Is football really football without tailgating? What football fans among us have not partaken in this pregame experience? It would remove a little something from the football experience if tailgating was to be disallowed at the biggest football game of the year, would it not?
That is apparently what the National Football League is doing at Super Bowl LIV. According to a report, the league has announced that tailgating (at least in the full-blown sense) is not going to be allowed at the big game. But before we get into the details, let’s help those who may be unfamiliar with what “tailgating” actually is.
According to Wikipedia, a “tailgate party” is defined as:
A tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating, which primarily takes place in the United States, often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food. Tailgate parties occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas, before and occasionally after games and concerts.
Wikipedia
And this is how the Urban Dictionary defines the fan version of “tailgating”:
Drinking lots of beer or makin’ food in the parking lot before a sports or other large event, (usually football or a concert).
Urban Dictionary
Some say tailgating officially began when college football first got started in the late 1860s.
According to the American Tailgater Association, the practice developed from the first intercollegiate football game, which was between Princeton and Rutgers in 1869. Spectators gathered to grill sausages at the “tail end” of a horse, giving rise to the name.
Collegiate Times
Whether completely accurate or not, it is safe to say tailgating has a deep, long history in association with American athletic events, particularly football games. The practice is celebrated each Saturday and Sunday during the college and pro football season, and you will find that many of the advertisements during the games center around tailgating.
So why would the NFL rule it out for the Super Bowl? Apparently, it’s more about the venue than the game.
The no tailgating policy at the big sporting event at Hard Rock Stadium is not new, said NFL Vice President of Communications Brian McCarthy, adding that there has been no change to the policy. He said the policy was applied at previous Super Bowl games in Miami.
Fox 5
And while this seems like a dire situation for hard-core football fans who love their pregame eats, it looks as if a tamped-down version of tailgating will be allowed.
“Fans may bring their own food and frosty beverages. Fans are to park in their allotted spot and may not have a grill or erect tents,” McCarthy said.
Fox 5
So while every normal tailgating ritual may not be possible at this year’s Super Bowl, all is not lost.
Hat tip to Fox 5