Dogarazzi: Week 61

Saturday, at our house:

“It’s game day!  Game day, game day, game day!”

It was the day of Delaware’s first home football game! To get the full atmosphere, picture Ted propped up against JG’s knees with his paws punching the air in Rocky-esque jabs.  College GameDay is roaring in the background, JG and I have put together a list of what we need for the afternoon’s tailgate, and Ted is suitably garbed for the occasion.

It takes Ted a few minutes to get used to his jersey, but he stopped swatting at it after a few sharp corrections.  He looked very much the part of a Fightin’ Blue Hen doggie, and I think he was excited because we were, too.  Much to Ted’s chagrin, we couldn’t take him with us to the tailgate because it was much too hot and humid for him to camp out in the car during the game. Maybe next time, puppy!

For JG’s birthday last winter, his mom and I conspired to do a tailgate theme, and he was fully outfitted for the this game.  It would be our first time with a new tent, two collapsible chairs, and a caddy I put together so that JG wouldn’t have to raid the kitchen for the normal supplies.  We arrived at our usual tailgate lot more than three hours before kick-off, and we had set up camp in less than ten minutes.  JG and I retrieved drinks out of the cooler, slid them into our chairs’ cup holders, and tried not to stare at a family across the way who was struggling to erect their own pavilion tent.

JG grilled burgers and hot dogs for dinner, and we packed up our equipment with enough time to walk briskly to the stadium and catch the pre-game show, sporting our new jerseys. The stadium boasted a new scoreboard and sound system, and I was optimistic for a smooth performance for the team. The traditional home opener against West Chester wasn’t going to be a stressful game; we fully intended to blow them out of the water.  I anticipated a clean, practice-like atmosphere, and I hoped the team would be surprisingly put-together, despite last week’s loss against Maryland.

Even though we won by a large margin, I was not so pleased with the game.  The new quarterback was not entirely impressive, and for whatever reason, the defensive line chose to slap around the other team instead of tackling them.  At one point, I was so annoyed that I jumped to my feet and screamed at the top of my lungs, “Wrap! Him! Up!” The surrounding spectators glanced at me uneasily, and I immediately felt ashamed of my outburst.  Seconds later, a large man nearby did the same exact thing, and my shame flipped to vindication.

Let’s go, Blue Hens!