The other day someone tried to rain on my parade about tailgating when they said sarcastically, "Boy, you really love tailgating". To which I replied, "Why yes".
But it took me aback by the way he said it, and I was disappointed my weak defense of my beloved activity.
I got to thinking about how I love football, and how I love to entertain. I love to grill, and I'm a big show off of "over the top" antics. I love camping, so tailgating is a natural marriage of all these desires, satisfied into one activity.
Still, I knew something deeper drives my passion for tailgating.
I thought back to my casual, recreational days of tailgating. Back then, we simply bought a box of chicken, filled a cooler with beer, and unfolded a few chairs. Life was simple, and one glove fit all.
But as our numbers grew I realized that one glove does not fit all. That is when I had a break through and realized, I love technical tailgating.
Technical tailgating is a thinking mans tailgate. It takes into account the weather, the opponent, the crowd, the theme, the music, the equipment, the prep work, the clean up, the food, the time allowed, the temperature, a whole host of things.
Planning is essential to technical tailgating. Planning makes for a huge coolness factor that wows visitors with the successful tailgate outcome.
For example, throughout the off season we have been recruiting talented like minded tailgaters to join our cause. Second, strategically, all of said tailgate leaders have been working to improve the equipment and tailgate experience. Third, once the schedule is released, then the tactical planning begins.
The focus then is individual games, times, menus, etc.
Example: Carolina vs Chiefs Sunday August 17th at 8 PM. It's going to be hot (fans and generators), it will be a long all day affair (DJ, staggered servings of food), very likely there will be a thunderstorm ( multiple shelters anchored down) TV feed (multiple TVs), refrigeration of food (banks of coolers), cooking all day ( grill, griddle, propane stove) and all day serving ( chafing dishes and steamers).
This just scratches the surface of planning. But this is technical tailgating.
There will be more on this subject as the season progresses.
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