Once again the Bill Jones Memorial Tailgate was the highlight of the Michigan game day. Loud Mouth, a fantastic band from Philipsburg entertained several hundred fans. As usual the tailgate provided a warm reception to old friends, many from as far back as grade school.  Over the years the Penn State games themselves have played second fiddle to the tailgates. New friendships formed and many more renewed each fall. This game was no different. The Philipsburg contingent showed up strong especially the Cimino family to hear Brother John entertain the crowd. Keith B. traveling from Lexington KY has not missed a home game in years. Seeing the Bailey Boys and the original McCamley family (ex wife Cheryl included). Talking to Cindy and Lisa G. brought back memories of a dear friend we lost to throat cancer 10 years ago. Larry “Leroy” Mason was Philipsburg’s eternal teenager. He even made sure that his job allowed him the summers off so he could spend time in his lounge chair near the beach at Black Mashannon State Park. By the 4th of July, Leroy had a tan most girls would kill for. To this day a memorial stone marks Leroy’s spot at the Park. That conversation sparked my visit to Leroy’s spot on a beautiful fall Sunday late afternoon. The reflections off the lake made for some great photos as the sun went down. Leroy’s friends could not have picked a more beautiful spot to memorialize his memory. The Philadelphia crew saw Little Rob J. bring 18 of his closest friends from school. Charley's crew from over Huntingdon way provided all of the logistics and support for the band and his son acted as film crew to provide video for us at a later date. Kurt B. and Drew T. kept a watchful eye on Old Bill Jones and acted as a personal security detail in order to reduce Bill’s risk management concerns given his icon status.