A bunch of Broncos herded into the corral (the Ram Restaurant & Brewery) Friday night for an evening of fun, talk, and libation. As HSridge wittily put it, "This is the biggest blind date I’ve ever been on." Recap after the Jump.

Personally speaking, I was so impressed by the caliber of my fellow Nuggies: kind, highly intelligent, funny, helpful, and all those other attributes enumerated in the Boy Scout law. We learned so many interesting things about each other and heard so many great stories that I was left thirsting for more.

So, more it will be! I believe there is sentiment to periodically repeat these OBNUG Tailgates during the off-season, not only to allow us to gather again, but to offer more opportunities for those who were unable to attend last night.

We didn’t really know what to expect in the way of turnout, and several Nuggies expressed regrets for their inability to come out. But I was happy to finally meet boiseblues, reflectivity, HSridge, KarateBob (aka TkdBob), Sue, Adizzle5000, pjohn56, and, in perhaps one of the first uses of virtual tailgating (via Skype), greekpadre in Riverside, California.

A couple of us brought old Boise College/Boise State College/Boise State University yearbooks, and, for some, it was a trip down memory lane; for others, it was an opportunity to see how far we’ve come from our modest beginnings. I displayed my 47-year-old Boise College T-shirt on the wall behind HSridge as well as the bandana from the 1980 national championship season. Padre, on Skype, modeled his beautiful blue pro combat Bronco helmet.

While pj and Adizzle engaged heavily in a thorough and learned discussion about Bronco football and our chances in the future, some of the rest of us just visited as we got to know each other–the same as any regular tailgate, I guess. We gossiped about the rest of you, of course, which is all the more reason you need to attend one of these tailgates to stand up for yourselves.

The use of reflectivity’s iPad to connect with greekpadre was a stroke of genius, and she is to be commended for her idea. Although it was difficult to hear his audio over the noise in the bar, we exchanged greetings, laughs, and conversation with him, 900 miles from Boise. (The world has changed since I was a youngster.) The iPad was placed in the middle of the table so all could see padre as he participated in the discussion about our beloved Broncos.

We took a moment to remember Steve Appleton, whose tragic death that morning shocked us all.

I am sincere in my appreciation for every one of you. We were a bunch of strangers who are strangers no more (the blind date worked, ridge), and the camaraderie I felt was most enjoyable. Watch OBNUG for future tailgates, and feel free to suggest and set them up as you wish.

Those who took photos last night can add them and your comments here or you can post them to your own fanpost/shot. Thanks again, folks!

NOTE: IN THE INTEREST OF PRIVACY, ALL PHOTOGRAPHS APPEARING IN THE ORIGINAL POST HAVE BEEN REMOVED BY THE AUTHOR.