After years of following and rooting for my favorite team, the Tennessee Volunteers,
After years of attending Florida football games as a Gator Mom,
And after years of traveling around the SEC going to away games
One question keeps coming back to me.
“What makes people so passionate about their schools, their teams and their football?” What would happen if there were no opposing teams to dislike? There would be no games. There would be no intense rivalries. There would be no great AWAY games to look forward to.
Fall would not be nearly as much fun.
My husband, Dave always says the best fans travel to away games. I agree! They want to experience the excitement and special traditions at fellow SEC schools and stadiums.
They want to tailgate on the Quad in Tuscaloosa.
They want to hear the chimes in Baton Rouge,
And see Mike, the Tiger’s Habitat at LSU.
They want to experience Toomer’s Corner in Auburn,
And have a fresh squeezed lemonade from Toomer’s Drugs.
They want to tailgate in The Grove,
And ride on a double decker bus
They want to see the Arch in Athens,
And experience a game between The Hedges.
They want to place a few bets at Keeneland Racetrack on a beautiful day in October
And then go to a Kentucky game at Commonwealth Stadium.
They want to walk through Vandyville,
And maybe hit a few Nashville music row bars.
They want to watch the boats make their way to Neyland Stadium on the Tennessee River,
And drink beer out of Mason jars (ala Kenny Chesney).
They want to hear the cow bells ringing.
They want to see the Cockaboose Railroad at South Carolina,
And maybe get invited inside a Caboose.
They want to hit The Swamp Restaurant on Friday night,
and then tailgate at The Swamp on Saturday.
They want to hear Woooooo Pig Sooie!
And hit Dickson Street for Bikes, Blues & BBQ.
They want to walk through the columns at Missouri,
And go to the Zou.
They want to hear from The 12th Man in Aggieland,
And “Gig ’em, Aggies!”
Kathy Miller Time’s “TAILGATING THROUGH THE SEC” painting series celebrates the special traditions and unique tailgating spots of each of the 14 Southeastern Conference schools. I have traveled through the SEC gathering recipes from fans and alums, taking hundreds of photographs of tailgates and landmark buildings, then capturing these experiences into compositions that celebrate each school’s uniqueness. Every painting includes a tailgate. The paintings are meant to elicit an emotional response from that school’s fans.
Watch for upcoming stories from my tailgating travels.I welcome your comments, recipes and any inside information about your favorite tailgating spots.
Come celebrate with me. I’ll save you a seat at the table!
6 Comments
Love it Kathy!! My ping pong ball earrings made the cut! Haha. You have me so excited for football season. I can’t believe we have 5 more months!!! I hope Kathy Miller Time is a huge success!
Sister Kathy,
This is wonderful….so proud of you!
I love you.
Kay
Would love to hear from you SEC fans!
Kathy, I read every word and loved it. Agree that ” real fans go yo away games”. Rosemary and I traveled to Michigan games all the time. Viewed lots of new territory for me in your write up. It was fantastic. Thank you for sharing. Charlie
Another fun blog! I love reading the stories and seeing the fun pictures. Wish I could have participated in tailgates when my kids were in school but they went too far away. I am living it vicariously through you, Kathy!
You need to come east Laura! I’ll take you to a few good tailgates.