With game day now commonly a sold-out event, the preliminary parking lot party for University of Louisville football games rages on. Louisville Magazine caught up with Mike Rose, 52, who’s been tailgating at U of L games since Lee Corso was the coach, to seek advice for newbies jumping on the Cardinals’ bandwagon.
What are your essential tailgating items? “Where can you get the best gear around town? You absolutely have to have stadium chairs for everyone to circle around the food. Having a table that will accommodate all the food is also a must. It needs to be arranged so that everyone feels they can just grab what they want and pull up a chair. We always try to shop at locally owned stores like the Neutral Zone for our gear, but Dick’s Sporting Goods will usually have what you need.”
Early Cardinal birds: Rose, seated, with wife Kelli.
Do you always tailgate with the same group of people? “We try to bring someone different to each game, hopefully spreading our enthusiasm for U of L football to others. But of course we have some close friends that we invite to the high-profile games. Being Baby Boomers, we enjoy watching the college students being, well, college students! Those were great years for us and I guess we relive it watching them.”
What’s your favorite parking lot activity? “We people-watch and talk about how everyone is dressed. You see everything from students in their school colors with painted faces to the other extreme of absolutely being over-dressed for a football game. Why some of the gals wear stiletto heels to a football game cracks us up.”
What food is your pre-game staple? “When the weather gets cool you have to have some chili simmering; everyone slurps up the chili.”
What tips would you offer others to have the best U of L tailgating experience? “The best tip I can give is to get there early and leave late. One way we can truly support the team is to show we are really into the game from the very beginning to the very end. The players notice, the TV audience notices, and the high school recruits notice.”
