National Corndog Day

March madness is just around the corner. The NCAA Men's College Basketball Final 32. Each year men's college basketball fans crowd around any available TV set to watch teams battle down to the buzzer in hopes of a chance to vie for the coveted distinction as the nation's number one team in college basketball. Money will be bet, games will be won and lost. Fans will be crushed or elated, depending on how far their team advances. Snacks, dips and drinks will disappear from grocery shelves as groups of dedicated b-ball fans lock their doors and shutter the windows to discourage any outside interference from invading their sanctuaries. Men and women, eyes red from being glued to the TV screen, eventually return to normalcy with the sound of the final buzzer, ending the NCAA Mens' College Basketball Tournament for another year.

Celebrating the spring ritual is a must for college basketball fans. Don't forget National Corndog Day as you honor your love of basketball.

National Corndog Day began in 1992. Sixteen years ago, the NCAA Men's final 32 was in it's third day. Two high school students, Brady Sahnow and Henry Otley of Corvallis, Oregon had been living off of sodas and chips for three days in Brady's basement. Brady's father, Stan knew the boys needed something besides chips to keep them going. He searched the contents in the refrigerator for suitable food. Knowing his son, Stan knew he would have to find something special and unique if he had any hope of getting some nourishment into Brady and his friend. He bypassed ham and turkey, giving up on sandwiches. Vegetables were nixed from the beginning as was all the contents in the frig. Out of options, he moved to the freezer door and pulled it open. The one item that caught his eye was an unopened box of 24 count corndogs.

As the corndogs baked to a crispy, golden brown, Stan gathered yellow mustard and ketchup from the refrigerator. With corndogs, mustard and ketchup in hand, he grabbed napkins as he hurried to the basement with the dogs. The boys scarfed down the corndogs and made it through the NCAA tournament.

Stan saved the day and from that day in 1992 day in March to the present, the Saturday of the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament final 32 has been known as National Corndog Day.

For those who stress out about what to serve during the tournament, chill out. Forget about hours of cooking or searching the grocery shelves for that last bag of chips or hamburger buns. Forget about cleaning up spilled nachos or dip on the clean carpet. Keep it simple and follow Stan's lead. Grab a good amount of corndogs and relax. Preparing for National Corndog Day is as quick as a referee calling a foul on your player. All you need to go with your corndog's is your favorite beer, good tater tots, yellow mustard and ketchup. That's it.

National Corndog Day is governed by a board of directors also known as city captains. Last year's parties were almost 5,000 strong. Corndog parties were held on five continents including Antarctica. This is no joke and those who participate are dedicated about their corndogs and beer. Last year found organized parties in all 50 states. If you can't find a location for a party in your area, start your own. All you need for a great time is a good TV (preferably a big screen set), good friends who love basketball as much as you do, plenty of corndogs, beer, tater tots, napkins, mustard and ketchup.

You say you can't find corndogs where you live? Not to worry. Make your own. Homemade is always better anyway. Check out the websites below for easy recipes:

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/corn-dogs-recipes/index.html

oldrecipebook.com/corndogs.shtml

southernfood.about.com/od/hotdogrecipes/r/bl91006c.htm

Please remember to celebrate the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament responsibly by respecting your neighbor's lack of enthusiasm during the tournament. After all, not everyone appreciates the finer things in life like you and your friends.

Sources:

What is National Corndog Day?, Official National Corndog Day Web Site

Henry Otley, The History of National Corndog Day, Official National Corndog Day Web Site

National Corndog Day, Wikipedia