Many do not realize, there are two seasons when the NFL starts in September. One is the football game itself and the other is the tailgate. Being from Buffalo we take our tailgates very seriously. No we don't study past tailgate films or go scout other city's tailgates, but we do plan in advance and make sure all attendees are included in the tailgate process.

   Tailgate process, what am I talking about? Well some people keep it simple with a case of beer, a small hibatchi grill, and some dogs or burgers. Great, if thats how you roll, but not us in BUFFALO. At the Ralph you will see tents, gas grills, BBQ Pits, buffet lines, bonfires, folding tables, etc. Games include Red Neck horseshoes (aka washers), Corn hole (aka Bean Bags), Ladder Golf, Left handed throwing contests, and lets not forget the good old tossing of the pigskin. Also, not to be forgotten, are the drinking games which include Flip Cup and Beer Pong. The 2009 season was the biggest year for flip cup at the Ralph. Everywhere you turned some group was flippin those big giant blue or red plastic beer cups. If you should hear screaming, chanting and/or hollaring between 9am and 1pm most likely there is a game of Flip Cup going on. This year it seemed the Flip Cup games were more competitive than the Bills games even with T.O. on the team LOL.

   The parking lots at the Ralph open up at 8am for a 1pm game. Normally we get there about 9am giving us plenty of time to get our game on.  You say 9am? I say yes!!!! Hey its 12 o'clock somewhere, correct!?! Near the end of the year this gets more challenging with the weather issues we have in Buffalo. Getting there early is a must to snag one of those metal garbage cans to use as a tailgate fireplace. If your not lucky enough to grab one of those, most people just start a fire on the parking lot itself. Full of stones no damage is done. The only Damage that we normally deal with is the shots of Crown Royal from those Damn Canadians we have been hanging with the past five years. Oh yes, Canadians, thats another article for a another day.

   Finally, lets talk about the food and drink. Every tailgate for us is different. As a season ticket holder and being able to attend at least 8 games a year, you have to change things up. Hot Dogs and Burgers get old and boring. We like to grill  all kinds of food. Certain days may include steak, cajun shrimp, marianated chicken, sausage, and venison, along with grilled veggies.  Other additions to our menu may include chili, taco in a bag (my favorite), and plenty of snack foods. Be creative for goodness sake, this party can last for 4 hours. Beer always seems to be the drink of choice but don't count out those shots of liquor that get passed around every 5 minutes or so.

   If your gonna come to Buffalo and watch a game make sure you include tailgating as part of your Sunday gameday itinerary. If its a Monday night game forget about it thats a whole different animal.