The Art of Tailgating

Fall weather, friends, a cooler full of beer, and a football game just hours away. What more could a person ask for?

I am a South Carolina Gamecocks fan and tailgating is part of the football experience. Travel to Columbia for a game and you will see fans outside the stadium hours before kickoff, enjoying food and fellowship.

If you have never considered this part of the football experience, follow my tips and set up a great tailgate. Do it once and you'll be hooked for life.

First, invite a bunch of friends who are football fans. Asking along people who don't really care about the team or football in general usually makes for an uncomfortable buzz kill. Otherwise, the more the merrier.

Next, plan out a menu. No good tailgate is complete without brats and beer, so make sure those are at the top. Don't go overboard on the beer, either. Put the good stuff in one cooler - enough for everyone to have a couple, then fill a second cooler full of cheap beer. After a drinking a couple, no one is going to taste the difference anyway, so save the money.

Oh, and one big DON'T on the tailgate menu - absolutely NO wine and cheese. Just don't. It's football, people!

After the tailgate crowd and menu are set, make sure you have whatever you need to set up a TV at your tailgate. If you need rabbit ears or a converter box, pack those along with the necessary cords. There is nothing like watching other big games, or even a rival lose, while tailgating.

On the day of, make sure to pack a couple of tables for your food and TV, comfy tailgate chairs, and a grill in addition to the stuff listed above. Some folks like to bring along a cornhole game, but that isn't my style. Also, if you can't take the heat, throw in a 10 x 10 tailgate tent. There is nothing worse than making the trek to the stadium with a fresh sunburn.

And that's it - all you need for an excellent tailgating experience. You'll be certain to head to the stadium in high spirits and win or lose, you at least had a blast before the game.