People constantly claim they are the best at tailgating. I have lived all over this country and I travel extensively. I was in a national fraternity in college and have been to at least twenty universities.  I am an educated guy, and I understand "home state pride" and the love a people share for their sporting teams, but as I have stated in other places on this site, there are no comparisons to Wisconsin tailgating.    I have sampled the "pre-game party" at over fifty venues and although I have had a great time at many of them, I always felt only partially satisfied. 

Admittedly there are places I have been, where fans gather a few hours before a game.  I have also been to cities that offered cuisine specific to a region, that knocked my socks off.  I have seen fans that had vigor and showed spirit at great levels.  I have been to a few places where the fans were tolerable of inclement weather.

BUT: In all my wanderings, I have never found any fans that hold a match to Cheeseheads.  They do everything to perfection and most importantly, they are gracious.  We are the least likely in the NFL to pick a fight.  We are most likely to give you one of our beer and brats and joke with you about your team's sissy like mannerisms.

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This is the ultimate tailgating!  This is "Brats for Brian." I have gotten to know this group pretty well.  They raise money for a scholarship in the name of Brian LaViolette.  Brian was just 15 years old when his life was taken in a swimming accident.  His family wrote a book about taking the good and healing from the pain.  They went on to live it by creating a scholarship for other teens in their son's name.  Brats for Brian is an extennsion of that love from friends and family.  They are in the parking lot for each Packer game and sell delicious brats to continue the dream.  They are awesome folks and I encourage you each to swing by and meet them.  I posed as Santa with some of them in the picture attached.  Check out their link on my "Links" page.  This is the Wisconsin Spirit I love!

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From tailgaiting blogs, to professional outfitters to John Madden and every other expert in this field, you would be hard pressed to find more knowledge or fun than partying with the fans of Wisconsin.

If you want a people who will endure blistering cold weather with their shirts off and bodies painted, look no further.   There is no place like Wisconsin.  The reason is we are a people bred to party.  We all have full bars in our basements.  (See the "basement page") We will start food preparations on Thursday for a Sunday game.  We will meet up a day before a game and party right through the night until the following day's event.  Then, if we win, we will stay on through that evening, often calling in sick for work to celebrate "OUR" victory. 

Now if you are a student seeking your degree in Cheese, listen to this little known fun fact.  After big Packer games in Wisconsin, it is not at all unheard of to have workers call in "sick" at a rate of nearly 30% the following day.  Although many businesses probably do not advocate it, they seem to tolerate it, in part thanks to the unions and the  fact that most owners and management are fans too.

This is the extremely non-ellusive Packalope. (left) He is an icon in Packerland.  His van is decked out in Packer regalia and he is as hard core a fan as they come.  I believe I read that he is the only Packers fan inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame! I am eagerly awaiting the day I share space with the Lope!

(SEE VARSITY FAN'S PAGE)

   

     

  

  

Meet Chip K.  of Kay Beer Distributing.  The real Wisconsin license plate was impressive enough, but add the fact that his rig is a mobile tavern, and you have to pay respect! Within 45 seconds of his arrival, a posse formed around him. It was not a one time thing either....I have been to the last 4 games this season and it was the same each time. I hear his office is a shrine of sorts to beer and the Packers, and that this plate has been handed down for generations in his family.  Chip knows a little something about tailgating!

 

Four pictures with white bases above, provided with permission from: Andrew W. Kraushaar, who is the quint essential Wisconsin photographer.

His shots capture the flavor of Wisconsin like none I have seen.