The Art of Tailgating

Like many leisure activities, there's an art to tailgating. And nobody knows the nuances better than Joe Cahn.

The New Orleans native is the self-described "Commissioner of Tailgating" and runs the appropriately titled Web site tailgating.com.

"Even if you are not a football fan, you can be a fan of tailgating," Cahn told CNN.

Cahn exhibits a certain joie de vivre as he displays a broad grin while tailgating in a hot tub before a Detroit Lions game. (Click the CNN link to see the pic.)

He has participated in more than 500 tailgates since he sold his New Orleans Cooking School a decade ago, and we can only assume his training as a professional Southern-style chef is one secret to his success. But he says a great tailgate takes some preparation, and here are a few of his ground rules, with a little help from other pro tailgaters:

* Prepare most of your food in advance. When there are beers to be drunk and new friends to be made, who wants to waste time cutting up veggies for chili? Instead, get the food prepped before you leave home and simply heat it up on game day.

* Bring a fire extinguisher. Nobody wants to think about practical stuff when there's partying on the brain, but a fiery accident involving a grill is a serious tailgating foul. Be prepared and minimize problems by keeping the extinguisher close at hand.

* Keep an extra gallon of water handy. It's not to chug to sober up (although that can't hurt), it's to douse charcoal briquettes on the grill. Waiting for a grill to cool off before you head into the game is a serious downer, so use the water to flood the grill and get that fire out more quickly.

* Bring toilet paper. Tailgates typically have lots-o-people and limited port-o-potties. 'Nuff said.

So, keep these tips in mind and remember what one wise tailergater once told The New York Times: "We may not win every game. But we've never lost a party."

That dude's a sage.

Photo courtesy of Three if by Bike via Flickr.