Traditions bring feelings of comfort, familiarity and relaxation to people. In sports, fans hold their traditions very seriously, often crediting them as responsible for wins and losses. Tailgating is one of those traditions that gives off some of the strongest of those feelings. 

In Kansas City, tailgaters go all out. Rain, snow, sleet, sub zero temperatures? That won’t stop Chiefs fans.

 This past Sunday against the Houston Texans, the high temperature was a crisp 32 degrees with ice and snow covering the ground and the sun never making an appearance throughout the day. Nevertheless, over 77,000 unfazed fans still tailgated and attended the game at Arrowhead, witnessing one of the most insane comeback wins in history by their beloved Chiefs. 

It is truly an irreplaceable tradition that so many people love and enjoy weekly. There are people who will even pay to park just so that they can tailgate and watch the game in the parking lot of Arrowhead Stadium. 

So what is it that makes tailgating so common and enjoyable? 

Ultimately, it’s one big party with people who are all at one location supporting the same thing (typically being a sports team). It connects us together in a way that is kind of hard to achieve otherwise. People are easily able to put their differences aside and just have fun cheering on their hometown team. Along with that, it creates a strong family vibe. Kansas City sports fans are known nationwide for their strong community atmosphere, and that of course links back to tailgating!

For those of you who can’t make it out to Arrowhead, tailgating is not limited to camping out in the parking lot. You can tailgate out of the comfort of your own home, couch, and T.V, and receive just as great of an experience as you would being in a parking lot. I encourage everyone to have their own tailgate type celebration this Sunday when the Chiefs take on the Tennessee Titans for the AFC Championship. Have fun with it and GO CHIEFS!