Coolers in tow, Iron Dukes revel in tailgating

Harry Kledaras and his twin brother Connie leaned back in their lawn chairs while Harry's wife scooped hefty portions of her homemade potato salad onto their plates. They have already loaded their table with Diet Cokes, deviled eggs and subs from Jersey Mike's that explode with lettuce. 

"You heard the joke that if you leave two Duke football tickets in an unlocked car, you'll come back and find four!" said Connie. He is slight in stature and wears white pants with red and blue stripes, a navy blue rain jacket and a cap. "You want some Diet Coke?" he asked, then whispered, "It might be spiked." 

Harry and Connie graduated from Duke in 1956, back when they were known on campus as the 'Raleigh Twins' and the football team regularly had a winning record. "We come back now because we like to suffer," joked Harry.  

The brothers used to come up for the football games, but now they come up for the tailgate. The ritual of spending an afternoon outside and sharing a meal with friends has become the traditional way to announce the start of another fall.

By four o'clock Saturday, the Iron Duke parking lots were half full. A small crowd surrounded the back of each car, with food and drink in hand. Some men flipped burgers on miniature grills while visiting with old friends and alumni from the area. Their kids ran wild, darting between cars and throwing a Duke football over the adults' heads--and sometimes into their picnic tables. 

"Part of the reason we come is the optimism.... There's always a chance we could win," said Anders Hall, '93. "Do you want one?" he asked, snagging another Oktoberfest from his cooler and popping the cap off with a bottle opener that belted out the Duke fight song. "We should win five or six games this year," he said, echoing the hope for victory that underlies all tailgating. 

As game time approached, the atmosphere was relaxed but festive. Packs of fans wandered from one car to the next, greeting each other with wide grins and slaps on the back. The alumni from the area all know each other, as their personal and professional lives have become intertwined since graduating from Duke. They come as much for the social atmosphere and friendships as for the games--they come to remember their time as Duke students. 

"There was a greater carnival atmosphere at the games back then. The guys would wear ties and the girls would dress up nice," said Wendy Rowe, '79. Dressed in black slacks and a silky red blouse, she said she only feels comfortable at the game when she is dressed up.  

"Our chants were more crude and planned than the ones the Crazies do now. I remember we would come up with those things in my classics class: 'Shove that ball across the line! Shove it! Shove it! Shove it!' Back then, there was a time to be social and a time to be academic." In a somewhat nostalgic tone, she added that she sees a lack of spirit and responsibility in the students at games these days. "Some of these girls here are so drunk it scares me." 

As six o'clock approached, hordes of undergraduate students began pouring through the parking lots on their way to Wallace Wade. The Iron Dukes started folding up their lawn chairs and tables, closing their coolers and loading their cars. A cheer erupted from the stadium and several people raised their drinks laughing. "We must have scored!" they yelled to each other.  

Although tailgating may have become more enjoyable for the Iron Dukes than the actual game, they return also for the excitement of being in the stadium and the chance Duke will win. Maybe this will be the season, they hope.