Ravens (Gillette Stadium)

Once Upon a Midnight Dreary
The day began with  warnings of heavy rain and gusty winds for game time.  Even so, our tailgating adventure started off  without a hitch.  After rendezvousing with our Foxboro counterparts, the Razor's Edge Tailgaters, we caravanned into the stadium lots,  and secured a choice spot along the grass-lined drainage ditch.  The tents were up in no time, and the grills were smoking minutes thereafter.   

Monty once again outdid himself with a delicious batch of veal tips, and Mrs B's chili was to die for. Awesome eats.  For our own part, we played it low key, grilling up hot Italian sausage with peppers and onions.   Ron and Rocky from Buffalo, and their good friend Mark, met us in the lot.  The festivities were underway.


The game itself was a virtual slopfest.  As expected, the winds and rain kicked off about 2 hours prior to game time, and ultimately turned the playing field into a mud-pit.  The Patriots outplayed the Ravens, putting the game away early in the fourth quarter.  After a long wet evening of being wrapped in ponchos and plastic, we were all anticipating a warm, dry post-game tailgate under the confines of the canopies.  We had no idea what was about to hit us.

 Upon returning to our site, we found our vehicles immersed in almost a foot of water and the trio of canopies all tipped on their sides.  The wind gusts had obviously been strong, and  the drainage ditch had overflowed.  Worse than that, the water was still rising!  The gang scrambled to push the canopies upright and out of the way of the rising flood water.  Then each of us sloshed our way to our car or truck, and drove them out as quickly as we could.  Phew, catastrophe averted, right?  Nope.

Thinking we were out of the water,  we resumed the tailgating.  Monty and Mrs B cooked up fantastic batches of beef tips (ain't gonna play favorites, they both rocked), and Zip offered up the customary victory champagne toast.  The rain even let up a bit.

But what happened next, none of us were prepared for.  Out of the blue, gale force winds blasted the parking lots.  At first the canopies began to slide along the pavement.  Then the tables and chairs were blown over inside the enclosed shelter.  We each frantically grabbed at the canopy frames, the tables, the grills, or any other item which started to blow away.  The race was on to pack up the gear as quickly as possible.   But there just were not enough of us to hold it all together.   The winds were relentless.  Then it happened...  

Then the tent frames buckled.  Mrs B's new EZ-Up was salvaged, but both Monty's and Zip's shelters were transformed into mangled pieces of metal.    Just an unbelievable set of events, just ridiculously absurd weather.  But rest assured, the Razor's Edge gang will be back at 'em and tailgating for the next home game.    We wish them the best in rebuilding, and will most assuredly meet up with them again.   Thanks Karen, Monty, and Zip!!!!   

2004 Ravens Tailgate