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You may recall back in January, HBO did a slam piece focusing on the excessive consumption of alcohol at NFL games. The opening of the segment with the Dead Tree Crew showed how hard the DTC parties. The Bryant Gumble piece had an agenda and it was to show what I call, “The Dark Side of Tailgating”. Their intent was to shock and appall many Americans into thinking that every NFL tailgater is a Crown Royal guzzling alcoholic that drives home blitz off their ass and is a danger to any motorist on the road. That is not the case and the HBO piece would have you think this is commonplace. It is not.

Big credit goes out to the Dead Tree Crew for releasing the footage they shot concurrently while the HBO cameras were rolling. Apparently the producer, Andrew Bennett, and the HBO editors didn’t feel it was necessary to include the mentions of sober drivers available to all the members of the DTC that did chose to drink that day. Apparently designated driver mentions didn’t fit their agenda and those comments conveniently found their way to the cutting room floor. Anyone else surprised by this?

Give the video a look and then tell me that all news magazine shows are unbiased and fair.

Way to go DTC for bringing this out and providing the full story. More people need to know you can party and have a good time while tailgating without being an endangerment and a menace to society.

Related Post: Exclusive Interview With The Mayor Of FedEx Field

On a recent trip to Chicago, I learned a few things – beer tastes great at 10 AM, pizza can be eaten by fork and knife, and tailgating at Wrigley Field is a totally awesome experience.

If you’re like me, you’ve heard a million times about how great Wrigley is. The history, the charm, the friendly confines – yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. Well, after seeing it for myself, I can assure you – it is all completely true.

I was lucky enough to score some tickets to the Phils – Cubs series over Labor Day weekend. I was excited about checking out the stadium and seeing such a historical park, but a little reluctant about the pre- and post-gaming. Who wants to spend all their time in a crowded, touristy bar, paying for beers? Tailgating means parking lots, grills, and red plastic cups.

Or so I thought.

The bar scene at Wrigley is ridiculous. Every day, my friends and I would take the train to Wrigleyville with nothing but our wallets, cell phones, and Phillies hats. No planning, no packing. On the first day we found ourselves at an outdoor bar (Vines, if you’re keeping score at home) with a bunch of like-minded Phillies and Cubs fans. The place had a nice energetic crowd going, and so did every other bar I could see - it’s like the entire town is in on the party. I still don’t understand how the city of Chicago is able to function the night after a home game.

About five minutes before the game, after hanging out with friends and strangers alike, we pounded our last beers and sauntered across the street into the waiting arms of Wrigley Field. After the game, we simply sauntered back across the street into the waiting arms of the bar. The next day we did the same thing all over again (It’s an easy lifestyle to get used to).

On the third day, two out of our foursome had tickets. No big deal…the four of us went to another bar before the game and took part in that Chicago-style tailgating we were all getting so used to. While us non-ticket holders were a little jealous not going into the game, I’m pretty sure my two friends with tickets were a little jealous that they had to leave the bar. So they departed as we spent 9 innings at the bar drinking Old Style, making friends with strangers, and eating hot dogs.

Our table was right next to a large, open window. We felt like we were outside, but with the benefit of air conditioning. When the game ended, our two friends were back in the bar, picking up right where they left off, within fifteen minutes. Everything was so convenient.

Looking back, I don’t know if this bar tailgating scene is something I could keep up. The beers are certainly more expensive, and a large group of people would probably fall victim to lots of text messaging and splitting up.

But the convenience…my god the convenience. There is no need to spend the night before making a plan, no need to buy ice or load the car, no need to worry about paying for parking or finding a sober ride. And there is definitely a certain freedom that comes with being able to spontaneously go to any party you want at the drop of a hat.

Bar-gaiting (as I am now calling it) is something that might not be for everyone, but it is definitely for me…at least when I’m in Chicago.

Image by Getty Images Back in June I asked “Will Gas Prices Kill Tailgating?“. According to this AP Report, the answer is a resounding, NO.

To paraphrase the article, football fans are cutting back on some things but are still following their passion for tailgating. Some tailgaters have suspended traditional family vacations in order to save money but believe that tailgating is not something you can cut out of the budget.

All I can say is that it makes me proud that people enjoy tailgating so much that they will  forgo things like family vacations or travel to the games in more gas efficient cars in order to still go tailgating.

Maybe the NFL and the Universities that have recently reduced the time you can tailgate should read this article as well. The fact remains that people love to go tailgating in good times or bad. Why would you want to take that away from people? Especially people who are paying your salaries in the form of parking fees and game tickets. Think about it.

With week #1 of the NFL season in the books here is a quick status update on how Tailgating Ideas is doing in Cuzoogle’s Pigskin Picks Contest and NFLJuice’s Fantasy Football League. We did much better in picking the Week 1 games than we did in fantasy football but then again, thanks to Yahoo! Auto-Draft, I have a built in excuse. First the good news:

Although I did not come in first, I am middle of the pack picking 10 of 16 games correctly. I missed on Oakland, the Redskins, Jacksonville, Chargers, Colts and Vikings. Not too bad for the first week of the season when all the teams are shaken up with new players via the draft and free agency. I’ll try to post my picks for this weekend’s game by the end of the week so you can keep track with me. Here is the list of the standings after the first week.

1. Zoner Sports 13-3
2. The Sports Dollar 11-5
3. Don Chavez 11-5
3. NESW Sports 11-5
5. Inside Plays 11-5
6. The Chocolate Dog Blog 11-5
7. The Blue Workhorse 11-5
8. Juiced Sports 10-6
9. Machochip 10-6
10. Tailgating Ideas 10-6
11. My Sports Rumors 10-6
12. Buzz Pirates 10-6
13. Brahsome 10-6
14. Busted Coverage 10-6
15. Sports Opinion 9-7
16. The Sports Lounge 9-7
17. Mac Gs World 9-7
18. NE Patriots Draft 8-8
19. Yep Yep 8-8
20. Waiting for Next Year 8-8
21. GrandmasterB 8-8
22. CoverTwo 6-10
23. Women Like Sports 5-11

Now for the bad news. In the NFL Juice fantasy football league I got stomped like a narc at a biker rally. The Big Lead lived up to their name and put on a beating of epic proportions. See below:

Here’s hope we do better next week in both competitions.

I just wanted to send out a big “thank you” to the guys over at LetsGoTailgating.com. They sent me a brand new San Diego Chargers First Up Tent to take tailgating with me this season. Here’s a picture of me celebrating the newest addition to my tailgating gear with the Flabongo.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out LetsGoTailgating.com, you really should. It’s a one-stop-shop for all things tailgating. From officially licensed chairs to Inflatable Tailgating Sofas to tailgating tables and grills, they have everything you could want for tailgating. Whether you are first starting out and need to put together a tailgating starter kit or you are a veteran and want to add that something special, you are bound to find it at LetsGoTailgating.com.

As an extra, added bonus, readers of TailgatingIdeas.com get $10 off of a $75 purchase. (The purchase must equal a total of $75 before tax) All you need to do is enter Promo Code: TAILGATING during checkout. Thanks again guys!

You may recall back in January that rock radio station Lazer 103.3 FM in Des Moines, Iowa interviewed me regarding the NFL’s ban on tailgating at the Super Bowl. Now that football season is well underway, Moose and B-Sox wanted to have me back on the show to talk about what’s new in tailgating this year. With the closing of the Olive Court for condo construction near the University of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium, I am sure that will be a hot topic of tailgating conversation.

The interview with Moose and B-SoX of Lazer 103.3 will air 9:15 am central time September 9, 2008. Those that are in the Des Moines, Iowa area, be sure to tune in to the Morning Moose Show on 103.3 FM. You can listen live via the internet if you will be out of signal range. Just access the Lazer 103.3 Listen Live button on the top right hand side of their website to hear the interview through your computer.