Tailgating: Well Done

Tailgating dates to the origins of football in America, but in Baltimore, many fans allude to the opening of Ravens Stadium as the turning point in their pre-game festivities. “We’ve had season tickets since day one at Memorial Stadium,” said Jim Turner of Ellicott City, MD. “But there wasn’t good space for tailgating there. When the new stadium opened, our tailgating really began.” Over the last 10 years, Jim and the rest of RavensNation have taken advantage of the added parking to perfect the art of the tailgate, and the sports world has taken notice.

In his evaluation of the tailgating experience for all 32 NFL teams, Sports Illustrated’s Paul Forrester described the typical scene on a fall Sunday in Charm City as being, “Surrounded by a flood of purple, RVs, grills and Ravens' flags. The lots near the stadium resemble a Ravens village that is packed from the second they open."

This village, however, barely resembles the fleeting fiefdoms formed by the original NFL parking lot dwellers. In 1919, the first year of the Green Bay Packers, Wisconsin farmers would back their pickup trucks around the edge of an open field, drop their tailgates to serve as seats, and eat a prepared picnic while watching their team play. Nearly ninety years later, the tailgate process has evolved, with branded busses replacing the pickups; games of pleasure taking the place of the game itself; and feasts fit for kings, rather than meals that fit in a picnic basket, for those wearing the royal hue.

In addition to the food that feeds the tailgate troop, the vehicles that bring fans to Baltimore have become just as vital – and varied. “It’s a ’79 Dodge something,” said Turner as he described his purple van emblazoned with raven eyes over the grill and original shag carpeting. “We put in a couple hundred bucks a year to keep it going,” Turner added. “And the working bathroom is very popular.”

The ’79 shag isn’t the only car making its mark as Ravenesqe road warriors dot the asphalt landscape. From the “Dirty Dozen” camper parked near the corner of Russell and Ostend St., to the black box truck in Lot G that reads, “Emergency Response Tailgate”, Ravens fans have found many ways to wear their hearts on their hoods. And it doesn’t always stop at the front-end as one Jeep that sits alongside RavensWalk is completely covered in hand painted Ravens regalia, including a Baltimore skyline on the driver-side and a Super Bowl trophy on the passenger door. Quite literally, the art of tailgating come to life.















While fans of the feathered await the action on the field, their competitive drive has developed into a desire to play themselves. The games before the game range from the traditional – having a catch or two-hand touch – to the regional, with lacrosse sticks nearly as prevalent as pigskins. One activity that has grown in popularity is the tailgate toss, also known as corn hole. Consisting of beanbags (sometimes filled with corn) and a wooden ramp with a hole in it, the appeal seems to be part portability, part practicality. “I think it's become so popular because it is a very mobile game and easy to bring along for tailgating.” Said Saul Kloper of Curtis Bay, MD who has been playing on and off for a few years. “Also, it is an easy game to pick up and anyone can play.” It’s also easy to play with a burger or beverage in one hand. The objective of the tailgate toss, other than biding time while the steaks season, is to toss the bags in to the hole. That’s it. Points are tallied, teams are formed, and sometimes the slopes slant at different angles, especially when they’re homemade, but for the most part, the game’s the same and surprisingly stimulating.

The most prominent component of the pre-game pastime, however, takes place on the grilliron. Culinary creations range from pork chops to pancakes, but in the Old Line State, the cuisine of choice is the fruit de mer, or rather, the fruit de Chesapeake. Shrimp cocktail, seafood kabobs, bouillabaisse, clams, oysters, gumbo, scallops and even lobster line the paper plates at most parties. But the grub that makes even University of Maryland Basketball coach Gary Williams give a second look is the mighty blue crab. “He [Williams] was walking quickly through the tailgate crowd until he got to our location.” Said Sharon Kroupa, who has had season tickets since 1996 and along with her brother host an annual crab fest in the shadows of the stadium. “He stopped and looked with envy, as did most of the tailgaters that day, before giving his smiling approval and taking off.”

The smell of Old Bay is a signature scent among Baltimoreans and it is only fitting that the flavor finds a way into the building nicknamed “The Big Crab Cake” by ESPN’s official moniker maker, Chris Berman. But it’ not just the crab cakes and steaks that are well done. Forrester, who ranked the Ravens game day atmosphere 5th out of all 32 teams, awarded Baltimore an 8 out of 10 in the tailgate department as he declared, "For a downtown stadium there isn't much more you could ask for."

And not only does the Baltimore bash rank higher than 26 other NFL cities, but the purple and black also appear to be the clear victor in the intra-state tailgate rivalry. "Ravens fans seemed to know their tailgating stuff a lot better.” Said sportswriter Andrew Kulyk, when asked to compare the tailgates of the Ravens and Redskins for an article by Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post. “They seemed to be better decorated, more creative, with a more creative use of public spaces and private lots."

With equal parts crab, creativity and corn hole, the Ravens tailgate is not only well done, but judging by the critics, exceptionally rare – perhaps even purple in the middle.

This article originally appeared in the Ravens Gameday Program on Dec. 30th, 2007