Sunday, October 25, was a very special and incredible day for this tailgater. I was able to go to the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers game. This was exciting for me because of two reasons. The first is that I actually got to see a Bills game in person. The second is that I actually got to participate in my first NFL tailgate. Being a contributor to TailgatingIdeas.com, I feel a little embarrassed to admit that. However I felt compelled to share my story with you all.
Let me be clear that this was not my first tailgate party. In fact nothing could be farther from the truth. Living in North Carolina means that I have access to NASCAR races, several minor league baseball teams, and the Carolina Hurricanes. Luckily I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to tailgate at all of those. However the NFL tailgate was something that I’d wanted to experience ever since I got into tailgating. However the proximity of myself to my favorite team was difficult to work with. Combined with the outrageous ticket prices, an NFL game not featuring the Bills just didn’t seem worth it to me. When I saw that the Bills were coming to Carolina I rushed to get tickets as soon as they were available.
This event was also memorable because I got to try out a few new toys I had acquired over the summer, as well as trying out a few new recipes. Oh and I witnessed firsthand the wannabe quarterbacks in the lot coming dangerously close to hitting my hot frying oil. All of that put together made for an awesome, albeit sometimes nerve wracking day. As people walked by they admired our setup, and some even jokingly asked if I was a professional. Needless to say I was flattered and it made me remember why I got into tailgating.
The reason I share this story is to hopefully motivate anyone who is still up in the air about tailgating to give it a try just once. If it is your first tailgate you don’t need much to get started. I started out with a grill, a couple folding chairs, a cooler, and a folding table. In all honestly you probably don’t even need that much.
If you’re a seasoned tailgater then you already know the joys tailgating can bring. It is our job to spread the word about all the fun and benefits of tailgating. For all of us though, novice or pro, the goal isn’t to impress, intimidate, or inspire. All you need to do out there is be safe, responsible and have fun.