We've been doing this topic on a weekly basis to give our readers a chance to pimp what they do to make their tailgating experience the best there is. Whether it be at the Baltimore Ravens games, other local sports events (Terps, Orioles - what?), let us know what you bring to eat, drink and play with as you await your team's game. The topics we have hit each week  have been the first three on the list and today we will be discussing the final two: 

- The Best Food
- The Best Drinks
- The Best Festivities
- The Best Gear
- The Best Gadgets

The best gear and gadgets kind of go hand-in-hand when tailgating and the things that come to mind when this topic comes up are the ones that are the exceptions, the outlandish, the unique. Of course, we've all seen the barbecue grills, the great tables full of amazing spreads of food and libation. At times, we've heard the music blaring from cars, boom boxes and even DJ's on flatbeds with generators powering the turntables, computers and sub woofers loud enough to be heard for city blocks. I've even seen a few bands set up and play a few sets in certain lots.

The best gear and gadgets I've seen while tailgating admittedly wasn't even at the Baltimore Ravens games, but was at a Philadelphia Eagles playoff game a few years ago. Philly fans have "earned" their reputation as the  worst  most passionate of all football fans, as legend has it that they even once booed and threw snowballs at Santa Claus! When I walked through their parking lots surrounding their new stadium, I saw a fleet of motor homes decked out with all the options and then some. Many places had extra parking spots where they would set up a four-poled tent, lay down some carpeting, put a sofa and TV with a generator and then wrap the entire tent in plastic wrap. They cut a slit in the plastic as an entrance and then hooked a space heater up to the generator with the TV to fill the "room" with heat as they partied and watched TV. Many of those little "rooms" were filled with fans that never even went to the game as they had their own "skybox party suite" to enjoy the game in!

Those were the best gear and gadget tailgating ideas that I had ever seen and so far, I've not seen anything to measure up in the Ravens lots that I've been around near M&T Bank Stadium. What do you have to compete with that?

We're going to continue this topic on a weekly basis to give our readers a chance to pimp what they do to make their tailgating experience the best there is. Whether it be at the Baltimore Ravens games, other local sports events (Terps, Orioles - what?), let us know what you bring to eat, drink and play with as you await your team's game. The topics we will hit weekly will be: 

- The Best Food
- The Best Drinks
- The Best Festivities
- The Best Gear
- The Best Gadgets

This week, instead of moving down the list and focusing on the best gear for tailgating, we're going to bring in Kim Ritchie, who works for the marketing company that represents The Classic Catering People - the official caterers of Ravens Training Camp. I have had the access and privilege to eat at the team hotel with other media and believe me, the food is excellent and plentiful! Classic Catering is holding a great contest for the ultimate tailgating experience that you can enter and win for you and your friends (just don't forget to bring the Captain Morgan). Here is the gist from her email to me:

I came across your blog and, given your recent entries about tailgating, thought you and your readers might be interested in Classic Catering’s Ravens Tailgate Sweepstakes, which is currently being hosted on their Facebook Page. 

The grand prize winner of this sweepstakes will receive a Ravens Tailgate Feast for ten people, prepared onsite by a Classic Catering Chef on December 19, 2010 (for the Saints game). The Tailgate Feast can either be prepared at the M&T Bank Stadium parking lot OR at a residential location of the winner’s choice (within 40 miles of Owings Mills, MD). There’s also a second place prize, which is a Ravens Party Platter for ten people.  
 
To enter the sweepstakes just: 
1.       Go to http://www.facebook.com/TheClassicCateringPeople
2.       Click on the "Like" button.
3.       Select the "Sweepstakes" Tab and complete the simple form.
 
Best of luck if you decide to enter!

Next week, we'll write about the best gear and gadgets that enhance your tailgating experience.

We're going to continue this topic on a weekly basis to give our readers a chance to pimp what they do to make their tailgating experience the best there is. Whether it be at the Baltimore Ravens games, other local sports events (Terps, Orioles - what?), let us know what you bring to eat, drink and play with as you await your team's game. The topics we will hit weekly will be: 

- The Best Food
- The Best Drinks
- The Best Festivities
- The Best Gear
- The Best Gadgets

This week we are going to focus on the festivities at the tailgating lot that enhances the already great time you've started with the food and drinking that we wrote about  the past two weeks. For many of us, the festivities are enjoyable just eating, drinking and sitting around shooting the ...bull and talking football and who knows what else? Sharing the good times with those around make the football game the perfect ending for what has already been a great day.

But others take it to another level. They bring speakers and set up music for the entire lot to enjoy. I've seen bands in the tailgating lots playing to the surrounding crowd. There are always those bean-bag toss games and of course, you can't forget the old-time tradition of tossing the pigskin around that has so many of us laughing t the poor abilities f those in the parking lots compared to those inside the stadium.

So now it's over to you, the readers, to tell us what festivities you enjoy, see around you or have experienced over the years of tailgating.

Captain Morgan & Marisa Miller in "Welcome to the Captain's World" Video (via CaptainMorgan)

We're going to do this topic on a weekly basis to give our readers a chance to pimp what they do to make their tailgating experience the best there is. Whether it be at the Baltimore Ravens games, other local sports events (Terps, Orioles - what?), let us know what you bring to eat, drink and play with as you await your team's game. The topics we will hit weekly will be: 

- The Best Food
- The Best Drinks
- The Best Festivities
- The Best Gear
- The Best Gadgets

This week we are obviously focusing on the drinking aspect of the tailgating experience, as noted in the title of this post. The staple of any tailgating party is of course, beer. But what beer and in what form is where the differences start. Bottles, cans, local, imports, kegs are all part of the entire spread, and then we move onto the hard liquor. Of course, in this sponsored post, we recommend Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum, and specifically this writer personally recommend the 100 Proof version of Captain Morgans, with a splash of diet coke and no lime!

Many fans will cook up a concoction of liquor(s) and juices, sodas and who knows what to celebrate with their own recipe specifically for tailgating. Usually, this drink is designed for the maximum effect of the alcohol in as short a time as possible. You know those drinks, right? They're the one that you know were consumed by those "fans asleep in the seats near you by halftime!

What do you do?

Captain Morgan & Marisa Miller in "Welcome to the Captain's World" Video (via CaptainMorgan)

We're going to do this topic on a weekly basis to give our readers a chance to pimp what they do to make their tailgating experience the best there is. Whether it be at the Baltimore Ravens games, other local sports events (Terps, Orioles - what?), let us know what you bring to eat, drink and play with as you await your team's game. The topics we will hit weekly will be: 

- The Best Food
- The Best Drinks
- The Best Festivities
- The Best Gear
- The Best Gadgets

This week we'll focus on the "Best Food" category. While my group of five are far from the serious type that set up grills to barbecue, bring tents, generators and loud music, we do our regular thing each home game. We order sandwiches at the local deli, set up a table, chairs and sometimes blast loud music from the back of the Jeep. Our food revolves around the typical delicatessen food starting with hot lean corned beef on rye with mustard, and then add all the side items, washed down with beer, sodas and the occasional shooter. Yes, as you can see, we live on the edge and know how to party like rock stars!

What do you do?

Captain Morgan & Marisa Miller in "Welcome to the Captain's World" Video (via CaptainMorgan)