Just another excuse to party

by Pat McSweeny
For The Post

As the saying goes, getting there is half the fun. 

While cheering on their team is enough for many fans, some like to take things to the limit. The tailgate party can transform watching a game into a daylong event. Hours before everyone else, devoted tailgaters gather in the parking lot with friends to share food and get ready for the game. Just as an athlete does warm up exercises, fans tailgate to work up their spirits before a game.

There is no simple way to define the tailgate party. The phenomenon occurs in all sports everywhere, from high schools to professional leagues. The enthusiasm behind tailgating remains the same. To the majority of fans tailgating simply means having a pre-game barbecue. Tailgate parties often serve as a social function for various organizations. Tailgating can even be an activity resulting in some people never making it inside the stadium to watch the game.

Parties have always been used to give extra importance to all sorts of events.  The wedding reception is almost important as the wedding itself. Around Athens, parties are preceded by pre-parties and followed by after-hours parties. Sporting events are no different, as the pre-game festivities are often almost as important as the actual game.

While the tailgate party gives fans the opportunity to socialize, they also use the occasion to show off their spirit to the world. Creativity always is the integral part of tailgating. Some fans decorate their cars and their food. The hard core fans decorate their bodies.

Athens does not much have much of a reputation for parking lot tailgating. Most Ohio fans do their partying at the bars before heading to Peden Stadium.

At places with larger stadiums and more fans, the number of tailgate parties in the area surrounding the stadium produces a carnival-like atmosphere. After leaving a game at Ohio State several years ago, I noticed that the ground was littered with empty cans and bottles. Ohio seems pretty tame by comparison. While it would be nice to see a tailgate tradition develop in Athens, this probably will never happen considering our small fan base.

Whether tailgating is a distraction from actually paying attention to sports is debatable. Without the party, however, a sporting event would be just a game.

–Patrick McSweeny is a  sophomore and an undecided major. Send him an e-mail at post_sports@hotmail.com