Week 1 Recap - McNeese State

Jayhawks ... 1-0.

TEAM Tailgate ... 0-1. Now, don't get us wrong, we brought the fury early and often. However, the equipment and Mother Nature just didn't hold up their end of the deal.

Although it has become our calling card over the years, first arrival status just doesn't get old. Operational by 7:30 a.m. for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff. Dominate!

Let the comedy of errors begin ... Perhaps the Jayhawk van ran thru a Haskell Indian burial ground on the way into Lawrence, but we were jinxed from the word GO. After 45 minutes of College Gameday viewing with ice cold beer in hand, BOOM! the TV blew. First thought ... maybe the generator was bad? Solution? Jeff "A/V guru" Dreiling secured a replacement generator with enough juice to power Memorial Stadium from nearby Anderson Rentals ... Bravo!

Still nothing. Maybe we need a new TV? Solution? Jeff "A/V guru" instructed afternoon crew to purchase a new TV and haul up to Lawrence ... Bravo!

Nope. Unreal. So, we huddled around the 15 inch Sat-Go screen and watched games. We stress "huddle" because this is about when rain storm #1 rolled thru forcing the masses under the tent. Good times ...

The food, though, was on point. Three ... meal ... tailgate!

Breakfast sammys - Ham & Swiss on croissant

Spicy Buffalo chicken sammys w/homemade blue cheese spread

A loyal Blog follower in the Fort Worth metropolitan area suggested some "cowboy" burgers to foreshadow the domination of McNeese State "Cowboys". Good call. Burgers w/sharp cheddar, chopped bacon, and jalapenos.

Back to this electrical cloud/Poltergeist wrecking havoc on the tailgate. Theories were flying around ... maybe the Jack Donaghy-inspired GE 3-in-1 crock pot pulled too much juice?

Regardless of the cause, we guarantee all systems go for Saturday.

Finally ... the game. Jayhawk Nation lost perhaps its most dedicated, devoted, wear-it-on-their-sleeve member on Saturday. RIP Coach.

Impressed with the freshman. Could have some real players. D needs some work.

Huge game on Saturday. See you at 11th & Mississippi.

New Season ... New Toy

Well ... Well ... Well ... we trust the off-season has been treating everyone well. As the taste of tailgating season comes sweeping thru the Heartland, we deemed it time for an update from America's Team ... T.E.A.M. Tailgate.

T minus 1 week until we storm into Lawrence for a traditional wire-to-wire, 3 meal tailgate. Early and often all season ...

How exactly do you upgrade a tailgate that already has the following?
1. Beers colder than frostbite.
2. Made from scratch, cooked to order eats.
3. Hand crafted cocktails and MTB.
4. High def big screen with surround sound.
5. Tent large enough to house a Winnebago.
6. A cash money Jayhawk van.

After studying that list long and hard ... we concur. That is a great freaking question!

Perhaps something that just oozes class and sophistication? I don't know, maybe an alternative vehicle for arrival on GAMEDAY Saturdays? An addition to the "fleet", if you will.

Without further ado ... MTB & Jeff take a bow ... great find!


A loyal BLOG follower from the greater Buffalo NY area summed it up best ... "The question isn't why WOULD Dreiling buy a limo ... It's why WOULDN'T he " Yep.

See ya September 3rd.

That's a wrap

Well, another successful year is in the record books. Check that ... another year of domination by TEAM Tailgate has come to an end. Let's flash back to our inaugural post of the season when the following was penned ...

"Regardless of the final number in the W column, TEAM Tailgate will be having a super time at 11th & Mississippi before, during, and after each home game. That is about the only thing we can predict this season."

First and foremost, did TEAM Tailgate deliver on this guarantee? That would be an unequivocal YES! From upgrades to the A/V situation (SEE: surround sound system), to larger than life set-up (i.e. double tent action), and finally original culinary delights (READ: Italian Stallion), it goes without saying that our effort week in and week out was unparalleled.

Sure, the squad finished up the season with a gargantuan turd at Arrowhead, but once again TEAM Tailgate brought it early and often. Thanks to our "arrangement" with Anheuser Busch we were granted VIP access and were the first tailgate fired up last Saturday.


It's always nice to have a couple folks come out of the woodwork for the Arrowhead game.


And, of course, any tailgate with the Dr. in the house immediately goes up a couple rungs.


And lastly, here is the tailgate ... winterized!


A big ups to everybody who made this another successful tailgating campaign.

See ya at the Spring Game!

Best tailgate ever!

What a day!

When your football team is underachieving at an alarming rate, crowds tend to dwindle. TEAM Tailgate, however, forges ahead with as much intensity as Week 1.

Our four man (Lund, Logan, Ediger, and Dreiling) tailgate could rival anything in the nation. Mixing some beats, crushing beers, tossing the pigskin around, firing up the grill ... phenomenal times!

Without question the best upgrade this season has been surround sound throughout the tent - really takes everything to a completely different level. Take a bow, Mr. Dreiling.


The culinary arts at TEAM Tailgate continue to be on masterful display. We all recall the hugely popular "Italian Stallion" from a few weeks back ... well, sticking with the whole Rocky theme, allow us to introduce the "Clubber Lang"

Fritz's beef & pork dog with cheddar & BBQ sauce, sprinkled with beef burnt ends.


We haven't discussed actual game action for quite awhile in these parts ... well, scoring 35 points in the 4th Quarter for the greatest comeback in school history deserves some love. And yes, once dejected fans who bailed before halftime, stormed back into Memorial Stadium to witness the go-ahead TD. One of us may have danced a jig with members of the KU marching band, as well.



What a day!

Did you party this hard yesterday?

Who's ready?

Homecoming

Although a few members of the starting lineup were missing, TEAM Tailgate was large and in charge (as usual) last weekend in Lawrence for the Homecoming festivities. In fact, it could be said that in lieu of the starting lineup members, the remaining crew took it up a notch to compensate. Well played, gentlemen.

The set-up ...

A culinary gem right here ... bacon wrapped jalapenos.


Anyone who knows this crew surely understands that "subtle" typically does not apply. Well, the whispers about "made to order" short order cooking have blossomed into a deafening roar. It appears some folks prefer to throw all their meat out there at one time. Grill = fully loaded.

Great looking buffet right here

A man of many hats ... When called upon, MTB can easily morph into MTM (Mike the Meteorologist)

Lastly, if you can't Beat 'em ... Gig 'em.

TEAM Tailgate will be back at it next Saturday for the 1:00 p.m. Colorado game. We guarantee nothing, except that 11th & Mississippi will be the most lively place in Lawrence.

TEAM Tailgate Marches On ...

We've been saying it for years ...

"If KU football exhibited half the heart, dedication, attention to detail, and general persona of awesomeness that TEAM Tailgate delivers week in and week out, we would be battling for BCS championships each and every year ... FACT!"

Please enjoy the photo montage from last Thursday evening in Lawrence ...

Week 3 Recap

Special tailgate ... no question!

While KU Football wrapped up the non-conference slate, TEAM Tailgate continued to dip into the bag of tricks.

Special guests!


You see, when you fire up the grill at 7:30 a.m. for a 6:00 p.m. kick-off, you tend to make pleasantries with the grounds crew. Who else is freaking there?

Steve O took a page out of the Homecoming playbook. It was great to see a proud member of TEAM Tailgate nation up from Austin, especially on a day when Bevo shat down his leg. Good times ...

The Journal World was on a search and destroy mission for "Extreme" tailgates on campus. Yep ... TEAM tailgate strikes again.

Menu specials!

Most folks throw some Velveeta in a crockpot, slather it on a plate, and serve with tortilla chips. Nope. We make Queso from scratch, add Fritos scoops, and serve the flavor explosion in an authentic nacho tray. Face!

Ladies and gentlemen ... Executive Chef Erik H. Lund introduces the "Italian Stallion", a true original. Italian sausage with melted smoked provolone topped with Italian beef and smothered in marinara sauce. Holy Jesus!

And, last but not least, a Special delivery ...

With an assist from Uncle Jeff, Ells executed an Icing to perfection. The prey? Gordo.


Next tailgate? K-State for Thursday Night Lights. Get yourself there.

Ready and a surprise

Tailgate has been up since 7:30. Big thanks to Lund and Gordo for set up duty. Also, congrats to Gordo on getting the a/v setup done all by himself. Lund is unveiling a new menu item, self created later today. See you all later.

Our coaches may not be organized but TEAM Tailgate is

That right folks. The beers are already on ice and Chef Lund is already hard at work to ensure that we don't tinkle down our leg like our team did in Hattisburg last week. 3 meal, 12 hour tailgate is on tap for Saturday. See all the people who like to party at 6 AM.

Week 2 Recap

TEAM Tailgate was back to our old bag of tricks in Week 2 ... the Football Gods were shining brightly on Lawrence, Kansas ... a glorious day!

Breakfast bloody:

Grilled Krispy Kreme:

MTB & Kelting:


There was the sense that everything may be right again in Jayhawk Nation ... the tailgate was flawless. Plus, we had a few little extra something-somethings that took the day up another notch!

Beer delivery, courtesy of the Budweiser Clydesdales:

Flyover, courtesy of a KC-135 tanker:


An inspired effort led to the first win over a top 20 team since 1984 in Memorial Stadium. We'd like to highlight a major contributor ... James Sims. Quite a productive day at the office for Mr. Sims. First true freshman in KU history to rush for 100+ yards in debut. That's what a man does! Also, hands down, the best haircut in the history of KU football:


Huge win! Doesn't get much better than belting the Rock Chalk chant during multiple snaps of VICTORY FORMATION.

Correction ... one thing is better. VICTORY BEERS!


See you in 2 weeks ...

Week 1 Recap

A new season is upon us and, although a lot has changed over the last 12 months, one thing sure as hell remains consistent ... TEAM Tailgate sets the tone on Mt. Oread!

First things first ... a 6:00 p.m. kick-off means two things.

1. Ridiculously early set up! Even after all these years, Mr. Dreiling's domination continues to surprise us. This one-man wrecking crew had the entire tailgate operational by 6:00 a.m. Bravo!


2. Three meal tailgate! Per usual, a wide variety of options to satisfy those gameday cravings.

BREAKFAST - Biscuit sammys with thick-cut bacon and colby jack.


LUNCH - Trailer Park dogs with queso and crumbled potato chips and, never to be outdone, the man, the myth, the legend ... Earl Campbell.



DINNER: - Pimento cheese burgers.


A Big Ups from TEAM Tailgate to our surprise guest of the day ... Samantha Steele with Fox Sports. Hung out, talked shop, and threw the pigskin around a little bit. Good times.


Just a few quick honors to throw around from Week 1:

MVP = JMD. First game of the year and he delivered by single-handedly putting TEAM Tailgate's flag in the ground and marking our territory ... all before the sun came up. Well played, my friend.

Brett Favre Award = MTB (Mike The Bartender). After announcing his retirement at the off-season executive committee meeting, Mike declared "I'll be back for Week 2" within 3 minutes of being at the tailgate. Just classic stuff, Mike. We all look forward to Bloody Marys next weekend.

These final two pics may foreshadow what Jayhawk Nation is about to embark on this season ... regardless of the final number in the W column, TEAM Tailgate will be having a super time at 11th & Mississippi before, during, and after each home game. That is about the only thing we can predict this season.


All packed up, ready to hit K-10, turn the ignition ... silence. That, my friends, is what we call irony.


Hope to see you next weekend ... 11:00 a.m. kick-off. Breakfast spread will be legendary.