Tailgaters party on four wheels

By Ryan Borba
The Collegian

Not every Fresno State pre-game tailgate party includes a handmade barbecue pit, Direct TV hookups or a Bulldogs-themed van complete with professional paint job, but one thing all tailgaters seem to agree on is that the most important part is who you’re with.

“Good tailgating is good people,” said Don Kostrub, a Bulldogs sportsgoer of more than 25 years.

Known in some circles as the “Sugar Bear,” Kostrub, a tall man at about 6 foot 3 inches tall blessed with a booming voice that is often heard at games.

His cheers are heard clearly over just about everything else during Fresno State baseball games, but he laughed off the possibility of really sticking out over the manic football crowd.

“Not with, what, 42,000 people? Hard to be heard over that,” he said. “I’ll still go home hoarse.”

The tailgate Kostrub was a part of had all the basics — good food, drinks and friends. But some tailgates take things a little further into the world of fandom.

The Fresno State tailgate last month was a swarm of red and white that engulfed just about everything starting from the entrance of the stadium and stretching all the way to the west entrance of the Industrial Technology building with a little something for everyone.

Marco Aldaz literally had something for everybody. Aldaz, a season ticket holder who said he’s regularly attended Fresno State games since he was a student here about 15 years ago, passed out samples of what looked to be about 20 chicken wings he described as “just appetizers.”

“Free samples on the way by!” he told an apparently hungry passer-by while tending to the sizzling treats. “Nothing better than being at the game with family.”

In one of the most impressive visuals before the game, Scott Scharton’s full-blown Bulldog mobile stopped more than a few fans in their tracks on the way in.

“We’re trying to promote Fresno State football,” he said.

This is no ordinary 1984 Dodge Prospector van. This thing bleeds red so much that it would probably “Shut up and hit somebody!” if only some poor, misguided soul crossed its path.

The van features a professional red and white paint job, complete with an endzone-esque checkered pattern running down both sides, giant Bulldogs logos covering a big portion of both sides of the vehicle, current season schedule posted on the window and even red and white rims.

Scharton said he got the idea from former assistant Bulldogs coach Baxter, a good friend of his.

“We needed something to throw our stuff in. We took the idea to Signmax and they hooked us up,” he said. A few of his friends at Signmax, including project chief Mark Niehoff, took the idea and ran with it, he said.

Paw prints, printed Fresno slogans including “Anybody, Anywhere, Anytime” and “Catch The Red Wave,” and a big green “V” to promote the Valley helped complete the ride’s getup along with such external accessories as an authentic Bulldogs football helmet, flags and a Direct TV dish.

Scharton, 30, said he thinks the crowds have been more under control since the in-game alcohol ban went into effect this year.

“I think it’s a good thing, especially for families,” he said, having recently become a father. “But a few years ago, maybe I wouldn’t have liked it.”

With everything going on before the game, it’s easy to forget about the actual team.

In September, Kostrub said he was hopeful of the Bulldogs’ chances for the rest of the season.

“Shoulda, coulda, woulda,” the Sugar Bear said of previous lost opportunities this season. “But a few breaks here and there and the team would be [undefeated].”

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