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| Parking
lot party: Lot P chef Bryan Hunt and a pre-game snack |
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| Stranger
in a strange land: Tailgater/Griz fan Roy Hansmann in Kuwait |
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Tailgating
Grizzlies:
Sometimes football game
is only
half the fun
Cajun
shrimp. Tri-tip roast. Deep-fried turkey. Prime rib. Meatball subs.
Sound pretty good? Well, food like that is just another day in the
parking lot for Bryan and Wendi Hunt.
The Hunts have mastered the pre-game ritual of tailgating outside
Washington-Grizzly Stadium. For them and thousands of their fellow
tailgaters, no football game day is complete without lots of food,
friends and fun in the hours leading up to kickoff.
“It’s a party every week,” Bryan says as he pours
freshly boiled shrimp into a large bin already overflowing with potatoes
and corn-on-the-cob. “I’d say we feed about 50 people
every week. And we aren’t exclusive — just anyone that
wants to come by and join us.”
On this particular day — Sept. 11, when the Griz pounded the
Hofstra Pride 41-23 — the pre-game atmosphere in Lot P outside
the Adams Center was electric. Maroon-clad fans mingled under a sunny
blue sky with the stadium and giant M on Mount Sentinel looming over
all. The hungry tailgaters seemed as nervous and giddy as the players
ready to take the field. It was a perfect day for football …
and eating!
“We have a regular group of people who come every weekend, they
tell friends and family, and it’s gotten bigger,” Wendi
said.
One of those friends, Amy Joyner, said of Bryan’s cooking: “His
food — for a tailgate chef — he could run restaurants
in this town out of business. And he just fires up his propane in
the parking lot every week.”
Wendi and Bryan are high school sweethearts from Deer Lodge who settled
in Colville, Wash., after college. She got a social work degree from
UM; he earned an environmental engineering degree from Montana Tech
in Butte. By 1995 Wendi had Bryan hooked on Grizzly football, and
the tailgating thing started to get out of hand when Joe Glenn was
head coach. In fact, Wendi’s best friend, Jenise Cockhill, is
married to Glenn’s offensive coordinator.
Soon the Hunts found themselves preparing elaborate menus for each
home game. The tailgates started becoming events. For instance, for
one game a year they ask Mike Venner from Butte to bring pork chops
from Pork Chop John’s and pasties for the “Butte America
Tailgate.” They also come up with unusual delicacies such as
deep-fired Oreo cookies. (“Deep-fried Oreos with hot fudge and
whipped cream is the best dessert ever,” Wendi said.)
The regulars at the tailgate also bring supplemental food for everyone
such as deviled eggs, chips and hot dishes. Bryan said his good friend
Debby Hansmann of Helena provides the best desserts. On Sept. 11 she
brought a batch of big, luscious brownies.
From kids playing cards on the curb to fans discussing the frequency
Griz quarterback Craig Ochs gets his helmet knocked off, everyone
enjoyed themselves at the tailgate. But the one who seemed most content
by this little slice of Americana was Debby’s husband, Roy.
The 33-year veteran of the Montana National Guard had just returned
from Kuwait, and the diehard fan was experiencing his first Griz game
since October 2002.
“During the Griz-Cat game last year I had to call my mother-in-law
twice to get the score,” Roy said, “and that’s between
midnight and 3 a.m. Kuwait time.”
Bryan and Wendi said Griz tailgating has definitely expanded their
circle of friends. As an example, they met the Hansmanns because they
had seats next to them in the south end zone. When the weekly tailgate
party started cooking, the Hansmanns were invited along for the ride.
So when a welcome-back party was scheduled for Roy, Bryan and Wendi
made the drive from Washington to Helena to greet him.
But their tailgating fun entails a little work. On the night before
a Griz home game, Bryan and Wendi generally drive the 65 miles from
Colville to Spokane, Wash., and stay with Bryan’s mom. (The
plates on their Washington vehicle say “Grizfnz.”) The
next morning they are on the road to Missoula by 5:30 a.m. to ensure
they get a prime spot in Lot P. Then it’s time to unload the
propane barbecue grill, fryer and any other equipment needed before
their tailgating family arrives.
As for Bryan’s favorite tailgating chef story: “We cooked
three 10-pound turkeys around Thanksgiving one year. Our turkeys were
about three-quarters of the way fried, but they weren’t up to
180 degrees, so we just threw them inside our barbecue pit and went
to the game. When we came out at halftime they were as juicy as can
be. Sometimes accidents work out pretty well.”
The Hunts throw a great party — one of the best — but
their tailgate is part of the multitude on game day. According to
UM’s Intercollegiate Athletics, the University currently rents
76 recreational vehicle areas ($40 per game), 42 grassy tailgate areas
($60 per game) and about 2,000 car spaces ($36 per season).
Bryan and Wendi admit they have generated a lot of fond memories in
Lot P with their $36 season pass. “A little football, food and
fun,” Bryan said. “That’s all you need.”
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