A Lil' History Lesson

I've been googling and researching for the past few days about how beer bonging and tailgating came to be. I would like to tell you that the tradition of beer bonging began long, long ago, in some respectable manner, back when drinking beer one sip at a time was just not efficient enough. However, the truth is, it probably started when some college kid showed up to a party late and everyone else was too wasted. So, to get on the same level, he poured his beer in a funnel causing him to be drunk faster than we all ever thought possible. I'm going to keep trying to find a legitimate story about the history of either of these topics and hopefully I find more than a few drunken stories.

Tailgating, however, I got a little dirt on. All the research I did can be traced back to this one website, AmericanHeritage.com. Apparently, it started in Jersey (last place i would have guessed), in 1869. Of course, the invention of the automobile greatly enhanced the tailgate. Actually, it wasn't until the 1980 that tailgating started shaping up to what we recognize it to be today. This was when grills, flags, and coolers came onto the scene. It all turned very social.

If you get the chance, check the website out. It's pretty cool. They make a comparison about how a good tailgate can be compared to a parade float, and also say 30% of fans never step foot inside the stadium. http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/2005/5/2005_5_11.shtml