more than 79,940,000 fans” (Young 1).
These zealous Tigers’ fans overcrowd every area surrounding Tiger stadium on Football Saturday’s from the Vet School to the Business School and Kirby Smith parking lot. Tailgate parties occur in what is a festive, boisterous, and adrenaline-charged atmosphere. Many of the tailgaters arrive the night or two days before the game and set-up their impressively equipped motor-homes in a pre-ordained spot. These fans have television’s in the bottom outside compartments of their motor-homes, adorn these traveling busses with every piece of Tiger football paraphernalia imaginable, from banners and flags to giant Tiger heads, and display feasts ranging from baked beans and wieners to pate’s and filet mignons depending on the socio-economic capacity of the individual tailgating party. Behavior at these tailgate parties includes drinking and eating to excess at many of them. Many of the tailgaters are painted in the school colors, some of them covered completely. Many yell and shout in drunken merriment as game time approaches. Others sit back in their lawn chairs and relax to their favorite music or to college game day sports programs on television. These parties are fun and retain a spirit of camaraderie and unity seldom experienced outside the Tiger tailgate community. Tiger Stadium looms large in the background as these tailgate parties build to a zenith just minutes before kick-off when masses of tailgaters anxiously make their way toward Tiger Stadium just in time to see kick-off. Suddenly, the parking lot is one
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