Tailgaters Bring Time Honored Tradition

PerryG2480 · October 6, 2005

Tailgaters bring time-honored tradition to NT parking lots

Students, alumni converge near Fouts Field

Tony Gutierrez

Staff Writer

October 05, 2005

Lawn chairs, beer cans, country music and smoke from various grills melded together between pickup trucks and other vehicles in Fouts Field’s parking lot Tuesday night before the nationally televised football game between Troy State University and the Mean Green.

Students from multiple backgrounds came together to cheer on their team and partake in the tailgating.

“It’s an American tradition,” said Mark Snow, Columbia, Mo., graduate student. “I’m from Missouri, but this is as close to home as it gets sometimes.”

Several groups of friends work hard to make a tradition of tailgating. Fort Worth graduate student Ashley Cross and her friends sat in a white pick-up truck drinking cold beer, an event they’ve carried on for years.

“I had class, and I just walked over here,” Cross said. “My friends were here, and we’ve been tailgating since we were freshmen. We’ve come to every home game for five years.”

Many students jumped at the opportunity to tailgate as a reprieve after class.

“I just got out of class, so it’s my hiatus,” Ben Taylor, Sachse senior, said. “We come to school, you go to class, but it also comes down to hanging out, coming to the games and supporting the school through the games. We show some unity, which is something the school really needs.”

Taylor sat in the bed of a trailer while grilling hot dogs with his Sigma Chi brothers.

“We just want to get a lot of people out to the games,” Andrew Johnson, Garland sophomore, said. “It’s kind of an awkward day to have a game, but we just want to support the school.”

Alumni don’t miss the chance to root for their alma mater and returned to the parking lot to join in the festivities as well.

“We’re here for the importance of the game on national television,” Jeff Oster, NT alumnus, said. “It’s important for the student population to get into the NT spirit and be a part of this thing.”

Not all groups went inside the stadium to see the game. Members of Kappa Sigma voiced their contentment in listening to the game in the parking lot.

“No, we don’t go into the game,” Jeremy Parrish, Keller junior, said. “It’s more fun out here. We can look at the highlights on SportsCenter. This is what it’s all about; hanging out with your friends.”

Edited October 6, 2005 by PerryG2480

Eagle1855 · October 6, 2005

begin assault on greeks in 3...2...1...

Stan R · October 6, 2005

I'm so furious I can't even formulate an insult.

Zeke · October 6, 2005

Coming in late, there were a LOT of people still in the parking lot. Additionally, there were numerous students headed back to their dorms from the stadium after they had picked up their free T-shirt.

I don't think we will always be able to get people in the stadium...........they do add to the atmosphere after all.

BMarkey · October 6, 2005

Troy, FAU, you name it ... have the same tailgating too much problem. There needs to be some way to bulldoze them all into the seats.

Come to Troy next year and check out our tailgating. It is an experience. The partying goes on literally all over the campus. You can just pull over on most roads near the stadium and set up the tent/truck or whatever, go into the Tailgate Terrace where vendors and partiers colldie, or into the quads, where the Greeks, live bands, Sound of the South and alumni will be. Many big and small corporations have tents scattered around.

user posted image

Then there's the Stadium Club (picture below) where you can eat, drink (legally) and enjoy the game from your seat or a bar-like atmopshere.

user posted image

GMoney · October 7, 2005

I'm so furious I can't even formulate an insult.

Good way to phase it. The only way this is going to stop is to talk to the chapter Presidents and convince them to have their frats actual go into the game. If the directive doesn't come from the top then unfortunately they'll continue their disappointing tradition of non-support.

LoveMG · October 7, 2005

Not all groups went inside the stadium to see the game. Members of Kappa Sigma voiced their contentment in listening to the game in the parking lot.
“No, we don’t go into the game,” Jeremy Parrish, Keller junior, said. “It’s more fun out here. We can look at the highlights on SportsCenter. This is what it’s all about; hanging out with your friends.”
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I am glad they are having fun attending the parking lot but they are punks for not going in. typical frats

Baby Arm! · October 7, 2005

It's not just a problem with the greeks. It happens with a lot of students and fans. Unfortuately you are never going to get 100% into the stadium, some will always hang out in the parking lots. I've seen it happen at several other colleges as well as at NFL games.

I wish they'd come in the game but I'm resigned to the fact that there will always be a percentage that won't. At this point I don't care because they add to the gameday experience. And as others on this board have said before, we can build attendance by selling the tailgaiting and game day experience. Make a football game an event not to be missed. That will bring people back no matter what the football teams record is.

UNTFan23 · October 7, 2005

If you're going to stay in the lot, then be sure you clean up after yourself. After every game the parking lot looks like a dump.

ADLER · October 7, 2005

Please people,

Do not try to FORCE anyone into the stadium. I would rather have them partying at the stadium making gameday AN EVENT that people don't want to miss than sitting back at their dorms, apartments, and frat houses.

Getting people out to the stadium is 95% of the battle, and these tailgators are helping in that effort. We just need to work on making the product inside the gates enticing enough that they'll be anxious to participate in that also.

Even if this whole season goes in the crapper, the tailgating will insure that many fans will still look forward to the games, this season and in the future.

untStein · October 7, 2005

There's a term for these people... tailgating whores.

ADLER · October 7, 2005

There's a term for these people... tailgating whores.
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They prefer the name 'tailgating professionals'.

Look, I know everybody is just itching to dogpile an organiztion because some twit thought he was some party monster by making a stupid quote to the press, but the simple facts are that the overwhelming majority of those students at the tailgate parties do enter into the game. They might not stay too long if the game is dragging, but they do count towards attendance.

untbowler · October 7, 2005

difference between the students getting shirts and leaving and these frats getting drunk in the parking lot is at least the students got scanned in for attendance purposes

UNTLifer · October 7, 2005

typical frats
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Typical comment.

The Fraternity and Sorority members are easy to pick out. What about the knotheads that went in, got their free shirt and headed home?

Every campus has this problem. I agree with Adler. I don't like it, but they do add to the gameday experience.

centex eagle · October 7, 2005

when you look at the big picture and where you want to end up attendance wise, Adler is right.

Eagle1855 · October 7, 2005

typical independents blaming the typical frats for their typical behavior blah blah blah..

*YAWN*

Adler's right on. Its just some guy trying to sound like Billy Bad-A in front of the other morons that sit outside during the game. Its not a representation of all greeks. I noticed a huge number of greeks in the game during the Tulsa blowout. I also noticed leaders of those organizations hollering at people to go in to the game as it started. Lets not go over overboard and start crucifying people over one dil's moment to shine.

Edited October 7, 2005 by Eagle1855

stebo · October 7, 2005

Two things - I was one of those FRAT boys at one time and spent most of my time in the parking lot as a student (and that was before tailgating wasn't cool, lol)... As far back as Nichols State (Drew's first game), I threw up my hands in disgust - sat outside and listened to the game on the radio with some old fraternity brothers and drank some cold beer. The important thing is that they are getting involved with the school and the program... next year, maybe the next... they will make their way into the stadium. Also, it could be that this kid was just trying to act "cool" and went into the stadium anyways later on. Finally, don't bag on the entire Greek System because of one quote.

BTW - the quote from the alumnus before the Greek guy (Jeff Oster)... he is a teacher out at Northwest, been a friend of mine since we were in elementary school, and was a first time season ticket holder starting in 2003. He was one of my battallion finds when I won that contest a couple of years ago... now he is one of the biggest cheerleaders of the program. Drag your friends out, get them to make a financial investment in the program, and they will surprise you.

Edited October 7, 2005 by stebo

Green Lantern · October 7, 2005

As a somewhat young Kappa Sig alum, I can assure everyone on here that there is a huge group of us that go to every game (yes...even inside the game). The quote is unfortunate because it paints the typical image of the Greek system that those at the NT Daily love to portrait. There are some young guys who would just rather sit outside the game (I don't agree with this) but as Adler stated...Just having people out for our tailgate makes it an experience that is not to be missed and helps to draw our new fans that have never been to a game before back. I assure you that a large number of the members of the chapter do go inside the games as well.

Plus I don't understand the bitching because compared to our home attendance over the past few years, this year has been great for us. Now if we can just win some more games

UNTLifer · October 7, 2005

BTW - the quote from the alumnus before the Greek guy (Jeff Oster)... he is a teacher out at Northwest, been a friend of mine since we were in elementary school, and was a first time season ticket holder starting in 2003. He was one of my battallion finds when I won that contest a couple of years ago... now he is one of the biggest cheerleaders of the program. Drag your friends out, get them to make a financial investment in the program, and they will surprise you.
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Excellent point.

untbowler · October 7, 2005

at the least they should put their cold beer down for 5 minutes walk to the scanners get scanned for attendance then walk right back out and finish their beer, that way they at least are counted for attendance.

ADLER · October 7, 2005

Can we please quit all this nonsense.

For a campus with such a relatively small greek community, those groups do compose a disproportionatly high percentage of the students that attend football games.

Sure, there are a few that are there just for the tailgating, but it's those tailgate parties which lure many other members of their organization to the games, and help build the gameday atmosphere for the rest of us.

To tell you the truth, I thought the greek participation at Tuesday's game was outstanding and I salute them for their involvement.