story by Dale Cullins
Editor’s note: Welcome to the fourth season of Tusk to Tail – the sport of tailgating as organized, performed and perfected by a group of Hog fans who have been tailgating together sober and otherwise for more than a decade. Members of the Tusk to Tail Team are Sean Casey, Jack Clark, Dale Cullins, Greg Houser, Craig May, David Rice and Mark Wagner. Tusk to Tail is managed by The City Wire. Legal representation is iffy at best and professional psychological help is typically ignored, if not mocked.
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What a great finish to a game. I doubted the Hogs could pull the game out against Auburn once it went to overtime. This team under Bielema has had no track record to make me think otherwise, but they did it. They fought and made play after play until the end, and maybe, just maybe, Brandon Allen has created his legacy.
Tusk to Tail has been at all of the great overtime games in recent memory. There was, of course, seven overtimes in Oxford, seven in Lexington, six in Knoxville, three in Tuscaloosa, and now four in Fayetteville. The next five games, four of which are conference games, will finish Brandon’s legacy as a Razorback. Will he finish as a closer, a playmaker, or the opposite? Let’s hope the best for him and the team. I’d like to see him go out a hero, carried off the field in a bowl game.
After last week’s game, we are down to our final three tailgates on The Hill, and once again the weather does not seem to be cooperating with our festivities. Tusk to Tail will remain positive and move forward with our plans to tailgate. We are like the Post Office and their commitment to delivery, with just slightly more alcohol.
The Auburn breakfast game was a huge success. As the weather forecast improved, the number of folks wanting to stop by increased. By the time we needed to leave for the game, we had more than 60 guests in the tent enjoying all of the great food that was catered or made by the ladies of our tailgate – just about wiping us out. Only a few donuts and Danishes were left after the game, and the bar took its toll as well.
This week’s opponent is the Skyhawks of Tennessee-Martin. That may suggest a chicken menu, but we have done that and bought the tee shirt several times this season. Attendance Saturday figures to be down due to several factors. The weather, lack of an interesting opponent, deer season, and the 3 p.m. Halloween kick-off. It will be dark just about the time the game finishes, so if you have any kids at home who want to trick or treat, you will likely be at home taking care of those duties, not stuck in traffic attempting to get home from a lackluster game.
It has been decided we will grill up some burgers and hot dogs for everyone along with our usual dips, brats and sides. It’s nothing fancy, but it is filling and tasty. The ladies in the group have set in motion plans to give the Tailgate a bit of a Hog-o-ween flare with decorations and extra treats for the kids and adults that make it out. I don’t imagine we will be the only tent in Victory Village stepping it up a bit in décor for this rare home game on Halloween day.
I noticed something last weekend when cleaning up that you might want to keep in mind when making beverage purchases for your own tailgate. It seems most people purchase the 12 oz. soft drinks and the larger bottles of water for their guests. I don’t recommend doing this. It is slightly cheaper by the ounce to buy those larger bottles, but when you consider the space, the weight, and the amount of ice it takes to transport and cool them, it doesn’t add up.
You would be surprised at the number of half-empty bottles we throw away following a party. Most folks drink far less than the full can before they are ready to move on. Go with the smaller 8-ounce soft drink and water bottles offered at your local retailer. You might be able to cut out a cooler and several bags of ice, and I guarantee you will have less waste.
Cheers to the Hogs for a great win last week, and we will see you Saturday on the Hill celebrating Hog-O-Ween.
Woo Pig Boooie! Go Hogs, Beat Skyhawks!