Editor's note

Thursday, November 13, 2008

I often wonder what people from a different country would think of our tailgating ritual. As if we are making a sacred pilgrimage, we all don similar blue shirts and temporary Jayhawk tattoos, and march in droves toward Memorial Stadium. Some of us chant, some of us dance and almost all stop by a house or parking lot along the way for the traditional feast: the tailgate.

Not every tailgate is the same, though. There are those who set up large, majestic tents on the hill, sit in comfy fold-up chairs, stir their Bloody Marys with a celery stick and pop sautéed Portobello-prosciutto treats into their mouths. They even have those scrumptious Jayhawk sugar cookies with red and blue sprinkles. This group of the Jayhawk faithful is, of course, the alums.

But to find a more rustic, traditional college tailgate, one must venture into the student ghetto. It is there that the camaraderie soars and the red plastic cups of beer runneth over. Complete strangers will embrace and partake in Jell-O shots in the name of Jayhawk football. It is here, in the student ghetto, that a foreigner could walk past house after house and find the same scene: a mass of blue-shirted people eating, drinking and being merry. I’m sure they would think it was some religious holiday by the way we carry on.

In reality, KU football is none of our religions, although at times it seems like it is. But similar to a religion, it brings a very diverse group of people together to celebrate something we all share: being Jayhawks.

Saturday will be my last home game tailgate as a student. My time spent mingling through the student ghetto on gameday is coming to an end. I admit it makes me sentimental to think about it, and I wonder how the last four years flew by so quickly.

If you’re a freshman, I encourage you to take part in this crazy tradition we call tailgating at least a few times in your time here. The Jayhawk pride at these tailgates is amazing. Brianne’s story on page 6 will tell you how to do a tailgate right. For seniors like myself, I remind you to savor these last few tailgates. Yes, Jayhawk football will always be around, but some traditions don’t last forever.

The Ten Commandments of tailgating

In a town where football is more religion than pastime, tailgating is ...

/news/2008/nov/13/ten_commandments_tailgating/

Saturdays with Bob

How KU football brought my dad and me closer together.

/news/2009/sep/03/saturdays_bob/

A look inside a Kansas game day

Pregame spirit has never been higher for the football team after recent ...

/news/2009/oct/22/look-inside-kansas-game-day/

Alumni group bashes new font

This summer the KU Athletics Department decided to adopt the official KU ...

/news/2007/sep/26/Trajan/

Tricked out tailgates

Bringing alumnus back

/news/2011/sep/25/tricked-out-tailgates/

Fans keep tailgating despite construction

The construction of the new Anderson Family Football Complex has caused some ...

/news/2007/oct/31/tailgating/

University to replace ‘Muck Fizzou’ slogan

Last year, ESPN announced that it would not show KU students wearing ...

/news/2007/oct/25/Shirts/

GSP-Corbin hosts tailgate party

The Department of Student Housing decides to sponsor event to foster an ...

/news/2008/aug/29/tailgate/

KU students enjoy varied sports traditions

Game days and Traditions Night anchor the school’s sport history.

/news/2010/aug/16/ku-students/

Fan’s bus promotes school pride

Marine Corps Sgt. Rodney Kessler and Lawrence resident Bryan Berns restored the ...

/news/2007/oct/31/nation_bus/

Married? Yes. Graduated? No.

Some college students decide to add additional challenges of marriage to their ...

/news/2010/nov/30/married-yes/

My Name Is Jason

/news/2006/may/04/jp_mynameisjason/

Lawrence's landlord: a developer's story

Doug Compton, owner of First Management, has helped guide Lawrence's development for ...

/news/2011/may/05/lawrences-landlord/

Letter to the Editor

Game day and rivalry shirts should reflect positive spirit of KU. Slogan ...

/news/2007/nov/08/letter_editor/

Welcome to Kansan sports section

You’ve been sustaining your sports appetite on bits about Barry Bonds and ...

/news/2007/aug/13/welcome/

Winning T-shirt slogans revealed

The contest to create new slogans to replace the “Muck Fizzou” shirt ...

/news/2007/nov/12/Shirt/

Editors' note: Aug. 20, 2009

Read thoughts about the Fall '09 Jayplay from Sean Rosner and Alex ...

/news/2009/aug/20/editors_note_aug_20/

Faith, Fellowship and Football

Stuckey leads no matter the path.

/news/2009/mar/10/stuckey_faithfootball/

Unlicensed: A T-Shirt Tale

Meet Larry Sinks, the man behind JoeCollege.com and its controversial T-shirts.

/news/2008/dec/08/joecollege/

He’ll always be a Jayhawk

Former head football coach Don Fambrough will never lose his love for ...

/news/2009/oct/08/hell-always-be-jayhawk/

Rivalry splits family’s loyalties

Jayhawk fans who grew up in Nebraska face some bitter friends now ...

/news/2007/oct/31/couples/

Robinett: Oranges still taste good in Allen ...

The Jayhawks defeated the Tigers 90-71.

/news/2008/feb/05/robinett_orange/

Get to know your game day

Learn some of the rituals associated with KU football and its long ...

/news/2009/sep/04/get_know_your_gameday/

Kansas on my mind

/news/2005/sep/08/kansas_my_mind/

What’s in a font?

To many it seems that Kansas Athletics is trying to ruin tradition ...

/news/2007/sep/26/Traditions/

Students are fifth generation in family to ...

Three students follow family traditions as far back as the beginning of ...

/news/2008/sep/10/5th_generation/

Jayhawk baseball satiates sports fans

/news/2005/apr/27/sports_colums_elmquist/

Parking turns profit for students

Homeowners and students charge for parking near Memorial Stadium on game days.

/news/2009/sep/25/parking/

Sandal: Religion can bridge differences rather than ...

The idea of love is common in most religions. So why do ...

/news/2011/apr/08/religion-differences/

24 hours of Lawrence

A journey through the town at all hours.

/news/2009/oct/29/24-hours-lawrence/

Far from home

International students talk about what it’s like to be the new kids ...

/news/2010/oct/21/far-home/

Kealing: Fans need to show pride Saturday

With the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments coming up, fans need to ...

/news/2007/mar/01/kealing/

Free for All: Oct. 12, 2005

/news/2005/oct/12/op_free_all/

Fans recall memorable moments during season-opener

/news/2005/sep/06/fan_story/

Williams Fund opens to student body

Students can begin donating now for priority seating after graduation.

/news/2009/aug/25/fund/

Mangiaracina: The dirt on the turf

/news/2008/aug/27/mangiaracina_dirt_turf/

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Bryan Wheeler talks about what to expect from the 2008 Kansas football ...

/news/2008/aug/29/column/

Morning Brew: Don’t waste 2009 T-shirts

KU should follow the lead of a Tennessee football T-shirt donation.

/news/2010/jan/14/brew-dont-let-2009-football-shirts-go-waste-se/

The Tao of Compassion

Getting what you deserve in one instance and what you don’t in ...

/news/2007/mar/15/tao_compassion/

Graduates strive to relive homecoming experiences

Rich and Judy Billings’ homecoming experiences date back to over a half ...

/news/2007/oct/31/longtime/

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.

Sign in to comment

Or login with:

OpenID