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See my other visits to
Ralph Wilson Stadium:

HOUvsBUF-Nov.1,2009
CHIvsBUF - Aug.15,2009
MIAvsBUF- Dec.9,2007
CINvsBUF - Nov.4,2007
JACvsBUF- Nov.26,2006


 
 Ralph Wilson Stadium Replica (Buffalo Bills) - Gold Series
Price: $34.99
 

Stadium Review - Hanging Out with Pinto Ron
The year 2008 marked our 13th Annual RV Tailgating Retreat as the Steiniger-Dobler Clan reconvened at Ralph Wilson Stadium. All the familiar players were present and after thirteen years, I believe we're finally got this whole Buffalo Bills Tailgating thing down to a science. As always, we rented an RV for the occasion, formulated a menu of meat and accessories that's second to none, and showed up in the parking lot on Saturday afternoon to begin another Buffalo Bills tailgating extravaganza at the Buffalo Bills Stadium. Entering the RV lot at around 3:00pm, we immediately setup camp with a list of amenities that are essential to having a good time in Buffalo during any month of the year. These include a fire pit, CO2 system for the beer keg, and the twenty year old, disposable, charcoal grill that we just can't seem to get rid of. Soon afterwards, we got down to the business of putting meat to flame. For dinner on Saturday night it was porterhouse steaks, filet mignon, and seared tuna steaks, all accented with a constant flow of our ice cold beverage of choice; some Labbatt's Blue courtesy of our neighbor to the north.

Sunday morning began at 7:30AM.  For breakfast we had Kegs and eggs on the menu. Certainly the breakfast of champions which would provide a strong base upon which a full day of drinking would be built. As breakfast was being prepared, we started up the fire pit and began making a bed of hot coals to rotisserie roast the main course for the afternoon's turkey dinner. (The mini-rotisserie I used is available for purchase on my website).  Our parking lot turkey dinner was accessorized with sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and lots of gravy.  As for the turkey itself, we systematically, due to an unforeseen temperature control issue, decided upon a new cooking strategy.  This year we would "purposely" sear the outer skin of the bird, and I mean really char it to a blackened crisp. The intention here is to seal in its natural juices as the turkey slow cooked for the rest of the morning.  In hindsight, perhaps we over did the hot coals during our initial preparation, but I'm happy to report that all went exceptionally well, and once we sat down to partake of our parking lot rotisserie roasted turkey, "there was nothing wrong with that bird!".

At 11:00, I decided to head over and check out Kenny "Pinto Ron" Johnson, Buffalo Native and Buffalo Bills Superfan, on the recommendation of our esteemed commissioner of tailgating, the great Joe Cahn. Kenny has a consecutive streak of 251 Bills games attended both home and away and he hosts the finest and most unique tailgate in the National Football League. Kenny's tailgating chariot of choice is a 1980 red Ford Pinto. It's hood has become an incredibly versatile cooking surface, hosting a plethora of hand tools and garden implements upon which Kenny cooks up a veritable feast for anyone who wants to drop by. A steel handsaw has bacon frying on it, a rake is used for cooking burgers, an old army helmet doubles as a fryer for chicken wings (with a paint roller pan full of Blue cheese for dipping), and an old hub cap serves as the pan for brats and dogs. In addition, Kenny has a Craftsman toolbox full of charcoal for extra grill space and a full time chef stationed at the garden shovel making breakfast omelets and pancakes. Not to mention the file cabinet pizza oven that puts out some of the finest pizza available in the lot.  Kenny is a culinary innovator, a quality that's showcased, throughout the unique tailgating experience he strives to provide for his guests.

Kenny's Tailgate is known around the league for a few other eccentric traditions and the sixteen pound shot is one that's not to be missed. Kenny's bowling ball, which accompanies him to every football game he attends, is set on the bar top and filled with 100-proof alcohol. Guests are encouraged to pick up the bowling ball, down the shot and drop the ball to the ground. Once it hits, you quickly pick it up, setting it back on the bar, before blowing an enormous horn. Failure to correctly execute the sixteen pound shot as described results in a "penalty shot," requiring the offender to take another shot (definitely the most unique shot I've ever taken). But Kenny's most famous tailgating tradition is what he calls the "Ketchup Opening Ceremony", his signature live show which plays out before every game at 11:30am. What started out as an attempt to squirt ketchup onto a burger from the roof of his truck became a legendary "Pinto Ron" trademark, as Kenny emerges from the crowd with a naked hamburger to the chats of "Ket-chup, Ket-chup, Ket-chup" from the rowdy Bills crowd. Kenny looks to his friends, already perched on the roof of his truck, and coyly asks for some ketchup to accent his luncheon selection. He is immediately obliged by professional ketchup snipers who cover him from head to toe in a stream of red from twenty feet away. His response after a ketchup dowsing?

"Got any mustard?"

Kenny's friends are happy to oblige.

On a day when power outages at the stadium caused game coverage issues for CBS during most of first half, the live feed I caught at Ralph Wilson Stadium was incredible, as my Buffalo Bills posted an impressive win over a favored the San Diego Super Chargers team. With the win, the Bills went to 5-1 and showed the rest of the league that they're a force to be reckoned with. Trent Edwards continued his solid play, throwing for 261 yard and a touchdown to Lee Evans and the defense held strong limiting LaDanian Tomlinson to 41 yards on the ground. This might very well be our year ... stay tuned Bills fans. I see shades of 1988 in this team.  So on the heels of a great win, it was over to the Bills Bus for the traditional post game octo-funneling.  The fellas from "Man-cation" were in town and we celebrated with a couple bouts with the octo-funnel.  All in all a great Buffalo Bills Sunday.