Tips for tailgating in the stadium
Football season is for many of us the first season of tailgating. Here’s a list of tips gathered around the grill to make your tracking experience more enjoyable.
First off, let’s assume your barbecue party setup doesn’t include anything as elaborate as a converted 18-wheeler or grilling school bus. Do not laugh! If you’re new to the tailgating experience, spend some time wandering around an NFL stadium or large college football parking lot on a fall weekend. You’ll be surprised how far some people will go to produce the ultimate tailgating gear. Some must cost as much as a small suburban house!
1. Explore the stadium parking lot. Before you pack up the car and load it up for the first time, take a test run to the stadium on a soccer weekend. Determine which parking lot entrance is easiest to enter and exit. Take notes on street names and alternate routes.
2. Stadium parking spaces are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Instead of arriving at the lot in the middle of the night to make sure of your spot of choice, ask some of the other supporters in the area what time they usually get there to set up. You should probably subtract an hour or so from what they tell you because if they get the idea that you’ll be competing with them for the spot next weekend, they might want to make sure you’re a little late.
3. Have a propane gas grill. I know charcoal has its own special appeal, but charcoal grills have some real downsides. Charcoal briquettes stay red hot for a long time after they finish cooking. You will be in a fairly confined space with the grill for perhaps several hours and it is very easy for someone to forget that they can still get burned. Unruly children are the most likely burn candidates. Disadvantage number two is ash removal.
3rd Have something to fire up the grill. Those old fashioned flint pliers work great and you can leave one in the glove box with no ill effect. It’s very embarrassing, believe me, having to ask your neighbor for a box of matches or a lighter.
4. Bring lots of ice. Two refrigerators are better than one. Use a cooler filled with ice to keep food cold and safe. Use the other cooler for ice cubes for drinks only.
5. Bring more than enough seats. Those flimsy folding garden and beach chairs look like they won’t hold up to a 10-year-old, but they’re a lot stronger than they look. They also don’t take up much storage space. Inflatable seats are a good back-up option, but be sure to include a battery-powered air pump in your repertoire.
6. Have a rain and snow contingency plan. Portable gazebos are nice. Cantilever umbrellas will keep the grill and food off the heavy stuff, but they aren’t big enough to fit people. You can use a tarp in a pinch, but make sure it’s sloped enough to prevent buildup. Water weighs 8 pounds per gallon and a heavy downpour will topple a flat tarp and ruin your day in a New York minute. A catalytic camp heater can pump out enough BTUs to relax.
7. Make a checklist. Barbecue accessories. Food. Beverage condiments. Ice. Seating. Rain clothes. Full propane tank.
8. A portable generator makes tailgating a whole new experience. You can turn on TVs, radios, lights, fans, and whatever. Inverter types are smaller, quieter, and consume less fuel.
9. Make friends. Tailgaters are territorial. You’ll have so much more fun among a friendly crowd of regular customers.
