In front of the Comstock Art building, the North Manley tailgate crew sets up their tent with a plethora of tailgate essentials before every Syracuse home game. One item sticks out.

A discontinued, smiling Otto inflatable — which the group’s founder Gary Anastasio stresses is rare because most inflatables don’t smile — is the first thing people see when they drive by on Comstock Ave. Anastasio and his group introduced it to their collection in 2003. It sits at the edge of the lot on display for fans heading to and from the Carrier Dome.

“I can’t believe our motor is still functioning on the old one,” said Anastasio, a financial advisor living on Onondaga Hill. “It’s 16 years old.”

While the inflatable Otto is a constant at their football tailgates, the gathering’s crowds have fluctuated throughout the years. They’ve garnered up to 80 people at their peak, but numbers have dropped amid Syracuse’s 3-6 season.

It started with a group of friends on Marshall Street in the 1990s, but construction moved them to the Manley lot in 1999. Some members of their crew worried about it being too far from the Dome, but they’ve grown to love the tailgate and they’ve now been dubbed the “North Manley Crew.” Since 1999, they haven’t missed a home game.

“Sometimes people walking by see us and want to join in and a few have even become regular,” Anastasio said.

The most notable amenity at the Manley Crew tailgate is a rare inflatable Otto
Emily Steinberger | Contributing Photographer

Anastasio had season tickets in the 1980s, and later started tailgating with a couple of friends and his dad, John. Anastasio has seen all the big moments. Donovan McNabb’s miracle throw to Steve Brominski with zeroes on the clock in 1998. Syracuse’s blowout of Notre Dame in 2003. And, his favorite of all, the upset of No. 2 Clemson in 2017.

The group started as just a collection of family and friends, but a mix of locals and visiting alumni started tagging along since the move 20 years ago. Before the LSU game in 2015, more than 80 people joined the North Manley Crew’s tailgate.

The basic tent setup was upgraded with propane-powered space heaters and a TV throughout the years. On warmer days, Anastasio and the other tailgaters will also throw around a football or play corn hole on the grass next to their tents.

“It seems like every year we kind of add something new,” said Anastasio’s son, Tyler.

Through the years, the ‘regular’ tailgaters have made additions to Saturday gatherings
Emily Steinberger | Contributing Photographer

Before games, Anastasio sends out a group email to the regulars to coordinate food. Prior to SU’s game versus Boston College, their spread included a build-your-own breakfast burrito bar, bacon-wrapped sausages, bagels, fruit, hot coffee and smoked salmon, freshly caught by one of the tailgaters.

Anastasio recently added a full-sized bar to the setup, which he received as a Father’s Day present from his wife and kids. It’s usually stocked with an assortment of liquor like Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Fireball along with various craft beers. Before Saturday’s game, the group took shots as the noon kickoff approached.

Food and drinks are stocked away before leaving for the Carrier Dome, but some of the tents and tables are left until the game’s over. Sometimes, they get a little forgetful. They’ll drive back to Manley the next day to grab a few remnants from the space and take their cars home.

“It doesn’t matter what game it is,” said Anastasio. “If it turns into one of those crazy days where we gotta go grab our cars the next morning because we went all out then that is what it is. We have to do everything we can to support our team.”

Anastasio’s wife and kids got him a full-size bar to add to the group’s tailgate.
Emily Steinberger | Contributing Photographer

When Syracuse made its first bowl game since 2013 this past December, Anastasio took the “North Manley Crew” on the road, something they only do for big games. The group brought 30 people to the Camping World Bowl in Orlando, Florida, which made for one of their more memorable tailgates.

Anastasio said that this year’s failed encore to 2018 hasn’t put a damper on the tailgate in any way. The Orange’s struggles this year haven’t stopped his celebrations.

“The amazing thing about football,” Anastasio said, “Is that win or lose, it gives us an excuse to get together six times a year, to plan an entire event around it.”

Published on November 4, 2019 at 10:17 pm

Contact Eli: efjarjou@syr.edu