Chili? Beer? Organizing the Details of a Tailgate Party
Share with others:
Some people have no interest in tailgating, and that's fine.
Tragically misguided, maybe. But fine.
Other people approach the pregame parking lot partying with the sort of reverence it deserves. For them, a smartphone can be less a luxury than an essential tool, somewhere between a spatula and, say, eye black.
I packed my smartphones and tablets for a two-day, three-game tailgating marathon last weekend, partly to winnow a handful of apps that can help party organizers and participants.
The most useful apps were those that help the party organizers (like Tailgating, free on Apple). Some of the newest tailgating apps, like Tailgate Fan (free on Apple and Android) and TailgateChamp (free on Apple), which help organizers spread the word about their parties, are also promising if a bit underdeveloped.
For organizers of more ambitious festivities, Tailgating offers the best checklist-based system for tracking items you'll need and items you've stocked. It also includes a way to share lists with others, at least theoretically. (I couldn't activate that option.)
The checklists are divided into two major categories, food and gear, with subcategories within each. I was able to build a decent checklist with both, but I wished for a bigger selection of alcoholic beverages, for instance, because it included only a few.
I also wished for a way to revise the list after it was initially set. Instead of simply checking a box to add an item, I could edit the list only by typing in items I'd forgotten.
Still, the app is good, and can even help more experienced organizers remember what to bring. One of the more elaborate gatherings I visited last weekend was in a parking lot at the University of Maryland for its game against Temple. It featured at least four picnic tables worth of food and an enormous grill that had been towed in.
One of the cooks set a 10-pound brisket onto the table and stood back as if it were a masterpiece, which it was, and then peered around the table, looking deeply concerned.
First Published September 30, 2011 12:00 am
