NFL Teams with the Best Tailgating Scenes
Be it high school, college or professional leagues, football games have always featured tailgating. Eager fans gather outside stadiums to enjoy food, beer and camaraderie before kickoff. But what teams reign supreme in this party before the party? Check out our picks below.
Buffalo Bills
If you’ve paid attention to social media over the past couple of years, you’ve likely seen some of the insane shenanigans that Buffalo fans get into during Sunday tailgates out in the frozen land this New York city. Whether it’s performing wrestling moves onto tables or, um, slamming themselves onto burning tables, Bills fans have a unique way of celebrating their team during pre-game situations.
Aside from table-focused debauchery, Buffalo has a truly fantastic tailgating scene. While you’ll find a traditional outdoor tailgate no matter what the weather, there also happens to be the largest indoor tailgating party in the league. At ADPRO Sports Training Center, you’ll find a large Bills-themed area filled with games, entertainment, and food, making for a family-friendly environment. If you have kids, this is perfect for you. If not, head outside and watch people do beer bongs and break tables.
Baltimore Ravens
You know a fan base takes tailgating seriously when a stadium’s parking lots sell out long before actual season tickets do. That’s what you’ll find in Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium, where the parking lots are packed with eager fans each Sunday. You’ll find your basic tailgating games like cornhole and ladder ball, but you’ll also find plenty of entertainment via DJs and TVs.
True Baltimore fans know exactly how to plan a tailgate, often arriving five hours before game time to maximize their food and drink intake while also avoiding the horrible pre-game traffic. After all, getting to the stadium early ensures that you won’t miss a second of tailgating (or football) action.
Green Bay Packers
What’s more iconic than Lambeau Field? It’s the oldest continually operated stadium, has been the home of Brett Farve and Bart Starr, and is a place where tailgating is a time-honored tradition. Some even say that Packers fans invented tailgating, so there’s certainly a lot of history associated with the green and gold.
Today, you’ll find an amazing tailgate area called The Tundra. Named for the obvious frozen tundra that is Green Bay, Wisconsin, Lambeau’s official tailgating area is home to live music, Packer alumni sightings, and most importantly, cheese curds and beer. The sense of comradery you’ll find here is second to none, offering access to Green Bay fans even without tickets to games. If you want to be a part of these Sunday parties, you can! Brave the cold and spend time amongst one of the NFL’s most dedicated fan bases.
Cleveland Browns
What do the Cleveland Browns have if not a wonderful tailgating atmosphere? It’s almost a necessity for Browns fans to have some pre-game fun to help quell the sting of probable losses. Beers are abundant, to the point where they’re used to help cook chicken. Dubbed the “beer can chicken,” this wild delicacy involves stuffing a chicken’s, well, opening, with a beer can and then standing it up on the grill. This process leads to a tender and moist chicken that pairs well with, you guessed it, more beer.
Come on, now. You don’t come up with something like the beer can chicken at a mediocre tailgate. That idea was birthed out of a wonderful pre-game party filled with good food and good friends. That’s at least one thing Cleveland fans can cheer about.
Houston Texans
Tailgating that involves savory Texas BBQ? That’s an automatic win in my book. Outside of Houston’s NRG Stadium, you’ll find the parking lots packed with Texans fans cooking up ribs, brisket, sausages, and more. Much of this amazing food is cooked by true BBQ aficionados who have their own unique recipes and dry rubs. Forget the food inside the stadium. You can fill up in the parking lot as long as you have a game ticket or a $10 tailgating ticket.
It’s not just the food, though. Texans fans take their tailgating seriously, with many spending thousands of dollars each season for a chance at winning the coveted Tailgater of the Game or Tailgater of the Year awards. If you’re looking for a fantastic tailgating experience, you’ll want to get yourself to Houston.
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