Inside Tailgating: Spring 2016

GRILLS & GEAR - FOOD & DRINK - FANS & THRILLS

KENNY WALLACE WHY NASCAR TAILGATING REIGNS SUPREME

Spring 2016

5 HEROES

SPORTHOLE GAMES: CORNHOLE WITH A TWIST

OF THE

TAILGATE

Why Not Wine?

Broaden Your Tailgating Horizons www.insidetailgating.com

GRILLED SHRIMP & WATERMELON SALAD THE PERFECT BALANCE

ON THE COVER

28 Heroes of the Tailgate

Prince the Tailgater In this edition of Inside Tailgating, Natasha Pearl Hansen categorizes the Heroes of the Tailgate: Influencer, GameMaster, God of the Grill, SuperStition, and Ultimate Fan. Her take on heroes brought to mind a hero of mine, Prince, who died recently. His passing is personal.

Prince’s personality traits touch all of the categories Natasha pitches to us. An Influencer—This one is pretty self-explanatory, as Prince’s influences can be heard throughout the music industry and the artists he wrote songs for and performed with. A GameMaster—He once schooled Jimmy Fallon in a secret game of Ping Pong. Grill God—He loved to provide food; if there was a grilling competition for veggies and pancakes, I am sure he would be the God. SuperStition—He had plenty of them.

Ultimate Fan—He loved his Minnesota sports teams, loved all music, but most importantly he loved all human beings and their differences. In the best Tailgating Lots, you see enemies embracing and breaking bread with each other. Prince was always striving to create harmony among people with significant differences.

Prince can’t fit squarely into one of Natasha’s Tailgate Heroes categories, or Dr. Phil’s psychological categories, or the Grammy’s musical categories.

People who want to debate or rank the greatest Super Bowl halftime shows of all time, feel free to waste your time, it is Prince. At his Super Bowl press conference, he didn’t take questions; he put on a show (Johnny B Goode, Anotherloverholenyohead, Get On The Boat). In a span of 15 minutes during the halftime show, he played songs or snippets from Queen, CCR, Bob Dylan, Foo Fighters—without their assistance and arguably better than the originals—plus four of his most popular songs. Closing with Purple Rain in the rain was scripted for him by his God. If someone asked me to choose between having an All-Access Super Bowl Experience or seeing Prince perform for 3 ½ hours like I did at an after-party in Las Vegas in a room of about 100 people, I would choose Prince without hesitation. It was the experience of a lifetime.

His Name is Prince. He is his own Category. He will be missed but will always grace the tailgate lots with Lil Big.

Stacey “Lil Big” Moore Publisher @LilBig02

GRILLS & GEAR

5 Elevate Grill Elevate Your Game 8 Sporthole Games Cornhole With a Twist 10 Forest River Georgetown GT3 Series

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FOOD & DRINK

14 Why Not Wine?

Broadening Your Tailgating Horizons 18 Grilled Shrimp & Watermelon Salad The Perfect Balance

FANS & THRILLS 21 Q&A With Kenny Wallace Why NASCAR Tailgating Reigns Supreme 24 Maguire University “We Play Hurt”

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21 INSIDE TAILGATING IS PRODUCED BY TAILGATING VENTURES, LLC:

FOR MARKETING AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES, CONTACT:

W. STACEY MOORE III: Managing Director smoore@insidetailgating.com 704-595-7603

W. STACEY MOORE III: Managing Director smoore@insidetailgating.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION BY Fiddlehead Studio & Press:

MICHAEL KEAN: Business Development michael@insidetailgating.com

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CARROLL ROGERS WALTON: Content Director carroll@insidetailgating.com

For information about distribution, newsstand sales or investment and franchise opportunities, please contact Stacey Moore at smoore@insidetailgating.com.

Inside Tailgating Volume 5, Issue 9, Spring 2016, Copyright© 2016 by Tailgating Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. Inside Tailgating™ is the trademark of Tailgating Ventures, LLC. Printed in the United States of America.

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Elevate Grill > Sporthole > Georgetown GT3 Series

Grills&Gear

ELEVATE YOUR GAME WITH

ELEVATE GRILL I

by Stacey Moore (Twitter: @LilBig02)

n sports, everyone is always looking for that game changer.

In the lots, the game changer for portable grills is currently Elevate Grill. The sleek design of this grill is simply innovative.

Fortunately the functionality of this grill matches its impressive design. To elevate your game in the lots you definitely want to check out the Elevate Grill.

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GRILLS&GEAR

The Elevate Grill comes ready to use right out of the box. The only things needed are a one-pound standard propane tank and a battery for the ignitor. When you get past gawking at the unique design, you realize that this grill has handles and is stored upright. Usually, packing for a tailgate party centers around where the grill is going to go, but not with this grill because it can fit just about anywhere at the last minute. It can easily be carried with one hand and weighs less than 25 pounds.

This grill is extremely easy to set up. Split the handles and tuck them underneath the two grilling surfaces to provide the legs and base for the grill. There is no additional stand or a bulky integrated stand with this portable grill. The portable propane and regulator attachment is stored in the bottom compartment or the center of the grill when it is unfolded. Attach the arm and tank, press the ignitor and you are now cooking with gas.

Despite the small compact design, this grill features two large cooking areas that can be controlled at different temperatures. This dual surface design allows for maximum flexibility when creating your tailgating menu because everything can be cooked at once instead of in stages. Plus, there will be no “crossing streams� with burger juices and veggies or fish, for example. If you want to go all meat on both

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GRILLS&GEAR

sides, the 286-square-inch cooking area allows for 12 steaks, 18 hamburgers or 36 hot dogs‌take your pick. There is a griddle insert that can replace one or both grill grates instead of having to set a griddle pan or mat on top of the grates.

The Elevate Grill is not only easy to store, easy to carry and easy to cook on, it is easy to clean. There are removable grill grates and grease pans that are dishwasher safe.

Cook now, clean later and don’t worry about how many beverages have been consumed between those two activities.

What is one thing that could make the Elevate Grill even better? How about having it come in your favorite team colors? They are working on that. For now, get this grill for under $250 at www.pointelevate.com.

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GRILLS&GEAR

by Stacey Moore (Twitter: @LilBig02)

SPORTHOLE GAMES: CORNHOLE WITH A TWIST

W

hat if you could play an outdoor tailgating game in the lots that relates to the actual sporting event you are about to go see in the stadium? The guys who created Sporthole Games, Ryan Furler and Mark Johnson, were thinking just that. Ryan says, “The idea to create a sports-oriented bag toss game came to me when I was about to go purchase a cornhole game. I built the first Sporthole football game in my garage from scrap lumber and leftover paint. It was pretty rough around the edges, but that prototype was the foundation of the 18 sports, pub & kids games we now offer.”

If variety is the spice of life, then Sporthole Games are providing the spice to tailgaters with all the different games that are offered. It is a game system that has a three-by-two foot game base with interchangeable game boards. Each game board has one unique game on each side. Do the math and you need one game base and nine game boards to play all 18 games. If you can play them all in one outing, you are tailgating too long or simply forgot to go to the game.

The game board options are as follows:

Sports Games

• Baseball & Basketball • Soccer & Hockey • Racing & Hunting • Football & Golf • Tennis & Volleyball

Pub Games

• Darts & Bowling • Shuffleboard & Cornhole

Kids Games

• Zoo & Playground • Dodgeball & Hopscotch

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E

EXAMPLE TURN AT-BAT

ach game is played by tossing a bag into a hole, similar to cornhole, but the gameplay and scoring is different for each game. For example, the Baseball rules are as follows:

• Just like real baseball, you move runners around the bases to score.

• First at-bat: Throw your first bag into the second base hole.

• Second at-bat: Throw your second bag into the first base hole (scoring the runner on second, and you now have a runner on first).

• Throw your bag at any hole.

• A double scores a runner on second and third and moves the runner on first to third (not first to home).

• First base hole counts as a single; second base hole counts as a double; third base hole counts as a triple.

• A triple scores everyone on base.

• A home run scores everyone on base, as well as the batter.

• A single scores a runner on second and third. A single also moves the runner on first to second (not first to third).

• Outs occur when a bag does not go through a hole. Three outs and you’re done; no fourth throw.

• Third at-bat: Throw your third bag into the second base hole (moving the runner on first to third, and you now have runners on second and third.)

• Fourth at-bat (assuming you don’t already have three outs): Throw your fourth bag into the first base hole (scoring both runners on second and third.)

Total runs for the inning = 3

Sound fun? Absolutely!

Make sure to check out all the game options at www.sportholegames.com and bring a new game to your tailgate that can be enjoyed by all players and all skill levels.

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GRILLS&GEAR

FOREST RIVER

GEORGETOWN GT3 SERIES

C

by Stacey Moore (Twitter: @LilBig02)

rossover RVs continue to be one of the hot segments in the RV industry. This segment emerged around four years ago and appeals to a wide range of potential RV buyers.

A Crossover RV basically takes the sleeping capacity and value of a Class C motorhome and combines that with the roominess, storage and higher-end features found in a Class A motorhome. A Crossover RV typically drives more like an SUV than a traditional RV and can fit into any tailgating lot, not just an RV lot.

The Forest River Georgetown GT3 Series is one of the newcomers on the block with a couple of different floor plan options and appealing features for tailgating.

The Georgetown brand has been a staple for Forest River since its inception.

This popular Class A brand comes in a wide variety of sizes and floor plans that range from 28 feet to 38 feet long. The new GT3 series comes in two floor plans: the 30X3 and 31B3. The primary difference is that the 31B3 comes with bunk beds and does not have the option for an exterior camp kitchen. There are some other small differences that will be highlighted when discussing the best model option for tailgaters, the 30X3.

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The exterior of the GT3 has a nice sleek look to it with a fiberglass front cap with an automotive-style windshield and LED lighting in the front. It has a colored fiberglass with a gel coating that makes the exterior harder, more durable and gives it a shiny look. It has heated power mirrors and 19-inch wheels. One of the best standard features is a 20-foot powered awning with LED lighting underneath. There is plenty of exterior storage with a large area in the back to slide in tents, cornhole boards and grills.

There are two exterior options that are great for tailgating. The first is the exterior entertainment system with a TV and speakers, obviously a must-have for any kind of tailgating these days.

Another great option is the exterior camp kitchen. This area is near the back of the RV and features a mini-fridge and freezer, stainless steel sink, countertop, storage cabinet, and LED light. This

THE BASIC STATS FOR THE 30X3 ARE:

• Ford Chassis with a V-10 Engine • 31’11” Length • 12’2” Exterior Height and 82” Interior Height • 190” Wheelbase option package includes an LP Grill with a stand that connects directly to the RV, instead of having to lug around a tank or switch out those small canisters.

The interior has a fresh modern feel with flush floor construction throughout the motorhome. The cockpit features two captain’s chairs that swivel and a small table can be put between them.

It has a Pioneer dash AM/FM radio that can include a DVD player or CD player.

It also incorporates rear cameras, side cameras, USB plug-in and is Bluetooth-

enabled for a hands-free system. There is also an option to get a manual or automatic bed installed in the overhead of the cockpit.

The GT3 30X3 has two slideouts on the driver’s side of the motorhome. One is for the bedroom and the king size bed. The other is for the living area that has a couch and dinette on the same side, the opposite side of where most of the outdoor tailgating will be happening.

The sofa has two footrests integrated into them and has an actual hideaway

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GRILLS&GEAR

bed with a mattress. That means no jackknife sofa or air mattress in this living area. It features a dinette that is wider than most and allows for four seatbelts. There are eight seatbelts total in this crossover RV, more than is typically found in larger RVs. There is quite a bit of counter space and storage in the kitchen for an RV of this size. It has a standard refrigerator with freezer. The three-burner stove with an oven has a glass top cover to give extra counter space and avoid the noisy rattle of typical metal covers.

Above the counter is a 40-inch TV that lifts up and has a storage area behind it. The 24-inch TV in the bedroom does the same thing as well.

Another great aspect of this crossover RV is that is has a split bathroom. This allows either the bedroom or the bathroom and bedroom area to be shut off from the living area with a pocket door. For tailgating purposes, it is always nice to have the toilet separate from the shower. The large shower features a glass door, not a metal rod with a curtain. This RV comes standard with Artic Pack Enclosed Tanks for really cold weather tailgating or camping.

Considering all of the interior and exterior features of this motorhome, the Forest River Georgetown GT3 30X3 is an ideal option for the tailgating lifestyle as well as the RV lifestyle. For more information check out the Forest River website: www.forestriverinc.com

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The body of a tailgater requires special nourishment.

Food&Drink

by Carroll Rogers Walton (Twitter: @CarrollRogers)

WHY NOT

WINE? BROADENING YOUR TAILGATING HORIZONS

A

lmost 30 years later, wine country is making its way back into NASCAR, taking the tailgating culture upscale, even for the gearheaded faithful. Sonoma sommelier—a.k.a. wine expert and educator—Chris Sawyer sees it more and more every day.

“Even though people want to associate NASCAR and drinking beer and cocktails, well you can do it with wine too,” said Sawyer, who hosted corporate wine-tasting events at the IndyCar race in Sonoma last August. “You’re starting to find a lot more people, especially as the food culture expands, who are starting to drink wine a lot more.”

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FOOD&DRINK Sawyer points out that more people than ever are watching the Food Network and trying to up their game at tailgating events at a variety of sports. So whether it’s NASCAR, college football or the Kentucky Derby, gourmet food is not just for professional chefs anymore. Tailgaters can turn up the taste with something as simple as using flavored butters to spice up an ear of roasted corn.

“People put a lot more effort into tailgating parties than they ever have,” Sawyer said. “The food culture has grown up so much. The styles of food now available out there (are broadening,) with all the hip restaurants in major metropolitan cities, whether it’s Charlotte or Talladega, places like that, and the kind of recipes they’re following. The difference between 20 years ago and what we have today is that food culture and tailgates really do have a connection. We’re really going to a different level than we’ve ever been before. Because of that, these pairings we have are not so primitive. They’re not steak and potatoes.

They’re much more complicated.”

Sawyer offered “Inside Tailgating” readers some tips on how to pair great wines with great tailgating fare.

He suggested using a “spicy” zinfandel or a petite sirah with smoked meats. For gamier meats like duck, bigger roasts, or venison stew, he recommends a sirah. With something “smoother” like salmon, he suggests a merlot or pinot noir.

A tailgating staple like barbecue chicken, or something made with the garlic and olive oil-based aioli sauce, could be paired with a chardonnay.

“There are better, more nuanced styles of chardonnay on the market than there have ever been before,” Sawyer said. “You can find ones with higher acidity and more tangy flavors.

Those are the kind of things you want to do with these special sauces with chicken dishes.”

For seafood dishes and fish tacos, he recommends a sauvignon blanc.

“Once again you’ve got higher acid,

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and it can really cut through that kind of saltiness,” Sawyer said.

Tailgating also has a place for sparkling wine—known to many of us as champagne—and it might be surprising to note that Sawyer said sparkling wine pairs with a lot of the same tailgating favorites that beer does.

“Beer can really go with a lot of different things because of yeast and hops and all these kind of flavors put

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FOOD&DRINK

But if you have a good group that likes drinking wine, it’s worth buying some real stemware.”

For more information on Chris Sawyer and the wines he recommends, go to www.SawyerSomm.com or reach out on Twitter: @sawyersommelier into these beers that are consistently good, especially microbrews,” Sawyer said. “But sparkling wines are right up there too.”

He served Gloria Ferrer brut at the event he hosted in August, a brand he said it easily accessible nationwide.

“When you have a sparkling wine and if it says ‘brut,’ it’s probably a combination of both chardonnay and pinot noir grapes inside that bottle,” Sawyer said. “So you can pair it with a wider range of foods if you like sparkling wine. You could do fish dishes and chicken dishes. One of the greatest things you’ll ever learn about sparkling wine is how well it works with salt—oysters, French fries, saltier, smoky meats, things like that.”

When it comes to the practical side of serving wine at tailgates, it might seem like a difficult proposition. A red Solo cup is not the best presentation for wine. But Sawyer said that there are plastic wine glasses on the market that will do the job just fine, or if you’re a regular tailgater, and you’re known for being a wine connoisseur anyway, why not bring a case of glasses and re-use them one event to the next?

“You can find something for $4 a stem that’s fairly durable,” Sawyer said. “If you dropped it on a table, it would probably survive. If you drop it on cement, it’s not going to survive.

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FOOD&DRINK

by Derek Buono (Twitter: @BeerMagazine)

Grilled Shrimp & Watermelon Salad T his is a quick salad that really screams summer.

It is perfect for those hot summer days when all you want to do is be outside with cold beer and a hot grill. The salad combines the best ingredients summer has to offer: grilled shrimp, ripe watermelon and basil. A bit of goat cheese, macadamia nuts and ginger complete the masterpiece.

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The Perfect Balance of Crunchy and Soft, Savory and Sweet The key to this salad is balance. You are balancing the warm shrimp with the cool watermelon, the rice vinegar with the canola oil and the soft ingredients with the crunch of the macadamia nut. A good salad should

satisfy all of your taste buds, from savory to sweet, crunchy to soft, salty to acidic. Most importantly, it should be refreshing. This salad accomplishes just that. A good wheat beer is a perfect match.

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Ingredients

20 shrimp, cleaned and deveined 1/2 watermelon, seedless and ripe 1 lemon 1 egg yolk 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup rice vinegar 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin 1/2 cup water 1 1/2 cup canola oil kosher salt to taste granulated sugar to taste 4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and roughly chopped Basil, small bunch, torn TO FINISH: sea salt, preferably Maldon or sel gris and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

1. Turn the grill to medium-high. While it’s heating, place the shrimp on wooden skewers that have been soaked in water.

Putting the shrimp on skewers will help to cook them evenly and easily remove them from the grill.

2. Cut the watermelon into various shapes, making sure to remove all rind including the white. You should be left with only the sweet red fruit. Place the melon in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside.

TIPS

• If you can’t grill the shrimp, briefly sear them in a pan with a small amount of oil.

For more BEER check out www.thebeermag.com

• Don’t like goat cheese? Leave it off. Whatever you do, don’t use just any cheese. Shrimp must be delicately balanced with cheese, so maybe replace the goat cheese with manchego not bleu cheese.

3. In a blender, place the egg yolk, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger and water.

Blend for 20 seconds or until smooth.

Then slowly begin adding the canola oil until a nice, thick emulsion has formed.

Season the dressing with salt and sugar.

Set aside.

4. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then place on the grill. Let cook on each side for about 2 minutes. Once shrimp have just turned white, remove and place on a plate to rest for 2 or 3 minutes.

5. Arrange the watermelon on a plate, followed by the shrimp, goat cheese, ginger dressing, macadamia nuts and basil.

Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

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Kenny Wallace > Maguire > Heroes of the Tailgate

Fans&Thrills

by Carroll Rogers Walton (Twitter: @CarrollRogers)

Q& A

WITH FORMER

NASCAR DRIVER KENNY WALLACE

F

ox Sports broadcaster and former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace grew up in St. Louis, MO in a race car family, the youngest of Russ Wallace’s three sons and brother of Rusty and Mike Wallace. He had a successful driving

Wallace on Why NASCAR Tailgating Reigns Supreme...

career of his own, winning nine races in the Xfinity series, but he is also a man of the people and won the NASCAR Busch Series “Most Popular Driver” three times.

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FANS&THRILLS He has a history of mingling with fans, taking them up on invitations to join their tailgates including one in Atlanta where fans had hoisted a sign beckoning “Kenny Wallace to stop here and party with us.” He has also joined fans for motorized barstool racing, where participants put a go-cart motor and four wheels on bar stools and race them, giving Cornhole a run as the most inventive tailgate activity.

Wallace, who retired last year from all but some dirt racing, is back on pre-race broadcasts this season. Wallace spoke with “Inside Tailgating” about what he thinks makes NASCAR tailgating so unique and why he believes racing is still the “biggest spectator sport in all the world.”

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Q. So what do you think gives NASCAR the edge over other popular tailgating sports like the NFL, college football and Major League Baseball?

A. These fans will purchase a motor home or a travel trailer or a tent and make NASCAR part of their life—whether they’re retired or they’ve got a couple weeks off for vacation. They’re not going to Europe. They’re not going to Nassau, Bahamas. They have bought this motorhome because two to four times a year they’re going to NASCAR races. And it’s not just all about watching the race cars. It’s about the experience of the people. I hear it all the time and I see it and I’m a part of it. It’s definitely a happening.

Q. So what makes it a happening?

A. NASCAR is just a completely different animal, unlike anything in professional sports. All the other stuff is days. The Super Bowl is one day. Our Super Bowl is the Daytona 500, and it’s over a week long. People make relationships because they’re not tailgating for three, four hours, they’re tailgating for days. When you tailgate at an NFL game, you’re tailgating for that day, and 99 percent of the people you’re tailgating with are from around your hometown. When you tailgate at a NASCAR event, you’re going to be there from Thursday night to Sunday and you’re meeting people from all over the United States. I have some very good friends (who say) one of the reasons they go to Bristol is that they

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FANS&THRILLS

meet new people. They were born and raised in Charlotte, N.C. and they’re spending time with people from New York and different parts of the country.

Q. Which race has the best tailgating in your mind?

A. Nothing beats the August race in Bristol. The Bristol, Va./Bristol, Tenn. line is right down the middle of the town, and they have so many epic events for the fans. They start on a Thursday night with Fan Fest, where the drivers can sign autographs, and they’ve got video games, and the sponsors really get involved. Then Thursday night, there’s the race hauler parade: 44 semi-tractors, beautifully painted up for their favorite driver.

Fans will line 10 miles on both sides of Highway 11 going from Bristol, Tenn. all the way to the racetrack. The fans are cheering, horns are honking and

people are eating and drinking, tailgating alongside the highway. It’s nothing for them to set up three, four hours ahead of time. The haulers will ride into the race track and park, up until 10 o’clock on Thursday night. Then (fans) all go back to their campgrounds and wake up that next morning and sit in the grandstands and watch practice and qualifying. Then they do it all over again. Bristol has the big ol’ green hillside, and it’s packed with hundreds of motor homes and tents.

Q. Where else is there a oneof-a-kind tailgating scene?

A. The one that rivals Bristol is Talladega.

Talladega Boulevard at the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway—the road that runs right in the middle of the infield—is epic. I know people that go to Talladega for Talladega Boulevard. It gets wild.

They’ve got naked girls, mudwrestling

competitions, and firewood burning so thick you can’t breathe. On Sunday morning, the day of the race, there have been plenty of times where I’ve been up at 7 o’clock and I have to go to work, and there are people passed out right out in the open. You name it, it’s happening there. It’s Studio 54 all over again, except the people of Alabama put their own twist on it, and they are a load of fun. They are avid.

The difference between Bristol and Talladega is 99 percent of the fans at Talladega are Earnhardt fans. So you can’t go wrong going to Talladega and putting on your Dale Earnhardt Jr. gear.

Bristol is a little bit of everything. It’s far enough up that you’re going to get all types of fans. But once you get to Talladega. It’s just easier for you to wear your Earnhardt stuff.

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FANS&THRILLS

by Carroll Rogers Walton (Twitter: @CarrollRogers)

MAGUIRE UNIVERSITY “WE PLAY HURT”

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F

orget bracket busters, or long odds, there’s one university that makes the Final Four in men’s college basketball every year: Maguire University.

What started as a prank 53 years ago is now the stuff of legend, and the mythical Maguire University is still going strong.

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FANS&THRILLS Maguire “University” was founded in 1963 by a group of high school and small college basketball coaches from Chicago who wanted tickets to the Final Four. Loyola of Chicago made it and a group of guys who hung out together at a bar in Chicago called Maguire’s needed a way in—so they created a fictitious university.

They fooled the NCAA into thinking they were an accredited institution and for 10 years, they scored Final Four tickets and at one point even appeared in the NCAA directory until they were outed by the media.

A sportswriter in Chicago busted the hoax, and the story of Maguire University made it all the way to the pages of Sports Illustrated. They lost their “in” with the NCAA but gained favor with others fans, coaches and staff. Maguire University is a source of entertainment for people in and around college basketball, and they, in turn, give Maguire a great source for tickets.

“Coaches and fans who know about Maguire will call me up (and offer tickets),” said Art Duffy of Chicago, now “Chancellor” of Maguire University, who has been going to the Final Four for 21 straight years.

“It started as a small Chicago tradition, and over the past 13 years—since 2003—it’s become all

over,” Duffy said. “We have New York guys, Kansas City guys, L.A. guys. We meet at the Final Four and it’s like we saw each other yesterday.

The mailing list is 1,000-plus.”

Duffy instituted “Title IX” when he took over as chancellor in 2003, allowing women to “enroll.”

The only criteria now?

“As long as you like college

basketball,” he said. “And clean up after yourself.”

Their motto is “we play hurt,” and they’re talking about hangovers.

Duffy secures the hotel rooms and sets up a suite with a fully stocked bar and buffet for Maguire “students” and alum to socialize all weekend. Some score tickets for the semifinal games on Saturday and

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FANS&THRILLS the championship game on Monday.

Some just stay and watch the games in the hotel suite.

Every year they host a graduation, complete with caps, gowns and degrees.

“You get your diploma in bracketology,” Duffy said. “With a minor in intoxicology.”

If they go four years straight they graduate. Five years? Masters degree.

“Some take seven years to graduate,” Duffy said. “Some graduate in four.”

A lot depends on what cities are hosting the Final Four. Next year’s hotel in Phoenix is already sold out.

In New Orleans in 2012, they had a

couple of hundred people come. In Houston this year they had only 70.

There’s only one other way to graduate from Maguire University.

“Win a national championship,” Duffy said.

Duffy awards degrees to the winning coaches every year. Billy Donovan dropped by their hotel suite after Florida won the national title in Atlanta in 2007. Rick Pitino earned his degree with Louisville in 2013. Mike Krzyzewski has not only a degree, but got his masters after winning the national title over Wisconsin last year.

Duffy shows up at the Winged Foot awards banquet at the New York Athletic Club which honors the winning coaches of the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments.

He hangs out in the bar where he graduates the winning men’s coach.

“These coaches know,” Duffy said. “It’s all a cult thing. Rick Pitino, when he saw me, he goes, ‘You’re the Maguire guy, right? Where’s my diploma? Where’s my shirt?’”

“They all know it’s coming and they all want to be a part of it,” Duffy said. “Last year I gave Coach K his masters because he won again.

He said ‘Art, come here. Give me my masters now because I have a flight out right after this. I won’t be in the bar.’ So I graduated him right there on the stage.”

Some Maguire alumni go to the Final Four just for the peoplewatching at all the events and the camaraderie of the party in the hotel suite. Adam Martucci, a freelance ad salesman from Connecticut, has been going to the Final Four with Maguire for the past five years and has yet to go to a game.

He and seven of his buddies from New York go every year.

“It’s the friendships you make and hanging out with everybody over those few days,” Martucci said.

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FANS&THRILLS

by Natasha Pearl Hansen

A

s a kid growing up in southern Wisconsin, I had always looked north to Green Bay as this mystical land where giant pigskin warriors lived and thrived on a frozen tundra, unbearable for the likes of us regular folk. A land where houses were made of cheese, and Brett Favre ruled on a green and gold throne donning a velvet cape and an emerald scepter.

That on days the Pack won, neighborhoods around Green Bay would shoot fried cheese curds and money out of cannons, and beer would be free to all who lived within the city limits for a week, creating a sort of week-long adult snow day.

HEROES OF THE TAILGATE Play play play.

Dream dream dream.

So, maybe this land was all in my mind, but never being able to get my hands on the highly-coveted Lambeau tickets, I had to create my own amazing world in which to enjoy the game days.

Welcome the tailgate party.

When it comes to hosting the most awesome tailgate ever, we can find articles upon articles about how to grill, what to bring, what to wear,

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where to be and how to stock your cooler. But personally, I have always found the importance to be in the PEOPLE you have in your corner.

Yes, my friends. The tailgate heroes.

The folks who make every game day the best day ever, even if the closest you can get to the game is the parking lot.

Here I will introduce the Heroes of the Tailgate. The pals you need around to make a football party fun, lively, ridiculous, delicious, and all around badass.

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FANS&THRILLS

The Influencer

No need to bring your own cooler; that’s this hero’s domain. The Influencer arrives before the party has even begun. The parking lot is empty, and this person uses that chance to start recruiting new game day friends, whether they like it or not.

In charge of beer, booze, and all things in the form of liquid fun, this person is willing and able to rally passers-by who also seem capable of joining the coming festivities.

Don’t have a beer in your hand? The Influencer will change that. Want whiskey? He or she has got it right here, in this flask!

Need something more low key?

Flavored rum. Bam. Want to look like a super champ for the ladies? This guy or gal can bust out the beer bong in a super flash. The Influencer is extremely convincing and can even make grandmothers grudgingly accept a shot of gin without much hesitation. He or she will not go down without a fight, and hopefully, leave not a soul sober.

Dangerous, but wonderful, The Influencer is a must­-have at any true party.

GameMaster

Skills on skills on skills for games.

The GameMaster likes to make money placing small bets on party games. And today, bet you shall, because this hero is the master of them all. Bets can be in the form of money, or shot­-taking, or dares.

Either way, this person wants to see people lose and win in the most awesome way possible.

Cornhole (beanbags, bags, whatever...), beer pong, flip cup, dice, lawn darts if things get real cray, this skilled hero can play them all, and with mastery. It’s serious business.

A skilled game day game player is an absolute must, because someone has to show the regular folk that not everyone can just walk up and excel at these games. It takes years and years of practice and sweat, a lot of gusto, and the ultimate confidence to kick ass at beer pong like this!

However, GameMasters delight in rallying people during lulls in the game, and cultivating a competitive and vibrant spirit throughout the night.

Let the other games begin.

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FANS&THRILLS God of the Grill

Saving booze­-filled tummies one grease patty at a time, this hero prides himself on being the master of meat, seasoning, and condiments.

‘Have grill, will travel’ is his motto, and his vehicle even has grill attachments for backup.

Ninja of tongs. Master of meats. Colossus of coals. Prince of propane.

People flock from neighboring parties simply to see what this one’s a­ cookin'. Revel in it. How do they burn nothing? It is true mastery. An art.

Oooh, is someone a vegetarian in our midst? What a shame. Ignore this hero’s disappointment as he retrieves the box of ‘just in case’ bean patties and reluctantly places one on the grill next to the luscious beef, whilst he mean-mugs you.

SuperStition

Everyone knows, loves and fears this hero. The fan whose superstitions rule his football fanhood.

“I won every game I ever played in high school wearing THIS EXACT jersey. I wear it every game day.

Never been washed. Can’t do it.” ­­Great, dude! Febreze away!

Let this pal live and breathe in his bubble of mismatched socks, omens, random sports­-unrelated paraphernalia and lucky wardrobe pieces. It makes for a hilarious spectacle.

Remember, the outcome of each game rests solely in the hands of the superstitious fans. Forgot your lucky dirty sneakers from that fluke track event you won in ‘99? AND the Vikings lost? Not coincidence...

All. Your. Fault.

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Check out more Fans & Thrills at www.insidetailgating.com

FANS&THRILLS Ultimate Fan

My personal favorite of all the heroes. This person goes BIG. We’re talkin’ body paint, jerseys, hair color, any specialty item that has ever been sold in your team’s sporting goods stores EVER. He or she has got it all.

Need to know a stat? Logged in that brain like a champion lie the most random, seemingly useless bits of facts, stats, hall­of­fame trivia and numbers that come in handy every time a major play occurs. The breadth of knowledge this human carries with him or her is ASTOUNDING. Who needs Google when you’ve got a mind like the ultimate fan? Not this party.

Not only is this hero full of information, but he or she is also the loudest person watching the game.

“We” and “Us” are commonly used because, in this hero’s brain, HE IS ON THE TEAM. Appreciate this ultimate fan for the intelligence and energy he brings to the party!

D

o you fit more than one of these fantastical qualities? Wow. Good job. Your friends better appreciate you and your vital and multi­purpose presence. Or get new friends.

Not one of these heroes? Cool.

Because any trait can be useful in a group of rando’s. Got mad skills DJ-ing on your iPad? Bro. Necessary. Are you the person who always has a band of hot chicks with personality hanging around you? Uber necessary.

Are you the person who can turn

your perfect locale of a driveway into a makeshift parking lot for strangers to palm you cash to use?

You’re the person who saved many a party house in college from going broke. We thank you.

Even the most useless of talents have a place at a party.

Find your skill. Find your crew.

Have a blast. Watch some football.

Eat great food. Laugh a ton. Throw a shindig to remember.

BE A HERO! Or be boring and each chips alone on your couch. Your call.

Check out more Fans & Thrills at www.insidetailgating.com

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