It's that time again!

Football season is upon us again and with it comes fall tailgating. Satellite TV is still drawing raves as that little something extra that puts a hardcore tailgating setup over the top and into the end zone!

The Commish is still on the road as well and like us, is keeping his eyes open for TracVisions and awesome tailgating setups. Just last week he sent us two new photos of an SUV with a nice portable LCD and a sleek TracVision A7 on the roof so that the fan could catch all the fun on DIRECTV.

So fire up the grill, paint your faces, and have some fun before the game ever begins!

Don't want to have a big flat screen TV in your tailgate? No worries! Just plunk that LCD TV right on the table and plug it in to power and a TracVision!

Tailgating among the T-storms

The High-tech Tailgating Tour's arrival in the Midwest coincided perfectly with the first fall rainstorms and cold weather. But, like any good die-hard tailgater, Tour organizers didn't let a little thing like the weather deter them from spreading the parking lot love. In Cleveland (ranked 22 out of 32 U.S. cities evaluated in the "America's Best Football Tailgating Cities Index"), the Tour brightened the spirits of dejected Indian fans at ABC 5 (at least slightly) by demonstrating the in-car TV possibilities at Cleveland Browns Stadium in a live segment during the noon newscast. Then it was on to Cincinnati (Tailgating Index rank #5) where the skies really opened up but not before an ultimate Bengals tailgating segment on ABC 9. In Indianapolis (Tailgating Index rank #16), blurry-eyed Tour organizers showed the TracVision A7 to FOX 59 viewers during an early-morning segment, and later to the Indianapolis Star.

If it's Thursday before sunrise, it must be Indianapolis

Of course, no swing through Middle America is complete without a stop in Chicago, arguably America's best sports town. While the City of Broad Shoulders continually rates high on fan enthusiasm, it didn't fare as well in the Tailgating Index, finishing 27th out of 32 cities rated for "tailgating friendliness." The reason? According to Joe Cahn, one of the professional tailgaters that helped evaluate each NFL market and Los Angeles, a short supply of tailgating parking spots at New Soldier Field and a preference for season ticketholders is the culprit. Regardless, High-tech Tailgating Tour organizers were able to show the wonders of the TracVision A7 mobile satellite TV system to well-known NBC 5 tech correspondents Art Norman and Charlie Wojciechowski for a detailed segment to air in the next week. Other Windy City stops included "Good Day Chicago" on FOX 32 and the Chicago Tribune.

OK, it's not New York's Rockefeller Center but Bears fans like it more

High-tech Tour in Motor City

It's no secret that Detroit-area football fans – whether they be rooting for the Lions, Wolverines, Spartans or the hundreds of other colleges or high schools in the area – take their pre- and post-game tailgating seriously. So it's not surprising that Michigan is a top state for sales of TracVision A7 mobile satellite TV systems and DIRECTV Total Choice Mobile programming.

But why the low ranking in the "America's Best Football Tailgating Cities" Index? According to Joe Cahn, one of the professional tailgaters that helped KVH Industries and DIRECTV create the national ranking of tailgating friendliness, Motown's #31 ranking out of 32 U.S. cities has nothing to do with Detroit or its ardent fans and everything to do with the tailgating restrictions at Ford Field and the municipal-owned parking lots surrounding the stadium. According to Cahn, the self-proclaimed "Commissioner of Tailgating," some of the best pre-game "tailgating" in Detroit isn't in the parking lot at all but at Hockeytown Cafe, immediately across from the stadium.

A Detroit TV cameraman gets a birds-eye view of TracVision in preparation for an "Ultimate Tailgater" segment on NBC 4

A Triumphant Day, but Questions Loom for New England Tailgaters…

The Boston Red Sox are going to the World Series. The New England Patriots are 7-0, looking more like the undisputed victors of this year’s Super Bowl every week. It’s a good day to be a sports fan in New England. Isn’t it?

Here’s the thing: New Englanders are by nature very dedicated fans. Take, for example, the proliferation of Red Sox Nation and Patriots Nation; they’re everywhere, not just in New England. However, for those who do live in the general vicinity of their beloved teams, a victorious postseason poses a bit of an issue.

At least half of the World Series will be played in Colorado. The Super Bowl will be in Arizona. How is a fan to tailgate properly in a location that begs arrival by airplane, if at all? This blogger, glad for once that my roommate is a NY Giants fan, will be at the Meadowlands when the Patriots take on the Giants in the last regular-season game of the year, making the 4-hour trek (each way) and completing 5 hours of tailgating in a Jeep, and that’s enough.

But what about the tent-pitching, grill-toting, face-painting masses for whom rooting their teams on from the parking lot is essential? Tickets are a nonissue for most of these folks; a great number of impassioned fans have gone high-tech, adding TV to their cars to solve the issue of actually seeing the game. But their rigs, their grills, their giant boxes of supplies, won’t make it through airport security. Will they rent vans, buses, giant convoys of SUVs, to drive halfway across the country? Will they give up and throw barbeques in their living rooms?

The question remains unanswered, and more importantly, it begs another: will the undisputed heroes of New England, the Patriots and the Boston Red Sox, perform as expected without their loyal following in the parking lot to cheer them on? We can only hope; and tune in as the Patriots’ most staunch opponent, the Indianapolis Colts, perform on the Monday Night Football stage plus don't miss Wednesday as the Red Sox begin their bid for the championship. A great day to be a sports fan in New England, indeed!

High Tech Tailgating Tour Takes Northeast by Storm

The High-tech Tailgating Tour continues its assault on America this week to show the wonders of live national and local TV to TV anchors, newspaper reporters and unsuspecting tailgaters. First stop was Baltimore where NBC 11's Sandra Shaw celebrated Balty's #1 ranking in the "America's Best Football Tailgating Index" during four live morning segments.

OK, so their satellite dish is bigger than ours but can you bring it to the Raven's games?

Then it was on to our nation's capital where the TracVision A7 was featured on three Washington, D.C., network affiliates – NBC 4, ABC 7 and CBS 9 – plus the Washington Times and a national tech feature hosted by ABC News technology correspondent Richard Sergay. To see the ABC News segment, go to http://abcnews.go.com/technology and click on the video icon.

Other stops this week include ABC 6 and NBC 10 in Philly, where anchors were excited about The City of Brotherly Love's tenth-place finish, and Pittsburgh's NBC 11, where reporter Trisha Pittman sang the praises of live in-car TV but lamented why the Steelers fans' tailgating scene at Heinz Field didn't rate higher than 18th. Look for the anything-but-inconspicuous High-tech Tailgating Tour Cadillac Escalade demo vehicle next in Detroit, Cleveland (will Indians fans be celebrating when we get there?), Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Chicago.

State of the Parking Lot: Week 6

Our revered Commissioner of Tailgating, Joe Cahn, attended his final New York tailgate for the 2007 season this Sunday, sandwiched between visits to Monmouth College in NJ and the Georgia Dome. Here’s what he saw:

Small Schools, Big Tailgating:
As Monmouth College prepared to kick off their 2007 Homecoming football game against Warner College, their fans prepared to fill the stadium. While a modest number in comparison to larger schools, the crowd at Monmouth on Saturday was large enough to fill the 4,500 or so seats at Kessler Field. The Monmouth Homecoming parade “went around three times,” Joe says. “It was great for keeping your attention, and allowed everyone to enjoy it a little more.” The Commissioner also reports that there were “a smattering” of satellite dishes present in the parking lot, as there typically are on Saturdays with so many college football games being broadcast nationally. “I did the same when the game was over,” he says. “Went back to my RV and switched on my TracVision to catch the rest of the games.”

Atlanta Fans Belly Up to a High-Tech Bar:
This week’s Monday Night Football contest pitted the NY Giants against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome (#28 on the National Tailgating Index). While the Falcons didn’t perform as well as they could have in their 31-10 loss to the Giants (see quarterback Joey Harrington’s comments), their fans put together an outstanding party. Joe reports that there are typically less TV screens and satellite TV antennas at Monday Night Football games than at Saturday or Sunday games, mainly because there are no other games happening on Monday night.

That doesn’t stop hardcore high-tech tailgaters, however; these folks will find a way to raise the bar no matter what. A few groups seemed to have forgotten their numbers when buying tickets – half went inside to watch the game, and others would remain outside and tailgate the whole way through, eliminating the need to pack anything up until it was time to go home. One gentleman in particular, however, took things to a whole other level. A Georgia Dome regular who always parks in the same spot, he came prepared in a high-tech tailgating trailer tricked out with flat screen TVs, a bar complete with beer tap, a refrigerator, a bathroom, and a crank-up satellite dish!

When Joe suggested an automatic satellite TV system to this tailgating aficionado, he explained that since he’s been parking in the same spot for so long, it only takes him ten minutes to get his dish set up and pointed in the direction of the satellite! Our hats off to you, sir, but just in case you ever lose your spot – TracVision can help.

Tailgating New York Style, One Last Time:
After seeing several games at the Meadowlands (tied for #18 on the National Tailgating Index) over the past few weeks, the Commish is moving on. His last 2007 New York game saw the Jets take on the Philadelphia Eagles, and he reports that the fans here, in addition to being very tech-savvy, were exceedingly hospitable. “There was a lot of ‘doin’’,” says Joe. “You know, ‘How you doin’?’ ‘I’m doin’!’” (It makes more sense if you imagine these uttered in a thick NY accent.) Jets fans cooked up some spectacular Philly cheesesteaks to make the opposing fans feel welcome, in addition to the normal global approach to tailgating cuisine that the Commish has reported seeing at the Meadowlands.

When asked if the cooling temperatures in New England had forced Jets fans to bring out the heaters, Joe replied that there were a few propane heaters, but “the weather was beautiful! Perfect football weather!” Apparently, it was perfect high-tech tailgating weather, as the Commish saw something new this Sunday – a proliferation of small generators being used to power auxiliary electronics! These were found among the many brightly painted and team-adorned buses in the parking lot.

“There were a lot of flat-screen TVs,” says the Commish. “Technology makes it much easier to watch the pre-game and, at early games like this one, the other NFL games that are on later.” In fact, several Jets fans stayed in the parking lot and tailgated long after the final score was in the books, watching the other NFL broadcasts. Not surprising, since Joe also reports that the Meadowlands typically seems to hosts more high-tech tailgaters than lots of other stadiums. “New Yorkers like to be connected,” he says.

Coming Up for Week 7:
This week, Joe is headed to warmer climes as he watches the New England Patriots defend their undefeated record against the Miami Dolphins at Dolphin Stadium, and then visits Jacksonville Municipal Stadium for another possible upset as the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the 5-0 Indianapolis Colts. Stay tuned, because these games are sure to produce some exciting tailgating!

State of the Parking Lot - Commissioner’s Report on Week 5

Week 5 of the 2007 NFL season was a busy one for the Commish! He visited Rutgers Stadium in NJ for some Big East conference tailgating action on Saturday, and then attended the parties in the parking lot at the Meadowlands on Sunday and in Buffalo on Monday night. Check out what he saw:

Win or Lose, Rutgers Fans Rock! The Bearcats may have taken down the Scarlet Knights in their own house, 28-23, but that didn’t stop Rutgers fans from cheering their team on. The Commish has been tailgating at Rutgers Stadium for about 7 years now, and pointed out that the fans were as hospitable as ever on this most recent trip. Win or lose, these are some loyal tailgaters! The parking lot was dotted with an array of satellite dishes as well, as fans caught the rest of the college football matchups before the Scarlet Knights and Bearcats kicked off at 8 p.m. The Commish points out that he saw “quite a few RVs and buses with TracVision,” and a few home satellite dishes being rigged to broadcast the games as well.

NY vs. … NY? The NY Giants were the official “home” team in the New York/New York contest on Sunday, but of course, Jets fans turned out to the Meadowlands (tied for #18 on the National Tailgating Index) as well. While, according to our revered Commissioner of Tailgating, the game was uninspiring (“More like a New York intramural scrimmage,” he says), the food in the parking lot was the opposite. Amicable fans from both sides offered up “the same things you would find in any New York restaurant,” says the Commish, including Italian, Portuguese, and new American cuisine. Sounds more like a Food Network special than a football game, right? True, but how many TV specials have you seen where the contestants are also watching sports?

Many satellite dishes were in operation in the Meadowlands parking lot on Sunday, offering up entertainment of all kinds to match the diverse cuisine, and sometimes just as much effort. The Commish has seen high-tech tailgaters with home dishes in the parking lot at nearly every game this season, using all kinds of creative methods to anchor them in place, including cement and bungee cords!

The Most Talked-About Game of the Week: The Commish was there in the parking lot for the Dallas Cowboys’, er, interesting win over the Buffalo Bills. While the game itself caused some controversy and has had football commentators arguing all week about the Cowboys and the Bills, there was no argument about the creativity at Ralph Wilson Stadium (ranked #9 on the National Tailgating Index). One innovative tailgater sported a grill made from an old iron bed frame! While the Commish calls this a “low-tech tailgating accessory,” it’s certainly still worth mentioning. We have a hunch that if this guy had a mobile satellite TV system, it might be tuned to the DIY channel. In addition to the interesting grill, tailgaters in Buffalo were serving up as many kinds of chicken wings as there were opinions about the game’s conclusion. The party food that took center stage, however, was deep-fried turkey. It was Thanksgiving Day in nearby Canada, after all.

Week 6 Preview: The Commish will be back at the Meadowlands this Sunday, as the NY Jets take on the Philadelphia Eagles. “Parking is getting tough to obtain up here,” Joe says, “but I always get a spot. I’m expecting a lot of great Philly cheesesteaks.”

What’s your favorite, or most creative, tailgating accessory that must be plugged in? Let us know – the coolest tailgating accessories could start their path to fame right here!