Three life-long Baltimore football fans found their tailgating dream only a mile from their houses.
Robert Morningstar, 43, Mark Stoecker, 48, and Jerry Bunty, 43, all residents of Essex, grew up rooting for the Baltimore Colts and attending games at Memorial Stadium. And when professional football returned to Baltimore in 1996, the St. Clare School graduates were eager to don the purple and black.
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But it wasn?t until three years ago they decided to become serious tailgaters, as the season ticketholders in Section 512 found a used 1971 Bluebird bus for about $650.
Countless hours of labor and coats of paint later, the three created their Ravens bus which would serve as their catalyst to be voted The Examiner?s Tailgater of the Year.
“We have tables, chairs, barstools a grill and utensils in compartments on the sides,” Bunty said. “We had a friend at an engraving place who did the dashboard for us.”
Nearly $20,000 has been spent on the bus, which features leather seats, metal etchings of the team?s Super Bowl victory in 2001, a tile floor resembling a football field, purple lighting and chairs from Memorial Stadium. Four of the chairs are purple, but one is blue with the number 19, a tribute to Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas.
Outside, the vehicle that transports an average of 20 people to M&T Bank Stadium on gamedays, has a mural of downtown Baltimore, turn signals resembling goal posts, number 19 decals and an unmistakable license plate: Tailg8er.
The Essex residents claimed the title as The Examiner?s top tailgater by winning an online vote against nine other weekly winners from the best collegiate and pro tailgates in the Baltimore area. Though 5,159 votes were cast, it wasn?t even close, as Bunty, Stoecker and Morningstar received 3,292 votes (63.8 percent). They were followed by Dave Gelois (25.5), who was selected during the Ravens? game against Arizona, and Lonnie Pryor and Larry Acord (5.18) who showed off their party prior to the game against the Jets.
Morningstar said they e-mailed friends and family to help out, and even had a few supporters from overseas, as well as up North.
“We had people voting from Nagasaki, Japan,” he said. “My brother-in-law is from Pittsburgh, so we even got the Steelers? vote.”
And while the NFL playoffs came to an end on Sunday, Bunty, Stoecker and Morningstar already are looking forward to defending their title next year. A few alterations? How about a football field painted on the ceiling, about 20 seats added from Memorial Stadium, and possibly even flat-screen televisions.
“It?ll never be finished,” Bunty said. “We even have quite a few people who don?t have tickets who want to come with us.”
Baltimore tailgater of the year final standings
Jerry Bunty, Mark Stoecker and Robert Morningstar 3,292
Dave Geslois 1,320
Lonnie Pryor and Larry Acord 267
Sean Halligan and Chris Schattall 95
Bob and Rob Chilcoat 73
Scott Hurst and Joe Meeham 49
11th Comany Tigers Naval Academy 26
Al Mazzotta 17
Mike and Grant Connelee 13
Towson?s Lamba Chi Alpha Fraternity 7
*Total Responses 5,159
