this game, we were treated to: “It's a manhood issue now!” “The biguns are movin' up front!” “Clemson had some pepper in their grits!” “He tried to decapitate him!” and “He's just walking the dog.” The Tinneys then arrived with precious Maya, the youngest and best-dressed A-Gamer who was taking in her first game ever. Unfortunately, she had to watch some painful football, as the Turtles' game against F-I-Who came down to the last play. But, a win is a win and 3-1 is right where we thought we'd be after four games. Team A-Game also proved to be in midseason form, as postgame festivities featured the devouring of all the food and the viewing of two ridiculous late collapses: Boston College falling at N.C. State, and Michigan State choking at home against Notre Dame. Another successful gameday wrapped up with an 11:15 p.m. departure. Oct. 7, 2006: Georgia Tech 27, Maryland 23
Click here for pictures of the Georgia Tech trip and gameday. Team A-Game took its first trip to Atlanta for the Maryland game against alleged No. 18 Georgia Tech. As with any roAd trip that involves a hotel stay, the first order of business after check-in is to hang the Maryland flag in the hotel room window. That was completed post-haste. Then Paul and Kristine met Richard and Deb for Friday Happy Hour to cement Saturday's itinerary. With limited stadium parking available, we opted for an indoor tailgate at Jocks and Jills Sports Bar in Midtown. Joined by Nick and Mike, the raising of the flags took place shortly after the bar's 11 a.m. opening. In the hours that followed, a very healthy contingent of red shirts made their way in, with probably about 100 Maryland fans taking part in the festivities at one point or another. Some Team members' bodies were shaking from withdrawal due to the lack of the traditional Saturday Bratwurst, but we made up for it with plenty of victory shots and an assortment of appetizers. As 2:30 approached, much of the group headed outside for a photo, and business cards were exchanged to help increase the traveling Terrapin contingent for future away games. Inside a less-than-capacity Bobby Dodd Stadium, the Terps played solid football for three quarters before becoming way too generous with the football, turning a 23-14 lead into a frustrating 27-23 defeat before a smallish but vocal throng of about 750 red shirts. Atmosphere at Tech was pretty good at times, but nowhere near that of holes like Morgantown and Raleigh. That is, except for one memorable incident. At halftime on the concourse, some purportedly brilliant Tech engineering student decided it'd be a good idea to remove the ESPN-famed Turtle Hat from PK's head. The genius committed the theft and raced for the student section. But Paul flashed the speed he once commanded with routine as an option-running QB for an Owings Mills squad that was a whopping 6-14 in his two years as varsity starter in the mid-90s. He corralled the perpetrator near the last row of bleachers, and the offender quickly realized the error of his ways, tossing back the hat before disappearing in the hive of brainiacs. Order was restored, and credit security for finding the slow-moving, slow-witted student and expelling him a few minutes later. Long live The Turtle Hat. After the game, we tried out some greasy chili-dogs and burgers at the landmark Varsity before rallying back in Buckhead for another solid night out, taking some solace in watching locals lament visiting Tennessee's 20-point beatdown of Georgia and, yes, Dook's remarkable near-upset of Alabama. Oct. 14, 2006: Maryland 28, Virginia 26
Click here for pictures of the Maryland/Virginia gameday in Whoville. Click here for more gameday pictures taken by Kristine. For Team A-Game's trip to Whoville for Rivalry Week vs. the Whine-and-Cheesers, the Rav was given a rare gameday off. PK, Kristine and the gear piled into Walt's truck for the regular even-year trip to Lot 1 South. And Lot 1 South it became, even prior to the scheduled 9:30 a.m. raising of the flags, as the Friedgen's Legions made an impressive rally from Noli's Friday night birthday festivities to arrive early with Nick, Despina and Mike, and Mike Norris. PK was rightfully called out and debacled several times for not arriving until 9:38 a.m. Get me out. Andrea broke out the punch right away — a strong early start to the tailgate that was well-received by a semi-groggy Col. Paul Douglas. The rest of the Legions joined soon after, and after Noli shared some good news, the drinking games began in earnest under a collection of MD tents. The generator b-gamed a viewing of last year's 45-33 beatdown of the Whos, but the stereo and rounds of G.M. shifted things into high gear, particularly as Chuck won step-up award of the week for bringing freshly caught salmon for the grill. As has become tradition at Virginia, the bell rang signaling the customary brawl between Mike Norris and the bag of ice. The ice had been chirping throughout the morning, and finally Norris decided he'd had enough and called it out to Center Stage. Before dozens of onlookers, Norris pummeled said bag with a first-round knock out, dropping two elbows and a Hulk Hogan leg-drop to earn the decisive victory. He celebrated with street angels. As is usually the case with the tailgate, time flew by too fast, but not before we gathered most of the red shirts in the lot for a large group photo. With Victory Songs aplenty, we made the marathon walk to the stadium in search of the Turtles' first win here since 1990. We got it in dramatic fashion, rallying from a 20-0 halftime deficit to send the Boo-Hoos home to boo-hoo, 28-26. PK debuted a makeshift flagpole for the stadium that surprisingly lasted into the second quarter before the VA Fun Police ixnayed it out of jealousy. That did not dampen the spirits of the 2,000 or so Terrapin supporters, who made their presence loud and clear, particularly during timeouts and stoppages of play. Credit the Turtles' O-Line for securing game-clinching first-downs at the end of the contest, leading to a couple celebratory renditions of the Victory Song. With more cheers and the Maryland flag flying high on the walk back, we posed for a photo with the Groh's Gotta Go sign before a rare, prideful Who student protested with vigor. It was a near-scrap, but eventually we wished him luck against the Tar Holes Thursday. Back at the tailgate with celebrations abounding, we cooked all the food before wrapping up the Victory Party at 9 p.m. Oct. 21, 2006: Maryland 26, N.C. State 20
Click here for Family Day photos taken by Becca. You'll need a new or existing Snapfish account. Click here for more Terps/N.C. State gameday pictures. Homecoming/Family Day began with what is likely to be the Team's earliest arrival on campus for the season, 5:40 a.m. for the noon kickoff against Ground Chuck and the N.C. State Wolfpack. But, to help reduce the fun people can have, naturally the UM Fun Police denied admittance into Lot 1 until 6 a.m. Team A-Game almost busted out an old-school pretailgate while waiting in line, but had no faith in the Parking Nazi to keep her trap shut about an open container at that point. But soon enough, the flags were raised and everything was in order — including a bonus viewing of The A-Team after Dave once again nailed the aiming of the satellite on first attempt. With wonderfully cool temperatures and excellent SoCo/apple cider aroma in the air, early arrivals Paul, Dave, Kenna, Yancy, Chris and Jolene and Mike and Brenda got the feast going. The roster eventually swelled to about 35. Highlights of the menu: Yancy's jambalya, Brooke's pasta salad, Becca's taco dip, Rona's cookies and Sophia's karithopeta (Greek pastry). We converted Colorado alumna Celeste into a Terps fan and showed her what real tailgating was. She was up to the task with the beer consumption. Family Day also unknowingly featured a Salisbury reunion of Yancy, Kyle and Jay, as once again the Sea Gull contingent outnumbered the Terps in attendance. As per usual, the tailgate ended too quickly and we made our way inside Byrd for a must-win against the Pack. This time, it was the Turtles forcing the turnovers and cashing in, jumping out to a 20-0 lead before holding on for a 26-20 win before a too-quiet crowd of 50,230. But a win is a win, and the Terrapins need just one more for bowl eligibility. The post-tailgate was epic, as the Team polished off the last of a combined 24 Brats and Italian sausages. Not only that, but we were treated to a near strip-show that almost rated NC-17 in the other half of Lot 1d, all while Notre Dame was unfortunately coming back against UCLA. Team A-Game had trouble determining what sight was more exciting. We finally put a wrap on a 13-hour gameday following F$U's 24-19 home loss to Boston College. The Criminoles come to Byrd Saturday night! Oct. 28, 2006: Maryland 27, Florida $tate 24
Click here for pictures of the Terps/F$U A-Game Tailgate. Rallying would be the theme of this day. We had no choice thanks to the Fun Police, who were out in full force today. For the second time in the last three games, Mike Norris was the first to arrive on campus for Team A-Game, beating PK’s and Kristine’s 10 a.m. arrival (he debacled them via phone from the lot). The Team was admitted into Lot 1, but upon arrival in Lot 1d, was accosted by the UM Parking Nazis and ordered to move the Rav at once because the lot was being used for…get this…driver’s ed for campus shuttle busses. Further, while we “permitted” to unload tailgating gear and stay on the grassy knoll, it was under the alleged stipulation that no adult beverages be consumed until the official 1 p.m. opening of the lots. Only at the University of Maryland. So, we moved the Rav and had an old-school pretailgate: no Gameday, no tunes, but with excellent Brats, debacles add infinitum about the situation, and, of course, stealth-mode consumption of our favorite beverages. We lamented the seemingly weekly battles with the Parking Communists, debated options for next year, chided the rest of Team A-Game for being late and resolved to rally later to return this tailgate to customary “A” stature. However, we did take some amusement in listening to the complaints of a nearby UM student (for some reason there for a class on a Saturday), who received a ticket for parking in Lot 1 without a gameday permit. Finally just before noon, the Parking Enemy of Freedom permitted the Rav to return to its home in 1d. But, this debacle delayed the Raising of the Flags excruciatingly long. At 12:01 p.m., Mike and Paul properly raised the flags, and research on agametailgate.com reveals that it was the first time since Sept. 28, 2002, vs. Wofford that the flags were not raised until the afternoon hours (not including Thursday night games). That’s when the rallying began. With shots aplenty, including an early trip to the Legions, and the Navy-Notre Dame game on the radio, we quickly put the slow start behind us. Then the rest of the Team came and everyone seemed to step up: Andrea broke out the punch upon arrival and also brought some explosive chilly; Kristine’s crab soup reigned supreme; Dave B. nailed the DirecTV despite considerable wind from Mother Nature; Skip brought enough salmon for an army, as did Chad with ribs; Kenna's football-shaped dessert was excellent and Brian brought the ultimate Terp-O-Lantern to celebrate the Halloween season Maryland-style. Terp Alley was windy and spirited, and both conditions continued into the game as Mother Nature gave us great weather and Byrd Stadium rocked as much as it ever has with the Criminole$ in town. With the student section and team dressed in black, much of the 50,517 in attendance stood the entire game. The Terrapins played well enough early, jumping out to leads of 20-7 and 27-14. The Noles rallied late and appeared poised to go ahead or tie it with less than a minute left, but sophomore Jeremy Navarre recorded a key sack on third down and then blocked the 46-yard field goal to send us all into delirium. We rushed the field to celebrate our all-important sixth win of the season, making the Terrapins bowl eligible for the first time since 2003. We celebrated the fact that we won’t be home for the holidays until midnight before finally ending a roller-coaster 14-hour gameday. Team A-Game's 100th official tailgate happens Saturday at Clemson. The 100th Tailgate
Click here for pictures of the Maryland/Clemson gameday. There aren't too many words to describe Team A-Game's 100th tailgate — in part because the gameday was so glorious, and the right words can't be summoned, and in part because the sheer quantity of beverage consumption has made recalling specific events difficult. But here goes... First tip of the hat goes to Mother Nature, who blessed with us with outstAnding cold weAther despite the location being in the Deep South, some 500 miles from College Park. PK, Kristine and Doug raised the flags on the century gameday at our own Death Valley-like tailgate lot with sunny skies and temps in the 30s. We were soon joined by Kenna and Yancy, who were on their first Terrapin roAd trip, Gus, Nick, Mike, another Paul, Richard and Deb and Fabian. With setup complete, one shot of G.M. down and a Bratwurst (always delicious in cold weather) having provided a base in the belly, recruiting was completed for participants in the celebration of the 100th tailgate: a Century Power Hour, featuring one shot of beer for each of Team A-Game's glorious days in parking lots on autumn Saturdays for the last 10-plus seasons. Prior to developing the recaps page of this Web site, tradition dictated that PK place a ticket stub and tailgate picture in a photo album to maintain a history of the A-Game. For old-time's sake, the albums were brought to Clemson. At 8:21 a.m., with the participants including PK, Doug, Richard, Kristine, Kenna and Yancy, and before a small crowd of onlookers, the celebration began with PK commenting on the inaugural tailgate: Oct. 19, 1996, when he and Neil Hall arrived at old Lot 4 on the UM campus, subs in hand but no beer, about two hours prior to the Turtles' 52-0 pummeling of Wake Forest. The first shot was downed, and the process repeated. Tailgate-by-tailgate, we flipped through the photo albums, PK would recall something about each gameday, we raised our glasses and downed the shot. Somewhere, we think about 20 or so shots in, Mike Norris finally arrived (late!), along with BrendA, sister Karen and other family and friends whose names have long since escaped. Once again BrendA stepped up with the large cookie cake to commemorate the 100th tailgate. Mike Norris shotgunned a couple beverages to catch up, and the power hour continued. One-by-one, memories were recalled and shots fell: the last game ever at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, the playoff win over the Denver Broncos, the ACC Championship clincher at N.C. State, beating Florida $tate for the first time. Names of the past were resurrected: Mark Duffner, Orlando Strozier, Stoney Case, Billy McMullen/Tony Okanlowan, Tony Banks, Shaun Hill, Leroy Ambush. Debacles were added for fiascoes such as PK's two missed games for weddings and Salisbury's seven fumbles in a 30-point laydown to Frostburg. Finally, with speech slurred, somewhere between 10 and 10:30, we raised our glasses for the final time, recalling last week's 27-24 dramatic win over Florida $tate. Somehow we managed to take a group picture, clean up and stagger our way to the stadium, where the glory would only continue. Chris Cosh's defense battled hard all day, and save for a couple big plays, largely stymied Clemson's allegedly potent offense. But as is becoming custom in Death Valley, the Turtles were playing 11-on-18 (actually more if you count the replay official), as the Zebras once again jobbed us, inexplicably overturning a safety by MD. The Kittens then drove the field before the Terps forced a field goal with about two minute left. Then Sam Hollenbach did what you would expect a senior QB to do. He executed a near-perfect hurry-up offense, converting a 4th down play in the process, and set up Dan Ennis for a 31-yard FG with three seconds left. Ennis was true, and the MD sideline and 500 diehards who made the trip exploded, as the Turtles beat the nation's purported No. 19 team on the road, 13-12, for win number 7. It was absolute delirium in the stands, not unlike that of the 2003 game at N.C. State, when Nick Novak booted the game-winner with seconds left. Afterward, we congratulated the team as it boarded the team busses and returned to tailgate, where Mike Norris had to sub-in as chef for PK, who was, simply, done. What a day for the 100th tAilgAte. Nov. 11, 2006: Maryland 14, Miami 13
Click here for pictures of the Terps/Miami gameday. The Miami gameday began with a bit of disappointment with the 3:30 kickoff time, which meant Team A-Game could not also attend the annual Salisbury-Frostburg hatefest (aka the Regents Cup Game) for Maryland Division III bragging rights. But that disappointment quickly abated with an unabated 7:50 a.m. arrival in Lot 1d, with not so much as a whisper from the Fun Police. PK led the charge, solo, and tailgate neighbor Gary was this week's special honorary assistant for the Raising of the Flags (Mike Norris shirking his responsibilities, again). The full tailgate was a go for the 9:30 official opening of the lots. Soon after, Doug and family arrived with a glorious turkey and deep frier. With a cajun marinade injected, the turkey was dumped into the frier, and not long after Team A-Game feasted on what may be a candidate for Dish of the Year. To help celebrate, Andrew concocted the punch post-haste. Mike and Brenda made up for their tardiness by bringing a turtle-shaped garlic bread. The party got kicked up a notch with the continued arrival of Salisbury alumni, warmly greeted by the SSU car flag afixed to the Rav. Proving that the old alma mater is never far from the heart, alumni PK, Kristine, Yancy, Kenna, Ralph, Chad, Brian and alum emeritus Tim toasted the Sea Gulls in advance of their 2 p.m. showdown with the Bobcats. We would later find out that victory was had with ease, 42-15, as the Kittens proved to be no match for the Maroon and Gold. Several visits from the Chick-fil-A Bowl cow mascot proved fruitful, as Team A-Game re-emphasized it was in midseason form by crushing dozens of free chicken sandwiches. Later, the shots gave way to the annual Flip Cup tournament, which may or may not become a weekly occurence based on the performance of some Team members. Ralph and Kristine claimed tournament victories, while alleged rookie Brenda twice took home the survivor championship. The success may have been too much for Kristine, who later would execute a perfect boot-n-rally. Inside Byrd, big plays staked the Turtles to a 14-0 lead over the 'Canes, who seemingly had the ball the entire second half but never got the go-ahead points. Miami fumbled the late punt it desperately needed, allowing Maryland to hang on for another dramatic win, 14-13. The Terps became the first team since 1985 to beat Florida $tate and Miami in the same season. The highlight was Free State-bred Darrius Heyward-Bey sprinting past the 'Canes secondary, twice, on his way to the endzone. Nov. 18, 2006: Boston College 38, Maryland 16
Click here for pictures of the Maryland/BC gameday. Communist-like laws regarding adult beverage consumption and tailgating notwithstanding, Boston is one of America's great cities. That was not lost on a very strong contingent of Terrapin supporters (multiple reports said UM sold over 3,000 tickets for the game, contributing to the sellout of 44,500 at Alumni Stadium), who made their way north and enjoyed a weekend in Beantown. Credit local resident and D7 Tailgater Chris Bixler for securing a 9 a.m. opening at Roggie's Brew and Grille near the BC campus for the Maryland Indoor Tailgate. Naturally, PK and some other diehards arrived at 8:30. (When informed of this, this prompted someone in Bix's group to comment, “Well, yeah. They're not the B-Game Tailgate.” Right on.) Not long after the 9 a.m. opening, red shirts filled the Cavo Lounge downstairs and soon filled the upstairs bar as well. Kristine and the Legions rallied from Friday night festivities for a strong showing. All told, Team A-Game estimates that 150-175 Turtles visited Roggie's between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. in preparation for the hurting noon kickoff against the Eagles. The greAt effort by the fans was unfortunately not matched by the team, however, as MD reverted to shooting itself in the foot in a key game. Two fumbles returned for touchdowns, and it was 14-0 before half of the largely quiet BC fan base filtered into the aluminum sandbox of a stadium. The UM offense actually outscored itself in favor of BC, as Sam Hollenbach threw a pick-6 as the Turtles were trying to rally. Final score, 38-16 bad guys, a tough blow to the Terrapins' ACC title hopes. The program must rally for Saturday night against upstart Wake Forest in the final regular-season game of the year. (How did it get to be late November already???) Nov. 25, 2006: Wake Forest 38, Maryland 24
Click here for pictures of the Terps/Wake Forest gameday. Recap to come. Click here for more pictures of Little Gabe's stylin' tailgate debut. The final home gameday of the year got off to a slow start. PK visited Mike Norris and Brenda for an in-house viewing of College Gameday, with the idea to arrive on campus at noon. Upon arrival, however, the Team discovered that the traditional parking space in Lot 1d had been commandeered by some fans who said they had attended every game this season despite no one recognizing them. Even worse, they hosted Wake fans throughout the day. It was a situation that did not sit well with anyone, and a couple A-Gamers wanted to scrap. In the end, however, we had no one to blame but ourselves for our tardiness (they beat the Rav to the spot by about 10 minutes, apparently), and we rededicated ourselves to early arrivals in 2007. The other side of the grassy knoll worked fine for the Q, and the A-Game Theater needed only a slight relocation. While we celebrated a terrific season that had us one game away from playing for the ACC championship, we were saddened by knowing it was Orlando's last game after a brief but impactful two-year run. The California transplant is off to med school somewhere next year, but he'll always be a Terrapin Tailgater. But as one A-Gamer moves on, another took in his first gameday. Little Gabe Lestner, son of the lovely Allyson and former starter Craig, joined us at age 11 months, providing an instant highlight for the day. While he wasn't quite up to a Brat and Beer, he did punish some milk and cheese. He's off to a good start. There was definite excitement in the air (a rarity when the Deacs are in town) as this was the de facto Atlantic Division Championship Game. A sellout crowd of 51,500 was juiced, but Chris Cosh's defense was not up to task. The Turtles gave up acres of yardage on the ground, and while Maryland fought back in the second half, it could get the one stop it needed. Wake's Cinderella season continued with a 38-24 win and a spot in next week's ACC Championship Game. We'll see what the Terps' two straight clunkers do to the bowl berth. Dec. 17, 2006: Ravens 27, Browns 17
Click here for pictures of the tailgate. The 2005 demise of Lot Camden has moved Ravens tailgates to the Medfield Avenue headquarters of Team A-Game, which boasts a full-size grill, plush seating, DirecTV and clean restrooms. Best of all, parking is free. Ticket-holders PK and Kristine gathered at 9 a.m., along with neighbor and Bronco-turned-semi-Raven fan Celeste, to enjoy several beverages and grilled items prior to boarding the Light Rail for M&T Bank Stadium. There, Kyle Boller subbed in for an injured Steve McNair and did just enough things right to lead the Ravens to a 27-17 playoff-clinching win over AFC North rival Cleveland before a raucous sellout crowd. Champs Sports Bowl
Click here for pictures of the A-Game Tailgate at the Champs Sports Bowl. Click here for pictures of Team A-Game and the Terrapin Nation inside the stadium. Click here for an unforgettable rendition of “Drink to the Terrapin” (video in .mov format). It had been too long. Bowl games are a celebration of a greAt seAson, something the Terrapin Nation had been deprived of for too long, since the end of the 2003 season. So when about 10,000 or so Maryland fans descended upon Orlando for the Dec. 29 Champs Sports Bowl against Purdue, the result was a theraputic validation of the program's status as among the nation's most competitive: four bowl games in six years, the only slip-ups being two near-miss 5-6 seasons. To properly mark the occasion, Team A-Game drove the Rav down from Baltimore to appropriately lead the tailgating festivities. Repeating the process of the regular season, PK and Yancy arrived at poorly-named Lot B outside Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium at 7:45 a.m., prior to the lot's official 8 a.m. opening. We were soon followed by Gary and Allan, who did an excellent job of scouting tailgate locations the day before. After spending some time with one of Orlando's finest residents (turns out he was a Severna Park, Md., transplant) — one of several locals to stop by — we proceeded with the set-up and flag-raising. As the morning wore on, several of Gary's crew joined in the proceedings, and we were given fascinating history lessons regarding the Maryland state flag (which was in abundance throughout Orlando) and Maryland's involvement in the Civil War. For example, did you know that the first actual bloodshed of the war took place in Baltimore on April 19, 1861? A group of Southern sympathizers hurled objects (clearly, they were the forefathers of the N.C. State fan base) and attacked Union soldiers from Massachusetts marching along Pratt Street to the B&O's Camden Station (which currently houses the terrific Sports Legends at Camden Yards Museum). The soldiers opened fire, killing some of the mob. Some soldiers also died. Back to the tailgate. For most of the morning, Lot B resembled to Lot 1 on campus, with only a smattering of Terrapin cars in the lot. But once noon rolled around, the action started to heat up. Allan and Mike M. broke out the golf clubs and got some practice in by the lake. It was believed to be the first longest-drive contest in the history of the tailgate. One of the “classless thugs” won it late with a 250-yard smash that started left but came back to land dead center in the lake. Doug, Andrea, Dave Klossner and a rallying Mike Norris arrived, as did former Sea Gull Dewey, who brought appropriate decorations to make sure the Maroon and Gold were represented. The Legions arrived around 2 p.m., and, well, it pretty much gets fuzzy from there because the G.M. was broken out at 2:01 p.m. Remaining highlights include the traditional large group photo and a rendition of “Drink to the Terrapin” (video in .mov format) that may never be forgotten. As sunset approached and with 90 percent of Lot B wearing red and white, friends were reunited, shots were downed, and helmets and flags were donned for the obscenely quick march into the stadium. We were sad to see the tailgate come to a close, but fired up to cheer the Turtles on in the bowl game. The Terps pretty much controlled the game from start to finish with a Raven-esque performance throughout. The Turtles ran the ball effectively, made a few big plays through the air, shut down Purdue's rushing attack and got a couple turnovers at the right times to salt away a 24-7 victory. Sam Hollenbach was “Steady Eddie” at QB and rightfully earned MVP honors, ending his sometimes-shaky UM career on a high note. The sound system b-gamed the postgame awards ceremony for a while, but everyone stayed until they got it right and the Mighty Sound of Maryland played the Victory Song and Alma Mater for the final time in 2006. A brief postgame tailgate was held, while many continued to celebrate long into the morning hours. Thanks to all who made the 2006 tailgating season (10 wins, 4 losses) so memorable. It's been 11 years and over 100 gamedays now for Team A-Game, and 2006 may have been the best year yet for tailgating, with all 13 Terrapin games being attended by PK, Richard and Deb Olson. What a ride. Looking forward to 2007, if anyone is interested in joining Team A-Game for season tickets or just for tailgating, send an e-mail. Go Terps! |
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