• The sultry night produced what bartenders thought was a record beer sale for a preseason game. Several concession stands under the West stands needed replenishing midway through the second quarter. When the game ended about 11:15, it was 86 degrees outside the stadium.
• One more beer note: you think this is a sophisticated crowd? The best-selling brand at “Ice Cold Beers of the World” stand was Budweiser.
• And why not? The man at the door to the East elevators for the handicapped is in a wheelchair.
• Pregame chit-chat on the field: mascot Jaxson De Ville and former Jag quarterback Rob Johnson, now with Washington.
• Fashion note: Jag defensive lineman Hugh Douglas has dropped the cornrows. He now has the team’s biggest Afro.
• It’s still a college town. The Bud Zone TV sets with the Miami-Louisiana Tech game outdrew the Jags telecast.
• The halftime show kept plenty of fans in the stands — two women’s football teams played with offense vs. defense action at each end of the field. They play with a smaller ball but it isn’t powder puff action, with considerable hard hitting.
• The strong first quarter by the first team and Del Rio’s endorsement of Mark Brunell as the quarterback (“I’m proud to say No. 8 will lead us against Carolina (in the opening game next week)” seemed to clear a lot of locker room air. Del Rio kept everyone hanging and got into a squabble with the media about reports that the star would be traded, and Brunell said, “It’s been an interesting ride.” But he recalled the team’s first season when he was the young player beating out Steve Buerlein as the starter. “I took a lot from that,” he said. “He handled it like a man, and I tried to do the same.” Next question to be answered: is David Garrard or Byron Leftwich the No. 2 man?
• Roster cuts may come as early as today though the team has until Sunday night to reduce its number to 53. Del Rio has a 6 p.m. press conference today but the bigger names who won’t make the team won’t be known until Sunday. “We have more [good players] than we can keep,” said Del Rio.
• Jag defensive lineman Marcus Stroud is a big Texas Rangers baseball fan. He wore a Texas jersey and a cap to the game.
• Overheard by a spectator in the Terrace Suites: “This is fantastic. I have never seen a stadium as nice as this in my entire life. Talk about serving the fans. I would have paid twice as much to sit here.” Terrace Suite seats run about $3,000 for the season.
• No. 1 food station so far in the Terrace Suites? The Asian Cuisine station, say sous chefs in the luxury seating section. Italian food is quite popular too. “Everything we do is good,” said head chef Sean from Levy Restaurants. “This is our kitchen.”
• Lots of grumbles over the prices of the sandwiches in the Bud Zone sports bar. However, there was an equal amount of people rejoicing over their size. One is easily big enough to split between two people.
• True to their word, Alltel officials curbed alcohol sales after the half.
— by Fred Seely and J. Brooks Terry