The majority of cornhole boards I see around campus are the wooden handmade variety. And if you have the skills and time to make one, I highly recommend it. But there are also viable alternatives for the lazier and less crafty sect. I recently received a set of plastic all weather boards from SC Cornhole. These waterproof boards are shipped in either white, red, or orange (white can be painted) with eight bags. The entire cornhole set weighs under 50 pounds and the boards fit together for storage. Another bonus with this set is that the the back leg is also a door to a compartment where you can store the bags.

As far as game play, these boards stand up to the test. There is a bit of coarseness on the playing surface of the boards that makes it less slippery than you’d expect from plastic. After a game, the boards are easy to wipe off and/or clean with water and soap on occasion. All in all, I could only find one fault with this cornhole set. Though the boards fit together, they don’t lock together in any way. So it’s a bit tricky for just one person to actually carry them. A workaround would be to buy some sort of strap from Home Depot or Wal-Mart to keep the boards secured together. You can get this set for $100 and it should last you plenty of tailgating seasons. After our testing, we approve. Of course, our carpentry skills are about as good as Homer Simpson’s so we don’t have a choice.

• Recommend on Facebook
• Tweet about it
• Tell a friend

As is the tradition now, college football opens on the Thursday before Labor Day Weekend. It started as a television showcase for a few teams several years back and has evolved into a bit of an unexplained phenomenon. By my count, 13 games were played last night despite not getting national television coverage. Somehow, Middle Tennessee State once again convinced a major team (Minnesota) to travel to Murfreesboro, but they couldn’t even get the stadium more than about half full. Either way, some fans still made it out to the array of college games and tailgated on a school night and we salute them.

I actually need to return this. I was trying to get an extra large chair.

For the first game in the school's history, Georgia State had a very impressive turnout of tailgaters

If Dr. Peter Venkman went to Iowa State, this would be his tailgating car.

I admire the hustle by these Ohio State fans, but setting up a TV for a Thursday game seems like overkill. Just talk about football. There's no real need to catch the 6pm Sportscenter

Sources: @gregfoster_sc, @ryancl, wildworld, @mdebarr

• Recommend on Facebook
• Tweet about it
• Tell a friend

“Walk through an intown neighborhood this Saturday. There will be a hint of fall under the heat, and the sound of a television blaring out the sound of football, and the smell of someone cooking meat on a grill. If I could cut this smell up into lines and snort it, I would. As a drug it would have no rival, and as an aphrodesiac would have no equal.” – Spencer Hall

• Recommend on Facebook
• Tweet about it
• Tell a friend

I’m gonna go ahead and tell you that this post isn’t especially safe for work. But, alas, these are Oregon State fans tailgating with some colorful shirts.

eff the ducks

No! My Team is #1

Real Men Lick Beaver, They Don't Suck Duck

Not Now Chief, I'm in the Fucking Zone

If you didn’t catch the last reference. It’s from a Youtube video in 2007 that was on the front end on the New Jersey Guido craze.

• Recommend on Facebook
• Tweet about it
• Tell a friend

In an effort to get you ready for the first game, we created our own list of Tailgating Tips, found someone else’s tips, and spotted some thoughts on tailgate menus. But they can’t all be winners. Sometimes you get boring, lame, motherly advice. Among other things, Susan Klatz Biel wants to inform you that

While it may be possible to have alcohol in some places where people tailgate, you can pretty much count on the fact that it won’t be allowed in any of the college parking lots, especially those that are in the vicinity of the stadium. Don’t try to sneak alcohol in because if you are caught, you you will probably be arrested for having an open container. You may also be the party who is responsible for having the privilege to tailgate in parking lots near the stadium (or elsewhere on campus,) rescinded.

But not every mother sucks the life out of tailgating. Kelley (@kriesberg07) is a self described “working mother of two”. So does she get ready for the season by nagging you? No! She actually tweeted:

“When making beer bread for tailgating its essential that you drink 1 to enjoy for yourself! Go Cyclones!”

and

“Gave the boards a fresh look for the season. P.I.M.P. Go #Cyclones!”

• Recommend on Facebook
• Tweet about it
• Tell a friend

fried gator

Cherokee Distributing has a post with some standard tailgating tips. But most importantly they supplied a sample tailgating menu based on their opponent’s local fare and/or mascots. This is a good example of how you can diversify your offerings beyond fried chicken, burgers, etc.

You can also pick food styles and beverages that fit your tailgate whether they celebrate the home team or represent your opponent. That way you can try new things and enjoy some variety throughout the season. Here are some festive menu ideas for the first five big games the Vols will face this season:

• Sept. 11 – vs. Oregon – in Knoxville – When the Ducks come to town, face the challenge head on by preparing grilled duck breast. To top it off, serve with Duck-Rabbit Amber Ale.
• Sept. 18 – vs. Florida – in Knoxville – There’s only one thing to serve when playing the University of Florida, and that’s fried Gator tail. In celebration of the Orange and Blue crew coming to town, sip on a Blue Moon garnished with an orange slice.
• Oct. 2 – vs. LSU – in Baton Rouge, La. – Whether you travel down to Louisiana or enjoy the game from home, the LSU showdown calls for a celebration of Cajun food. Prepare some spicy jambalaya – a yummy, hearty tailgating dish – and serve it with Abita Purple Haze, brewed in Abita Springs, just north of New Orleans.
• Oct. 9 – vs. Georgia – in Athens, Ga. – When the Vols play the Bulldogs, it’s a classic rivalry that calls for a classic tailgating staple: hotdogs. But, why not mix it up and serve “Sloppy Dawgs” – in honor of how you may hope the opposing team will play! And with new UT Head Coach Derek Dooley returning to his hometown to coach against his law school alma mater – and where his dad Vince Dooley was legendary football coach for 25 years – pick up the Shiner Family Reunion variety pack for the occasion.
• Oct. 23 – vs. Alabama – in Knoxville – When the Crimson Tide rolls in to Tennessee, it’s time to break out the barbeque. If you want to sample authentic Tide fare, order some Dreamland Bar-b-que sauce from the Tide’s hometown of Tuscaloosa. But, if you want to stay loyal to Big Orange Country, try the delicious sauces from local restaurants Calhoun’s, Sweet P’s BBQ and Soul House, Buddy’s bar-b-q or Dead End BBQ. Enjoy the southern staple with Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea, a fun twist on the South’s favorite drink.

(photo by jasonlam)

• Recommend on Facebook
• Tweet about it
• Tell a friend

We’re a little behind on seeing this story, but apparently the scarcity of gameday parking in Athens is raising tempers before the season even starts. With the ban of real tailgating on North Campus, fans are left to look for new areas to set up their tents, grills, and tvs. One option would seemingly be for fraternity alumni to park at their old house. The Alpha Epsilon Pi House sits relatively close to Sanford Stadium on River Rd. To deal with the new demand for parking the current brothers sent an announcement out to alumni notifying them that the house “will be charging $20 for individual games and $105.00 for the entire season parking pass. It will be first come first serve by who gets their money back to me first”. A certain alum took issue with this.

Would you explain what gives you the right to charge the alumni money to park at the frat house that was ours before it was yours? Are you trying to blatantly fuck us over? Or do you sincerely think we are stupid enough say, “Hey! That’s a swell deal you got there!”

And really that was probably the tamest part of the letter. So you have the outraged Alum who drops some disturbing references vs. the ungrateful current brothers who also leaked the story to Deadspin (you should read the whole thing). You could probably throw blame either way, but I think we all realize that Michael Adams is the real enemy.

• Recommend on Facebook
• Tweet about it
• Tell a friend

This is a really easy to make appetizer that can be prepared the night before tailgating. The recipe comes from Epicurious

Asparagus with Wasabi Mayonnaise Dip

Ingredients:
3 lb thin to medium Asparagus, trimmed
1 cup Mayonnaise
4 teaspoons Soy Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Sugar
2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 teaspoons Wasabi Paste or Powder (add more for spicier result)

Directions:
Blanch asparagus in 2 batches in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 1 minute. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Drain well and pat dry.

Whisk together mayonnaise, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, and wasabi paste until sugar is dissolved. Serve asparagus with dip.

Enjoy saying WASABI

• Recommend on Facebook
• Tweet about it
• Tell a friend

Staying on the topic of our 10 Time Tested Tailgating Tips, Kegs ‘n Eggs has a list of Tailgating DO’s and DON’Ts. A sample:

DO: Bring a football. If you didn’t know that, “DO” punch yourself in the groin.

DON’T: Making food “the” priority versus a good stomach base is a classic mistake. 1) Don’t buy some vintage/expensive meat that you make at family gatherings. And 2) Eating too much can take out a good chunk of the day due to heartburn.

DO: Dress Code Ethics: I am open when it comes to apparel. Old school helmets, obscene outfits, etc – but make sure you’re built to sustain the weather. Too much clothing can be deadly early on in the football season so be wary.

DON’T: Please God don’t go shirtless. We get it, you have a 6-pack. Now, kindly go fail miserably hitting on freshmen talent and fade away into the tailgating oblivion. There’s no room for this kind of DON’T.

DO: Know your fight songs, people. Holding up one arm and mumbling might seem like your fitting in, but I’ll target you from a mile away.

DON’T: Puking isn’t a topic people like, but we’re not afraid. There’s nothing wrong with sneaking off somewhere and taking care of business if you have to. If you do take this route, DON’T act like you’re God afterwards and don’t go into lame mode.

DO: On that note, gum is a always a good idea.

(HT: tailgatingideas.com)

• Recommend on Facebook
• Tweet about it
• Tell a friend

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Chad Gibbs’ look at the last decade of the SEC: According to Facebook. It’s pretty damn funny and nostalgic. Chad also has a new book out called God and Football: Faith and Fanaticism in the Southeastern Conference Check out a taste of the link below

• Recommend on Facebook
• Tweet about it
• Tell a friend