It’s May and that means the Kentucky Derby and the Indy 500 and the parties in the infields. We dig into our archives for a look at James Adams’ list of Best Sports Parties.
As an obsessed sports fan you can live and die with your team, but in the end you won’t be getting a ring if your team wins it all nor will you be getting fired if they are miserable. So what makes being a fan so great? Watching a game you love is definitely a plus, but fandom is all about the parties in the end.
Super Bowl – The Super Bowl party often fails to live up to the hype, just like the game itself, but if this event wasn’t still a lot of fun then why do we all still attend one. This party tends to bring everyone around, including people that know nothing about the game or the season that led us to the party and it’s not really about sports. After the big game is over I often feel a wave of relief as the crazy sports fan in me is no longer obligated to party every Sunday. In fact the best part of this event is the day after when your over-indulged body screams at you to finally commit to the New Year’s resolutions you’ve been neglecting for a month, but not until you finish off that goody bag you brought home with you of course.
Opening Round Of The NCAA Tournament – People often consider either Thursday or Friday of the NCAA tournament as the best day in sports, and yes those two days are the opening round once the field is at 64 teams. With games all day the entertainment never stops and you can enjoy at least two good meals, plus snacks, and what other sports party allows you to start the event with a cup of coffee or a nice smoothie and still have plenty of time to build your beer can pyramid to the ceiling with your best buds. This is also the only sports day where the action always lives up to expectations as there are so many games on, and undoubtedly some team will steal the hearts of America so everyone has a team to pull for, even if it isn’t your school.
Kentucky Derby – Known as the most exciting two minutes in sports, how can that fulfill the needs for a great party? Because you have that two minutes, but can do whatever else you want for the rest of the day, and it comes at a time when busting out the grill and welcoming in the warmer weather is what everyone is ready to do. Add in the blind draw of horses and you have that little added excitement that allows you to yell a number at the TV even though you know nothing about that horse. Oh yeah, don’t forget that your favorite summer beer just hit the shelves and it never tastes better than when you haven’t had it for awhile and if you’re lucky you’ll even be in shorts.
Playoff Tailgate – Without question the greatest party in sports is an NFL playoff game tailgate party. True here in Cincinnati the game usually leaves us highly disappointed, but the atmosphere prior to the game has no comparison. This is the day when you put together your best recipes, bring your favorite beer, and get together with fifty thousand or so people who all love the same team. Watching people who get totally crazy with costumes walking by is fantastic, where else can you get your picture with batman, a storm trooper, and stroll around town with a tiger tail on and fit in perfectly. There is always someone close by playing music to compliment the party and usually a good tailgate right next to yours where you can swap food, and or beverages. I truly envy the fortunate fan bases that have the great fortune to have two of these gatherings in a year, not only do I wish my team could advance the way other teams do, but having the greatest party two weeks in a row is the thing of dreams.
