The bologna was burning. As Syracuse fans strolled into the “D” SU Tailgate Party zone, John DeMetro Sr. turned toward the grill and sensed it, too. His son, John DeMetro II, flipped over every slice and tried to salvage what he could, but they had blackened too much.

“Uh oh, Johnny,” DeMetro Sr. called out.

“Yeah, I’m gonna do a new round,” DeMetro II said.

He swiped all 12 patties off with a New York Giants spatula, grabbed another handful and lined them up. Bologna is the instrumental part of the Skytop Sandwich — which also includes coleslaw and french fries — that they first attempted before SU’s 2015 loss to then-No. 25 Pitt. And last Saturday, they had a record number of tailgaters to feed.

For the past five years, DeMetro Sr. has gradually developed one of the largest tailgates in the Skytop parking lot on Syracuse University’s South Campus. Many times, he’ll arrive at 6 a.m. to set up, but for the Clemson game last Saturday, he arrived the night before and slept over in a trailer.

His youngest son, Kyle DeMetro, joined the operation in 2016, and the trio formed an unofficially-combined tailgate around two years ago. Together, they’ve transformed a blue Ozark Trail canopy and two chairs into a racing trailer and tailgate that attracts even Syracuse football parents seeking a relaxed environment on game days.

“You come up here and there’s not a lot of conversation around your son: how well he played, how well he didn’t,” Kevin Coleman, father of senior defensive lineman Kendall, said. “We just want to hang out with some fans and be friends and have some fun.”

Will Fudge | Contributing Photographer

The DeMetros estimate that between 150 to 200 fans enjoyed their Caribbean cookout and Skytop Sandwiches on Saturday, before Clemson handed SU a 41-6 loss in front of a sold-out crowd. Once the bologna is done, two slices of Italian bread are stuffed with meat, coleslaw and hand-cut fries. Fans can stop there, or continue inside a silver racing trailer, where tables are lined with various chips, dip and dishes brought by other tailgaters free of charge.

For the other nine months of the year, Kyle uses that trailer for dirt modified racing, a hobby of his for the past eight years. On the upper corner of the trailer, his engraved signature and the block number “15” signifies its other job. Kyle traveled to the Brewerton Speedway in Fulton, New York and couldn’t come to some SU games in the past because of it. If he did, they’d tailgate on Saturday, unpack it all Sunday for Kyle’s night race and then load it all up for the next SU home game. But this year, he blew out his car’s engine so there won’t be any overlapping.

DeMetro II — who lives in Connecticut, three and a half hours away from DeMetro Sr. and Kyle in Utica — drives north on Friday nights to help his dad set up the next morning, often arriving six hours before game-time to prep. For the Clemson game, however, DeMetro Sr. figured the crowd would be one of the largest yet. He drove up Friday night and slept inside the trailer on a reclining, metal yard chair without the cushions.

Early Saturday morning, he lugged the equipment out and began to piece together the staple scene in the Skytop lot. The green entrance mat with a football field printed on it. The beer cooler consisting of SU players’ numbers so parents can write their son’s name underneath. Over the years, the tailgate has become so popular that the DeMetros set up two canopies instead of one.

“We thought it would maybe dwindle down, especially when some of the parents’ players graduated,” Kyle said. “But it seems like they’re telling freshmen parents and their friends.”

The three recalled that their first tailgate in 2015 was small, and they served meatballs. From there, DeMetro II ran a Twitter account and DeMetro Sr. handled a private Facebook group — used for the privacy of the SU football parents — to promote the event. The DeMetro motto: As long as you’re a Syracuse fan, you’re welcome.

“Some of the old times before we had the trailer, it was so cold we had tarps around canopies, taped together, bungee-corded together,” DeMetro Sr. said.

Since the tailgate merger two years ago, the menus have become increasingly exotic. Saturday was Caribbean. Next week, it’s seafood boil with crab legs. Then, steaks. Many of the other DeMetro dishes have names inspired by current and former SU players — like Coleman’s Catch of the Day — a tribute to the players they’ve gathered to watch for five years.

Will Fudge | Contributing Photographer

As Saturday afternoon passed 3 p.m., the scent of Skytop Sandwiches filled the air and a roasted pig was flipped to crisp the skin. DeMetro II rattled off the names of dishes as he stood by the grill. If he ran out of fries, there’d be a whole bag of potatoes ready to slice. More bread was in the trailer. He had enough supplies to get through the afternoon, even as people continually filed in.

Many who return are regulars, but some, like parents of football freshmen, came for the first time. They grabbed a six-pack of beer, wandered around and joined the parent’s list with the DeVitos, Colemans, Blacks, Heckels and more.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” DeMetro II said, pausing to flip bologna slices on the grill. “We never thought we’d have…”

He trailed off and swung his eyes left. A small line had formed, and two people called out for a pair of Skytop Sandwiches.

“All right,” DeMetro II shouted back, “I’m just waiting for the fries.”

Published on September 17, 2019 at 2:03 am

Contact Andrew: [email protected] | @CraneAndrew