Last week, I introduced a new series here on Pride of Detroit called "Captain of the Tailgate." Sponsored by Captain Morgan, Captain of the Tailgate will look at the different aspects of tailgating, discussing tips for the perfect tailgate and sharing stories of Lions tailgaters. This week, I'm happy to share the story of the Honolulu Blue Crew, a group of some serious Lions fans that are hardcore tailgaters. (Thanks to Brent for sending the story in.)
My friends and I have season tickets for the second year in a row. Last year was the first year we did it (that's right, the year after going 0-16). The first year only three of us got season tickets. But the first game we staked out the perfect spot to tailgate and it has grown to be a great tradition.
We started off going EARLY in the morning to find a spot for the first game last year. That spot... right next to the stadium on the corner of Adams and John R. It just so happened that not only is this VERY close to the stadium, but it also provides a lot of opportunities for us crazy Lions fans to get noticed. This corner happens to be where the road block next to the stadium is set up, and where all the buses downtown drop off people for the game every Sunday. Ford Field employees, Media, Everyone is dropped off right in front of us. We started bringing Megaphones and crazy Lions Apparel, and it didn't take long to gain a lot of attention. We welcome everyone at our spot and it seems to be fun for all.
We call ourselves Honolulu Blue Crew! You CANNOT miss us now. We now have 15 season ticket holders and a LOT of visitors to our spot. We have Blueman (you have to see pictures to appreciate it/him), a giant sign and setup to be recognized, and we get up EARLY to get our same spot every week. This year it has become tradition to have the Lions Drumline, as well as the Detroit Pride/Dolls (the unofficial Lions Cheerleaders) perform at our tailgate prior to every home game. The amount of foot traffic to get to the stadium on Adams has made our tailgate tradition become more than just something to do; it has become a highlight to the week and an event to look forward to.
You have to be there to see the craziness of this one specific tailgate spot. The closer to gametime the better. The more fans, home OR opposing, the better. It truly is an experience that other spots don't have. We feed off the fans that show up to the games. We know the Lions REALLY push for tailgates at Eastern Market, but it's not like Honolulu Blue Crew. We are truly fans of the Lions. The Die Hards. Who wants to cross the express way or take a shuttle to the game from where you tailgate at anyway? This is the closest to the Silverdome days you can get, when the stadium used to be surrounded by a parking lot full of tailgating....
You can actually check out the Honolulu Blue Crew on Facebook, and after the jump, just last week, is more Marisa Miller.