RELATED LINKS:
--Jones Earns High Grade For Preseason Performances
--Green, Williams, Moseley Help Kickoff Topgolf In Ashburn
For more from the team, including exclusive videos, photos and written content, be sure to “like” the Redskins’ Official Facebook page.
In the corner of the Red Zone parking lot, beside the line of coniferous shrubbery that outlines its boundaries, a group of tailgaters has been setting up shop since 1999, the first year that FedExField opened.
"We've never missed a game," says June, of Brookeville Md., who brings her extended family into communion with two friends that parked beside them for a tailgate back then and haven't stopped.
And it seems like a match made in heaven when you consider their two cars – one gold, the other burgundy – lined up next to each other.
Her friend juts in and says she "came out of the womb screaming" as a Redskins fan. So, you get the picture.
The group gets to the stadium an hour before the gates open, making sure they grab their spot early. Preseason is a way for them to get ready – for the traffic, the lines and their food preparation – so they're ready to go for opening day.
"We are a well-oiled machine after all these years," June says.
Her son, Bryan, is the primary chef and Thursday he grilled the typical fare of burgers and hot dogs. As it gets colder they'll host a turkey roast and bundle up beside a pit fire and propane heater.
The enjoy the camaraderie of their tradition. It provides them a chance to see each other each week even though they live in separate areas.
"This is the only time we see them," said Mike, Anne's husband.
Before I leave, June takes me over to a makeshift bathroom and points inside to a small toilet bowl. In the bowl, a Cowboy helmet is perched, a target, for, well, you know.
.
.
.
