(Please excuse the idiots walking in front of the camera. Apparently the red light on the front of it wasn’t enough to let them know they should walk around behind it.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlAarX3E6W0

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One in particular stood out and it is called BasketPong. Since beer pong is the fastest growing tailgating game in the parking lot amongst tailgaters, we were pleasantly surprised to see a new twist on an old game. You see, BasketPong takes the game play of beer pong and combines it with elements of basketball to make a completely new game. We met with Paul and Richard out in Las Vegas and had a chance to put together this video interview demonstrating how to set up and play BasketPong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tYuRsRNiEM

If you chose to skip the video, BasketPong comes in it’s own self-contained carrying case and sets up in minutes. Everything you need to play is contained within the game case. All you need to do is provide the beer and plastic cups and you are ready to play vertical beer pong in less than 90 seconds. Even the easiest of traditional beer pong tables do not set up that fast. And with stadium parking lots reducing tailgating times around the country, every minute counts when it comes to your tailgating time. Take a look at the photos we took along each step of setting up the BasketPong.

We were able to not only test and review the BasektPong beer pong game out in Las Vegas but we also tested the game once we got home. After setting up the game and playing it a few times we discovered a few things we had not noticed while out at the Tailgate Show.

One thing we liked is that you can use the backboard to help bank in the ball and make it into the cup. NBA players may lose style points for using the backboard but not in beer pong. Also, while playing with a friend, we transitioned into playing a game of H-O-R-S-E in that when one player would make a cup, if the other player failed to hit the same cup, the missing player had to drink the cup. We’re sure that once you play the game you can come up with a few rules and changes that suit you and your group of friends.

Another aspect we enjoyed was the fact that it does not take up a lot of room in your tailgating space. Normally while tailgating and wanting to play beer pong, you need to find a 8′ x 2′ space under your canopy so as to not spill out into your tailgating neighbor’s space. With BasketPong, less space is needed. Also, set up and break down is fast and easy meaning you will have more time playing and tailgating and less time setting up.

After seeing this product in Las Vegas and also testing one of our own, we are definitely going to give BasketPong the Tailgating Ideas “Tailgate Approved” stamp of approval. We enjoyed this product so much and think it would be a valuable addition to your tailgating gear that we have added it to our online tailgating gear store.

BasketPong is priced at $119.99 plus $14 flat rate shipping to the lower 48 states. Click HERE to learn more about BasketPong and how to take your beer pong game vertical.

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The GoPong Football Field table shown above is the 8′ x 2′ version that is ideal for playing beer pong while tailgating. The 8′ x 2′ x 27.5″ size is 100% regulation World Series of Beer Pong dimensions. And unlike those other guys that are selling football themed beer pong tables but not calling them “beer pong tables”, (please read: NFL Beer Pong Table Is Pure Hypocrisy) GoPong knows what’s up and isn’t trying to insult your intelligence. To prove our point, the GoPong Football Tailgating Table does not come with some lame 2′ wide table tennis net. They know you aren’t going to be playing table tennis on it and you would just throw that away. What they did include was a sleeve underneath the playing surface that holds six beer pong balls. We particularly like the addition of the ball holder sleeve because now your table and balls are all together. No more having to remember to bring along your package of beer pong balls because they are already neatly tucked inside the folded table. Once at your tailgate, simply unfold the table, reach underneath and six balls are there waiting.

Another extra added feature includes a latch that holds the table together at the middle fold. This just provides a little extra stability when opened and in play mode in case someone bumps the table from too much leaning. When it is time to pack up and head inside the game, flip up the latch and fold the table up like normal. Of course the GoPong Football Table is not just for beer pong. You can play flip cup or quarters on it as well.

If you are still a football fan but not a beer pong player and do not need a tailgating table that is eight feet long, the folks at GoPong have you covered. They also offer a four foot version of the same football field themed tailgating table. The main difference is that it is half the size as the beer pong table and folds in half instead of in quarters. Other than those major differences, both football tailgating tables from GoPong are made from the same high quality construction and craftsmanship you would expect.

As far as these tables being “Tailgate Approved”, we can definitely say yes, they are. To take our endorsement even further, we have added both the 8′ GoPong Beer Pong Table and the 4′ Tailgating Table to our tailgating gear stash we bring to the games. And we didn’t just add them to our tailgating kit because we got them for free. We added them because we liked the products so much that we actually bought them with our own money. (When was the last time we PAID for a piece of tailgating gear? It’s been a long time we can tell you that.) Take a look at some of the photos we shot of our own tables.

As you can see in the above gallery (click individual images for a larger view) the GoPong Football Tailgating Tables come with a generic football field design complete with yard lines, hash marks and end zones. For those of you wanting to take it up a notch and support your favorite team, you can easily customize these tables to any team logo you can think of. We chose to customize our GoPong Tailgating Tables to support the San Diego Chargers. It was simple and affordable and gave our tables that authentic look using officially licensed logos. Here is how we did it:

We went to Skinit.com and browsed their selection of officially licensed Tailgate Packs. Keep in mind the GoPong 8′ Football Beer Pong Table is 2 feet wide by 8 feet long so consider those dimensions when browsing the tailgate packs. Visualize which skins you would like to place in the end zones and which ones would look good on the middle panels of the table. Order your tailgate pack for your team and you now can customize your table to support your team. The best part is because the Skinit Tailgate Packs are designed to affix to the exterior of your car, they are waterproof and weatherproof so they can withstand the rigors of a beer pong game with plenty of tips and spills.

The specs on the GoPong 8′ Football Beer Pong Table are:
• Size Unfolded: 8′ x 2′ x 27.5″ high (World Series of Beer Pong Regulation Size)
• Size Folded: 2′ x 2′ x 5″
• Weight: 21 lbs
• High strength aluminum frame
• Football Field Tabletop Design
• Waterproof melamine surface
• Ergonomic carrying handles
• 6 Ball capacity ball holding sleve

The specs on the GoPong 4′ Football Tailgating Table are:
• Size Unfolded: 4′ x 2′ x 27.5″ high
• Size Folded: 2′ x 2′ x 3″
• Weight: 12 lbs
• High strength aluminum frame
• Football Field Tabletop Design
• Waterproof melamine surface
• Ergonomic carrying handles

Because we found these tailgating tables to be “Tailgate Approved” and because we bought them with our money, we believe in these items. We have decided they would make a great addition to our online tailgating gear store and at an affordable price. The GoPong 8′ Football Beer Pong Table is $119.95 with shipping included and the 4′ GoPong Tailgating Table is less than $80 with shipping included. If you are interested in the 8′ GoPong Football table click HERE. If you like the versatility of the shorter table, click HERE to get a GoPong 4′ Football Tailgating Table.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooJSqlB9Jnw

From the looks of the video it appears to be a single hole washer game but they have added a “backstop” of some sort to prevent shots from going over or can bounce back onto the playing surface. After some brief research on the web, it appears that Portuguese Horseshoes are pretty popular in Hawaii but the popularity has not transferred over to the mainland.

Anyone played this game while tailgating? If not, this might be a new game to bring to the lot this weekend.

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It’s pretty simple. Head on over to our Facebook Fan Page, (or click on the obnoxiously huge image above) make sure you click “like” if you are not already a fan, and then it will take you through the procedure of giving you your $5 coupon. It takes about 30 seconds and the coupon is emailed directly to you. The coupon can be used for the purchase of any EA Sports video game including the ones mentioned above.

So break out the tailgating TV, hook up the XBox 360 or the Playstation 3 and pop in an EA Sports video game. There’s nothing better than taking a neighboring tailgater from the other team to school in Madden when you are playing your team and he is playing his. It kind of gives him the foreshadowing of the ass beating to come later inside the stadium.

To get your $5 EA Sports coupon just head over to the Tailgating Ideas Facebook Page. Happy gaming.

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Beer pong while tailgating is fun. We know this. But what about some of the inherent hazards of beer pong like not knowing how much beer is in your opponents’ cups, tipped and spilled cups, wasted beer or the amount of garbage a game of beer pong can create? What if there was a simple way to ensure all cups were filled to the same level, reduce the amount of spills and be environmentally friendly all with one minor change? What if the change was as simple as changing the type of cups you use? Would you do it? I’m no Ed Begley, Jr., but of course you would.

I recently discovered a new company that has taken the guess work out of playing beer pong and has reduced the amount of refuse and waste a single game of beer pong can create. It’s a student run company out of Madison, Wisconsin called ReRack Cups.

You are probably asking, “So what is the big deal about ReRack Cups? Why can’t we just use regular plastic SOLO cups like we always have?”. The reason is that after the game is over all of those plastic cups are normally thrown away and they eventually make their way to the local landfill. ReRack Cups are reusable and dishwasher safe so you can play them again and again without trashing the environment. You may be a drunken beer pong player but you still can do your part to protect the earth.

Another advantage of ReRack Cups is their wider base. A normal SOLO cup base is 2.5 inches in diameter while ReRack Cups give you nearly an extra half-inch on the base (2.9 inches in diameter). Just because the base of the cup is wider will not affect the way you play the game. You won’t have to start practicing your throws all over again because you switched cups. ReRack Cups have the same top diameter as a normal disposable cup (3.9 inches) but the wider base prevents the cups from tipping over or sliding off of the table. (Click on the image to enlarge or visit the website for a side-by-side comparison.) By using ReRack cups there will never be a pause in play for spilled beer. Less spilled beer means you save money. Yet again, less waste. And let’s be honest, wasting beer is just senseless and wrong.

Using ReRack Cups for your next game of beer pong will also ensure that the exact amount of liquid is equal in all cups. All of the cups are translucent and all contain four levels of fill lines. (The four levels are cleverly marked as Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior. It safe to assume that the Freshman level is the lowest and Senior is the highest.) That way before the game starts you and your opponents can agree on the exact amount of beer each cup will be filled with. ReRack Cups take the second guessing out of the equation and you will no longer wonder if the other team really filled their cups up to the agreed upon level.

ReRack Cups come in a set of 22 cups; 10 red, 10 black and two water cups to wash your balls off. (Get your mind out of the gutter people.) The two different colors help differentiate teams on either side of the beer pong table and gives each team an “identity”. Since ReRack Cups is a student run company founded in Madison, Wisconsin, you would imagine that University of Wisconsin themed cups are available. (Why am I not surprised that students from Wisconsin found a way to improve on beer pong?) Not a fan of the Wisconsin Badgers? No problem. You can still order ReRack Cups with their company logo on one side and the fill lines on the other.

Lastly, ReRack Cups can also double as your cups for a game of Flip Cup. Flippy Cup is a game where the amount of liquid inside the cups can be the difference between winning and losing. With ReRack’s fill lines and translucence, everyone will have the same amount of liquid in their cup. Not to mention that the cups flip very well.

A set of ReRack Cups will run you less than $20 and they even offer free shipping to the Wisconsin-Madison campus. Payments accepted via PayPal so you know your transaction is safe and secure. Check out ReRack Cups today and play a more fair and less wasteful game of beer pong at your next tailgate party.

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How does one do that?  Easy start playing cornhole at work.   Stay with me here, it’s 10am, but it’s not a football Sunday so I haven’t yet cracked the first beer.   My senses are still with me…I promise you.

I am talking about table top cornhole sets.  Yep, the ultimate tailgating game is portable to your office desk or home coffee table.  As much as I would love to take credit for this find I can’t and as a good husband I won’t.  The credit goes to my beautiful wife who surprised me with a package at work this week.

Inside the box was a football field, table top cornhole set (purchased from the AJJ Cornhole website).  As the website indicates, the set-up comes with 2 football field painted boards (10in x 5in) and 8 bags (1in x 1in).  The moment I opened the box was the moment that all the work related documents on my desk went into the desk drawers (and some into the garbage can).  This baby was worthy of the prime real estate on my desk, right next to the Phillies and Eagles bobble heads!

The table top game is perfect for those boring teleconferences (probably best to keep your office door closed) or for enticing co-workers to a game as you brainstorm new ideas for a project.  You can even make the loser buy lunch or break the news to your boss that the project is over budget or past due.  Oh yea (as you obviously saw from the picture) no set-up is required and there are no bags with parking lot stains and smells from a bad throw!

But as I mentioned earlier, the absolute best part is that the game gets you PSYCHED for the upcoming football tailgating season.

Instead of stressing at work or home you can instead fill your mind with happy thoughts.  Thoughts of your favorite parking spot, ice cold beers, grilled burgers and sausage, and sauce stained jerseys.  I can’t freaking wait…so much so that I am actually looking forward to preseason tailgating and football…5 more days to kick-off!

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The book covers how the game originated, building your own boards, rules, organizing tournaments and most importantly, understanding the unique language and slang terms used by cornholers. Cornhole – Throwing Bags in a Hole is the one book that you should have as a permanent fixture in your tailgating kit in order to resolve any possible disputes about rules and game etiquette right then and there.

The good news is that in anticipation of the upcoming football season, we are giving away two paperback copies of Cornhole – Throwing Bags in a Hole to our readers.

We will be randomly giving away two copies of Cornhole – Throwing Bags in a Hole, signed by the author Mark Rogers, to two lucky readers. There are two ways to enter and qualify.

The first way you can enter and qualify is via Facebook. All you need to do is become a fan of TailgatingIdeas.com on Facebook at our Facebook Fan Page. There you will find a posting regarding this giveaway. Leave a comment on that post telling us why you would like a free, signed copy of the book. We will then randomly select the winner using Random.org’s true random number selection tool. Deadline to post on the Facebook page is Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at noon pacific time. Once a winner is randomly selected we will contact you for your mailing address and your book will be mailed directly from the publisher.

The second way to enter is via Twitter. Make sure you are following @TailgatingIdeas on Twitter and then send out this tweet:

@TailgatingIdeas #giveaway of a free copy of the book “Cornhole – Throwing Bags in a Hole” by Mark Rogers http://t.co/2tpSbci #Cornholebook

We ask that you tweet that once a day because each daily tweet will earn you one entry into the random drawing. Multiple tweets in a day are appreciated but will not increase your entries. Deadline to get your tweets in are Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at noon pacific time.

A winner will be selected using the Random.org true random number generator and the winner will be notified to provide their mailing address. Make you are following @TailgatingIdeas on Twitter because we will be notifying you that you won via Direct Message. (Twitter does not allow users to direct message another user unless they are following each other.)

If you don’t win a book or just can’t wait until a winner is announced, you can get your own copy of Cornhole – Throwing Bags in a Hole from a number of different places. The softcover book signed by the author Mark Rogers is priced at $19.95 and you can order it online at cornholebook.com. If you prefer to buy your hard copy books through Amazon, you can buy this book there too.

If you are more of an electronic reader, you can get this book on Kindle, NOOK, iPhone, iPad and iBooks or even download it electronically to your computer. The electronic versions are much cheaper than the hard copy editions but they are still the same when it comes to the content no matter which format you prefer.

Good luck and remember, you have until Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at noon pacific time to enter.

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With the NFL lockout and labor unrest seemingly close to a resolution and college football about six weeks away, we have chosen to add Tailgate Shootout to our online tailgating gear store, Shop.TailgatingIdeas.com.

Because we want you to get your own Tailgate Shootout game and stand out from the sea of cornhole, ladder golf and beer pong tables in the parking lot, we are offering fans of our Facebook page a $5 coupon. You’ll need to venture over to Facebook and become a fan first. Once you are on there you will see the post for Tailgate Shootout. In there you will see the coupon you can use in order to get your $5 discount. Make sure to enter the coupon code exactly as you see it (minus the quotation marks) and you are good to go.

To check out Tailgate Shootout and to get a game of your own in time for football season, take a peek at it HERE. Tailgate Shootout is priced at $99 plus $15 shipping.

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When it comes to tailgating games, throwing something through the air is the activity that seems to dominate the tailgating lot. Whether it is cornhole, ladder golf, beer pong or even original washers, tossing objects while pre-gaming is synonymous with tailgating. Now it is time to add Pub Washers into the mix as a great tailgating game option.

Pub Washers is a portable table top game made for indoor or outdoor play. Ideally suited for a tailgate party, Pub Washers is small enough to travel easily and is attractive enough for the home game room when your team is playing on the road. Unlike traditional washer toss games, Pub Washers is meant to be played on an elevated surface like a folding table or even the bed/tailgate of your truck. The ideal height is 29 inches above the ground which is the the standard height of most tables. Since Pub Washers has a smaller playing surface compared to traditional washer toss games you place on the ground, this tailgating game requires a little more aim and finesse. Another major difference is that you stand six (6) feet away from the front edge of the game box to make your throws. As you can see from the photos below, the carpeted scoring surface is encompassed by an attractive box with a trough to catch errant tosses. With Pub Washers, there is no more bending down and picking up washers off of a filthy tailgating parking lot. (Click images to view Pub Washer game board in larger detail.)

So now that you have seen the game, here is how it played. Check out this video explaining the rules of Pub Washers from Mick Terich, the creator of Pub Washers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40-D9nNZqnc

In addition to playing Pub Washers by the original rules, Mick Terich has also developed Pub Washer Golf. This game is played on the same Pub Washers game board but with different scoring and strategy. Instead of scoring on any of the three holes, scoring is only allowed on a specific hole at one time. You can play nine or 18 holes of Pub Washer Golf and the scoring is much like regular golf. Mick is back with another video explaining the ins and outs to playing Pub Washer Golf.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjFwO3dJ8uc

So now that you have heard the rules to both traditional Pub Washers and Pub Washer Golf, if you would like to see a simulated game demonstration, I would highly encourage you to visit Mick’s YouTube Channel to see all of his videos. They are very informative and offer up a great way to see the skill and strategy that goes into playing Pub Washers and Pub Washer Golf.

If you are looking for a new tailgating game that puts a new twist on the same old washer tossing games, I highly recommend Pub Washers to any tailgater. The Pub Washers game board is sturdy and durable yet light weight enough to transport to a tailgate party with no problem. It measures approximately 31 inches long, 19 inches wide and 5 1/2 inches high so it can easily fit into anyone’s vehicle they use to go tailgating. I enjoyed Pub Washers so much that I have decided to offer it for sale directly from our online tailgating store, Shop.TailgatingIdeas.com. When you purchase Pub Washers you’ll receive: One (1) Pub Washers game board, Six (6) steel washers, One (1) six inch (6″) wooden magnet, five (5) Pub Washer Golf score cards and complete rules for Pub Washers, Pub Washers Golf and the Skins game. Total price for the basic Pub Washers set is $125 plus $35 flat rate shipping to the 48 continental United States. (Alaska and Hawaii resident need to make special shipping arrangements.) The handmade wood scoring tower is optional and is an additional $15. You also can get powder coated washers in gloss black and white, three in each color, for an additional $9. If you would like the game board plus the powder coated washers and scoring tower, just select the Pub Washers “The Works” option below.

The 2009 NFL and college football season is rapidly approaching. If you want a brand new game in the tailgating parking lot that helps you stand out from the crowd, Pub Washers and Pub Washer Golf is your game. To purchase your own, visit the Pub Washers product page over at our online tailgating store, Shop.TailgatingIdeas.com.

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