Welcome to the final edition of The Examiner’s “Tailgater of the Year” contest, where The Examiner selects the best tailgaters from college and professional football games in the Baltimore area.
This week’s winner » Lisa Phillips of Bel Air
Location » Lot C along Hamburg Street in front of M&T Bank Stadium
Setup » Several tables, warmers for food, a 10-foot inflatable Ravens player, a Ravens Christmas tree and propane grills.
On the buffet table » Chili chese hot dogs, ham, scalloped potatoes, cookies, brownies, raw oysters, Oysters Rockfeller and chocolate and banana shooters.
Attendance » 30
Signature dish » Cookies shaped like Ravens helmet
Experience » Phillips has been a Baltimore football season ticket-holder since the Baltimore Stallions won the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup in 1995. She wore her purple wig, Raven hat and Ray Lewis jersey as she partied with her friends and family before kickoff. After all, she must enjoy the tailgate since it takes her at least three days to prepare the menu. “We have met the greatest people tailgating before games,” Phillips said. “We are all just like family. We have seen each others kids grow, it’s a total family atmosphere.”
Our final weekly winner is Lisa Phillips, who partied with a group of about 30 family and friends from Bel Air before the Ravens’ game against the Jaguars. The tailgaters had plenty of sweet and salty snacks and a purple Christmas tree featuring a stuffed Raven autographed by Tony Siragusa.
Our competition has taken us to pregame parties at Towson, Navy, Maryland and of course, M&T Bank Stadium.
Now, the competition is in your hands. Beginning next week, we will begin online voting on baltimoreexaminer.com to determine “The Examiner’s Tailgater of the Year.”
You can vote as many times as you want, and the weekly winner with the most votes gets bragging rights and prizes provided by The Examiner and M&T Bank.
