Du Jour: John Richardson, “King of the Tailgate”

If every Tiger tailgate has an identity, John Richardson’s is fueled by the sheer joy of guys tossing meat on a pit. Last weekend’s LSU home opener meant that Richardson could resume a 22-year-tradition of pre-game searing, slow-roasting and holding court. It starts the night before, when he and his nine-year-old daughter, Grace, camp out in their ’83 VW Westfalia to claim the spot originally founded 30 years ago by the family of Hillar Moore, Jr., longtime friends and tailgate partners of Richardson and his wife, Jill. Next morning, the team kicks off with up to 20 lbs of bacon, boudin, sausages, and eggs to order, washed down with spicy bloody Marys, mimosas or Miller High Life. “The Champagne of beers,” says Richardson. Click here to read more about this extreme barbecue enthusiast.