Where I Come From: Tailgating Traditions
by BoilerTMill on Jul 7, 2010 11:30 AM EDT
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Print*This post is sponsored by EA Sports NCAA Football 2011.*
In continuing the theme from this week EA Sports is interested in tailgate traditions. I find this interesting because I don't usually do a lot of tailgating. That's the bad thing about a noon kickoff, which Purdue seems to get for six games a year now. There is little time to tailgate unless you want to get up at 6am on a Saturday. Since I like to sleep in, I don't usually get to West Lafayette until about 11:30 or so.
Still, I have done some tailgating in the past and I would love to start a Hammer & Rails tailgate sometime in the future. Mrs. T-Mill and I just need to get a parking pass instead of parking on the cheap in the Northwestern Street garage. I used to tailgate a few years ago with my dad's business partner in the north stadium lot, but other than stopping by for a few minutes after the game occasionally we don't even do that anymore. Even then there were not a lot of traditions. He had a margarita machine on a generator that was dubbed the Boilerita machine, but that's it.
Don't get me wrong. I like tailgating. It is just a time issue most of the time, especially since I usually want to get the game wrap up fairly quickly. We also like to get back to Indy in time on Saturdays to watch the Hurricanes if we can. We also don't go to games with a large group of people. It is normally me and Mrs. T-Mill, then we meet my parents for a few minutes after the games.
For ambiance I honestly prefer going to Harry's for a long island after the game. There isn't much that is sweeter than that. Before last year's Notre Dame game it was fun to be at Harry's watching the afternoon games while enjoying a long island and popcorn. To me, it doesn't get much better than that.
I could be persuaded to start a new tailgate tradition though. If there is a later game this year I would not mind gauging interest in pulling off an official (or even unofficial) Hammer & Rails tailgate. If we get enough provisions we can also come up with some authentic category five hurricanes from Sandbar in Cocnut Grove. The recipe is as follows:
1 oz. light rum
1 oz. dark rum
1 oz. coconut rum
1 oz. triple sec
1 oz. spiced rum
1 oz. 151 rum
3 oz. grapefruit juice
Grenadine
Ice
This, in a glass
Yes, it will slap you around. You only need one.
For those who tailgate more than I do, what are some of your traditions?
UPDATE: I have no excuse for not mentioning this, but Purdue's biggest tailgate tradition is Breakfast Club. Basically, the bars open at 7:30 (or earlier) on game days and students show up in every costume imaginable. It is basically Halloween seven times a year on State Street. This has become an event in itself, especially for bigger games. Students also do it for the Purdue Grand Prix in the spring. it was never my thing, but the students seem to have a lot of fun.
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Chauncey Hill & Breakfast Club
Come on T-Mill… don’t tell me you never made it to Breakfast Club?? My fraternity always had a group of guys head out to Chauncey Hill first thing Saturday morning to setup a prime tailgating spot while the rest went to Breakfast Club. After you’d had your fill of bloody mary’s or screwdrivers you’d make your way (as best you could) to the tailgate for some standard keg beer and munchies to bring your buzz back to earth… otherwise you weren’t making it through the game. I graduated in 04, and by then they’d moved it behind Sigma Nu across from Theta Chi… which was also a blast as everyone was willing to give out some AMAZING food to passersby! An old ambulance painted Boiler colors in the north parking lot is typically sponsored by BW3s as well… as must to stop at on the way in the game!
Never was much of a breakfast clubber
Can’t believe I forgot it though. I’ll have to add it tonight.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
frats were quite lame but yeah
bfast club was one of the most unique and amazing things to experience. one time i went as connect the dots, another time as green man from its always sunny and another time as stormy from sea lab 2021, i could go on forever
everyones favorite whipping boy
Private Parking
I live in a family-owned house along Northwestern Ave so I have to rise early every gameday morning (a 24oz beer usually helps this) and begin parking the drunken lunatics that populate my lawn and driveway for the day. I start by setting up the family tailgate zone in the back yard, put the two tall purdue flags up on the front of the house (if youve driven on northwestern ave on gameday, you prolly know what im talking about) and then begin parking both my regulars (some hearken back to when my cousin was living there as a purdue student in the late 90’s) and the random folks off the street from far away, exotic places like iowa city and state college, PA. Just about everybody has a grill, yard games, and nearly a full bar ready to go within 10mins of arrival. Food and drink are shared and consumed liberally right up until gametime, then it’s across the street and into the stadium (or at least it used to be until this damn construction got in the way). Good times. And now that I’m a grad student I get to enjoy it for 2 more years.
Thrill on the Hill
How about a nod to the All-American Marching Band? 2 hours before kickoff, we put on a show in Slayter Center for all the tailgaters on Slayter Hill, including Hail, Fighting Varsity, and For the Honor, plus a sampling from our halftime and stands music. Last year, one of the tailgaters even had an old short bus painted in old gold and black, complete with touchdown horn. Plus, every week, there is a trivia question, and whoever guesses right, or comes closest, conducts the band in the last Hail Purdue. It makes a great alternative for people who don’t want to do Breakfast Club, or even for those who do!
"Hey Jay, what time is it?"
"9:30"
"AND IU STILL SUCKS!"
I never did Breakfast club outside of Grand Prix Weekend, I was all about the tailgate
I never missed a tailgate in my 4.5 years of being at school. Once a year we would get out our “special” grill that was a converted old large water heater. We always did hickory smoked ribs on the grill, precooked of course so the meat just fell off the bone. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
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