Football Season Tailgating Tips | Scott's Fort Collins Auto

Football Season Tailgating Tips 

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It’s transitioning from summer to fall which can only mean one thing… football season has finally come back around! We’re here with our best tailgating tips for you and your car this season. Read on to learn more about how to protect your car while you’re cheering on your favorite team this season. 

The Tradition of Tailgating Football Games

The origins of tailgating football games isn’t quite agreed on, however, many people point to the start of tailgating being at the first ever college football game in 1869. This was a game where Rutgers played Princeton. For the first time, fans wore different colors to show who they were rooting for and enjoyed now classic, fan favorites: chili, pork, beer, and whiskey. This was also before cars as we know them were around, so these fans were cheering on their teams through chuckwagons. 

Fast forward a few years, the theory is that the Green Bay Packers coined the term ‘tailgating’ in 1919, and that’s when the term began to be associated with modern day American football, Spoon University explains. Packers fans would park their trucks around the field and sit on the bed to watch the game. 

Nowadays, tailgating is a favorite American pastime. With beer, games, and catered meals or cookouts, this is another way to get excited for the football game you’re about to watch. Whether you’re sitting around the bed of trucks with your friends before going into a game or setting up a TV in the parking lot and watching the game from your car, there are many different ways this tradition is celebrated Saturday after Saturday during the autumn in America. 

Protecting Your Car During Tailgating 

Many people choose to hang out with friends and family around their cars while they eat and drink in the parking lot of their favorite teams, however, there are things you should do to protect your car if you take it out on a tailgating adventure. To keep your car clean and safe, follow these tips: 

First and foremost, don’t drive drunk. 

Once you’ve cheered your favorite team to victory — or watched them suffer a hard loss on the field — make sure you’re fully sober before you drive. Keep yourself, others, and your car safe this football season by only driving sober. The act of celebrating through a tailgate involves eating and drinking around your car. If alcohol is involved, make smart decisions and don’t get back behind the wheel while intoxicated. 

Protect the exterior.

Most people tailgate while standing around the bed of a truck playing games, drinking, and eating. If during the excitement of the football game someone spills food or drink on the exterior of your car, the key is to act fast. Clean up the mess quickly. Soda and beer can dry quickly and become sticky. If you let it dry before cleaning the mess, when you do go to actually clean it, you’ll more than likely remove the paint, too. If you’re using a grill near your car to cook for your friends, make sure the grill is far enough a way that the flame and smoke aren’t too close to your vehicle. 

Make sure your vehicle is in good condition. 

It can be tempting to want to take your own car out to a tailgate party and host your friends and family, but don’t do so if your vehicle isn’t in good condition. It’s best to wait to take your own vehicle until any problems are repaired. When your vehicle has current problems, it is more susceptible to experiencing further damage — especially when it comes to people eating, drinking, and playing games around your car. If a window is already cracked, someone tossing a football in the parking lot could accidentally hit your window and shatter it right then and there. 

Get Tailgate Ready with Scott’s Auto

Football season is here. If you want to use your car to host your favorite tailgaters this season, make sure it’s prepared by bringing your vehicle by Scott’s Auto for a tune up. We’ll get you back on the road and tailgating again in no time. Stop by one of our convenient locations today! 

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