Tailgating is an American invention that has become a VERY popular pastime on game days. It is estimated that people spend in the billions of dollars every year on tailgating and tailgate related food and supplies. That’s A LOT of hot dogs! So you got invited to go to a tailgate party and you don’t know what to expect, and want to know what all the fuss is about, don’t you?
A tailgate party, simply put, is an outdoor social event that is normally held in the parking lot near a sporting event. But that doesn’t really begin to describe it. Think of a tailgate, as an outdoor pre-game celebration. It’s true that tailgating is most often associated with college and professional football, but the popularity of this type of festive get-together has certainly spread to lots of other sports including baseball, racing, and soccer, just to name a few.
Many fans look forward to setting things up before dawn, making breakfast and hanging out for hours before the game. The experienced tailgater will avoid the post-game traffic jams by hanging out for a while after the game and making another meal. Die-hard tailgating fans take this time and enjoy the entire sporting day experience and celebrate the victory.
You will know you are getting close to the tailgating areas because of the smells of charcoal and barbecue that whiff through the air. Expect to see fans grilling meat, eating fancy team inspired food and drinking adult beverages. Most tailgaters are very friendly and will encourage you to sample their football day recipes for free, even if you are a fan from a rival team. As long as you are respectful and friendly, they will be also, but expect some friendly banter between rivals.
Many different types games are played in the lots such as beer-pong, corn-hole and the like. You will definitely see more than a couple people passing a football around. Seriously, some people see tailgating before and after the event as equal to, or even more important than, the football game itself. There are groups of sports fans who actually never go into the actual event, choosing instead to stay in the parking lot and listening to the game on the radio or with large screen televisions that they have brought with them.
Comprehension
1) What is a tailgate party and what is it associated with?
2) How do many fans prepare for a tailgate party?
3) What kind of activities and games can be found at a tailgate party?
Vocabulary
Match the words to the definition:
1) Pastime
2) What the fuss is about
3) dawn
4) die-hard
5) whiff
6) banter
a) a show of excessive excitement or activity
b) a smell passing through the air
c) the first light of the day before the sun rises
d) friendly or playful remarks making fun or teasing someone
e) a hobby
f) extreme passion for something
Grammar Highlights
Use “The + adjective (+ singular noun)” to represent a group of people
“The experienced tailgater will avoid …”
Use the reflexive form after a noun for emphasis
“…or even more important than, the football game itself.”
*This article was adapted from another article to make it more suitable for English learners. You can read the original article here.