With college football quickly approaching, it seems necessary to cover some of the basic rookie mistakes and overall successes that come with it. While I have to admit that my tailgating experiences may not be exactly “typical,” I’ve certainly learned some important lessons that I feel the need to be passed on. Here are the do's and dont's of college game day.
DO get up and go! I know plenty of people who skip out on tailgating and the game itself because they “don’t like sports.” Being a dedicated and slightly crazed sports fan myself, I don’t quite understand this excuse. Yet even my friends who don’t know a touchdown from a home run or a running back from a point guard seem to enjoy the entire game day experience. Trust me, Netflix can wait.
DON’T overestimate the power of your liver. After welcome week that poor thing can't handle much more. You don’t want to be the rookie passed out on the Chipotle table two hours before the biggest game of the year. You also don’t want to be the poor freshman puking in the botanical garden (and yes, I’ve personally witnessed both of these events).
DO join in on the games and tailgating parties of people you haven’t met yet. There’s no better way to get to know your neighbors than by destroying them in a good ol' corn hole tournament.
.....And if you’re the one being destroyed, DON’T take those games too seriously. Nobody wants any yelling, fighting or even crying on game day.
DO dress for the weather. I understand that high-waisted shorts and knee high socks proudly displaying your team colors might seem like a good idea at first. But let's take a moment and think about how you’re going to walk back to your dorm once you can no longer feel your thighs from frostbite.
DON’T antagonize the less fortunate. The opposing team’s
fans will have more than enough to be salty about after the night’s over. I mean come on, nobody really wants to be playing against your team, right?
If you decide to take your school pride to the next level and make a game day poster, DO plan ahead. The funniest and most clever signs always end up flooding the internet. Also, DON'T forget to use spell check.
DO know every word to the fight song. There’s nothing worse than having to mumble through the chants shaking the entire stadium. The student section at a football game is one of the only places it’s socially acceptable to make that horrific death scream type face we all have without being judged. And remember, first one to lose their voice wins.
DON’T get too close to the front of the upper deck… or the stairs… or anything that could potentially send you tumbling down in front of thousands of people you’ll have to see regularly the next few years. After the few too many drinks you know you’ve had, it's better to play it safe and keep your feet securely on the ground.
And finally, DO enjoy every minute of it. College passes you by quicker than you’d think. You’re only in the student section for so long, so make it worth it.
pictures: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1183406-50-cool...
http://gamedayr.com/sports/video-michigan-state-sp...
https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/esma/tag/alabama/
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-...
http://www.mcclatchy.com/2006/06/08/343/the-bellin...
