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BigRedChief
10-02-2009, 12:30 PM
NFL’s top 10 tailgating towns
Where people meet, eat and cheer for their team
By Scott Bowen
Forbes Traveler.com
updated 11:31 a.m. CT, Fri., Oct . 2, 2009

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Picking the top 10 NFL tailgating scenes is hard. Even if you’re in just one small section of a huge parking lot where the guys cook ribs like pros, your tailgating experience might combine enough fun and flavor to impress even the Commissioner of Tailgating, Joe Cahn.

In 1996, Cahn sold his New Orleans cooking school, bought a motor home, and went tailgating at every stadium in the NFL that season. He has since been to 500 NFL tailgates and logged 500,000 miles.

“Tailgating is the only gathering place of a community of its kind, like walking through thousands of backyards. It’s where the happy people are,” Cahn says. “Tailgating creates the perfect American neighborhood.” Having spent 13 NFL seasons on the road, Commissioner Cahn knows firsthand what’s necessary to create a fantastic tailgating scene.

“Parking space, tradition, and family are three of the top four ingredients,” Cahn says. “The first two are obvious. Family is a lot else — especially for kids, because sports is the only thing where a kid can argue toe-to-toe with an adult and get away with it.”


The fourth main ingredient is great food. Cahn can rattle off a list of magnificent dishes he’s had across the country — bratwursts, chili, gumbo, homemade tomales, and Maine lobster — and remember the place where he ate each one. “It’s an honor to be invited into someone’s home to eat, and the tailgate is the home brought to the parking lot,” he says.

The list of stadiums here focuses on tailgating scenes that each offer a certain superlative something that you can find only at this location, and which makes it stand out in the NFL. In some cases that’s food. In other cases, it’s a unique fan factor or level of accessibility, or a combination of these things.

Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City has long been a standout because it is the barbecue capital of America, August to December. To have eaten ribs or chops here is to have participated in a great time in American culinary history.

But the one place that could give Arrowhead’s chefs a run for their money are the grill-masters down at Reliant Stadium, in Houston, where the Texas-style barbecue rules. Two other food hotspots — Miami’s Land Shark Stadium, for Cuban-influenced cuisine, and Gillette Stadium, in Foxboro, Mass., for fresh seafood — are must-go-and-eats.


Fan intensity is another major factor in picking these tailgating scenes. For that, look to Lembeau Field, in Green Bay, where one of the great civic migrations of this country occurs, as nearly all the citizens of Green Bay get as close to Lembeau Field as they can or simply tailgate in their front yards in the communities nearby. Then there’s the Raider Nation, at the Oakland Coliseum, a sea of humanity including the fantastically costumed denizens of the end-zone-seated "Black Hole." The fan intensity also runs high for the crowd in the parking lot at Lincoln Financial Field, in Philly.

“The Eagles fans’ passion always impresses me,” Cahn says. “They might be the fans who are most knowledgeable about their team.”

Cahn long ago gave up cooking his usual jambalaya at his tailgates so he could instead rove the parking lots, meet the fans, collect recipes and swap stories. Every city is his hometown when he’s there, he says, and he has a jersey for every team. On top of everything else — food, family, tradition — Cahn exhorts tailgaters to rove through the “neighborhoods.”
“At one of your hometown games, just do appetizers, and then take the camera and walk around,” he says. “Go see other people. Go see other food. There could be someone you haven’t seen in years just two rows over, but if you don’t leave your tailgate you’ll never find them. Just walk around one game a year and you’ll come away with enough great food ideas for the rest of your life as a fan.”


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');if(window.print){window.print()}else{alert('To print his page press Ctrl-P on your keyboard \nor choose print from your browser or device after clicking OK');}}</SCRIPT>URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33062025/ns/travel-destinations/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33062025/ns/travel-destinations/)

http://images.forbestraveler.com/media/photos/inspirations/luxury/top-tailgating-towns-02-g.jpg
© Kansas City Chiefs
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Kan.


Greatest Barbecue in the NFL
The Chiefs have eight home games this regular season, and that many times the blue-smoke will hang in the sky over Arrowhead. The could-have-turned-pro chefs trailer in their grills and smokers as many hours as possible before the game starts, and this red-meat Food Network gets plugged in. The odor of barbecue wafts into the stadium if the wind is right. On top of that, KC fans are among the friendliest in the NFL, and will happily share some of their recipes… as long as you’re not wearing Denver orange.
SEE ALSO: Pie in the Skybox (http://www.forbestraveler.com/luxury/luxury-skyboxes-story.html?partner=sslink)


Slideshow:
http://www.forbestraveler.com/luxury/top-tailgating-towns-slide.html?partner=msnbc

BigRedChief
10-02-2009, 12:32 PM
Kansas City, Kansas :banghead:

mikeyis4dcats.
10-02-2009, 12:34 PM
Kansas City, Kansas :banghead:

don't look at the caption to the main article picture if that pissed you off.

BigRedChief
10-02-2009, 12:36 PM
don't look at the caption to the picture if that pissed you off.
yeah, talking about Buffalo but its clearly KC. Very poor writing and editing.

Mr. Plow
10-02-2009, 12:42 PM
Kansas City, Kansas :banghead:



ROFL

El Chapo
10-02-2009, 12:48 PM
On top of that, KC fans are among the friendliest in the NFL, and will happily share some of their recipes…

The last time when I went to Arrowhead, a Raiders fan went into the porta poddy. I tipped it over so the door was facing down and the douchebag was stuck inside covered in feces and piss!!! They called the Five O and I ran back to my tailgate laughing hysterically ROFL

CoMoChief
10-02-2009, 12:50 PM
Too bad Kansas City hasn't had a football team to match their failgating/fan experience in quite some time.

Infidel Goat
10-02-2009, 12:50 PM
All four AFC West teams made the top 10.

At least we can do something well...

CoMoChief
10-02-2009, 12:52 PM
On top of that, KC fans are among the friendliest in the NFL, and will happily share some of their recipes…

The last time when I went to Arrowhead, a Raiders fan went into the porta poddy. I tipped it over so the door was facing down and the douchebag was stuck inside covered in feces and piss!!! They called the Five O and I ran back to my tailgate laughing hysterically ROFL

One time I saw a little 5 year old kid wearing a Broncos jersey.

He yelled out "Go Elway"

I went over there and fucked him up. Bloodied up that lil mother fucker. Then the little bastard ran away crying.

CoMoChief
10-02-2009, 12:53 PM
All four AFC West teams made the top 10.

At least we can do something well...

I would rather not share any type of award or compliment of that matter with OAK or DEN.


No one really cares about SD. They're just there.

vailpass
10-02-2009, 12:56 PM
At the very bottom has to be Arizona. There is literally zero tailgate scene at Cardinal games. You can hardly tell there is an NFL game going on inside.

Baby Lee
10-02-2009, 12:59 PM
Kansas City, Kansas :banghead:

Lembeau Field

SDChiefs
10-02-2009, 01:11 PM
All four AFC West teams made the top 10.

At least we can do something well...

Ive been to many of Charger games and there is no way outside of 'weather' that they should be in the top 25. Let a lone top 10.

BigRedChief
10-02-2009, 01:14 PM
One time I saw a little 5 year old kid wearing a Broncos jersey.

He yelled out "Go Elway"

I went over there and ****ed him up. Bloodied up that lil mother ****er. Then the little bastard ran away crying.Taught him a lesson. :clap:

booyaf2
10-02-2009, 01:17 PM
There is a sweet Mullet in that pic.

orange
10-02-2009, 01:19 PM
Lembeau Field

Named for Rush Lembeau?

BigRedChief
10-02-2009, 01:19 PM
There is a sweet Mullet in that pic.
and no camero?

MOhillbilly
10-02-2009, 01:20 PM
On top of that, KC fans are among the friendliest in the NFL, and will happily share some of their recipes…

The last time when I went to Arrowhead, a Raiders fan went into the porta poddy. I tipped it over so the door was facing down and the douchebag was stuck inside covered in feces and piss!!! They called the Five O and I ran back to my tailgate laughing hysterically ROFL

lasttime i was at arrowhead raiderfan got punched out cold.

Buck
10-02-2009, 01:24 PM
Ive been to many of Charger games and there is no way outside of 'weather' that they should be in the top 25. Let a lone top 10.

Uh no.

If theres one thing right about the Chargers fans at Qualcomm Stadium its that they know how to party before the game.

Otter
10-02-2009, 01:39 PM
KC is by far the best football town I've ever had the pleasure to visit. New England (granted I was there during the 'glory years') is a close second and I've never been to Packer Country although it's on my list next time the Chiefs visit.

There is nothing even close to Arrowhead in its prime against the Raiders or Donx.

EDIT: Pitt gets honorable mention as well, hell of a town, hell of a fan base.

DJJasonp
10-02-2009, 02:08 PM
Uh no.

If theres one thing right about the Chargers fans at Qualcomm Stadium its that they know how to party before the game.

SDChiefs is right.....the only city where the opposing fans tailgate parties are bigger than the home team's.

And of course the charger fans know how to party - they enjoy their free time on the "outside" as they have to be back in jail by lights out sunday night.

Pablo
10-02-2009, 02:15 PM
Uh no.

If theres one thing right about the Chargers fans at Qualcomm Stadium its that they know how to party before the game.Hammering Smirnoffs and listening to Hall and Oates is not partying.

Halfcan
10-02-2009, 02:22 PM
Green Bay has some pretty nice folks there-you park in there yards and they open their houses up for you to piss. Great place.

Cowboys suck and Donks suck. Rams-LOL

Bears-bunch of assholes.

"Bob" Dobbs
10-02-2009, 02:31 PM
Hammering Smirnoffs and listening to Hall and Oates is not partying.:LOL:

kstater
10-02-2009, 02:31 PM
Hammering Smirnoffs and listening to Hall and Oates is not partying.

LMAO

Halfcan
10-02-2009, 02:33 PM
Hammering Smirnoffs and listening to Hall and Oates is not partying.

LMAO good one

Fish
10-02-2009, 03:44 PM
KC fans are among the friendliest in the NFL, and will happily share some of their recipes… as long as you’re not wearing Denver orange.

Like fucking hell we will.....

BigVE
10-02-2009, 03:53 PM
There is nothing even close to Arrowhead in its prime against the Raiders or Donx.

EDIT: Pitt gets honorable mention as well, hell of a town, hell of a fan base.

When was that exactly? During the Marty years when we didn't win a playoff game or the Vermeil years when we didnt win a playoff game??? ;)

kysirsoze
10-02-2009, 03:55 PM
Uh no.

If theres one thing right about the Chargers fans at Qualcomm Stadium its that they know how to party before the game.

My friends got ticketed for drinking beer in SD. Pretty hefty fine if I recall.

kysirsoze
10-02-2009, 03:55 PM
Hammering Smirnoffs and listening to Hall and Oates is not partying.

Like hell it's not!!

CoMoChief
10-02-2009, 03:56 PM
Hammering Smirnoffs and listening to Hall and Oates is not partying.

:LOL: