FADEM: Tailgate blows my mind

The Terrier Tailgate is one of, if not the best, event the athletic department has hosted in my time at Boston University.

For the past two years, BU has put together a tailgate cookout and a giant meet-and-greet for the youngins. For about an hour before the game and during the first half, freshmen get to eat free food, socialize with people who they only recognize from Facebook and watch men's soccer. Then, once halftime arrives, roughly half of the people in attendance head back to their dorms for what will be one of, if not the, lamest nights of their college careers.

I haven't been a freshman for either tailgate, but I've felt the responsibility to take on the role of male cheerleader -- in a hot dog costume. For whatever reason, those freshmen sitting in the stands at Nickerson Field occasionally get pumped up when I try to start leading cheers. At this point in their college lives, they have no idea they'll see me at more than just this one sporting event. I don't even know what they think of that Jesus fellow who hangs around me, but they join in my cheers for a couple minutes, which always makes me feel a little better about myself.

Anyway, Terrier Tailgate was much improved this year.

I'm accustomed to seeing Agganis Arena completely sold out -- up to, but not limited to, 6,300 people in attendance. To get half that number in Nickerson would be no problem -- if BU had a football team. Because of the poor following that most Terrier sports receive, and because this school is a hockey school first, getting more than 200 people to Nickerson is a challenge.

What I can't grasp is why so many students attended the soccer game against UMass. Most of the spectators at Agganis for hockey games are alumni, or just fans of the university - not even students. In fact, there are only about 1,000 to 2,000 students at any given hockey game -- sections 118 and 108 can hold roughly 500 students, while 117, 119 and the pockets around 108 hold no more than 1,000 combined. That means more than half the people who pack into The Greek don't attend BU.

So I scratch my head in amazement at how many students a) could find Nickerson and b) made it there to watch soccer -- a sport that most everyone played at one point, but have come to loathe watching.

This year the attendance was 5,935. Last year it was 5,111, which was a number that is rumored to be slightly inflated. This year's total is all real and an America East record for soccer attendance. As of right now that number ranks as the second highest attendance in NCAA soccer this year -- stupid Clemson and their backward Southern ways, beating us in attendance, while packing their lips full of tobacco, watching NASCAR on their hand-held TV's and blasting The Dixie Chicks.

I can't wait for next year's tailgate.

This year there was a dunk tank. That's no typo - there was a dunk tank. David Barth, a co-leader of The Dog Pound, threw out this idea when we (the Dog Pound "leaders") were brainstorming what would be fun at the tailgate. I loved it, but thought there was just no way BU would allow such a contraption. I was wrong. Even better, anyone in attendance could get a chance to dunk a women's or men's basketball player.

Again, most of the freshmen probably didn't know Krystyn McIntyre or John Holland, but it's the idea and the fact that there was a dunk tank that counts.

In the middle of the game, I looked at the crowd and saw people throwing out bags of Snyder's cheese pretzel sandwiches and other snack foods into the audience.

Does it get any better?

It would've if the band had played "China Grove," but we can't always get what we want. And again, I don't think the fans in attendance got what they wanted at the end of the game -- a Terrier victory.

In fact, anyone who stayed witnessed what might just be the worst loss in Terrier soccer history. The Minutemen scored to tie the game with three seconds left and proceeded to win the game on a goal from midfield just eight seconds into the second overtime.

It's a shame such a perfect event had to end in tears. While the Terrier Tailgate is a great chance for the freshmen to get introduced to Terrier sports, everyone should be expecting the worst next season. After all, BU is 0-2 in its first two Tailgate bouts.

But there is always next year. Let's hope for a win.

Brian Fadem, a junior in the College of Communication, is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. He can be reached at bfadem@bu.edu.