It is the season—and a short one at that. Wait, I’ve said that before, haven’t I? I have, and it is the season—fall, which is coming soon to chase away the heat – for the outdoor feast that you don’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy. It’s tailgating season!
Sports was not what the first tailgaters gathered for. Historians consider the Battle of Bull Run, the opening battle of the Civil War in 1861, where spectators with picnic baskets gathered to watch the battle, to be the first documented concept of tailgating. Hard to fathom that—good idea, but wrong time for a picnic!
According to Stephen Linn, author of The Ultimate Tailgater’s Handbook, tailgaters owe a debt of gratitude to Charles Goodnight, a Texas Rancher and entrepreneur. In 1866, Charles saw that cowboys needed a rolling chow hall, so he turned a U.S. Army Studebaker wagon into the first chuck wagon. It was simple and compact—a fully equipped mobile kitchen like ones used by tailgaters today.
Tailgating, as we know it, dates to the inaugural college football game on November 6, 1869, between Rutgers and Princeton, when fans gathered to celebrate before the game. They got the party started before the game began. Genius. And food became front and center.
You can grill some stuff: brats, burgers, veggies—or get there as early as they’ll let you in and start smoking some brisket or pork butts. You know folks are expecting chicken wings. And some hot ones, please, if I’m invited. I had some awesome etouffee at my first tailgate of the season. Yes, a slow cooker or crock pot is required for keep-me-warm food. Put some cheese dip or chili in one—that’ll get you invited back.
According to Sophina, New Orleans chef and owner of Mister Moa, “We tailgate like the world might end tomorrow,” so there’s always sausage and maybe a full-on seafood boil—and gallons of daiquiris.
If you’ve tailgated at Ole Miss, you may have participated in the “running of the tents,” where fans set up the night before the game in The Grove (where no cars or open flame cooking is allowed), and had one of their signature dishes—baked sausage balls—breakfast sausage, Bisquick, and cheese. It’s been popular since the 1960s.
If you want to have a proper Missouri tailgate, in my humble opinion, you’ll need some pork—pulled, ribs, steaks, sausages—however you want it, and maybe some burnt ends. Some toasted ravioli is welcomed, and sliders on Hawaiian rolls will be missed if they don’t show up. Buffalo chicken or seven-layer dip will make folks smile, and the deviled eggs won’t last long. And sure—you can bring a salad or two. Who can you count on to bring the gooey-butter bars? Probably not me, but I can bring Redhawk cookies!
As for beverage options, there’s not enough time to discuss that menu, but it would be nice to have a Missouri Mule or some Tiger punch.
Wow. Going to games with fans and non-fans work up an appetite. Yes, there are non-fans who come just for the party and friends. There is a survey out there that found 30% of tailgaters never set foot in the stadium. They can do whatever they do—or better yet, clean up—while the rest of us go in and root for the team.
Happy tailgating!
