Erick Westfahl dumps a basket of steaming vegetables on a newspaper-covered table at a tailgate party. Along with the vegetables, he served brisket, seafood and pasta.
With all the food and alcohol, you’d think we already won. But tailgating is also about tradition and camaraderie.
Although the OSU campus and athletic facilities are ever-changing, there is one constant — tailgating.
To some, Saturdays during the fall semester mean waking up early, driving to a football stadium and setting up for a tailgate while the dew still saturates the ground.
Popping open a beer before noon and walking across a university campus normally would have serious social and legal ramifications. But not here Saturdays.
Randy Bednar of Oklahoma City said he has attended OSU games for more than 30 years. Bednar said it used to be just him, his wife and his kids.
He said this made his family feel detached because they never really had interaction with other people. He said the detached feeling is no longer there since he started tailgating.
Bednar now brings a mini bar to home games with a barrage of shots. Bednar said people loosen up when they have a drink.
“They’re all OSU fans, and they have good stories,” he said. “We like to come for the camaraderie, meeting new people and seeing the Cowboys play and win.”
Bednar, who wore a hat that read “Toxicologist,” said his shot selection started almost by accident. He said he brought a shot selection one Saturday and people liked it, so he decided to keep doing it.
“It kind of grew and grew until I had the ‘Shot Extravaganza’ last year, when nine two-liter bottles of shots were gone before the game started,” Bednar said.
Bednar also names his shots. He said he usually looks up shots that correlate with the opponents OSU plays. Examples of his shots include the Washington State Victory Apple and the Leg Spreader. Bednar said he usually puts the name of an opponent in front of the Leg Spreader.
“It’s meant to be fun, but I hope I don’t go overboard sometimes with the innuendos.”
Mitch Worrell of Altus grills for the Sigma Nu fraternity. Worrell said he usually feeds more than 150 people at each tailgate. Worrell said he has been grilling for about 10 years and loves the tradition.
“It’s for a good time for the kids and for us, and we enjoy doing it,” he said.
Worrell said he likes fixing new dishes each Saturday. The dishes include stuffed peppers, grilled ribs, smoked ribs, pulled pork, brisket and chicken.
Some tailgaters, including Cade Nickeson of Enid, use tailgating to interact with their clients. Nickeson, who works for Farm Credit in Enid, said he grills for his borrowers but always welcomes other OSU fans and opposing fans.
“We don’t really care who comes — it’s for a good time,” Nickeson said.
Erick Westfahl of Oklahoma City said he enjoys tailgating because it’s a chance to meet new people and also see people you haven’t seen for a week.
“There’s camaraderie in tailgating,” Westfahl said.“It’s food, it’s beer and a hell of a good time.”
Westfahl said he especially enjoys grilling at tailgates. Westfahl uses an onslaught of grills to prepare all sorts of vegetables and meats.
He said one can take the easy way out and use gas, but charcoal is the cornerstone of a great tailgate.
“When the smoke rises from your grill, fills the air and goes with the wind and the guy two blocks down smells it, he knows it’s football season,” Westfahl said.
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