Offseason Maintenance of Your Gear Helps Keep the Party Hoing

Date: May 24, 2013 Author: Admin

GPetty_PinUp-onWrenchAfter a season of fine-tuning the equipment that makes your tailgate sing in harmony, the last experience any tailgate host wants to deal with is taking half of the next season to get all that equipment back into working order. Like athletes, tailgate gear needs to be kept in shape in the offseason so it is ready to go once the regular season begins.

One important component for the first game of the year is having everything you need to properly tailgate. If you are missing something, gear is broken, or the equipment is strewn across the house, the first game can be a battle and a letdown when the tailgate party does not run as smoothly as envisioned. Don’t let this cause you to pull your hair out.

One way to remedy missing or misplaced gear is to keep all tailgate gear in one location in the offseason. If equipment has a designated location in the offseason, it will all be at that spot when game one arrives and tailgate season emerges from its winter den. If there is a lot of gear or you constantly forget equipment, create a checklist of all your gear. Just like Santa Claus, check your list twice to make sure your tailgate can treat all the naughty and nice.

Continue reading…

Gifts Ideas for Your Favorite Tailgater

Date: May 22, 2013 Author: Admin

tailgatingbasketThe holidays might be over, but it’s always en vogue to give tailgating gifts, especially if you ever find yourself on the invite list. Here are a few ideas for that tailgater in your life.  You won’t need to contest the charges of your credit cards for these gifts.  

Team Apparel

Nothing gets you in the mood for tailgating more than . . . um . . . official team apparel.

You can’t go wrong when giving a tailgater team apparel. Anytime you go to a game you have to support your team by wearing their apparel and there are so many options that you have from t-shirts to sweatshirts to jackets and hats and beanies. If you tailgate in cold weather than jackets, sweatshirts, and beanies are perfect gifts for a tailgater. There are also many other specialty team apparel items such as socks, underwear, and even pajamas, which may not be the best thing to wear to a game, but you never know.

Continue reading…

Get That Gear Ready for Tailgating Season

Date: May 20, 2013 Author: Admin

If you are like many fans whose NFL team didn’t make the playoffs, your tailgating equipment has been in storage since late December. You might find the three-month dust accumulation pretty amazing; no matter how well you stored your goods. Since March 20 marked the first day of spring it is time to start thinking spring cleaning tailgating style. Time to pull out the coolers, portable grills, tailgating chairs and of course the Cornhole set. After all, another season of tailgating is under way, and your gear needs to be ready.

First things first, analyze what you have, and determine what needs cleaned and what needs pitched. It is not worth it to keep dilapidating gear, especially with fun, new products on the market. Additionally, determine what you need to add to your collection. These 5 products are must haves for any tailgating enthusiasts:

Continue reading…

The Beer Belt: The Closest Thing to Hands-Free Tailgating

Date: May 18, 2013 Author: Admin

beer_belt_sexy

When many hear the words “beer belt,” a less-than-ideal picture of one’s midsection is envisioned. Similar to beer the dispensing hat, the beer belt has been wrongly associated with gluttony and a symbol of less sophisticated individuals. While an overindulgence of adult beverages may occur with the beer belt, this tool provides multiple uses at a tailgating party.  Keep these belts away from your Family Car Stickers, as they are not for the faint of heart. 

For the one mastering the grill, there are a number of uses demanding your hands’ attention. Flipping burgers, placing dogs in buns, and piling on more goodies for the grill are all important tasks for the griller, and your hands are busy from start to finish. The beer belt allows the griller to grab a drink quickly while ensuring each sizzling morsel is cooked to perfection. The last thing grillers wants to worry about is where they set their drink or

The beer belt is also beneficial for those helpful tailgaters as they supply the crowd with drinks, snacks, and full-on handshakes and pats on the back. With every ideal tailgating experience, catch, corn-hole, and other games are likely to strike up, and the beer belt is there to keep your hands free—offering you more enjoyment with two free hands.even worse, grill with one-hand while the other hand is tasked with holding your thirst quencher.

Continue reading…

Milwaukee’s Ultimate Tailgate

Date: May 15, 2013 Author: Admin

summerfest 2013Milwaukee goes by a few different names: The Cream City, The Brew City, and during summer time, The City of Festivals. And one festival above all the others has given Milwaukee that title: Summerfest. Summerfest is an eleven-day music festival held on the shores of Lake Michigan just steps from Milwaukee’s downtown. Every year it brings in nearly one million visitors with promises of great music, cold beer, excellent food, and one of the biggest and the best parties in the nation. It never fails to deliver. This blogger and other bloggers seem to agree.  Word of mouth marketing is all this festival needs. 

Continue reading…

The Tailgaters Guide To Hitchhiking

Date: May 9, 2013 Author: Admin

thumbAhhh, the lure of the open road and the call of that big event. There is nothing like it, all those miles of open road ahead of you. Now imagine you are walking. Hitchhiking. People still do it and no I’m not kidding. There is an entire subculture of folks that hitchhike to their favorite tailgating events each year, mud, flood, hell or high water. While some people have relegated themselves to playing cornhole on their computer, these people have gone the other direction.

The event is only half the fun. When you’re hitchhiking your life is on the road and making it comfortable and fun is the name of the game. Taking the time to gather the right gear before you leave ensures your pack is party perfect. Every successful hitchhiker knows the essentials to pack on their back to make that big hike to tailgate party central.

“Always take as little as possible,” says Dwayne Miller, a hitch hiker who traveled from Chesterton, Indiana to the 2011 Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, some 512 miles. “Once you get on the road whatever you have on your back just gets heavier and heavier.”

There are certain essentials that every hitch hiker needs to pack for a tailgating event of any kind. Besides you basic tent, sleeping bag and hygiene products rain gear is the most important. A good, sturdy poncho protects you from most inclement weather situations while your between rides. An umbrella can come in handy if its the retractable kind that wont take up much room.

Continue reading…

Tailgate Tune Up: Jimmy Buffett

Date: May 7, 2013 Author: Admin

In a career that has spanned six decades, soft rock icon Jimmy Buffett has practically done it all.  He has jump started sex lives and entertained millions of people throughout his career.

Known for his non-stop work ethic when it comes to music, he’s released over two dozen studio albums, relentlessly toured around the world and provided priceless inspiration to his devoted legion of fans, affectionately known as “Parrotheads.” Meanwhile, on the non-musical side of things, he’s written three best-selling books, started his own restaurant chain and co-owned two minor league baseball teams, to name a few.

It all started at Auburn University in Alabama, where Buffett first picked up an acoustic guitar. Eventually graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi with a history degree, he worked as a country music writer for Billboard, piquing an interest in the music world that carries on to this day.

Ultimately deciding to make music instead of writing about those who did, Buffett released his folk-flavored debut, Down to Earth, in 1970. Over the next six years, he recorded five more albums, eventually making his way to the top 25 of Billboard’s US Country charts with Havaña Daydreamin’ in 1976.

Continue reading…

Tailgating Goes Country: It’s Not Just for Football Anymore

Date: May 1, 2013 Author: Admin

If you’re like most people, when you hear tailgating you think of the pre-game party that takes place in the parking lots of stadiums across the country. But tailgating is not restricted to just football games.  It’s a lifestyle that can extend into any event or social gathering.

country

Typically, tailgating is the prequel to a major sporting event. Most people don’t even think to link tailgating to concerts or other live events. If you haven’t tailgated at a country music concert, you don’t know what you’re missing.

The best part about tailgating at a country music concert is the feeling in the atmosphere. Sure, anticipation is high before a sporting event but sports fans feel an array of emotions on game day: nervousness about whether your team will be able to pull off the big win, bitterness toward a rival team, and the dread that if, heaven forbid, your team loses and your entire week is inevitably ruined.

Continue reading…

Beach Boys are Surfin’ USA 50 years later

Date: April 29, 2013 Author: Admin

One legendary group that has reunited that truly calls for a celebration is The Beach Boys. The band not only helped define not just American popular music in the 1960s, but also created several distinct sub-genres of music in the process. They are one of the most beloved bands in music history with a string of hits spanning four decades. And next week they will embark on a 50th anniversary tour that starts after recording a charity single for the Earthquake/Tsunami relief effort for Japan. They still even have a significant facebook following and are mentioned constantly on social media.

After a few festival dates and a surprise appearance at the 2012 Grammy Awards, the group has booked a full-fledged 50 date American tour. The core of the reunited group features mostly original members including mastermind Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks. They are even releasing a new CD later this year! This is already one of the hottest tickets for this spring and summer, so you better get those tickets soon and start planning for the pre-show party Surfin Safari style.

If you are going to one of these dates, it is sure to be a night to remember. Videos of the group show them to be in terrific form and sounding a sweet as ever vocally. Why not do it up the tailgating with style and panache and really get into the spirit of the show.

Continue reading…

Parrotheads In The Parking Lot

Author: Admin

parrotJimmy Bufett’s musical career hasn’t always been about island sunsets and frozen drinks. During the late 60′s he was actually a country artist and released folk rock records. He could often be found busking, playing on the street for money, in New Orleans.

Almost five decades later Buffett has become a musical icon, selling out just about every venue he plays. He has eight gold records and nine platinum or multi-platinum records to date. People from California to Boston all know this southern treasure.

He even has his own wildly-devoted fan base, nicknamed, parrotheads. The term first came into use during a 1985 show at King’s Island Amusement park near Cincinnati, Ohio. During the show, Buffett commented on everyone’s attire, Hawaiian shirts and parrot hats and how the same people kept coming back to see him, like deadheads. Buffett attributes a lot of his success to the loyalty of fans in that area of the country.

Parrotheads In Paradise is by far the largest parrothead institution. It has 246 chapters, including some in Australia and Canada. It’s membership hovers just under 30,000.

“Someone once said that parrotheads are just deadheads with jobs and frequent flyer miles,” said Wayne Myers, former social director of the Atlanta chapter of Parrotheads In Paradise.

Atlanta is the birthplace of the Parrotheads In Paradise club. It’s founding was based on the principal of “partying with a purpose.” To this day all PhIP clubs are largely involved with communitiy service.

Continue reading…

History of Tailgating: A Time-Honored Tradition

Date: April 23, 2013 Author: Admin

The art of tailgating can be described as a delicate balance between fandom and celebration. It is an event that does what nothing else can: It brings together sports and eating. It’s a place where fans can not only paint their faces, but enjoy a beer with a supporter from the other team. It’s a medium where sports can be enjoyed pre- and post-game. a great place to network with clients. A great place to have fun. 

There is something about the combination of friends, family, appetizers and beverages that excites fans like few other things can. Grilling burgers that are branded with your team’s logo, competing to see whose flag can fly the highest, and dressing children in sports paraphernalia – all are as American as the hot dogs and apple pies that are consumed while doing them. And while this time-honored tradition dates back to some of the earliest sporting events, tailgating has arguably grown more popular than the events with which they are associated.

Continue reading…

Skewers Make for Simple, Tasty Tailgate Treat

Date: April 22, 2013 Author: Admin

skewerEveryone has a picture in their head of the basic ingredients for a skewer—some kind of meat (chicken, pork, maybe thick pieces of steak) coupled with flavor which can come from onions, peppers, or both, and a bit of sweet to cap off the skewer meal which tends to derive from pineapple’s zesty taste. This traditional skewer can be found on barbecues across the country, offering a change of pace and fun alternative to a tailgate party from the usual burgers, dogs, and brats that tend to dominate the grill. With such an unconventional display of food, there is so much more than meat, peppers, onions, and pineapple that can be skewered.

What is lacking with many tailgate spreads is more sweet options. One piece of pineapple on a skewer packed with meat, onions, and pepper will not satisfy any sweet tooth especially if there are kids or adults who are children at heart and eager to complete a meal with desert from the barbecue. Skewers can provide the meal, and just as importantly, the sweets after the meal.

Continue reading…

Bourbon of the Month: Bulleit Frontier Whiskey

Date: April 19, 2013 Author: Admin

Like pulling into a Rolls-Royce dealership and driving away in a Phantom, everyone knows where to find a great product that costs a bundle.

Similarly, a good bourbon is easy to track down. Several can be spotted on the shelves or (more likely) in a locked cabinet at any liquor store. The question is, how big of a dent to you want to put in your wallet?

If your price range is low to intermediate, then Bulleit Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is an outstanding choice. Medium-bodied with distinct flavors, Bulleit is a quality bourbon with a great taste. The nose brings sweet flavors of honey and vanilla with a distinct spiciness, while the finish maintains that spice yet also features the oaky taste of a more traditional sour-mash bourbon whiskey.

Continue reading…

Use Your Noodle at Your Next Tailgate

Author: Admin

lazzAttention tailgaters: April is National Noodle Month. OK, maybe it was March and we’re just now clearing the decks, but no matter, there are many tasty and easy-to-make noodle dishes that can easily be incorporated into an upcoming tailgate event.

Noodles and pasta have much in common, but to be classified as a noodle, the dough must contain 5.5 percent egg solids. Noodles are formed of unleavened dough, typically wheat, rice or buckwheat although oddities like acorn meal, mung beans and potato starch sometimes are used. Once the dough is rolled out it is cut, often into strings a la spaghetti, but also into a huge variety of shapes including the little alphabet letters you might remember floating in your soup when you were young, orecchitte, meaning “little ears”; fiori, flower-shaped and farfalle, shaped like a butterfly or bowtie. The word noodle derives from the German nudel.

The basic noodle is the soft variety that is cooked in water and drained. Pasta sauce can be added. Chilled noodles can be served in a salad or, as they are in Japan, served cold with a dipping sauce. Fried noodles include dishes where the noodles are stir fried with meat, seafood or vegetables as found in Chinese lo mein, Thai pad thai and others. Noodles in soup are the familiar chicken or beef noodle soup; ramen; spatzle, a German pasta made with wheat and eggs; udon which are thick Japanese noodles usually served in a broth and other variations around the globe. Noodle casseroles like lasagna are good tailgate fodder if you can figure out a way to keep the dish warm. Pastitsio, the Greek dish, and kugel are other types of noodle casseroles. Modern culture gave rise to instant noodles, the student staple. Four thousand year old noodles—said to be well- preserved– were found at an archeological site in China. The story about Marco Polo bringing pasta to Italy and thereby beginning the Italian pasta cycle is entirely apocryphal.

Continue reading…

Foster’s: The Wonder From Down Under

Author: Admin

fostersA commercial appears on television. An Australia didgeridoo vibrates a well known drone, a unique sound which has no parallels in the world. Next a can of Forster’s blue flashes before the tailgater’s eyes. The commercial has made a connection. This is a well thought out ad. Foster’s has done its homework.

There are a lot beers that enter the market and falter. Forster’s, however, is one that’s firmly in the mainstream. Attend any outdoor event and scout out which beer people are buying. Unfortunately, many are drinking a brew based on what is cheapest or what’s currently on sale. If we see that familiar Foster’s blue among the revelers, we know this person has good taste.

Foster’s has a loyal following. There’s history to this company and they’ve been busy. Foster’s knows exactly the type of customer they want, whether it’s the tailgater or someone at a backyard barbecue  According to one author, Jessica, the beer is her favorite. Even if it is not the best for weight loss.

Continue reading…

Tailgating Route 66: A Summer Roadtrip

Author: Admin

r66Get your kicks on Route 66. Oh yes those immortal lyrics to a song that will never die. Whether it’s cruising in your gleaming hot rod, hearing a strong, well-tuned V8 power you down the road, or humming along to a sweet melody, it all makes for fond memories. Route 66 has it all.

The Early Years

Highway 66 was historically known as the “Main Street of America or the Will Rogers Highway.” During the 1920s many people called for a national highway system to handle burgeoning traffic. Everyone had or wanted a car; the automobile was showing up everywhere. Cyrus Avery, a savvy Oklahoma businessman, recognized an opportunity and began campaigning for a national highway system. Mr. Avery believed such a road should run through his state. Soon plans were implemented for a highway running from Chicago to Los Angeles. U.S. Highway legislation was signed into law during the 1920s. Heated discussion abounded on what to call the Chicago/Los Angeles corridor. Finally, Avery settled on “66” because he thought the double digit number sounded pleasant and was easy to remember. And right he was. At 2,451 miles long Highway 66 soon grabbed the imagination of the nation.

During the 1930s and throughout the 1950s traffic grew exponentially until the interstate highway system gradually began to replace it. Truckers liked Highway 66 because much of the road was flat, at least in until the western regions. During the early years Route 66 saw a phenomenal rise in the mom-and-pop businesses.

It didn’t take long before tourist saw service stations, family owned restaurants, motor courts, drive-in theaters and the ubiquitous hot rod. These were the golden years for the highway. Long before people were interested in why their blogs were not making any money.

Continue reading…

Two Cubs Tailgaters Remember Harry Caray

Author: Admin

Most young readers, if they are outside of the Chicago area, will not remember Harry Caray. If you were born and raised in Chicago, however, you know exactly whom we are toasting. The colorful fan’s broadcaster of the White Sox and the Cubs during a span of 27 years is still regarded today for having the best 7th inning stretch routine ever in major league baseball.

Harry Caray was born with the name Harry Christopher Carabina, in the poorest part of the city of St. Louis, Missouri. His father walked out on the family when Harry was an infant, and his mother died when he was eight years old, so he was raised by his aunt. His zealous broadcasting and zeal for life allowed him to climb out of the slums of St. Louis, and led him to a career in radio that cannot be surpassed. By the time he worked his way into the broadcasting booth for the St. Louis Cardinals, this short, amusing man with cola-bottle glasses was heralded as a loyal fan who criticized every move that the players made.

Continue reading…

Cincinnati Chili Makes a Versatile and Tasty Tailgate Treat

Date: March 26, 2013 Author: Admin

You do not have to be from Cincinnati to make or enjoy real Cincinnati chili and with the various ways you can make it this style of chili is fantastic for tailgating. Cincinnati geeks of all types love their chili, with more than 180 chili parlors in the Midwest city. Cincy chili has a thinner consistency and also has some unique ingredients that are not found in other types of chili. Add to the fact that there are several ways to serve the chili and making the “works” means you are having the deluxe 5-way chili, served atop spaghetti and topped with cheese, onions and beans.

Continue reading…

Fight Anxiety If You Want to Be Happy And Have Fun-filled

Date: February 28, 2013 Author: Admin

fight anxietyLife is hard, nobody argues that. You may have problems at work or at home, someone in your family may be sick, you may have financial troubles, but you can overcome everything if you just learn to have fun and be happy no matter what.

Lots of people all over the world experience anxiety problems. Anxiety is normal but if it is too much, it may cause problems in your life and take all the fun out of it. To efficiently manage anxiety problems you should probably know some anxiety remedies.

People with anxiety disorders can be treated with the aid of a professional health care team. Treatments of anxiety disorders include proper therapy, administration of medicines and counseling. The duration of treating people with anxiety depends if the person effectively responds to the treatment. Some anxiety treatments take months or even years to be successful. Treatment of anxiety disorder is not easy and takes time especially if the person has many anxiety disorders. Communication is important when treating a person with anxiety disorder. You need to know what causes the person to experience anxiety so that you can successfully treat the problem. There are many types of anxiety disorder that you should take note of and it is important that you should know the appropriate method to treat them properly.

Continue reading…

Online Games Are So Much Fun

Date: February 21, 2013 Author: Admin

online gamesThe first thing that kids do when they first learn how to use a computer is play games. This also applies to adults who want to have fun playing games as well. There is not a single person in the world who has never used his computer to play a game. The most popular type of games are free online games. But what makes them so popular?

First of all, they are free and anyone can play them. They are also widely available to everyone who has an Internet connection. Players don’t have to download and install them, they can start playing with just a click of a mouse. People play games at school or at the office, when they need to kill time at home or are waiting for a bus or a train.

Continue reading…