Well done folks. The heat was unbearable, and there’s lot’s of things to tweak in the trailer Tetris department, but we knocked the rust off pretty quick and everyone’s livers seemed to be in mid-season form. See ya’ll next week with your Tom Selleck mustaches under the lights!
September 2, 1995: A young group of tailgaters made the trek to Illinois as Michigan, coming off of Mercury’s miracle, dispatched the Lou Tepper-led #24 Fighting Illini 38-14. Full game page with all the pictures is here.
August 26, 1995 - Maybe my first really great in person Michigan memory? Sophomore year opener, coming off of what I call “The Summer of Elbel” (note to all to always stay on campus all summer when you go to college) and I remember it was so damn hot, and the game was so damn terrible. Down 17-0 with just under 13 minutes to go, suddenly it wasn't terrible anymore. Tthe Wolverines would score three touchdowns without conversions to win it 18-17. On the same day in 1817 (weird), the University of Michigan was founded.
Anyway, probably a cornerstone game with regards to a lifelong pursuit of that feeling. I would attend my first away game that year (Sparty) with Kevin #40 who taught me to boost cars with a screwdriver and scalp tickets back when they gave out paper tickets and shit. Later that year, Michigan would go on to have the first of three absolutely crushing defeats of the most talented Buckeye teams in their history. Fun.
I wouldn't join the tailgate crew for another few years, but they were alive an kicking on the golf course. I’ve acquired the photos from that tailgate and day from a non-profit organization called The Godfather Project. It’s like Make-A-Wish only the only wisher is drunk Dennis and the only person granting the wishes is me. Game page is here. Enjoy and Happy Friday!
I’ll be damned…the returning friggin’ champions are suiting up in just 10 days, and you don’t know how to dress for the game or which probiotics to take to handle the menu. My deepest apologies. Inspired by 2+ years of Netflix and Quarantine this season’s themes are all centered around movies and television. Get your shit together and remember the golden rules of tailgating: bring something, eat something, clean something. Most of you animals can’t bat .333 on that. Anywho, on with the deets:
You’ve only got one shot to prove you know shit from Shinola as we kick off the season mercifully with a nooner. Detroit-themed things will occur, but only the good ones, not the devil’s-night-type ones. I’ll be attempting to recreate Dime Store’s Duck Bop Hash, and post game dogs (which you should stick around for because we haven’t seen each other in a year) will include the full coney treatment.
Is this just a Luau with mustaches? Yes. But let’s not mail it in we’ve got a whole day and night together. Dig up that Hawaiian shirt, open the first few buttons, and be cocky. All things pork up to and including a small pig are in the realm of possibilities. Remember we can’t get in until 11am on this day. Also remember to pace yourself.
A breakfast pizza party for the ages. Full disclosure, I’ve never even seen Mystic Pizza, but I have been to Mystic, Connecticut for pizza, and yet not actually to the namesake Mystic Pizza. The movie tagline is “Discover a movie which hits home about love, friendship, dreams and life.” Sounds just like some stupid poetic crap Tuba would say about Michigan Football and Tailgating 20 years ago.. Anyway, again, breakfast pizzas baked on site, maybe transitioning to a more traditional handful of pies as we get closer to kick.
I had this movie and Wedding Crashers mixed up when I thought of a riff on “Crab Cakes and Football, That’s What Maryland Does” - Sack Lodge (Bradley Cooper) and the idea of Old School being a chance to share some of the over 8000 (not joking) photos I have scanned from The Godfather’s album collection. But there are no rules, and I’d hate to have to base a menu on the food of Old School (ky jelly and KFC?), so some kind of rough combination of the 2 here.
So, crab cakes, yes. But since it’s a nooner, maybe they appear in a Benny? But also I might try to throw together a quick boil. Either way, a little seafood focus is planned. I expect Captain Michigan to show up as Blue, and then turn blue from his shellfish allergy. Somebody bring an epipen.
That’s right, I’m on the cutting edge of the hottest new Hulu streamers. The Bear, which puts Lip from Shameless in a kitchen, centers around a Chicago Italian Beef joint. So no brainer we’ll be having Italian Beef Sandwiches, the Family Meal Spaghetti from the show, and if I’m feeling all French Laundry, some cola-braised short ribs over risotto. Chance of night game for this one is 75%.
A Mexifest of epic proportions as we welcome Little Brother into the Big House. Birria is the flavor of the summer so I’m going to stuff some in a bunch of King’s Hawaiian rolls and add a bunch of accoutrements in the spirit of a Cemita. And yes, I am baiting Captain Michigan to come out of retirement again with this theme. If he doesn’t do Blue with full ear covers and a unitard, I expect him in a cape and mask for this one. Chance of night game 25%…but based on if PSU is/isn’t.
We will feast on Chinese Food after the dogs get to the turkeys, have a BB gun shooting contest, give out “A Major Award!”, and put on our ugly Christmas sweaters 6 weeks early as we welcome in Nebraska, led by whoever the interim coach is after Scott Frost is fired before Halloween.
Our traditional steakhouse theme with a mafia spin. I don’t know what that means either. Just rewatched that scene where Ray Liotta walks Laurain Brocco thorugh the CopaCabana and big boys everybody with $20 bills. He’s in construction. We’ll eat steak and lobster tail and mix in a “Funny How?” or two.
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