Tailgating on land and sea
I try not to double-up on trips to the same location within a single season, but extreme circumstances call for extreme measures. Despite visiting Seattle in Week 1 and making my first trip to Washington State only a week ago, the imminent demise of the Pac-12 beckoned me back to Seattle for the Apple Cup.
Since I didn’t begin awarding a Tailgater of the Week until the middle of the season, I’m going to combine both UDub trips into one and recognize the first ever 3-way tie for Tailgater/Sailgater of the Week (in a reverse Revere, two if by land and one if by sea):
Dan the Van Man
Dan was up and at ’em early in the morning for a 12:30pm kickoff against Boise State and mixed some potent Crown-and-7s. The tailgate featured hot dog rollers, a warming case for grilled breakfast sandwiches, and a variety of snacks and desserts, all anchored around Dan’s UDub-themed van. It also featured the first inflatable passing accuracy game that I’ve seen at a non-corporate tailgate.
Lisa and the Big Dawg
Lisa (is being an anagram of “SAIL” just a coincidence?), one of the owners of the Big Dawg boat, welcomed me aboard for my first Washington sailgate. It came with a huge food spread, plentiful drinks, and — in true Apple Cup fashion — toilet paper featuring Washington State’s logo.
The Campbells
The Campbell family, some of my new friends from Wazzu, set up a tailgate in Seattle for the big rivalry showdown, offering a raucous atmosphere, Jell-O shots to sneak into the game, and even some postgame elk chili (yee yee!).
The Apple Cup tailgating atmosphere was the best I’ve seen at any game along the West Coast, with other tailgates I visited featuring non-official husky mascots and massive pizza ovens for a build-your-own-pie experience that would’ve made Cosmo Kramer jealous. I can’t believe this rivalry is in long-term jeopardy due to conference realignment, despite this week’s announcement of a 5-year extension.
For shame, Pac-12! For shame!
CFB Travel Guy 