Tailgate party

Tailgate party

In North America, a tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food. Tailgate parties usually occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas before, and occasionally after or during, sporting events and rock concerts. In one case (at least) tailgate parties are regularly held during the summer season of the Santa Fe Opera, especially for the season's Opening Night. People attending such a party are said to be tailgating. Many people participate even if their vehicles do not have tailgates.

Tailgating in media

The previously underground subculture is now a part of the mainstream sports media. In 1993, ESPN's pre-game college football show "College GameDay" took on a tailgate-party atmosphere by placing the hosts on a portable stage set at the campus of the school hosting the week's marquee rivalry matchup with fans gathering around it to celebrate. The Fox network's "NASCAR on FOX" and "FOX NFL Sunday" have also used similar setups. Veteran broadcaster John Madden has brought attention (and cameras) into the tailgating lots for years. Madden is the author of a book entitled "John Madden's Ultimate Tailgating", released in 1998.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/madden/story?page=bio|title=John Madden Bio|author=ESPN|publisher=ESPN]

For twelve years, Joe Cahn has been traveling the country from stadium to stadium, as the self-declared Commissioner of Tailgating.cite web|url=http://www.tailgating.com/Commissioner.htm|title=Who is Joe Cahn|author=Joe Cahn|publisher=Tailgating.com] He has tailgated and tasted with fans of both college and NFL teams, and to many is the face and the voice of the tailgater. He calls the tailgating lot "the last American neighborhood" and refers to tailgate parties as "the new American community".

In 2007, the NFL angered many football fans by banning tailgating at Super Bowl XLI in Miami.cite web|url=http://cbs4.com/sports/local_story_025154548.html|title=Tailgating Forbidden On Super Bowl Sunday|author=CBS 4 Miami|publisher=cbs4.com] The NFL cited security risks, though many suspected it had more to do with corporate sponsored events than any real threat.cite web|url=http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/category/super-bowl/2007/01/26/no-real-fans-allowed-tailgating-banned-at-super-bowl/|title=No Real Fans Allowed: Tailgating Banned at Super Bowl|author=Michael David Smith|publisher=America Online] In 2008, an online petitioncite web|url=http://www.tailgatingideas.com/2008/01/09/super-bowl-tailgating/|title=Allow Tailgating at the Super Bowl Petition|publisher=Tailgating Ideas] began circulating to encourage the NFL to lift the no tailgating at the Super Bowl policy. Members of the sports mediacite web|url=http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080125/SPORTS0203/801250322/1018|title=NFL's grill ban burns tailgaters|author=Ben Smith|publisher=Fort Wayne Journal Gazette] also questioned the validity of the NFL's claim that security concerns was the real reason for the ban.

Traditional tailgate fare

Traditionally tailgating involves the consumption of alcoholic beverages such as beer or mixed drinks and the grilling of various meat products. Popular tailgate party foods include picnic staples such as hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, and cold salads like cole slaw or potato salad. Various tailgating games include beer pong, ladder ball, corntoss, washer pitching and flipcup.cite web|url=http://www.tailgatingideas.com/2007/08/13/tailgating-games-to-play/|title=Tailgating Games to Play|author=Tailgating Ideas|publisher=Tailgatingideas.com]

ee also

*The Boulevard, a tailgate party before American football games at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas

References


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • tailgate party — tailgate .party also tailgate n AmE a party before an American football game, where people eat and drink near their cars in the ↑car park of the place where the game is played …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • tailgate party — tailgate ,party noun count AMERICAN INFORMAL a party held just before a football game in the PARKING LOT, with the food and drinks served from people s cars …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • tailgate party — n. a small party held on the folded down tailgate of a station wagon in a parking lot. (Something that is done before a ball game, concert, etc.) □ They had a tailgate party before the Bears game. □ The tailgate party was a success, except for… …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • tailgate party — also tailgate noun (C) a party before an American football game where people eat and drink in the carpark of the place where the game is played …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • tailgate party — noun, pl ⋯ ties [count] US : a party in which people serve food and drinks from the back end of their vehicles usually in a parking lot before or after a major public event (such as a football game, a concert, etc.) …   Useful english dictionary

  • tailgate party — noun A celebration, held in a parking lot, with picnic food served out of the back of automobiles or pickup trucks …   Wiktionary

  • Tailgate — is an American English word denoting the door or gate at the back of a wagon, pickup truck, SUV or other similar type of vehicle that is hinged at the bottom and can be opened for the convenience in loading cargo into the rear of the vehicle. A… …   Wikipedia

  • tailgate — (n.) 1868, back panel on a wagon, hinged to swing down and open, from TAIL (Cf. tail) + GATE (Cf. gate). Extended by 1950 to hatchback door on an automobile. The verb meaning to drive too close behind another vehicle is from 1951; tailgate party… …   Etymology dictionary

  • tailgate — tail|gate1 [ˈteılgeıt] n AmE 1.) a door at the back of a truck or car that opens out and down 2.) a tailgate party tailgate 2 tailgate2 v [I and T] to drive too closely to the vehicle in front of you …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • tailgate — 1. tv. & in. to follow (someone) too closely in a car. □ That guy tailgating me is drunk, I think. □ Ease off a little; you’re tailgating. 2. in. to have a tailgate party. □ We planned to tailgate before the game, but it was massively cold …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

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