Jerry, I can never tell when people with dry wit are being sarcastic. Deadpan delivery is perfect cover for irony.

But I believe, aside from the fact that the tailgateguys set up the tent, provide the furniture, do everything but cook the meat, and then clean up after you, that there is a FEE for using a designated section set aside for this recently identified activity formerly known as tailgating.

Maybe I did not explain myself as well as I would have liked. It is a slow news cycle and I am just trying to fill time for about 39 more days.

With that said… No Auburn is not “charging” you to tailgate, they are just “charging” you to use the spot that you have been using for the past x number of years. What a crock. The university has already mad it darn near impossible to get all your tailgating gear to your tailgating spot, without having to lug it all about a mile. They used to let you at least drop your stuff off and then go park elsewhere. They don’t even allow that any longer.

I guess I am just a little put out by the whole idea. You know how this well go. It will start out in a small area, and then consume the entire areas around Jordan-Hare. You know how businesses work. Start small and expand into all primo markets (in this case spots). You have to remember that someone has been tailgating in that spot, and may have 20-30 people that are used to coming to that spot without fail. I can feel the pain for those people, and hope that Auburn does not allow this to take over campus.

the fact that none of this would have come about if it wasn’t for people leaving their trash everywhere after a day of tailgating?

It seems to me that all this came about because the university was having to police so much trash the day after. All these people that claim to love the university were the very ones leaving trash everywhere after they left. Whether it be because they were too drunk, pissed off, running to Tomer’s Corner, or just tired and ready to go home they chose not to pick up their trash. Someone saw it as a problem and an expense to the university so they brought it to the table. The university in turn said well we’ll give it a trial run. You can offer to certain areas and we’ll see how it goes. The company then decided to offer it with packages and so on and so on. But it all comes back to the trash starting it all.

If people that tailgated just picked up after themselves none of this would have started. If they truly appreciated the university and its beauty then they would make that extra effort. But since they don’t or haven’t we get what we have now. Thinner wallets and alot of fussing.

The Alabama Polytechnic Institute is a land grant institution. I’ve read the sign. It is public land. I completely disagree with allowing organizations with no Auburn affiliation to be allowed to operate and control land that is supposed to be used for the public good. We don’t understand that free tailgating is not going to be affected. They’ve taken 70 spots for tailgating and are charging premium prices. I guess I would not be opposed to the concept in theory if all the proceeds went to the University or Athletic Department like the pree-mo parking spots. But this money will be taken from the fans of Auburn University supporting Auburn University athletics and handed over to private organizations who only care about getting fans to the games…not the quality of education or the integrity of the football program. When will they start privatizing the areas next to the Engineering Building or Draughn Library to make the Varsity more profitable?
 
Not that we couldn’t see this coming. They have been restricting tailgate areas since I started attending in 1998. I really think this is a manuever to push the great unwashed off of campus so when ESPN shows up on gameday, you only see the ass holes who should have gone to Ole Miss. I think that Auburn has alienated a significant portion of their demographic by making such a dick move. That demographic comes from the good ole boy, Ag major redneck who likes to party on football weekends because it is his escape from the drudgery of his job in a sinking economy. These people cannot afford for the Varsity cater their meals. They eat their own hotdogs and hamburgers which taste better anyway. They are Auburn men and women. Are we trying to make some kind of a moronic Oxford Grove?
 
The only thing that can come of this is significant acts of pompous assholery. I hope my sons go to Auburn. I want to show them what football tailgating is supposed to be like. It’s supposed to be drinking beer, burning meat, and being friendly to all teams’ fans besides the 11 subordintes of the SEC. It’s sharing with the great unwashed who happen to stumble into your tailgate. But most importantly, tailgating invloves a DAMN TAILGATE. I hope these lazy bastards who want their meals catered enjoy sitting the whole game as well.
 
Word to Jeremy Roberts’ mother.

it will flop.

I see it as a “lets try this out” type of thing. not long term

I will be down from Indy for the Tech game. It’s my first time back since 1994. Can anyone point me to a good area to tailgate(other than the Tailgate guys)? thanks

…..But we park for games near the Auburn Junior High, on Samford Avenue. There’s a little park next door, full of RVs and the like. Pretty cool people. We try to get there at least 3 or 4 hours before kickoff, and parking’s never been a problem, even on big games like Florida in 2006. It’s a couple of blocks off campus, but you’ll walk farther if you do, say, the hayfields.

but having said that I am sad to see areas that had traditionally gone to the first come first serve become a space for rent. It does set a horrible precedent. Everything does not have to become commercial enterprise…..I just hope it fails although there is a fool born every minute and it will probably become a huge success and they will expand and then everyone will remember the good ole days when tailgating was a family picnic that didn’t cost an arm and a leg.