Rules of the Road: The 10 Commandments of Tailgating in Oakland
Not long ago, Tailgate Fan writer Brian Cullen named Oakland one of the top 10 tailgating cities in the NFL. Why is Oakland such a hotbed for tailgating? The Silver and Black fandemonium of Raiders fans deserves the credit.
Fans of the San Francisco 49ers and other NFL teams might argue with the Raiders' ranking. Nonetheless, most tailgaters at O.co Coliseum wouldn't argue with these 10 tailgating guidelines, laid out by the Raiders:
- You can't park overnight. Tailgating vehicles can start lining up at 6 a.m. for day games and at 11 a.m. for night games.
- You can't act like a juvenile. The Raiders won't put up with lewd and disruptive behavior in parking lots. If you act up too much, your ticket and parking privileges may be yanked.
- You can't pretend like you're playing tunes at a nightclub. DJs and amplified music aren't allowed.
- You can't save parking spaces for any reason. This means you can't reserve spots for your neighbor or your uncle.
- You can't tailgate just anywhere. Tailgating is limited to areas directly in front of or behind vehicles, up to the emergency access lines painted in each row.
- You can't throw your garbage just anywhere. You've got to toss it into stadium trash cans.
- You can't set up your own personal restroom. In other words, no portable potties.
- You can't tailgate in an RV unless you've purchased a pass ahead of time.
- You can't take up extra parking spaces for your tailgating equipment. Keep all tables, chairs, coolers, barbecues and other tailgating gear in your parking spot – and out of the spots occupied by other tailgaters.
- You can't dump coals from your tailgating grill on the stadium's parking surface. Use designated receptacles around the parking lots to dispose of your coals.
If you follow these rules, you likely won't fumble your Raiders tailgating experience – an experience that fans fervently embrace. Among those fans is Food Network host Guy Fieri, who lives in Santa Rosa. Fieri has taped tailgating segments at the Coliseum.
In a Fieri-hosted show that aired in 2010, Team Bad Boyz of BBQ, a tailgating team representing the Raiders, took on Team Q MasterZ, a tailgating team representing the 49ers. The Raiders team won the battle, which was broadcast as "Tailgate Warriors: 49ers vs. Raiders." The winning team's menu featured Cheerleaders Chicken Arroz, Abalone Attack (Abalone Poke), Tightend Tip (Sangria Soy Tri-Tip), Sideline Salmon (Caribbean Jerk Salmon) and Chocolate Penalty Cake.
The leader of the Raiders team was "Kingsford Kirk" Bronsord.
"We just love our team," Bronsord said."We want fans from all over the country to come to Oakland and leave with an experience that they can't get anywhere else. Win, lose or tie … I am a Raider till I die."
Check out Tailgate Fan to keep the party going at tailgatefan.cbslocal.com.
John Egan is a freelance writer covering all things San Francisco. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
