Tailgating Embodies the Spirit of America - Joe Chacon's Blog

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Tailgating Embodies the Spirit of America Stuck

Posted on September 7, 2012 at 08:39 PM.

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When you think back to your favorite moments attending an NFL game, chances are many of those good vibes include something surrounding a tailgate party.

A tailgate party can be something as simple as you and one other person sitting in a lawn chair in the stadium parking lot sharing a drink while something sizzles on the barbecue. Or, it can be an all day event where a group of people show up on the stadium grounds at 8am for a an afternoon or evening game. There aren�t any rules when it comes to tailgating, only that you enjoy the game day experience.

This is what I miss about not having an NFL team in Los Angeles. This article isn�t about whether or not L.A. deserves a team, but rather the reflections of a sports fan who can�t experience the same Sunday traditions that many of your throughout the country are able to. I know, I know, boo-hoo for me living in Southern California where the weather is 70 degrees in both the dead of summer and winter.

Sure, there is always San Diego which is about a two hour drive from where I�m located. I don�t get out to many Charger games (perhaps five or so in the last ten years), but for those few times that I have gone I remember the tailgating more than the game itself.

I love the photos I see on Facebook and Twitter of friends and family throwing parties before the game. We actually see parents playing catch with their kids in the parking lot and for once people are actually enjoying time with each other instead of having their eyes glued to their phones. Tailgating represents everything that�s right about our country. Of course, there are always those who think of the pregame party in the parking lot as a chance to drink a keg of beer and act like an idiot inside the stadium � and for those people, my positive reflections are not geared towards you.

Those of you that attend NFL games on a semi-regular basis (at least one game a year) understand what I�m talking about � or what I�m envious of. It�s an event that you plan for much like you would a camping trip.

As we get set to kickoff the first weekend of the 2012 season I wanted to open it up to you, the reader, to share your favorite tailgating memories. What kind of tailgating traditions do you have?

Enjoy the season!

Joe Chacon is a Staff Writer for Operation Sports and a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JoeChacon.