The first game of the season also means shaking the cobwebs and rust loose for tailgating. None of us have Steeler season tickets, so there was no exhibition season to start working on our preparation and get everything organized. So, there is a lot of false starts and hitches. A good example would be Pat after we got to the lot, and set up the table and some chairs. He cracked open his beer and put it in the cup holder in the arm of the chair — one of those metal and nylon ones that you stuff into a nylon sack — only to realize the rest of us had set up on the other side of the table and cars. So, he lifts the chair in the air and lets it collapse inward to carry it around the table and car. He hears a sloshing sound above his head and tips the chair to peak — sploosh! His beer had popped out of the holder into the seat, the beer pooling, then pouring right onto him. Simple first game jitters. We’re sure he’ll be better as the season goes on.
Now one of the aspects of tailgating in the city, are the people who come by. Rather than just drunk fans, we get panhandlers, peddlers and bit players. People looking to hit up the drunks one way or the other. So, we’ve settled in and are talking — Pat’s using ice to clean his chair — when a guy rides up on a mountain bike, pops off it, and plops himself amongst us.
Before we can even react he has thrown down three cards face up on the ground. 10 of Spades, 10 of Clubs and the 10 of Hearts. He wants to do a little 3 Card Monty! Keep in mind that our tailgating crew has a large contingent of lawyers who work or worked for the Public Defenders Office. The guy starts his patter. He starts sweeping up the well worn, length-wise folded cards then throwing them down with practiced ease trying to get us interested. Trying to get us to put a little action on it. One of our group — “Timmy Gates” starts talking with him a little, letting him do his spiel. Free entertainment.
Our new friend, looks at him and says, “You look familiar. Do I know you?”
Timmy responds, “I may have represented you at some point.”
Pause, then, “Oh, s**t! Gates!”
You can’t make this stuff up. He still took Timmy for about $25.
