by J. Brooks Terry and
Bradley Parsons
Staff Writers
It’s become as much a part of the football experience as the game itself. Along with the National Anthem, tailgating — a loose mix of outdoor cooking, drinking and socializing — has established itself as a preliminary, and essential, staple to any college or professional football game.
“It’s just not the same if you go straight to the game,” said Joey Morley, a tailgater at a recent Jacksonville Jaguars game. “Tailgating is like the pregame warmup for the fans. If you do it right, it gets you in the mood to watch a good game.”
For local NFL fans, tailgating remains a relatively new phenomenon, with many regulars around the perimeter of Alltel Stadium remaining a presence since Jacksonville earned the franchise nearly a decade ago.
“Since 1995, and we come back every year,” said Gary Landschoot amidst the potato salad, hamburgers and makeshift wet bar. “From the beginning, we said we weren’t going to care what kind of season we’re having. We still try to have a good time and we usually do.”
The group led by Morley has been stationing themselves near the WJCT offices since the Jags first season, before many were old enough to drive.
“It’s definitely a tradition,” said Morley while looking over his Fantasy Football lineup, his eyes never leaving the page. “My parents are going to be stopping by later. I used to ride with them for the first few seasons, but when I turned 21, we had to put a stop to that.”
And while the jovial mood surrounding any tailgating party varies only slightly from group to group, there does exist a level of near subconscious and unspoken competition.
“While you walk up, you tend to casually keep your eye out for who has the best looking spread,” said Gary Coyle from the back of his Ford F-150. “Every once in a while you walk by a group who has a really nice set up and you think to yourself, ‘damn.’ ”
Before having his photo taken, Morley balked.
“Man, you should have been here earlier when things were really going,” he said insistently. “Seriously, we had a lot of food out.”
Most agree that the competition to lay out the most impressive spread remains nearly as fierce as the competition on the field.
Tailgater Brendan Slattery recalls a 1999 game when he and group of his friends loaded up his parents’ living room furniture and set it up it in the stadium parking lot, creating a replica of Slattery’s floor plan at home.
“We got on TV that year,” he said. “My parents weren’t too happy when they got us on the 11 p.m. broadcast, but we laugh about it now.”
The rivalries even extend into the game day cuisine, creating a near civil war among those who have prepared the food.
“That’s where the wives who aren’t really into football can have fun,” said Lynde Wiseman. “Everyone has their own signature dish that they bring every time. You can almost look at what’s on the table to see who hasn’t shown up yet.”
Wiseman prepared the seven-layer Mexican dip.
“It doesn’t last very long,” she said, gleaming. “That’s a good feeling.”
And while game day frenzy typically remains isolated near Alltel, remote activities do exist.
Rather than spend their Sundays sitting atop hot asphalt, Jack and Beverly Hite spend their pregame hours at sea. They’re part of an armada that bypass pre- and postgame traffic delays, choosing to navigate the St. Johns River to Jaguars games.
Hite and his wife have “boatgated” to every Jaguars home game for the past seven years, and, like most “true tailgaters” says a 1-4 record isn’t about to keep him home on Sunday.
“We’re real fans,” said Hite. “Whatever the record we’ll still be out here. It’s a great way to spend the day with your family.”
Hite said the marina has remained filled to capacity despite the Jaguars recent second half blow-ups. He added the marina provides an ideal pregame atmosphere. While adults bob lazily on the St. Johns with a beverage in hand, children can run rampant at the Kid’s Kampus next to the marina.
And now with one victory under their belt, Jaguars fans who show up regardless say they don’t care if fair weather fans try to encroach on the fun at the next home game Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
“It’s not like that,” said Slattery. “We all just want to have a good time when we get here. If we don’t see you every time, that’s fine. We just don’t understand what else could you possibly be doing.”