It’s true a lot of fans hate the NFL preseason. We fans feel a sense of being “taken” because we are charged regular season prices for meaningless football games. The players probably hate them even more because of the injury risk that the games present. And then if a player does succumb to injury the fan then gets screwed because they are now paying regular season tickets prices to watch a regular season game without the team’s best player.
But like everything in life there is a positive side to preseason football (yes I am a glass half full type of guy). That positive is tailgating (come on what did you expect me to say on a tailgating site!). And to this fan preseason tailgating might be some of the best tailgating of the NFL season. Think I’m nuts? I probably am…but hear me out:
- You have the opportunity to “break-in” a new grill, a new recipe, or a new game. No need to go embarrassing yourself with crap food and equipment once the real season kicks-off.
- If the star player does happen to get hurt in the preseason, well at least you got to wear his jersey once this season. Yes it is a jersey violation to wear the jersey of a player that is injured and not playing. I warned you about paying top dollar at the local sporting goods store for a jersey. The internet stores are cheap and look real enough!
- You can actually enjoy the entire tailgate since you won’t be stressing over fantasy stats are betting lines. And if you are betting on preseason games you my friend might have a problem!
- You have the opportunity to “break-in” a new friend / tailgater. If they act like an ass during the preseason there is no way they are coming back when the real games start.
- There is absolutely zero rush to make your way inside the stadium. Hell, you would probably be better served spending the entire game in the parking lot eating and drinking than watching 3rd or 4th string players whose next stop will probably be the UFL.
- For us fans on the East Coast preseason football is kind of like baseball in the fact that the “eye candy” is still wearing next to nothing in the lots. Much better than all the “goods” being covered in layers of clothing during the cold months of November and December.
- Since the future stars of the UFL will be staring in the 2nd half you can get a very early start on the post game tailgate.
- Since you had to buy the preseason tickets you have to go to the games. The wife or girlfriend can’t say no (if they do, well, is she really the woman for you?!?).
- If you spent the spring and summer trying to buff up the body for the beach, preseason games let you get a head start on bringing the beer gut out of hibernation.
And most importantly, preseason is still football and honestly what is better in life than that! Tick, tick, tick…kickoff is almost here!