The changing leaves and crisp wind blowing through the trees must mean one thing: Football season is underway. For any football fan, tailgating is a major part of the culture. Burgers charring on the grill next to a pack of your favorite beverage is a welcome sight. But not everything belongs in your cooler outside the Carrier Dome. Here are some choices to avoid at all costs.

1:

Lobster: Woah, woah, woah, fancy pants. The king crustacean may be delicious, but think about what you need to actually enjoy it: You need a cooler. You need to bring a means to boil or steam it in, if you’re not grilling the little guy. You need shell crackers to actually get at the meat. At the end of the day, a lobster is way more work than it’s worth.

2:

Veggies: Come on, really? You really want to be known as the person who brings healthy food to a football game? Not in this house. Grilling vegetables might be a compensation for healthier eaters and vegetarians, but you can’t possibly experience football the same way when you’re indulging in a salad as opposed to a foot-long Nathan’s dog.

3:

Milk: In the words of the philosophical genius, Will Ferrell: ‘Milk was a bad choice.’ ‘Nuff said.

4:

Ice cream: I scream, you scream, we all scream when this frozen treat is found melted, along with the ice cubes, in the cooler. If you’re craving something sweet, just go with a trusty bag of Oreos. Even the Manning brothers are on their side. Also, if your team is the Buffalo Bills, you might need some sugar to cover up the sour taste in your mouth after another loss.

5:

No food at all: Do. Not. Do. This. Who doesn’t bring food to a football game? Do you really plan on walking through hoards of people grilling their steaks and burgers while listening to the groan of your own empty stomach? Didn’t think so. Besides, you won’t have any money left for tolls after buying a single cheeseburger at an NFL stadium. Good luck hitchhiking.

— Compiled by Sara Tracey, asst. copy editor, smtracey@syr.edu

 

Published on October 12, 2010 at 12:00 pm