Ultimate Tailgate Gear for the Modern Fan
November 10, 2011, By Josh Katzowitz 0 comments
It's one of those college memories that never go away.
My first quarter hadn't yet begun, but all the freshmen, it seemed, had moved into their dorms already. Which meant non-stop socializing and plenty of late-night imbibing with friends I had just met. Which meant plenty of gorging at the dining hall to soak up the spirits from the night before and to do some preventive maintenance for the night ahead. Which meant you went to sleep when the sun was rising and woke up sometime the next afternoon.
The sun rose awfully early on the first day of college football, and my roommate and I realized we had made a major mistake the night before. We had left open the windows of our room. That's why we both sat upright at 7 a.m., awakened by the noise from those popping their second beers of the day. And by the racket from those already yelling school songs. And by the noise from the first tailgate of the season.
Soon after, as my friends and I walked to the dining hall to find some hangover hash browns, we looked around in wonder. Men were grilling sausages, women with painted faces were downing shots of liquor, families with RVs had wedged themselves into campus parking spaces. The campus had transformed overnight into one enormous tailgate party.
As a sports writer, I haven't done much tailgating. I love the idea of shooting the bull with dozens of friends while we apply fire to meat and lips to cold beverages before the games, but I was usually working those days, and since it's now somewhat unprofessional to show up in the press box with liquor on your breath (I long for the days when alcohol was served in the press box to thirsty scribes), I didn't—and don't—participate much.
And so, I live vicariously through those who do. And those who forgo the ease and tradition of simply loading up a grill, a few coolers and some burgers and sausages. Instead, I respect those who find new and creative ways to enhance their enjoyment of the pregame festivities. Old-school tailgating is great. But adding a few wrinkles, such as the tailgating techniques below, is not a bad way to go as well. Life goes forward, technology moves ahead and tailgating follows suit.
NEXT: Team logo branding irons
