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A friend of mine is a member of Sports Illustrated Box Seat and he forwarded me this email. Sports Illustrated Box Seat is basically SI’s marketing and research arm that bribes encourages people to take online surveys. Participants can earn points and win prizes by taking the surveys. Apparently a few months ago SI Box Seat circulated a survey regarding tailgating seeking feedback on the frequency and the popularity of the activity. In a recent email to those SI Box Seat members they revealed the results and the findings shouldn’t surprise you. Tailgating is continuing to gain in popularity by leaps and bounds. Here is an excerpt from the email sent to SI Box Seat participants.

Dear XXX XXXXX,

Recently, we asked for your participation in two surveys: one involving your interest in the upcoming 2008 Summer Olympics, and another asking about your Tailgating habits. Now that the results are in, we would like to take the time to share some of the findings from the surveys with you. We hope you find them interesting!

2008 Tailgating Survey Results:

If you haven’t tailgated lately, you may want to consider packing up the grill and heading to a stadium parking lot…

• SI Box Seat Panel Members tailgated an average of 5 times during the last 12 months.
• 9 in 10 agreed that they look forward to tailgating with friends and family.
• More than half agreed that attending a sporting event wouldn’t be the same if they could not tailgate.

We hope you enjoyed these results! As always, we appreciate your participation and hope you will continue to provide your valued opinions.

Sincerely,
SI Box Seat Panel Management

Because these surveys are undoubtedly shared with executives from corporate America, we should expect to see more and more products geared towards the tailgater. Corporate America would be naive to think that tailgating is not a profitable business venture and these findings validate what we have been saying all along. Respect the tailgater because there are a lot more of us than you may think. Okay, I’ll put away my soap box until next time.

This past week TailgatingIdeas.com saw quite a bit more visitor traffic than normal. I’m not complaining at all, believe me. A big thanks goes to those websites and blogs out there that sent us lots of visitors. DonChavez.com posted a link to The 14 Tailgaters Who Annoy the Crap Out of You in his Cuthbert Dumper posting. The Parottheads from the BuffettNews.com forums visited en masse to check out my posting asking Is Kenny Chesney The New Jimmy Buffett? Last but certainly not least, both The Beer Goggler and Bright Black Internet both picked up the Custom Printed Beer Pong Balls Perfect For Tailgating article. Thanks for all the links this week and if you are a recent visitor that signed up for updates either via email or RSS, welcome aboard and we hope you become a regular.

Now that all the thank yous and ass smooching is out of the way, let’s check out what has been going on in the world of tailgating this past week.

• Dad in the Headlights reveals the greatest quote about tailgating I have ever heard. Originally spoken by a true American icon and hero, Homer Simpson.
• MyMissourian.com reports that tailgating before a college softball game can really raise the morale of abused and neglected kids.
• Nothing But B&S has the right idea. A Tailgate Party Wedding Shower! (my kind of couple.)
• More comparisons drawn between tailgating at the University of Georgia and tailgating at Arizona State.
• Tailgating and the fear of profiling sink the Connecticut bill to ban open containers in vehicles.
• The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association announced a record-breaking year in 2007 for the barbecue industry. 2008 is looking to be even bigger.
• Tailgating can be a romantic way to reconnect with your spouse.
• The summer concert season at the Tweeter Center was unveiled and the Boston herald thinks it looks to be a darn good tailgating season.
• Getting Caught From Behind shares some thoughts on tailgating, tickets, Toronto and the Buffalo Bills.
• Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd will team up for their first ever tour together with what is sure to be the best tailgate and show experience of recent years.
• Kevin Nittoso of the Asbury Park Press opines that the PNC arts center is poorly managed.

I can’t think of anyone out there that could not use an extra $5,000. That is why I am sharing with you an opportunity to win $5,000 and all you have to do is make a short video. The people at Hass Avocados are sponsoring It Has to be Hass, an online Make-Your-Own-Video Contest where first prize is a check for 5 Grand. Second place takes home $2,500 in cash. With that kind of money you can take your economic stimulus check and buy something really frivolous.

All you have to do is make a sixty-second (or less) video that shows why you love Hass Avocados from Mexico. As a tailgater I am sure you have consumed a few gallons of guacamole in your lifetime so this should not be a problem. The only catch is your video MUST mention Hass Avocados from Mexico and you MUST use their logo. All the rules and terms and conditions can be found on their official contest page.

If you decide to enter the contest and submit a video, I will sweeten the pot. If you mention TailgatingIdeas.com in your video, I’ll pay $100 to the maker of the video I think did the best job. (100 bucks may pale in comparison to $5,000 but what do you expect? They sell millions of avocados a year. I blog about tailgating. Cut me some slack.) Even if you do not win a prize from the Hass Avocados people, the best video in my opinion that mentions TailgatingIdeas.com by name will get $100 via PayPal. Just make sure you let me know how to find your video if you want to be considered. June 6, 2008 is the deadline to submit your video for the It Has To Be Hass contest. That date will also be the deadline to be eligible to receive the $100 from TailgatingIdeas.com. All videos that mention TailgatingIdeas.com will be linked and viewable here on June 7, 2008. The winner will be announced here on TailgatingIdeas.com on June 15, 2008.

The decision on who gets the $100 via PayPal will be my decision and my decision only. Factors that could influence my opinion include comments on TailgatingIdeas.com in support of your video. Getting your friends and family to comment on the video page will help a lot. Total views of your video will also count. Getting your video done and up on YouTube sooner will work to your advantage too. The longer it is up there, the more potential views it can gain before the June 6, 2008 deadline. In the end, my preference on which video I think is the best will be the ultimate determining factor.

Make sure to read their rules thoroughly. It would suck to put together a cool video only to have it disqualified on a technicality. Good luck!

No matter what kind of tailgater you consider yourself to be, this weekend’s NFL mini camps unofficially opens up the football tailgating season. Oh sure, the college football spring games have mostly come and gone and there were plenty of people tailgating those events. However, mini camps help to open the tailgating season for the NFL tailgater. Don’t believe me? Read my guest blog on The Ultimate Tailgater to find out how I really feel about NFL mini camps. If you are not going to read that, check out what’s been happening this week in regards to tailgating. Continue reading →

I get a ton of email everyday. Most days none of my emails are worth sharing. Today is the exception. This is the funniest email I have received in months. There is some adult language in here so if you are easily offended, have a problem with “bathroom humor” or were looking for the latest tailgating gadget review, you will not find it here. You’ve been warned. This has nothing to do with tailgating. To laugh hysterically, read on…
Continue reading →

Alright, I will admit it. I normally have the Weekend Wrap up and out there by this time but I have a good excuse. The NFL Draft was this weekend so I am a little late. After watching the draft from the No. 1 overall pick of Jake Long all the way to pick No. 252, known as Mr. Irrelevant, I am a bit late. So without any further delay, let’s find out what is happening in the world of tailgating this week.

• Pat Harty of HawkCentral.com says banning alcohol at tailgates prior to the University of Iowa’s Spring Game is no way to win over the fans.
• Despite being only a Spring football Game, tailgating makes it all the better for Nebraska Cornhusker Football fans.
• WestCoastDawg.com and The Bleacher Report both compare the tailgating scene between the University of Georgia and Arizona State.
• Only Time Will Tell can’t have college football season and tailgating return soon enough.
• Top 10 Nascar Drivers offers some suggestions on Choosing the right Tailgating Grill.
• The verdict is in and tailgating will be banned at 5 PNC Bank Arts Center shows. Tailgating will not be permitted at concerts by John Mayer, OAR, 311, Beatstock and a day-long rock festival tagged Projekt Revolution.
• Despite more port-o-potties, public urination was still a problem at the Penn State Blue/White game.
• Lauri Powel says the pre-party at The Foxfield Race is “Fine Dining with Tailgate Style“.
• Adrian tailgates with Beer, Bratwurst, Baseball, and 5 Plymouth Belvederes.
• Growing Older But Not Up recaps a recent road trip to see and tailgate prior to the Jimmy Buffett in concert in St. Louis.
• Speaking of Jimmy Buffett, The Denison Family blogs about Jimmy’s recent concert in So Cal at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.
• Letters from the Moon must have read my suggestion regarding tailgating a papal mass.
• The Haphazards Gourmet Girls call tailgating prior to the Coachella Music Festival Tailgating With Satan At The Music Funpocalypse.
• TheState.com reports that the tailgate party prior to the Kenny Chesney Poets & Pirates concert at Williams-Brice Stadium might have been better than the actual concert.
• Macey’s donation to help soldiers during the Tailgating for Our Troops fund raiser gathered in over $24,000 in donations.