Boilermakers and Indians

The Boilermaker offense showed signs of life last weekend in State Penn one can only hope that they continue to improve this week.  The Illini come to town this weekend dragging a 20 game Big Ten losing streak behind them......and they're still favored by 7.  If we can't beat this team we're just pathetic.

The weather projects to be really cold with the low of 27 degrees and a game time temp of 34.  With that in mind and based on the fact that we will only have 7 of us we'll plan to "tailgate" at the house before bundling up and heading to the D lot.  Just to keep our "tailgating cred" we'll take a couple of road beers to drink on the way from the car to the stadium.

We'll be serving "white flag" chili with BBQ chicken.  We were going to go with a full on Cowboys and Indians theme but the theme of white chili with white meat was appropriate for a season that we've all but give up on!

Saturday November 23, 2013
9:00     Meet at 1814
9:30     Soup's On
11:00   Depart for Game
12:00  Kickoff

The Grind Goes On

Each week on Saturday I wake and hope that this long nightmare will soon come to an end.  I hope to arrive at the stadium to find that we're playing "basketball on grass" with an engaging and endearing head coach on the sideline.  I pray that our offensive coordinator runs a scheme that is current with today's spread philosophy seen throughout the college and pro games.

What I get is a team that can't seem to move the ball past the first yard marker more than 5 times a game.  I see a head coach who seems more worried about ancillary issues like pep sessions, meeting rooms, and helmets.  I see an offensive coordinator that runs a system that only Alabama (with 8 professional level talents starting on offense) seems to be able to succeed with.  Worst of all I see a demoralized and dwindling group of "faithful" filling the stands.

Welcome to the future of Purdue Football.

On that high note, let's prepare for a game that we MIGHT be able to be competitive in at home this year.  It has been so long since I saw a game where my team has been competitive in the fourth quarter that I'm not sure I would know what to do if we kept it close. 

Since we're not going to have anyone attending that hasn't been to our tailgate this year, I'll spare all of the information about where to find us.  At this point the best directions I can offer just follow the stink of failure emanating from Ross-Ade and then head northwest a little bit.

Saturday November 9, 2013
8:30 a.m.     Depart for the Lot
8:45 a.m.     Set Up
9:45 a.m.     Food is up
11:30 a.m.   Depart for the Stadium


Please see our newly launched site http://gethazellfired.blogspot.com/, which as of now has the same content as our head coach: none.

A Buckeye is Just a Poisonous, Useless Nut

Before we get to the game information I want to remind everyone that we’re doing a canned food drive this week for the local food pantry. As we have discussed over the last two years we’re trying to use the Stone Cold organization to provide some service back to the community. Any non- perishable items are appreciated!

After a humiliating Homecoming loss to NIU and another pounding against Nebraska the Boilers went on the road and provided a much better result at MSU.   After a bye week in which we were a 7.5 point underdog, they return to Ross-Ade Stadium this weekend to take on a tO$U team that has been rolling since Urban came to town.  This will likely be another tough one for the Boilers but hopefully we can pull out a shocker much like the last two times tO$U visited us in West Lafayette.

We will be doing our ever popular make your own pizza tailgate this weekend. We’ll have all the toppings you will need to create a personal pie that is all your own! There will also be ingredients for salad if that is more to your tastes!

The weather projects to be cold, so we will plan to have some of the heating elements with us.  As a reminder we do have stadium blankets that can be carried in but we need you to please make sure that they make it back to the tailgate after the game.

We will plan on meeting in the D lot on Saturday morning, hopefully near the Evans Scholars house where we have been for most games this season.

The D Lot can be found on the map on the right side of the blog. We have the large flagpole that extends to 20 feet and an ambulance so hopefully you will be able to locate us easily. We will be sporting either our custom flag, which can be seen to the right of this post, that sports our “Old School Boilermakers” or the upside down Purdue Football Flag.  (Upside down obviously to indicate that our football program is in distress.)

Friday November 1, 2013
7:00 p.m.     Eric and Paula Arrive


Saturday November 2, 2013
8:00 a.m. Depart for the W Lot
8:15 a.m. Arrive W lot/Set up Tailgate
11:15 a.m. Depart for Stadium
12:00 p.m. Kick Off
4:00 p.m.   Post Game Tailgate
7:30 p.m.   Harry's?

Eric and his parents will be departing from the house at 8:00 to ensure that we have two adjacent spots. If anyone else would like to meet at the house they are welcome to but it is not necessary. We have room to transport up to 7 people from the house in the ambulance and Element.

If you are driving separately and plan to arrive at the tailgate later we suggest that you park in one of the following locations: The Northwestern Avenue Garage (Grant and Northwestern), The University Street Garage(3rd and University), or the IM Gold Lot (Just off 3rd Street at McCutcheon.)

The "N" is for Knowledge

The Red Horde invades West Lafayette for the first time in Big Ten competition this weekend.  Nebraska's fans are known to travel in bunches so I fully expect to see half of our stadium decked out in red this weekend.  Never the less, we will be hoping that the coaching staff and players have "found something" in their bye week so we can send those 'huskers back to their cornfield with a loss!

It will be a nice day this weekend with temps projected in the mid-70's and sunny.  Just the kind of "all American" day we would want for our "All-American" menu of burgers, fries, and American craft brewed beer. 

It will be a small crowd this weekend, only 7 of us tailgating, so I'll skip the usual spiel on where to find us. 

If anyone is interested in donating we will be collecting new and gently used coats for "Coats for Kids" at the tailgate.

Saturday October 12, 2013

8:00     Depart the House
8:15     Arrive D Lot
11:30   Depart for Game
12:00   Kickoff

We will "post game" tailgate at the ambulance as well to let the traffic die down a little bit.

Homecoming Charity Event

Eric's itinerary for Homecoming weekend is below, but first we bring you a message from the organizer of our first Charity Event of 2013.

 

Guest Blogger Vincent the Pooch sitting in for Master this week.  Thank goodness he can type for me as I still have not developed opposable thumbs and hunting and pecking with my nose would take forever!

First let me say big thanks to Master and Paula for adopting me several years ago.  I mean I’m a good lookin’ pooch so I probably would have been OK but having a nice home is the best, much better than shelter life!

There are still a lot of dogs and cats out there for whom the animal shelter is their home. This week the Stone Cold Tailgating Club reaches out to those animals by asking for donations for the Almost Home Animal Shelter in Lafayette. Any help is greatly appreciated!  Just bring your donation to the tailgate and Master will handle the rest.

For the animals

• Dog and cat treats. No colored biscuits, please.
• Cat and pocket pet litter. Any brand, clay, corncob or paper litter only, please. We do not use scoopable litter. Special Kitty Cat Litter from Wal-Mart is great!
• Esbilac, KMR and puppy and kitten nursing bottles and nipples
• Advantage or Frontline topical flea preventatives
• Dog toys. Kong toys, hard rubber bones (Nylabone, etc.), tennis balls, rope bones
• Cat toys. Balls with bells, catnip toys, fur mice, etc. Nothing with strings, please.
• Food and water bowls, all sizes (metal only; no plastic bowls please)
• Pet carriers and cages, all sizes
• Rabbit pellets and alfalfa hay
• Hamster food and treats
• Peanut butter
• Heating pads
• Chew sticks, exercise balls, wheels, and small cardboard boxes for pocket pets
• Towels, blankets or rugs, any size, new or used

Cleaning Items

• Household bleach and laundry detergent
• Sponges, scrub brushes, gloves, spray bottles, dustpans with brushes and other cleaning supplies
• Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer Air freshener

Homecoming 2013

Oktoberfest 2013

The splat you heard last week emanating from north of the “cheddar curtain” was the sound of the budding hopes that Purdue’s football team gave all of us against Notre Dame falling flat.  After what can only be described as a “MAC Level” effort in Madison we return home for the annual Homecoming game against defending MAC champ Northern Illinois.

 

 

I need not remind anyone that the last time the NIU Huskies came calling in West Lafayette they left with a dignity robbing win against the Boilermakers.  Let’s all hope that the team rises to the occasion behind our “cheers that tell the tale!”

 

 

We will be celebrating our annual Oktoberfest tailgate this week, which is always a fan favorite.  We will have potato salad, brats, and of course ‘kraut balls.

This will also be our first charity event of the year, we will be collecting for the "Almost Home" animal rescue in Lafayette, IN.  Just bring a cash or "in kind" donation as listed below and the SCTC administration will do the rest.

 

For those of you that have not been to a tailgate this season please note that we have moved!!!  We are now in the D Lot up next to the stadium (map to the right.) 

 

 

We have the large flagpole that extends to 20 feet and an ambulance but what we have found is that having an ambulance is not all that unique in the D Lot.  Ours is the one that is NOT painted black and gold.

 

Friday September 27, 2013

 

My parents will be home all day on Friday so feel free to arrive any time after 12:00 if you’re staying at the Stone Cold Lodge 1814.  Paula is also planning to be there on Thursday night and will be working from “The Lodge” on Friday.

 There are no set plans for the night, we’ll probably just hang out at the house and catch up.  I am thinking about opening up the poker table for games.

 

Saturday September 28, 2013

 

8:00 a.m.         Depart for the D Lot

8:30 a.m.         Tailgate Begins

11:30 a.m.       Leave for Game

12:00 p.m.       Kickoff

6:00 p.m.         Dinner at 1814 Vinton           

Eric and his parents will be departing from the house at 8:00 to ensure that we have two adjacent spots.  If anyone else would like to meet at the house they are welcome to but it is not necessary.  We have room to transport up to 7 people from the house in the ambulance and Element.

 

 

We will plan to eat at the house as there will be such a large group and securing a spot on campus would be nearly impossible.  Mom will have dinner out and ready shortly after we return from the game.

 

 

Plans for Saturday night are fluid; we can do what everyone feels like doing.  We can stay at the house for games or head to campus to brave the bars, we’ll just play it by ear.

 

Sunday September 29, 2013

 

No specific plans for Sunday other than nursing various degrees of a “hangover.”  Breakfast will be out at the house probably around 10 a.m.

 

 

 

 



Game 2: Welcome Reversible Jackets

After a lackluster effort in the home opener I know we are all hoping to see a better effort from the home team this weekend.  Let’s hope that the Boilers are ready for primetime with the Irish coming to town for a late kickoff on Saturday night!  ND is coming in off of a tough loss in Ann Arbor so I expect them to come in looking to blow out the Boilermakers to regain their momentum. 

While I know the Boilers are not playing great, this is a rivalry game and I hope to see them respond.  I’ll be there to cheer them on to victory!

I also ask everyone (including myself) to stay positive and cheer for our boys and ignore the typical “subway alumni” that will be sure to be sitting all around us.  Remember that these are the answers to the majority of the questions we’ll want to ask this weekend:

• No, I’ve never been inside any of the academic buildings at ND; wait, there’s actually a school called Notre Dame?

 

• I’m not sure what all the words to the fight song are but I love that thunder part.

 

• I don’t know the words to the Alma Mater, what does that mean anyway?

 

• Yes, I do believe that it is every Catholic’s duty to root for ND.

 

• Of course I have an IU basketball shirt at home, why do you ask?

We were trying to find an anti-Irish theme to go with this weekend but since English and Irish food is exactly the same there was no point in an English theme.  We decided to go with a Mexican Fiesta theme for the tailgate.  We’ll have pork or chicken tacos, all the salsa you can eat, margaritas, and of course Mexican beer.

We found the D Lot to be excellent last week; thus far I feel that we made the right decision moving up the hill.  Finding us will be a little more difficult than usual as there are at least six other tailgates with ambulances up in the D Lot.  The easiest way to find us is to look for the “Double” tailgate since we have the Element and the Ambulance side by side.  We will have a green tent and a Purdue tent and of course our unique tailgating flag as seen in the margin of the blog.

The Athletic’s Office has designated this as “gold and black” game in order to try and give the stadium a unified look.  If you have ever seen the “white out” on TV or in person at Penn State you know that this type of thing looks great and in my opinion contributes to the “big game” feel.  I encourage us to please all participate!

The chart below shows the sections as demarked by the University and the chart below tells you what section you are in.  The SCTC season tickets are in a gold section which means I’m going to have to forgo my usual “Section 120” jersey.  (I’m not sure how I’m going to find my section now, but I guess I will manage.)

 

Saturday September 14, 2013

2:00 p.m.         Depart for the W Lot

2:45 p.m.         Arrive D Lot / Set Up

4:30 p.m.         Tacos ready

7:30 p.m.         Tailgate Breakdown

8:00 p.m.         Kickoff

 

For anybody wanting to make it easier to find the tailgate please meet at 1814 Vinton by 1:45 on Saturday afternoon to ride over with the Ambulance and Element.  We have room to take approximately 6 people with us.

Game 1: Indiana State

Welcome back Boilermaker fans to beautiful West Lafayette, IN for another season of Purdue Football.  I would also remind everyone that this will be our 10^th season for the Stone Cold Tailgating Club!

The boys laid an egg last week, so we will have to see how things go against I-AA Indiana State this weekend.

We are moving to the D lot this year and this is the first game it would be best if you met us at the house so we could go together to the lot.

We have the large flagpole that extends to 20 feet and an ambulance so hopefully you will be able to locate us easily.  We will be sporting our custom flag this year which sports our “Old School Boilermakers” motif similar to our cups.

Saturday September 7, 2013

8:00 a.m.         Depart for the D Lot
8:30 a.m.         Arrive D lot/Set up Tailgate
11:30 a.m.       Depart for Stadium
12:00 p.m.       Kick Off

I am allowing us some extra time to get settled into our spot this week because we just don’t know what the process is going to be like.

Purdue Football 2013

Big changes in Lafayette this coming season on the field, in the pregame traditions, and in the tailgating lots!  (Hint, we’re moving the tailgate so read below for details!)

After yet another season filled with “almost” and “woulda, coulda, shoulda” Danny Hope's maddeningly inconsistent run with the Boilermakers has mercifully ended.  He of the misused time out will be roaming the sidelines someplace else and we have Darrell Hazell at the helm.  I will try to keep an open mind but I seem to recall that we hired another former OSU assistant that was going to bring a “Big Ten running downhill” approach to Lafayette.  (Let’s just say we have a membership level named for him because he was only good to win one game a year.)

Off the field the band will be moving from Slater to Mackey Arena for the pregame concert.  This was a decision driven by Coach Hazel, so please spare Jay and the Purdue Bands staff as they didn’t have any say in this decision.  The pregame pep concert in the basketball arena is a tradition practiced at several other Big Ten schools, Wisconsin and OSU most notably, and in true Purdue Athletics fashion the idea seems to be that "our own traditions aren’t good enough so we’re going to try and copy somebody else’s." 

The final major change is that we will be moving the Stone Cold Tailgate to the D Lot for the 2013 season.  Our last two seasons in the W lot were less than stellar due to the changes in the lot.  More specifically the removal of the flat grassy area at the base of the hill and the addition of a gravel RV lot has left us no choice but to seek greener pastures.

The D Lot is also known as the south golf course.  Greg and I tailgated up on the D Lot our first few seasons post college and found it to be very nice.  This will place us north of the stadium, and theoretically closer to the stadium. 

 

I know that this will cause some difficulties on later arrivals as there is not easy access parking near the D lot (ie the IM lots) as we had before.  However, just think of the walk to the tailgate from your parking space as getting the stadium walk out of the way early!  Please see the diagram below for a base idea of the new tailgate location in the D Lot.

We will still have some great tailgates planned to ensure that your game day experience is great regardless of what happens on the field.

We will be featuring the return of some of our tried and true favorites including State Fair Food for Indiana State, Mexican Delights for the 8 p.m. start against Notre Dame, and the ever popular Oktoberfest tailgate for Homecoming!

We will also be doing our charity events this year.  I really do appreciate everyone that has supported our Charity endeavors over the last four years, I think it is great that our tailgating “family” is giving back.  The events will be as follows:

9/28   Homecoming – Almost Home Pet Rescue

10/12  Nebraska – Coats for Kids

11/2   Ohio State – St. Lawrence Food Pantry

11/23  Illinois – Toys for Tots

The Stone Cold Tailgating Club is in effect again this year; pay one price and it covers you for the season! The membership levels and costs are listed in the table below. There have been no changes to the pricing from last year.

In addition to the Stone Cold Tailgating Package there is also a lodging package available. With two locations I am going to leave it up to everyone to arrange their lodging each weekend by contacting Brendan and Dawn (goboilerz@yahoo.com) or Susan Franklin (susanfranklin_1814@comcast.net).

The revenues from the Stone Cold Lodging package will be put towards house upkeep, utilities, and improvement work. Each location has a “bucket” for you to make your donations.

I look forward to seeing everyone this fall!

Basketball Homecoming 2013

I’m very happy that all of you have decided to join us for the Eighth Annual Purdue Basketball Homecoming, brought to you by The Stone Cold Tailgating Club.  I’m so glad that all of you can be a part of what now a standing tradition!  It’s a great chance for us to get together and see each other after the long layoff after the Bucket Game.

           

Saturday March 9, 2013

9:30 a.m.         Breakfast and Bloody Marys at 1814 Vinton
11:00 a.m.       Depart for Mackey
12:00 p.m.       Tipoff
2:30 p.m.         Burgers and Beers at 1814
5:00 p.m.         Harry’s
        
The game time makes pregame a bit of a difficulty so I figured we would treat it like a football game and tailgate at the house.  We will have some breakfast casseroles and assorted “tailgate” favorites from the bar.

Postgame I was planning on firing up the grill at the house for Burgers and French Fries to celebrate Brendan’s birthday (real beef burgers Brendan) and to lay down the base for some serious debauchery at Harry’s that night.  As an added bonus the Students are starting spring break on the 8^th so I would expect that the Fish Bowl will be ours.
 

Sunday March 10, 2013

No official plans have been set, but I’m sure that biscuits and gravy will be on tap from Sue’s kitchen.

Tickets

Our tickets are in Row 22 and 23 of Section 101.