Miami Blasted FAMU, And I Forgot The Tots

As Canes fans, we spend all off-season dreaming of the day we are back at Hard Rock Stadium. Months dedicated not only to being in our seats in The Asylum, but also for what comes before that. A return to the parking lot, and our tailgate festivities.

So when Thursday finally came, the lights finally came on, and it was go-time. On the field, the Canes took care of business as we all expected they would. 77-7. It was near-perfection. It was clear that we no longer are in an age of watching these cupcake games, winning 49-17, and walking away thinking, well this team COULD be good.

No. This was a performance that screamed, even our third and fourth string players, are locked in. There is no longer a big drop-off, and the standard has very clearly been set on what type of dominance Coach Cristobal, his staff, and the administration have set for this program. Excellence IS the new standard.

And excellence has always been the standard for my tailgates. I have had season tickets for nearly 20 years, and my tailgate game has evolved through the years, from novice, to standard, to advanced, to the current level, which is, similar to the Canes’ expectations, excellence.

While the team did their part, I came out of the gate a little flat.

Tailgating for many of us, has become as important as the games itself. Through the years, we have perfected our craft, and focused on such small details that most fans don’t even think of.

Details such as using bungee cords as paper towel holders, that can hang from our tents, above the food.

Details such as a toolbox, filled, not with wrenches and screwdrivers (although there may be a few of those in there), but rather with kitchen knives, cutting boards, can openers, spices, Advil, Pepcid, Band-Aids, and even birthday candles (because many birthdays are celebrated in the parking lot).

When dealing with the first game of the year, the preparation is meticulous. Once August hits, many days are spent creating the first week’s menu. This activity borders on being a religious experience.

As the season-opening win at Stanford came to an end, game week finally arrived. It was time to shine.

The menu was set, I confirmed all attendees for the FAMU game on Sunday, which ended up being 15 people.

The money was collected, and the food was bought.

Wednesday night, the prep work for the menu was completed, and all of the tailgating equipment was loaded up by the door.

That should have left game day smooth. The plan was for everyone to meet at the house at 2:15, load the trucks, and head out. Being in the stadium by 3PM.

Well 2:15 came, and we were thrown our first curveball of the day, because, you know, shit happens. And what happened was a downpour, that created a 25 minute delay in the trucks being loaded.

Then there was the usual 10 minute delay of everyone double-checking they had all their shirts, hats, face-stickers, and good-luck gadgets. (Shout out to CanesWear to getting us geared up)!

We finally hit the road at 3:05, and arrived at the stadium around 3:45. The entrance into the parking lot was smooth, outside of the craziness of what the parking situation looks like this year. But that is an article for another day.

We cranked up the fryer and the grill, and it was party time!

It was at this moment when I realized I had made my first fatal flaw of the season. I forgot the Tater Tots in the freezer at home.

This menu was full of bangers. Fried Shrimp. Barbecue Chicken. Cheeseburger Smashburger Sliders, and Sausage and Peppers. But the catalyst of the show were the Tater Tots. They were the warm-up. The appetizer. The thing that could be counted on to hold everyone over until the stars arrived.

In the big scheme of things, were the Tater Tots missed? Probably not. But as the leader of this operation, it matters to me when the back-up tight end misses a snap count, and gets hit with a false-start penalty.

The rest of the tailgate went smoothly. The setup and tear-down was nearly flawless (shout out to Carlos, Eric, Niki, and Kyle). They definitely all brought their A-Game.

Overall, it was a successful first game, with still some small things to clean-up. We will get it right. We have two weeks to prepare, fix the mistakes, and get ready for Central Michigan.

Adjustments will be made.

In a season where perfection and a national title is the expectation, little details matter. The Canes did their part. And we will do ours as well to get this thing right.