The Side Line

Tailgating is one of the greatest American sports traditions, with its roots in college football in the late 19th century, but it has expanded to include any major sport with a parking lot.

It’s easy to understand the phenomenon; Americans love sports almost as much as they love drinking. Combining the two into a six-or-eight-hour event makes for a party-type atmosphere, head and shoulders above simply showing up to the game, watching it, and driving home.

The parking lot is party central, and the fun of tailgating is in wandering around with friends to other fans’ tailgates, playing games, cheering and getting excited for the game. The fans that tailgate are far more prepared to be effective fans in the stadium; they’ve been in “game-time” mode for hours.

I bring up the tradition for one simple reason; GCSU has it now! Put into action after approval by the University Senate after being spearheaded by SGA, tailgating at Bobcat home basketball games began one week ago against Francis Marion and was an immediate success. A strong crowd for a Friday night, when a large portion of GCSU students are heading out of Milledgeville for the weekend, showed that tailgating is definitely a tradition Bobcat fans can get behind.

Go to basketball games. Go if you just want an excuse to party and the game is secondary. Go because the men’s team is nationally ranked and winning the Peach Belt conference, and the women aren’t far behind, with just two PBC losses. If you Bobcat fans don’t go support the team and make the Centennial Center a raucous environment for opponents to play in, you’re missing the point and an opportunity to be part of something very special this season.

No, we’re not getting a football team. And even if we had one, the season belongs to basketball. Coach Sellers’ and Coach Carrick’s squads are playing an exciting brand of hoops that even a casual sports fan can appreciate. And with the help of a little pregaming, any GCSU student (of age) can be “fan”-tastic for the Bobcats.

Send your feedback to ColonnadeSports.gcsu.edu or to Twitter, @VentGCSU.

Posted by Preston Sellers on Feb 5 2010. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry