Fall’s here, which means it’s football season. And if you choose to venture out to a game with a group of friends, you may opt to indulge in the time-honored tradition of the tailgate before and/or after the game.
Read more Will 7% mortgages crash the economy?
You might think tailgating is a modern invention, but its origins can be traced all the way back to ancient Greece and harvest festivals before the onset of winter. Then and now, the core elements remain the same: music, community and games along with plenty of food and drink.
Later on, during the U.S. Civil War, civilians even brought picnic lunches out to active battlefields, turning the battles into a perverse kind of entertainment. For example, opportunistic sellers at the First Battle of Bull Run pushed carts filled with pies and other foods for the spectators. This was enough of a feature that it was later nicknamed the “picnic battle.”
Given that history, it’s not hard to see modern football fandom as a far less lethal tradition of taking in the spectacle of battle on a field. Just a few years after the Civil War ended, in 1869, the very first college football game took place between Princeton and Rutgers in New Brunswick, New Jersey. People who showed up to the game brought wagons of food to picnic on the sidelines and watch Rutgers wallop Princeton, with a final score of 6 to 4. (It took until 1906 for the forward pass to be added to the game.)
It was the invention of the automobile that really catapulted tailgating into the modern era. Wealthy car owners in the early 1900s quickly began driving to football games to show off and tailgate. By the 1920s, the cheaper price tag on the Ford Model-T meant everyone started driving to the big game every weekend, and modern tailgating was born.
Most stadiums have their own house rules about how many parking spaces you can take up, how early you’re allowed to arrive before kick-off and how long you can hang around after the final whistle. Other common rules involve cooking food or grilling, the size of canopies or pop-ups, the volume of music and whether glass bottles are permitted. Those vary from stadium to stadium, so make sure you know the rules before you show up.
But there is a deeper art to tailgating. It’s not just a simple matter of sitting in a parking lot eating and drinking beer. Tailgating has its own culture, with rules, etiquette and tried-and-true beer and food combos. Whether you build a fancy shade structure and bring your own five-burner grill, or simply pack a cooler and some snacks, these 10rules — really, sensible guidelines rather than hard-and-fast rules — can guide you toward a successful tailgate party at your next football game.
1. Thou Shalt Bring Good Beer!
I can’t stress this one enough. Especially if you’ve been invited to someone else’s tailgate party, don’t bring the cheapest beer you can find. And never, under any circumstances, show up empty-handed. There are far too many good craft and local brewers making lighter, lower-alcohol beers that are perfect for an all-day event. And that’s what you want when you’re planning on starting to drink before the game, during the game and probably afterward. You’ll want a session beer, something that will allow you to make it through the fourth quarter. Craft pilsners and other lagers are ideal, but any refreshing beer that’s not too strong will work.
Read more NorCal Renaissance Faire returns for 6 weekends
2. Thou Shalt Get There Early.
There’s an old saying that you can’t be drunk all day if you don’t start early in the morning. The same applies to tailgating. (Make sure you have a designated driver, of course.) Getting to the lot early ensures you’ll find a good spot and be in the heart of the action.
3. Thou Shalt Be Prepared.
The Boy Scouts had this one right. Bring at least enough food and beer for twice as many people as you invited. That should ensure you won’t run out and you can be generous with strangers (which I highly encourage). If you’re grilling, bring everything that goes with it, and also have snacks for before the main course is ready. Have enough coolers and especially ice. Don’t forget the little things you can’t do without, like water, phone chargers, paper towels, cups and trash bags, for starters. I keep a bottle opener on my keychain 24/7. The best tailgates are well-planned but appear effortless.
4. Thou Shalt Bring Your Own Chair.
Nobody wants to play musical chairs all day.
5. Thou Shalt Bring Your Own Cup.
Personally, I bring my own cup, too. There will undoubtedly be cups there, but they will be plastic. Bringing your own ensures your beer will taste better, and it will be harder to lose track of which one is your beer.
6. Thou Shalt Have Games.
The football game is the most important part of the day, but it shouldn’t be the only thing. Bring some outdoor games that work well in parking lots. Bring a football to toss around.
7. Thou Shalt Have a Positive Attitude.
Fly the flag with your team colors or express your team spirit with a team jersey, but don’t be obnoxious. Be a good sport. Win or lose, it’s the game that’s important, not the outcome.
8. Thou Shalt Have Entertainment.
Bring music (though don’t play it too loudly). Not everyone may have a ticket or go into the stadium to watch the game. Having a portable television or radio playing the game is a good idea.
9. Thou Shalt Help Clean Up No Matter What.
Ideally, you should help clean throughout the day, too, but at a minimum afterward.
Read more Hayward child pornography defendant says he’s ‘deeply’ sorry before getting 5+ years in prison
10. Thou Shalt Have Fun.
Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Contact Jay R. Brooks at [email protected].
About the Author
