Spring is the traditional season of rebirth and renewal. However my spirits are revived, not by budding flowers, but by flashes of yellow and red leaves and the touch of chill in the air that signals the arrival of fall.

Fall, of course, means the return of college football – and that means the return of football tailgating. In recent years, I’ve found myself growing less interested in what transpires on the field or the final numbers on the scoreboard. What really matters are the essential pregame rituals, for that’s where the real victories are won.

Peak tailgate season arrives in October, when the afternoons are still warm but it’s cool in the morning when you arrive at the lot and start erecting pop-canopies and setting out coolers and folding chairs.

What was the mystery seasoning that imparted such flavor? Did I use a special custom beef grind?

What was the mystery seasoning that imparted such flavor? Did I use a special custom beef grind?

As I see it, there are three levels of tailgaters. The novices labor under the delusion that they’re there primarily to watch football. They may pack a cooler of beer and pick up a bucket of........

© The Spectator