Category: Press Releases > Freedom Grill    Email A Friend      Print This Page Click to enlarge EXTREME TAILGATING Or, "This Aint Your Grandpas Tailgate Party" Freedom Grill—Monday, October 03, 2005 As summer starts to wind down, just one thing is on sports fans’ mind: FOOTBALL! And football season means tailgating season—serious tailgating. Long an American tradition, tailgating is fast growing to become a new competitive sport in and of itself. Consider the facts: According to Joe Cahn, the self-proclaimed “Commissioner of Tailgating” and author of the 2002-03 State of Tailgating Report, 47% of tailgaters surveyed say they tailgate 6 to 10 times per season; another 4% are diehard fans who tailgate more than 16 times per season. Football fans are serious about tailgating. A whopping 93% of tailgaters arrive over 3 hours prior to game time, and 15% start the party more than 7 hours early. Some even arrive days before the game. Many stadiums have set aside entire sections of their parking lots specifically for tailgating. For example, the Denver Broncos have a cash tailgating lot that opens 6 hours before game-time; the Packers’ Lambeau Field and the Texans’ Reliant Stadium also accommodate tailgaters in special areas. As the tailgating trend continues to evolve, tailgaters are growing more sophisticated with their methods, equipment, and recipes. While there will always be a number of fans tailgating with cheap, disposable grills, chips, and coolers of drinks, it is becoming increasingly common to find more and more fans going all out for the best tailgating experiences possible. Extreme Tailgating For Extreme Tailgating fans, no stone goes unturned in the search for the perfect tailgate party. The trick for Extreme Tailgaters is to find creative ways to have an ultra-cool party, with outstanding food, first-class beverages, and amazing gadgets to keep the guests entertained and make the party memorable. Once you’ve done “the extreme,” you’ll never go back to ordinary, ho-hum tailgating. You’ll be in good company. The Baltimore Ravens have the SWAT (Stop Working and Tailgate) Emergency Tailgating unit. There is even a group in Detroit, the “Tubgaters,” that brings a hot tub with them to Lions games. Nearly every major team has at least one highly customized tailgating vehicle in the lot on Saturday or Sunday. Tailgating itself has become almost as competitive as the game of football, with fans determined to outdo one another on the blacktop. Do It Right To be a true tailgater and gain the respect of fellow partiers, it isn’t enough just to show up an hour before the game with some takeout. You need to put some thought into the details of your party, and take advantage of the many new tools and trends out there that can help your party be a raging success. Extreme Tailgating fans bring with them an assortment of high-tech toys, from fully equipped recreational vehicles to full-scale backyard gas grills, portable refrigerators and gas-powered blenders. With forethought and creativity, anyone can put together an Extreme Tailgate that will impress friends, neighbors and passers-by and generate terrific scenes for group snapshots. Key elements of Extreme Tailgating include the following: Location. Plan to arrive at the stadium the moment the gates open in order to get the best spot and start the festivities. The best spots to set up are at the end of rows, near grassy spots in some lots, or in the designated tailgate and RV areas. Decorating. Once the site has been picked out, it’s time to decorate so your friends can find you. There is no end to the possibilities for decorating a tailgating site in one’s favorite team colors and logos. A number of online stores specialize in offering every type of product imaginable with both NCAA and NFL team branding and most local sporting goods stores carry a nice selection of team gear. A roll of Astroturf can make a great rug for your space. Food. Good food is the soul of a great tailgate. Premium ground beef, steaks, chicken, shrimp, chili, ribs, bratwurst or sausages are all fair game. Proper food safety is a must so no one leaves the party feeling ill from the food. Use plenty of ice and a quality cooler to keep meat cold until cooking time. Grills. As mentioned earlier, there are all sorts of ways to prepare food at a tailgate. For convenience nothing beats a gas grill. A lot of portable gas grills are available but most of them have to go inside the vehicle for traveling. This can lead to spills and smells in the vehicle and leaves less room for important items such as chairs and drinks. Find a grill that attaches to the back of the truck or SUV and swings out of the way for cooking and access. Make sure you can lock it in place so it will be there after the game. Portable TVs. With the multitude of small, high-powered portable televisions available, there is no reason for football fans to miss any of the weekend action. A portable TV lets a fan can catch all of the other games’ highlights and not miss a minute of fun at their own stadium. Chairs. Let the imagination run wild with this item. Though chairs are just a necessity for regular tailgating, Extreme Tailgaters think big when it comes to the seating arrangements. Anything goes…basic beach chairs, nylon camp chairs, deck chairs, inflatable lounge chairs, and even full blown sofas if the truck is big enough. Tables. In addition to traditional folding tables, a number of products are available specifically for tailgating with team logos and colors, available online and by mail order through specialty catalogs. Coolers. A must for any tailgater, 12 volt models eliminate the need for ice and keep food and drinks cold throughout the game. Just be sure to bring jumper cables or an extra battery so the cooler doesn’t kill the vehicle. Blenders. No party is complete without blended beverages for the ladies. Gas-powered high-speed blenders make mixing daiquiris and other such drinks a breeze. Drinks. A great party is never without beverages. The most popular tailgating beverage is, of course, beer. Mixed drinks can be impressive and it is a good choice to have wine or mixed drinks as well. It is also wise to have some nonalcoholic drinks or water on hand for when the party starts to wind down. Coffee is great for after the game on a cold afternoon. Make sure to have plenty of ice, large cups, and at least 1 bottle opener for every two people at your tailgate party. No one should ever have to ask for a bottle opener. Audio/Visual. For the big TVs and stereos, be sure to pack a generator or spare car battery to prevent getting stuck in the lot. Jumper cables also come in handy on many occasions. On really cold days a space heater will bring lots of fans to your spot. Cleanup. Finally, instead of napkins use a roll of paper towels for cleanup. Napkins and are smaller and end up scattered all over the place. Wet wipes make cleanup a snap. If your crowd is particularly rowdy, some stain remover will get out any ketchup or blood that ends up in your vehicle. In the end, the main point is to have fun and make sure that everyone gets plenty of great grilled food to eat and plenty to drink and no one gets hurt. [SIDEBAR] Beer Can Chicken This tried and true recipe is always sure to thrill your guests. This version is specifically for a gas grill. 1 can (12 ounces) beer 1 large whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds) 3 tablespoons dry barbecue rub (Equal parts salt, sugar, brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, cracked black pepper, paprika, and a touch of cayenne pepper to taste) 2-3 drops of Tabasco sauce Soaked, flavored wood chips and a smoker box 1. Place all wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; lowering the heat to medium when smoke appears. Only heat one side of the grill. Place a drip pan under the center of the other grate. 2. Clean the chicken, discarding the fat just inside the body cavities of the chicken and removing the giblets. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, drain and blot dry, with paper towels (the rinsing and drying can be done beforehand, at home, if you prefer). Shake 1 tablespoon of rub into the body and neck cavities and rub another tablespoon all over the skin of the bird. Rub another 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture between the flesh and the skin. 3. Open the beer can. Make several holes in the top of the can. Pour out the top inch of beer and spoon the remaining dry rub into the beer. Add the Tabasco sauce to the beer also. 4. Oil the grill grate. Place the chicken in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan. Sit the chicken upright on its legs, then tilt it forward and insert the beer can halfway up into the chicken cavity so the beer can acts as a third leg, forming a tripod. 5. Close the grill lid and cook the chicken until fall-off-the-bone tender, 2 hours. 6. Lift the chicken to a cutting board or platter using tongs, holding the beer can with a metal spatula underneath for support. (Have the board or platter right next to the bird to make the move shorter. Be careful not to spill hot beer on yourself.) Let stand for 5 minutes before carving the meat off the upright carcass. (Toss the beer can out along with the carcass.) For more tailgating and grilling information contact Freedom Grill, Inc., makers of the Freedom Grill 100 for Extreme Tailgating™. www.freedomgrill.com Press contact: Steve Glor glor@freedomgrill.com T: 858-513-8332 x 5 For more information, view the Trailer Hitch Mounted Grill product page.  Find more products from Freedom Grill  Find more products in Cargo, Towing & Travel > Miscellaneous  Find newest products in Cargo, Towing & Travel > Miscellaneous  Search Google for Trailer Hitch Mounted Grill  Visit Freedom Grill's website Manufacturer: Freedom Grill Location: 13771 Danielson St., Suite G   Poway, CA 92064 Phone: (858)513-8332 Email: Click to email Website: Click to visit