Sept. 21: How Fans Are Made
Sept. 14: Emerald City Blues
Sept. 7: The End of Summer
You’ve probably noticed by now, but I don’t write much about actual football games. There are beat writers for that, who tweet live updates and post their articles online before the game is even over. By the time I get my thoughts together, the game has been dissected and analyzed and displayed in photo slideshows set to music. No reason to even try to compete with that. So I don’t.
I do try to capture what I love about Syracuse Football and what keeps me coming back year after year. For me, home games are events. And it all starts at the tailgate. We tailgate before every game, starting at least three hours before kick-off.
This Saturday we invited some more friends to join us. Our tailgating group is 10 strong, but we got two more couples to join us— two out-of-towners and two locals who don’t own seasons. We set it up a few weeks ago… picked a game, asked everyone if they were free, and then arranged for some extra tickets. It’s the one ingredient that always improves a tailgate— good friends.
Tailgating is both an art and a science, but it’s fairly easy to pull off and great way to spend a Saturday. We rotate hosting responsibilities amongst our normal group of five couples, so no one is overly burdened. The menu is decided on and provided by the host. It’s BYOB. Obviously, tailgating is about the food, and ours never disappoints. We’ve had non-traditional entrees like breakfast pizza, pancakes, paninis, and quesadillas, as well as classics like chili, sandwiches, meatballs, and shish-kabobs.
The science part comes in when you’re talking about all the utilitarian items you acquire as your become an experienced tailgater. Pop-ups. Pop-up weights. Portable gas grills. A George Foreman or two, but only family size will do. Crock pots galore. Folding tables. Folding tables that fold in half with handles. Folding tables that rise to bar height. Folding tables just big enough to be end tables. Folding chairs. Pyrex portables. Orange and blue table clothes. Table cloth holders. Enough to pretty much jam-pack any vehicle.
Our early tailgates were completely amateurish compared to the spread we lay out now. But we’ve always had fun and enjoyed ourselves. You don’t have to have an RV with a satellite dish or a travelling kitchen wagon to do it right. You just need some good food and drink, some friends to share it with, and a Syracuse Football game.
Take the leap and start your own group. You won’t be disappointed.