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?