Gameday weekends are one of the many prides and joys of college life. It’s an opportunity to take a load off, hang with your friends, and go see a great game of football.
However, for most, it’s a time where day-drinking at a tailgate becomes temporarily socially acceptable, and no one judges you too hard for passing out in a lawn chair at 2:30 in the afternoon.
As a participator of said tailgating festivities, at times the thought crosses my mind, “In what way does this not give me certain qualities of an alcoholic, and why in the hell am I doing this in the first place?”
Okay, maybe that wasn’t the most thought-provoking question. I can already see the furrowed brows of people thinking, “Uhh, because a lot of people enjoy getting drunk in social situations, and especially during sporting events, because it takes the edge off the stress that comes with being a productive member of society and not being a supreme, bitter disappointment to your family and friends, duh.”
I get that. Especially on Sundays when you have a whole week of school or work looming over you and the feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt start to creep their way into your conscience. We all have our vices. Some of us get high off peachy keen Sunday evenings by the pool while reading a romance novel under the shade of an umbrella. Others get high in a more literal sense by hitting crack pipes in the quiet comfort of a Red Roof Inn motel room while watching the Maury show. And then there’s a culture full of people of all ages who love to pack entire kitchenettes into an SUV out with them to a parking lot and grill hot dogs, burgers, and day drink until the game starts.
However, a number of hardcore tailgaters bring their portable kitchenettes with them and don’t even end up going to the game at all. A concept which, on paper, sounds asinine. The idea that one would put in all the effort to make crock pots full of chili, along with other tailgate cuisine items such as potato salad, hot dogs, and burgers, along with putting together the entire set-up just to not even get up and go to the game? It’s comparable to having a birthday party, putting the decorations up, getting all the presents in one place, and lighting all the candles on the cake when the host all of a sudden says, “Alright folks, this has been fun, but I think we’re going to call it a night. Thanks for showing up and celebrating with us, but you know how it goes. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here!” It’s just counterproductive.
I can hear the contrarians yelling at me again. “But what about the people who can’t afford to go to the game and prefer to hang out with their family and friends by the stadium to get the game day vibes from the source while saving money by not spending a dime for tickets? What about the people who just PREFER to not go because their team had a mediocre season last year and don’t want to stand around for three and a half hours just to watch their team get mauled on the field? How about that, you pompous bastard?”
Again, a solid argument. Especially the latter point. Incredibly relatable as both a Mizzou football fan and Los Angeles Rams fan (the second of which I’ve been ridiculed by my friends as still being attached to an ex that cheated on you). It’s tough to watch a team not get a single touchdown for a stretch of 5-6 games last season and just kick field goals all game (Mizzou) and be a fan of a team that has yet to have a four-game win streak since 2004 (Rams). It’s far from ideal, which is why I watch almost all the games at home. I don’t really have a lot of choice now ever since the Rams moved out of St. Louis, unless I want to take the red eye to LAX for a weekend just to watch my team potentially get crushed.
However, hear me out. Instead of spending so much money on tailgating supplies and equipment, perhaps some of the budget for next season could be saved for tickets to a cheap game. Maybe take a walk on the wild side and bring less tailgating equipment so it will take less time to pack up, especially if you’re slightly to moderately inebriated.
Even though it may not sound like I’m a strong advocate of the tailgate culture, believe or not, I’m a full supporter of it. There’s nothing wrong with getting a little drunk and having fun with your friends; the term “a little drunk” varying from person to person, of courseTailgating should certainly be something on every college student’s bucket list. If you don’t have any friends that tailgate, then find some that do. It’s certainly a tradition that has gone on for decades, even back to the days when Mizzou football players wore leather helmets instead of the ones they wear now. It welcomes fall back in the most perfect way possible. There are few things better than feeling a gentle autumn breeze while sipping a coozie-wrapped cold beer and chatting with your friends that you’ve known since you were an awkward, fish out of water freshman who struggled to make friends. Embrace it with open arms, even if you don’t drink. Seriously. Putting yourself in the atmosphere is worthwhile, or at the very least, entertaining.
