Williams-Amherst
Take in a tailgate at a major-conference football game, and you'll notice that most people party on their own RV island. But there is no territoriality at Division III Williams College tailgates, set amidst the scenic Berkshires. "It's compact enough," says Bill Pinakiewicz, a former Williams football player from 1968 to '72. "Everybody's cruising around and there's food for the kids and adults-and the dogs for that matter. It's like being home." Pinakiewicz, who goes by Pinky, had been working in London until his 2002 move to Williamstown, Mass. Lots of Williams grads return to the college town for home games, looking to reconnect with fellow alums. "The tailgates encapsulate all those warm and fuzzies that the alums have about their Williams experiences," he says. "Your respiration and heart rate slow down, your blood pressure goes down and you can really kick back." For a 1 p.m. game, Pinky is at Weston Field by 8 a.m., securing the "spot of honor" behind the north goalpost. He dedicated it to legendary Williams lacrosse coach Renzie Lamb, who was first to tailgate there and still joins in the intimate festivities. While Pinky's wife, Diane, cooks pork, brisket and a mean shrimp and corn chowder, Pinky meets and greets students and alums-even local police officers who stop by. They all know that an 0-7 season means nothing going into the Ephs' annual season finale against Amherst College. Billed as the Biggest Little Game in America, it typically brings together more than 10,000 fans. As Lamb always says, "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, beat Amherst."
-Jared Zwerling
Take in a tailgate at a major-conference football game, and you'll notice that most people party on their own RV island. But there is no territoriality at Division III Williams College tailgates, set amidst the scenic Berkshires. "It's compact enough," says Bill Pinakiewicz, a former Williams football player from 1968 to '72. "Everybody's cruising around and there's food for the kids and adults-and the dogs for that matter. It's like being home." Pinakiewicz, who goes by Pinky, had been working in London until his 2002 move to Williamstown, Mass. Lots of Williams grads return to the college town for home games, looking to reconnect with fellow alums. "The tailgates encapsulate all those warm and fuzzies that the alums have about their Williams experiences," he says. "Your respiration and heart rate slow down, your blood pressure goes down and you can really kick back." For a 1 p.m. game, Pinky is at Weston Field by 8 a.m., securing the "spot of honor" behind the north goalpost. He dedicated it to legendary Williams lacrosse coach Renzie Lamb, who was first to tailgate there and still joins in the intimate festivities. While Pinky's wife, Diane, cooks pork, brisket and a mean shrimp and corn chowder, Pinky meets and greets students and alums-even local police officers who stop by. They all know that an 0-7 season means nothing going into the Ephs' annual season finale against Amherst College. Billed as the Biggest Little Game in America, it typically brings together more than 10,000 fans. As Lamb always says, "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, beat Amherst."
-Jared Zwerling
