Philly delivers a change in the weather...
On the heels of a couple of gray, rainy days and two consecutive losses for Team Blacktop, Philly was not looking promising.
But the sun rose in a blue sky, and set that evening on a city celebrating one hell of a victory over the Chargers.
We arrived before dawn to stake out our spot in Lot M, which Mongo at Philitailgaters.com assured us was the best party around. By eight the smell of frying scrapple (which, we are told is "mostly pork") hung heavy in the air, and the lot was filling up with Eagles fans in their Philly jerseys and driving vintage vehicles painted up all green and silver.
We saw one fan get out of his bus after parking, walk to the front, drop to his knees, and kiss the parking lot in front of him. He explained that every time he arrives, he is thankful that he actually got there!
Jay cooked up a pile of Frank's Red Hot Chicken Wings, which drew a crowd of newbie tailgaters hungry for some good grub (they had showed up to tailgate without any food???)
Seems like everyone in Lot M has a story about playoffs last season, when the snow was piled up so high you couldn't see the fences anymore. It had snowed all night, and the roads were officially closed, but that didn't stop Philly football fans. They braved icey roads, bribed plow operators to clear out their usual spots, and built shelters (with space heaters!) between their vehicles.
It was hard to picture on a sunny fall day, with fluffy white clouds dotting the sky. Taking advantage of the clean, level parking lot and incredible weather, we hopped on the Trikkes and toured the tailgating lot to see what was cooking.
We found lots of pork rolls, a Philly tradition, being served topped with cheese. And met John Ianelli, who at seventeen, is studying to become a chef. His family and friends love having John join them in the tailgating lot, because they always know he'll cook up something great!
We recruited DJ Casey from Wired 96.5 and Temple University student Armand to join Jay as the judges for the Philly Taste-off.
They didn't have an easy task, choosing between entries that included John Ianelli's Kickin' Chicken Legs and Mike Knowland's Gorgonzola Burger. Jim Kay even tempted the judges with his entry, Jim's Jammin' Jambalaya by including the accompanying beverage, his Maniac Margarita.
But it was the presentation, variety, and flavor of Eric Mitchell's Surf and Turf Special that took first prize, and Eric was stoked to take home his new Explorer Grill with BBQ Box!
We're sure the Zoned Out crew will be enjoying plenty more great food this season, cooked on the new grill beneath those goalposts!
Photo of the Week...
Our
buddy John stops by on "the crapper"-- a bike (equipped
withit's own toll of TP) his group uses to ride back and forth
from the portable toilets!
Our
buddy John stops by on "the crapper"-- a bike (equipped
withit's own toll of TP) his group uses to ride back and forth
from the portable toilets!
Our
buddy John stops by on "the crapper"-- a bike (equipped
withit's own toll of TP) his group uses to ride back and forth
from the portable toilets!
Xtreme fans...
We
met Eagleman on his way into the game, when he stopped by to show
us the burned hats of every team defeated
by the Eagles... which he wears attached to the back of his jersey!
OnTheBlacktop.com 
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