In-the-zone tailgating

Great tailgate parties all seem to share some essential elements: lots of friendly Tiger fans, favorite Louisiana foods and plenty to drink. And the best ones all seem to be built on hard work and good organization.

At least, that’s what an unscientific recent examination of a few established crews found.

If you’ve ever seen tailgaters partying under a ceiling fan at Nicholson and Stadium drives, you were looking at the Party Box, a crew organized by advertising agency owner Otey White and Hab Karam of the Shaw Group.

“A few frustrated fraternity boys (recent LSU grads) teamed up with a doctor/politician and a former LSU football player who owned a t-shirt company to have a party in a battered Winnebago,” White recalls.

They’ve come a long way since. The parties now feature a diverse menu, an ever-rotating flow of guests and an arborist-friendly fitting for the ceiling fan that once hung from an oak tree.

“Everybody has to be committed to the team,” White says. “Our early years of tailgating together were some very lean years for LSU football, but we weathered the storm and have enjoyed the Tigers’ great success in recent years.”

Across the street, great food is the star of parties hosted by building supply company owner John Holmes, Acura/Infiniti of Baton Rouge Owner David Fabre and Co. They serve gumbo, jambalaya, beef brisket sandwiches, whole roasted hog (for Arkansas games), alligator (for Florida), and all manner of side dishes to feed more than 100 people for each home game.

There are multiple tents, abundant seating, a satellite dish and flat screen TV. “It’s about the best food, and plenty of friends and family,” Holmes says.

Great parties take work, says Fabre. “You need a crew willing to bust their behind every week, every game,” he says. “Oh, and (a crew) that has money!”

Now, children and even grandchildren have joined the parties. And on a recent Saturday, they welcomed tailgating novices from Canada, as well as old friends who came in from Memphis.

On South Stadium Drive under the oak tree across from the Military Science Building, there’s a Chance of Rain every Saturday—the tailgate crew of LSU grad Adam Haddox, a Mississippi-based political consultant.

“We meet over the summer and divvy up responsibilities for each game’s main courses to a member family. We double up for SEC games,” Haddox says.

What began as a humble gathering is evolving, and now, Haddox concedes a little self-consciously, includes a caterer.

“I know, I know … we’re lame because we don’t cook it all from scratch, right? Wrong,” he insists. A few short years ago, none of Chance of Rain’s founding fathers had kids. “Each week this fall, our tailgate will include at least nine kids under the age of four! It’s amazing how much babies can alter tailgating dynamics,” Haddox says.

In the end, it’s all about fun, Haddox says. “Week in and week out, there’s a sense of certainty that our crew shows they want to prepare for quality victory. Family, tackling, want … now that’s football.”