Imagine Being Magically Whisked Away to...Delaware.

"Hi. I'm in...Delaware."

Wayne Campbell was on to something. 

The "First State" may be nondescript. 

A mystery to some. 

A pair of I-95 rest stops on the way to a sexier destination like...anywhere but New Jersey or Delaware. Or Mississippi for that matter.

Vexing to many; made all the more confusing that Delaware's state university selected a blue fowl as its mascot in 1939.

Then again, unlike a "Scarlet Knight," it's a real thing. A blue strain of the American gamecock. And years ago we were the equally lame Chanticleers -- fighting roosters.

And, of course, home to Papa Joe.

So let's be fair.

Delaware has its benefits beyond serving as the next Rutgers Football opponent. 

Kickoff of Saturday's Game 3 for the 2-0 Scarlet Knights is 3:30 p.m.

Let's meet up at Wal-Mart for the carpool at, say, 11-11:30 a.m.? (Solidify a time in the comments).

The forecast is shaping up nicely as of Wednesday night after some rain expected Thursday and Friday; but anyone with a canopy please bring just in case, if for no other reason than giving us some shade, too, if it ends up being sunny and mid-80s as projected.

As I've got 7 lbs. of sliced London broil for cheesesteak in the freezer and plan to buy more to accommodate an increase in expected visitors, I recommend we go with that as the main course. 

I'll also prep a big tray of home fries. And peppers and onions for the steaks.

Kathy's friends Janet and Tom are bringing caesar salad with chicken. 

So let's use the comment field to fill out the food and beverage selection.

And let's show Kathy's fellow U-Del alums a good time. We'll be joined by the aforementioned Hoffmans and their big-ass Suburban, plus Sharon and Rob of the Westfield Daniel clan. 

Assorted others may stop by, including Kaitlyn and her roommates, hopefully with sunscreen this time.

Let the discussion commence...and see y'all Saturday!

[Chef Hobo needs a sense of head count by Friday morning; will update list by the minute]

• 2: Bill & Kathy (parking pass)
• 1: Kaitlyn (+ roommates, other TBD)
• 2: Tom & Janet Hoffman
• 2; Sharon & Rob Daniel
  
• 2: Pete & Sharon (e-tickets, parking pass)
• 2: Adam & Sophia (e-tickets, mobile parking pass)
• 2: Julia & Rashad (e-tickets)
• 6: Eric & Andrea + brother Dave's family
• 1: Larry (~1:30 p.m. ETA; mobile parking pass)
• 4: Team Labue (parking pass)
• 1: Basil
• 2: Dana

OUT

• Skurat
• John
• Tom

Rutgers vs. Temple POSTPONED to Saturday

Please keep tabs of details on game info at Rutgers' homepage. 

If on Saturday as it sounds, I won't be there, and Chris uncertain as well. 

I'll make arrangements with Larry to drop off all the stuff with him, since I'll be in Saratoga tomorrow through Saturday night. 

I can either freeze the steak for next game, or give to Larry for you guys to enjoy assuming someone's going to grill. 

Use the comment field below for discussion.

Rutgers vs. Temple Roll Call

It looks like we may catch a break with the weather Thursday, assuming lingering hurricane effects clear after expected morning rain; so it's possible we'll be dry and with pleasant tailgate and game conditions vs. Temple. 

But if anyone has a canopy, please pack it just in case. I only have one.

There's a few things I need to address; too many things to put in comments to the last post. Just confirm briefly in the comment field to this post. 

Parking

The ticket office only had 2 years to get things straight, but didn't for this year's opener. It might actually work to our benefit.

We won't have hangtags for this week. Rest of the season we're OK. Just not on Thursday.

Our ticket guy asked for 5 names to put on the list for entry to the black lot. 

As of now, I'm going to suggest the following drivers just meet at/near the tailgate spot rather than Walmart. We'll do our best to get the lower lot if it's open. Otherwise we may be at the mercy of the dolts working the lots. 

• Bill and Chris (2): Both in for game (solo) and tailgate; can carpool and set up camp
• Pete and Sharon (2): tailgate + game
• John and Dana: game only; working, arriving at kickoff
• Dave + Family (4): tailgate + game
• BREP (1): tailgate + game but leaving early
• [Basil meeting us from work for tailgate + game]

The only folks yet to respond to the prior blog are Eric and Andrea. If coming to Thursday's game, please advise and we'll figure out offline who they'll drive in with; it can be me and/or Pete and Sharon.

Tom, if I recall, will be at the game as he's up for the football draft too on Friday night. 

Tailgate 

Seems the few folks to respond were OK with cheesesteaks. We'll provide for anywhere from 12-16, depending on Burks and Tom. Kaitlyn's likely to bring from 1-3 apartment mates. 

• Bill: Steak, rolls and onions plus condiments; grill, tailgate tools
• Chris: Tater tot concoction
• Pete and Larry: Beer; Lites and presumably Yuengling
• Dave: All soft drinks; water, Pepsi...er, Coke products
• Tom: Chips, munchies
• Needs: Paper products, foils, etc. for the season. I'll sift through what we have later but think it's primarily plastic utensils.
  
  

Ticket Distribution and Kickoff

I'll pawn off everyone's paper tickets for the season and ask someone else to handle all parking passes, since I'm already out for Ohio State and Chris is only coming to half the games it sounds. Someone else can run point on that duty.

For Thursday it looks like we'll have at least 3 extras (Bill, Pete's 2). I know Rutgers is pushing for a sellout but that's a clear reach on a worknight with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.

Let's cross our fingers the bad weather's gone by morning. Either way, it'll be great seeing most of you again as BREP Nation!

Three Weeks From Today

The feather duster is out on BREPNation.com!

It's time to wipe away almost two years of dust, borrow Skurat's overused power washer to clean the tailgate grill and locate everything we need for our return to the black lot after almost a 2-year hiatus. 

It all begins three weeks from tonight -- Rutgers vs. Temple, 6:30 p.m. at SHI* Stadium!

Just a few logistical points, in case anyone was wondering.

RU is relying largely on a mobile-ticket setup this year, which got me mentally prepared to manage 1,300 texts a week about who's coming to a game, or not or to whom we're transferring tickets and then to have those tickets transferred to someone else. But our ticket agent called Tuesday to say he preemptively selected old-fashioned paper tickets for us. So I'll distribute those at or before the first tailgate.

I forgot to ask our agent, but I'm guessing, too, the parking tags will be physical rather than mobile (as they'll be for most ticket holders). We've got 5 again.

I can't tell for sure but the website makes it look like the lower Black lot's open again. We'll see.

Regarding Temple, it's a bit early to discuss, but if we're keeping with tradition and going the route of the opponent's city's primary food or pigout stop, I'm happy to grill cheesesteaks, which seem popular, with homefries on the side. I'm off that Thursday and Friday and can pretty much head up at any time (2:30-3?), but recognize some in the group will be working and/or bypassing the tailgate (including BRESM - Big Red Elvis Servant's Mom). 

Final points:

- As a Delaware alum, we've invited a bunch of Kathy's friends from her days as a Blue Fowl; so it should be a big crew and a fun time on Sept. 18. 

- We'll be visiting BRES Stan from College Park at UMD the same weekend as Ohio State on Oct. 2 (he wins out over Kaitlyn for dual "Parents Weekend" days, since the kid'll be back at RU residing at Newell on Cook and likely at most RU games), so if someone's in need of two tickets or wanna trade for another lemme know. 

- We need to locate the newly repackaged Schaefer. Keep an eye out.

- Andrea, don't get any ideas about becoming a Terrapin fan just because there's another one among us now, compounding Dana's pain as a UMD parent. It's merely for grossly expensive educational purposes only.

The 2021 home schedule:

- Thursday, Sept. 2, Temple, 6:30 p.m.

- Saturday, Sept. 18, Delaware, 3:30 p.m.

- Saturday, Oct. 2, Ohio State, TBD

- Saturday, Oct. 9, Michigan State, Noon

- Saturday, Nov. 6, Wisconsin, TBD (Breeders Cup Saturday)

- Saturday, Nov. 27, Maryland, TBD (Thanksgiving Weekend)

2019 season ends....but there is some Hope

A bewildered BREPNation crew ponders what's next for RU football  

Braving the cold of the tailgate 

For some reason these guys
like to pick things up
and put them down

A beleaguered BrepNation crew descended on the small black lot for our seventh and final final tailgate of the year.  Ever the hopeful, the Scarlet Knight put up a competitive fight in what would be a 27-0 loss to Michigan State.

A sincere thanks goes out to all the behind the scenes people (writers, photographers, chefs, popcorn eaters, etc.) that make this blog possible. With the recent re-hiring of Coach Greg Schiano, hopefully we can return to the days of better football. Word is Schiano is desperately trying to get BRES out of the tailgate transfer portal.

...and an even colder game 

Thank you very much for the 2019 season BREPNation.com tailgaters! 

 You have inspired us for  magnificent 7 tailgates. You have excelled in your corn hole competitions and your love of Roxx Armada! 

You have shared your emotions with us and the whole RU world. You have celebrated our two victories with dignity, and accepted numerous defeats with dignity. I declare the 2019 Rutgers tailgating season closed. In accordance with tradition, I call upon the youth of the world (and BREPNation.com) to assemble 9 months from now in the lower small Black parking lot of Piscataway to celebrate with us and our new/old coach the 2020 Rutgers football season!

Get ready for basketball season!!!!!

Novemberfest Tailgate a Big Success

Outside of our Scarlet Knights fighting hard for four quarters and easily covering the gigantic point spread vs. Ohio State, there were several positive takeaways from Saturday's gathering on what turned out to be a chilly but completely bearable mid-November day in the black lot.

Festmeister Chris did an outstanding job of procuring some of the best sauerbraten ever and spaetzle from his man at Bahr's restaurant, while the Burks came through with some great kielbasa/sauerkraut and the Polish powerhouses came through with harvest rice and potato pancakes. Throw in some awesome Mueller's glazed crumb cake and TONS of desserts and we were well-fed.

Festmeister conducting
quality-control checks in
BREP Nation tailgate

Fair to say, though, that Chris won the tailgate as the spiritual leader of what has become our annual Oktoberfest-style festivities.

Basil: *)(*)#$&()*&#$
Translation: BREP will not
be sharing in 50-50 winnings

The group also made a wise decision to shift away from beer on a cold day to warm spirits -- Jagermeister, Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam...yum! [And the Burks hot water for hot chocolate.

Meanwhile, Frank came through with a second set of cornhole boards for the group, enabling us to get involved in some heated competition.

And the tailgate wouldn't have been complete without coming nowhere close to hitting the 50-50.

Frank is:
a. strategizing
b. trying to locate other board
c. crop-dusting son Ryan (in background)
after kraut, processed meats and
potato pancakes
d. imitating his new grandson
making boom boom in pants

Of course it wasn't the same without our spiritual leader BREP, who was in the process of recovering from a gnarly case of bronchitis but used his time well by stalking Red Panda and trying to find a Groupon to get her to perform at our final home-game tailgate at a discounted rate.

We were also on a bye week for Roxx Armada, though our next gathering may feature some of the band's deep cuts, including a Christmas tune that might play well before our finale. 

BREP Nation welcomes
Lauren and Rob (seen here
admiring the Buffalo Trace)

Glenn & Frank discuss strategy

It took some sharpies, but we
finally made the stadium board
as "Tailgaters of the Game"

Festmeister enjoying quick
postgame burger & fries
Source: TMZ

 

Not Sure +50.5 Is Enough Points for RU

As 5 of us sit here at the RAC awaiting the Rutgers-Drexel tipoff, we got to talking about Saturday's Ohio St. tailgate.

In honor of Festmeister Skurat, we're dusting off Oktoberfest. Maybe a month late, but that's how we roll.

Thus far we've got Chris ordering sauerbraten from his man in the Highlands; we can all kick in for that.

Hobo is doing potato pancakes. 

Pete the spaetzle.

Eric and Andrea kielbasa and kraut.

Comment on what you're gonna add.

We could maybe use desserts, e.g. apple strudel, brats (if anyone's inclined to grill them), Jaegermeister, etc.